Part 21 (1/2)

She could barely believe it. She had advanced degrees in Xen.o.biology and Xen.o.botany-she was supposed to be on Gaia right now, studying and cataloguing new and exciting alien life forms. Not on her way to some slave bazaar to be sold! How had her life gotten so off track?

It's because of Kor. Because I rescued him and listened to him when he said we had to stay together. And then he left me-how could he leave me alone like this? How could he not even come looking for me?

Maggie felt tears rise to the surface and a soft sob escaped her. She had never felt so alone, so abandoned in her life. And at that moment, it wasn't Donald she wished for-what could he do for her except get captured and sold as well? No, the man she wanted to rescue her was Kor. If only he were here-if only he would come for her. Maggie was certain he could break the chains that bound her to the hard, cold table and carry her away to safety.

He doesn't care enough to come, Lady Pope'nose said so, a nasty little voice in her head reminded her. He's gone and like he said when he left, it's a trillion to one chance you'll ever see him again.

Hot tears filled her eyes and Maggie sobbed again, louder this time.

”Hey, do you mind keeping it down over there?” a low, irritated voice asked.

Maggie jumped, surprised. She had thought she was all alone in the dark room.

”Who...what are you?” she asked hesitantly.

”Name's Sura-for now, anyway. Suppose they'll change it to whatever they want when we're sold tomorrow.” The other voice-which sounded female-was tired and resigned.

”Sold where?” Maggie asked. ”Lady Pope'nose said something about the Flesh Bazaar but I...I've never heard of that before.”

”Sure, it's in Dominus Two-the Hub,” the voice replied. ”More illegal slave trading going on there than anywhere else in the galaxy. You one of those rich b.i.t.c.hes from Yonnie Six? It'll be a change for you, being the slave instead of the mistress, I guess.”

”I...I'm not really from there. And I don't want to be a slave.”

”Looks like somebody wants you to be, though-why else would they take the time and trouble to implant you with a s.l.u.t b.u.t.ton?”

”A what?”

”The implant you've got. Could you cover it up? The light is keeping me awake.”

”Um...” Maggie put a hand over her belly b.u.t.ton, trying to hide the blinking light. ”What do you know about it-the uh...”

”s.l.u.t b.u.t.ton. All I know is it's a bio-mechanical implant that makes you more willing to give your master what he wants-if you know what I mean.”

”I don't, though,” Maggie protested. ”What exactly does it do?”

”You'll figure it out.” Sura's low voice was grimly amused.

”But...how?” Maggie explored the strange thing in her naval with her fingertips. It seemed to pulse like a second heartbeat and when she touched it her fingers tingled. As she concentrated on her body, she became aware of another strange sensation. With every pulse of the ruby like thing, she felt an echoing pulse of desire between her legs. It was almost as though there was an invisible vibrator pressing against her most sensitive areas and pulsing in time to the ruby.

What the h.e.l.l...? Glad that the room was pitch black, Maggie reached between her legs only to encounter...nothing. It was as though her entire lower pelvic area had gone to sleep. When she tried to touch herself, it was like touching someone else-none of the sensations of her fingers pressing against her skin seemed to register in her brain.

”I'm...I'm numb,” she whispered into the darkness. ”I can't feel myself when I...when I...”

”When you try to relieve the need?” Sura asked bluntly.

Maggie felt her cheeks get hot with a blush. ”I wasn't trying to, uh, touch myself if that's what you're implying. I mean, not like that anyway.”

The other woman laughed. ”No, but you will be. Especially when that thing really gets going. I knew someone who had one-a girl called Maran. We were owned by the same master in the Jeta Quadrant. She was high cla.s.s all the way-cost more credits than the rest of us slags put together. Bred for pleasure, finest pedigree and all that-but she was frigid. ”

”Frigid?”

”Sure. Didn't jump with joy when the master wanted to be serviced. Oh, she did her duty but you could tell she wasn't really into it.” Sura clicked her tongue. ”Big no-no. If the master wants you, you'd better show a little d.a.m.n enthusiasm, not just lie on your back and stare off into s.p.a.ce.”

Maggie felt sick. ”What...what happened to her?”

”He got her implanted with a s.l.u.t b.u.t.ton-same as yours. Then she showed enthusiasm-you d.a.m.n well better believe it,” Sura said grimly. ”She begged and pleaded from morning 'til night, wanting to service him.”

”But...why?”

Sura laughed, a harsh, unpleasant sound. ”Haven't you figured it out yet? If she didn't, the desire got so bad she couldn't stand it. You should have seen her on days the master didn't want her-crying and groping between her thighs like her p.u.s.s.y was one fire and she had no way to put it out.”

”Oh my G.o.d,” Maggie said faintly. ”You're kidding-you have to be kidding, right?”

”Nope. Sometimes he took pity on her and let her suck his c.o.c.k or rub against his fingers to ease the pain. Sometimes he just let her suffer-as a lesson to us all.”

Maggie felt ill. ”Please,” she whispered. ”I can't...this can't be right. I'm not supposed to be here. This can't be happening to me.”

”Well, it is,” Sura said shortly. ”Sorry to be the one to give you the bad news but I figured you'd rather know than find out on your own when the b.u.t.ton really gets going. Look, maybe you'll get lucky and find a master who wants to take you every day.”

”Seriously? That would make me lucky?” Maggie's head swam. Having a master who wanted to rape her daily would be a fortunate turn of events?

”Luckiest thing for a girl with an implant like that.” Sura yawned. ”Look, just keep it covered, all right? I need my sleep. Have to look my best tomorrow if I'm going to get a halfway decent master. Don't want some buster who hit it rich with a lucky lotto tix and wants to try the high life with his very own love slave.”

”But I-”

”Good night,” Sura said firmly.

There were restless s.h.i.+fting sounds from the other corner and then the sound of soft, steady breathing. Apparently her fellow slave-in-waiting had gone to sleep.

Maggie wanted to ask her more, wanted to wake her up and demand more answers to the awful questions that were crowding her brain. But her tongue seemed as numb and frozen as the area below her naval.

What was she going to do?

Chapter Twenty-one.

Early the next morning Maggie and her fellow slaves-it turned out there were more than a dozen-were washed and dressed and herded through a long narrow corridor into a vast room the size of a football stadium. It had a high, vaulted ceiling and was filled with...well, Maggie didn't know what it was filled with because all she could see were colorful blurs.

From the sounds she heard it seemed to be some kind of a marketplace. Vendors called from every corner, trying to attract the attention of buyers.

”Fresh meat! Slaves so fresh they've never felt the touch of a master's hand before.”

”Lovely little virgins! Just captured the lot of them on Caprika Three. Every one untouched!”

”Proper, obedient females, ready and willing to cater to your every whim.” That voice seemed to come from the thin green alien Lady Pope'nose had called Zamir. Maggie s.h.i.+vered as she heard him shout, advertising her and the rest of the women in her group as though they were so many cuts of meat.

And a cut of fresh meat was exactly what she felt like. She was wearing nothing more than a thin ribbon around her b.r.e.a.s.t.s-a bright red band that barely covered her nipples and left the rest of her bare. Lower down she had a tiny red skirt which didn't even come down to her thighs. The skirt covered her p.u.s.s.y-barely-which was a good thing since she had no panties on. Her midsection was also naked, showing off the blinking red ruby firmly lodged in her naval.