2018-01-27 - spike - The New Shop 62

Author: spike
Title: The New Shop 62
Date: 27 January 2018

Chapter 62
“Ah good. Welcome back eleven.” Q had a smirk, clearly amused.

“Thank you, sir. I… Take it you were watching then?”

“Of course, I often watch my slaves enjoying themselves in the dungeons. There’s usually something interesting going on in them. You can’t deny, it certainly got more interesting for you after I gave you a prod.”

“Them, sir?”

“There are other dungeons. I’m sure Perkins told you about his new home. I know Luke told you of his, not to mention the one we have here.”

I nodded.

“Anyway, first order of business. Good thinking eleven, identifying its problem. Do you have any experience in dealing with it?”

“No sir, I just used what I knew to help it to read the book it’s currently on, sir. The slaves talking to it, it understood so I realised it must be a… I suppose you could say temporal versus spacial thing. One at a time, it understands, all in a line it’s scrambled, sir. I checked the library and there aren’t any books on the subject either.”

“There aren’t?” Q sighed. “If I’d had a mind to make the selection myself there would’ve been an entire section on it. Dyslexia comes in many forms, it’s not just word blindness, it can often affect memory and other things too. Unfortunately, I delegated when it came to the library and it’s clear the slave who made the selection placed less specialised reference and fiction above all else. I’ll make sure you get a wide selection first thing on Monday.”

“Thank you, sir.”

“Those two will remain when the others join me. It needs to be able to communicate both ways, understanding and others understanding it. It could be a danger to itself and others without those skills. I will also speak to it and it seems I have a few others to speak to too?”

“Yes, sir. One gave itself to you fully, asked to be made permanent, sir. Another asked to speak to you but wouldn’t say why. A third said his Master might want to take part, but, being an amputee, he’d need different designs of suits and as he lacks fingers, M pondered that there may be a way for the sensors to allow communication. Oh, and Moonbeam asked if the pelts would be available for sale, so its Mistress could take it for walks during the winter. I think that was everything, sir.”

“Very good.” There was a rattle of fingers on a keyboard. “The slaves have been summoned. Time for the final results. I will speak to each of them. Anything else?”

Twelve put his hand up. “Yes, sir.”

“Go on.”

“One of Luke’s recruits, sir. It said it was in a temp suit and asked if its performance had been worthy of permanence.”

“Very good. And yes, it came in sixth place and performed admirably in the race. Take it. You know what to do, M. The others recruited by Luke are waiting in the wings, so to speak. Five of them will be among the next batch. From now on, don’t even wait to be asked. If, in any of your opinions they’re worthy, take them before the dog training. Remember to replace their earplugs and their bulbs and gags also need to be drained and replaced with the permanent solution.”

All three of us said “Yes, sir.” in unison.

It wasn’t long before all the slaves were assembled and Q reappeared on the screen. Again, with four and ten at his side.

“It’s nearly time for you to be returned to your Masters. Well, many of you. Yes, that includes mine. In three days you will begin your journey to me, so, it’s time for the final results. But first. Diablo, step forward.”

A blank took a step.

“I’ve been told you wanted to speak to me?”

It started to sign and again, ten translated so all could hear.

“Thank you, sir. I entered myself into this race, sir. I’d like to forfeit the monetary prize for something else, sir. A different reward.”

“Go on.”

“I’d like to exchange that prize money, sir. I’d like entry into the next three races, instead, sir.”

“Hmmm, all of us had a different thought when you asked to speak to me. I will grant that, but I have a different idea. One M and eleven both thought you were going to ask instead.”

“What’s that, sir?”

“Give yourself to me. Your suit will be replaced by one of the permanent ones.”

It recoiled in shock.

“It is a serious proposition, blank. Become my slave. Give yourself to me utterly and I’ll see to it you see a lot more than three races.”

“How, sir?”

“Simplicity itself. Duke chose you as a hunter. As you were an outsider that wasn’t possible. Give yourself to me and it will be. Furthermore, as Duke’s boon was that all hunters be elevated to named status, you would be too. This grants you much more than just a name, you will be permanently marked as my property, you’ll gain mastery over some of the next slaves to arrive and, as I said, you will hunt in every race.”

“But what about my life?”

“Do you have anyone outside you care so deeply for you wouldn’t give them up for the life I’m offering? If not, forget your old life. Money is nothing to a slave, you’ll never see it again. You’ll have lifetime employment, you’ll never go hungry or worry about rent or bills and eventually, all the slaves there will be transported to me and trust me, if you love that complex, it’s nothing compared to what we have here.”

“Can I… think about it, sir? It’s a big step.”

“Very well. The offer has no time limit. If you wish, you can be returned to your handler and resume your old life. If at any time you choose to accept my offer, return to the store you bought your suit in and speak to Alpha. He can take you and seal you in then and there. By the way, have you received your other reward yet?”

“Not yet, sir. No.”

“I wouldn’t be at all surprised if, after experiencing that, you’ll drop to your knees before me immediately. Every slave who pulls their weight there gets at least one hour of the same each week. Very well, return to the rest. It seems you have a lot to think about.”

“Thank you, sir. Oh god…”

It stepped back and another blank stepped forward.

“Don’t try to speak, blank. I know. And trust me, what eleven told you is true. We’re often more intelligent than those not afflicted. Almost always more creative with faculties more… normal people would envy us for. I know it’s difficult but dyslexia can be handled.”

It suddenly stood a lot taller, almost as if it’d jumped in surprise. It pointed at itself and then Q.

“Yes, I did say we. I am dyslexic too. I’m a highly accomplished organic chemist. I’m also a multi-billionaire and CEO of a multi-national corporation. A corporation I founded. Many dyslexics gained success in their lives. Richard Branson, he of Virgin fame? Dyslexic, and would you consider The Fonz to be inferior to anyone? Henry Winkler’s dyslexic too. Magic Johnson, Mohamed Ali, Stephen Spielberg. Heck, some even think Albert Einstein may have been. The list goes on and on.”

Now it was definitely standing taller.

“How are you doing with the book eleven gave you?”

It placed its hand over its heart and made a beating gesture, then made a closing book gesture, placed it on an imaginary table and picked up another.

“You finished it already and started on another?”

It nodded.

“Very good! Don’t let it put you off if it looks difficult. Work and work hard and you can overcome it. You will remain there until you’re capable of speech. It may take several months, but look on the bright side. That means more races for you to compete in. Your teacher will also remain there and I have ordered a wide selection of books on the subject for it to study. We’ll get you up to speed, blank, don’t worry.”

At that news, it dropped to its knees and performed the thanking ritual. I detected movement to my side and another blank had too. Obviously its teacher.

“Good, now, return to the others.”

It stood and stepped back.

“Muttley, stand forward.”

Another blank took a step.

“You wish to give yourself to me?”

“Yes, sir!”

“I had the sarge speak to your handler and as he says he lays no claim to you and no-one else does either, I accept. As soon as this audience is over, M will take you down to the wet room and replace your temporary suit with a permanent one. You begin training with the new batch of slaves when they arrive in a few days. It does also mean you get to compete in the next race too.”

“Oh god, thank you, sir!”

“And what punishment did you wish to impose on yourself for such a poor performance?”

Its shoulders shook. “Same as Prince, sir.”

“Very well. That means you will compete in two more races. We can’t very well train you to be a slave while in dog form. One month as a dog, beginning tomorrow.”

It dropped to the thanking pose too.

“Return.”

It stood and joined the rest.

“Now… Moonbeam.”

Another stepped forward.

“Very good idea. I’ll see to it that the dog pelts are available for sale. Possibly within a fortnight. I commend you on the idea, blank and I’ll be sure to pass on that commendation to your Mistress.”

“Thank you, sir.”

“Anything you wish to add?”

“Only another thank you, sir. For the best, the most amazing experience I’ve had in my life and possibly the start of a whole new one as a pet, sir. Oh god, I was scared silly when she asked me if I wanted to be like that for good before but now… I really hope she enters me into more, sir.”

“I imagine she will, blank. You may not have won her any prize money but I think you’re going to enjoy what’s to come. Step back.”

It nodded and did so.

“And finally, before the results… Blank…”

The final one stepped forward.

“I know your Master may request the chance to compete himself. The ideas expressed in your conversation were interesting, to say the least.”

“Thank you, sir.”

“If your Master does decide to join us in a race, he needs to understand a few things first. While he’s in the compound, he is a slave.”

“Yes, sir. He has been a slave before. He progressed to dominance a few years ago and became my master when I gave myself to him after injury forced his tour to end in Iraq, sir. He knows what slavery involves, sir.”

“He will need accurate measurements to have custom suits designed for him and a lot of testing, scanning, retesting and machine learning to identify the brain wave patterns associated with visualisation and with something so complex it might need to be done with each candidate, but I believe concentrating on a letter will allow it to be passed to a vocaliser similar to the armband. He’ll be called in to the store. Alpha will hand him over to one of my golds and they will place him in a dog suit temporarily while his brainwaves are analysed and attempt to train him to see if such things are possible.”

“Sounds complicated, sir.”

“It may be. Full instructions will be given if it needs to be done. I imagine being mobile, even on all fours will be seen as something to aspire to… He may even request permanence if such things work. A tracker tag could be modified to handle speech which we could turn on and off remotely, no speech for an active dog of course, but he’d remain a dog just so he could get around when all other slaves were released.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Good. Tell him exactly what I said. I hope he chooses to. It poses a very interesting problem and I like solving interesting problems. If this line of research bears fruit it could even be used to help those with even more severe disabilities, such as Stephen Hawking. Return to the rest.”

“Thank you, sir.” It stepped back.

“Now, back to the results. As before, first, second and third place holders receive fifteen, ten and five points. This goes for outsiders too of course and in this case, only overall placement counts. If you evaded capture completely, that includes extra pleasure hours for my slaves and I’ll be sure to pass on to your Masters that you deserve a reward for such an achievement too. For every capture, negative five points. Best evasion each day also earns ten points and rewards as do the three longest journeys. We’ll begin with the best evasion for day one.”

The screen cleared and the… What was that one, a wolfhound?

Whatever it was, it was walking across an open stretch of land between a lake and some woods. It seemed wary, obviously sensing the predator nearby.

Then, a wolf, sprinting through the trees and out onto the field. He didn’t notice at first and just as the tail was about to be grabbed he bolted.

Of course, the wolf took chase. The overhead view followed this chase for several miles before the hound took a sharp left turn, leapt onto a long stretch of ice, slid to the other side and, getting a grip on the ground there, ran away while the wolf lost control completely and spent the next few minutes attempting to slip and slide his way to the edge of the ice.

“Very well done, Rocky. Once extra hour of pleasure. You decide when to take it.”

The blank in front had almost jumped out of its suit when the video started. It looked around when its name was called. It was the dyslexic.

“On day two...”

Yes! It was me chasing Thor.

“Thor, Same reward as Rocky. On day three…”

This one began with the dog running long before the wolf appeared, what’s more, he appeared in front of the dog. It wasn’t Thor this time, it was the Golden Labrador.

Instead of skidding to a halt and changing direction though, this one increased his pace and barreled into the wolf knocking him over, rolling with him before scrambling to his feet and bolting away before the wolf had a chance to bite. The wolf took a few seconds to pull himself together which was enough time for the dog to make his escape.

“Rebel, risky, but well worth it. Well done.”

I knew that one. He was the one from Winnipeg I’d spoken to on my first night in the cages.

“And on day four.”

It was Diablo, running, no, sprinting as if his life depended on it. He swerved, he zig zagged, anything to avoid that tail pull. Then, in the distance he spotted something, a fallen tree over a shallow ravine. He bolted for it, leapt, landed with a good footing and made it across before pushing the side of the log with his body so it fell in. The gap was far too wide to jump across and the dog slowed to a leisurely pace and strolled away as the wolf paced on the other side, obviously frustrated.

“I like creative thinking. Diablo, for you, the reward goes to your master. A one hundred and fifty dollar gift certificate for use on anything in the store. Each of you also receives ten points. Now, last time, I listed each competitor and how many captures each received. As I said, negative five points from your final scores. This time there are far too many for that, but the statistics will be posted to this screen after I’ve finished today. You can look yourself and your friends up then.

I will list the dogs who didn’t get captured at all because that also means added rewards and points. For the outsiders, another one hundred and fifty dollar gift certificate, for my slaves, one extra hour of pleasure to be taken when you wish and one extra day free of duties, full access to all facilities. All will receive ten points.

The dogs who didn’t receive a single tail pull are… Diablo, Moonbeam, Thor, Saxon and Prince. Well done, Prince. You may have come in final place but you did evade capture. You may each choose when to take your free time and in Prince’s case, that can include a day free of being a dog.”

So Moonbeam did win something for its mistress. Good.

“Saxon. See M after this audience. It’s time for you to replace your temp suit with the permanent version too. He can do it at the same time he does Muttley’s. Now, for the best prize category, in my opinion at least. Distance travelled. Again, if you want to see the full statistics, this screen after I’ve finished, but the top three…

In third place, walking seventy miles, Flint. One day extra freedom from duties and full access, one more hour of pleasure. Five points added.

In second place, walking seventy-two miles, Max, very well done, second place, twice in a row. Same as last time for you.

In first place, for a total of eighty-nine miles, much of it running in the opposite direction to avoid predators, Prince. Three days free, three hours of pleasure and fifteen points added. Last place in the race but overall, not as bad as you first thought, eh?”

I looked around again to see which blank it was. It had its hands clasped over its head in triumph.

“Now, for the totals.

In third place with fifteen points. Diablo. If after you’ve received your reward for coming in third place overall and first among the outsiders, you choose to give yourself to me, all your rewards will be translated back into pleasure and free time but for this prize, as an outsider I believe the reward should go to you. You may choose one of the dog pelts to take home, to wear should you or your handler choose to put you back into your dog suit and take you for walks during the winter. Yes, you may even choose one of the wolf pelts if you so wish, but if you choose that, you will not wear it during a race… Of course, if you do give yourself to me, the wolf pelt will be the one you wear anyway, as a hunter.”

“Thank you, sir! Oh god that’s… thank you!”

In second place based on points scored, even though you came in last during the race, Prince. Two days free, two hours of pleasure. I do expect better from you next time, not in points but in placement.

And in first place, as the best dog of the whole event… Thor! Congratulations, number fourteen. Three more free days and three more hours of pleasure, again, to use when you wish.”

I bet Thor’s happy. Well over a week of play to look forward to. I wonder if he’ll do the same as I am, splitting it.

“Again, distance travelled isn’t just a competition for the prey, the hunters deserve rewards too and this time, as we had four, I have three prizes to give.

In third place travelling well off the beaten track for the first half of the race but then having to take a much more direct route thereafter, Tyson. You travelled in total over seventy-five miles. Forty of those with a compromised coat. I won’t give you anymore bonus points for that though because you’ve already received those. One day, one hour of pleasure.

In second, Bandit, clocking in a total of eighty miles. Two days, two hours.

And surprisingly for me at least, first place goes to Slasher with ninety-one miles. Duke, you surprised me. I’d expected you to be the winner of this segment but instead you took a much more direct route. It did however pay off for you as you won. Slasher, three days, three hours.

And that’s the end of the prize giving. M, eleven and twelve will each ensure that our outside winners receive their prizes. Follow them to the wetroom cubicles where you will be frozen for the duration of your rewards. Q out.”