His by Right Page 2

  “To your room.”

  “My room?”

  Without commenting further, the creature turned and began undulating toward one of the far walls. Meredith turned around to see the huge, almost dome-shaped area held nearly a hundred of the crystalline boxes, like the one she had been inside. And every one of them contained something beyond description. A catwalk of sorts circled the room, overlooking the floor below. A few aliens patrolled from overhead. Although she couldn’t see any weapons, or recognized any, she bet they were armed with some way of stopping her.

  A hard tug on her cuffed arm was her signal to follow her captor. Reluctantly, she obeyed.

  Chapter Three

  Gleeth

  Meredith hobbled along. She must have busted her knee during her attempted escape, but it was difficult to see the extent of damage unless she stopped and dropped her pants. Biting her lips, she endured the increasing agony as she followed the giant millipede through the wall and down several corridors until it stopped in front of another section of wall. To her, there didn’t appear to be a door anywhere, just long seamless and endless partitions of grayish-white. Even the ceiling and floor blended together. But apparently the thing could tell where the openings were.

  If I tried to make a run for it again, I’d probably crash right into the barriers, but I guess that’s the intent of this whole thing. Don’t want to make any escape any easier by showing the way out.

  “This is your room.” It waved a tentacle at a spot. Frowning, Meredith started to walk inside when she stopped and turned to face the creature.

  “I don’t know your name. What do I call you?”

  “I am called Gleeth.”

  “Sorry. What?”

  “You may call me Gleeth.”

  “Gleeth? Or Gleef?” She circled her mouth with an index finger. “I’m sorry, but it’s hard to tell because you don’t have any lips, just a bunch of shark teeth.”

  “It makes no difference. Go inside.”

  “But I—”

  The creature suddenly loomed over her, its normally purplish exterior now a definite lavender. The voice inside her head sounded peeved. “Go inside before I activate your containment band.”

  Meredith hurried into the room where she noticed a simple pallet on the floor. Glancing around, she waited until Gleeth came inside. The thing pointed to the bedding, which resembled a very thick bath mat.

  “Sit down.”

  She sat, then watched in amazement as the creature parked itself on the other side of the narrow space.

  “Allow me to explain, then you may ask questions. You have been brought on board this iktpwmutolspg.”

  Something crackled in her head, sending a minute spark of pain through her skull. Meredith winced and pressed a finger to a spot behind her earlobe. Gleeth’s enunciation of the place sounded like harsh static. She was surprised to feel an unusual tenderness in the area under the skin, but held her tongue as ordered.

  “In the past few months, we have seen an increase in the number of humanoid clientele. This required us to find more humanoid products to satisfy them.”

  The truth hit her hard, nearly making her pass out. “Humanoid products? I’m a product? Why? Are you selling me?”

  “All products are given a shelf span of two years.”

  “Shelf span? Are you talking people or groceries?” Meredith demanded.

  Again, Gleeth’s mantle flashed a pale purple color.

  “Sorry.” She quickly apologized.

  If it was possible for the creature to heave a deep, irritated sigh, it did. “Your two years of servitude will begin with your first client.”

  Meredith frowned, and she started to open her mouth when her eyes caught sight of the glowing pink bracelet on her arm. To keep herself from inadvertently interrupting again, she placed a hand over her mouth.

  Gleeth rose up and undulated over to the wall opposite the door. A panel slid open, revealing a yellowish square box.

  “Gown.”

  From underneath the cube, a pale green something emerged. Gleeth took the greenish object and brought it over, holding it out to Meredith.

  “Put this on.”

  She took it and stared at the translucent material. Once more, Gleeth appeared to sigh. Taking the object from her, the creature adjusted it and held it out in front of her.

  “This way.”

  It was either a shift or a short toga. It was also so transparent, she might as well not be wearing anything. Briefly, Meredith wondered would happen if she refused, then thought better of it. If she continued to butt heads with the thing, it could possibly decide Meredith wasn’t worth the effort and kill her. At least, in her opinion, it would be an easier option to jettison her out into space, rather than turn around and take her back to Earth. No. It’s better I play along for now. Sooner or later it might slip up, and I’ll find a way to get out of here. If I get a reputation for being docile, it may not be watching me as closely than if I’ve been branded a trouble maker.

  She stood and started to remove the rest of her clothing until she wore only her bra and thong. She reached for the shift when Gleeth stopped her.

  “To your bare skin.”

  “Well, hell. Okay.” The underwear followed her slacks and blouse, including her knee hose and shoes. She noticed how Gleeth examined her closely once she was completely naked. “This is it. All me. Nothing else. Promise.”

  Gleeth deftly dropped the shift over her. Actually, it was more like fitting her head through the hole in the material and letting it fall from her shoulders. She had worn towels that were more complicated.

  To her pleasant surprise, the garment was soft and incredibly luxurious, and stopped just above her knees. Meredith ran a hand over the fabric. It was also warm to the touch, not to mention the fact that she could see every inch of her body through the iridescent cloth. Even if someone else couldn’t see through it, just casually walking would blow enough of it aside to allow people to eye her business.

  “Now you may ask your questions.”

  “I hope you have an hour to spare, because I have a ton of them. First, where’s the bathroom?”

  In a way, it was funny to see the millipede tilt its head at her. It made the thing appear almost human.

  “Explain bathroom.”

  “It’s where I clean up. Where I can pee. Where I can—”

  “Here.”

  Gleeth went to the opposite side of the room, near the head of the pallet. Another panel slid back, revealing an oddly tube-shaped cylinder standing vertically. Meredith limped over and stuck her hand inside. Lukewarm water sprayed from the tube’s sides, and her body reminded her of its dehydration. Cupping her hands, she quickly gulped down three handfuls before wiping her face and shaking the wetness from her fingers. Although the water was warm, it tasted fantastic. Meredith heaved a deep sigh and turned to face Gleeth as the thing seemed to nod.

  “What else do you wish to inquire about?”

  “My two years of servitude. What kind of servitude?” She brushed a hand over the shift. “Dressed like this, I look like a—” She started to say call girl, or slut, or porn star, when her mind finally clicked, and realization burned through her like a bolt of lightning. “Your humanoid clientele? What is this place? Am I on a space ship?”

  “You are on an intergalactic vessel.”

  “Just what am I supposed to be to your humanoid clientele?”

  “You will allow them to pleasure you.”

  “Pleasure me? What am I? Are you telling me to prostitute myself? What the fuck are you? My pimp?” Fear combined with indignation, and Meredith glared at the creature.

  Rather than answer any further questions, Gleeth started shuffling toward the doorway. Meredith hurried to place herself in front of the creature. There was no way she could allow the thing to leave without first getting a decent answer, and that meant one she could accept.

  “You didn’t answer me, and you said you would. What is this place? Some ki
nd of floating whorehouse in outer space?”

  “Whorehouse? Yes. You could call this a whorehouse. Or rather, a whoreship.”

  She felt her heart pounding heavily in her chest. A faint dizziness wafted behind her eyes. “You can’t do that to me. You can’t keep me here against my will and tell me I have to fuck your precious clientele. What if I refuse? What if I demand you take me back to Earth?”

  This time, Gleeth’s face, with its multitude of shiny black eyes, almost gave the appearance of looking sad. “You were dying on your world. Do you truly wish to be returned to that situation?”

  “If it’s my only alternative to being used as a fucking prostitute, yes!”

  Gleeth paused. “You were alone. You were dying. You fit our needs.”

  “But you don’t have my permission. What you’re doing is slavery. Slavery is illegal.”

  “According to whom? This is not your world.”

  Meredith started. The thing had a point. Here in outer space, who was to say slavery wasn’t allowed? Think of all the people who’ve claimed to have been abducted.

  “If we return you, we will have to put you back exactly the way we found you. You will die. Is it your wish to die?”

  “No, I don’t want to die,” Meredith admitted.

  “Then you must service the clientele.”

  “What if I refuse?”

  “Then you will get very hungry.”

  “So I’ll starve to death. How different will that be to taking me back to Earth and sticking me in my car?”

  Again, the creature paused as if to think. Finally, it turned and shuffled over to the pallet where it motioned for Meredith to join it. Reluctant at first, she relented and sat down on the surprisingly comfortable mat.

  “What is your name?”

  “Meredith Powell.”

  “Mer-ee-veh. That is hard to say. How else can I call you?”

  Preferably long distance. Meredith bit back her immediate reply. “Friends call me Merry.”

  “Mer-ree. Yes, that is easier to pronounce. Merry, this is something we do not often tell our products.”

  Oh, geez, gotta remember that. I’m no longer a human being. I’m a commodity minus the universal product code.

  “I do not know what you expect from us, but I can assure you many species are excited when they are selected for this honor.”

  “This honor?” Meredith made certain her comment dripped sarcasm, and waited to see what Gleeth’s reaction would be. Sadly, there was none.

  “To many, it is an honor. They know our clientele receive bonus points if they manage to make the products orgasm.”

  She could only raise an eyebrow at that.

  “With those points, the clientele can receive discounts on additional visits, or save up their points to get a visit free of charge.”

  Oh, super! We’re also a discount whorehouse!

  “And what do I get out of this, other than a possible orgasm and two years of servitude?”

  “We keep you healthy. We feed you whatever you desire. We allow you to mingle among others of your kind.”

  Her hand involuntarily went to where she’d felt a mark behind her ear. “We’ll be able to talk to each other?”

  “Yes, although, you will not be allowed to converse with everyone. There are some species which need to be kept in a specific environment. And there are those which are dangerous to others.”

  Her eyes checked out the pallet. “Will I be able to take naps?”

  “You will be given the opportunity to rest, yes.”

  Meredith frowned. Actually, the more she thought about the fact that the clientele would be attempting to make her orgasm, the less her servitude bothered her, and that began to bother her. Was she so willing to sell herself?

  But remember, Merry, it would only be for two years. Plus there’s a very good chance you won’t be servicing anyone you know.

  She shook her head. Mind-blowing sex? Or death?

  Like I really have a choice?

  “All right.” She cleared her throat. “I’m starving. Feed me, then tell me what I have to do.”

  That was definitely a smile that came over Gleeth’s face. “What are you hungry for?”

  Chapter Four

  Rules

  She knew she’d eaten better prime rib, but for a spaceship, its version was damn good. Gleeth remained with her, answering her questions whenever she had one, but otherwise the creature sat silently in the corner after showing Meredith how to order her meals from the yellow box.

  Steeling herself, she decided it was time she got down to the nitty gritty. “All right. Tell me how this pleasuring goes down.”

  “You will be placed in a pleasuring room, which the clientele will enter after you’ve been arranged for them. The clientele are not allowed to see your face. You are to remain an enigma to them.”

  “Why?”

  “We’ve learned that many species do not want to view anything other than the task at hand.”

  Meredith winced. The millipede had a very odd way of putting things. “So they don’t want to look at my face. How do you manage that? Put a bag over my head?”

  “Neither will you be allowed to touch them with your hands.”

  Meredith paused with a green bean halfway to her mouth. Since her food was delivered without utensils, she was forced to eat with her fingers. At this point it didn’t matter. She was so hungry, she would have gotten down on all fours and scarfed it like an animal.

  “Why can’t I touch them?”

  “Some clientele do not like to be touched. I also need to let you know that, in the past, a few products have shown disfavor at the feel of the clientele.”

  “At the feel? Like slime or scales?”

  “There have been.”

  Meredith shivered. “But you said my clientele would be humanoid. What do you mean? What do you deem as being humanoid?”

  “When the pleasuring organs are compatible.”

  “So what you’re saying is that if you had a cock and a pair, you could pay to fuck me?”

  “I am monecious, but technically you are correct.”

  “What? Mon…”

  Gleeth waved its tentacles, as if dismissing her last comment. “As I said, you will lie upon a raised pallet, which will then place you inside the pleasuring unit where the clientele will enter. A barrier will be lowered to prevent you from touching or seeing the clientele. Once you have been pleasured, the pallet will withdraw, and you will be lead to a cleansing chamber. Depending on numerous factors, you will either be returned to your room, or placed on another pallet. Either way, you will be given a chance to rest between clientele.”

  “I take it there will steps taken to prevent the transmission of diseases or pregnancy?”

  “You were vaccinated when you were brought on board to prevent any diseases you bore from being spread to the other products. Your reproductive organs were also blocked.”

  “What do you mean blocked? I can’t ever have babies?” The thought of never bearing children hit her hard, making her face heat up with the threat of tears. Having a family had always been one of the most important ambitions in her life, second to finding a husband. “You made me barren?”

  “No, you are not barren,” Gleeth quickly reassured her, apparently aware it had upset her. “You will be given an injection periodically to keep your eggs from being released, and to prevent you from becoming impregnated. Once your time with us is complete, and we come back to this galaxy to return you to your home planet, you will resume your fertility.”

  Meredith breathed deeply in relief and reached for her drink. Sadly, although the prime rib was good, the ship’s idea of a diet cola left a lot to be desired. Disgusted, she put aside the cup to ask a question that had been nagging her.

  “What are the chances the clientele could hurt me? Or injure me?”

  “All prospective clientele are screened prior to being allowed to use our facility. Everyone must pass through additional sc
reens to prevent them from boarding the ship with a weapon, or with any chemicals, either on them or in them, that could possibly harm the products.”

  “Yay. No drugs or drunks,” she quipped. “Ever have a client bypass those screens and still manage to cause harm?”

  “Yes.”

  At first, the answer surprised her. But then Meredith realized she’d rather have the whole truth than be lied to. Gleeth needed her full cooperation, and the last thing they needed was to lose their trust in each other.

  Gleeth continued. “It was many, many years ago, back before the new safeguards were put in place.”

  “How about after that?”

  “None.”

  “What if the clientele wants to bring a sex toy with them?”

  Was it her imagination, or did Gleeth turn a shade of blue? What did blue mean, anyway?

  “Any sort of enhancement is against the rules. The clientele must bring the product to orgasm by their own means.”

  “But what if they do? What if they manage to sneak something in?”

  “It will not happen.” Gleeth was firm.

  “You’d kick them out?”

  “They would be denied their privileges for a considerable length of time, yes.”

  “But you said you pay them bonus points if they bring me to orgasm.”

  “I did. We do.”

  “How do you know if I come? Do you just take their word for it?”

  Gleeth appeared amused. “The pallets are monitored. We are aware of your bodily statistics at all times. If you orgasm or not, we will know.”

  Meredith covered her mouth and belched softly. “‘Scuse me. So when do I start?”

  “You first must rest. I have ordered an intern to come and check your injuries. Perhaps tomorrow, if you are ready, and there is a need for your services.”

  The creature turned toward the doorway, as if to leave. Meredith got to her feet.

  “Wait. I take it I can’t call anyone back on Earth and let them know I’m alive, can I?”

  “We are already too far away from your world.”

  A pang of homesickness suddenly washed over her. “You mean I have to spend the next two years stuck in this little room all by myself? With no one to talk to?”