Chapter 31: Crossroads

When Kyle wakes up on Saturday morning he finds he’s alone in bed. Shrugging his shoulders he gets up, has a shower, and gets ready for the day. Several minutes later he walks into the kitchen to see about some breakfast and is confronted by KK putting the finishing touches on a special breakfast cooked just for them. He smiles when she waves him to the table and in a minute both are eating a hearty meal.

After breakfast they get down to doing more studying and project work. They figure their time will only get busier than it is, so they want to get as much done now as they can. In the late morning they respond to the road alarm going off. They check the monitors and see Varena in one of the golf carts. They go down to the garage to welcome her.

The single roll-up door opens just as Varena slows down to stop. Seeing the opening door she speeds up again to drive into the garage to stop by where KK and Kyle are standing. Lifting a large dish from the seat beside her she holds it out to Kyle and says, “I brought you an apple pie. It isn’t one of those for the car, because you didn’t ask for it. I just wanted to do something nice for the two of you.”

He steps forward and takes a careful hold of the dish wrapped in a cloth as it’s still hot, saying, “Varena, one thing you can count on, no matter what the reason behind the delivery of one of your apple pies I’ll never refuse such lovely pies.” She smiles and blushes at his praise of her cooking. He starts to turn away, turns back, and asks, “Varena, if you’re paid twenty-five dollars a pie will you make a profit on it?”

She gives him a slight frown while she says, “Yes, after costs it would be about double the hourly pay I get when I work at the taco place in Doña Ana. Why do you ask?”

“Wouldn’t it still be great as a cold pies, even after a few days?”

“A cousin had one stay in the fridge for ten days because they forgot about it when they went away for a week, and they said it was delicious to come home to. They’re also good warmed up.”

KK interrupts, “Eight slices, with ice cream at say six dollars a slice.”

Kyle replies, “I was thinking seven fifty a slice.” He turns to Varena, “What I’m thinking is for you to make a dozen or so pies we can take to CyberFun in El Paso where they can serve them fresh, cold, or reheated in a microwave as a special dessert. I’m sure, once they get a taste, they’ll be happy to pay you twenty-five dollars for a pie this size.”

Varena is stunned by the idea of her cooking being worth that much. With a bit more encouragement from the couple she agrees to make a dozen pies for them to take to the café later that day. They stand and watch her drive back down the road.

They decide now is a good time to have a lunch that includes a large slice of hot apple pie with vanilla ice cream. After lunch Kyle goes through the routine to enter the sub-basement and he closes the entrance once they’re inside. He exposes the portal and enters the opening with Jonas’ sapphire ring on his left hand while holding KK’s hand.

They arrive in a small clean white room at Crossroads. In a moment a door opens and woman enters, saying, “Hello, I’m Janice Greeter. Welcome to Crossroads, Hero.” She does give them a slight frown since this is the first time she’s greeted a couple on their first arrival.

Kyle steps forward, holds out his hand, and says, “Hello, Janice, I’m Kyle and this is my wife and Companion in all things, Kathleen. I’ve been to Chaos many times before while a Companion to my grandfather. Before we get into the Caretaker selection process I’d like to speak with Mistress Eva, please.”

Janice is surprised he knows the name of the new head supervisor at Crossroads, but recovers well and she responds, “Well, come through and have a drink while I send a message you wish to see her. She’s very busy, so I don’t know how long before she can see you.”

“Just tell her Kyle Alexander would like a word, please.”

Janice nods and is about to speak when a voice says, “The message has been passed on and she will be with you soon. Do you wish to select a Caretaker while you wait, Hero Kyle Alexander?”

While she shows them to some comfortable seats around a low table, Janice says, “Thank you computer,” to the ceiling and turns to Kyle, “These new Artificial Intelligence computers are taking a little getting used to, because they’re so more proactive than the previous system.”

Kyle thinks a moment and says, “One of the things I wish to talk to Mistress Eva about is having my choices of Caretaker being from new volunteers selected since she made the changes to the process. I want to ensure those offered for selection are free of any taint of Carl.”

The computer responds, “I can do that presort for you. Do you wish to review three such files now?”

“Yes, please.” Three files appear on the table near Kyle and he picks them up.

Janice asks, “Would you like some coffee?” KK grins and describes how to make their favorite latté coffees. Janice repeats the information and they soon appear.

Kyle and KK drink their coffee while they review the files. After they’ve both read all three files Kyle looks at KK as he arranges them in order and places them face down on the table. She smiles and says, “I’d go with Claudia Auditor, Kyle. With your previous Chaos experience there’s no reason to use Chaos knowledge to decide and your combat skills already puts you beyond most, so you need someone who’ll be meticulous in double checking everything she gets out of the system.”

Kyle turns the files over and Claudia’s is the top file, he says, “We agree and for the same reasons. With what we know the rebels did to the computer database we’ll want everything thoroughly checked.”

The computer says, “Good choice. I’ve informed Claudia and she’ll be with you soon.”

Janice leaves because her job of greeting the new Hero and helping him select a caretaker is complete. When she exits one door another opens and Mistress Eva enters. She shakes hands with the couple she had met on arriving at Crossroads and orders more coffees before sitting in the chair Janice vacated.

Kyle says, “Thank you for agreeing to see us so quickly. I want to talk to you about communications between Crossroads and Earth. I gather you can send and receive emails from our system, due to what was said the last time we were here!” Eva smiles as she nods. “We’re concerned about Carl’s people intercepting our communications on Earth and using them to set up ambushes for us. I want to set up a system where we can exchange emails where his people won’t be able to tell our messages from heaps of others. But first, do you know the difference between normal email systems and web mail systems?”

Eva shakes her head and says, “Master Authority Control, do you?”

The computer replies, “Yes, Mistress Eva. Normal email sends a message to a mailbox on a server that you collect when ready. Web mail stores the message on a website server and you view it on the site through a web browser. It’s harder to track web mail without the URL.”

Eva nods, “I see. This allows you to stop them intercepting messages to your mailbox. Is that the extra security you want?”

Kyle replies, “Part of it. I want to establish a commercial website that will get over a million members within a year. The site will have some different membership levels, one of which is an invitation only level. The different levels of membership will have different levels of site access and web mail accounts on the site. With our people being the only users who are invited members our emails can be kept apart from the rest, but no one can tell that from outside the site. This way our few messages are intermingled in an ocean of irrelevant emails. I also want a web page accessed by only the invitation members where they can see what the current weather conditions are in their home area of Chaos, the current news of note, and the Chaos local time elapsed since their last visit. This will require some work by your computers or system. I also seek volunteers to be on the website.”

Eva thinks and asks, “Master Authority Control, can you provide the Chaos information requested to an Earth based computer system?”

The computer replies, “Yes, if the request to view the web page is sent to one of my relays and we supply the page as a third party to the person instead of having the page kept on your servers.”

Kyle smiles, “Yes, we can do that once you give me the IP address or URL we need to redirect the requests to.”

Eva asks, “What is it you want these volunteers to do and why?”

KK smiles and she joins in, “The single biggest commercial industry on the Earth Internet is sex. Kyle wants to set up a website with lots of photos of sexy women in various skimpy clothes and invite people to be members. This will make a lot of money for the people running the site and provide another level of security by obscurity as the searchers will never believe we’d use a commercial sex site to hide our messages.”

She glances at Kyle, so he takes over, “I want to set up a site showing women in dress from skimpy swimsuits to various levels of nudity and much of it related to a light BDSM image. I’ll need a lot of lovely ladies to be models for the initial site photos and I want many of them to be tied up and appear to be in various torture devices; but with none of them actually being really hurt, only acting. I think the site name should be Mistress Eva’s Mansion of Mayhem and have a picture of you as a dominatrix on the front page.”

“I’m not sure I know what you mean by BDSM and a dominatrix. Do you understand what this is about Computer?”

“I’m scanning images from Earth’s Internet and think I may know, but I want Hero Kyle to expand it to confirm I understand correctly.”

Kyle explains, “Mistress Eva BDSM is short for bondage / discipline / sadomasochism. It’s for those who like to be controlled or disciplined and those who like to be a master or mistress doing the controlling and discipline. A dominatrix is a female disciplinarian in this scenario.” He pauses a moment and asks, “Master Authority Control, can you project an image for us to look at and adjust it while we speak?”

“Yes, Hero Kyle.”

“Please project an image of Mistress Eva standing up a few feet from us.” A life sized very lifelike image appears a few feet from them. “Her clothes are to be form fitting black leather like a one piece swimsuit.” The image changes to show her in a conservative one piece swimsuit of leather. “Shorten the sleeves to have the whole shoulder free and widen the neckline until the shoulder straps are only the width of two fingers. Now make the front of the neckline a ’V’ that comes down in straight lines to the bottom of the sternum. Change the leg hem to run above the hip bones and run as a straight line to cover the groin with a strip only two fingers wide.” The image changes as he speaks. “Rotate a half turn.” The image doubles to show both the front and back. “Change the back neckline to straight lines in a ’V’ that meet on her back at the same level as her bellybutton. Form fitting black leather boots that run up to the top of her calf with zippers in their back. A riding crop with four inch leather straps on the end. Hair flowing down the back, but held together with a black leather band at the same height as the top of her shoulders. Gothic eye make-up and lipstick, if you know what that is.”

KK butts in with, “The lipstick should be a bit darker and less bright, a touch more, good. The eye shadow make-up should be lighter while the eyebrow make-up is darker and thinner. Perfect.” The make-up and hair-band make her face look very Gothic and stern, yet the back view with the hair spreading out below the shoulders is very sexy.

Kyle says, “There we have the perfect dominatrix that’ll have Earth men and women standing in line to have her command them and beat them, they’ll sign up by the thousands. Computer, have her tap the riding crop against the calf of her leg.”

Eva looks at the image and laughingly says, “Hell, that’s me and I’m not sure I’d want to disobey or talk back to that person. I like it.”

“That’s the image I want the site to project. Computer, keep the front view and fill in a background of a medieval torture chamber.” It does that. “Hmm, lose the center brazier, heating rods, tongs, and pulling devices. Put pegs on the walls with a few short whips hanging from them. Also some manacles.” The scene changes as described. “OK, now a couple of lovely ladies in medieval clothes hanging on the walls with their arms and legs spread. Make the clothes dirty with some strategic tears that don’t quite show their breasts or groins, but lots of arm and leg. A similar lady on each of the racks and one over the barrel. Good, now add expressions of pain or fear. Leave a whip lying across the belly of the woman on the left hand rack. That’s what we want for most of the site. Some of the higher levels will show breasts and nudity with dirt stains on their bodies. Another section will be in all sorts of swimsuits. Computer, put a display of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit models beside this image, please.” A line of twenty women in various one piece and bikini swimsuits appears beside it. “Computer, do you have images of Wicked Weasel swimsuits?” A group of women in transparent or almost nonexistent swimsuits appears beside the current images. “Higher levels of the site will have the women topless and nude. For legal reasons we have to have real pictures of living people and they have to provide signed release forms allowing us to use the images.”

Eva looks at the display, “Images like this makes money on Earth?”

The computer answers, “Yes. I checked that. In fact, using Cassandra women as models will see the site soon become the premier site.”

Kyle decides to go whole hog, “As the membership levels move up we can increase the images and films of people being spanked or lightly whipped while tied up or tied to the various devices. If we have people who are interested we can also provide images of them having sex. One thing I did think of since I started thinking of this project is we can have film of some women undergoing light torture.” Both KK and Eva turn to give him hard stares. He holds his hands up in stop signs as he adds, “Picture the rebels like MariLynn tied to a table, naked with her legs spread wide while Mistress Eva walks around the table tapping her riding crop against her leg as she issues orders to a bevy of women in very brief panties or shorts.” The images change to one of what he describes. “Each of the topless torturers has a large feather and they use it to tickle the bottom of her feet, the palms of her hands, the armpits, her breasts, and anywhere else their Mistress orders them to. It won’t take long for the victim to start laughing, then it will get to be too much and she’ll start crying and writhing. But you keep it up for almost an hour of tickle torture. I’m sure the Caretakers whose heroes have been killed as part of Carl’s scheme would line up to work the feathers. Another idea is if we capture any of Carl’s Earth helpers on Chaos we bring them back here and they can become toys in the torture chamber too. The tickle torture will work, as will some light whipping and some spanking. Hell, get them erect and use a dick clamp to keep them from having an orgasm then the women can ride them for hours on end. What an exquisite torture for them, hours of sex without coming.”

The computer changes the image as Kyle speaks and shows the man as Carl Edmondson. Both Eva and KK laugh when the computer shows a string of women riding him for their sexual pleasure and his look of pain because he can’t come.

KK laughs while she says, “Kyle, I was wrong. Do all that and the memberships will be in the trillions. All the other sex sites like that will soon close down. Damn, I’d like to see MariLynn being gang-banged for what she did to Jonas.”

Eva asks, “Gang-banged?”

Kyle replies, “A group of men all have sex with the same woman at the same time, using every orifice. Often it appears to be consensual, but sometimes it’s displayed as a rape, even though, in the pictures on the net, it’s only acting. On the other hand, in real life it usually is rape.” Eva nods her understanding of both the expression and KK’s attitude.

Mistress Eva says, “I think we can go ahead with this project. Set up the site as you said and I’ll ask for volunteers to be models. I’ll get all involved to sign those forms you mention. Even the rebels who will be models against their wishes. I’m sure we’ll get a lot of people interested in being models for it. The idea of their images being seen by Earthmen will be a big drawing card.”

The computer adds, “Hero Kyle, I will send you a log-on ID and password for you to create an account to allow me to upload images. I will also open a bank account and provide the details so you can pay me a photographer’s fee to keep the books legal. I will have originals of release forms couriered to your physical address for your records.”

“Thank you, Master Authority Control. I’ll get my people onto it as soon as I can, it should be up very soon. I’m sure you can keep an eye out for the home page going up and then send the rest of the material and keep up a steady stream.”

Eva grins when she replies, “Yes, I think we can. We may even surprise you. I’ll get that home page photo done and we’ll email it to you. Now it’s time for you and Claudia to get to know each other.”

When Eva leaves a smiling Claudia enters the room. She’s surprised to see KK, but soon darts to hug her Hero as thanks for choosing her. She says, “I’m a new Caretaker appointment and still learning about Chaos, why did you select me? I was told I had a lot to learn before they would include me in the selections.”

KK doesn’t know if she should grin or be angry when she looks at this lovely woman pressing herself against her husband’s left side while he fondles the woman’s breast with his left hand. Kyle uses his right to wave KK over and snuggles her under his right arm so he can play with her breast with his right hand.

Looking at Claudia, Kyle says, “Claudia, this is my wife, Kathleen, she’s also my Companion. I don’t need you to know all there is about Chaos yet as I’ve been on over a hundred missions as a Companion to my grandfather. I know what to expect there. However, I’m sure you’re aware of the troubles with the rebels and how they’ve messed up the data files and computers!” Claudia nods yes at his statement, “So I want a Caretaker hired under the new screening rules who I know will take extra care to audit all of the information she gathers for me on a rescue.” He gets a smile and a nod of understanding. “The good news is you start as a Caretaker much earlier than is usual; the bad news is I won’t be coming through on rescues as often as most Heroes as I have a special mission to perform that affects how often I can undertake rescues. I also know Mistress Eva will sometimes send for me to undertake a special rescue. These will be random and won’t fall in any pattern or sequence. At least, after a rescue mission, while I’m rewarding the Damsel, you’ll have KK here to keep you company as you entertain each other.” KK isn’t sure how she feels about the look Claudia gives her in response.

The three of them sit down to discuss decor for the Hero suite and have a meal together as they get to know each other. When Kyle feels the ladies are comfortable with each other they head to the bedroom to get to know each other a lot more. They spend four days exploring each others bodies and learning what gives each other the most pleasure and while they’re resting between sexual activity Kyle teaches Claudia what he wants as part of the rescue mission information package.

When they feel there’s little more they can learn about each other at this time Kyle and KK pack up to go home. All are sad to be parting, but they know this is part of their life now. Moments later the couple is back in their sub-basement and securing the portal.

After they secure the sub-basement and are heading up the stairs Kathleen asks, “When Larry’s well enough will you arrange for him to be a Hero too?”

“Yes, if he wants. I’ll even help with his training for the job. Why?”

“Well, I was just thinking our security would be a lot better if Larry or the Haywoods were protecting the basement while we’re away on Chaos. I think we should arrange for them to visit for our trips.”

“Good idea, but they’ll have to be careful to maintain site security. We don’t want Carl’s people following them here.”

They have a shower and do some more studying. Today, they’re focusing on some of the joint projects in Business Law because they only have two of those left to complete.

Mid-afternoon they get ready to go to CyberFun to help out for the evening. There are no major sports events today so they feel they aren’t needed, but are going to help with the evening crowd because many of the students now go to CyberFun for their evening nights out. For many, especially those who aren’t yet twenty-one, it’s a reasonable priced entertainment, good food, safer than a bar, and it’s close to the campus for those living in the dorms.

Sonny picks them up on time and stops near the Lopez back door. When he stops the door opens and a stream of people walk out with deep pie dishes in their hands. Kyle gets out to help. Angelica puts a blanket down in the back of the SUV and people start loading pies. Soon a dozen are loaded up with clean fluffy towels and then another blanket over them to keep them hot. Varena and her mother, Adalina, join Sonny, Kyle, and KK in the SUV while Hector, Nina, Carlos, Raùl, and their older children follow in a second car. When they cross the front of the house other cars with more families join the procession.

Looking out the rear of the SUV KK asks, “What’s going on? Why is everybody following us?”

Adalina explains, “We’ve found there’s only one decent alcohol free place around here that’s fun for the adults and our kids and it’s your place in El Paso. So when you go in the early evening or the weekends we want to go with you.”

Kyle responds, “You know you’re always welcome and it’s not required for you to only go with KK and me.”

“We know, but we feel more comfortable when you two are there.”

When they arrive at CyberFun Sonny leads everyone around the back to park. Kyle opens the back door and the kids rush in while the adults collect pies to carry them inside. KK and Nina go with the kids while Kyle shows the adults where to put the pies in the kitchen.

Naturally Beverly comes over to inspect the pies and gives Kyle a questioning look. He grins and says, “A new line of dessert if you want it. Try it and see. I was thinking you can cut them into eight slices and charge seven-fifty for them served hot or cold with ice cream or a slice of sharp cheddar cheese. If you approve I think I can sweet talk the baker into letting you have them for thirty dollars each.”