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Mattei stared in amazement at the palace when they arrived. He held out his hand to Lura, who took it with a smile, and they walked hand-in-hand inside after their identifications were verified. "Can I take my mask off now?" he asked her. "I want to look at this place unhindered."
Lura laughed a little. "This section of the palace is all yours. So, of course."
He took off the mask and then gave her a look which showed he was in shock. "What do you mean this section is all mine?"
"Each of our breeders residing here will have their own wing. You and two others will be here permanently. A couple of others will rotate in occasionally, traveling from palace to palace and providing a diversified gene pool for those who none of you are the best qualified to breed. No other breeder will be allowed in your area. And vice versa."
"So I'll never see them?"
"Oh, you'll see them. But on neutral ground, so to speak. This is just the entrance to your harem, and to the hospital."
"You've been here before I take it."
She nodded as they walked further down the hallway, Mattei looking up at the three-story ceiling in the entry and then around at the white walls. They seemed sterile, yet somehow not. It was hard for him to wrap his mind around. "I've been here several times during construction."
"I thought you just found out you'd been assigned to me."
"I did," she replied, "But there were other reasons for me to be here."
"Such as?"
Lura laughed. "You are so very curious sometimes."
He pulled her close and then bent his head down, giving her a kiss and ignoring the blush that colored her cheeks. "I do believe you like that about me though, sweetheart," he murmured after their kiss ended. "Or am I wrong?"
"No, you're right," she replied, laughing a little and then pushing him away. "Now, come on, Romeo. I need to show you around your quarters."
They went through another set of doors, another round of security, and then into the inner sanctum, so to speak. Well, the inner sanctum of hallways, he guessed, since it had the same high ceilings. The dΓ©cor was homier, but there was something odd about the walls. Letting go of Lura's hand, he walked over and placed a hand flat again the wall. As he did, an LED display appeared and startled him. "What the hell?"
"LED," Lura said, answering his question. "The walls are made of a material that can be controlled at any point along this stretch. Whatever you choose will change the dΓ©cor, and sections can be controlled individually as well."
"That's really cool," he said with a laugh. "Do you think our children will like it if we have cartoon characters or something along the walls?"
"Maybe," she replied. "But they'll have the same type of walls in their own rooms in the apartments."
"Apartments?"
Lura nodded. "Above the rooms in the harem will be individual apartments. As your families with your mates grow, they and your children by them will be moved into those apartments. Why repaint when you can change your walls daily as you want?"
"These panels must be expensive."
"They are, but they're also very durable and easily cleaned. I'm surprised you haven't seen them before since they've been around for at least fifty years. But despite the cost, it was felt that psychologically, the more like a home this place feels, the better off anyone who lives here will be."
"More family-friendly."
"Exactly. Now, come. You should see your quarters now." Mattei rejoined Lura and followed her down another hundred feet or so. "This door here," she said, pointing the first of two, "is an entrance into the harem where the women will first live, before moving upstairs. You have several ways to enter the harem from your quarters."
When they reached the second door, which was a further 20 feet down, she stopped and smiled at him. "And this is your new home. But before you enter," she said, gesturing to a pad by the door, "press your thumb here."
Mattei did as he was instructed and the system welcomed him by name after scanning his thumbprint. Then he heard the door unlock. "Biometrics?"
"Yes. Only a few people will have access to your quarters. I am one of them. And by the way, the entrance we just passed to the harem is set up the same way. More people will have access to it, but only permitted staff. No other men are allowed in your harem."
"Thank God for that," he said with a grin, making a mental note about no other men being allowed in his harem. He could handle that. Besides there being so few men left, he didn't want to share Lura. Ever ... okay, well, he'd share her attention with their kids, be them boys or girls. "You and me, bed, now? If only a few people have access, we won't have many interruptions in bed."
Lura rolled her eyes and then walked in after Mattei held the door open for her. "You're incorrigible."
"No babe," he said, "I'm horny. For you. Like always."
"Well, we both know that I'm not the only woman you're supposed to have children with."