Lori was third in line to file off the shuttle into the bare lounge. There were twelve of them altogether, six human, four female and two male, and then six of other humanoid races. As the airlock door closed behind them, rough hands from behind turned them all to face the blank wall. Obediently, Lori watched as the wall lit up.
The image was of a beautiful human woman, dark of hair and skin, tall, with a studied grace. She was dressed in a body-hugging black outfit from neck to feet. "I will begin by reminding you of the terms you have agreed to in order to be in this room," she started without preamble. "You are here to serve guests of the Severn Station in any way that pleases them. Since many of our guests have unorthodox pleasures, you will first undergo a period of training. For twenty-four hours, you will be trained and handled as our servants often are. At the end of that time, if you wish to leave, you will be permitted to do so. If you choose to stay, you will be outfitted with a collar that will open only to your own safeword. You may sign on for a week, and if we are happy with you after that and you wish to remain, you will sign on for three months. Contracts are renewable indefinitely. Any questions?"
With barely a pause, during which none of the twelve ventured to ask a question, she continued, "To your right are a series of doors. Each of you will go through one of them. On the other side, you will divest yourself of clothing and then make your way into the room beyond. Anyone who wishes to leave now may do so through the door on your left."
The screen went back to bare wall, and Lori turned with the others. As each of the twelve selected a door and went through it, she got more and more nervous. She had heard the money for this service was good, which was why she was here. After a year here, she'd have a nice little nest egg to begin her dreams back on her home planet of Pentar. And it wasn't like she'd never done sex work before. But somehow, this type of work still seemed different.
She gave a mental shrug and picked a door.
The room on the other side was barely more than a closet. There were benches on either side, one of which had a small box on it labeled with the number 801. Taking the hint, she removed her simple jumpsuit and soft ship shoes, folding them and placing them in the box. She took off her jewelry, too, and her small purse. When she was done, she looked around for the door out.
It took her a moment to find it, because it wasn't a full door. Rather, it was a round panel that swung soundlessly inward when she touched it, revealing a short tube similar to one at a water park, but not at an angle. Was she meant to crawl? That would be in character for this place, wouldn't it? She got down on her hands and knees and crawled through the tunnel, pushing open another, similar door about five feet away.
She was looking around before crawling out of the tunnel when a hand came down from above, snapping a collar around her neck. The hand stayed there, keeping her on all fours. She glanced up; it belonged to a humanoid figure completely encased in black PVC. Even the eyes and mouth had only a lighter mesh across them. The figure was female from the shape, but beyond that she could tell nothing about the woman. Silently, this figure snapped a leash onto her collar and began to lead her to a line where the other new recruits were already waiting. She noted that they also wore collars and were on all fours, and each also had a PVC-suited companion holding their leashes.
The room they were in was the size of a large school gymnasium, but otherwise bore no resemblance to any room Lori had ever before occupied. There were catwalks and platforms at various heights around its perimeter and hanging from its ceiling; some of these contained cages, some of which were occupied with naked human figures. The room was dotted with implements of torture such as Lori had seen in her research before coming here. There were several St. Andrews crosses, some whipping posts and spanking benches, a fucking machine, and a variety of stockades and other bondage devices, as well as many things she could not name. Other than the caged figures, themselves, and their handlers, there were no other people in the room.
"Well, well, what have we here?" drawled a voice from above on one of the catwalks. Lori started; why was that voice so familiar?
The woman it belonged to was dressed in a simple blue pencil skirt, a white blouse, and a pair of high heels. It was an outfit that would have been completely appropriate in any executive lounge at any corporation in the galaxy, but it seemed incongruous here. With the push of a button, the piece of catwalk she was standing on floated airily to the ground and she stepped off. Lori studied her, trying to place her. Why did she know that voice?
"I am Mistress Ravena. You will call me Mistress, or you will call me nothing at all when I gag you. For the next twenty-four hours, you belong to me." There was a tiny gesture, and Lori felt pain blossom on her ass. She yelped and looked around; her handler, and all the others, had just whipped her on the ass with a wicked-looking leather whip with two tails! "Your handlers follow my orders, and will punish you as I see fit. They are all slaves like yourself, but they have earned the right to participate in the training of the new slaves. First, you will learn some simple commands."
Another black-suited figure approached, and the mistress made a hand sign, her hand extended, her fingers bent over. The figure knelt down, her hands on the floor in front of her, her knees separated as wide as she could, her head up just far enough to see the mistress' hand. "This command is "kneel." When someone makes that sign or says kneel, you will assume this position." She turned to the new recruits and made the sign.
