2019-02-08 - spike - The New Shop 99

Author: spike
Title: The New Shop 99
Date: 08 February 2019

Chapter 99
The boathouse was huge. Smaller than the compound obviously but it could easily berth ten reasonably sized yachts or motorboats. Arrayed along the walls were surfboards of various shapes and sizes, wind-surfboards, kayaks and canoes and all the different types of oars for them. On the water, smaller boats with outboard motors, the dinghy the Russians had come in on and a line of six jet-skis.

The Russian boat we’d seen that alerted us to the intruders was here. It seemed a little different than I remembered.

I pointed at it.

Six nodded. “We stripped it of electronics and gave it a respray. It’s also been renamed. The scientists have been over the stuff onboard and we scanned the boat for hidden tracking hardware. It’s clean and we intend to use it.”

“How are they, sir?”

“Not entirely sure. I know they’re still in the medical centre. None of them died. Master has issued an invitation to their commanding officers though. They should be here soon, if they follow Q’s instructions at least.”

“And those instructions?”

Six shrugged. “Helicopter to an island ten miles from here. Suit up in hazmat gear to get into the safe zone, then, they’ll be given a full tour.”

“Including the med centre?”

“Seems to me a good way to drum into those soldiers that they’re screwed, seeing their commander walk past and unable to do or say anything to alert them. I don’t think they’ve been told they’re slaves yet. They’re not well enough to be put to work and they’ll need to learn English before they’re ready.”

I nodded.

“Anyway, remember, that air hose connected to your filter only activates if you switch it there.” he pointed at a button near the filter. “If you’re on the water, switch it. It also makes the decontamination a hell of a lot more comfortable. It won’t release from the filter until the filter’s released from your nose when you’re back under the tent.”

“Thanks, sir.”

Air tank on my back feeding that hose, I clambered down a ladder and jumped aboard one of the jet-skis, flipped the switch and pulled the cord to start it.

Six did a thumbs up and ran back to the green zone.
* * *
My love for the island, for the life I’d chosen froze even more firmly than the suits in the cemetery that day. I knew I’d leave here in a few weeks, but that departure wouldn’t be permanent. I knew I’d be back again and next time, I’d be here for the rest of my hopefully very long life.

I couldn’t wait. God I never wanted to leave. I clambered into my cage that night more relaxed and at peace than I’d been in my life. Even more-so than when I was Tyson.

I glanced across at the cage opposite.

It was looking back at me.

It signed. “Are you the one I talked to that first day on the chain gang?”

I nodded.

“Oh thank fuck, I’ve been trying to find you…”

“Difficult, but… why didn’t you take the same cage?”

“Someone was already in it. Besides, didn’t know if you were in the same one.”

“Same one for me all week. Now that you can look back on it rather than forward to it with dread, opinions? It’s clear you survived it.”

It chuckled. “I… don’t want to do it again, but I know if I do, I can handle it. And you?”

“By the end, I wanted it to continue. I could’ve lived like that for months. Loved it.”

“What did you get up to today? Did you get a day off too?”

“Boathouse. Jet-ski, windsurfing, you name it. God that was good. I had my doubts when I first put on the suit but now… oh god I don’t know if I’d ever want a different life to this one.”

“You’re still new, aren’t you?”

“A few months. How did you know?”

“When you’ve been here a bit longer, you won’t even talk about other lives anymore. This is it. It’ll never change so why mention alternatives?”

“And your opinion on this one?”

It nodded. “I love it. Even the chain gang… not for the chain gang or the whips but for the fact I never know what they’ll have in store for us next. I love that. No two weeks are the same and whatever they put you on, you’ve got no choice. You just do it.”

“Well, that’s what slavery’s all about. No choice. Glad it’s got a lot of variety though. God. To think I used to work in a fuckin’ office. Can’t even imagine… Thanks, blank, you just squished any last doubts I had. I’m gonna sleep well tonight. Tell you one thing…”

“Yeah?”

“Before the suit, I think I was a slave to my possessions. God, to never own things again. Nothing will ever belong to me. I didn’t realise until recently just how much of a blessing that is.”

It stiffened. It looked up at the ceiling as if in thought. “Fuck me, that’s… I’d never even thought of that before but god, you’re right!”
* * *
We stood in the gym again and this time, it was Ten assigning duties. He didn’t bother calling for volunteers. He tapped on his band and eight slaves stepped forward and faced us.

It was only then I noticed. None of them wore the metal chastity anymore. Not even Ten. So, Q had been busy. Every slave must have the permanent ones now.

Again, the same process as last time. We froze, the chains and collars were attached and the moment we were free to move again, eight more stepped forward, nodded and ran to the elevator. Another eight stepped forward soon after and made their way to it too.

“Blank, step forward.”

I did. I looked around and nine more had too.

“Report to ground level, await Four in the atrium. He’ll take over from there.”

I looked around. I didn’t know what that even was but the other nine immediately moved towards the elevator so I jogged to catch up. Follow the crowd. Seemed to be the best bet.

It was a while before the elevator returned. When it did, I continued to play the sheep.

I recognised the corridors. We were heading towards the throne room but before we got there, we entered a large room to the left.

The moment I stepped inside, Four handed me a bundle and pointed to a bench at the side.

I glanced down at it as I walked over and sat. It was mottled grey, it was… Oh fuck.

It was a statue suit! I immediately unfolded it and turned it around, looking for the way in.

There was a zip at the back. I undid it and thrust my legs in.

I was dressed in it in seconds. It slid on as most clothes slip over the suit. Effortlessly. I glanced at Four.

“Sir, could you…” I pointed at the zip.

“You’re expected to help each other, blank.”

“Sorry, sir. It’s the first time I’ve been selected to be a statue. I’ve wanted this for months, sir.”

“OK, turn your back.”

The suit gripped tighter as the zip went up, then, when it reached the top, I felt a snap.

I turned. “What was that, sir?”

“The zip locks, blank. You’re a statue until Q decides it’s time to switch again. Ah, yes.” He reached between my legs and fiddled with something. Another… well, not a snap but a click and it seemed to come from… I nodded in understanding. Q said the dog suits had been redesigned. Obviously, these had too. The cock tube engaged with my chastity and now this suit had engaged with it too. I imagine I’ll be pissing out of the statue’s cock.

I looked down at it as I felt myself getting stiff at the idea… The suit’s cock was too. I stepped back in shock.

Four did too. “God, he’s clever. I knew about using it to piss through but I never knew it could do that!”

“This is new, isn’t it, sir?”

“Very. The last of the new chastity belts only went on yesterday. Before this, your own cock fitted into that. Good to see you like the idea anyway.” He turned, tapped and “Everyone else ready?”

They all nodded.

“Then take your positions. You…” he pointed at me. “As it’s your first time, choose your plinth.”

“It doesn’t matter which one, sir?”

“No.”

“Thank you, sir.” I rushed out of the room, into the throne room and hopped onto the left hand one directly facing Q’s throne. I don’t know how the suit was powered, but as soon as I’d taken up a pose, I froze solid.

Another granite statue rushed up and stood opposite. It held its thumbs up, hopped onto its plinth, took up a body builder pose and it too froze.

The next one along, marble, the one a little further down, bronze. I couldn’t see beyond those.

It was a while before I detected movement.

Sebastian had entered the chamber. He hopped up the steps, past the throne, pushed something and a panel slid open. He entered and it slid shut behind him.

So, that’s where Q’s quarters were. I’d never even considered it.

Another long wait before anything else happened. Q emerged dressed in his best leather uniform. Well, certainly the best I’d seen him wear. I think I’d seen him in it before but god it looked good on him. He sat, swished his keyboard into place, turned on his monitor and immediately began to type.

“All golds, rec room.” He looked down the line of statues and nodded. “Good. I was getting bored of marble being right next to me. About time they had a shuffle.”

I could hear! I hadn’t expected that. Maybe when the button to summon me had been pressed but I could hear everything from the start.

A few minutes later…

“Good, now, M. Report.”

“Yes, sir. We have blank on standby as ordered.”

“Good. As they’re likely to take about an hour to get here and they should have an interpreter of their own, it will confirm their translations are accurate. In the meantime… First… Seventeen.”

“Yes, sir?”

“I find your report intriguing. I had no idea there were so many. Entire festivals for the sole purpose of dressing up and casting spells at each other? Thousands of them?”

“Not many of them in the USA, sir. There are in the UK though, sir. Quite a few different groups across Europe too, sir.”

“You were right. It is a market worth looking into. I’ve put my designers onto the task.”

“Thank you, sir.”

“And how is the blob now? It’s over two weeks since its time in the game ended.”

“We put it to work in the gym the moment it’d worked off the last of its shocks, sir. What surprised me was, it was actually trying. It spent half an hour just looking at itself in the mirror afterwards.”

“I think it’s time I spoke to it again. Summon it.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Now, M. I see your new chastity arrived. Are you all in those now?”

“Yes, sir.”

“And the terrorist?”

“Yes, sir. We blackened its eyes while it was frozen for its wash as usual, sir. Its normal chastity gets removed anyway so as far as it was concerned, no change. Until the new one was put on.”

“Good. It’s on for life. For everyone apart from Four. Those will only ever be removed when there’s a medical reason to do so and I don’t foresee many instances of that happening. And as Eleven enquired, yes, even when you’re dogs. Nothing gets them off. We’ve also taken onboard Eleven’s idea for armour plating the terrorist. My scientists are working on a new vest with its name and message on the back. It will not be identical to the last one, this one will have hardened plates just as he suggested.”

“Yes, sir! When”

“They’re still working on the design, M. It’ll be ready before it’s dispatched back to Atlanta though. The chastity adds a further area of protection, no-one can shoot it in the bollocks either, though I imagine a kick at the right angle might still hurt like hell.”

“Good to know, sir. And thank you for these, sir. They feel… Amazing. Unless you get aroused you don’t even notice they’re there most of the time, sir.”

“Quite. I have worn a similar one for a while myself. Expect a video file by the end of today, our editors put a little extra care in this one, considering I was one of the dogs taking part.”

“God! You… The… The event? He mentioned he was planning something! How did it go, sir.”

“Oh… god… He was right about a few things. Including me growing to love it if I gave it a chance. Dog events will be a regular occurrence here from now on, there’s another one next week.”

“And Eleven, sir? How is he?”

“He’s recovered, M, don’t worry. When you receive the file, you’ll see just how much. Tyson took part in the race taking all the dogs by surprise. We hadn’t expected a hunter and certainly not him.”

“He’ll be back soon, then?”

“He’s a blank now. I don’t even know which blank he is, the computer randomised his core ID and what’s more, I randomised his time as a blank too. Minimum one month, maximum, three. He wanted to experience the life here. Now, he gets the chance, not only as a named slave but as a blank too. You know how much he loves that.”

“Yes, sir. Thank you, sir. Oh fuck, that’s a relief.”

“It wasn’t your doing, M.”

“It was me who dispatched him, sir. If I’d done as he suggested after the fact and spoke to him first…”

“Yes, life is one big lesson. Learn from your mistakes and don’t repeat them. Those who do, and there are a hell of a lot of them… Well…”

“Yes, sir. They don’t deserve any sympathy… Ah… The blob’s here, sir.”

“Very good. Open the laptop for it. Come, blank. Sit… Good. Now that you’re out of the game, I want nothing but honesty from you. Tell me everything that’s been going through your mind.”

“I’m still feeling homesick, sir. I still want out.”

“You know now, the suit is impossible to remove, blank. Knowing that there is no way for that to happen, have you begun to accept the life you’ve been given.”

“Given?” there was a pause. “I admit I am liking some of it now, but life? I don’t… I can’t…”

“You know those words should be edited from your lexicon now, blank. Can’t? There is no can’t or won’t.”

“I know, sir.”

“And what about it have you grown to like?”

“Obviously the pleasure, sir. I’ve had a couple of the full hour ones now, sir. Looking at myself in the mirror, too, sir. And I’ve had a lot of fun at the expense of blank when it’s running around. Every time I see that chain I step in front of the panel it’s heading towards. I’ve had it writhing on the floor a few times, sir.”

Q chuckled. “Good. It deserves no less. As for the mirror, that will continue to improve from now on and Seventeen says you’ve actually been putting the effort in when you’re in the gym?”

“Now I know, sir. Now I know I’ve lost weight… How much now, sir?”

“At the last count since you arrived, you’ve lost eighty-three pounds. That’s over half an average sized person, blank. You still have a lot to lose but the weight loss is continuing to accelerate. When you get down to eighteen stone, I’ll have a dog suit and fur sent for you. That’ll still likely be months away though.”

“Dog, sir? Like those freaks… Sorry, sir, but… Really? That looks like hell, sir.”

“Every single slave there has by now spent time in a dog, some, several times and some have been in the races. I spent the last two weeks as a dog so before you consider it some form of punishment, it isn’t. Even I learned to love it. That race will be available on the screens soon. Watch it. You will race too. I’m sure your opinion will change once you’ve experienced it. Oh, and the fur I’ll have made for you… One to suit a man of your size, when you are down to that that size. Rottweiler.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Now, I have the results of your evaluation here. I won’t tell you what those results were, but I want your honest opinion.”

“The dungeon, sir?”

“Yes.”

“Terrified the life out of me, sir. I don’t have to go down there again do I?”

“Have to? No. I recommend you do though. Get used to the idea because our tests indicated you grew sexually aroused by several of the things done to you that day. Learn to love the life you’ve been given. All aspects of it because when you finally reach here…”

“I… What got me… I… I’m not a pervert!”

“Everyone has kinks, blank. Many never discover them or attempt to squash them because they see them just as you do, as perverted. We’re a lot more open minded and I encourage you to be too. A lot of enjoyment can be had down there if you allow yourself to. Speak to M. His capture was much the same as yours. He hated every aspect of the dungeon too when he first encountered it.”

“How long did it take for him to adjust?”

M’s voice then. “I admit I had help and I can help you in a similar way. A few months to get over the last of my prejudices and hangups. After that, I began to love it. Now, I’d never want to return to my old life. Even if they could hit a reset button so no time was lost. This is me now. This suit is on me for the rest of my life and I not only accept it. If, somehow, it was removed. If somehow Master Q released me from my enslavement… I’d immediately give myself back to him and ask for a new one.”

“But the suit can’t be removed, that knife…”

“I know, so why hang on to old ideas? Embrace the new, blank. The fact this is on for life horrified me at first. Now I couldn’t be happier that’s the case. You need a complete shift in attitude. As Seventeen said, your old life was one of nothing. Laying on a sofa getting fatter and stealing video games? Playing them until you died from a stroke? You have something new now. Something wonderful. You just need to plough yourself into it fully. Forget what went before. If you want to think of it like this, then do… You didn’t just get kidnapped into this life. You fell through a dimensional portal to another world. A world it’s impossible to return from. Learn to love to love it.”

Q nodded, his face shone with pride. “Well put, M.”

“Thank you, sir.”

“Now, I can see from your posture you’ve got a lot to think about, blank. Return to what you were doing… What were you doing, anyway?”

“I was part way through a five mile run, sir.”

“Five miles? And you can do that now?”

“I’m on my knees at the end, sir, but yes.”

“Blank… You need to see the good in this. On your first round on that treadmill, you couldn’t even walk a hundred yards! It’s been less than six months and you’re running five miles. A few months more and we’ll have you running marathons! You’ll be fit, slim and you need to see that as the best thing that’s ever happened to you, because it is. Prior to the suit, you had a life expectancy of… what?”

“The doctors said I wasn’t likely to see thirty, sir.”

“Continue as you are, blank and you’ll see seventy! Possibly even more. Possibly a lot more.”

“More? More than seventy?”

“Oh yes. You know about the nanites. They fixed your eyesight after all. Over the past couple of weeks when we had you in the scanner, they’ve not only been working on your skin to tighten it as you continued to lose weight, they’ve been cleaning you out inside, unclogging your arteries, undoing the damage of all that time you spent overweight. They can do a lot more than that, too. You may live to a hundred and still be as fit and healthy as M is now. See your enslavement in a good light, blank.”

“I’ll try, sir.”

“I won’t ask you if you submit to me this week but eventually, I will and I want an honest answer. I don’t want submission from fear. From duty, obligation, gratitude or desire, yes. Fear, no. Understood?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Dismissed.”

“Thank you, sir.”

A couple of minutes later, a hiss and a long stream of Russian.

Q reached around behind his throne and pulled out the radio, plucked off the handset and spoke.

“Good day, gentlemen. I hope you have your interpreter.” he removed his finger. “M, get the blank. It’s time. They’re on the radio now.”

“Yes, sir. It’s been waiting in the wings, it’ll be here in a minute.”

“Good.”

When the radio crackled to life again, it was in English. A heavy Russian accent but English.

“Ve'rre in position and rrready to kome acrross.”

“How effective is your hazmat gear?”

“Vat do you mean? It werry evective.”

“I want no more deaths, understood? Is it airtight, watertight and does it contain an independent air supply? Our protections are designed to withstand the decontamination procedure but yours may not be capable.”

“Ve believe it vill be sufficient.”

“Very well. One of my men will meet you on the beach on the southern point of the island in half an hour. He’ll escort you through decontamination and then here. Leave all weapons there. In your helicopter.”

“All our veapons?”

“We are a peaceful community working hard to restore this island to the paradise it once was. As we have no armaments, we expect all our visitors to respect that policy too. If even one weapon’s found, you will be ejected. I don’t care if it’s a submachine gun, a point twenty-two revolver or a pocket knife. Nothing. Understood?”

The radio went dead for a minute. Clearly they were debating amongst themselves.

Again, it crackled to life. “Agreed.”

“Good. You found the motorboat?”

“Yes, boat is here.”

“I’ll see you in bit then.” Q put the handset down and smiled. He flicked a switch. “Christopher. We’re having guests tonight, be prepared. It may turn into a banquet.”

“How many, sir?”

“I’m sure I’ll find out soon enough. The moment I do, you will too.” He tapped another button on his throne. “Attention all human slaves. Guest mode.”

A minute later, Sebastian emerged from the hidden chamber and rushed out of the hall.

He returned half an hour later dressed as a butler.

A while later, Ten arrived escorting four men in officer uniforms. I looked at their rank insignia. I… think one of them might be a captain but I couldn’t tell what the others were.

Q smiled. “Gentlemen. Welcome to my little corner of paradise. Please. Take a seat.” he indicated the table, stood and pulled out the chair at the head of the table nearest to me.

The other four took the four seats nearest to him.

The one that looked to be highest rank spoke and the captain translated.

“Thank you. The decontamination process you mentioned was certainly thorough.”

Then I heard the laptop’s voice. “The translation was accurate, sir.”

The captain looked at Q’s arm. “Vot vos that?”

“I have a man on hand to ensure all translations are accurate. I don’t want any misunderstandings.”

He nodded and spoke in Russian. The other three nodded too.

“Good, now, would you like anything to drink? Tea? Coffee? Something a little stronger?”

The high ranking one spoke again followed by the captain.

“First, allow me to introduce ourselves.” The captain pointed. “This is colonel Varennikov, Major Vasiliev. I believe you may have spoken to him, and this is Major Grekov. I am captain Dudnik, their interpreter. The colonel also asks… What the hell is this place?” he looked at all the statues and Q’s outfit with distaste.

“I didn’t speak in person to the major, captain, but one of my men did and reported the conversation. This place is as you see it. I own this island and everything on it. Yes, that includes all the workers, here. I’m not in the least bit ashamed to admit that I am a homosexual with a heavy preponderance for all things BDSM related. The workers on this island are slaves. My slaves. Willingly, before you recoil in horror and parrot more international law at me.”

The captain repeated and the other three officers shared his look of distaste by the time he’d finished. The major spoke, the one who’d spoken to me over the radio. Vasiliev. Again, the captain translated.

“You’re…” The captain froze. “What does BDSM mean?”

The armband spoke. “He edited that, sir. You’re a deviant! In my country you would’ve been imprisoned for life for even being a homosexual. But slavery? What does BDSM mean?”

Q smiled. “I’m well aware of your country’s… politically incorrect stance on sexuality, Major. I don’t care about your opinions. You’re here because I invited you for a tour. Correct?”

They nodded.

“Well then. That’s what you’ll get. Do you want anything to drink after your journey?”

After a lot of Russian babble, the captain spoke. “Two cups of coffee, a cup of tea and just water for the colonel please.”

“Very well.” he tapped something onto his armband. The statue opposite stepped down and walked to the exit.

They recoiled. Quite a lot of Russian. “What the…”

The armband spoke again. “Again edited for your ears, sir. A lot of expletives.”

“My slaves perform a lot of duties, colonel. Sometimes, I like to have them stand on display as just something for me to look at. When I have something I require, I call on them to fetch, carry…”

“But they’re just statues!”

“Examine them if you wish. The suits they wear have the capability of being frozen, solid as a rock at the push of a button if I so choose. What’s more, they love it. BDSM stands for Bondage, Discipline and Sado-Masochism, major. It’s not just me who’s a deviant, a pervert. Every single man on this island volunteered to become my property. They volunteered to be enslaved because they like being bound, whipped, ordered to serve a superior master.”

To say they looked uncomfortable was an understatement. They stared around the room in horror.

Another rapid exchange in Russian followed by the captain’s translation.

“Why are you telling us this?”

“Why not? I’m not ashamed of my… proclivities. In fact, I’m proud of them. I’m proud to own so many excellent workers. This corner of the island was restored and made safe in an astoundingly short amount of time. Five years to get to this stage. Half a mile of paradise on a barren toxic rock. What my man said to you over the radio was true, however. When this island’s made completely safe we will have made a paradise to live in and all of us will reap the benefits.”

“But it’s disgusting!”

“To you, it may be, but the choices myself and my slaves make… It’s our choice. How we choose to live our lives is no concern of yours. You must agree with that at least. If your soldiers hadn’t arrived here, we would’ve continued to live in peace with no outside interference. When you leave, that’s the state of affairs we expect to return to. We’re under no nation’s jurisdiction here. If I choose to keep men who willingly gave up their lives to slavery, who are you to judge?”

The colonel walked up to me. He reached out his hand, turned and spoke.

“But it feels just like stone.”

Q nodded. He tapped something on his armband again. “Blank, step down.”

I could move. I stepped off my plinth and the colonel stepped back in shock.

“Ask him anything you like. Blank, exaggerate your gestures for the benefit of their translator.”

I twiddled at him. “Yes, sir.” I turned to the captain.

There was a barrage of Russian. The captain held up his hands and spoke back to them in a pleading tone. I could guess what he was saying. Probably something like not all at once or slow down.

They nodded and took their turns this time.

“Why are you signing?”

I wrote into the air in large letters at a much slower pace than normal. Even slower than when I was learning. “The suits we wear protect us from the outside environment, sir. We have tubes down our windpipes. Multiple purposes, it allows us to breath out there, it protects us from the decontamination process and the cleaning of the insides of the suits. It also prevents us from speaking. The tubes bypass our vocal chords.”

“And how long have you been like that?”

“The statue, sir? Since this morning. The inner suit’s the same as the slave who escorted you. I’ve worn it now for over six months, sir and it can be worn with no ill effects for a lot longer. I don’t want it to be removed. I love it.”

“You love it? Not being able to speak for that long?”

“The suit feels amazing against the skin and we have a new way to speak, sir. I’m doing it now but we normally do it a lot more quickly.”

“And you… you willingly gave yourself…”

I nodded. “Best decision I ever made, sir.”

“How can being a slave be good?”

“It’s not like slavery in old America, sir. Those slaves were treated terribly, worked to death. It’s nothing like that. Master cares about his property. He keeps us well fed, exercised and happy, sir. And the pleasures available to us, you couldn’t imagine, sir. He has his way to reward us as well as punish. I gave up one freedom for another. A different kind.”

“What do you mean, gave up one freedom for another? Slavery to me means a total lack of freedom!”

“Are any of us truly free, sir? Before this, I was an office worker. Bored out of my skull day after day, bound to continue with the work to pay rent and bills. I was more a slave to my apartment and my possessions than I am now to my Master. I love the life he’s given to me. I’d never want anything else now and what’s more, as a slave, I know I’ll never own anything again.”

“And if you chose to leave?”

I shook my head. “I gave myself to him. I belong to him utterly. I know I’ll never leave.”

“But if you wanted to?”

“If a man joins your army and disobeys an order, is he punished?”

“Of course.”

“And can he leave whenever he wishes? Or is he bound by the term of service he signed up for? He’s just as much a slave to your army as I am here while he’s in uniform, true?”

“Yes, but he can take leave and his service can come to an end.”

“Mine can’t. My term of service is life. I committed to a lifetime of servitude and I know, even if I do have the odd bout of homesickness, I’ll get over it. This is the life I’ve chosen, sir and I couldn’t’ve wished for a better one.”

One of them nodded. It surprised me. He seemed to understand. The other three still looked at me with distaste.

Q nodded. “Well said, blank.”

“Thank you, sir.”

“Return to your plinth.”

I chuckled, hopped back up and took on a more impressive pose. One similar to the body builder pose the slave opposite had taken.

Again, locked in position, the colonel touched me again. I didn’t feel what he was doing but I did rock slightly so he must’ve been putting some force in.

He stepped back in shock and turned to Q.

“This is the most amazing… The things we could do with this… Are you willing to sell this technology?”

“To what purpose, colonel? If used on prisoners, if incorrectly administered or deliberately abused, it could remain on them for life. I’m all for granting the suits to men who willingly take them but to use them on prisoners…”

“That was the idea, yes. I admit it. We have a lot of troublesome… individuals.”

“The whole concept of political prisoners is repugnant to me. Probably more repugnant to me than my lifestyle choice is to you, colonel. Citizens of any nation should be free to express themselves as they wish. I thought Russia had grown out of a lot of the old communist ideology now. Stalin’s been dead for a long time.”

The colonel’s shoulders sagged. He nodded. “Putin. We were beginning to take on a lot more of the western values until he came into power. I admit that.”

“Suit technology, no. That is not for sale to any nation. The material the suit is made from however, I am willing to sell, but only in items that have been manufactured by me. I will not sell the process used to synthesise it.”

“What… What do you mean?”

“The suits are impregnable when in their hardened state, colonel. I’ve been toying with the idea of producing a line of body armour for years. An armoured suit which, when deactivated, can be as flexible as cloth allowing full mobility and in a combat situation can be harder than a suit of steel. More limited movement but impregnable to firearms.”

“Such a thing is possible?”

“Oh very much so. Understand this. If I did choose to sell such equipment to you, it would not be an exclusive deal. I’m a businessman. If other nations chose to copy you, I’d be more than willing to accommodate them.”

There was a rattle to my right and the squeak of a wheel.

Q looked up and smiled. “Please, take your seats, gentlemen. The drinks have arrived.”

The statue wheeled the trolley over to the table, transferred the contents and wheeled the trolley away.

“Sebastian. Two coffees, two teas and a glass of water for the colonel.”

I’d not noticed where he’d been lurking when I was talking to the captain, but he entered my field of vision and started pouring the drinks.

“So, you have… normal servants, too?”

“Sebastian is a slave too, but I did tell you I was a homosexual, Major. Suited slaves can’t be used in such a way. They’re sealed into those suits. Nothing gets in, nothing gets out unless under very specific circumstances.”

Sebastian smiled as he poured the drinks. “Milk? Sugar, sir?”

One of the Majors nodded and said something which the captain translated as “One sugar and milk, thank you. The other two shook their heads.”

The slave completed his task, placed the drinks by the officers and Q and stood at ease to one side.

The colonel took a sip from his glass. “Now, about our soldiers.”

“Yes. One of my slaves found them pulling their boat onto the beach after spotting the bigger boat close to shore. He approached them, warned them of the danger and began escorting the ones who’d made landfall back here in the hope something could be done to help them. The first of them collapsed half a mile into the five mile walk back to base. He was dead before they got to the entrance. The others died before they could be treated.”

“Your man claimed that the men’s remains couldn’t be salvaged. That they’d be processed to nothing.”

“Ah, about that. We found a way to contain a small sample of each of them.” he tapped on his band again and one of the other statues, a bronze one hopped down and ran out of the room. “I will give this to you as a memorial to them if you wish. We used the names they wore on their uniforms and engraved them in the relevant place.”

“Relevant… what?”

“We took a small sample from each of their ashes and encapsulated them in glass, colonel. We managed to save a small amount from five of them, but the sixth had already gone through processing. Instead, as a mark of respect you understand, we mixed some of the residue from the sixth in with the glass. It may look like a paperweight but it’s the only way to safely contain such toxins.”

“Encapsulated in glass? In what form?”

“You’ll see when the statue returns. It’s gone to fetch it now. I should warn you, we also encased the glass in a thin layer of the material the suits are made of and hardened it. You will not be able to drill out samples for analysis. Such an act would release toxins and even in such small concentrations they could be harmful. That glass memorial’s likely to last longer than the planet now. Treat it as such.”

The statue returned a minute later and handed a large glass cube to Q. It was at least six inches on each side and had a few dark dots within it. A name was engraved on each face. Q placed it gently on the table before the colonel.

He picked it up and turned it around in his hands. “Thank you. This is… It’s beautiful. It is a fitting memorial for good men who gave their lives.”

“I hope you’re beginning to see us perverts in a better light colonel. Just because we have some rather extreme ideas relating to how we live our lives, it doesn’t mean we’re incapable of empathy or compassion. We’re just as human as you are.”

“I apologise. It was just… It was quite a shock, you must admit that.”

Q chuckled. “I like my little surprises. You’re welcome to stay for a few days. It’ll give you time for the full tour, not only of this compound but also of the island itself. I have arranged a banquet in your honour tonight. I do hope you don’t object. I’ve also placed some of my guest rooms at your disposal. Trust me, they make even the most luxurious hotel look like a back street bed and breakfast.”

I couldn’t disagree there.