AGAINST THE MACHINE
CHAPTER TWO by Riley Jericho rileyjericho@yahoo.com
The Attendant had decided to give the foul-mouthed Hispanic, Carlos, the honour of being the first of the group to be mated to the Machine that morning. To a man, every eye was fixated on the movements of his hand as he brought the umbilical close to the boy's flaccid penis and up to where the ring -- implanted into the sulcus, just under the head of his penis - awaited.
Though the group came from diversely different backgrounds, they all hone something in common; anxiety and foreboding. For most, their last awareness had been the Courtroom and a Judiciary Panel, and now they had awoken on a couch in the Treatment Room. There was no last meal or quick smoke for the condemned; It was all going too fast and any personal choices had been stripped away from them.
Despite his bravado, Carlos was frightened to the point where he finally stopped swearing and started to panic and struggle mightily. He heaved and shook, attempting somehow to move his groin away from the impending doom, but his hands and legs were locked and the belt over his stomach stopped him from lifting his backside or moving his hips.
The Attendant lifted the boy's penis and deftly slipped it's mating collar over the glans, at the head. He'd done it a thousand times, but for this guy, it was a first.
"NO - WAIT!" Carlos cried and, for the first time, the Attendant saw something of the frightened little kid in his eyes. The group looked on with aghast fascination and he'd placed himself so that he knew everyone could see.
It was educational.
The umbilical collar locked itself onto the ring and was almost impossible to dislodge until the Machine decided it was time. Once engaged, the mechanism was bio-mechanical in nature. As well as being physically locked in place, fingers of fibrous bio-material extended from the collar into the ring, like tendrils of a deadly jellyfish. These coupled with the same kind of Bio-Fibers now making up in the sheath -- a networked mesh surgically implanted along the length of the penis the day before.
This was why they had been here for several days, though they had no knowledge of the invasive, but now hidden, surgery that had been performed. After that surgical procedure, fibrils, proliferating like a root system from where they had been planted, had spread like wild grass and spliced themselves into local nerve bunches and ganglia; finally merging directly into the spinal cord and central nervous system.
Every person here was already part flesh and part modern technology.
Including the Attendant.
For the Hispanic boy, the umbilical collar found its mate, made the connection, and it was done. And he stared at it in horror. With the collar and ring firmly married, the Attendant removed the discomfort of the Ab-Band over the boy's waist to allow some movement again; partly because he felt its presence became more of a distraction than an aid, and increased the process time well over 15 minutes, and partly because if they squirted on it, it was a pain to clean.
Even before it had gained much access to the higher brain functions controlling pleasure, the Machine could still quite easily induce an erection in the hapless teen. Through the fibrous sheath embedded along the shaft and through the network of neuro-tendrils which weaved a web all around his genitals, it could increase the blood flow into his penis and reduce venous drainage away, forcing blood into the right places to quickly replicate a state of male sexual arousal.
Along the full length of the penis, micro-electrical impulses would make it feel like a million ants dancing on his dick, or could mimic an intense drawn out masturbation. The Hispanic boy looked down in dismay as, within moments of being mated and completely against his will, the Machine drew him up to an impressively full erection.
It had been that easy and there were uneasy murmurs around the room at this simple display of the Machine's power.
"SHIT!"
Carlos hissed as the Machine teased him seductively; the simple foreplay making him squirm.
"TAKE IT THE FUCK OFF...NOW!" he shouted, desperately trying to ignore the unwanted attention it was giving him. His substantial arm muscles bunched as he desperately strained to reach the umbilical. It was only a few inches from his fingers, but might as well have been a hundred miles away for all the good it would do him. He bucked his hips attempting to shake it off, but it was too late for him now - just as it would be too late for all of them shortly.
The Attendant looked up and over to the adjacent bed. Its owner, Caleb Alexander Montgomery, flushed and swallowed hard as the eye contact communicated one simple message extremely clearly.
You're next.
Caleb Montgomery, the Attendant knew, was something of a celebrity, being the son and heir of the millionaire businessman, and politician, Alex Montgomery. Not many people didn't know the father, and now they knew the son too. He'd watched the news channel media circus that had surrounded the boy with interest. Clearly, when it came to computer programming, he was a talented lad. Just a tender age of 14 and already a sophisticated computer hacker, they said.
But he'd made a fatal mistake. He'd been caught!
Normally the legal system didn't hang around and those caught could find themselves judged and dispatched to the Centre with 24-48 hours. But young Cal became an instant celebrity in a media frenzy, as his father arranged an immediate injunction and fought tooth and nail to save his son; using the power of the press to build support against the power of the law. Everyone (even him, he had to admit) followed the story with great interest as it created a flourish of national debate about the inhumanity of the Machine and whether young Montgomery was about to be well and truly fucked...as it were!
As part of his campaign to free his son, Montgomery senior had put out a suggestion that he might even make a generous donation that would benefit research to help modify real criminals.
He'd seen the reports that had come out at the end of the trial. The kid might well have got away with a lesser sentence for the CyberCrimes, but unfortunately for this talented young man, the technicians finally cracked open some of the secrets buried in the teen's computer on and discovered not a small number of images of men's and boy's genitals. To be fair, it couldn't finally be proved that the very young looking ones were under the legal age for that kind of photography, and although there wasn't actually any explicit sex, it more or less sealed the deal for the panel of judges who felt that Caleb Montgomery probably needed some help in this area too! So the hammer fell.
For his father, the Courts were still deliberating whether the generous donation approach amounted to nothing more than an illegal bribe, in which case he might well follow his son to the couch.
"Hello Caleb..." offered the Attendant as he approached his couch.
"Piss off," he muttered, the previous flush draining from his face as the Attendant reached for the controls for the couch. "Why am I here?" he added, angrily.
The Attendant replied simply. He'd long since past allowing himself to get irritated or intimidated by those he treated. "I think you already know that, Caleb. You're here because the law determined that you should be."
Afraid and angry, Caleb still resisted saying something pathetic like 'do you know who I am?' but his agile mind raced and he just couldn't come to terms with what was happening. Where was his father? The lawyer? Had he just been abandoned? Did they know where he was? Did that bitch Melissa have anything to do with it? Maybe the phone would ring at any moment and he would be released?
He bit back a sob of fear and frustration as the full weight of the sentence passed on him drove deep.
It was a life sentence.
HOW DID THIS HAPPEN!!!!??
He was only 14 and his life was over...not that he had much of a life anyway. He was already a freak with no friends and had been painted in the news channels as the spoilt little rich boy. And now he might as well be dead and all because of a few fucking pictures. He gritted his teeth and tried to stop the tears spilling from his eyes as he followed the movements of the Attendant. The mechanism was activated and he jerked involuntarily as the stirrups came to life and, as he had observed with the Latino thug, his legs began to move. He didn't have much strength so he didn't even bother trying to resist and his legs were dropped down and out and the couch folder under.
The belt was the worst bit and he started shaking as the soft material was pressed onto his abdomen to tighten him down; trapping him with final immobility.
The two boys...the Hispanic and the Montgomery boy... were like chalk and cheese, and it just showed that it wasn't just the violent and oppressed minorities that fell foul of the law!! At the opposite end of the spectrum of society to a number of those gathered this day, Caleb Montgomery was well educated and privileged; and was now privileged to occupy a bed in a facility that was a great leveler of humankind!
The two boys were like chalk and cheese physically too. Whilst the Hispanic was a product of a hard world where only the strongest and fittest survived, little Caleb was exactly that; little and a bit chubby; chubby and pale from spending too much time staring at computer screens.
He was pretty small elsewhere as well and, comparing the two teens, chalk and cheese extended down below the navel too!
Circumcision.
It was standard practice here for all those who would need the ring implanting in the correct way. Many in current society were circumcised from birth, though not all. But there are circumcisions and circumcisions. Some were tight, whilst others could be quite loose with the remaining foreskin still rolling over the head. So, without exception, the requirement was that all were circumcised and those previously cut were recut to give each a drum tight outcome.
This proved a little unfortunate for Caleb Montgomery.
Like many others, he had been circumcised at birth and, like all the others in this room that had been previously cut, he'd been pretty SERIOUSLY tightened while they had done the rest of the surgery.
Herein lay a HUGE flaw in his character and self worth. He had - and always had had - a tiny stub of a dick and it was a constant source of embarrassment, humiliation and bullying for him. It was the only reason, he'd convinced himself, that he'd developed a fascination with the male appendage of others.
Why couldn't he just be normal like everyone else?
He'd tried all kinds of things over time; tools to increase his size; tablets that could be purchased over the counter, or the `special guaranteed' ones that could be bought via the HyperNet. None of it worked. He'd regularly stretched the remaining foreskin and over the last couple of years and managed to work it fairly loose - loose enough such that the extra skin at least added to the appearance of length. But it was mostly shaft skin, and the surgical rigs had trimmed it all off... and that some!
The impact on his physical appearance was unfortunate, to say the least.
With the extremely tight circumcision and in an environment where he cool and apprehensive, everything had severely shrunk and his penis was almost buried in the chubby flesh of his groin. As smooth as the day he was born, the remaining inadequate stub peeked out from the ring, which itself sat back close to the minimal root of his member.
Literally, he looked like a BABY!
The facial flush returned and he squirmed in embarrassment as the Attendent tried to tweak his micro-penis out, enough to connect him. To Caleb, it looked like a fleeting smirk cross the guy's face and his humiliation deepened.
"FUCK!!"
Destracted by the expletive, he glanced across to the Hispanic boy from where it came. The guy's face was beginning to flush and an unpleasant grimace crossed his mouth. He stared at him and glanced down to where the umbilical was now controlling the boy, wondering what was happening. He'd read the technical papers and knew the theory, but NEVER expected to EVER see it close up -- not like this!
And then he shuddered.
Whipping his gaze back to his own groin he realised that, in those few distracted moments, he'd actually just been mated to it himself and he bit his lip hard, to stop himself panicking. The Attendent tugged at the collar, now locked to the ring, and used it to pull his stub forward, to free it up a bit.
Theory became real-life experience and, anxiously, Caleb wondered what would happen next. A few moments later his eyes widened and he gasped as the foreplay started.
After mating the first two boys, the Atttendant rapidly worked his way down the two lines of couches to attend to the rest. To speed things up, he tapped the controls of the couch ahead to start setting the stirrups, whilst making the union via the umbilical with the current individual.
One by one, the stirrups positioned them and then their rings were offered up for the unwanted union. In less than a minute, eight out the full twelve were mated and already starting down the road to a new future. Some took it stoically; others cried and begged to be released; more swore and threatened him in all kinds of ways. Of course, they could easily have been medicated and/or quieted by any number of means, but what they didn't realise was that the emotional outbursts just made it easier for the Machine to connect via the clear emotional pathways and subdue them more easily. The shouting and swearing would soon stop when they found themselves struggling to hold on to themselves and to freedom from subjugation to the Machine.
At this point, the Attendant looked over to where the both the older man and the young boy were waiting to be treated. They were along the side wall where he had deliberately placed them some distance from the others. They were special cases and he felt a quite sorry for them both and would try to offer as much extra care if he could.
In his opinion, neither of them should really be here.
The boy was so young...only just turned 12, according to the records. It really disturbed him that, with increasing frequency, the authorities were criminalising them at these early ages. It worried him even more to know that they were frequently administering this final, and quite irreversible, treatment for seemingly minor problems.
Gone were the days where it was only rapists and murderers that were submitted to the touch the Machine. Now, if a kid was still wetting his bed at 13, the SCA representative could suggest that he be delivered to the Centre for Emotional Wellness for correctional treatment. And 'suggest' really meant 'require'! Well, maybe bedwetting was a little too minor, he shrugged to himself, but he wouldn't put it past them! But, crucially, 13 was the age of consent required for the 'Social Care Administrate'. When they reached 13, if the SCA felt something were in the best interest of the child - even if it were to transfer them to this Centre - parents had no legal powers to resist those kinds of orders. Those that persisted in doing so often ended up resting on one of these couches themselves!
But this one was an orphan and, as such, had nobody to speak up for him. Really, he already belonged to the authorities.
So why was he here?
The notes indicated that the boy had run away from the care homes on several occasions and was exhibiting poor behaiour. But he had taken the time to read the full case file and, from what he had discovered, really was it surprising? It was obvious to anyone with an ounce of compassion that the kid was deeply unhappy since his parents had been killed in a house fire. All right, he hadn't had to deal with the boy the last few years, but didn't he just need a bit of love and patience?
The law thought not, or more likely just couldn't be bothered, so they were getting rid of the problem by requiring the kid be treated in this way, alongside thugs and rapists.
The Attendant came over to where the two were waiting; both bound exactly like the others onto their individual treatment couches. The lad glanced up at him anxiously, fearing him as a child would fear the dentist suddenly approaching with a needle. He spoke to the boy kindly, using his name to try and help him stay calm.
"Hi there, Noah," he said softly. "How are you doing?" he added. The boy stared at him speechless and fearful, like a rabbit caught in the headlights. Not knowing what else to say or do, the Attendant decided to press on and activated the control that would drop the stirrups.
"Why are you doing that?" the boy suddenly asked fretfully, finding his voice but also flushing with embarrassment when, as the stirrups began to draw him apart, it showed he was already semi-erect. The lower part of the couch folded down and under and the Attendant came around the end to position himself between the boy's legs to fit the umbilical. He noted the erection, but was unsurprised.
Like a number of the boys lined up today, this one had never been previously circumcised, and the surgery performed on him yesterday now revealed a small glistening acorn shaped glans that, without doubt, would be unusually sensitive. The Attendant knew that the boy's current physical reaction was mostly because of the new sensations in that region -- and that he was young, and sexuality was a probably a new and unexplored experience. Noah was clearly some years from entering puberty, and had no pubic hair yet, although he had still been treated with the laser brushes a couple of days ago to ensure that none would ever grow.
Whilst it was possible that the kid didn't even completely understand what sex was, let alone ever experience orgasm, for the Machine it made no difference. God forbid that they should ever do it, but theoretically, anyone -- even a young toddler -- could be mated to the Machine and their personalities manipulated at will. It actually made no difference to what state of development the sexual organs had matured, as sexuality and sexual response were hard coded into the human psyche and brain function. As long as an access port could be prepared and the plexus of Bio-Fibers grown into the spinal cord and central nervous system, then the Machine could quite easily connect directly to the deep brain, gaining access to nerve complexes and the core primary pleasure tracts that already existed, even in the very young. Those areas would respond and the individual would be forced to experience exactly the same as a mature patient.
Significantly, the boy's current state of arousal made no difference to him either. Gone were the days when, for him, the sight or touch of either male or female genitals created any personal sexual response -- his own journey with the Machine had ensured that! But he was still aware of the boy's sense of discomfort with his new penis, and made no comment to draw further attention to it.
Bizarrely, many men thought that the key to sidestepping an appointment with the Machine was NOT to have a penis! He had heard stories of guys who had surgically removed their appendages in a belief that the Machine would not then be able to touch them. It was a fallacy of course, as the Bio-Fibers could be introduced at a variety of access points on the body in order to be able to create a route to the brain stem. And, if needs be, stem cell advances meant that, with a little time and effort, a new penis could even be grown. It just made more obvious sense to do it through the sexual organs, and it was certainly less obtrusive afterwards.
The Attendant attempted to put the boy at ease. "It's OK Noah, it's just to make you more comfortable." The lad looked dubious - and not surprisingly so as a small boy trying to fit onto an adult sized couch looked anything but comfortable! As the stirrups finished their journey and stretched him either side of the couch, the Attendant decided to pass on Ab-Banding the boy wit the hope that it wouldn't be necessary.
"And now, if you can keep as still as possible, we just need to attach this small device too," he added, as he slipped the umbilical from the post.
"What's that?" the boy demanded suspiciously, beginning to pull against his bonds.
"It's OK -- nothing to worry about. It's just a little collar that we need to fit. It'll only take a moment." If only I can get it on, we can deal with the rest as we go along, the Attendant thought. At that point and with bad timing, the Hispanic teen, Carlos, who had been had been the first to be mated to the Machine cried aloud and thrashed around on his couch.
"MADRE de DIOS!! God...no....please no...." he shouted and, those that were able, looked across to him in alarm. He was concentrating hard and his knuckles were white as they gripped the armrests as he felt the real power of the Machine over his body and mind. This was too much for Noah who shook his head and started crying.
"NO, I don't want it done. Please don't. Just leave me alone. I want to go home...I...I promise not to run away again." He began to become increasingly agitated; to sob and struggle.
The Attendant was helpless to know how to help him. He was only 22 himself and had no family or children of his own. Although he had plenty of experience in this room with men and even teenagers, he was not so good with kids; they were another world to him! He hated to do it, but perhaps there was no other way than strapping the kid down like all the others and just getting on with it?
Then a voice from the next bed stepped in.
"Hey Noah, it's OK - really it is. I'm having it done too, exactly like you are. Why don't we team up and do it together?" the occupant suggested in an easy, relaxed sounding voice. The boy stopped struggling momentarily and looked across to check out the lifeline.
"Tell you what, why don't we go ahead and ask the man to do me first, so you can see how it works?" the stranger suggested. "You can do that, can't you?" he added, looking purposefully at the Attendant. Noah calmed down a bit then and smiled gratefully as the Attendant nodded his agreement. Leaving the boy for the moment, he turned to the older man and began lowering the stirrups; separatIng his legs and showing his limp penis with its embedded sheath and ring.
"Jack," he offered to the Attendant. "My name's Jack...and thanks for being gentle with the boy."
"Jack Clifford. Yes I know," replied the younger man, before quietly adding, "he's too young, Jack. He shouldn't be here, but I don't have any choice, it has to be done. Thanks for watching out for him though - it will really help him through the next 10 minutes or so if you can try to keep him calm."
He looked quickly down the room towards the rest of the patients and pondered a moment before turning back again to Noah and smiling easily. "Tell you what -- there's no hurry. Why don't you two get to know each other for a bit? I just need to attend to the others a few minutes."
Jack nodded as the stirrups finished their cycle, taking him to their final position. The end if the couch dropped away, exposing him completely. As the Attendant moved away, the boy looked at the older man with interest.
"Why don't you have any hair?" he asked frankly.
Jack grinned. Kids asked the most unexpected things sometimes. "You mean down there?" he indicated, with a downward nod of his head as his hands, like the boy's, were immobilised.
The younger boy nodded. "I thought all older guys had hair? My Dad had hair...lots of it, I remember!"
"Well, I certainly used to, Noah," Jack replied, examining himself critically. "Looks like they took it away - I guess it's something they have to do for part of the procedure. It kind of looks a bit weird though," he admitted.
The boy giggled. "It makes you look like me!"
Jack smiled again, delighted to hear the boy laugh, even in these surroundings. "It does doesn't it! Oh well, perhaps it will all grow back soon?" he added hopefully -- as much for himself as for the boy.
In the way that only kids know how, the boy sent in another innocent curved ball. "What did you do? Did you run away too?"
Jack sighed. How do you answer that? In a way, yes it was true he was running away. Running from the pain and memories. He'd spent years avoiding people and blocking out anything that could touch him and reawaken the pain, but there was something about this little guy that called for an answer that meant something.
"I've just been a bit sad recently," he sighed, eventually. "I'm hoping this might help me."
The boy nodded and slumped a bit. "I've been sad too. After Mum and Dad got killed...in a fire, it's been..." he seemed unable to finish and Jack didn't probe, but then the boy continued, almost to himself. "We were at Nan's and ...there was a fire. They took me outside and went back to get Nan...they didn't..." He faltered again, but then kept going, looking up sadly. "People say I'm too bad, so they said I had to come here..."
"What happens here anyway...nobody would tell me? You said something about a procedure...what's that? Do we have to take a test or something? And why is everyone cussing and stuff?"
Jack shook his head in private dismay. How can they do this to a child like this? Now though wasn't the time to tell the boy the full truth of what was about to be done to him, and what it would mean. "Oh, I'm sure they just want to try to help you feel better too, just like me. Everyone here probably needs a little bit of help," he offered lamely.
"Like to stop cussing? Mum and Dad never let me get away with that!"
Jack couldn't help but smile, "Yep, maybe that too!" Gently, Jack asked, "I guess you miss them?"
"Mum and Dad? Yeah....." Noah drew into himself and looked suddenly sad and lost.
"Well perhaps you and I are a lot alike. I lost two people that I loved very much too. Just like you. That's why I've been sad as well. Let's hope this can help both of us."
"You think it really might?"
"Yep, I think so. I know it's all a bit strange, but I think it's worth a try, don't you? Just ignore the guys over there - we'll be a team and help each other. If an oldy like me can do it, then I'm sure an energetic guy like you can breeze through!"
The boy nodded, already beginning to like this man a great deal.
"Hey - I've just had a thought," Jack suggested. "Maybe it is a test and there's a prize at the end for the best one?"
"Ya think so?" replied Noah hopefully. If there was a prize, he was gunning for it!
Just then, after stopping by his main console, the Attendant returned along the row and back towards Noah and Jack. He had directed the Machine to slow down a little on the mental probing with those of the boys that he had already mated. He wanted to buy a few minutes of calm; and time to be able to ease young Noah into what had to be done. He also turned down the main lights a little. A little me-time with their own nemesis wouldn't do those, who were now feeling the touch of the Machine, any harm whatsoever!
"Hello again guys!" he said cheerfully, as he returned to the man and the boy. "So Jack, are you ready? Shall we attach the connector now?"
"I don't know," grinned Jack, "hang on, I'll just confer with the team! Am I ready Noah?"
Noah giggled in delight and nodded enthusiastically. "Yep, I think you're ready...go for it!"
"OK, kind Sir! I'm officially ready...let's go!" Jack winked at the Attendent and beamed widely though, frankly, he was also quite apprehensive as to what this device would do to him. He had read all the articles, both official and non-official about the Machine. He knew there would be some parts that would probably be quite rough. He feared how the boy would do at those moments.
"Watch carefully now Noah, I don't want him making any mistakes with my privates!"
Noah burst into a fit of giggles before settling down to observe. The Attendant quickly withdrew the umbilical and, at another nod from Jack, slipped the collar over his flaccid penis. He held the collar over the embedded ring, at which point the Machine immediately recognised the proximity of the implant and locked into place.
"There we are!" Jack declared officially. "That wasn't too difficult at all!" Frankly he had expected a bit worse.
Then, after a few more moments, as the Machine began gently probing this new subject and stimulating him irresistibly through the sheath, Jack took a sharp intake of breath, groaning ever so slightly as the erection came. As the boy watched, the man's penis responded to the Machines urging, as it slowly lifted and then grew to a full rock hard 7.5 inches. He sighed with obvious pleasure.
"Damn, it hasn't done that in a long, long while!"
--------------------------------------------------------------------------- AGAINST THE MACHINE is a story by Riley Jericho rileyjericho@yahoo.com