Harvesting Rue

by Candace Smith

  The jailer approached Rue with a cup. “Swish this in your mouth and spit it out,” he ordered. Rue did as she was told and felt the liquid scour her teeth with a permanent sealant, making the necessity for a toothbrush obsolete. Her collar dragged her back to a prone position and the gurneys began moving again.

  “Let’s get ’em over to transport.”

  Chapter IV

  The Warriors

  They ended up in another empty room with their collars and cuffs pinning them to opposite walls, legs spread and arms over their heads. Dawn and Rue stared at each other in terror, still afraid to test the collar’s current by speaking. It was hard for Dawn not to cry out loud and ask Rue if she thought they would be kept together. The thought of being alone to go through this madness terrified her.

  They hung for what seemed like an hour, before the door whooshed open and the jailer walked in with two fierce looking men. They were both close to seven feet tall, with muscles bulging around their armbands. Long wild dark hair reached half way down their backs, and they were dressed in something that resembled black leather.

  The jailer was speaking. “I know you’d have to throw your commissions on them, but they’re awfully small. Their responses are adequate, and you could probably get a good price from the Royals for them.”

  One man was approaching Dawn and the other approached Rue. Isari stared into her wide brown eyes and ran his hand down her side, absorbing the pleasing trembling. “We knew they were small.” Isari turned to glare at the jailer for daring to question their commissioning choice. “And their responses were well above ‘adequate’. Don’t bullshit me, Tripton.”

  He turned back to his exotic pet, and Rue looked up into his black eyes, shuddering while he scanned her body. No one had ever studied her nude body with such intensity, and she felt a flush of embarrassment. The man seemed satisfied and he walked over to his friend. Isari said quietly, “Damn, they are weak looking. Still think they’ll work out?”

  Varpin was stroking his frightened pet with surprising gentleness. For some reason, he felt the unlikely sense that he needed to calm her. He was fascinated with her soft skin. “Yes. Even with their diminutive stature, the species has survived well in their hostile environment. Once we get them to Lameria, I think it will work out fine.” Varpin took out a leash and it attached like a magnet to the front of Dawn’s collar.

  Isari walked back to Rue and attached her leash, and she felt her bindings release her from the wall. Her hands slapped together behind her and seemed to lock. The warriors led them from the room, and Rue noticed that Dawn was trembling even more than she was. Although they were afraid to scream and risk being shocked, Rue was not sure she could make a sound anyway.

  Oh my god. He’s huge. Rue’s mind wandered to the horrible tests she was put through, and she shuddered at the obvious meaning behind them. The man leading her had massive, tight muscles, and he stood at least a foot taller than her. The thought of why he had acquired her was frightening.

  The ship was a mass of hallways and turns, and they did not see anyone else as they were led to a huge hanger. Something inside Rue snapped, and she dug her heels in when the man tried to pull her up the ramp and into a small ship. Rue’s mind was going into overload when she realized that she was really being pulled onto a spacecraft, and she almost went into convulsions when she began sobbing and was shocked continuously.

  Isari willed the collar to stop jolting her when he decided that she was going to injure herself. It would take a century for him to commission a replacement. He turned and glared down at her, feeling a tightening response in his balls at the fear in her eyes. “Stop it,” he thundered. He grabbed her ponytail and dragged her onto the ship.

  “Remember, Isari, they’re not trained and they were only picked up two days ago,” Varpin reminded him. He had his pet kneeling in front of him with her head held down on his lap while he stroked her. Rue could see Dawn’s shoulders hitching in silent sobs.

  Isari pulled Rue to her knees between his huge thighs, continuing to grip her ponytail. Her fur felt like silk in his hand. No species available to them had such a soft pelt. Isari stared into her wide brown eyes, and the beginning edge of passion continued to build while her fear soaked into him. He looked over to Varpin. “I figured she’d at least have some kind of survival instincts. The data did suggest it, didn’t it?”

  Varpin continued to stare at the shining pelt he was stroking. “They do, but their fear is what intrigued us. Apparently, it’s even more dominant than their ability to protect themselves. Frankly, I consider it a bonus,” Varpin calmly replied. The mere feel of his pet’s fur was arousing, and he felt her quiet sobs against his cock. His balls had been filling since they landed on the harvesting vessel, but when he finally saw her… touched her… never had he felt such desire. Her face was separated from him by his terson breeches, but he imagined her quivering, full lips wrapped around his shaft and her small wet pink tongue caressing him.

  Isari’s eyes were as impassioned as his own, and they silently acknowledged that they felt something different with these new pets. Despite his reservations about her instincts and abilities, Isari was determined his exotic would not be pulled from him. “Good point, Varpin, but we’ll have to remember they’re not going to initiate survival tactics when we train them. I imagine a very quick capture when we release them on planet.” The disappointment was etched into his voice.

  Varpin shook his head. “I disagree. I think we’ve made a wise choice with this species, and I bet we’ll see a lot more warriors commissioning them when they see the results. I think we can both readily agree they are the most visually appealing species that has ever been available to us.”

  The rest of the quick shuttle was made in silence, with only the sound of Rue and Dawn sobbing quietly. They docked with the warship, and the warriors finally resorted to throwing the women over their shoulders to keep them from choking on their collars when their feet would not move.

  When Rue began thrashing to get away, Isari smashed his hand down on her bottom and she yelped. She was petrified as the giant bounced her on his shoulder through the corridors of the battleship. Rue tried to be quiet after his large hand smacked her bottom leaving a heated, stinging print across both cheeks.

  When the other warrior began leading Dawn down a separate hall, the terrified woman began screaming. “Rue? Oh god, Rue?”

  Rue began wailing. “No, put me down.” She began pounding her fists on the big man’s back and yanking his swinging hair. His hand came down on her bottom again and she shrieked.

  “Be still,” Isari growled. “Now.” If Rue could have seen his face, she would have seen that he was smiling. His feisty commission was going to be envied by the other warriors, and Isari hoped some would see them while they made their way to his quarters.

  Several of his comrades did take notice when their Commander strode through the hall with the blonde furred commission pummeling his back. They looked at their sturdy, meek Alidans of larger size, and questioned why the fun of training them had lost its allure so quickly. The large species sat quietly on their haunches, numbed by their training quickly, and remaining quiet and accommodating for decades.

  Isari swiped his hand over the door lock and he tossed Rue onto the carpet. She scrambled into a corner and crouched down with her hands wrapped around her folded legs. The big man frightened her into quivering silence, while he sat in a chair and studied her. The warrior was calculating whether or not to send her to the pets’ cages in the bottom of the ship until they reached planet, after her marking.

  Oh, my god. He’s huge. Rue studied the warrior, and despite her terror she felt a shadow of desire building. This was a man she would not be able to control, and the uneasy recognition of the man in her dream passed through her thoughts. He had black cuffs with strange symbols embroidered into the leather, wrapped around his wrists and massive upper arms. The expanse of chest visible from the opened vest looked smooth, and her fingers r
ubbed together as she imagined what it would feel like to caress the bronze skin.

  “Come here, pet.” Isari pointed to the carpet in front of him. “I have to get those security restraints returned to Harvesting.”

  Rue was scared to death of the big man, but the thought of having the restrictive metal bindings removed had her slowly crawling forward. There would be no way to escape with them on. She trembled when she got near him, and she squeezed her eyes closed when he reached out. She opened them again when she felt the first wrist cuff pop open, and she watched him touch his thumb to the other one. It folded back on an invisible hinge.

  Isari watched her wide brown eyes studying the simple device. It reminded him that the species was extremely primitive, and that most of his technology would seem incomprehensible to them. He took advantage of her distraction by handing her the collar to study, and he was pleased that she had an inquisitive nature that was lacking from some of the other species deemed suitable for warriors. Most of them were dully compliant and mere receptacles for whatever warriors’ desired.

  Isari and Varpin had both been extremely pleased with the reports on their pets from Harvesting. Isari had no doubts that Ebby had personally handled their testing so he knew that the results were accurate. Other than a short warning that the species did not have tough skin or a thick bone structure, she sounded cautiously optimistic that the pets would work out.

  Rue held the collar that had altered her life. She still could not see how it had latched because the two opened ends were smooth. She ran her fingers around the inside, searching for the barbs that had shocked her. When she glanced up, the man was inches from her neck with another collar. This one looked like it was made out of the same black leather-like material of his pants. She drew back and he grabbed her hair. “Easy, pet,” he said calmly.

  Rue threw the metal collar at his head and scrambled back. “I’m not your fucking pet,” she screamed. Getting to her feet, she bolted to the door and searched wildly for the missing door handle. “Can’t you pricks put latches on shit?” she screamed. She saw a flat pad on the side and began pounding it with her fist.

  Isari was intrigued. The girl had figured out that the bio-tech pad would release the door mechanism, but of course her biology was not imprinted into the security level required to open it. He was encouraged that the species did, apparently, have the desire to preserve itself, and it appeared they had at least a rudimentary ability at reasoning.

  “The portal is not programmed to open for you.” The man rose, and Rue stopped her pounding and searched the room frantically when he approached her with a collar in each hand. “I think you can reason that I am much stronger than you and will have my way, but I will let you choose. If I have to restrain you, I will put this collar back on you.” The metal collar dissolved in his hand and Rue felt it circle her throat. An instant later, it was back in his hand. “If you come to me, I’ll use this one.” He eyed the leather. “It does not have the security features that are built into the Harvesting collar, but those are not practical for your release on Lameria.”

  Rue was slowly backing away, and she stopped when she noticed he had not moved. He sat back in his chair and watched her make her decision. The metal collar would make it impossible to escape; she knew that. The other one must not have any features other than a way to secure her. It seemed like the better option, and she made her way cautiously towards him. As she approached, it sank in that she was naked. How the hell did I forget that? She glanced around the room, dashed towards the bed in the corner and grabbed the light blanket.

  When she first ran, Isari tensed, irritated that she chose the wrong logical deduction. He almost laughed when he saw her wrapping the cloth around herself to approach him. “You are cold and wish to be covered, pet? Well, perhaps that will be one of the first things you earn.” He had no idea that it was her nudity she found discomforting, because most pets preferred their own skin.

  Rue clenched her teeth to keep from screaming at him again and risk the metal choker. While she stood before him, he reached out and fixed the collar around her throat. The material was soft, and she realized that this was another benefit of not having the other choker reattached. She found herself distracted by the spicy scent of his skin. When she had been tossed over his shoulder, she wondered if it was a musk that would transfer to her body. It was pleasantly erotic and she inhaled deeply.

  He picked up the matching wrist cuffs and, seeing no alternative, Rue held out her arms. Screw you. You just keep thinking I’m too stupid to figure a way to get out of here. Even as the thought passed through her mind, she felt uneasy. The more she studied the man, the more captivatingly handsome she found him to be.

  The girl seemed to accept the rationality of the less restrictive collars, and Isari was becoming more optimistic about his choice. When he first saw the diminutive female, her appearance seemed at odds with the Harvesting Procurement’s test results. Even with Ebby’s report, it still seemed unbelievable that such a small species could contain his size with only minimal discomfort to him… and minimal damage to her.

  It had been his idea to try the ill fated Miptriks, and although both he and Varpin had reservations about commissioning one of these new, delicate pets, he was becoming more intrigued by the girl. Actually, very intrigued. Isari’s cock had not deflated since he had seen her spread on the harvesting ship’s transport wall. He was confident with his initial discovery that she had rudimentary reasoning, and Isari began to re-evaluate the thought that the on-planet claiming would be depressingly quick.

  Unique to Lamerian males, was the ingrained requirement from ancestral beginnings that a mate had to be chased down and conquered. Once captured, she must be trained to compatibility for her warrior. As there were no longer females born to their kind, the imprinted behavior had been transferred to the claiming of their pets.

  When the restraints were attached, he watched her expression while she studied them. He saw anger in her eyes and something almost resembling pride… which was, of course, impossible for a primitive species. The more he looked at the dark eyes, narrowing while her finger traced the leather and frowning when she discovered the latches on these cuffs were hidden for her safety as well, the more he decided she might actually work out. “You are named Rue? It is what the other pet was calling you.”

  Rue nodded. “I want to see Dawn,” she demanded nervously.

  “The other pet,” Isari affirmed. “You must be marked before you travel through the ship.”

  Rue slowly backed away from him. “I don’t want to be marked,” she announced. She really did not want whatever it was when she looked into the warrior’s eyes and she saw them filling with obvious sexual heat. “Stay away from me,” she quivered.

  Isari rose, and Rue continued backing up, clutching the blanket in a tight fist. The warrior kept approaching and she kept on backing, turning her head and looking for a way to escape. Her back pressed against the wall… no, a door… and the man reached around and placed a big palm on a panel beside her head. The door behind her slid open and she fell back into the new room, quickly turning around to see if there was an exit.

  Rue’s mouth dropped open and her eyes filled with tears when she saw a strange assortment of equipment that all promised pain. “No… oh god, no,” she moaned, and she tried to bolt around him.

  He grabbed one arm and pulled her towards a table. “You must be marked for the claiming. For most who commission, Harvesting takes care of it, but warriors prefer to do it themselves. It is the first bonding we have with our new pets to claim our superiority.”

  “Bullshit,” Rue screamed, thrashing in terror and trying to pull out of his grip. “I’m not a pet.” She let go of her blanket and clawed at his arm with her free hand.

  The warrior ignored her struggle. “You are my pet, Rue,” he said calmly. “It may take a little while for you to learn this, because you were one of the most advanced species on your planet. Naturally, you have become accusto
med to a certain sense of seniority among the other primitives.”

  Isari bent Rue over the table, and an embedded chain locked onto the back of her collar. He released her arm and the chain tightened, pulling her head to the table while her fingers frantically worked to figure out the release. It was as if a solid chink of chain had been threaded through the ring at the back of the collar.

  Isari lifted her flailing legs and secured the ankle cuffs to the table. Catching one arm at a time, he secured these as well, and Rue lay restrained on her back, crying angry fearful tears. “Let me go,” she screamed. “Send me back home.”

  Isari began stroking her, over her breasts and down her trembling belly. She cried harder. “Hush, pet. It is only the safety of my mark. You will not learn the other equipment until we get on planet and after the claiming.”

  “I don’t want your damn mark,” Rue screamed in frustration. The big man returned with a long metal rod, and she remembered the horrible feel of the bar that had been inserted inside her during her testing. “No, oh god, please.”

  Isari was slightly confused. To wear a warrior’s mark was an honor for a pet, and even the Alidans showed them off with pride. How could his pet not know this? “You will wear a Commander’s mark. The other pets will be quite envious, Rue.” He liked rolling her name off his tongue.

  The bar pressed against the top inside of her left thigh beside her pussy and she felt a singeing burn. “Aah… oh god,” she wailed.

  “See pet? You did not even lose consciousness,” Isari said proudly. He had been slightly concerned he might have to resort to dripanian and miss the anguish in her eyes. His cock was stiff and his balls heavy, and he spoke into his wrist communicator to order a Yatlin. No matter how aroused he was, he could not use the pet until she was rightfully claimed after the chase. He could, however, calm her… as was his responsibility to his exotic new pet.