Every Man's Fantasy Ch. 22

"Bloody hell!"

"Come on, Ezra, it's your duty as a husband. That's what Danielle told me."

"I'm going to use my insurance money to buy you a sex-robot. How long did Cassie say the side-effect will last?"

"As more of my cells are replaced, the response will die down and the amount of growth hormone I need will lessen. Maybe we'll have only a few more weeks, unfortunately."

"Oh, God! And will all the women of Samothea have the same reaction?"

"Yes. It's caused by how we were cloned."

"Bloody hell! I'm going to need a lot of sex-robots!"

******

After wearing Ezra out all afternoon, Annela was satiated enough with sex to sit comfortably at the big dinner Danielle put on for her family to say goodbye to Nathan and Mariotta Goldrick.

"I'm sorry I wasn't any help," Nathan said to his son and Gloria.

"You helped lots, Dad," Ezra assured him, knowing that Nathan had worked quietly in the background, smoothing the path to the compromise offered by Outworld Ventures. It was not his fault that the women of Samothea rejected the compromise.

"Do you have to go as well, Mum?" Danielle asked, hoping for a last-minute change of plan.

"You know your father needs me," Mariotta said. "Who else is going to cook and clean for him?"

Everyone knew that the only housework Mariotta ever did was to give orders to robots, but they happily played along with the fiction of Mariotta as a dutiful housewife. In fact, she was instrumental in Nathan's success as a senior diplomat in the Anglosphere service, hosting soirées, using her beauty and organisational skills to charm the other diplomats and their wives.

Annela was sad that the couple who called her 'daughter-in-law' were leaving, but she understood. Freya, however, was devastated, until Mariotta explained that she and Nathan were not going away forever.

"We'll come and visit you again soon, Freya," Mariotta explained; "and you'll come to visit us. We want all our grandchildren to come and stay. Do you think they'd like that?"

"Yes, Granny," Freya said. "We'd all like that."

After dinner, the family accompanied Mariotta and Nathan to the Ocean City astroport, to take a shuttlecraft to the orbiting hyperspace beacon and begin the three-day journey back to Earth on a space-liner.

That same afternoon, Yael accompanied her boyfriend, Ryan, to his medical university in Ocean City to start his short summer term. Yael was disappointed that she couldn't stay with him, but she understood that it wasn't allowed (besides the distraction she would be to his studies). After a prolonged and sentimental goodbye, Yael arrived at the astroport in time to hug Nathan and Mariotta. She went home with the rest of the family, subdued and unusually silent.

3 Courts of equity

Two days later, Outworld Ventures issued its writ claiming ownership of the planet Samothea, its land, rivers, seas, mountains and forests, its mineral deposits and all other natural resources.

The communicators of the Samothea Project Team buzzed excitedly with a group message from Paul Kessler, the lawyer, inviting them - practically summoning them - to a meeting.

Danielle thought it was a meeting that Gloria should attend, so she sent a message to Roger asking if he knew where Gloria was.

As it happened, Roger and Gloria were in the University cafeteria. The two had become good friends and spent a lot of time in the University together, researching planetary law and compiling a history of Samothea.

"Gloria's with me," Roger replied.

"Well tell her to put her clothes back on and come to the meeting," Danielle commanded.

"What do you mean, clothes?" Gloria asked, unusually slow for a second.

"Ignore her, Gloria. It's just my so-called wife's so-called sense of humour," Roger explained.

"What do you mean, so-called sense of humour?" Danielle protested.

Roger and Madam Gloria were the last to arrive in Joan's office. As soon as they were seated, Paul began.

"You've all seen the writ?" he asked.

There were nods all around.

"So you can see that Outworld Ventures have applied for a ruling from the Court of Equity."

"What does that mean?" Joan asked.

"It means that Outworld Ventures are being very artful," Paul said.

"What are Courts of Equity?" Gloria asked. "And what is so artful about using them?"

"We have two kinds of courts in the Anglosphere," Paul explained. "There are Courts of Justice and Court of Equity. Courts of Justice apply the law strictly to apply individual rights absolutely. They recognise absolute property rights and the absolute sanctity of contracts. They are not concerned with making things fair or equal. So if you sign a contract risking all your property on a stupid bet, for example, and you lose, then a Court of Justice will uphold the contract, even if it means you're out on the street with nothing."

"A Court of Equity can look at other circumstances and impose a compromise, saying that you were not fully aware of the consequences of your actions, limiting your responsibility and even nullifying the bet in extreme cases. Some writs automatically go to a Court of Equity, such as bankruptcy and divorce. In other cases, a plaintiff can elect to go to a Court of Equity if he wants a quicker judgment and is completely sure of his case; which is why I think Outworld Ventures is being very artful."

"It's a risk for them because the jury in a Court of Equity will often favour the weaker, poorer or less well-educated party. An employee has a better chance to win than his employer, for example; and a tenant will likely win against his landlord. Courts of Equity also have a tradition of ruling against rich large corporations, just because they can better afford to lose."

"So why did Outworld Ventures chose a Court of Equity?" Joan wondered.

"It might be a double-bluff," Paul said, "as if to say: We're so confident of our case that we'll give the defendant a huge advantage. That plays well to outside observers. It makes Outworld Ventures seem generous and fair."

"But I also wonder," Paul mused, as much to himself as to the others, "if this might be a way for Outworld Ventures to give up its claim to Samothea without displeasing Earthside politicians or their own shareholders?"

The team pondered on Paul's explanation for a few minutes, until Joan asked:

"What difference does it make to the timing of the court-case?"

"That's another thing," Paul said. "Outworld Ventures seems to be doing us a favour: the backlog for the Court of Equity is only a month or so."

"Very good," said Joan, who was not bothered much by Paul's hypotheticals. "The sooner the case is over, the better, regardless of the outcome. Danielle, what have you and Stephen Oakshott decided and about the production side of the Project?"

Danielle met Gloria's eyes briefly and gave her an apologetic smile.

"I'm recommending full commercial production to begin immediately. Our partners deserve a big pay-out and, goodness knows! we could do with the income ourselves. Stephen has agreed that we will sell only tethered links at first and no free-standing hyperdrives. Our first projects are the paths from Celetaris and Earth to the Beltway junctions. There's six-months' work in these two projects alone."

Gloria took the news in good part. She never doubted Danielle's sincerity in wanting to protect the population of Samothea from alien exploitation and she believed Danielle would continue to find a way to help her planet.

"Thank you for all you've done for Samothea and me," Gloria said to the team. "I should go home now. Danielle, will you arrange it for me please, at your convenience?"

"Yes, of course, Gloria. Robyn Bradford is due to bring the shuttlecraft back to rotate some of the Petticoats and collect a supply of new equipment. If you want, you can return to Samothea with her."

"Thank you, Danielle," Gloria said quietly. "Thank you, everyone."

******

That night, Gloria spoke via videoscope from her hotel room to Solange, her deputy in the Council Chamber on Samothea.

"I'm coming home, Solange," she said.

"Is everything all right, Gloria?"

"Yes, but I can't do any more good here (not that I've done much good up to now, anyway). I need to be with the Advisory Council for whatever comes next."

"What will come next?"

"I don't know. Most people have so far assumed that Outworld Ventures will win the court-case but now it seems it's in the balance and, if we win, then I don't see how we're any better off. Anyway, we should be together before the judgment is given so we can make plans. This videolink is good enough keep in touch but not as good as face-to-face discussions."

"All right, Gloria, if you say so. Are you sure there shouldn't be a representative of the Council present at the court-case?"

"Yes, but we need only a secretary, not a counsellor."

"What is a 'secretary'?"

"A secretary is someone who will take notes of the meetings and report back to the council."

"Whom do you suggest?"

"Samothea would be perfect."

"Samothea? I agree she's a talented girl and willing to be useful but I can't see her wanting to sit in meetings and take notes. What makes you think she'd be a good secretary?"

"Her perfect memory, of course."

"What perfect memory?" Solange asked.

Gloria chuckled, not unkindly.

"I can't believe you didn't know, Solange. I thought you knew everything. After all, you were the first to push Samothea in my direction."

"Hmm. It seems my acuity has failed me (not for the first time)."

"That's why I want Samothea here," Gloria said, "to be our eyes and ears while we distract ourselves with pointless arguments in the Council sessions."

"Gloria, it's not like you to be despondent. What's the real problem?"

"I'll explain when I'm back. Will you send for the other chiefs when I'm on my way, please? I'd like a meeting with them all, especially Mirselene."

"Very well, though, as you know, Mirselene doesn't like to leave the forest for long."

"I just need her for a few days. You and her."

"Why us two?"

"Because you balance each other. You're for re-starting the colonisation of Samothea and Mirselene is against. Likewise, Sally Scientist and Madam Medic are on your side but Madam Recorder and my fussy Aunt Dolly are opposed. I'm officially neutral, though I think you know where my sympathies reside. The contest between the two camps will help the rest of us decide."

"Some of us have more nuanced positions than flat approval or disapproval." Solange said sagely. "I'm not sure that even Madam Lawspeaker is so strongly opposed to re-colonisation as she seems."

"Has my Aunt Dolly mellowed in her old age?"

"No, not mellowed exactly, but I'm coming to respect Madam Lawspeaker more the better I know her. She interprets the law strictly but never veers to the right nor the left. It's her interpretation of the law that makes her consider allowing new colonists. I don't think she's that keen on having more men come here, though."

"We may have no choice about either the numbers or the sex of the colonists, I'm afraid."

"Just so," said Solange, rather more equably than Gloria herself felt.

******

In their bedroom, although it wasn't a Sunday (when it was his husbandly duty to spank his wife), Roger told Danielle to undress slowly but leave her stockings and suspenders on. She was to crouch on all fours on the bed, arching her back, pushing out her lovely bottom.

She held her breath in sweet anticipation as he fondled the target area with a warm hand. Danielle was a gorgeous curvy woman with good strong legs and round buttocks that squashed nicely under his fingers. She liked being spanked, though Roger rarely did it hard enough. Tonight, for once, he did.

Danielle cooed at first and sank down onto her folded arms to push her bottom higher. She loved the sharp sensation, which made her nerves tingle and warmed her skin.

He smacked harder, building the level of pain gradually. Danielle moaned deeply.

As the assault continued, the level of pain increased to a plateau. Danielle now yelped with every spank but it was never too painful. It was her sexual turn-on that made her pant and cry out. She was heading to a climax, just from the heat and the voluptuous sting in her bottom. Her pussy dribbled expectantly. The drops ran glistening down into her pubic hair.

She bucked, her eyes shut, face buried in a pillow, her nerves sparking and pussy aching. Then it happened. A good wallop on a buttock already smacked crimson gave her a jolt of sensation that, by a means she didn't know and had never before achieved, turned the pain into a mind-numbing orgasm and release. She hunched and arched, hunched and arched, in a kind of whiplash and then gasped, shaking her head. She turned on her side and curled up. Nervous shudders played around her body.

When she relaxed and looked up at him, smiling and proud of herself, Roger pulled her into a crouching position again, knelt behind her and stuffed his stiff cock into her sodden pussy, ramming her hard and fast. It was lovely to Danielle. She pushed back hard in rhythm and savoured every stroke, still on the plateau and heading for another glorious climax. Her orgasm washed over her, tingling from toes to tits, clamping her pussy muscles in spasms on his cock.

All too soon it was over. Roger spurted a welcome load into her tight twat with a loud grown and a hard grip on her waist. He rammed her a few more times to relieve the nervous tension; then he pulled out and collapsed onto the bed. Danielle lay on her back and pulled him onto her. She wrapped her legs around his waist and her arms around his shoulders, holding him tightly, not allowing him to go.

When she was relaxed enough to speak, Danielle asked:

"What was that for?"

"What was what for?"

"You were very masterful, husband. You spanked me just as hard as I wanted you to. And you were pretty keen with the shagging. So what good thing did I do to deserve it?"

"No good thing at all."

"What bad thing, then?"

Danielle had been joking but Roger was silent.

"Ooh, it was a punishment!" Danielle happily inferred.

"Oh, God! Danielle, of course it wasn't. I would never punish you for anything. I'm sorry if it seemed like that. I admit I'm angry at myself and I must have unconsciously taken it out on you. Will you forgive me?"

"Forgive my husband for giving me what I want? For fulfilling my needs and taking what is willingly, lovingly, wholeheartedly his own? No, darling. I'm yours. You've earned me and nothing you do needs an apology. But why are you angry at yourself?"

"I think we're letting down the women of Samothea. I'm worried that Gloria is going home a failure and that her planet is in danger of ruthless exploitation."

"It's not as bad as that, Roger. We will protect Samothea, you can rely on me for that. Is that all?"

"No, there's something else," he confessed seriously. "I think Gloria might be into me a little."

"Really? You don't say?"

Danielle struggled to keep the sarcasm out of her voice.

"You knew?" Roger accused.

Danielle laughed.

"You poor sap! I can't believe you haven't seen it! When she arrived here, Gloria was in love with Ezra but too shy to say anything. (I assume it was diffidence. I didn't ask either of them, but I doubt he knows.) Then she fell for you - which I understand completely, considering how wonderful you are."

"Don't be daft, woman," he said, modestly, pretending not to be flattered. "But if it's true, then it's not fair on her, though I didn't lead her on."

"Of course, you didn't. It doesn't work that way with women."

"All right, I accept I'm not to blame. So what do we do about it?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean: do I abandon you and run off with Gloria, or do I take her as my mistress?"

"Both good options, husband of mine, but neither is the best answer."

"What is the best answer?"

"We find Gloria a man of her own. We find her someone she can take back to Samothea with her; or someone she can spend time with here when she visits again."

"As if you're not already busy enough, you now want to take up matchmaking as well!"

"Matchmaking is fun. I'm sure I can find time for it. After all, I did a good job with Yael and Ryan."

"You did no such thing, Danielle!"

"I asked Joan to bring Kelly over to make friends with Yael; and Ryan is Kelly's brother; so it was just a matter of time."

"Ridiculous! Anyway, in the case of Gloria, everyone we know is married or partnered off."

"Men will come here to work on the hyperdrive system: scientists, engineers, space-riggers, businessmen, accountants. The question is, what kind of man would suit Gloria? What kind of man would want a powerful, intelligent, self-reliant woman?"

"What kind of man wouldn't?" Roger wondered.

"Very true. I'm glad you appreciate her virtues. ... He will have to be a strong man, so he can stand up to her. Intelligent, otherwise she'll despise him. Educated, otherwise he'll bore her. Interested in the arts and sciences, so he can keep her entertained. Good in bed ... Roger, I may have to do some first-hand empirical research if I'm to take on the role of matchmaker, as you recommend."

"I don't recommend."

She ignored his reply.

"The man must have a useful skill if he's to live on Samothea, so I'm thinking engineer. Otherwise, a businessman would have the energy and drive. A scientist might be too distracted. What do you say?"

"I say we leave Gloria's romantic life to be decided by Gloria herself."

"You sound like my dad."

"A worthy ideal to which to aspire," Roger concluded and thenceforth refused to engage any more in Danielle's schemes for Gloria's happiness. Instead, he stopped her mouth with his own and, quickly becoming hard again, took his wife's mind off her matchmaking scheme by pushing his stiff cock into her and making her moan.

4 The Cloner Fair

Shortly after the conference finished on Celetaris, the women of Samothea celebrated their Cloner Fair. With the Petticoats willing to make many trips a day in their airsuits, carrying loads from the Forest Camp and the Beach Settlement, it was a colourful and abundant market.

There were more mothers and children than ever before. The crèche now occupied two marquees and gladdened the hearts of anyone who heard the happy cries, witness of the prosperity and vigour of their planet's population.

On Haircut Day, the Petticoats revealed a special treat for all the women of Samothea. When Robyn returned to Samothea the first time, she landed her shuttlecraft in the large field beside the Cloner City. From there she distributed the equipment and supplies she had brought in the hold, including Yael's backpack full of laser penknives, scissors and hand-mirrors for the Woodlander Tribe. However, some large boxes were left untouched.

Now the Petticoats opened the boxes and distributed 120 dresses that Danielle had bought on Celetaris after consulting Gloria and Yael about preferred styles, colours and sizes.

There was a dress for every woman on Samothea, who now had the pleasure of trying them on, causing a lively trade in swaps and much laughter. A few of the dresses were destined for particular women. Yael chose a red cotton dress with white flowers for Wildchild. It had a tight waist, long skirt, vee neck and short sleeves. For Hazel, she chose a pale blue cocktail dress with a lacy pattern and wide skirt that ended well above her knees, showing off her long svelte legs. The dresses suited them well. Both girls looked fabulous.

A third dress of Yael's choosing was for her future bedmate, Carlin. A sweet, shy, quiet and petite girl with silver-blonde hair, cute dimples and perky good-size breasts, Carlin could bring off a little white satin party dress. Armless, knee-length with a bow at the back, its lacy petticoat was exposed two inches below the hem (which Yael thought was a nice touch).