by Jana Downs
The chipper redheaded man gave him an easy smile as he talked in his very distracting, flighty manner. “We’ll get to the Vessel transfer room in another five minutes. It will be there that you get to give the specimen a last physical examination before we do the personality alignment, the final fitting as it were.”
“Good. Can’t wait,” Alec said a little impatiently. He’d dressed in a black Gucci suit that emphasized his build and gave him a sharp sexiness, or so he’d been told by his assistant. He’d also spent far too long preening in the mirror of his hotel room arranging his hair into perfection. He’d hoped that it would make an impression on the Vessel, because it’d taken him forever to get ready. He’d resolved to make the best of this situation. Besides, it would be nice not to have to cater to a lover who would make unreasonable demands on his time and resources. His last boyfriend had been a testament to how incompatible his life was with a romance.
“Hey, Jimmy!” another worker called out in greeting from behind yet another reception desk. “The Vessel is set up and ready for his examination. They’re ready for you in room four.”
The redhead, who was apparently named Jimmy, turned his attention to Alec with a smile. “They’re ready for us, Mr. Kane.” Alec nodded, and his heart sped up in anticipation. About damn time.
* * * *
The redheaded Trainer that had taught him his first etiquette lessons spoke in calm, measured tones as Payne bowed his head. “Payne, please step forward onto the lighted square so that your Master may examine you.”
His eyes were trained on the floor, the training protocol demanding he keep his eyes lowered unless given express permission to raise them. He wanted to look though. It was almost impossible to deny the impulse. Curiosity over his new Master was eating him alive.
A light turned on at the center of a slightly raised platform which Payne stepped up on. He fell into a casual pose as he’d been taught. He knew that the lighting showcased his naked body to its finest. Oil had been slicked over his tight muscles, and he’d been forbidden to eat anything in the last twelve hours so that the muscles of his abdomen stood out in ropey perfection. Desiree had even been instructed to wash and style his hair for this first meeting, and Payne was surprised to find himself utterly terrified. What if his Master was like his last Trainer? What if he desired to see his blood and pain more than his pleasure? He resented how this person whom he’d never met had this much control over him already.
“Can you give us a moment?” The voice of his Master went straight to his cock as if some sort of signal had been given to his body at those softly uttered words. Payne blushed as his body stirred without provocation. He’d been engineered to be this man’s lover. If there was a formula for fated mates, the Facility had figured it out and tapped into it.
“Of course,” the Trainer said. “When you’re ready, press the red call button on the wall, and I’ll be back with you.”
The door swished open and closed, and they were alone. Payne shifted from foot to foot as silence stretched on. It was his scent. His scent is driving me crazy. Maybe this was what they meant when they said they were absolutely compatible. All he could think about was plastering his body all over whoever was in the room with him and wallowing in his scent. A sharp intake of breath from the other man clued Payne in that the man appreciated his oil-slicked body and his hardened arousal.
“Look at me,” his soon-to-be Master commanded. “You haven’t looked at me once. Look at me.”
Payne raised eyes and met the man’s light-blue ones, and his world shifted. He’d never seen anything or anyone so beautiful. Payne’s arousal jerked. Oh my. What would it be like to touch him?
“What is your name, Vessel?” the man asked. He didn’t have a cold voice like his instructors had.
Payne swallowed. “I’m Vessel 8189, though I prefer Payne.”
The man smiled. “I like a man who asserts himself. I expected shy and submissive, but this is even better. Calm confidence has always been my weakness. It’s uncanny how well the compatibility works.”
Payne shrugged. “If you say so, my lord.”
“Then I will call you Payne. May I touch you, Payne?” he asked with a smile.
Payne was confused by his politeness. “If that is what you desire, my lord.”
“I want you to call me by my name. Call me Alec,” Alec corrected.
“As you wish…Alec.” Payne tested the name on his tongue and found it pleasing. His body jumped as Alec’s fingertips touched the planes of his stomach.
“You are gorgeous,” Alec complimented.
“Thank you, my…Alec,” Payne corrected himself. This was awkward but not uncomfortable. He could get used to this. He wasn’t allowed to call anyone by name but his fellow Vessels. Perhaps his new owner would fulfill some of Payne’s desires in addition to his own. Payne could only hope.
* * * *
Alec’s hands moved freely over his skin, tracing his muscles with barely restrained lust. Alec tried to explain his out-of-character groping. “I don’t know why I feel like I need to touch you so badly.”
“It’s our compatibility,” Payne explained, gasping as Alec traced the puckered tips of both his nipples. “We are perfectly aligned. The urge to mate is normal.” Is that my imagination, or does he seem a little breathless?
“Is it normal for people to, uh, be with their Vessels before they leave the Facility?” Alec asked. The more he touched Payne, the more he desired to touch and explore and—Damn, I’m acting like an animal. He doesn’t deserve that.
“Not normally, but I’m sure they’d make an exception if you so choose,” Payne said, leaning into Alec’s touch.
“I don’t want you to think that I am just some horny guy aiming to get off.” Alec felt the need to explain, which was ridiculous because that was what the Vessel was made for after all. He mentally rolled his eyes. He wasn’t some guy Alec was aiming to pick up at a bar. This was basically a handpicked partner or something. He wouldn’t really be a partner, though, would he? He was a very expensive toy. He got confused by his own marketing. But it certainly didn’t feel that way.
Payne chuckled, but it held an edge of resentment. “I’m a Pleasure Unit. A Vessel designed specifically to fulfill your physical needs and provide you whatever you need. If you desire me, I make myself available. That is the life of a Vessel.”
The bitter edge to Payne’s voice caused Alec to look at him in curiosity. Vessels weren’t supposed to feel resentment. They had been bred with very specific traits. Being eager to please was one of them. Alec reluctantly dropped his arms and took a step back to look at his Vessel once again.
“Shall I service you, my lord Alec?” Payne asked. Alec could’ve sworn he saw a hint of mockery in his gaze.
He hesitated an instant before replying. “No. That won’t be necessary. I can wait.”
He looked at Payne’s body in admiration. He didn’t understand how the Vessel was feeling anything but joy at the prospect of belonging to a man such as himself. He wasn’t being arrogant. He just knew that a lot of Vessels were sold to far less generous and far worse-looking men. It irritated him that he was found wanting by a being who wasn’t even classified as human.
“As you wish, my lord.” Payne’s words were appropriate, but the tone was all wrong. Gone was the almost playful soon-to-be lover, and here stood this resentful being that was rubbing Alec the wrong way.
“I’m guessing this is why they do the personality alignment,” he said, more to himself than to Payne.
Payne’s eyes narrowed. “Excuse me?”
“Well, it’s obvious you aren’t happy with me right now. My eagerness for your body has brought on some misplaced bitterness that I wasn’t even aware Vessels could feel. Even if we’re very well suited, arguments will of course arise. A personality alignment will fix this…disagreement between us?”
If it were possible, Payne’s lips pressed more firmly into a thin line. “I shall be your puppet, my lord, and
you shall be my puppeteer. After the alignment, my every thought, action, and desire will be geared toward the pursuit of yours.” Alec was shocked at the anger in his voice. “And since that is the inevitable outcome of this ‘disagreement’ between us, you should just go ahead and press the call button so that I can be taken immediately to the brainwash, oh, I’m sorry, that was a slip of the tongue, the ‘realignment’ room so that neither you nor I will be forced to put up with my ‘resentment’ or anger for that matter over your callous disregard for the human condition. In fact”—Payne took a step off the platform and crossed the room to the call box—“let me press it for you. I wouldn’t want you to trouble yourself.”
Alec finally got irritated and stalked after him, grabbing the Vessel’s outstretched hand. With one stiff yank he pulled him close until they were nose-to-nose. It was only then that he realized there was only an inch or two difference in their heights.
“What got shoved up your ass, Vessel?” he snarled. “What could I have possibly done to you in the last five minutes to warrant such hostility?” He knew he was gripping harder on the Vessel’s arms than he should be. It was probably hurting him, but he was too pissed off to care. To Alec’s surprise, Payne moaned, and he felt the straining length of his erection press against his slacks.
“And what the fuck kind of reaction is that?” he asked with a growl. He eased his grip.
Anger sparked in Payne’s eyes. “It’s my training. I can’t help it. My submission training rewired my body to respond to either pain or pleasure.” He closed his eyes and shuddered. He rubbed against Alec as if to demonstrate. He stopped himself before he opened his eyes. “Press the goddamn call button, Master.” He spat the word like a curse. “Reprogram me to be the perfect fuck doll for you.”
A voice snapped from behind them as a hidden panel slid open to reveal the employees’ hallway. “Payne!” Payne winced noticeably. “Vessel 8189, fall into slave position three immediately!”
Payne jerked out of Alec’s astonished grip and knelt, his forehead pressed to the cold floor. Alec looked on, stunned, and raised his gaze to look at the Trainer who had just entered the room. Who in the world would cause such an instant, fearful reaction? Whoever it was, Alec had the sneaking suspicion that he wouldn’t like this man.
Eerie, gray eyes met his stare. “I apologize, Mr. Kane. I am Trainer J. Payne is one of the ones in my charge at the Facility. I am his primary care Trainer. I informed the board at the last meeting that he was not ready for placement yet, but your father insisted that he be ready for your birthday. Unfortunately, as you can see, we haven’t managed to get out the last kinks in his personality yet. It will be corrected within a day or two, I assure you.” The hard edge to his voice and the way Payne’s shoulders shook at the prospect left Alec little doubt that the way they “corrected” his personality involved something very painful.
“If he is so defective, why was he allowed to remain in the program for so long?” Alec asked. It was a sick curiosity that made him ask it. He had no intention of letting anyone touch Payne. Fighting or not, he was strangely protective of the Vessel.
“He isn’t defective at all,” the Trainer answered with a wistful smile. “He’s the top-ranking Pleasure Vessel on the Compound. I can personally attest to his skills.”
“Then why is he so hostile?” Alec demanded. He couldn’t explain, even to himself, why he was so pissed off over the fact that the Trainer had experienced any of Payne’s “skills.” The fact was that the other man had obviously done something to hurt Payne, and it really pissed Alec off. No human being should be treated in such a fashion. By law, they weren’t technically human, but there was no denying the intelligence and awareness the Vessel had.
The Trainer shrugged. “Again, I am so sorry he was hostile toward you. I have some idea on how to find out though. I’ll interview his Twin Vessel Desiree. She knows everything about him. They talk far more than is protocol, and he tends to tell her things that he doesn’t tell his counselor. Once that is established, we’ll put him into personality rehabilitation and have him ready for you by Friday.”
Alec regarded the Trainer with mounting unease. He looked at the ground where his Vessel knelt, his shoulders trembling harder than before. “Personality rehabilitation? What’s that?”
“It’s a simple procedure really. We go in with three needles and inject a cocktail into certain parts of the brain. We then subject them to flash images and chemical suggestions to correct the problem. Minor procedure, like I said.”
“Is it painful?” Alec asked.
“Well, it’s moderately painful but nothing to write home about. In fact, it’s not nearly as painful as the personality alignment is. The results are completely worth the process.”
“What if they don’t want the alignment? What if they chose not to continue on as Pleasure Units?”
The Trainer laughed. “They are Vessels. They don’t know what they want until we tell them what they want. Besides, have you ever seen a Vessel that has a chemical match with a person and then finds the person abhorrent? It’s awful! Better that we make them happy in their mating than let both Master and Vessel be miserable. Please, Mr. Kane, you have to understand that, just because they look human and share human characteristics, it doesn’t mean they are human. They are marvels of engineering, but they aren’t like us.” He patted Alec on the shoulder like he was lecturing a young boy on the facts of life. “Like I said, I’ll personally deliver him to your home in a few days. Come along, Payne.”
Payne stood, biting his bottom lip, his eyes filled with sheer terror.
“Wait a second,” Alec interrupted, standing in between Payne and the Trainer. “I want my Vessel today, and we’re going to be leaving soon, so there won’t be time for an alignment.” Payne’s gaze snapped to his face, searching his visage with barely concealed confusion. “In fact, we’re leaving immediately, so feel free to hand over some clothing for him, and we’ll be on our way.” Alec didn’t know why he was so protective over the spirited Vessel, but he just knew that it would kill him to see that light extinguished, even if it did irritate him.
The Trainer hesitated. “Are you sure, Mr. Kane? It will only take a little while to do an alignment.” He sounded annoyed with Alec, but Alec didn’t give a damn. His father had spent enough money on the Vessel that if Alec wanted a full wardrobe included, he felt like he wouldn’t be asking too much.
“I’m sure,” Alec said firmly. “I want him packed and ready to go in fifteen minutes.” He reached down and pulled Payne to his feet, placing him just a step behind him just in case the Trainer got any bright ideas. He glanced back at his Vessel.
Payne’s face broke into a grateful smile. “Thank you,” he whispered. “I’ll go to the Vessels’ quarters to collect my things. They’re already packed. I just need to grab the bag. They’ll have you pick out an outfit for me at the exiting station at the reception desk. I’ll meet you there if that’s all right?” The Vessel hesitated as if unsure of Alec’s reaction to his suggestions.
Alec smiled encouragingly. “That’ll be great, Payne. I’ll meet you at the desk.” He paused before pointing to the Trainer. “Stay away from that guy.” He didn’t give a damn if Trainer J was insulted.
With another smile that melted Alec’s heart a little, Payne walked past the Trainer and into the hidden hallway.
The Trainer frowned at their exchange. “Well, if that’s the way you want it, I will of course support your decision. However, if you want to come back and get the alignment done, I’ll put my card into the file you’ll be receiving at checkout.”
“Excellent. If you’ll point me in the direction of the checkout?” Alec asked, straightening his suit jacket.
The other man nodded, barely restrained anger shimmering on his face. “Follow me.”
* * * *
“Desi!” Payne called out as he burst into the Vessels’ quarters. The barrack-like place they were held in was sparsely furnished and simply decorated
. It was the epitome of efficiency like everything dealing with the Vessels in the Facility. Other Vessels were in their bunks in between lessons, and some gave him sour looks at his loud intrusion. Desiree popped her head around the corner of their set of bunks.
“What is it? Oh God, Payne, are you all right?” Desi asked, concern lacing every word. She smiled as she saw the beaming smile on his face. “I’m guessing it went well?”
“Yes,” Payne bragged, relief washing over him as he realized that his owner was not what he thought he would be. “My owner was such an ass at first, we started to argue, and then Trainer J came in and was about to drag me off to the Alignment Room for reprogramming.” His grin widened exponentially as he remembered the look of shock and anger on Trainer J’s face. “Then he stood up for me and decided not to let them do it.” Desiree gasped. Payne giggled in giddy glee. “I was so shocked it was ridiculous. He told me to get my stuff, and we’re leaving in ten minutes!”
“You argued with him? Payne, you could’ve got rehabilitation for that!” His words seemed to penetrate her mind then. She blinked. “He stood up for you? Really? That’s fantastic!”
“He was…great.” Payne sighed. He knew he was gushing a little bit, but he’d been so shocked and thrilled that his owner hadn’t turned out to be a total douche.
He gathered his small Holo-Pic of him and Desi from his nightstand and tucked it into the side pocket of his Facility-issued blue-and-white gym bag. A Service Vessel came in and put a neatly folded pile of clothes on the bed. Service Vessels were the least respected out of the three types of Vessels. As a Pleasure Vessel, Payne was the most valuable type. The middle class were the Working Vessels, who did skilled working jobs and worked as personal servants and the like. Lastly, the Service Vessels were the house servants and labor workers of the Vessel world.
