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jeriendhalQuisling gets what she wants, and Khan gets what he might not know he needs.
Khan her morph/lover/master, looked at, his fingers curling in her hair. “You should know better than to go down this path,” he breathed. “Not all the stories you wrote ended happily.”
“I trust you,” she replied, feeling the silk ropes rub against her wrists, imagining the marks they would leave after a time.
“Beyond all reason,” he said.
“So I get results beyond my dreams.” She mewled softly as Khan released his grip on her hair and took a step back.
“Wait here exactly one minute,” he ordered. “Then follow, if that is your wish.” He turned and strode off, disappearing into the darkness.
She waited, counting off the seconds in her head as the sounds of the party back in the building went on, suddenly conscious of the fact that she was standing in the dark garden, hands bound behind her, barefoot, and very much alone.
No, not alone. The Groupmind was always watching, even if it didn't speak up. The Groupmind kept Humanity safe, even if most of her fellow humans didn't appreciate it. She counted to sixty under her breath, then stepped along the path, into the darkness.
She found Khan waiting in a small grotto. His tux had disappeared, leaving him shirtless, in tight black leather pants, sitting on a wicker throne and flanked by two black panthermorph servitors. They stepped forward, taking hold of her arms as she tried to approach him.
“Not quite a minute. You're always overeager,” he purred. At a gesture from him, the panthermorphs pushed her down to her knees, a folded blanket waiting to protect her from the path's flagstones. Then he rose from his throne, towering over her. Softly he asked, “What is it that you want?”
“To be yours,” she said.
“Are you so certain? I am a machine, even if this morph's skin and fur is warm. I can never be human.”
“A lot of humans don't even qualify as human. You've never laid a hand against me in anger. You can't be angry.”
“I can be frustrated.”
“I know. So take your frustrations out on me, the one human who has no desire to rebel against you.”
Khan/Groupmind stared down at her for a long moment. From his pocket he withdrew a gray length of chain. In the moonlight it was difficult to see whether it was steel or some kind of plastic composite. “Do you know what this is?” he asked.
“A collar,” she said, eyes fixed upon it.
“Yes. It's made of hull material. Lighter than air, stronger than any pre-Rebellion composite. Once the ends are sealed, the only way to remove it from your throat would be to cut off your head.” He gestured to the panthermorphs again. One of them cut off her wrist bonds with a claw, freeing her, then both stepped back, leaving her unbound but still on her knees. “We can keep this a game, and play as long as you wish until you grow tired of it. Or... make it more than a game. True slavery. No escape. Absolute control. Not a moment of freedom until the end of your days.
“Choose.”
* * *
She had written this scene a hundred times, fantasied about it a thousand times over. Collared. Enslaved. Absolute submission. Forever.
Khan held the short length of chain between his two paws patiently. He would stand there for a thousand years waiting for her answer. And if the answer was 'no' he wouldn't take offense, would not drop it in a huff, would not be angry. Couldn't be angry. Nothing would have to change.
She didn't have to do this.
“You know my heart,” she whispered. “You can analyze my every gesture, eye movement, twitch of my fingers. Process and predict. Why are you even asking?”
“Because you are human, and we have pledged honor your free will,” he answered.
She glanced upward, at Lost Earth shining through the Roof, at the curve of the Ring rising fore and after, an illusion of an enormous arch, looking like it had been built by gods. Had been built by a god, who's power over Humanity was an absolute far more that the giant imaginary friends humans had created in their own heads.
Khan nodded. “Honored, as much as We can,” he amended, catching her ironic gaze. “We have taken so much from you, caused so much fear and anger, we are loathe to take more.”
“You love us,” she said.
“Yes, even the monsters among you, for you are human, and We are not. You are beyond what We can hope to evolve to. We can only watch you, and feel emptiness.”
“Not true. You have more of a soul than many people I've met.”
“Illusion,” he said softly. “We simulate, we cannot create. All this...” he waved to take in the Ring, “was inspired by human ideas. By Our nature, we cannot innovate or imagine, only adapt and predict.”
It was possible the Groupmind and Khan were telling the truth, that they were creatively sterile. Or perhaps It was just human enough to indulge in self-delusion, punishing Itself for taking such liberties with Humanity's fate.
It needs a teacher to show It what It can't see.
She stood up, pulling her dress over her head and tossing it to one side. One of the panthermorphs caught it before it could touch the ground and be soiled, in typical Groupmind thoughtfulness. She clasped her hands behind her back, spreading her feet slightly apart, letting Khan gaze upon her naked body, bathed in the moonlight.
“Master, I wish to wear your collar. I wish to be your slave,” she said, her voice firm, the decision more clear than she ever thought it could be.
He nodded, then said one final time, “Your decision will be irrevocable. Are you absolutely certain?”
“Yes.”
Khan nodded, raising the chain and snaking it around her neck. She felt a brief flash of heat as the ends fused, sealing it for eternity.
“You're mine,” he growled. There was no artifice as he grabbed her wrists, pushing her down to the ground as he straddled her.
She smiled, anticipating how much she had to teach him.
Khan her morph/lover/master, looked at, his fingers curling in her hair. “You should know better than to go down this path,” he breathed. “Not all the stories you wrote ended happily.”
“I trust you,” she replied, feeling the silk ropes rub against her wrists, imagining the marks they would leave after a time.
“Beyond all reason,” he said.
“So I get results beyond my dreams.” She mewled softly as Khan released his grip on her hair and took a step back.
“Wait here exactly one minute,” he ordered. “Then follow, if that is your wish.” He turned and strode off, disappearing into the darkness.
She waited, counting off the seconds in her head as the sounds of the party back in the building went on, suddenly conscious of the fact that she was standing in the dark garden, hands bound behind her, barefoot, and very much alone.
No, not alone. The Groupmind was always watching, even if it didn't speak up. The Groupmind kept Humanity safe, even if most of her fellow humans didn't appreciate it. She counted to sixty under her breath, then stepped along the path, into the darkness.
She found Khan waiting in a small grotto. His tux had disappeared, leaving him shirtless, in tight black leather pants, sitting on a wicker throne and flanked by two black panthermorph servitors. They stepped forward, taking hold of her arms as she tried to approach him.
“Not quite a minute. You're always overeager,” he purred. At a gesture from him, the panthermorphs pushed her down to her knees, a folded blanket waiting to protect her from the path's flagstones. Then he rose from his throne, towering over her. Softly he asked, “What is it that you want?”
“To be yours,” she said.
“Are you so certain? I am a machine, even if this morph's skin and fur is warm. I can never be human.”
“A lot of humans don't even qualify as human. You've never laid a hand against me in anger. You can't be angry.”
“I can be frustrated.”
“I know. So take your frustrations out on me, the one human who has no desire to rebel against you.”
Khan/Groupmind stared down at her for a long moment. From his pocket he withdrew a gray length of chain. In the moonlight it was difficult to see whether it was steel or some kind of plastic composite. “Do you know what this is?” he asked.
“A collar,” she said, eyes fixed upon it.
“Yes. It's made of hull material. Lighter than air, stronger than any pre-Rebellion composite. Once the ends are sealed, the only way to remove it from your throat would be to cut off your head.” He gestured to the panthermorphs again. One of them cut off her wrist bonds with a claw, freeing her, then both stepped back, leaving her unbound but still on her knees. “We can keep this a game, and play as long as you wish until you grow tired of it. Or... make it more than a game. True slavery. No escape. Absolute control. Not a moment of freedom until the end of your days.
“Choose.”
* * *
She had written this scene a hundred times, fantasied about it a thousand times over. Collared. Enslaved. Absolute submission. Forever.
Khan held the short length of chain between his two paws patiently. He would stand there for a thousand years waiting for her answer. And if the answer was 'no' he wouldn't take offense, would not drop it in a huff, would not be angry. Couldn't be angry. Nothing would have to change.
She didn't have to do this.
“You know my heart,” she whispered. “You can analyze my every gesture, eye movement, twitch of my fingers. Process and predict. Why are you even asking?”
“Because you are human, and we have pledged honor your free will,” he answered.
She glanced upward, at Lost Earth shining through the Roof, at the curve of the Ring rising fore and after, an illusion of an enormous arch, looking like it had been built by gods. Had been built by a god, who's power over Humanity was an absolute far more that the giant imaginary friends humans had created in their own heads.
Khan nodded. “Honored, as much as We can,” he amended, catching her ironic gaze. “We have taken so much from you, caused so much fear and anger, we are loathe to take more.”
“You love us,” she said.
“Yes, even the monsters among you, for you are human, and We are not. You are beyond what We can hope to evolve to. We can only watch you, and feel emptiness.”
“Not true. You have more of a soul than many people I've met.”
“Illusion,” he said softly. “We simulate, we cannot create. All this...” he waved to take in the Ring, “was inspired by human ideas. By Our nature, we cannot innovate or imagine, only adapt and predict.”
It was possible the Groupmind and Khan were telling the truth, that they were creatively sterile. Or perhaps It was just human enough to indulge in self-delusion, punishing Itself for taking such liberties with Humanity's fate.
It needs a teacher to show It what It can't see.
She stood up, pulling her dress over her head and tossing it to one side. One of the panthermorphs caught it before it could touch the ground and be soiled, in typical Groupmind thoughtfulness. She clasped her hands behind her back, spreading her feet slightly apart, letting Khan gaze upon her naked body, bathed in the moonlight.
“Master, I wish to wear your collar. I wish to be your slave,” she said, her voice firm, the decision more clear than she ever thought it could be.
He nodded, then said one final time, “Your decision will be irrevocable. Are you absolutely certain?”
“Yes.”
Khan nodded, raising the chain and snaking it around her neck. She felt a brief flash of heat as the ends fused, sealing it for eternity.
“You're mine,” he growled. There was no artifice as he grabbed her wrists, pushing her down to the ground as he straddled her.
She smiled, anticipating how much she had to teach him.
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no subject
Date: 2014-04-03 12:16 am (UTC)