An Object Of Study

A Pet

Great… really… I had fucked it up completely. How could I only have been so stupid? I wasn't home on Earth anymore, of course it might be dangerous out here. We had already lost Keats and Roarke. They had simply vanished as if they had never existed. Maybe the trouts weren't the only dangerous creatures here…

I saw the little red light of the cam in my quarters glowing. David carried out his threat and let Mother have an eye on me. Wherever I intended to go now, he would know it, would know each and every of my steps the second I made them. Gone was my chance to take care of the transmitter… but maybe… when I proved that he could leave me unattended again…

I scolded myself for being so stupid to not move into the housing units with the others. There were no cams to spy on me. But to move now would only raise David's suspicion and I needed to regain his trust… and as soon as possible.

I dimmed the lights to almost darkness and started to undress. If there wasn't anything I could do either way I could also lay down on my bed and enjoy some music… or maybe an old movie from Mother's library. Something nice and calming, perhaps, that would help me to fall asleep and forget about David for a few hours.

"Mother… open movie library, please." I asked and the small beamer lit up to show me the library. What did we have here? Action? Nah… Adventure? Absolutely not… Science Fiction? Ha ha… I already had enough of all this myself. Epics? What was that supposed to be?

"Open Epics, please." I asked and Mother opened the chosen folder. First thing I realized was why it was called Epics… each and every of these movies had a runtime of almost three hours… at least… and they were damned old… 1939… 1962… 1957… 2000… 1951… every single movie was from far before my birth and I didn't even know one of them. Well, one was as good as the other…
"Mother, play 'The Bridge on the River Kwai', please." I asked and layed down on my bed. "Aye, Jules. Enjoy." she answered and started the movie.

~~~~

I woke up suddenly, feeling a presence in my quarters. "Lights on." I ordered nervously and was proven right… David was sitting next to my bed, on the floor with his ankles crossed, embracing his knees with his arms, and simply watched me.
"What the actual fuck are you doing in my quarters?!" I yelled and slid back against the wall, pulling the blanket against me in reflex.

"Checking on you. But then I saw that you had fallen asleep during this classic, which is a pity. Guinness is great in that one, far better than in Lawrence of Arabia… although that one's my favourite movie." Too much information in a few sentences. He had a favourite movie? But first things first...

"Checking on me? What the heck…? Who do you think you are?! The last time I looked around there was no big fish in my quarters that could swallow me down whole, so thank you very much, but see that you get out now." I growled and pointed towards the door.

"You're not in the position to make demands, Jules. And especially not after what happened today. I'll check on you every time I want and as long as I want. And if I decide to stay in your quarters all night and watch you sleep, then I'll do so. And there is nothing you can do against it." I took a deep breath, grinding my teeth angrily.
"And YOU… are my pet, Jules. Nothing more. And after today I will treat you like one. You'll do what I say when I say it. And you won't do anything anymore without my explicit permission. If necessary I'll even put a leash on you. Is that understood?" David growled now and rose to his feet with a deathly glare. "And be assured, Jules… I don't need my second hand to force you under my will."
He half knelt on my bed and grabbed my right wrist to pull me close. Then he started to turn my wrist to the level of pain.

"David… please, David… let go…" I whimpered and started to squirm. He didn't. On the contrary, he squeezed my wrist even harder between his strong and slender fingers.
"Forgive me… please… please, I'll do anything you say… you know that… I promised it… please, David…" My voice broke and tears of pain rolled down my face. "Please… don't break my wrist, David, I beseech you… don't make me completely useless… pleaheeaase…" I whined and bowed my head to kiss his fingers beggingly.

"You are at my mercy, Jules. As long as you live. Never forget about that again… or you'll get to know my less kind side." he growled with narrowed eyes, his grip softening a bit around my wrist.
"I won't, David… I swear, I won't… please let go… I'll be your pet, if you demand it… your obedient slave… damn, I'll even crawl on all fours on a leash by your side if you say so, but please… let go, David." A small smile crawled over his lips… a gruesome smile.

"You'd do anything for your pathetic little life, Jules, wouldn't you?" he asked and pushed my wrist away. I felt how I blushed. He knew me so well since the very first moment… and he was right. I would do anything to make him let me live. "This was not a rhetorical question, Jules. Answer me."
"Yes, David… anything… I'd offer you myself for your pleasure if you were a human. I'd even pray to you in God's place…" I whispered full of shame and bowed my head. How low had I gone… He was right, I was pathetic… worse than pathetic… despisable. Worth less than a grain of dust beneath his feet. I should have let him kill me…

"Maybe I'll come back to this offer, Jules. And be it only to show you your place." David purred, rising from my bed again, and a cold shiver rolled over my back. "Now lay down and sleep, Jules. I'm expecting you at the Lab at 0900… straight." I didn't dare to move a muscle. "Lay down, I said." he commanded and I obeyed. Almost carefully he pulled the blanket over my body. "And now sleep." I closed my eyes obediently and heard him leave my quarters.