2017-10-22 - spike - The New Shop 31

Author: spike
Title: The New Shop 31
Date: 22 October 2017

Chapter 31
My mind was a whir that night as I lay in M’s cage again.

God that was a welcome change. Being back, curled up around him. I slept soundly but my dreams and those places you go when just on the edge of sleep…

It was almost as if regaining the power of human communication again after spending so long incapable had opened the floodgates. All that mental energy hadn’t been just lying dormant when I was the dog. It’d been going to places unhindered. Thinking in ways I’d never considered before. Doing things I thought impossible and only when I lay in that cage did the ideas begin to flood into my conscious mind.

I could see it. The whole complex. Their idea to deliver slaves to the correct place just by placing a hand on the scanner was good of course but I saw a whole system, stretching out before me.

Every node, every branch, every data point. I’d work too. I knew it.

I woke that morning with a clarity I’d never experienced before. I had something to work on in room one once the problem they set had been solved.

The moment the cage unlocked, M rushed off somewhere and returned with another armband.

“Enjoy!”

I put it on my other arm and examined the controls. The voice settings were quite comprehensive, I started fiddling to see if I could get something that approximated my old voice but then, a thought. If Bethan did return, I didn’t want her to know it was me anymore. It’d not only upset her, it’d compromise the operation, so, I went for something better instead.

Who to base it on? More fiddling and I came up with something that sounded like Harrison Ford. Hah… I liked it too, so saved that setting and made it my default.

“Snakes… Why did it have to be snakes?”

“Good voice! Wish I’d thought of doing that. Selecting something that sounded like a film star.”

“Thank you, sir.”

“Ah, ah, aah! What did I tell you? We’re brothers now, properly. No more yes sir, no sir to me.”

“Sorry, force of habit. Probably take a while to break that one. So how many of us are there, sir?… shit. See what I mean?”

“Subhumans? As far as I know, I think before me, five was the last. Mind you, I wasn’t there when Alpha took on a suit, I think he likely got one too, so, four or five of us.”

“Looks like I’m going to have to disappoint two, then. Rather exclusive club, silvers. Even more exclusive for us golds and he’ll be calling me sir too, now, won’t he?”

“Good point. Let’s get down to the gym. More kinks to work out remember.”

“Yes, si...sorry… I’ll get there.”

“Dash, Slasher, come.”

The two dogs bounded over to us. I petted both of them and we made our way down to the gym and again, all the slaves lined up.

I studied my armband, the slave idents were totally unfamiliar to me but I did note the possibility of adding a name or nickname to help.

“M… How do I ID them? Can’t even tell my other two apart without the chains.”

“Damn. Sorry, eleven, didn’t think. I’ve selected nicknames for all of the ones who needed to be identified. I’ll call yours over. Put your hand on their shoulder. I tell you which one’s which and you can add the name then. The band reads the suit’s signature when you make contact.”

“Thought that must be the case when you were tapping them on the shoulder to identify the one who tried to avoid the protocol demo.”

He nodded and tapped something on his band.

A slave walked forward and I put my hand on its shoulder.

“That one’s sleepy.”

I added the nickname. “How are you doing? I’ve not had much of a chance to speak to you, being a dog for the past couple of weeks.”

It gestured. “Very well, sir. It’s not totally beat yet, but I’m in a cage now.”

“And you’re fine with that?”

“With what’s going on downstairs, sir, yes. How are you… I thought that only worked with the dogs, sir?”

“No.” I waved the other one under its nose. “That one only works with the dogs. Q elevated me last night. I’m an equal to M now. Gold. It’ll be applied during my wash.”

Its shoulders shook and it held out its hand. “Congratulations, sir. And thank you. I’ve been wanting to shake your hand for god knows how long, sir, but I’ve barely seen you.”

“Oh, you’ve seen me. Just as much as you’ve seen your brother.” I nodded down to Slasher. “I’ll allow you to play with him after your workout daily from now on.”

“Thank you, sir.”

“Return to the line-up.”

“Yes, sir.”

“I don’t think I need to know who the next one’ll be then. Stinky?”

“Of course. They’re the only three you spoke to originally.”

It walked forward, I tapped it on the shoulder and added the nickname.

“And you? How’s the addiction going?”

“I’ve never felt better, sir. Oh god when you said think of it as the ultimate rehab, you weren’t kidding were you?”

“Accepted that this is the life you want?”

“Oh, god yes, thank you, sir. I’m clean, sir. I’ve been off the methadone laced food for a few days and not a hint, sir.”

“Good. That’s all I’ll say. Fucking good. Return to the lineup.”

It rejoined the line.

“I don’t have anything to distinguish the others, sir. Nicknames won’t work with them.”

“I suggest you spend an hour talking to them in the rec room after your wash before you go up and do your computery stuff, whatever that is. Never did understand all that mumbo jumbo myself.”

“I will sir. Could you just tell me which ones to summon? I’ll put a marker next to them as a placeholder for something more.”

M reeled off seven numbers of other slaves assigned, I put a marker next to each. Hang on.

“Seven, sir?”

“I’ll have to slap you every time you say that.” his shoulders shook with laughter. “Count them. We recruited more while you were a dog. They were taken here. You were still escaping from the frat house at the time.”

“I thought there were more.”

“Might be a lot more before long, too. Not just from slaves shoved our way by Butch either.”

“Another consignment?”

“Yep. This lot should be on their way by then though. Blank slate, you’ve got a whole new bunch to get to know soon.”

“Good. I hope he blanks me so I can join them this time. Even if it is only for a week.”

“Seems to me that is a good way to get to know them.”

“That was part of the idea, yes. As well as just living the life of course.”

Same exercises as before with weights and difficulties increased a few notches, M worked me mercilessly for a couple of hours.

I was recovering. One more day and I think I might be able to take on my old baseline again.
This time during the wash, I saw the hood and vest pass my goggles as they were applied.

The immobility was welcome after such an intense workout and I stood there for a few hours after the cleaning cycle had ended. The moment I was released I studied myself in the mirror.

I couldn’t see any difference at all. Again, the new vest had somehow merged completely with the suit, not even a line, no sign anything had changed.

I went down to the rec room and sat at the table we’d both sat at before.

“Blank. Come to the rec room.”

I reached down and stroked Slasher. He nuzzled my hand.

“Good boy.”

The elevator arrived, the blank stepped out and it walked over.

“Sit.”

It sat opposite me.

“First of all, I suppose I should introduce myself. I’m number eleven. I was originally meant to be your Master for training purposes from the start, but events overtook all of us.”

It looked a little nervous.

“Don’t worry, I don’t bite. I might’ve spent the past couple of weeks as a dog but even he doesn’t bite. Do you Slasher?”

The tail wagged.

“I’m sorry, sir. I’m… I… This is it?”

“What do you mean?”

“I’m nothing now? Just this suit? Not even an identity? Just blank for the rest of my life?”

“So, you’ve not taken to it as well as some of the others then? When were you taken?”

“I don’t know, sir. I know I wanted to be a slave but this is a bit extreme isn’t it?”

“OK. Did you ever see me as I am now? Or did you only see me as the dog?”

“The dog?”

“Tyson.”

“Oh god, I’m sorry, sir. I didn’t realise. I thought he had silver”

“Yes. It is possible to increase in rank as a slave, blank. I began as a blank. I think it was about a month ago. I agree, time is tricky but you’ll get used to it. It doesn’t matter as a slave.”

“How do you do it? I don’t even know who this Q is!”

“Yes. I… suppose I’ll have to have a word with him about that. It does seem a little unfair not even getting the chance to speak to your owner. I got lucky. I was taken very soon after the store opened.”

“Store, sir?”

“Yes. I’m sure you’ll get the opportunity to stand on display in there eventually assuming you’re not shipped off before then.”

He recoiled in his chair. “I’m sorry, sir. Where are we?”

“Did you see the videos of me running across the city?”

“I’m in… Where? New York?”

“Yes. Queens to be exact. Where did you begin your journey into slavery?”

“Toronto, sir.”

“Ah. Well if none of the other slaves came from there, I’ll have your nickname for my” I waved my armband. “A number’s all well and good but a name’s better even if it’s just for my benefit. Now, why haven’t you accepted it?”

“It’s the lack of… well, anything. I look exactly the same as the rest of them.”

“So? What difference if you share the same look and name. You’re not the same are you?”

“Well, no but”

“Have you made any friends?”

“Yes, but I don’t know how to find them again. We’re switching cells every few days.”

“Seems to me a better chance to make more friends. Trust me, I will experience what you are and I’ll love every second of it.”

“How?”

“When I was told I may eventually be elevated to gold, I made a request. A request one of the previous slaves to achieve this status also requested. This gold hood, it’s special. It can turn completely black, as can the vest. I can be reduced to blank status at the flick of a switch and Master Q controls that switch.”

“You asked for that? Why would you ask for that? Being reduced to less than nothing?”

“Why do you think you’re less than nothing? Look. I said this to one of the other blanks. Talk to people, there’s still a man in that suit. Get to know them. That blank was once the man who enslaved me. He was the Alpha in control of the store up there. He saw objects just as you do and could’ve been dangerous if he continued with that attitude so Q forced him to take a blank suit temporarily to experience the life. By the time of his release he’ll know a lot of you, he’ll understand you’re not nothing. Hopefully he’ll even see blanks can be friends. Why do you think you’re so low?”

“But… blank? Voiceless rubber objects?”

“Voiceless doesn’t mean worthless or incapable of communication. Look at yourself. You’re doing it as well as M and he’s been doing it for five years. And he was a blank for all those five years until he was elevated last month.”

“M? Was a blank?”

“Oh yes. He was a blank alright. When he was summoned to the computer the first time I was there, he was incredibly surprised when Q called him M. He even looked at the back of my head to see if I’d been marked. Now, is M worthless?”

“Of course not!”

“So why should you be? Blank is just a little convenience really. If all slaves share the same name until they achieve something that grants them a promotion not only does it give them an incentive to achieve, it makes it incredibly easy to assign jobs. You blanks do this, you blanks do that. Doesn’t matter who’s inside for most jobs after all unless they fuck up. Of course, if that happens we would know who was responsible.”

“What? But we all look alike.”

“As I said, a nickname’s better than a number. The plug up your ass, blank. It does more than just allow pleasure, punishment and flushing. It powers your suit. When you press those panels they identify you. You’re a walking RFID tag in that suit. Every slave in a suit has a unique ID. I think even Joel has some form of identification associated with his chastity. It certainly shocked him when he opened the front door when I returned that morning.”

It seemed to visibly relax.

“Feeling better about it now?”

It nodded. “I… I’ve still got a lot to get my head around, sir. I admit, slavery was always a fantasy and I do love it here. It was just the loss of identity that was freaking me out.”

“Well, now you know. Even if blank’s your name, we know you’re different. You do need to be identified individually for admin purposes. What if one of you was ill? Couldn’t just haul anyone in for medication, it’d need to be just that one. I know for a fact one of you’s claustrophobic and receives special treatment for it, another’s a recovering heroin addict. Those two, I’ve got to know quite well and what’s more… Slasher here is the phobic’s brother. I managed that before I became the dog. Before you arrived in fact.”

It glanced down at Slasher.

“What’s that like, sir?”

“Oh god. I think you can probably guess my opinion of it. I love being a dog. I think you need a mindset capable of adjusting to it though.”

“What do you mean, sir?”

“It’s difficult to describe. When I was taken, I was convinced I was one hundred percent Master. I owned my own slave. I loved her too. Alpha took me totally against the guidelines Q had put in place, too lax to read them properly. It took me a while to come to terms but at the same time, I didn’t disobey, I put every effort in to everything Q put me to. I didn’t even know I’d submitted to him until he told me a week later. Since then, it’s been an accelerating plummet into submission for me.”

“Well, I have submitted…”

“That’s the first step. Being a dog’s a little more extreme. I’m surprised Slasher took to it quite so easily but he did. He loves it just as much as I do. You need to set aside everything. You got freaked out by your loss of identity. How about your loss of self? Just becoming the dog?”

“But I would have a name?”

“Only while you were the dog, yes. Otherwise, blank. You would lose all means of everything but the most basic communication.”

“What do you mean, sir?”

“Your hands are unavailable, blank. Nothing but emotional cues and the odd tap to count with your paw. Dogs can’t spell so if you tried that it would result in punishment unless it was something important.”

I could tell it was battling with itself. “I’d like to, sir.”

“I’ll give you a choice now, something slaves rarely get. How long?”

“I… I’ll go for a week, sir.”

I selected M. “Sir. How many dog suits do we still have free? And tails for that matter?”

“You’ve got another volunteer have you? And stop calling me sir!”

“I’ll get there, M. It’s hard. It’s so ingrained now.”

“The shop has four for public demonstration and we have another three available for slave use. Do you want to put it in now?”

“It was having difficulty accepting the lack of identity. I think it might help, being given a name for a while. It has submitted, it just needs to dig deep into that submission to become the dog. It requested a week.”

“What’s the plug ident? I need that for the key.”

“3462315”

“I’ll be down as soon as the shop’s empty.”

It seemed to be sitting more confidently now. “Thank you, sir. How uncomfortable is it? Doesn’t it wreck your knees and elbows?”

“No, no. The suit’s very well designed. Barely any pressure on those at all. The only uncomfortable bit is the zip, pressing into your back, but you get used to that soon enough. One of the things due for a change, the back zip. I made a few suggestions after my release.”

It nodded.

Ten minutes later, M appeared carrying a tail in one hand and the suit in the other.

“Let’s get you in there then. God, I envy you, another week as a dog… Don’t know when I’ll get the chance again.”

Another lot of struggle and another dog was born. It tottered around uncertainly for a few minutes, then looked at me.

“Yes, boy?”

He went into a kneel as if begging.

“Begging? Already?”

He nodded.

“For a name?”

He shook his head.

“You want out?”

He nodded.

“You asked for a week, boy. I’m not letting you give up so easily. A week is what you get.”

His tail sank between his legs.

“It takes time to learn to walk, you’ll pick it up quickly enough. Couple of days and you’ll be as quick as Slasher and me. Maybe this’ll make you feel better. I name you… Storm.”

His tail shot up. Then started wagging.

“Ah, so you like that then. Good.”

He cocked his head at me.

“How did I know you liked that?”

He nodded.

“Follow me.”

I walked across the room to the nearest mirror. “Enjoy your new skin, boy. It’s on for a week.”

He stumbled after me, falling over several times and finally reached my side. He looked at himself. He turned around. He stared at himself in that mirror for ten minutes. His tail, static. Immobile.

“Now. Think a happy thought.”

He looked up at me obviously confused.

“Do it, Storm.”

The moment the tail began to wag, he toppled over in surprise. When he scrambled to his paws again, he studied himself more closely. The tail wagged. It shot up. It sank between his legs.

“I think you got it boy, I did say the most basic emotional cues. That’s the only means of communication you have now. The trick? Become the dog. Act on your instincts, put your human mind to one side. The tail tells us everything we need to know. Happy, excited or surprised, sad or disturbed. Now, open your jaw.”

The jaw slowly opened. The tail shot up again.

“See? It’s not that bad is it? It’s a very exciting seven days you’ve got. Trust me, once you’re capable of running after that ball, you’ll love it. M, who’s handling sleazy right now?”

“One of the blanks.”

“Could you… I’ve still got another six to do.”

“OK, eleven. Come Storm.”