2018-12-13 - spike - The New Shop 90

Author: spike
Title: The New Shop 90
Date: 13 December 2018

Chapter 90
They’d been suited up in no time and now they sat before me. I glanced at the designer.

He was a human slave, same tattoo. I’ll say this, Q had a good taste in men. Even though he was clearly of a more intellectual type than the average slave, he was still incredibly well built, blond hair, blue eyes and a smile that lit up the room. I think I’m beginning to see what he sees in them now.

His name? Maximillian.

I deselected the dogs, more, I turned off their ears.

“Sir?”

“Yes?”

“Master Q said there were a few dog suits on the island… How many?”

“We have six more in stock here. Why?”

“I’ve got something up my sleeve to top off his time as a dog, sir. It’s not concrete in my mind yet, but, an event of some kind. Nothing as epic as the races back home but something and I think a few of the blanks should be given the chance to take part. Ones who haven’t had the chance before.”

He grinned. “Oh god, I hope this is good… What were you thinking?”

“Right now, we just need tracker balls, sir, and how many drones do you have available too, for keeping the dogs on camera during it? Just as with the races?”

“Oh, we’ve got far better drones than the ones state side, Eleven. Don’t worry about that. They’re used to patrol the more dangerous parts of the island and factory, identify any problems without the need for a human presence. As for the tracker balls, we’ll knock a few together. Should have a boxful ready for you in a couple of days.”

“They need to be in the same frequency settings as the races, sir. Home, shelter/food, prey/hunter and warning.”

“I wouldn’t worry about the warning ones, all the hazards on the island already transmit something that’ll overwhelm any other sense if you get too close.”

I nodded. “Thank you, sir. It might still be an idea… A penalty ball, if you like.”

The idea was still vague but I could feel a plan beginning to form. I selected Four.

“Four, you won’t be able to take part in this one but how would you like to help out?”

“What one?”

“Dog event?”

“Where are you?”

“Currently in the throne room but it’s time they find their paws. Q and Nathaniel are now dogs. That’s a point. I’ll get back to you later.”

I knelt and selected them. A stroke on the head, a tickle on the belly and under the chin.

I looked the dog with Q inside square in the goggles. “I think I’ll call you Caesar, how do you like that boy?”

His shoulders shook, his tail wagged. He nodded.

“Thought you might like that. And as for you… As he’s Caesar… How does Brutus sound, boy?”

Brutus’ tail wagged too. I nodded. “Good. Those are your names for the next two weeks. Unless I have some advice for you, from now on, the only voice you hear is this one.”

I tapped Caesar and Brutus into the dog training band I’d been given, selected both and tapped.

“Caesar, Brutus, Heel.”

Caesar wobbled a little and walked to my side. Brutus fell over. His tail sank between his legs.

I knelt before him as he struggled back onto his paws. “I know, it takes a little getting used to. In two days I’ll have you running. Start with this… Front left, rear right, front right, rear left. Get used to walking.” I switched back to the doggy band. “Heel, boy.”

I selected Four again. “We’ll get together after the dogs have been caged. Hammer out a plan. I don’t want them to know anything yet.”

“OK. Tell me when, I’ll be there.”

For the next few hours, I walked around the complex.

It took a while for Brutus to find his paws but once I was satisfied they were both getting the hang of it, or in Caesar’s case, getting used to it again, we went out into the grounds. I didn’t have a ball, but there was plenty to choose from. I picked a stick to play fetch with.

Caesar at least seemed to be getting into the spirit of it. He wagged every time he dropped the stick at my feet. That wag went into overdrive when he got his first good boy.

Brutus on the other hand, he stumbled, he struggled and after the third stick throw…

“Caesar. Stay.” I threw the stick for Brutus alone. It was time he got a good boy of his own. He needed to know what was good about being a canine.

The moment he got a good dog, his tail left its home between his legs for the first time. After that, he really started to try.

Another couple of hours of that and I could see they were beginning to tire.

I headed back inside, down to the blank level and into one of their common rooms.

A few blanks were present and they all sprang to attention at the sight of me.

Not having their identities at hand without tapping them, I signed.

“Stand at ease. We have two dogs that need to be taken care of. Who wants a couple of pets? And which bottom cages are free?”

I looked around the place that’d be my home for a month when I was blanked myself. It was similar to the named quarters but as they’d said, these cages were the old style, Three on top of each other facing inwards so you could talk to the other slaves in your compartment. Ten sets of six on the ground level. with five levels above, tiered slightly to allow a slave to walk to its cage by climbing steps. God, how many blanks did he intend to collect? There was room for the whole island in here with room to spare right now and this was just one of the blocks.

One of the blanks stepped forward. It looked a little excited. “Sir? Is that you? Eleven?”

I nodded. “Which one are you, blank?”

“I’m not blank, sir.” He turned his head. That white Psi.

I selected Psi on my armband. “God, I was wondering when I’d run into you. I thought I’d see you at Christmas.”

“I was here, sir. I did have my fun with those humans. Didn’t see you though.”

“Yes, well… I saw enough the previous evening. I found a nice spot to admire the view instead. How are you doing now?”

”Oh god. Thank you, sir. Since you arranged for me to be named, it’s been a whole new outlook. Never looking back, sir. Who are those two, sir?”

I chuckled. “I’d like you to meet Caesar and Brutus. Newly named.”

“Caesar? Oh god, does that mean…”

“It’s Master Q in there, yes. Brutus is one of his human slaves. The one who arranged the orgy on boxing day.”

“Does this mean I get to be Storm again, sir?”

“Sorry, Psi, not this time. There are six dog suits free right now. It wouldn’t be fair on the blanks who haven’t had the opportunity to be a dog yet to put you in one. That’s what I have planned. Part of it anyway. Speak to the blanks, see which ones are willing, no, not willing, eager to try. I’ll assign you to train them. You have the experience. I want what’s to come to be a surprise for these two.”

It snapped to attention. “Oh god, thank you, sir. It’d be an honour. Two to a cage, sir? There’s one bottom cage free at the back and you don’t need a whole one when you’re a dog.”

“Good.” I handed it the training band. “Take good care of them, Psi. I’ll be back in the morning to resume their training. They need to sleep so, no more exercise for them now. They’ve been getting acquainted with it, learning to walk for the past six hours.”

“Yes, sir! Thank you, sir.”

I nodded and returned to the elevator.

“This is to all golds. I’m heading back to the throne room. We need to talk and I think it’s nearly time for the blob to unfreeze. I want to be there not only to see it, but talk to it. I imagine it’ll be a wreck.”

Five’s voice came through first. “Blob? Why would it be a wreck?”

“Did you hear about the hacking? Capturing the one responsible?”

“Ah. Yes, heard it put you through hell?”

“Me, oh it hurt for a few minutes but that was nothing compared to what it did to Alpha. He was frozen in a pod, helpless. Similar to what happened to four, level ten shock every ten seconds. Thousands of them. For days. No physical damage but he’s been traumatised.”

“Fuck! I knew it’d hacked you but I… What’s this about it being frozen?”

“We gave it a penance it had to work off before it could exit the game it thought it was playing when it tortured us in the first place. Take every shock. We talked it into being frozen. Enduring them rather than running about in a panic avoiding them for another two years. Its first eight hours should be ending soon.”

“Eight? And you’re enforcing that?”

“We gave it some pleasure to demonstrate what it had to look forward to if it escaped the game. Q suggested four hours. It requested eight. I’m not going to allow it to back out of that now. Six more and it’s game over. ”

“I know the pleasure’s good but”

“All it’d ever felt down there was pain. Three months of running around like, as M put it, a blue assed fly avoiding them. It didn’t even know pleasure was possible until we gave it some.”

“But still…”

“The sooner it’s free of the game the sooner it can adjust to slave life, Five. It’s going to be hell for it, true, but six days of hell’s better than two years running around the complex getting shocked every time it had to wait for an elevator. Its ex-friend’s in a much worse situation. I’ll tell you all about it when we’re together. I’m surprised four”

Four’s voice then. “We all know how squeamish Five is when it comes to that kinda thing, Eleven. We didn’t tell him for obvious reasons.”

“Ah, sorry, Four. Didn’t know.”

“No harm done. They needed to be punished. Now, they are. Tell the blob what else it has to look forward to. It’ll soon agree.”

“What else? Apart from the escape from pain, the pleasure and free time?”

“What can it do with some of that free time? Little hint… Revenge. See the blank, stand in front of the panel, block its access. Make it suffer.”

I gripped my sides in laughter and hit the panel, ground level.

“God, that’s a good one, Four. Very good bit of ammunition to use. Thanks.”
* * *
We had a good view of the cubicle as M turned off the light. The blob collapsed, curled up into a ball and… the best description I could come up with is wobbled. I could tell it was sobbing uncontrollably.

I selected it. “If you wish to speak, use our sign language. It’s very easy to pick up. Just write the letters in the air with your fingers. We’ll give you time to recover. The game, for you, suspended until your next session.”

It stiffened. Slowly, still sobbing, it uncurled itself and lay flat on the floor, its chest quickly rising and falling, clearly it was panting between the sobs.

Ten minutes later, it sat with its back against the door frame. Its hands, still shaking, slowly began to form letters.

“P.l.e.a.s.e. N.o. m.o.r.e. I. c.a.n.t t.a.k.e. a.n.y.m.o.r.e. I.t w.a.s. h.e.l.l. s.i.r!”

“Sorry, blank, but you have no choice in the matter now. Each time you step into that cubicle for your wash, you will remain there for a further eight hours. That was your request and there’s no backing out of it now. My master offered you four, you asked for double.”

“B.u.t.”

“One thing you need to accustom yourself to as a slave is no choice. You do as you’re told. Look on the bright side. Six more, and for you at least, game over. For Kyle, it’s only just begun and he’s in the game for a hell of a lot longer than you were.”

“b.u.t.”

“You get free time as a normal slave, blank. You get pleasures the like of which you’ve never felt before. You know that. Free time you can use as you wish, blank. Anything you like to do. Well, almost. That includes torturing Kyle in a similar way it tortured you.”

I could see its hands were about to form another B when they froze. “T.o.r.t.u.r.e. h.i.m. h.o.w?”

“If you see it, you can interfere. Stop it, just as seventeen stopped you in the elevator. Very simple to do too. Just stand in front of its next panel and don’t let it touch it.”

“S.i.x. m.o.r.e?”

“Yes, blank. You’re free of the game in less than a week. Then you can start having some much needed fun and with your eyesight restored you can socialise too. Talk to those blanks. They’re all a friendly bunch but now, we’ll send you to your cage. Sleep, you need it. That’s what your week consists of. No exercise, just wash, feed, eight hours frozen and sleep. You can resume your time in the gym when you’re one of us.”

“H.o.w. d.o. I. t.e.l.l. K.y.l.e. f.r.o.m. t.h.e. r.e.s.t? Y.o.u. a.l.l. l.o.o.k. t.h.e. s.a.m.e.” It pointed at M. “E.v.e.n. h.i.m. a.p.a.r.t. f.r.o.m. t.h.a.t. w.r.i.t.i.n.g. o.n. h.i.s. c.h.e.s.t.”

“Good point. M, how about putting one of those chains around its neck like we did with the burglars? There’s only one this time so we don’t even need a tag.”

M nodded. “Consider it done.”

“Blank, when you see a blank with a chain, you know who it is. You can even interfere if you see it on your way to the wet room while you’re still in the game if you’re willing to take a few shocks while punishing it.”

It shuddered again, this time I think it was shaking with laughter. Its fingers became more confident and a little quicker too. “Thank you, sir. I know I can handle the lower power ones. If I see it, I’ll do that. Then I can tap the panel, reset mine while his won’t. I will. I’ll do it.”

“Good. Now go to your cage.”

“Yes, sir.” It scrambled to its feet and jogged off to the elevator.

M’s voice then. “When are you coming back, Eleven? You’re back in the suit now.”

“Back in a suit, not the suit, M. Temp suit. The doctor thinks I’ll be fit for a permanent one in a week or two but I’m spending more time here when I am. I’ve requested time among the blanks to experience the life. Until a couple of days ago I was confined to a wheelchair so I’ve not even been out into the, as Q called them, “Badlands” yet. Besides, I’ve got two dogs to train for the next two weeks. Don’t know when I’ll be back.”

He nodded. “Don’t blame you. That video looked amazing.”

“We’d better sign off, we have a little plotting of our own to do. Eleven out.” I nodded to Ten and he tapped on the keyboard. The connection terminated.

He slid the keyboard back into the armrest. “So what have you got up your sleeve?”

“How about something similar to the thing that started this all off in the first place?”

“What?”

“Scavenger hunt? We have six spare dog suits. We select five blanks from the ones here who’ve never been a dog and five of the experienced dogs to train them. Psi’s already in. I bet the others will leap at the chance too.”

“But what will it involve? And why five, we’ve got six.”

“I think they need an antagonist in the field. A hunter. And who better?” I pointed at myself.

“Bloody hell! So, when they all go out… Searching for what?”

“Tracker balls. Maybe get the designers to put the trackers into batons or something so it’s easier to snatch from another dog’s mouth. I’ll be out there to stop them taking their prizes home. How big is the island anyway?”

“About fifty miles long, thirty at the widest point, it’s not a regular shape. Really wouldn’t recommend sending those trackers much beyond the mountain foothills. They need to be back to rehydrate and they can’t out there.”

“No, no multi-day events, I know that. What time would it be safe to send them out? Night time exercise? And what time would they need to be back, I assume the temperature doesn’t increase to intolerable immediately at dawn?”

“One hour before sunset should be fine. Back by about four or five hours after sunrise, should be safe.”

“Seems like a plan’s coming together then. When we’re preparing for the hunt, Four… Can you place the trackers?”

Four’s shoulders shook. “I’d be glad to. Oh god I hope they figure out a way I can try this.”

“I already made a suggestion to Q about you, Four. He’ll figure something out. Right now, though… how about we get this off the ground? Gym, summon all the blanks?”

“All the ones in the compound, yeah. Currently two buried and thirty left for the outposts three days ago.”

“Can we dig them up? Shame for them to miss out and one of them might be a potential trainer?”

Four shrugged. “Ten? Six? Yours weren’t they?”

Ten chuckled. “It rolled a five but it doesn’t know that. No harm in getting it out, even if it means putting it right back down there again after the meeting.”

“Six?”

“Mine? Requested two days. It’s had four. I was going to make it endure the full week but this sounds like fun.”

“Four days?” I looked at Six with renewed admiration.

“They’re our playthings when we want something to play with. They know they never get what they ask for. Not exactly anyway.”

“I’m not sure which one to speak to now when I ask to be buried… You or Ten.”

“What? When you ask…”

“I’ll be a blank. You’ll never even know it’s me. I always want to experience something before I inflict it on another. I need to know what it’s like so I know just how long or how serious a crime, well you get the idea.”

Four’s shoulders sagged. “I used to share that opinion. It was that idea that got me fucked over so royally. Come on, let’s get a few blanks and dig up the potatoes.”
* * *
The first pit to be dug out was the first I’d encountered. It was reassuring when I saw how they did it too. Rather than dig from the centre, they dug around the edges leaving a column of compressed earth in the middle and then dug out the rest with their hands until the blank inside could move and shake off the rest.

We hauled it out. It sank to its hands and knees but eventually forced itself back to its feet.

It looked at each of us. “How long, sir?”

“Just over four days, blank.” Six tapped.

The blank stepped back and still unsteady on its feet, stumbled, landing on its ass. “Four?”

“You know what happens when you ask one of us for a burial, blank.”

It shook its head.

“Well, you do now. We all have our ways of having a little fun at your expense.”

“Yes, sir. Still new, sir, but fuck me, that was scary, sir. I was beginning to think you’d forgotten me.”

“If Eleven hadn’t had us haul you out I would’ve kept you down there for another two days, blank. Thank Eleven.”

I turned my back and pointed at my head.

“But I thought you were… I was… I saw you, sir. You were free of it!”

“Yes, I requested another.”

“But you said it was forced on you. That you had a slave! One you loved!”

I checked my armband. As I’d helped to haul it out of the pit, it was the latest ID to be highlighted. I tapped and my notes popped up. It was the realtor from the first batch.

I nodded. “I also said I’d accepted it. A lot’s happened since we spoke. I don’t just accept this is my life now, I love it. I’m far wealthier as a slave than I ever was as a CEO.”

“Wealthier?”

“There’s more to life than money. I take it you’ve learned to accept that now. Happiness. Fulfilment. I’d never want a different life to this one now so of course I asked. The first time, it was forced onto me. This time, I took it not only willingly, but eagerly in the full knowledge of what it means.”

It nodded. “I’d like to thank you for that talk, sir. I didn’t realise how much of an impact it had until later. You’re right.”

“I can see you’re embracing the life, volunteering for that.” I pointed at the hole.

Its shoulders shook. “I spoke to another blank who went through it before Christmas, sir. It told me to give it a try.”

“And?”

“I loved it at first, but as time went on I did start to worry. Stuck down there, helpless for days, fuck it’s scary after a while.”

“And now you know you’ll usually get more than you asked, would you request it again?”

It froze for a minute, obviously in indecision. “Yes, sir. I think I would.”

“Follow us. We’ve got something special on and another blank to release.”

“Yes, sir.”

We moved on.

The next… Good god, they’d said a tar pit. They hadn’t been kidding. This one, there was a chain dangling in above the pit on a winch attached to a crane. Getting that one out just meant pulling it out and it was a strain for the machinery to do even that.

“How the hell can a slave survive down there, Four? Tar? Isn’t it hot? It’d cook someone!”

“It’s not real tar. It’s manufactured to be of that consistency. It might look hot from the surface but that’s just the heat of the sun. Down eight feet, it’s cool enough.”

What emerged was a blob of tar in a vaguely human shape with its hands behind its back. When it was on solid ground, Six gave it an order to jump on the spot and as it did so, the tar began to dislodge, to fall to its feet revealing its wrists were cuffed.

Around the side of the building, an outside shower, but it wasn’t water that emerged from it. Whatever it was, it dissolved the remaining tar leaving the blank pristine and as clean as if it’d never seen the stuff in minutes. Another side step, another shower head, this time warm soapy water and the blank was done.

With a jangle of keys, Ten released it from the cuffs.

It immediately sank to the thank you pose.

Ten chuckled. “Stand up, blank. Follow us.”

We headed down to the gym to find the place packed with blanks. The ones with us jogged to join their brothers.

We lined up in front of them and I selected all…

“Storm, Dash, Phantom, Sabre and Rascal. Step forward.”

Three slaves stepped forward. They looked around and a couple, their shoulders sagged. Psi showed its name by turning its head.

I tapped each of them. Dash and Rascal were the other two. I selected the missing ones and showed Ten.

“Sorry, Eleven… Looks like they’ll be missing out on the fun this time but I’ll make sure we keep doing this if it works well. Phantom and Sabre are at the outposts. I imagine they’re looking around a little confused right now.”

“They can hear us? From here?”

“Yes.”

I selected them. “Sorry Phantom. Sabre. We’re organising a dog event and I didn’t know you were out of the compound. You would’ve been training blanks who’d never been dogs rather than becoming dogs again yourselves this time though. Maybe next time.” Again I selected all. “Saxon, Rebel, step forward.”

Two more blanks joined the ones selected.

“Join us.”

One of them signed. “Yes, sir. Does this mean… I get to be him again, sir?”

I tapped it. Saxon’s ID appeared and deselected all but that one. “No, not this time. As I said to Psi earlier, you are the five most competent dogs here. You’ll be training five blanks to be dogs for the next event. It’ll take place in just under two weeks. It won’t be a multi-day event but we hope it’ll be good for everyone.”

“Yes, sir! Thank you, sir.”

They joined us and faced the rest.

“For those who don’t know yet, Master Q has opted to become a dog for the next two weeks. He’s been one before. During my first time as a dog. That time he was one for three days. He hated it. Since then he’s come to realise everyone else loves being a dog and taking part in the races, so, he will be getting one. I need five volunteers. Five among you blanks who want to become dogs. If you’ve been dogs before, remain where you are. If you’re unsure, stay. If you want it more than anything, step forward. We only have five suits available.”

One blank immediately stepped forward. Not even a second of thought. Following him, seventeen more did the same.

“So, eighteen candidates. Five places.” I selected the burglar who’s family became millionaires thanks to Q’s crowdfunding. “Join us.”

The first to step forward nodded and stood beside us.

“Now we have seventeen candidates, four places. Before any of you think this unfair, the blank I called forward expressed a desire some time ago, so it gets the chance. The rest of you… We’ll evaluate your fitness and obedience and pick the best.”

I tapped each of the others to get their IDs.

“All but the trainers, dismissed, return to whatever you were doing. If you receive the call, it will be to become a dog, possibly within the next couple of hours. Us… Rec room.”