Arriving early, as was her custom now that she was in her second week at the club, Cami quickly got ready for her shift. It had become a habit for her to walk with her mentor and the two had continue to develop a tentative bond, Nia joining them as well if her schedule permitted. Cami also preferred to get changed without too many girls around although she was becoming used to the lack of privacy. Once ready, at the proper time she went to her station on the floor.

*********

At the Trigon Club Cheaine went to the inconspicuous entrance for members that lead to the ‘real’ club. Once inside, Cheaine was led by a scantily dressed attendant to her reserved table in a closeted alcove. All those who came in here wanted privacy. Not for sex as such places were forbidden, but for meetings and conversation that would not be overheard or recorded. This club was for women while men had their own clubs. The two rarely mixed in public.

Taking her seat, Cheaine was a little surprised that Lorena was not already present. Ordering a bottle of sparkling water which quickly arrived, she waited.

Just a little flustered at being late, Lorena arrived shortly afterward, a bit out of breath.

“My humble regrets for making you wait,” Lorena’s apology was delivered with sincerity. Cheaine accepted the proffered apology with the grace her status demanded.

“I am sure that it was unavoidable, Lorena.” Cheaine said as she called for an attendant. Cami arrived and took their orders with her new won confidence, both women took a light lunch of fruits and vegetables with sparkling drinks. The food and drinks arrived swiftly and they settled in for their meeting.

“That girl is sweet.” Lorena watched Cami leave. “She reminds me of another girl I knew when I was younger.”

Cheaine watched her as well. “I agree. She is new and nice looking and she seems well trained. Perhaps I will take an option on her contract.”

“I think that would be wise. Young, well trained and attractive girls, while not uncommon, there are never enough around when you are looking for one.” Lorena appraised Cami again as she passed. “She won’t last long here.” Was her verdict.

Cheaine nodded, with a piece of fruit in her mouth it would have been impolite to speak. They both knew that The Trigon Club was used as an entry place for suitable girls to go into service with members of high-status class families. They were dressed in a manner that best displayed them to the wives of the men who would then buy their contracts. So, attractive young girls like Cami would not be there for long.

“The weather is lovely this spring, I wanted to stop and walk under the Ispar trees.” Cheaine remarked, picking up some more fruit, and eating it.

“Indeed the blue and yellow flowers are exquisite!”

They chatted lightly for a fraction before coming to the real reason they were meeting.

“What have you decided? Rentap has only mentioned his concerns in passing. I really don’t know his mind on these people,” Lorena remarked.

“I did some research.” Cheaine began and described her morning’s activities. “I did not like at all what I found. The same story repeated over and over again. Just enough detail changed to make it seem like real stories from different real planets.” She shuddered and continued. “And the descriptions of the atrocities; terrible.” She finished pecking at her plate.

Lorena was both impressed and surprised. She wondered what Rentap would make of Cheaines activities, but kept such thoughts to herself. “So you think that there is not a bit of truth to these stories?”

“Not a bit. Go look for those planets. Try and find them in any database! None of them, except one or two, exist and the ones that do are very well documented with completely different stories!” Lorena was surprised at Cheaines open display of emotion.

“I see.” Lorena frowned. She pushed her plate, now empty, aside. Then a thought crossed her mind, “Do you think that these stories might be written by the same person?” A sip emptied her glass. Looking at Cheaines glass, she rang for the attendant.

“Indeed I do and I even looked up the writer. There were different names given and different public biographies listed.” Then she smiled, “But look at this.” Passing over her portable recorder, Lorena looked at the screen. Puzzled, she looked up but was interrupted by Cami’s arrival. She pointed to the glasses. Cami nodded, said “Yes Mistress,” and left taking the used cutlery and plates with her.

“I know this person, not well, but slightly, he is an underwriter at a news outlet where Rentap took me for a minor award gathering.” Cheaine said as Lorena looked at the screen again.

“I don’t see what you are getting at?” Lorena said confused. “That person is not at all of any high status, no matter what he calls himself. I don’t see what influence he could have.”

“Look at his associations.”

“Yes, I see them.”

“Good now take note of the third one down.”

“’The Lepus Writer’s Club’ I see it.”

“Flick to the next one.”

The next writer was a matronly woman. Lorena did not know her, but a check of the associations showed the same club. This was the same for all seven of the writers listed as authors of the news stories. Only one other of whom she had heard of.

Cami returned during this time and placed the drinks with youthful elegance on the table. Watching her closely, Cheaine observed that Cami was careful to not look at the recorders. Good. Well trained, she thought.

“So they all belonged to the same club. What makes that significant?” Lorena asked.

“A good question,” smiled Cheaine. It was obvious that she was enjoying eking out her revelations. “I wondered myself. After all, writers as a class like to gather and read their compositions to each other. So I did a search for this club, to see if I could find who the members were.”

Taking her recorder back, she tapped it several times and passed it to Lorena. Taking it Lorena read the information, gasped and looked up. They both knew of the secretary, a notorious agitator, Kirkrup di Frim.

“Yes, puts a different complexion onto it, doesn’t it. I will speak to my husband about it.” Cheaine smiled and changed the subject. “Now, what have you done this lovely morning?”

Lorena looked back at the wife of her lover. The agreement that they had was not designed for situations such as this, but she had no choice. A sigh escaped her. “I went looking for some advice. So I went to the one person I could trust.”

Cheaine waited, this was interesting and she was good at waiting.

“I went to my mother.”

Now that was a revelation! Cheaine knew Lorena’s mother and had even met her once. It was also somewhat reassuring. Ardine Makapet was a person of high regard, even with her prior status as a past mistress.

“I am sure that you received good advice, can you tell me what she said?” Even though it was phrased in the form of a polite request, Lorena knew that she had no choice but to answer.

“When I told her what you said, she also was worried. She knows our people well and if this, well it is difficult to say, if it gets traction, things could get ugly. She also feels that there is someone else behind this.”

“I agree with your mother on both counts. This Kirkrup doesn’t have the brains to think of this, run it, yes, but conceive it, no. I believe that I also know our people well, if things get out of hand, it could be nasty.” She paused, “How long can you stay?”

Lorena consulted her own comm. “A little longer. No later than the fifteenth period.” She said.

Cheaine nodded. This had taken longer than she expected. “I have to be back by then as well.” She considered the next move, “Are you going to involve The Chain?” The Chain was an association that formally did not exist. It was made up by the Mistresses of the elite and Ardine Makapet was, Cheaine knew, still a member. The Chain could prove to be a powerful ally.

“I don’t know, I don’t understand what is happening yet and who is behind it and why. My mother agrees and is also very concerned. This could get dangerous.”

“That I already considered. To do my searches I used a proxy, one I will carefully watch over and see if there is any reaction to.” Cheaine smiled, not a happy smile but a grim one. Looking around she continued, “I don’t even trust this place. We must be careful.”

“I will. When I visit my mother, I never go directly, but always get off at a different address.” She smiled, a somewhat forlorn smile. “We, of our class, have learnt long ago to be careful.” It was a rare moment, and Cheaine was tempted to reach out and take Lorena’s hand, but the strictures of her class intervened and she could only give a sympathetic look.

“Take care, Lorena Makapet. I will raise this with my husband.” Saying her full name in this way was a compliment of high regard and Lorena appreciated it. Cheaine continued, “You will only have to be honest with him if he asks. Reach out to others in the Chain, but only those who you believe you can trust.” Pausing and looking at the time on her comm, Cheaine noted that it was time to go. “We will met again, here in a week’s time?”

Agreeing, Lorena left first, so that they would not be seen together. After sitting and thinking for a moment, Cheaine called for the bill which she settled with Cami. Looking her over, she considered the young woman, “What is your name please?”

“Cami sis Nep, madam.” This told Cheaine that the girl was of the lower serving class. If she had been higher, she would have had a ‘ses’ or higher still ‘sas’ in her name.

“Turn around please,” Cheaine requested, indicating with a finger at the same time.

Cami did as ordered and Cheaine continued to appraise her. Not tall, of the normal height for a young teen girl, a very pretty face, slender with small breasts and slim hips. Her skin was pale and flawless, complimented by her light brown hair. Her attitude was that of a well-trained serving girl with no undercurrent of sullenness.

“How old are you?”

“Just turned fourteen madam,” All the time Cami was standing with her eyes lowered and hands behind her back as required by her training. A orderly had arrived and stood a few meters away. This was a normal precaution, even in as strongly regimented a society as Ti Lepus’s. All citizens of Ti Lepus knew their place in their society and struggled to maintain and improve their status. This was the driving force in Ti Lepus society. And the main cause for angst.

“What is your contract? Are you open to be bought?” This raised the girls eyes, filled with hope. Then they slid to the orderly, woman in her thirties, she nodded.

“My contract runs to the end of summer, then I am to be returned to my home. It is an open contract madam.” As this was early spring on Ti Lepus, whose year was longer than a standard year, the end of summer meant that her contract had almost nine standard months to run. An open contract meant that she could leave the club and go into service with a family without a penalty. It also meant that a commission would have to be paid to the club. A closed contract meant that her family would also have to approve the purchase of the contract. Which meant more time and expense.

“My son is almost a year older then you. I will have to discuss this with my husband first of course.” Cheaine turned to the orderly, “Bring the contract please. I wish to secure this girl with an option.” Cheaine was pleased. The girl seemed intelligent, and knew at least some of the details of her contract. As the contract was being produced she considered Cami again, thinking ‘It’s a pity that a girl like this one, who shows such promise, cannot choose her own path.’

All this was a well-established procedure on Ti Lepus, and the option was quickly completed. Images of Cami along with full details of Cami sis Nep’s medical history, clear; sexual history, none; and all other personal and training details were in Cheaines possession when she left the club. The thought Cami being unable to choose her own path had vanished from Cheaines mind.

*********

Cami was almost floating as she returned to her station. An option! And it was only the second week! And with what was clearly a high status woman! Her mentor Lin met her at her station.

“Wonderful news.” Came with a nod, “But don’t get too excited, there is a long way to go and you have work to do.” Lin cautioned. Cami nodded in understanding, took a deep breath and composed herself. ‘I will have to do a search on them and talk to the manager like I was warned about. I don’t want to make a mistake,’ she thought as she headed to her next client.