✅ The Baby Makers

This is Our World

This chapter is dedicated to Eladon, with thanks again for helping me find time to write these stories. I hope you're enjoying it; and if you'd like to see an extra chapter from a different story, just let me know. Thank you.

"Thanks, Phil," Ana said with a smile, and nodded. "I'm Ana, by the way. I... heard about this place from a friend of a friend. I don't think I can ask anyone to vouch for me, is that okay?"

She was pretty sure it wouldn't be a problem. If they only took invited guests here, then the place was unlikely to grow rapidly, so it was worth gambling that it would be acceptable. And she had a new suspicion in mind already.

"Yes, we're not as secretive as some venues. However, we do have a rule against discussing our activities with anyone who isn't a guest or member, I'm sure you understand, so I can't offer a detailed list of services. I'm sure you understand, a previous facility was infiltrated by a journalist seeking to slander some guests, and we can't risk that happening here. I'm sure you understand."

"Of course," she nodded, "Privacy has to be paramount. Both of this place and your... guests. I'd say a little awkwardness in a first meeting is preferable to anyone watching this place finding out what kind of things we enjoy."

The ideas in her mind were solidifying now. A swingers club, or a fetish club. People who wanted to let go of all their inhibitions, perhaps. A skilled hypnotist could temporarily suspend all nervousness or worry, to let kinky people in a high pressure lifestyle enjoy whatever they wanted. A skilled guide could ensure there was no chance of second thoughts, and no embarrassment to interrupt the fun. That would explain the secrecy, and the remote location. The existence of a corporation would be to create some distance between the owners and their business. It would explain why they didn't think it was unusual to see a lone woman walking up, and why the Order's researchers hadn't been able to find any advertising. A place like that would work entirely by word of mouth. So she replied as vaguely as she felt she could get away with, hoping that she could confirm she was the kind of guest they were expecting without saying anything specific enough to be wrong. Embarrassment and nerves would lead most guests to talk guardedly, she guessed.

"Well, that's fair enough," Phil nodded, "Do you know what you'd choose from our selection? And if you find something that takes your fancy, would you be joining us today or booking a session at a later date?"

"I'm not sure," she mumbled, making the most of the nervous-ingenue act, "I mean, I don't really know how you organise... you know? I wasn't sure if I'd have to book months in advance. If I've come too early or too late. I've never done anything... like this before. Would it be possible to... to try something today?"

"Of course," Phil smiled, "The company charges per day, to avoid guests feeling rushed, so most of our visitors come quite early in the morning. But we do offer 24/7 sessions, so those who work a regular nine-to-five job will often head here after work, to let themselves unwind overnight. If you wish, we could offer an introductory session to see that the reality lives up to your dreams, and then you could decide if you wish to take an overnight room. As with all our services, overnight attention is entirely at the guest's discretion. So you can have any activities you've chosen continue through the night, or if it's easier you could return to your existing mindset in a guest room, and then decide whether to have a second session before you head home in the morning."

"You really have thought this through. Very professional." Ana nodded nervously, and then turned to see Carl standing patiently behind her, "Oh, you offered me a drink, I completely forgot. I wouldn't mind sampling that tea, if you don't mind?"

"Okay," Carl nodded, "I'm sure you'll enjoy it. The orange trees are in blossom now, and you can always taste the difference in the honey." He turned and walked off through one of the side doors, never stopping smiling.

"To soothe your nerves? Or to help you accept some of our preparations later? Or still indecisive?"

"I..." Ana let herself look down at her hands. She was genuinely embarrassed now, so it was a lot easier to keep up the role. She wasn't sure if it was entirely necessary to stay here longer now that she had a reasonable understanding of how their business worked. She was pretty much certain that their hypnotists wouldn't be making changes large enough to unduly disturb the collective unconscious, and that they weren't harming anyone. The facility wasn't likely to grow, so they didn't need any warnings. But at the same time, she was curious. She'd heard about places in this general vein before. A couple of times the Order had stumbled across them, and before she ever joined them she had known people who would have jumped at this opportunity. But these clubs were spoken of in hushed tones, vague hints of unmentionable activities. Ana wasn't entirely innocent; she was a virgin only in the technical sense, and only because it had never seemed like the right time. But there was a part of her that burned with curiosity over all the things that good girls weren't supposed to mention.

"I think I'd like to try it," she said, summoning all her courage. "But what if I get nervous, or scared? What if I don't know what to do? Do you do a... beginner's session? Something where you can teach me how to behave, and how I'm supposed to feel? I mean, I'm sure that's possible."

"Yeah," Carl chuckled, returning with a steaming cup of tea. The liquid in the cup was a rich, reddish brown, but clear enough for her to make out a scratch in the glaze at the bottom of the cup. It smelled of lavender, but from the first taste she could make out at least a dozen other botanical ingredients. Juniper and dandelion, though she was sure neither of those had any effects on mental acuity. Hawthorne too, which was something she'd only expect to find in a relaxing tonic if there was a real expert on the premises. Wild mint, and honey for a kick of sweetness. It was delicious, she couldn't deny.

"That's my kind of thing," Carl carried on as Ana slowly sipped at the cup. "I like to imagine I'm being pressured into it, like someone's compelling me to follow the script. So the guide tells me how I'm supposed to feel. Like, I'm not embarrassed any more, but they set me up to be as nervous as a newcomer every time. And then twenty minutes in, she commands me to lose all shame, and I feel it going away in an instant. I feel so helpless, knowing that I'm going to do it whether I'm in the mood or not, and even more when I know she could make me want it."

"Others prefer their own scenarios," Phil pointed out. "A lot of our guests prefer to start a session with no knowledge that our fantasies would ever be considered abnormal. Completely free to act as they wish. Some prefer to choose each activity within the session, while others prefer to have it mapped out in advance, and be forced to follow the plan. And even within the latter group, there are those who like to make the plan themselves and have no chance to change their minds, those who wish to forget the plan so they might not even know their own choices about what is coming next, and those who would prefer to be genuinely surprised by their guide. Even some who would prefer not to remember the negotiation, so they believe themselves to be on an innocent business trip, or a new employee induction, only to find themselves changing with no idea why."

"I see," Ana answered, and found herself smiling just a little. She checked quickly, to ensure they weren't already influencing her choices, but all her safeguards were still in place. She was just genuinely excited to discover what these people were offering.