Indentured Pervitude 03

"Can we talk?" Wendy asked Tom, finding him in the kitchen trying to figure out how to work the coffee machine.

"Do I have a choice?" he said. She couldn't tell if he was trying to be funny or petulant.

"Here...sit down, let me do that," she waved him away from the filters and spilled coffee grounds. He looked like he was going to object, but gave things over to her and sat down at the kitchen table instead.

"The lawyer gave me a lot of information yesterday, and I'm not sure I understood half of it, but I need to go over a few things with you so you understand what this is all really about."

"Oh, believe me, I know what it's about."

"I'm sure you think that, but there may be more to it than you realize." Wendy poured some water into the machine now that it was all squared away and pressed brew. "For example, you are aware that you need my approval if you're going to travel beyond a certain distance from where we live."

Tom's spine stiffened, and he made a fist. "I assumed that," he said tightly.

"And the same goes for purchases."

"What's my limit?"

"Limit?"

Tom sighed in frustration. He wanted to yell at Wendy for being so dense. "How much can I spend before you have to approve it?"

"Oh, no limit - it's for everything."

"So, if I want to buy a pack of gum on the way to work, I have to get your permission?"

Wendy just nodded, afraid to speak.

"Well, that's just great. Why are you even involved? It's my fucking money!"

"That's the thing, it isn't anymore. Everything you earn belongs to the crypto company, and it's up to me to make sure they get what you owe them." He wasn't thinking of actually punching her, was he? Wendy had never feared anything like that from Tom before, but the way he was seething made it seem possible.

"Fuck it, I don't like chewing gum anyway," he declared as if it was an act of defiance. His impotent rage was almost enough to make Wendy want to laugh. She'd never seen him in such a situation before, and she found it quite amusing. That alone should have made her feel guilty, but for some reason...it didn't.

"It's just a formality. If you want some candy, of course I'm going to approve it. I'm not going to use this 'arrangement' to become some kind of tyrannical monster. Things will be just like they always were...with a few minor adjustments.

Tom relaxed his fist, took a deep breath, and composed himself. He knew there was no point in getting upset. It was out of his control - just like everything had been since he got picked up and thrown into the back of that windowless BitWize security van.

"Okay, whatever, I'm not upset at you, it's just...this whole thing."

"I know," she set a cup of coffee in front of him, done just the way he liked it. "And I'm sorry how things have to be. This isn't easy for me either."

"Right, I'm sure owning me is a real burden on you," he said with a snide edge.

Wendy took a moment and counted to five in her head before responding.

"Then there's the matter of the implant."

"Implant? What the fuck are you talking about?"

"It was installed while you were in custody," she explained. Tom looked confused. "Just here," she touched the back of her neck, "near the top of your spine."

Tom's hand went to the back of his own neck. "I woke up one morning and I was sore, but they told me I had injured myself and had to go to the infirmary. I didn't remember anything about hurting myself, but no one would answer my questions." His anger had been replaced with worry. "It's an implant?"

"Yes. Some kind of chip that's integrated into your nervous system. It's all too high-techie for me to understand, but they gave me this app..." Wendy pulled out her mobile phone and activated the Mastr app. She showed it to Tom. "I can...interact with the chip using this."

Tom took the phone and began swiping around. "Interact? What's this? You really need to be able to monitor my vital signs? This is ridiculous."

"I agree, but it's just how things work, that's all."

"You can track me and know where I am at all times? You can use these settings here to restrict where I'm allowed to go? I guess that means no more trips to the strip club for ol' Tommy."

"I...I didn't know you were going to strip clubs..."

Tom waved her off dismissively, then his frown deepened. "What the fuck is this?"

"What?"

"Here, under the 'Discipline' tab. It has something called 'Corrective Inducement' with a slider bar under it. Wendy, what the actual fuck?"

"Oh...that...well, it's nothing really. At least nothing you should be concerned about." Tom wasn't going to let her avoid his question, and she could see it in his eyes. She slumped in her chair and decided to just rip the bandaid off. "It's not something I asked for, but it's just standard, that's all. If you're misbehaving, I can give you...I don't know, like a little zap, or something. It's painful, but only for a second or two."

"Misbehaving?"

"I don't know, like being disobedient, or talking back, or...threatening me."

"I wouldn't threaten you," Tom insisted. Wendy wasn't so sure about that, but she didn't argue the point.

"I know, I'm sorry, that's just how it was put when it was explained to me. You can see why other people might need something like that."

"Other people? You mean other owners...like you."

"Oh, please don't call me that. I don't like it. It sounds awful."

"But that's what you are, right? Or, are you saying you're going to 'zap' me if I speak the truth?"

"Stop it, I'm not saying anything like that at all. It's just there, and I was ready to forget about it until you brought it up. Let's not even think about it, any of it, and just move on with everything."

"Easy for you to say, you're not the one with a mind-control chip installed in your brain."

"No need to be so dramatic about it." Now Wendy was starting to get annoyed. She knew this wouldn't be an easy conversation, but Tom was making it worse than it had to be. Why couldn't he understand that this was just as difficult for her as it was for him?

"You're right. I need to learn my place, I suppose? You hold all the cards now. I can't afford to get uppity, now can I? If I get out of line, you can just crack the digital whip."

"Tom stop it - it's not like that at all."

"It's exactly like that, and you wanted to make sure I knew it. You didn't have to show me that app, but you wanted me to know how much control you really have over me. Very sneaky."

Wendy wanted to be offended by his accusations, but could he be right? Did she subconsciously bring the app out just so he would know exactly where he stood without her having to be the one to say it out loud? The thought disturbed her, but not enough to regret that he now knew the real score.

"It's not like I'm ever going to use it for anything. Go to the strip club every night for all I care!"

"And when I get home, I get a nasty zap from master? I'm not falling for that trap."

"Stop it, just stop it!"

"Or else...?"

"Or else nothing. Except that maybe you'll make me wish I never agreed to marry you in the first place!"

That brought Tom up short. He actually had the decency to look guilty for pushing her to that. He nodded and looked away. "I'm sorry, sweetheart. It's just...this is a big adjustment. I know none of this is your fault - I'm the one who got us into this. I hate that you got pulled into it and have to deal with the consequences of my stupidity."

"You're not stupid, Tom. You're the smartest man I know." That wasn't exactly true, but she had been conditioned over the years to protect Tom's ego, so stuff like that came naturally to her. "We can get through this if we stick together. We can't be at each other's throats all the time or everything will fall apart. And I don't want that. I want to marry you, and be your wife, and live happily ever after. Can we at least try?"

"Of course we can." He reached out and caressed her cheek lovingly. It was something he had never done before and it sent happy tingles up her spine. "Please forgive me, I'm just a bit...rattled, that's all."

"I understand." She put her hand on his and held it tight. "I hate that it has to be this way just as much as you do, but we can't fight it. Let's just accept it for what it is and move on...together."

"I'd like that." He leaned in and kissed her tenderly on the lips. More happy tingles. This conversation had threatened to go to a dark place, but now Wendy felt they were in a much better headspace. She was relieved.

"Good." Tom got a mischievous glint in his eye. "Now what do you say we test that corrective inducement of yours?"

"Huh? What are you talking about?"

"Zap me. Let's find out what it can do."

"No, I'm not doing that. I never want to hurt you."

"C'mon, you said it only lasts a second or two. Just do it on the lowest setting. Let's see what kind of power you really have over me."

"I don't want to even know that. I told you I'm never going to use it."

"Okay, but I need to see if it's real. For all I know they lied to us and there's no chip in my brain, it could all just be some kind of mind fuck to trick me into being subservient."

"I say we just assume it's true, and not worry about it."

"But I am worried. Let's just test it and find out for sure. Go ahead, I can take it."

"I know you can, but...but I don't want to hurt you."

"That's not true. Remember the jambalaya you made a couple months ago?"

"I didn't realize it was going to come out that spicy."

"Well, it did, and it hurt!"

She had known how spicy it would come out and took a small measure of glee from it knowing that Tom had no tolerance at all for spicy foods. She felt a bit guilty for it afterward, but if he had just fixed the cabinet door like he'd been promising to for the past six months it wouldn't have been a problem. Okay, so maybe she was capable of hurting him in the right circumstances. She got out her phone, opened the Mastr app again, and tapped the Discipline tab. She made sure the slider bar was all the way to the left, at the minimum.

"Are you sure?"

"Go ahead, hit me."

She hesitated, then touched the big red button. Tom suddenly grimaced, and his body spasmed. He then went slack, and he gasped as if he'd been underwater for several minutes. "Holy shit!"

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry! You told me to do it!"

"No, it's okay..." Tom said, his voice shaking a bit. "Just a little experiment. It's over now, I'm okay." He seemed to be reassuring himself more than her. "I'm all right." He flexed his hands as if he'd lost feeling in them. "And that was the lowest setting?"

Wendy nodded, feeling just awful.

"Okay, I guess I won't be pissing you off anytime soon!" He meant it to be a joke, but she sensed a very real truth underlying his words. He was afraid...afraid of her. That gave her a queasy feeling, but like with the jambalaya, there was a part of her that felt he deserved it. He had brought this on himself, and she held all the cards. Of course, she would only play her hand in a way that benefitted them both. She had no interest in destroying what they had built over so many years. But she now had a sense that things would be different...that they would have to be different.

She kept telling Tom, and herself, that nothing had to change, but it had - whether she wanted it to or not. But, it was all for the better. Their relationship had never been perfect, obviously, but a lot of the reasons why had to do with her.

She let Tom always be the one in charge. She never really spoke her mind. A hundred little silent resentments had built up and that poisoned everything they did in ways Tom wasn't even aware of - in ways he couldn't be aware of. And that wasn't fair to him, or her for that matter. Now that she had this "power" she didn't have to be afraid to be honest with him. She could speak her mind, and he could better understand her feelings and her needs. Isn't that what it's supposed to be all about in a relationship - communication?

Wendy tried to keep from smiling. She didn't want Tom to take it the wrong way - which he would. "Okay...so now we know, and we can forget all about that."

"Easy for you to say."

"You think that was easy for me? It probably hurt me more than it did you."

"I wouldn't put money on that if I were you," Tom said, gingerly taking the phone from her. "Maybe let's just delete this app, eh?"

"We can't. It's mandated that I have it, Plus, it's how I give approval for you to travel and buy things. If we deleted it you'd basically be under house arrest, and I'd be in all kinds of trouble."

"Okay, so much for that idea." He closed out the app and reluctantly handed the phone back to her. "By the way, what happened to my phone? They never gave it back to me."

"Yeah...so, about that...as a, y'know...owned person--"

"Slave."

"Tom, please, you know I don't like that word. But, as an O.P. you're not allowed to have a phone."

"What if I have to get in touch with you?"

"They didn't really explain that. But there is a way for me to 'beep' you, or your chip, actually...with the app...and then you'll know I need to talk with you for whatever reason."

"I see. Another way to make sure all the power flows only in one direction."

"I didn't make the rules, Tom."

"No, you're just the one reaping all the benefits."

"Please don't."

"Oh, am I being too disobedient?" He motioned toward the phone. "Are you going to put me in my place?"

"Stop it!" Wendy said with force. She surprised herself with her tone. She sounded like her father. Unexpectedly, Tom reigned himself in and kept his mouth closed. Normally, he would have kept hammering away at her until she gave in to his way of thinking. She was very glad they had tested the Corrective Inducement function. It did more to instill an understanding of just who was in charge now in a way that words never could have done.

"Sorry," Tom finally muttered weakly. "This is going to take some getting used to." He sipped his coffee and seemed unsure of what to say next. "Is there...um, anything you need me to do...like around the house or something?"

"Oh...ah, maybe." This felt weird. He'd never asked her that before. For a second she wondered if he was being sarcastic, but it felt sincere. "The lawn hasn't been mowed since you...went away. And...I was going to vacuum this afternoon, but if you wanted to..."

"I'll take care of it." He stood up and kissed her on the cheek amiably. "I'll get dressed and go do the lawn. You just relax and...do whatever. I'll vacuum when I'm done with the grass. Not to worry." Another peck on the cheek and he was gone. That felt ominous somehow, but she couldn't put her finger on it. Maybe it was just because she wasn't used to him being so...compliant. But, was he doing it because he loved her, or because he was scared of her?

Did it really matter? As long as everyone got what they wanted, things would work themselves out in time. Not only was this arrangement improving their relationship, but it might just have the side-effect of making Tom a better man. That would be nice. The doorbell rang.

"Who is that?" Tom asked. immediately suspicious...or maybe paranoid.

"I don't know," Wendy answered sincerely. "Go put some clothes on and I'll see who it is."

~ ~ ~

Wendy opened the front door to find a small, pale, blond-haired woman in a dark pant-suit standing on the front porch holding tight to a computer tablet. Her hair was pulled back into a tight bun - it almost looked painful. The woman smiled, but just with her lips - the smile didn't quite make it all the way up to her eyes.

"Hello, Miss Ward?"

"Yes...and...how can I help you?"

"Ah, right, sorry - I forgot this is your first visit."

"Visit?"

"I'm Angela Price," she extended her hand, and Wendy automatically shook it. Her fingers were cold and unyielding. When the perplexed look on Wendy's face remained, she pulled an ID out of her purse and displayed her badge. "From the Owned Persons Bureau."

"The what?"

"The OPB It should have all been explained to you when you accepted ownership."

"I don't think...I mean, I don't remember..."

"May I come in?"

"Why? What is this about? What do you want?"

Miss Price went to her tablet and then showed Wendy a document. "This is your signature?"

Wendy looked and nodded.

"This document outlines your consent to periodic, random inspections to insure the care and safety of your owned person is adequate and reasonable. I need to be sure that you are not abusing..." another check of the tablet, "...Thomas, or mistreating him in any way that is beyond the parameters of the humane standards of ownership."

"Wait, let me get this straight. The crypto companies can work them to death in slave factories on the other side of the world, but you're here to make sure I'm treating my fiancé humanely?"

Another mechanical smile. She must have to do that a hundred times a day. "Exactly, Miss Ward...I'm glad you understand. Is Thomas here?"

"He is, but..."

"But, if you interfere with my inspection you will be subject to being detained and your property will be confiscated. Do you understand?"

Wendy nodded, galled at how powerless she felt. Was this how Tom felt with her? Bothersome.

"I only got...ownership yesterday. I didn't...he wasn't...I mean, I'm not..." she gave up. "He's back in the bedroom," Wendy called him, and moments later they heard Tom coming out.

"I understand this may seem unfair to you, but if we didn't exercise oversight there's no telling what people might do. We're just here to make sure things don't get out of hand."

Tom appeared, looking nervous.

"This is Angela Price," Wendy explained to him. "From the Owned Persons Bureau here to inspect us."

Tom scowled but didn't say anything. Angela walked up to him and looked him over, then made some notes on her tablet. "Everything seems to be in order. But, I'll need to speak with him privately. Is there somewhere we can go, or would you rather step out?"

Wendy could see Tom doing his best to suppress a smug smile at her being the one asked to leave the room after the indignity he'd suffered at the lawyer's office. Wendy just nodded and went out for a walk around the block. When she got back, Tom was still standing where he had been when she left, and Angela was relaxing on the sofa.

"Everything okay?" Wendy asked, sure that it was.

"I have some questions for you before I can sign off on my findings. Would you like to do this in front of him, or...?"

"Tom, wait out on the back deck." Tom's scowl returned, but he dutifully trudged outside. He apparently wasn't willing to risk being disobedient in front of his OPB agent.

Angela put her tablet aside and motioned to the easy chair. "Miss Ward, please have a seat."

"Is there a problem?" Wendy sat, having no idea what she could have done wrong.

"Not as far as the Bureau is concerned, but maybe for you. Your sla--...your owned person was quite eager to talk to me once you left. He had a lot of questions about just how much you could ask of him, and what was too much."

Wendy felt her cheeks heating up. Was Tom trying to undermine her? "I'm sorry, but this has been a big adjustment...for both of us."

"Of course," Angela covered her mouth to hide her smile. It almost made her seem human. "You can relax, you haven't broken any of our rules. In fact, I'm not sure you've gone far enough with him."

"Not far enough? How do you mean?"

"I know you're new to this, but they need to understand, in no uncertain terms, where they stand, and who is in charge. Something that may seem cruel or unusual to you may, in fact, be necessary for their long-term well-being. Discipline, for example, is very important. You must establish expectations early on because it only becomes more complicated as things go."