Emily 2.0 Ch. 08

"Um… I felt no pain at all as usual, yet I was still conscious of it. Somehow it allowed me to have a deeper sense of him, but I don't mean just in a physical sense. I could feel his pleasure, his essence, if that makes sense? And it was all that mattered in the moment. Oddly I felt aroused by the pleasure I was giving."

"And thus comes the understanding of 'The Gift'," he replied with a smile. "A gift is not a gift if there is no cost to the giver. There must be sacrifice. It can be pain, or discomfort, humiliation, labour, or currency, but there must be some loss incurred. A gift is also not a gift if it is given with the expectation of reward. The reward comes from within, in knowing that the gift has been well received. A reward from the recipient of the gift can also only be given, never earned. Otherwise, it is just trade, and trade turns into negotiation and soon all meaning of the gift is lost. That is the true spirit of 'The Agreement'. As a woman gives up her nature at the cost of self and without expectation of reward, so also a man gives up his nature at the cost of self without expectation of reward. The sacrifice that each provides honours The Agreement and leads to The Way. The Way is our world that you see before you. A world of peace and balance, but a world that only comes through sacrifice and giving. Do you understand?"

"Um… Yes, I think I do. You're saying that women exposing their bodies and allowing them to be used by men goes against their natures and it isn't easy, but if it was then it wouldn't be a gift. Likewise for men. It takes effort for them to give up their time and money, control their instincts and cooperate for the common good. Both pay a price to give those gifts and they are given freely. Otherwise, it would all just be payment for services rendered, which will eventually break down into commerce, greed, and corruption. So, everyone needs to give their best to everyone equally, without any expectation of getting anything back, and that way it all stays in balance and keeps working?"

"That is correct. It was obvious from your first moments here that the way we live was something new to you and you struggled with it. It was something you found extreme and one-sided, yet now you see that it is not, I hope?"

"Wait, are you saying you know I'm not from here?"

"We tracked your ship from the moment it blinked into our plane of existence, yes. We are the Watchers. The keepers of The Agreement. We keep watch for anomalies like you and your crew, and also 4D9Y2Y when she arrived, and we also watch over our governments and municipalities."

"Hey, 7GQ, how are you holding up?" Madison suddenly greeted as she stepped out from the shadows.

"What are you doing here, 4D9?" Emily asked in shock.

"I'm one of them as well," Madison replied with a smile. "Have been for years. I was gonna tell you way back, but it seemed like you were getting it together. I was really surprised to hear that you ended up here, but then I also had to go through this as well not long after I arrived, so it's probably understandable. It can take a bit to get your head around this place and it can be a struggle. I hope you feel a bit differently about things now?"

"Um… yeah, I think I'm going to be ok now," Emily replied.

"Oh, I'm so glad to hear it," Madison responded. "Hey, remember back at the General's soiree before you got preggers when we had that conversation about how all this got started? I wasn't just making shit up then. I was telling you the truth of what actually happened. I was hoping that would be enough to make it click for you without getting to this point. Shall we show her The Agreement, Master?"

"Yes, it is time," the Master replied. "'Come', 7GQA9E and 4D9Y2Y."

They all went out in the main office and then into another room. On the walls were four poster sized documents inside glass enclosures with lights above each one.

"Read it, chica," Madison directed. "Everything's there just as I said. What everyone agreed to sacrifice to make the world a better place, and as crazy as it seems, it totally works."

Emily browsed the aging documents on the wall. It was all there just as Madison had described. The nudity, the commands, even the shaving and the collars. But that was only the first document. The other three were all about the men giving up their natures to work together to change the world from the ground up. It had everything from government to environmental policy, social change, being fathers or having any sense of ownership when it came to women's bodies, while at the same time taking responsibility for their collective welfare. It was like half the world deciding to marry the other half and everyone loving and respecting each other as a group. Every man had billions of wives and every woman had billions of husbands. She couldn't help but marvel that it could be real. That people actually agreed to this and still did. Yet here it was, and all around the world the evidence was undeniable that it had actually worked. Sure, there was still an aspect of submission on behalf of the women, but maybe that was the kicker that men needed to agree to all this. Perhaps it was just as Madison said. Men really did think with their dicks. But it was also evident that even though the women had agreed to this, it didn't make them beholden to any man, or make them their slaves in any sense of the word. It seemed more like the men had merely described the gift they wanted to receive, and the women had agreed to give it.

"And thus it was from the beginning when the first ones arrived nearly five centuries ago," the Master explained. "Our original world had descended into corruption and waste. It was a toxic place, decaying, filthy, intolerant. The people prided themselves in being wilfully ignorant and hateful. It was doomed, so we came here to begin anew by following The Way and honouring The Agreement."

"Yeah, there wasn't a plague or anything," Madison chipped in. "That rumour began way after everyone started to forget how this place got started. They were the first humans here and had to build everything from scratch."

"Yes, we saw no reason to correct the rumour," the Master added. "There are advantages in keeping our true origins concealed from the main population. We have a saying here – 'ignorance is bliss'."

"Oh, we have that one too. I'm not sure I always agree with it, though," Emily replied with a slight frown. "So, what you're telling me is that you came here from somewhere else?"

"Oh, these guys nailed parallel universe theory eons ago," Madison explained. "They came here from another world to start over in a place where they could be free from persecution to build a new society based on The Agreement."

"Ok… So how did you come up with The Agreement anyway?" Emily asked. "Like I see how it works now, but it seems so odd that women would give up their bodily autonomy back then when they couldn't have been certain how it would turn out."

"From what we know, the first ones looked around at the world they came from and decided to do the opposite, or at least the opposite of those things they knew had failed," the Master explained. "They saw how conservatism led to a construct of modesty, which led to lust and jealousy, which led to violence. Coupling was seen as a private matter which led to a sense of possessiveness. Bloodlines led to privilege for some while others were caught in a poverty trap. To build a better world, they needed to start from the beginning with a new set of ethics and a new way of living. However, many scorned the ideas and sought to oppress those who supported them. So, the first ones chose self-exile, built ships, and came here to start anew."

"I can believe that. I can imagine what it would be like if someone suggested all this back on my world," Emily admitted. "So, if you know about parallel universes and came here from another world, you must know how to send us home again then?"

"We know how, but we lack the means," the Master explained. "The ships which the first ones arrived on fell into disrepair, and over time the technology has been forgotten and lost. We were a closed and private society to begin with and sought to be left alone, so no one had any further use for them. Now we seek to explore the multiverse once again. We have been attempting to build new ships but have thus far been unsuccessful. Your ship returned in place of the one we sent on our most recent attempt, but we have heard nothing further from ours."

"Oh, my chief engineer has looked at your hyperdrive system already and he doesn't think it would have worked," Emily responded. "He thinks sadly they would have all perished soon after the drive was engaged."

"Oh, we suspected as much. That is very sad to hear indeed. We have high hopes for your chief engineer's design now, though," the Master replied.

"Well, we know that works already," Emily responded. "We just have no control over where it goes. You guys appear to have that part sorted but you don't have a functioning hyperdrive. If we put our heads together, we could get home again, and you would have the ability to go to other worlds?"

"Yes, we had concealed our knowledge from you and hoped to use your chief engineer's knowledge to build our own ships," the Master explained. "We had fears that our technology in the wrong hands would allow others to come here from your world and disrupt our way of life. Now, though, I think you at least understand our ways and it is time to enter into a spirit of cooperation so that you can return to your world, and we can commence scientific exploration once again."

I can go home?? Wear clothes again???

Strangely she realised that her secondary reaction after the initial elation at the thought of wearing clothes again was a sense of sadness. She thought about leaving Madison behind, and that she had a child somewhere here. Sure, she would probably never meet that child, but it still meant that she had roots here now. Also, everything she'd been through, including the last few weeks, would be for nothing? Especially after learning the truth about this place just today and finally feeling like she had an understanding of it. She'd also just learned a new technique that would allow her to experience joy and fulfilment in the things she had to do as a woman here. Oddly, she had been looking forward to trying it all out to see if she now thought like an Earth 2 woman at last. Now, though, she could just turn her back on it all and go home? She could wear clothes again at last?

What else was holding her here? She was still a captain on Earth 1. If she remained after the other crew members returned, she would be AWOL and they may well come looking for her. She was still duty-bound to go home if there was a way to do so.

She thought about home. She could just imagine being in her apartment again, wearing clothes, but then also hearing sirens and the occasional gunshot in the background, and jogging on a treadmill because it wasn't safe for a woman to be alone in the street. Here she could walk around naked without some dickhead cat-calling her or asking her to smile. Sure, she'd be asked to couple regularly, but put in the context of that being a gift that she gave rather than something that was taken from her against her will…

She remembered what it was like to worry about money, or where she might live or how to make rent once her term of duty was completed. Here, there was none of that. All she had to do was walk around naked and have sex with anyone who asked… That wasn't easy. But again, when put in the context of her body being a gift that she gave, a gift that certainly came with some sacrifice, but one that she gave of her own free will, perhaps it was worth it?

But this wasn't her home. Up until today she knew without any doubt that she didn't belong here. She hated it. It was all just temporary, and it was horrible. A perverted existence in a perverted world that she was stuck in. What if this new knowledge and the technique she had just learned failed and she was back thinking like that again tomorrow? And then there was the chance to be covered again…

OMG clothes!

She realised much to her surprise that she had a foot in both camps, and she would feel regret and maybe even suffer negative consequences whichever way she chose. It was still some time away yet before she would have to decide. Even longer if Collingwood was kept in the dark for a while yet… The prick deserved it, and it would give her more time in this world to experience her new way of thinking.

"I feel we can trust you, 7GQA9E. You are now also a Watcher," the Master announced. "Welcome to the truth!"

"Oh… um... ok thank you, Master. Does that mean I can't tell anyone about this?" Emily responded, hoping deep down that would be the case so she could delay telling Collingwood, and have a little longer before she would have to make a decision.

"Our existence is not a secret to those in power," the Master explained, "but to others it is best we remain cloaked until it is necessary to reveal ourselves, such as in your case."

"Should I tell Collingwood about your knowledge and technology?" Emily asked, to ensure that her desire to keep Collingwood in the dark for a while yet was what the Master wanted as well.

"When you feel he is ready, yes," the Master replied. "At the moment he has an open mind, but he is only in this world, not of it yet. He must learn our ways and fully accept them before he can be trusted with everything as you are."

"I should probably find a way to talk to him then," Emily considered. "I'm not sure he deserves it, though."

"That is your first task as a Watcher," the Master informed her. "Teach him our ways and how to give and receive the gifts. Once he has accepted them, only then should he learn the whole truth."

"Oh ok… thank you, Master. I'll do my best," Emily replied.

The Master smiled and nodded.

"Waddya say we get you cleaned up and hit the pub?" Madison suggested. "Maybe chill at yours for a bit and get some dinner before we head out?"

"If there are no further questions?" the Master asked.

"Um… what about this building?" Emily asked, as she thought about some of the many things that had gone through her mind in the hours of standing in the store window. "It looks like a department store, which would predate a world without women's clothing wouldn't it? How can that be if you've always lived under the Agreement here?"

"It is a front for what really goes on inside," the Master admitted. "It is one of the oldest buildings in this city and was constructed based on a design from our old world. It is intended to be misleading as kind of an inside joke, which you now appreciate, I am sure. It is a design which you now know would never have been used for its intended purpose."

"Ok, so just how old are you then?" Emily asked. "Are you one of the original Watchers?"

"Oh, surely not," the Master replied with a chuckle. "No, we recruit from time to time and successors are chosen. You may even become a Master one day if you choose to stay and become adept in The Way, 7GQA9E."

"Oh ok, just thought I'd ask. It seems like you've been around here a while and you guys have technology well beyond ours in the medical sciences. No one here really looks as old as they are."

"Thank you, 7GQA9E," the Master replied, still smiling. "I have been around for some time but not quite that long."

"Thank you, Master."

Emily had a lot to think about, not least of all her butt right now. After spending some time on the toilet, she and Madison caught a cab back to the women's quarters where she was finally able to take a shower and then spend some time over a few drinks considering all of this further. Well, that's if Madison let her stop laughing for a minute.