Author's Note: This story began as a spin on u/ChainedToAKeyboard's,
Enslaved By Sorority Sluts
, with a gender flip of the lead and a change of setting. But subsequently it went off in completely different directions. Some text from the original is present in the early chapters, used with permission.
Hive Acropolis, Necromunda.
Vaia van Saar is not comfortable in the club. The music is loud. There are so many people with an unfamiliar look. She is glad to have her clan-brothers, Joak and Manu, with her. They will look after her.
The three of them sit at a bay table.
"Thank you for coming out with me," says Vaia.
"What?" says Manu loudly.
"Thank you for coming out with me!" Vaia shouts, to be heard over the bassy music.
Manu shakes his head and grins.
"You're sweet, Vaia," he says. "You deserve some fun."
Joak just nods. He's always quiet, but Vaia knows he cares a lot. Joak gets up and goes to the bar.
"You're brave, you know," Manu says loudly into Vaia's ear. "There still aren't many out Van Saar girls."
In the old days, Vaia would have been styled and dressed like one of the boys. If she filled out, the way she had, she would have had to stay within House territory. Or else gone on an exchange to House Escher.
But those were the old ways. Just one of so many things that have changed in the wake of the Kryptmann thaw. And Edwin van Saar's reforms of the House. Vaia is a Van Saar woman. There's no mistaking the styling of the House body-suit she wears. And also no mistaking the way she fills it out.
Joak comes back with three bottles. Alcoholic algal ooze. Good stuff. Vaia takes a drink. She's nervous, and it's bound to help.
The next track that comes on is a little quieter.
"Relax, Vaia," says Manu. "You aren't the one who should be worried. This is an Escher girl bar! We Van Saar boys can get in real trouble in a place like this!"
Vaia knows he's joking. He and Joak can look after themselves. Besides, this club is not one that any
men
are likely to be picked up in. She takes another drink.
Manu leans closer. "You don't need to worry. Van Saar girls are the new hot thing. You're a real attraction here."
Joak nods. He points at another table. "Checking you out."
Vaia looks over at the table Joak is pointing at. Two young women are sitting there. One is blonde. Goliath? She has well-defined muscles, but she's not that big. And she has long wavy hair, rather than a Goliath mohawk. The other is a spiky red-head. Definitely Escher. A mixed House pair. Unusual.
Vaia finds both of them really good-looking. The blonde looks a little dangerous. And they both seem... somehow self-sufficient?
"Come on, Joak," says Manu. "Let's check out the dance floor. Clear the way here."
"Wait!" says Vaia, but they're already making their way into the throng. They don't hear her.
When she looks at the women again, her nerves shoot through the roof. They're both approaching the table!
"Hey there," says the blonde.
She might not be the size of some Goliath women, but she still towers over Vaia! Most of her hair is held up in a pony tail, but some of it falls freely to shoulder length, framing her face. She wears a black, lacy top and a faux-leather skirt. Her gaze seems cold and haughty, but Vaia thinks that's just from her height. Her smile seems friendly enough.
"That's Rebeck," says the red-headed Escher. "I'm Sash."
She is much shorter than her friend. She wears a very revealing white strap-top. Vaia can see her many, distinctive Escher tattoos. And her ample breasts.
Vaia gulps. They're both so hot. "Hi... I'm Vaia... You want to sit down?"
"Sure," says the blonde. Rebeck.
They slide into opposite sides of the booth seat. Shimmying around until they're sitting on either side of Vaia.
"So. You're one of these Van Saar girls we've been hearing so much about," says Sash.
"Sure am," says Vaia, feeling like her face is starting to burn. "Always have been."
"Hearing about, Sash? Be honest with her." Rebeck leans a little closer. "There's a certain vid that's popular at the moment."
"Oh?" says Vaia, knowing what she must be talking about. They're so open about this stuff!
"Yeah," says Rebeck, licking her lips. "Two Van Saar girls. Looking a lot like you. Stripping out of their suits all sweaty. Getting it on. Mouths all over each other."
"I- I think I know the one you mean." Vaia's mind is racing. Seeing that vid had changed her life! She wouldn't be here, being chatted up by two beautiful women, without it. "You know, those girls aren't Necromundans. I'm not sure they're even real Van Saars."
"We know that porn is made off-world, Vaia," says Sash. Vaia turns to look at her. She's laughing a little. It's unnerving, being flanked by these two dazzling strangers. "That vid. It gave us all kinds of ideas."
"And now here you are," says Rebeck, prompting Vaia to turn to her again. "Serendipitous, don't you think?"
Vaia is lost for words. Goliaths weren't meant to know long words that a Van Saar didn't recognise! "Er, sure thing?"
"What are you drinking?" asks Sash. She grabs Vaia's bottle and identifies it. "Hive slime. Let's get you something imported."
"Algal-based foods and drinks are just as good as anything from off-world. And more nutritious and sustainable." Vaia feels mortified as soon as she's said the words. Why did she just parrot the standard House Van Saar line? She's just a mess of nerves!
Sash and Rebeck just look at each other. "She needs a real drink."
Neither of them gets up to go to the bar, or makes any other move though. Rebeck notices Vaia's curious expression. She points at her own head. "Cogitators. We can use them to order."
Vaia's eyes widen. In-head cogitators are so expensive! Who are these women?
Rebeck smiles. "You don't have one? I thought Van Saar tech was always top-of-the-line."
"I think some bosses do. Maybe," says Vaia. "You know, the tech's just an image. A lot of Van Saars work in tech, sure. We keep the Hive running. But if we were, like, super-advanced, we'd all live in the Upper Hive, right?"
"You ever been to the Upper Hive, Vaia?" Sash asks.
"Sure. A couple of times. Sight-seeing and that. One time I got on the wrong vertical train. That cost me a lot of thalers."
Rebeck laughs. It sounds genuine. Or at least artfully faked. "What about the Spires? Ever been to a Spire, Vaia?"
"No. Of course not." says Vaia.
Rebeck smiles. "Maybe we could do something about that?"
Before Vaia can react to that, a servitor brings a tray with a bottle and three shot glasses. Servitors were being phased out all over the Republic now. So IBN said, anyway. Where possible, they were being liberated. But this one was old, and much more machine than man. It would keep on fulfilling its role until it ran down.
Rebeck takes the bottle and pours out three shots of syrupy black liquid.
"What is it?" asks Vaia.
"They mix it on Calastia. I think the ingredients come from all over. It's called... well, the brand name is Assimilation. It's a drink they call krozer. You'll like it. Everyone likes it. That's why it sells so well."
Vaia drinks her shot. It was smooth. Sweet. Aniseed and a whole bunch of other flavours Vaia didn't know what to call. A drink like this made you remember there was a whole galaxy out there. "... Why's it called Assimilation?"
"Did you like it?" asks Sash.
"Yeah, it's delicious," says Vaia.
Rebeck pours some more.
"Congratulations," says Sash. "You have been assimilated into the set of humans who like drinking Assimilation. Now your role is to buy some for other people, and assimilate them!"
Vaia giggles. "I don't think I could afford that though."
"Don't think about money right now," Rebeck cuts in sternly. "Have some more." She lifts her glass. "To the Republic!"
"To the Republic!" says Vaia, joining in the toast and downing her second shot.
Sash smiles. "To President Russ!"
Vaia drinks to that too. She giggles again. This krozer stuff was making her very giggly. "Yeah, President Jaeger Russ is so beautiful. Kind of scary though."
The music grows louder. Rebeck leans close to talk into Vaia's ear. "Listen. Sash and I work hard. We don't really want a big night out in noisy places like this. We really like your look, Vaia van Saar. So why don't you come back to our place, have a few drinks and fool around?"
"Yeah. It'll be fun, Vaia," adds Sash. "Come back to our place. Just wait till you see it!"
A thrill of excitement runs through Vaia. Nothing could sound better! "Yeah. Lesh--" She concentrates hard. She's slurring her words! She doesn't want to embarrass herself. "Let's go!"
"Good choice!" beams Sash. "Come on, let's get out of here!"
All three slide out of the bay seat and head for the door of the club. Vaia makes sure to catch the eye of Manu and Joak, and gives them a wave so they know she's okay. They grin back happily at their clan-sister.
Outside, Vaia walks with the other two until they reach a traffic corridor. A black air-car descends to hover in front of them.
Vaia gapes at it. "You guys have an air-car!?" She's always wanted to open one of these up and learn how it works.
Sash laughs. "Get in, Vaia."
"Come on!" adds Rebeck. "I'll drive!"
"Doesn't it drive itself?" Vaia asks.
"It's more fun to do your own driving!" Rebeck beams.
Vaia and Sash pile into the back. It might not be the most expensive of air-cars, but to have one at all was so rare. And it seems pretty nice to Vaia. She looks around at everything in fascination.
"Strap in!" Rebeck shouts from the front. She doesn't wait. The air-car takes off at high acceleration.
"Wow!" shouts Vaia. "Who are you guys?"
"We work for the Representative," Sash tells her.
"The Representative? The Hive's representative to the republic council?"
"Do you know of any other kind of Representative?" Sash asks. "Here, have another drink." She opens a compartment in the air-car's interior and takes out two bottles, giving one to Vaia.