The G. M. Os. - 25. Chapter 25 - Pablo

Chapter 25
Ship Clock 262947
Donaldus (Don) 00-893m
Pablo

 

“Well, Pablo, what can I do for you today?” Don asked the young man sitting on the exam table. There was something about the nondescript man that caused Don to think of Gene. He couldn’t exactly say what that was, but there seemed to be some kind of familiarity about him.

“I hurt, Doc, and I think you’re my only hope,” Pablo said with half smile.

“Where is the pain?”

“Right here,” Pablo said, placing his fingers over his heart. He then pointed down at his crotch, he said, “and down here, too.”

“Okay, what’s going on, you can’t hurt in those two places at the same time.”

“I do and you’re the only one who can help.”

“You know, Pablo, I’m a very busy man and I don’t have time for foolish games. What’s the deal?”

“Okay, okay, I’ll tell you, but I don’t want any excuses from you. I’ve seen you around the commune for the past twenty years, from when I came here, and I know you don’t date any women. And you don’t date any men, either.”

“So, what business is that of yours? I live my life the way I want; I don’t need you to come in here and tell me I should be dating someone from the dormitories.”

“Hey, don’t get mad at me. I’m the one with the pain in my heart.”

“What about your groin. What’s hurting down there, your, cock?”

“As a matter of fact, it is, and that’s why I’m in here talking to you. I work a lot up at Peter’s orchard and I’ve seen you at your rez; also, a few times on Stefansday afternoon and Diosday morning helping to pick fruit. Would you be interested if I said I’d like to get to know you better?”

“Look, I’m a professional, a doctor, I have mothers who bring their kids in to see me, and…,”

“And, you’re afraid somebody is going to say something. Well, nobody is going to because everybody here at the commune thinks you’re gay. And that certainly hasn’t stopped any of the mothers bringing in their kiddies to see you. What do you do when they do? I bet you handle it the same way my doctor did when I was a kiddie. Mom came in and watched; especially when he gave me physicals and touched me down there. What’s your next excuse?”

“You’re probably not going to like it, but I’m a top. I don’t do versatile, I don’t like frottage, and I don’t put cocks in my mouth.”

“What a coincidence, Doctor Don, I’m a bottom and I do put cocks in my mouth. Next excuse.”

“Someday, I want to have children, maybe two boys.”

“Two boys, huh? I had a sister, she was a little bitch and then she grew up to be a big bitch. Two boys sound good. How about supper tonight? I’m supposed to be working up in Peter’s orchard right now, so I’ll be up there when you get home. How about it?”

“Okay, Pablo, you’ve got a date. There are a couple chairs in my backyard; I probably won’t be home until after seven.”

“That’s okay, we usually quit around seven.”

“What kind of meat do you like?”

“I don’t eat a lot of meat, but a little chicken is okay. Unless, you have fish, I like fish.”

“Coincidentally, I do have fish. Catfish is in season, I’ll thaw some fillets.”

“Good, it’s a date. Can I ask you one more question?”

“What?”

“How long has it been since you were with man?”

“A hundred sixty-seven years.”

“That’s a long time.”

“Yes, it is. Why do you ask?”

“Well, you don’t date, I was just wondering?”

“Well, I do have a date tonight. So, I guess I can reset the clock to zero.”

“Yes. I’ll either see you then, when you get home, or when I get off work, and we’ll reset your clock.”

“Sounds good; see you later, Pablo.”

“See you later.”

Pablo walked out the door, leaving Don to his thoughts. A hundred sixty-seven years was a long time to go without being with a man. Would Pablo like the way he liked to fuck? If Pablo was a true bottom, he probably wouldn’t mind. He would take it however he got it. What would it be like, having a man in his bed every night? What would it be like to wake up in the morning with a man in his bed? He had never had that experience. It was always just for a few hours after hooking up at the bar. Gerry was nice. Yeah, Gerry was a good fuck, liked it a bit rough, too. Would Pablo like it a bit rough? Probably best to start out rough and then ease back a bit. Depended on how much Pablo responded, didn’t it? None of that namby-pamby don’t want to hurt you too much shit, no go for the full effect right off, see what Pablo was made of. See if he would be welcome back, see if he would want to stay, and see if maybe he could get on at Peter’s on a semi-permanent basis. Yes, see what kind of bottom Pablo was.

********

Don’s speeder coasted down into his parking spot and settled down onto its landing gear. He jumped out, went up to the door, and straight inside. When he got out back there was no sign of Pablo. He checked his watch, it was 19:37. He sighed and went back into the rez and went toward the bedroom. So much for a date; Pablo must have gotten cold feet, maybe he wasn’t that much of a bottom. There was a knock on a door. He went to the front door and opened it. There was a boy standing on the porch; it was Tomas, one of Ben and Peter’s boys.

“Hi, we heard you come in. Peter sent me to get you. Pablo is over at our rez. Ben is going to grill some salmon. Do you want to change out of your work clothes or are you coming over now? I was supposed to ask.”

“Tell them I’ll be over as soon as I change and freshen up a bit. Do you like Pablo?”

“Oh, yes, he’s nice. I’ve met him before up in the orchard. Thomas doesn’t like him. He said he’s a poof. Ben made him stand in a corner for a full hour. You wouldn’t happen to know why Ben would do that, would you?”

“Yes, I do, but I think you’re a little too young for me to say and besides I would suggest you ask Ben or Peter.”

“Does it have anything to do with the fact they’re gay? I know they are because why wouldn’t they be? I heard them once at night when I was little. I had to get up to pee and I heard them doing it. I heard Ben say, ‘oh, Peter, suck me, take me deep.’ Please don’t tell I told you.”

“How old were you when you heard that?”

“Nine. I think they were having oral sex.”

“Hmm, well, does Ben or Peter know you know about men having oral sex?”

“No, I don’t think so. When I use my module, I make sure I erase the history and cache.”

“Sneaky little bugger, aren’t you?”

“I’m a child; children don’t have to tell their parents everything. So, what’s a poof?”

“It’s like calling a man a queer.”

“That’s bad! You can get in trouble with the bots if they know you say something like that. That’s almost like being a macho.”

“Yes, okay, Tomas, you go tell them I’ll be right over.”

“Can I wait for you? Promise, I’ll shut my eyes if you undress to take a shower.”

“You know, Tomas, I really do think you should go home, now.”

“But, how am I ever going to know what an adult male’s penis looks like?”

“When you’re sixteen look down when you undress to take a shower, I think you’ll have a pretty good idea what an adult male’s penis looks like.”

“Wait! It’s always wait until you’re older. Well, I’m not going to wait. I’m going to find a man around here who will show me his. And I won’t care what I have to do to him to make him show me. You just wait, you’ll see.”

“Okay, Tomas, you’ve hit the limit. I’m taking you home, now.”

Don grabbed the boy’s hand and practically pulled him off the porch. He kept pulling all the way over to his rez and out to the backyard. Ben was mixing a drink and Peter was talking to Pablo.

“Hey, there you are, we were wondering what happened to Tomas,” Peter said.

“Yeah, well, I don’t think he quite knows what’s going to happen next,” Don said. “Which of you is the punisher?”

“We both are,” Peter said. “Why?”

“Inside, this is not for public consumption. Come on, Tomas; time to meet your doom.”

Don pulled the boy inside after Peter and told the boy to shut the door.

“I think your bedroom is probably the best place to handle this,” Don said.

“Why, what did Tomas do, this time?” Peter asked.

“Okay, Tomas, tell your father what you said to me.”

“Do I have to?”

“Yes.”

“Well, Peter, I told Doctor Don, that I wanted to see, uh, do I have to say?”

“Yes. Come on boy, it’s burning a hole in your gut and you’ve got to get it out.”

“Well, you see Peter, I want to see what a man’s penis looks like and I told Doctor Don that I would find a man here at the commune who would show me his and that I would do anything that man wanted me to do so that he would show me his penis.”

“I see. Well, it’s obvious you don’t remember being a little twenty-five-year-old boy, just age five when you came to this house and saw Ben and me naked.”

“I did? That was a long time ago; I’m supposed to remember that?”

“Thank you, Don, for bringing this to my attention. Come on little boy, we’re going to your bedroom.”

“You’re not going to hit me, are you?”

“No, I’m not going to hit you. In your room, now!”

Don went back outside, went to the bar and poured a couple shots of rye into a tumbler; paused a moment and added a couple of ice cubes. He went over to where Ben and Pablo were talking and took a swallow of the whiskey.

“What was that all about?” Ben asked.

“You’ll have to talk to Peter,” Don said. “Just a bit of a problem with Tomas, but I think Peter will handle it.”

“What did he do?”

“Talk to Peter. I’ve brought the matter to his attention and trust he will take care of it as any parent should in a case such as this.”

“Well, if you’ll excuse me, I have to find out now; I’ll be back,” Ben said.

“Anything I need to know?” Pablo asked.

“No, a doctor-patient issue.”

“Oh, a secret, I understand.”

“If we get this on, I won’t be bringing my work home.”

“Unless, it really, really troubles you and you need a hug, but I won’t ask what it is. Maybe, you’ll just need a big, hard fuck. I sometimes like it a bit rough.”

“What a coincidence, so do I.”

“Oh?”

“Problem?”

“No, thanks for letting me know. Do you like to pre-function?”

“Yes, very much.”

“Good.”

“But, don’t try to get me off, that won’t do.”

“No, I suppose it won’t. Can I ask what I’ll be getting, not that you have to tell me if you don’t want to.”

“Long, not too thick.”

“Oh, like them like that, actually. Long I mean.”

“You wouldn’t have liked my father’s.”

“Oh, Gene?”

“No, Abe.”

“Oh, yes, that kind of makes sense, in a way. Gene seems to like me, a lot. Maybe it’s a professional thing.”

“I wouldn’t know how they go. That subject never came up, but I do know they fuck, a lot, and a bit rough sometimes.”

“Heard them, did you?”

“Oh, yes, my bedroom was across the hall. My sister’s was down by the mudroom. I don’t think she could hear.”

“Oh, thanks, I guess it’s a good thing you didn’t inherit it from your father, then.”

“No, I didn’t.”

“You drink rye all the time?”

“No, just when I’m upset. Usually have a couple very, very dry martinis.”

“Not much vermouth, then.”

“No, don’t even have a bottle of vermouth. Even if I did, I wouldn’t let them stand next to each other.”

“I prefer mine just a bit dry, maybe a dash of vermouth. Would you consider having a bottle in the refrigerator?”

“No, that’s where I keep the gin. You could put it in the liquor cabinet, though.”

“Thanks.”

“You know, I’ve been thinking of us, but I’m not sure if I want to go so far as having to get the mark.”

“Oh, you don’t have to; at least, I don’t think you have to. They stopped doing that in the cities before I left. Something about not allowing the machos to know right off who’s gay or lesbian. Before I left, I heard they even had a procedure to remove the marks they gave from before. You’re a doctor, you should check it out.”

“Thanks, I will. Oh, here’s Peter, I wonder where Ben is?” Don said. “Hey Peter, is everything okay?”

“Yes, I gave him a little show and tell, but Ben is giving him a little bit of the inquisition. He’s good at that. Pablo, can I refresh your drink?”

“No, I can do it.”

“No, you stay here and chat. Whiskey, soda, no ice, right?”

“Yes, thank you.”

“Whiskey and soda, no ice? What are you, macho man?”

“No, I go both ways, sometimes. Depends on what kind of mood I’m in.”

“And, what kind of mood are you in?”

“Being the best bottom you ever fucked.”

“Sounds nice. I wonder where Thomas is, have you seen him?” Don asked.

“Ben said he’s supposed to be working on schoolwork. Been goofing off a bit, I guess. Oh, here’s Ben.”

“So, how’s is it going?” Don asked.

“Tomas will not be asking any men to show him theirs, no matter what he offers to do. Did he tell you what he knows about sex?”

“A bit, why did he tell you?”

“No, what did he tell you? I’m the parent here, I have to know.”

“He’s been looking up stuff about sex on his module. Found a bit about oral sex, confirmed what he once heard you and Peter doing.”

“When was that?”

“He said when he was nine.”

“I see, maybe it’s time for that little chat. That’s Peter’s forte.”

“I understand Thomas has a bit of a problem with inappropriate language. Having a trouble with that? You know, if it gets around, you might get a visit from bots you don’t want to talk to.”

“No, I think we’ve got it taken care of, if not, well, maybe a month, or so, in detention will straighten him out. I could always notify the court that we’re having a bit of a problem. I’ve heard they’re more than willing to do their part if a parent calls.”

“Yes, that’s true. I’ve suggested that a couple of times since I’ve been here. It seems like around eleven to almost fourteen is when the problems usually arise. Parents tell me it does wonders for a child. The bots are just naturally ruthless. It’s in their programming I think. Gene and Abe have told me quite a few horror stories about how bots treat children, certainly straightened me out.”

“Well, if what I’ve done doesn’t seem to be working maybe I’ll do that. I just wish there was something I could do about his tiredness all the time. He just doesn’t seem to have any energy. He’s supposed to be doing his homework right now, but I caught him sleeping on the floor by his module. It looked like he fell out of his chair. What do you think?”

“Bring him down in the morning and we’ll do a workup on him. Maybe he has a bit of an anemia problem.”

“You sure that’s necessary? I could just give him an extra vitamin and mineral tablet. He’s already getting one and it’s high in iron, too.”

“Hmm, can’t tell, we’ll take some blood and see what’s going on.”

“Don’t you hate it when a doctor just ‘hmms’?” Pablo asked.

“We learn that in medical school,” Don said.

Peter came out of the house with Tomas following close behind. Thomas was not with them. Peter made himself a drink, while Tomas poured some fruit juice in a glass. Tomas went over and sat in one of the lawn chairs, while Peter walked over to where the other men were standing.

“Did you tell Thomas to get back to work?” Peter asked.

“Yes, he was asleep on the floor. I woke him up and he went back to work. Why? Did you check on him?”

“He was asleep with his head on the keyboard. The module was screaming in agony.”

“Asleep, again? Does Thomas fall asleep a lot during the day? Has school said anything?” Don asked.

“Well, the teacher said he always seems very tired as if he didn’t get any sleep at night,” Peter said. “What do you think?”

“Hmm, don’t know. I told Ben to bring him in tomorrow morning and we’ll do some blood tests. If they’re okay, we’ll have to send him to the med center in Central City to do a sleep study. Falling asleep and falling out of the chair could mean a sleep disorder. Don’t worry, it can be treated and if the bots check him out they might be able to surgically repair his brain. But, first, we need to check his blood and rule out anemia. Then we’ll proceed to check other things. Do you mind if I go in and talk to him?”

“No, go right ahead,” Ben said.

Don went into the rez and walked down the hall to Thomas’s room. The boy was lying on the floor, asleep. Don knelt down and jostled the boy’s shoulder.

“Huh, oh, sorry, did I fall asleep, again?” Thomas asked.

“Having a bit of trouble with sleepiness?” Don asked.

“Yeah, just can’t seem to keep my eyes open. I fall sometimes, too. The kids at school make fun of me. My teacher sends me to the assistant principal to get swats. What’s wrong with me?”

“Tomorrow, Ben or Peter will be bringing you down to the clinic and we’ll draw some blood. We’ll find out what’s wrong with you. Don’t worry, I’m sure it’s not anything that we can’t fix. So, how is everything else going? Having trouble keeping up with school?”

“Yeah, can’t pay attention, too sleepy.”

“Okay, I think we’ll have to have a little chat with your school. They should’ve let someone know what’s going on. Thomas? Thomas? Hey! Wake up, boy. Come on, open your eyes.”

“What happened, did I fall asleep, again. Can I lie down?”

“Okay, go over on your bed and have a nice long nap. I’ll come back in an hour or so and check on you.”

Thomas lay down and Don went back outside, but instead of going over to where the men were standing, he sat down next to Tomas. “So, your brother is having a bit of trouble at school, is he? Why haven’t you mentioned this to your dads?”

“I don’t know, you’re not mad again, are you?”

“No, just wondering how the two of you get along.”

“We’re okay, he has his friends, and I have mine. Why is there something wrong with not hanging with my brother?”

“No, just checking.”

“What’s wrong with Thomas?”

“Oh, could be a number of things, we’ll just have to check him out. Oh, I just want to be certain you’re not going to be going around looking for a pervert to mess with you. You get that settled?”

“Yeah, I’m cool.”

“Good, but let me or your dads know if you have any more questions about sex, okay?”

“Sure, I can do that.”

Don stood up and went over to the men. He got back into the conversation circle and eventually Ben started the grill, while Peter went in and checked on the baked potatoes, salad, and dressing. Everybody, except Thomas sat down to supper. Don was a bit worried, but neither Ben nor Peter seemed to be concerned that their son was not at the table, telling him this had been going on for some time. Half way through the meal, Don excused himself and went into Thomas’s room and saw that the boy was still asleep. He went over, sat down, and jostled the boy’s shoulder.

“Huh, oh, hi, is supper ready?”

“We’re halfway through, better get up and fix yourself a plate. Do you ever have trouble carrying a plate to the dining table?”

“Sometimes.”

“Okay, I’ll help.”

********

Don was startled awake in the morning before the alarm was supposed to wake him. Then he felt the warm sensation of a mouth working over his hard cock. He shut his eyes and thought back to the night when he and Pablo returned from Ben and Peter’s.

He undressed Pablo and then took his clothes off. He felt the man’s not overly small cock, bringing it up to a hardness that he felt was acceptable. They kissed for a long time, getting used to each other’s mouth and tongue. Pablo had an incredibly long one that easily reached to Don’s throat. It was a highly erotic feeling.

Don briskly pinched Pablo’s nipples causing him to gasp. He moved around to the back and began kissing Pablo’s neck. Soft moans encouraged him to move down to the shoulders. Then he went for that spot just below the underarms where some people are very ticklish, but others experience an excruciating pain. Pablo gasped and audibly hissed as Don pressed that spot. He knew the other’s erection had been lost and he knew he was now in total control.

He lowered himself until he could bury his mouth between Pablo’s ass cheeks. Tongue and lips went to work readying that spot for the coming assault. For a moment he reached around and felt Pablo’s regained erection. Don squeezed the man’s balls hard, stood up and plowed full into Pablo. He pulled back on the man’s hips, slapped the thighs, reached up and pressed that spot, all the while thrusting long and deep. He kept it up, continuing the assault until he felt himself beginning. Then he grabbed a handful of hair and pulled the head back. The excitement of being in control of another man pushed Don over the edge causing him to nearly collapse to the floor, but regained his balance for a moment, then Don uncontrollably fell to his knees and over onto his side. He lay there looking up at Pablo who straddled him and pleasured himself. Don didn’t know what was going to happen until come splattered down onto his neck and face. Then he knew Pablo was going to be very different from all his previous lovers. This would be their special bond.

Now, Don lay with his eyes closed. The pleasant memories of the previous night passed through his mind. Never before had he ever slept with another man in his bed. And this morning the sensation of Pablo sucking his cock was more than Don could stand. He felt himself going over the edge, but Pablo had another idea when he grabbed Don’s balls and squeezed them. He gasped, afraid he would lose his hardness, but he just had the most incredible orgasm.

“Morning, lover,” Don said. “You certainly know how to wake a man up.”

“Did you like it?”

“Yes, especially that surprise at the end.”

“I like doing that; it’s such a surprise. Did I surprise you?”

“Yes.”

“Good; what’s for breakfast?”

“Two fried eggs, two strips of bacon, two pieces of whole wheat toast with butter and blackberry jelly, and one cup of dark roasted coffee; that’s what I’m fixing. I don’t have anything else, unless you don’t want that much. That’s all I can offer.”

“How long have you been having that for breakfast?”

“Ever since I moved here.”

“A hundred sixty-seven years, that’s a long time.”

“No, five hundred eighty-nine years, ever since I came here from the rearing center.”

“You know, if I’m going to be around here for breakfast, I might want to make us something else.”

“Okay, you can scramble the eggs.”

“Sausage?”

“Okay, sausage, too, but you know if you’re going to be here to fix breakfast you’d better ask Peter, Abe, and Willy if you can come on as a permanent farm worker up here. I know they would all appreciate it.”

“Hey, that’s a good idea; I’ll ask Peter this morning. So, do you want me to move in after just one fuck?”

“Why not; you were a good fuck. I wouldn’t mind having your ass around here on a permanent basis.”

“Are you proposing, already?”

“No, give it a few months. If the spark lights the flame, then we can move into a regular partnership; you up here working on the farms and me down at the clinic.”

“And, meeting in the middle for a good fuck, huh?”

“Yeah, a good fuck.”

********

Don came out of his office at the clinic and saw a waiting room full of mothers with a kid or two, a couple farmers, a few dormitory workers, and Ben and Thomas.

“Ben, I’ll see you and Thomas now,” Don said.

“Hey, I had a 07:00 appointment,” a mother said.

“Emergencies come first, ma’am.”

“Oh, sure, I understand.”

“Come along gentlemen,” Don said leading them back into the nether reaches of the clinic. A nurse practitioner came down the hall and Don said, “Lynda, sort them out and put the important ones in the front exam rooms. It looks like we’re going to be behind for a while.”

“Yes, Doctor, we’ll get through. It’s just the morning rush.”

“Oh, and Thomas here will need a blood draw, full workup. I don’t know what I’m looking for. I’ll send him out front when we’re through.”

“Ben, Thomas, we can go in here,” Don said as he opened a door. “Thomas, take off your shoes and coveralls and get up on the table. Now, let’s take a look at you. You know, Ben, I never realized how small Thomas is. He’s kind of on the skinny, too.”

“He doesn’t eat much.”

“Thomas, good nutrition is important for a boy your age. Now’s the time a body starts changing into a man with stronger bones and bigger muscles. My first prescription is for you to eat everything you can.”

“If I can stay awake, I will.”

“Yes, so, how did you sleep last night?”

“Woke up a few times, I have the weirdest dreams, sometimes they’re really scary. Like last night a security bot came to school and took me to a building somewhere I don’t think I’ve ever been. I could even hear it talk to me. It wasn’t saying nice things about me.”

“Hmm, well, that could be something, but let’s take a look and start to rule out other things, first. Had a cough recently, the sniffles?”

“No.”

“Your lymph nodes are a little swollen. Nothing to worry about, now. Take off your t-shirt and lay down on the table. Yes, a little swelling here, too. Abdomen sounds okay, don’t feel any obvious masses. Now, Thomas, I want you to push your undershorts down.”

“Dad, do I have to?”

“Do as Doctor Don told you.”

“Well, okay, but I don’t want you to touch me.”

“Can’t examine you if I can’t touch you.”

“You better not touch my penis; I’ll tell the bots if you do. I’m not having some weirdo pervert getting his jollies by touching me. Dad?”

“Thomas, just shut up.”

“I don’t have to and you can’t make me. I’m going to tell on you. I’m going to, I’m …”

“What did he do?” Ben asked.

“Looks like he got a little stressed and fell asleep. Well, that makes this part easy. Penis is too small.”

“Too small?”

“I think we need to get him into pediatrics in Central City. They might have to put him on hormones; that’ll get him up to something close to the lower end of average. Let’s see what else we’ve got down here. Oh, oh, only one testicle. Let’s see if it’s close. No, wait, ah, here it is. I’ll definitely put that referral in to the pediatrics department at the med center.”

“Does that have anything to do with his sleeping?”

“No, completely separate. Though, the swollen lymph nodes do worry me. Well, lots of blood today, then we can start ruling some things out. His size might have something to do with it, though. I’m not an expert so I can only speculate. Thomas? Thomas, wake up.”

“Huh, what happened? Did I fall asleep, again?”

“Yes, pull up your undershorts and put the rest of your clothes on. I’ve finished with you, time to go meet our vampire.”

“Any other ideas on what else might be going on?” Ben asked

“Yes, but we’ll let him go into the lab first; then we’ll talk.”

Don followed them down the hall and he showed Thomas into the lab. He introduced him to the lab technician. He went back out and took Ben into his office. He shut the door and looked at the worried parent.

“What’s on your mind?” Ben asked. “What do you think’s going on with Thomas.”

“Well, it’s too early to speculate, but the sudden way he fell asleep when he got stressed may indicate narcolepsy or he could just be overly tired because he doesn’t get enough sleep at night. Maybe, he’s anemic. One thing does worry me, though. He seemed to be overly afraid that I might touch him. I want him to get in with one our local child psychologists, preferably one of the women. I’ll send in a referral and have her contact you.”

“You think someone’s been abusing him?”

“Maybe, but who; we don’t know. Maybe, if we give him someone to talk to, someone he can trust, you might be able to find out what’s going on with him. I was surprised he was so afraid I might touch him and then the way he threatened you. That’s not right, even for a boy his age. No, something’s going on and you need to find out what it is. For the time being I want you to take him home and keep him quiet today.”

“Can he go out with me to the orchard? Peter needs help with the apricots.”

“Sure, but keep a close eye on him. If he falls down and goes to sleep, make him comfortable and let him sleep awhile. Long naps are better than short ones. Okay?”

“Sure, Don. So how are you and Pablo getting along?”

“Nice to have a man around the rez.”

“Think it might go further?”

“I told him to check with Peter, Abe, and Willy about coming on as a permanent worker.”

“That would certainly make it permanent. Sure you’re not rushing this?”

“Yes, I am rushing this; it’s been too long without a man. I’m acting silly about it.”

“Thought so, well, you’d better get back to your patients. See you this evening for drinks?”

“Sure, see you then.”

********

That evening Don lay down on the bed after his shower and reached over with his left hand to touch Pablo’s hand. They had had what Don would call a long slow fuck with lots of kissing and touching with fingers. It was a gift to Pablo to show that he could be nice once in a while. He purposely let it be enjoyably calm as a soft breeze rustling through an orchard. And, now, they lay beside each other not wanting to speak, just savoring the afterglow of a good night of overly pleasant sex.

“You’d better pull up the covers and get to sleep,” Pablo said. “Did you set the alarm?”

“Didn’t need it this morning,” Don whispered, not wanting to ruin the moment. “Had a nice wake-up call.”

“Had a good, hard day at work, might not wake up early enough.”

“I can’t reach it when I hold your hand.”

“Let go.”

“No, don’t want to. You’re too nice to me; don’t want to let you go.”

“Well, then, I’ll move it over to my side. Let go!”

“No! Kiss me, first, then I’ll let go.”

Pablo rolled over toward Don, forcing him to break his grip. Their kiss was deep and full of the passion of new lovers. There was a sense of permanence in Don’s mind and he dreaded the prospect of ever losing this man. If love at first fuck was true, then he knew he was in love with the man who was taking over his heart.

“I’m back; I hope the clock didn’t lose too much time when I moved it.”

“It has a battery backup.”

“When did you last change it?”

“Don’t have to; the battery recharges off of line voltage.”

“How do you use it?”

“When it goes off in the morning I turn it off and then back on. That way I don’t have to remember to set it at night.”

“Nice trick; where did you learn how to do that?”

“My Father.”

“Abe?”

“No, Abe is Abe, Gene is Father. Don’t worry, that’s just the way it works.”

“Oh, okay. How did he learn how to do that?”

“Abe taught him. When Father came here he didn’t know how to use an alarm clock. His parents never taught him how and just got in the habit of waking him up in the morning. Rather pathetic if you ask me.”

“Hmm, interesting.”

“Uh, uh, you can’t use ‘hmm’ here. That’s mine.”

********

Three weeks later as Don was walking out of the clinic to get into his speeder, he saw a security bot standing next to it. There was a security speeder a few meters away. As he was sure he hadn’t done anything to anger the bots, he didn’t have a clue why they were here.

“Are you Donaldus 00-893M?” the bot asked.

“Yes.”

“You will come with us voluntarily, or otherwise.”

“What have I done?”

“No talking, no resistance, no undo actions that may be interpreted as being an attempt to escape. Get into the speeder.”

Don climbed up and sat in the one human adapted seat. He fastened his belts and was shocked when a black bag was dropped over his head. They were being awfully nice about it, but obviously they were arresting him. Why, he still didn’t know, but was certain he would find out.

The flight was long, longer than he expected. They certainly weren’t taking him the Ring 5 Bot Security headquarters in Central City because, although he couldn’t actually see where they were going, they hadn’t bound his hands or legs. This was a voluntary arrest, but what had he done?

The speeder slowed and seemed to be dropping in a nose down attitude. Then there was the sound of an echo from the speeder’s thrusters. They were taking him underground, but where? The speeder coasted to a stop and the bag was removed from his head. He was inside some sort of hangar and over by a door there were six bots he couldn’t recognize.

The security bot turned its head round and said, “Leave the vehicle. We were only sent to deliver you. No talking, no resistance, no attempt to escape.”

Don climbed out of the speeder and was immediately surrounded by those other bots. His hands were pulled behind his back and he felt handcuffs locking onto his wrists. He heard the clatter of shackles on the green, artificial stone floor and felt them lock onto his ankles.

“Forward, no talking, no resistance, and no undo attempts to delay your entry into this facility,” a bot said.

Don shuffled along through the door with two bots in front of him, two bots on either side, and he assumed two bots behind. They all walked along at his pace, which was slow considering the shackles on his ankles. They came to a bay of elevators and got on one. There was the sensation of going down. How many floors, he had no idea. The elevator stopped and he walked out behind the two bots in front. They went down a long hall and then he heard something he didn’t want to hear, the sound of someone screaming. It was the scream of someone in painful agony; the scream of someone being tortured. His stomach dropped and he felt as if he would vomit.

They stopped at a solid, gray metal door, which opened and the two front bots went inside. He followed and heard bots follow him.

“Release his cuffs and shackles,” a bot said. “Strip human.”

Don took off his clothes and put them in a pile.

“Over here, human,” a bot said. “Stand with your back to the wall. Stretch out your arms. Lock his wrists in the bindings. Spread your legs, human. Lock his ankles in the bindings. Good luck, human.”

The bots left Don attached to the wall. He didn’t know why he was going to be tortured, but was plainly clear that was what was going to happen. The door opened and two bots walked in, followed by a man, probably in his thirties. He stood before Don and asked, “When did you make the acquaintance of Pablo 22-436k? Careful with your answer, we can check.”

“Three weeks ago he came to the clinic pretending he was a patient so he could ask me to date him.”

“Very good, Donaldus, or do you prefer to be called something else?”

“Don works.”

“Very good, I am Henrius 41, I am your interrogator. The bots are my assistants. They check records and administer pain. Don, do you know what a pedophile is?”

“Yes, I was abused at my rearing center and spent quite a few years under psychiatric care.”

“You did?”

“Yes, it’s in my record.”

“Bot 3493, check his medical record, back around 262349. Is that about when you came to Eden Commune?”

“Yes, 262349; it would have been in Janus. My first psychiatrist was a macho and was arrested.”

“Donaldus 00-893m, was a patient of Jeroldus 36-348y, who was identified as a macho. He did not cooperate and was killed. Then Donaldus 00-893m was a patient of Benjaminus 45-397w. He was treated every three weeks for fifteen years. Outcome was good, prognosis was excellent, and there was never an incident of abuse on his person ever again.”

“Thank you Bot 3493.”

“I serve at your pleasure.”

“Don, why did you not suspect Pablo was a pedophile?”

“He’s gay or at least he certainly acts gay. Homosexuals usually aren’t pedophiles. Their actions are not based on love for the child, only dominance and personal satisfaction for the abuser.”

“Yes, but when Thomas 01-997s1 came to you for a medical exam you asked him to expose himself. Tell me about that.”

“He was experiencing extreme tiredness during the day and he would fall asleep unexpectedly, sometimes losing muscle function and falling to the floor or ground. I suspected it was possibly only anemia, but there was also the possibility of narcolepsy. When his father brought him in, I took both of them to the examination room. It is my policy when examining children to ensure there is a parent to accompany them. Just to avoid undo questions or accusations by the child. Initially, I asked Thomas to partially undress and then sit up on the exam table. I felt around his throat and found swollen lymph nodes. I asked him to remove his t-shirt and lie down on the table. I checked his underarms and found swollen lymph nodes there. I examined his abdomen and didn’t find anything out of the ordinary. Then I ask him to push down his undershorts. He balked at my request and when his father told him to comply with my request he refused, but obviously he had gotten overly stressed and fell asleep. In full view of his father, I examined the boy’s penis, which might be too small for a boy his age; it’s something we’ll have to watch. Then I examined his scrotum and found only one testicle. Then I woke Thomas up and told him to dress. Then all three of us left the exam room. After Thomas went in to have his blood drawn, I spoke with his father and said I was going to refer Thomas to one of our local child psychologists because I was concerned that he had been or was being abused by an adult.”

“You wouldn’t happen to have recorded that exam?”

“Yes, we record all our exams.”

“Bot 3493, see if you can locate that record.”

“Anticipated your request, sir, and yes the record is a good representation of what the subject said. There is no record of any subsequent conversation with the parent. Though there is a record of a referral made to the local psychology office for a female child psychologist to speak with Thomas 01-997s1 about a possible incident of abuse.”

“Thank you Bot 3493.”

“I serve at your pleasure.”

“Well, Don, everything checks out. Sorry we had to bring you in, but we had to make certain you were not a party to what has been going on.”

“Pablo abused Thomas?”

“Yes, he is in our custody. We are trying to elicit a confession, but he is stubborn. I’m afraid the bots may lose their patience with him. Pity, though, executions for child abuse are absolutely, unbelievably painful; much like eliciting confessions. Oh, you wouldn’t happen to know if Thomas made a derogatory remark about Pablo, like calling him a poof?”

“Yes, his brother told me and said their father punished him. I brought that up with his father and suggested he contact the juvenile court if that language continued, but now I believe he might have said that as an emotional reaction to the abuse.”

“Yes, that’s what the psychologist said.”

“But before my sister died, she worked in a birthing center research lab, she said they suspected machoism was a mutational defect, but because a lot of machos are raised by macho parents, they couldn’t track the mutation. It wasn’t detectable at birth or in the rearing process, but only manifested itself later in childhood. I really don’t want to get Thomas in trouble, but you know, one of my fathers, my sister, and I were almost killed by machos, so I have little regard for the bastards.”

“Bot 3493, please notify your superiors that Thomas 01-997s1 is suspected of having macho tendencies and Don, what is the twin’s ID?”

“Tomas 01-997s2, but surely you don’t suspect him, too? They’re being raised by gay men; they’re next door neighbors are gay. In fact, our little community of six residences all has either gay men or lesbians. How could they have macho tendencies if it wasn’t for a mutational disorder?”

“Yes, Bot 3493, did you get that? If so, please forward that information to your superiors, also.”

“Yes, sir, that has been passed along.”

“Can I ask one other question?”

“Okay, what?”

“Do you torture children to find out if they are machos?”

“It’s not our practice to torture children, unless the child is unwilling to cooperate. Sometimes a modicum of pain does wonders in an interrogation, but usually a child will readily answer questions to prevent any possible torture. It’s surprising the effect two guard bots have on a child during interrogation. Then we have standardized tests and interviews with specially trained psychologists. We take every precaution before a decision is made to torture a child or send it to the mental hospital on Ring 7 for brain erasure. Does that sound okay to you?”

“Thank you, I was just wondering?”

“Yes, well, you are a doctor and have a professional concern for children. Okay, bots release this man from his bonds and allow him to dress. He is free to leave, please arrange transport back to the location of his pickup. Thank you, Don, for cooperating. It certainly makes my job easier when that happens; it’s less bloody, too.”

********

Back at the commune, Don flew out to his rez and went inside. He went into his bedroom and threw all of Pablo’s clothes into a pile, which he took out back and dumped on his patio. He couldn’t decide if he was pissed or disappointed. How could he miss what had been going on? He needed a drink and company, but it was nearly nine. He sighed and, went back out front, down the steps and over to Ben and Peter’s rez, where he knocked on their door.

“Don? What do you want?” Peter asked after opening the door.

“A drink and some company? Is Ben here?”

“No, he’s in Central City with Thomas for an overnight sleep test and a visit with a pediatric urologist. Where’s Pablo?”

“He’s been arrested. He’s a suspect in Thomas’s abuse.”

“Pablo? But he’s gay!”

“I thought so, too, but obviously it was a ruse to get close to Thomas.”

“So, where have you been all this time?”

“In the company of an interrogator at the bot interrogation center; I was suspected of being a party to the abuse. Must have been something Thomas said to his psychologist. Probably from when I was examining him and asked him to lower his undershorts.”

“Damn kid, sometimes I wonder about him. Always comes up with some disparaging remark about some other kid or worker. Ben says Thomas talks like he’s a macho or something. We’ve been trying to correct him, but nothing seems to help.”

“You know, before Dona died she was working on trying to identify if machoism was a mutational disorder, but it never seems to manifest itself until later in childhood or when they’re adults.”

“Do you think the bots will pick up on that?”

“Look, we discussed it, okay? When you’re naked and strapped to a wall, you’re willing to talk about damned near anything they ask you.”

“So what you’re saying, they’re probably going to pick him up.”

“Yes, and probably Tomas, too, because they’re twins.”

“Shit! Now, what are Ben and I going to do? They’re our boys? Now, I need a drink.”