Small Spaces

A/N: Thanks for the comments! Some lightly smutty stuff in this chapter, nothing serious. The real stuff coming up in the next one. :D


His dreams that night were an indecipherable heap; flesh sweeping flesh, sweat and heat. Basking in a faint red glow that seemed to burn hotter as the whispering voices, too, grew in volume. Her voice startled him out of his sleep, just as he was about to make out a face of one of the tumbles of bodies under him…

“Wake up, Jake. Get up. You have to be to work in an hour.”

An hour. A goddamned hour. Why couldn’t she let him sleep?

“I’m leaving, but I’m not stepping a foot outside that door until you get out of bed.”

It had been a long time since he’d had such an erotic dream. He couldn’t get out of bed, at least not with her in the room.

“I will…I’ll get up,” he threw the covers off, and gingerly climbed down the small ladder, painfully aware of his morning erection. Nora made a satisfied noise, before leaving the apartment altogether.

Would it be this way every morning? He hoped not. Those kinds of dreams made him uncomfortable, in more ways than one.

But it was also silly of him to be shy around her. Soon they would be sharing a bed. His eyes automatically darted to the symbol of their impending nights together; big empty bed, Nora goading him on with that playful smile and whistling laugher. The thought wasn’t incredibly pleasing. Yes, he could perform the duty, as most men could. Perhaps he was old-fashioned, but Jacob preferred the thought of making love.

She obviously knew a few things about him, but Jacob doubted that she knew the in-depth facts about his virtually nonexistent love-life. Not that he cared to know hers; obviously she wasn’t a disease ridden whore or she wouldn’t have been allowed into The Program in the first place. However, the thought of her with another man, her last partner, made Jacob a little ill. Things hadn’t worked out between them.

Go figure, he thought, dragging himself into the bathroom for a cold shower.

*+*

The first day on the job; never a joyous occasion. As soon as he stepped into the room, he could feel the calculating stares on him. Jacob lowered his eyes and made his way to his assigned desk, amidst not-so-hushed voices.

“He’s a Breeder.”

“Nora’s boy.”

“Hope he knows what he’s in for.”

They halted as soon as the clock hit nine, and the clicking of keys, though faintly blocked out by the cubicle walls, commenced. This was heaven to him; no nosy coworkers to look over his shoulder, no disruptions. Maybe it had all been worth it, for he would have never gotten here on his own.

After three or four hours, Jacob was tapped on the shoulder. It was Dr. Farwell.

“Just coming to see how you’re holding up, Nesmeth.”

He coughed, “Well, sir. Holding up well, thank you.”

The Doctor studied him, then nodded, “Good. You’re showing good numbers with your coding. Keep it up.”

Jacob wondered why the Doctor made a special trip up here to see him; he didn’t stop by anyone else’s desk. How many Level C employees were even in The Program? From their comments earlier, he guessed not many.

As soon as the clock allowed, he was out the door and heading down the moving platform toward The Den. What could have been a smile graced his plain, angular features when he saw that the sun was out, albeit the rays were highly filtered through the smoked-glass of the atrium.

Nora had told him that she would most likely be in the bathroom when he returned from work, and she hadn’t been exaggerating. That was precisely where she was. He crossed to his desk, tugged off his jacket, and stretched his legs.

The door clicked open, and she stepped out, wrapped only in a towel. Her hair was very damp still, clinging to her shoulders in sopping wet ringlets. The tops of her breasts where she held the flimsy covering gleamed with water droplets. His eyes traveled down the curve of her torso, down the lengths of her legs, and back up quickly.

“I didn’t hear you come in,” she said, smiling impishly.

“I don’t slam doors all the time,” he said without a smile, unbuttoning the collar of his work shirt.

She crossed the room to her own hidden closet, which was much fuller than his. He watched as she chose a silk shirt with a black and white print, black slacks, and matching black underwear. Jacob turned away as soon as she dropped her towel, catching a mere glimpse of smooth flesh, but nothing else.

“I’m trying not to be shy here, Jacob. Neither should you. Dr. Wren said this is helpful, though I don’t know exactly what for. But I trust her,” he heard the snap of the elastic on her panties. “I’m taking you out, so you might not want to get too comfortable.”

“I am rather tired, Nora,” he said, quickly adding, “Where are we going?”

She turned to him, and he caught a glimpse of one half-exposed breast as she slipped on her bra.

“On a tour. Then dinner.”

He gulped, “What is there to see here, besides books and people eating?”

Nora put her hands on her hips; she looked stunning in nothing but a bra and panties, wet hair dripping…

“You’ve been here two days and think you’ve seen it all?” She laughed, “there are entire wings left unexplored.”

“Well forgive me,” he said simply, re-buttoning his shirt and pulling on his suitcoat.

When she was fully clothed, her hair left to dry naturally –which explained the frizzy, wild abandon of it- they headed out of the apartment.

Once in the atrium, Jacob took a swift look around; the place was always busy. He recognized some of the couples from the previous night at the booths, some sitting in little seating areas along the outer rim of the atrium. Nora lightly grasped his wrist and pulled him toward a corridor that led past the extensive library; he made a note to check the place out eventually. Reading manuals gave him only so much pleasure.

This corridor was empty.

“Where does this lead?” He asked. She placed a finger to his lips.

“You’ll see.”

The walked a short distance before Jacob’s eyes began to water. His nose picked up the scent of some unfamiliar chemical.

“There,” she pointed to a window up ahead. Once they were in front of it, Jacob’s eyes widened. Before him, on the other side of the glass, was the largest standing pool of water he’d ever seen. It was shaped into that of a desert oasis, lined in palm trees and other assorted tropical plants, giving it an exotic look and feel. The edges of the glass through which he peered were fogged up.

Inside, people were lounging in the hot springs at one end of the pool, while others were lap swimming. One couple was kissing furiously in the sand, the man’s hands entangled in the woman’s fire-red hair. It was a beautiful scene.

“I thought you might like this. Those long showers and all,” Nora’s voice was throaty. He turned to her, eyes still wide.

“I’ve never seen a swimming pool before, Nora.”

She nodded, “I know.”

He watched the scene for a few more minutes before he felt the gentle tug of Nora’s hand again.

“C’mon, there’s more.”

Jacob reluctantly tore himself away, his pace steadily increasing as they walked. If there was more to this tale, he had to see it.

As they walked, the corridor became decidedly darker. The walls, which had been white, reached a point into which they became black tile, the flooring became crimson carpet. Up ahead there was another window, and this time Jacob was more hesitant to look into it.

“They’re two-way mirrors, Jacob. No need to worry. Besides,” she said, pushing him toward the glass, “I don’t think they mind you watching.”

He gasped. Before him, just beyond the glass, was a darkened room lit only by candles. Women in leather pranced about, their breasts exposed, gloved hands wrapped around whips. On the floor, men of varying levels of nudity were crawling on their hands and knees, begging or performing tasks. Once in a while, the women’s whips would come down in a silent smack.

Jacob turned away quickly.

“Not your thing, huh? Mine either.” Nora shrugged.

“Why are you showing me this?” Jacob asked her, his temper flaring to life.

She looked hurt, “I thought you’d want to know. The Program isn’t in the business of forcing people together. They want us to be happy. If we don’t conceive on the first try, or the second, or even the fifteenth, at least we can have fun.”

She placed her hand on his forearm. The touch was warm through the thick, starched coat. His eyes followed her arm, up her silk-clad shoulder, the wonderful skin of her neck, and to her own steady gaze.

“I think we’re done for tonight,” she said. “I’m sorry if I upset you.”

They began to walk back toward the main atrium, “You haven’t really upset me. It was…well that was just shocking, as you can imagine.”

“Tell me about it,” she laughed. “I couldn’t believe what I was seeing when…” her laughter stopped for a moment, “When Samuel brought me here.”

They didn’t press the issue further. Jacob changed the subject.

“I see all these couples, some of them…well, some of them successfully pregnant. Nora…where are all the children?”

She glanced at him, “In another wing. That one’s off-limits to those who haven’t conceived yet. More incentive, I suppose, to get to work.” This time her words held a hint of suggestiveness along with her wink. “C’mon, I’m starving.”