Sex Culture in the 23
rd
Century
By Gary L.M. Martin
Chapter 8: The Conditioning Intensifies
Dale Mastercard was flirting with Rowenka again. He seemed to drop by every day now. Rowenka still didn't quite understand what he did for a living. He was some kind of character witness? It was unclear why he was still there, in the Beverly Rectum Institute for the Study of the Global Human Infestation in which she worked, but there he was.
One day she went out to lunch with him. She ended up telling him some of her life story. Dale was such a good listener! And handsome, too, but she tried not to notice that.
"You were so brave to take the leap and leave New Cal to come here," said Dale. "I don't know if I could have been as courageous as you."
"Oh, you olways say the nicest things to me," said Rowenka, smiling as she instinctively rubbed her hands between her legs.
"That's because there are a lot of nice things to say about you," said Dale. "I hope your partner... you said his name is Manu? I hope Manu appreciates you too."
"He does," said Rowenka, with a smile. But it was a small smile. Things were good with Manu, but lately, she had been thinking that she was more and more dissatisfied, and she didn't know why. Manu was attentive, and he was a good lover, and he listened to her problems, but something else was missing. A small voice inside of her told her that maybe she needed more friends. That's why being out with Dale was good.
"But... " she continued.
"But what?"
She really shouldn't be telling Dale this. But who else could she tell? Laura? It might get back to Manu.
"I sometimes feel like something is missing, yew know? That I'm not getting everything I need," said Rowenka. She was almost whispering, as if afraid that Manu could hear her.
"Well, how many men had you been with before Manu?"
"Before Manu?" It struck her as an odd question. "None. Oh, I dated one guy for a few weeks, but that went nowhere fast."
"Well, maybe your problem is that you just haven't had enough experiences with men, to know exactly what you're missing."
"Well, it's too late for that now," Rowenka grinned. "I'm married!"
"So?" said Dale, giving her a rugged smile. "Many people are partnered here, but still enjoy Connections with others."
"Adultery? Hear?"
"We don't use that word. There's no pejorative attached to it in the Community," said Dale. "It is simply Connections. The more Connections we make, the closer we get to achieving true Oneness, and the more we feel part of the Global Flesh."
"But doesn't the husband or wife being cheated on get angry?"
"Very often they participate."
"They do?"
Dale nodded. "As I said, it's all about achieving Oneness with the Global Flesh. When you Connect with Manu, I'm sure it's wonderful. But you're only Connecting with one person, and he's only Connecting back to one person--you. But when you Connect with others, Manu can Connect with them as well, through the Global Flesh. By Connecting with more and more people, you both get closer to Oneness, and help build Self-Actualized Higher Group Consciousness."
"I don't knauw if I understand all that," said Rowenka. "And I don't knauw if Manu would go for that."
Dale was pleased how the discussion had evolved. They were no longer talking about whether or not Rowenka was interested in Connecting with other men; that no longer seemed to be a stumbling block. Now it was all about whether Manu would accept it. Progress had been made. Maoina would be pleased.
"You'll never know if you don't ask him," Dale smiled at her, and was pleased to see her shiver. Yes, the programming was working. She had been shown images of him every night, images of her and him Connecting. She wasn't consciously aware of it, but she was reacting to it.
"Oh, I couldn't do that," said Rowenka shyly.
"Or maybe he'll ask you to do it," said Dale.
"Manu? Asking me to sleep with othar men? I doubt it."
"You never know," said Dale. He saw, with satisfaction, that he had already planted the first seeds of doubt.
Rowenka shifted uncomfortably in her seat and changed the subject. "What about yew? Do yew have a wyfe, or a partnar?"
"No partner," said Dale, giving a small smile.
"Why not? You're so... handsome! And nice!"
And handsome?
Had Rowenka said that emphatically enough? She found him simply gorgeous. She wanted to rub her hands all over his big chest, to press her lips against his, to rifle her hands over his thick, brown hair.
"Thank you," said Dale, giving her a larger smile now. "I don't know what it is. I make Connections, and they're good, but whenever I try to go deeper, the women I'm with decide to move on."
"Well, it just sounds like you haven't found the right woman," said Rowenka, relieved to discover that Dale wasn't gay. She looked at his beefy chest. She imagined that any woman would love to run her hands over that. She herself had been having dreams lately, erotic ones, of being naked and pressing her breasts against a man with a big chest, bigger than Manu's, a man who maybe looked a little like Dale. And the oddest thing about her dreams was that in every one, Manu was also there, watching approvingly. Was this simply wish fulfillment, or would Manu actually be accepting of it? And if he would be willing, how could Rowenka even ask him? Suddenly, her mind opened to new possibilities.
********
"We're very pleased with your progress, Manu," said Roark Diversity Funnel approvingly. "Your last three designs have been great. There has barely been any trace of originality in any of your designs."
"Thank you, Roark," said Manu. He still wished he could have more latitude in what he created, but at least schematics he drew were being approved. Things were being built! Right now a new water tower was being built in western OrgyFree based on one of his designs. Of course, the design was actually one from the central database that had already been used before, but Manu had been able to change a few minor details, enough to be able to call the project his own, but not too many that they changed any of the functional or visual aspects of the basic design.
Roark smiled at him. "Are you ready for more of a challenge? I want you to join a team which is creating a new air terminal. It is to be grand!"
An airport terminal? That sounded tremendous! Eagerly, he thanked Roark for the opportunity. Roark told him to work with Leilani Demand Justice and Haruto Queer Straight on the design.
Leilani and Haruto welcomed him into their workgroup. Haruto was a very friendly guy. Leilani had a bit of a chip on her shoulder but so far Manu hadn't had any problems with her. As a member of The Happy Prime Ethnic Architecture Institute, specifically The Vertically Challenged Africans, Satisfied Pacific Islanders, and Bisexual Japanese Workgroup, Manu had encountered all kinds of people. Roark was a short African man. Leilani was a Pacific Islander, like himself, (though she didn't seem so satisfied all the time). And Haruto was a bisexual Japanese man. There were all different workgroups within the The Happy Prime Ethnic Architecture Institute, all a careful balance of races, sexes, genders, and a mix of the fourteen basic sexual orientations and the thirty seven secondary ones.
Manu was given the important assignment of designing the entry hall for the air terminal. That was the first room that people would see when they entered the building. He was delighted to be given such an important assignment.
