II
o0o
She bit back a groan as he finally slid out of her, and immediately, she clamped her knees together, knowing on a higher level what a futile gesture it was. He looked down at her with a satisfied mien, tucking his softening penis back into his pants.
She wanted to curl up and shut herself away from the world. She'd been experimented on, and raped. Rape. There was no other word for it, regardless of what the doctor would say. He'd placed himself in a position of supreme advantage and made full use of it with no regard for the welfare of others. He'd taken what he wanted, and he would do it again and again.
The reality of that was something she knew would take a while to process, and she was grateful for the distraction when she heard him ask if she wanted food.
The bowl was filled with what he said was split-pea soup. Whether there were actual peas in it was debatable, but it tasted pretty good, especially after several days of intravenous feeding. He'd left her alone to eat, and she had to resist the urge to look around the kitchen for a knife or try the keypad next to the door.
Emilie stirred her soup, seeing the thick green liquid give way before her spoon. The doctor had explained that the soup was vitamin-dense, not that she'd needed further encouragement after the growl her stomach gave out as her nose registered the scent of hot food.
He had plenty of packets and containers of such meals, making it clear that he wasn't much of a cook, if at all. One had only to open one of the packets and put it in a bowl or cup, add a certain amount of water, and stir before heating or allowing it to sit for a couple of minutes.
Such food items were available to the Lower Echelons, but in limited variety, and generally more expensive than the common staples of the poor.
As the warmth from her recent activity cooled down, she shivered a bit. As she would have expected, the rooms were air-conditioned. Nothing but comfort for the Upper Echelon, that was for sure, she thought dryly.
"You may watch television, or use this tablet to access the library for books to read. Just remember that this, like anything else I give you, is a privilege."
"Yes, sir," she muttered dryly. He regarded her with a tight smile.
"Well, then. I've spent much of the last week tending to you, and I have other projects I must work on. Quite a bit of catching up to do, but so far, you've proven yourself more than worth it."
She almost spat out a sarcastic 'good to know', but merely nodded. Once he was gone, she picked up the tablet, idly clicking on the screen. The tablet was much nicer than anyone in the Lower Echelon could ever hope to own, but the commands were easy enough for her to access. Once she familiarized herself with the book program, she decided to do some exploring but was quick to find herself restricted from most functions on the tablet, being asked for a password to access the Internet or phone services.
"Figures," she muttered to herself. The television was much the same, most entertainment channels were available to her, but connecting to the Internet or accessing other files was also blocked. After channel-surfing a bit, she stumbled across a show that was popular with people of all Echelons.
It was the Super Happy Fun Time Game show. It was often humiliating for the participants of the show, but winners went home with an amount of money that was very decent for the average member of the Lower Echelon. Members of the Uppers would suggest ideas and dares, which could be presented by the game show host. Should the participant manage to accomplish the task quickly enough, or garner enough ratings, they went home with plenty of money, but it was not without cost. For the rest of eternity, or at least until the end of civilization, the stupid stunt they'd done was on tape, recorded for posterity to laugh at.
The Lower Echelon had mixed feelings about this. On one hand, it was obviously exploitation, for the entertainment of the lofty elite. On the other hand, participation was voluntary, and the payout was good. And in the slums and ghettos that made up much of the world of the Lower Echelon, money did buy happiness. It might not erase the shame, but when someone who had enjoyed very little in life could surround themselves with creature comforts, such comforts provided easy distractions.
She rolled her eyes at the footage of the unfortunate man running naked down a street in what appeared to be a densely-populated Middle Echelon neighborhood while people from upper stories pelted garbage and scraps at him. If he was successful in this challenge, at least he would be able to buy a jacuzzi.
She left the television on with a sitcom that was popular among the various levels of society before exploring the rest of the apartment. There were a couple more locked doors, but she opened the door to his bedroom. Several pieces of clothing lay on the floor, and though the bedroom was far from filthy, it was apparent to her that he did not spend much more time cleaning than he did cooking.
Aware that she might be under surveillance, she resisted the temptation to look through his closet or wardrobe. Once she had the lay of the accessible areas of this apartment, she returned to the living room, flopping down on the couch as she again tried to process this chain of events. It would do no good to freak out, she had to keep reminding herself of that.
Emilie leaned forward as she changed the channel, moving on to the news, looking for any information on what might have happened to her friends, or anything else that might be happening in the Lower Echelon. It was an open secret that the Uppers had more channels and media options, and she was seeing that firsthand as she surfed the channels.
She gasped softly as she came across porn. The sounds of the woman's moans rumbled in from the speakers as the man pounded into her. Both of them were conventionally attractive, though whether that was real or from surgical enhancements, she could not tell. Quickly, she changed the channel.
How the god damn fuck was she supposed to get out of this? In the back of her mind, she was aware that in all likelihood there was no escape, but she did not want to recognize it.
o0o
Nearly six hours later, Emilie heard her captor's footsteps as he entered the apartment. Silently, she continued to watch the television even after he gave her a brief greeting. He approached, making his way around the couch before he filed her line of vision.
"If you want to give me the silent treatment, that's fine. I am sure we can find other uses for that pretty little mouth of yours," he said. She slowly tilted her head to meet his gaze.
"I've been busy with work, but my thoughts kept returning to you, my dear. It was not easy keeping my attention to my rounds, but then you provide an excellent distraction, especially now that you're awake." He reached out, and she went stiff, turning her head away only slightly as she felt his thumb caress her cheek.
"It is nice knowing that I have you here waiting for me when I am finished with my work in the lab. Hopefully, in the future, you'll be more inclined to grant me some witty repartee."
I'd much rather give you a burning stick in the eye, Emilie thought acidly as her eyes slid to the window, fixing past a point to the side of his shoulder while she felt the pad of his thumb slide along her lip.
"I trust you have been able to keep yourself cared for in my absence. It's nice to know I can trust you to not try to trash this place."
She scoffed quietly at that. "I'm not stupid."
"No, you aren't." He was silent for a moment. "Come, let's go play."
Instinctively, she pulled back.
"Come now." He held out his hand. She stared at it for a moment before reluctantly taking it, allowing him to lead her to the bedroom. By now it was getting dark, but he muted the lamps in an apparent attempt to set a mood. Her suspicion was confirmed when music started piping in from the speakers. After what he did, did he think any of this would have any effect on her?
He started unbuttoning his shirt as he looked at her. "Remove your clothes and get on the bed."
Emilie clenched her teeth but did as she was asked. He'd already seen it all, so what was the point of resisting him over something relatively minor in light of what had been done -- and could be done -- to her?
She slid the shirt off over her head before bending down to slide the pants off, standing before him for a moment, feeling the warmth creep into her cheeks despite her best efforts to remain stoic.
"You haven't been here too long but already your new lifestyle agrees with you." He nodded approvingly before he started to unbutton his shirt, fingers deftly undoing the buttons that marched from near his left shoulder down to his waist.
"It is hard to not agree with better nutrition or cleaner surroundings," Emilie replied pointedly as she climbed onto the bed, shifting around several times before settling into a reclining position with her knees drawn up loosely, mindful of the weight between her legs. So this is what it's like for guys, she thought as she made herself comfortable.
"Is that meant as a biting commentary on the inequality between the castes?" the doctor asked dryly as he divested himself of his shirt. The use of the word 'caste' was frowned upon, as the current system was meant to be an improvement upon the much-maligned caste system that had been in use centuries ago. All primary school-aged children were taught this, and how much better the Echelon system was because one could move up with hard work and determination. Or so the propaganda said, but as real life proved, it was very difficult to move to a higher Echelon.
"It certainly can be interpreted that way."
"Duly noted, but that is not my concern." He reached down to undo his belt, and she looked away.
