Chapter Four

The wind howled outside the cave mouth like a living thing, driving walls of crimson grit against the rock until the entrance itself seemed to breathe dust. Five days of an unrelenting storm had turned Kendra’s refuge into a tomb of heat and thirst. The women huddled together in flattened sleeping rolls, their uniforms long modified into more appropriate attire for the intense heat, comforting each other as they tried to outlast the storm. Empty ration packets lay scattered across the stone, and the last water canteen passed from hand to hand, the women taking briefer and briefer gulps. They were quickly running out of food and water, and some of the crew were getting restless.

Captain Kendra Shaw stood at the narrow fissure that served as their lookout, her red hair plastered to her neck. She stared into the churning red haze, willing the storm to break, but the sky only roared louder. This had been the group’s first experience with the planet’s unpredictable weather, and they weren’t handling it well.

Sarah pushed away from the wall where she had been sharpening her trusty combat knife. The blade glinted each time lightning flickered beyond the entrance. She crossed the cave in three angry strides and stopped in front of her captain. “We’re almost out of food, Captain,” she said. “We probably have enough rations to last the day, but after that, we need to find a new source of nutrition or else we’ll starve to death.”

The redhead turned slowly, the sweat tracing the line of her collarbone beneath the torn fabric of her tank top. Her green eyes held steady as she stared out into the abyss, but the exhaustion in them was unmistakable. “We have to wait until the storm dies,” she answered. “It’s too dangerous out there right now. After that, we’ll send another scout group. The risks are lower once visibility returns.”

The communications officer shook her head. “The risk is starvation if we keep waiting and do nothing!” she snapped at her leader. “We sent Haywood and Miller four days ago. They never came back, and now we’re down to crumbs, Kendra.”

A hush fell over the cave as Kendra refused to answer her de facto second-in-command. Officer Claire Kennedy, a young blonde barely out of the academy, rose from her place near the back wall. Her uniform top had been cut into a cropped halter days ago, leaving the curve of her ample bosom carefully outlined and her toned midriff bare. She stepped closer, refusing to stay quiet any longer. “Captain, if I may,” she began, glancing nervously between the two senior officers. “What if we tried to strike a deal with the men at the crash site. We have skills they need: medical, engineering, navigation. Maybe they would trade food and water for—”

“No.” Kendra’s single word cracked like a heavy whip. She spun fully now, her eyes narrowing at the young woman. “We do not negotiate with rapists and murderers. We can’t trust them with their word, and they are likely struggling down there just as much as we are up here.”

Another woman, Roxanne Chen, stepped forward. “With respect, Captain, Officer Kennedy may be right. This time tomorrow, we will be starving and too weak to fend for ourselves anyway.”

“I said no!” Kendra’s voice carried the full weight of her command as her head swiveled to the Asian-American crew member. “We stay here until the storm breaks, and then we send another scout pair. That is my final decision.”

A thick silence swallowed the cave, broken only by the ceaseless roar of wind outside. Ethan eventually unfolded his arms and stepped into the small circle of firelight. Now was his time to strike, he figured.

“Tell us again, Captain,” he said calmly. “What happened to the last scout pair you sent out?”

Captain Shaw’s shoulders stiffened. She turned slowly, her eyes narrowing as they met his. “They’re still out there,” she answered with a measured and rehearsed answer. “We have to assume they’ve been delayed by the storm.”

There was a slight murmur of agreement before Engineer Stone reached into his blue uniform pocket and let something fall. A torn scrap of fabric fluttered down and landed between the redheaded captain’s boots: Officer Hayley Miller’s name tag.

Sarah’s hand flew to her mouth as her eyes widened; the same name tag she had delivered to her captain days earlier was now in Ethan’s possession, and the rest of the surviving crew now knew about it. A collective gasp rippled through the women.

“You knew,” Ethan said accusingly. “You knew days ago they were gone, captured or dead, and you kept it from us. We could have sent out a rescue party or gone searching for food days earlier!”

Kendra stared at the tag as though it had bitten her. The cave had gone deathly quiet as the group comprehended what this meant.

“Sarah recovered first and stepped between her captain and the engineer. “Back off, Ethan,” she warned viciously. “You don’t know the whole story.”

“I know enough,” he answered coldly. “I know she sent two women she didn’t care about to their deaths or worse, and then lied to every face in this cave so we would sit here like good little girls and wait to starve. I know our fearless captain has been shoving her tongue into your dumb cunt every night while we wonder where our next meal is coming from.”

Officer Blaze’s face flushed with fury and shame at the same time. She lunged forward, fist already cocked, and smacked Ethan across the face before Kendra could stop her. The impact prompted the man to stumble back, a sly grin appearing on his face as he rubbed his chin.

Kendra’s hand shot out and caught Sarah’s wrist before the next punch could land. “Stand down,” she ordered her second-in-command.

Sarah’s chest heaved, but she obeyed, stepping back with her fists still clenched. The cave remained silent except for the wind’s presence outside.

“Ethan tasted blood where the lesbian’s ring had split his lip. He wiped it away with the back of his hand and smiled wider. “Hit me all you want,” he said. “It doesn’t change the truth. We are out of food because our captain sent two women to die and then hid it from us. We are out of time because she is too proud and dense to admit she was wrong.”

Kendra stepped forward in anger. “Enough!” she screamed. “I am still your captain, and you will stand down, Engineer Stone!”

“Captain?” the man replied mockingly. “Where is your ship, captain? You have nothing to take command of anymore, and it’s time we stopped following your bullshit. I say we put it to a vote, choose our own captain like a real democracy.”

The redhead scowled at the man. She felt her grip on the group loosening with every challenge. “This is not a democracy, Ethan. I am the captain here, and you are no longer welcome. I hereby banish you from the squad.”

Ethan folded his arms and stayed rooted to the spot. “Banish me?” he repeated. “You’re a liar and a traitor, Captain, and it’s time to find out if your group will follow you to their deaths.” He turned to the remaining eleven women. “Voting time, ladies. Place your left hand in the air if you want to keep Captain Shaw as your leader until you all starve to death, or place your right hand in the air if you would like to install me as the new captain, and I will lead us all to food and water.”

Eleven pairs of eyes flicked between Kendra and Ethan. The redhead stood rigid, her chin high as sweat traced the line of her throat in the flickering light. Sarah’s left hand was the first to shoot high in the air, backing her captain. Two more hands followed suit, giving Kendra a 3-0 lead.

However, Officer Chen raised her right hand for Ethan, and the young Officer Kennedy shot up immediately after. One by one, the votes came, some with tears in their eyes as they fought with two sides of their conscience. With ten hands in the air, the vote was split 5-5.

The only woman who hadn’t yet made her intention known was Medical Lieutenant Emily Ward. Kendra felt quietly confident, although the length of time it took the blonde to make her decision alarmed the redhead. After a tense moment, Emily looked at her leader apologetically. “I’m sorry, captain. I don’t want to die here,” she said solemnly before lifting her right hand, giving Ethan the decisive vote.

Ethan let the silence stretch until it became unbearable. He wiped the blood from his lip and smiled with a slow, deliberate triumph. “I humbly accept your nomination,” he grinned. “From this moment forward, I am Captain Ethan Stone. We leave the cave at nightfall, together, all of us. Finding food and water is the priority, and we all need to play our part.”

Kendra’s chest rose and fell in sharp, shallow breaths. The authority she had commanded up until this moment had faded in an instant. She stared at the women she had led across the stars, women who now looked away rather than meet her eyes, and felt the last threads of her command snap inside her like brittle rope.

The new Captain Stone stepped closer, towering over the redhead. “You are welcome to come with us, Kendra,” he said softly as if he were taking care of a child. “But if you do, you had better fall in line, because the days of Captain Shaw giving orders are over.”

The man grinned one last time before turning and preparing the group for departure, leaving a shocked Kendra Shaw at the mouth of the cave, wondering what the hell had just happened.

❖

The storm had forced Jeremy Reed and his men into a narrow ravine five days earlier, a jagged scar in the red desert where the wind screamed between sheer walls and hurled sand like buckshot. They had dragged the heavy sled into the deepest cleft they could find, chained the two ponygirls outside as living windbreaks, and huddled beneath salvaged tarps while the planet tried to bury them alive. Lotus (formerly Grace Harper) and Bubblegum spent those nights naked and shivering, their tails whipping in the gale, plugs vibrating harder with every gust that rocked their bound bodies against the sled’s frame. The men took turns warming themselves against the women’s skin when the cold bit too deep, careless hands groping titflesh while the ponies whimpered through their bits.

When the howling finally died at dawn on the sixth day, the silence felt almost violent. Jeremy kept his group huddled in the cramped crevice for a while longer before he shoved the tarp aside and stepped into the sudden stillness, dust settling in sluggish clouds around his boots. He squinted against the fresh sunlight, then froze. For the first time since the storm began, he could examine his surroundings, and he was in awe of what he found.

Twenty paces ahead, the ravine opened into an enormous crater that dropped away like the mouth of some ancient god. At its bottom, an impossibly green environment contrasted the endless crimson backdrop. Lush greenery stretched a vast basin of rich soil, threaded with silver streams and dotted with ample vegetation, none of which they had ever seen on this planet.

The men spilled out behind him, their mouths falling open. Even the ponies lifted their heads, the bells on their nipple rings tinkling as they stared down at the miracle below.

Jeremy’s laugh cracked across the quiet scene. “Well, fuck me,” he said crudely as he stared in wonder. “This planet’s been hiding paradise from us.”

The thin leader strode to the edge and looked over the drop. The crater walls fell two hundred feet in a near-perfect circle, shielding the basin from the worst of the desert wind. A spring bubbled at the center, feeding a small lake that reflected the rising sun like polished glass. Tall, feathery plants swayed along the water’s edge, and a cluster of bulbous red fruit hung from vines that climbed the lower rocks. It was as if an ancient asteroid had collided with the planet centuries ago, bringing with it a lush, fertile environment.

Jeremy spun on his heel and faced his crew, his eyes blazing with triumphant fire. “We’ve found our new home, boys,” he declared, his voice carrying over the excited murmurs of his men. “We need to secure the perimeter and build our infrastructure. Everyone needs to play their part.” His eyes drifted onto the harnessed slavegirls. “And I mean everyone,” he grinned.

He seized Lotus’s reins himself and yanked her forward so hard her bit clinked against her teeth while her heavy breasts swayed beneath the leather straps that framed them. The former lieutenant’s eyes flashed hatred above the metal bar stretching her jaw, yet the moment the leash pulled taut, she took the first stumbling step down the steep path, her impossible hooves scraping the stone as the sled’s full weight settled across her back and Bubblegum’s.

Jeremy cracked a long whip across the air just behind Lotus’s bare thighs. The naked woman lurched ahead, the sudden strain forcing her chest to thrust outward while the plugs buried inside her shifted with every jolt. Bubblegum followed a heartbeat later, her pink-dyed hair flicking in panic as the sled groaned and began its descent.

The men laughed and shoved the overloaded cart after them, using the ponies’ bodies as living brakes on the sharp incline. Each time the sled threatened to overrun the women, Jeremy snapped the whip across their backs, forcing them to readjust. Lotus’s dyed red mane ponytail whipped across her shoulders with every trot, bells on her pierced nipples ringing in frantic rhythm while her breasts bounced against the harness.

Halfway down, Bubblegum’s legs buckled under an uneven step, and she collapsed to her knees, forcing Lotus down with her. Jeremy was on them in an instant, the whip curling around Bubblegum’s back before the lash bit deep into the soft curve of her ass. She screamed into her bit, eliciting laughter from the watching men, as she got back to work.

The descent took hours. The men cursed and sweated as they assisted the ponies down the crater, their eyes shining with greed each time they glanced at the green promise waiting below them. When the ponies finally stumbled to the basin floor, both women were trembling in exhaustion and pain, their breath sawing through their gags in desperate gasps. Jeremy unhooked the traces and let the pair collapse side by side in the cool grass.

The leader planted a boot between Lotus’s shoulder blades and pressed her face into the soft earth, grinding slowly while the men cheered. “Welcome to New Eden, pets,” he told them proudly. “From now on, this cradle of life belongs to us, and you belong to it.”

“Get to work!” Jeremy instructed his crew as the first beams for the stables were already being dragged across the grass. The two ponygirls were not given much time to recollect themselves as their harnesses were refashioned to carry lumber and steel, and both women were individually forced to transport resources from place to place as the new settlement began to take hold. Grace was once a powerful lieutenant in the most feared space force in the galaxy, but now Lotus is merely a hauling pony, bound and gagged helplessly on an unforgiving distant planet.

❖

The midday heat shimmered above the red dunes when Magnus Holt crested the final ridge with six armed men at his back. Their orange jumpsuits had long been replaced by rough leather vests and pants manufactured by their tailor from whatever he could scavenge from the crash site. Below them, Victor Crane’s camp spread around the life-giving pool at the epicenter. A male ‘messenger’ had visited Magnus at the crash site a few days earlier, inviting the intimidating man to ‘trade talks.’

Tents of patched canvas and salvaged metal formed neat rows, and a steady mechanical thrum carried on the dry air as the solar pump drew clean crystal water into barrels one at a time.

Victor stood waiting at the edge of camp with his arms folded, a satisfied smile playing over his thin lips. The man’s second-in-command, Nathan Malik, stood beside his boss with his hand on his pistol, ensuring he was ready if the shit hit the fan.

Magnus halted his men with a raised fist and descended the last slope alone, his boots sinking into the hot sand until he stood face to face with his former fellow inmate. The two leaders regarded each other in silence for a heartbeat, then Magnus broke into a slow grin.

“You have built yourself quite the oasis here,” he rumbled, letting his gaze sweep across the barrels and the steady flow of water. “It’s great to see you’re doing so well for yourself out here.”

Victor’s smile sharpened. “You know I’m a planner, Magnus. These castaways need purpose and a leader, and I provided it for them.” The man gestured toward the heart of the camp. “Walk with me, and let me show you around.”

The site leader turned without waiting for an answer, leading Magnus past rows of armed guards who straightened at the sight of the bald giant. The pump dominated the center, its solar panels glinting like black mirrors while clear water gushed into the final barrel of the row. Victor rested a hand on the humming machinery.

“We’ve engineered a marvel here, Magnus,” he said proudly. “The machine filters, cools, and delivers the fresh water directly into the barrels for easy transport. My men drink their fill, and we still have a surplus to trade.”

Magnus folded his thick arms across his chest. “Surplus is a word I like,” he admitted. “My people are already rationing every drop we haul from the wreck. A steady flow would allow us to build and expand our city without having to worry about staying alive.”

The dark-gray-haired man chuckled. “Then let us discuss your needs inside my humble abode, away from the sun.”

Victor led the way into the largest tent, the heavy canvas flap falling shut behind them in a hush that even silenced the whirring pump outside. The interior was well-lit and far more spacious than it appeared from the outside.

Magnus paused just inside the entrance, his eyes adjusting to the cooler shade and immediately locking onto the naked woman chained at the foot of Victor’s low bedroll. Riley Thorn knelt there on the warm sand floor, her wrists locked behind her in steel cuffs, ankles spread and fastened to rings sunk deep into the ground. A thick black ball gag stretched her lips wide while her green eyes blazed pure murder above the gag. Her neck was encircled by a glossy black material that sat flush against her skin, claiming her as Victor’s property.

Victor grinned as he admired the bound woman’s new hair. Her defiant mohawk had been shaved down to stubble the previous day, leaving her scalp bare and vulnerable, before an adhesive was applied on top of her head. A yellowish blonde wig fashioned into tall pigtails was set in place. Victor and his team didn’t have the materials to forge a realistic wig, resulting in a crude, ridiculous attempt. Still, it looked far more feminine and submissive than the black mohawk she previously kept, and Victor enjoyed the fire it brought to his slave’s eyes.

Magnus let out a low whistle as he approached the kneeling woman. He stopped in front of her and crouched so their faces were level, his massive frame dwarfing her bound form while her naked chest rose and fell in quick, hyperventilating breaths. “Well, I’ll be damned,” he said in amusement. “Is that the same mouthy little bitch from the cells? The one who kept spitting out useless threats the entire journey?”

The host’s laugh rang out throughout the tent. “The one and only,” he confirmed, moving to Riley’s side. He unhooked the short chain that held her to the floor ring and clipped a leather leash to the front of her glossy black collar instead. A sharp tug forced the new blonde onto her hands and knees, the pigtail wig bobbing as she crawled forward until she knelt between the two men.

Magnus reached out and gripped the woman’s chin, forcing her head up so her gagged mouth faced him fully. “She would make an ideal slave for my settlement,” he said as his thumb brushed the stretched edges of the black ball. “How much?”

Victor’s grin turned predatory. “She is not for sale,” he answered, giving the former inmate another tug that made her back arch and her breasts thrust outward. “She is a personal project of mine. Watch this.”

He placed two fingers against the front of the black gag and whispered a single word. The material responded instantly, swelling outward, stretching Riley’s already open jaw wider and wider until her lips formed a perfect, aching ring. A desperate, muffled keening escaped the woman’s throat as tears welled in her eyes, the gag expanding until her jaw trembled on the edge of dislocation.

Magnus gasped as he watched the gag expand at the man’s touch. “How the hell did you do that?” he asked as he stared in awe.

Victor released his prize, letting the blonde sag and struggle through her wider gag. “We found something special out here,” he said, crossing to a small metal desk, forcing Riley to follow him on her hands and knees. Victor lifted a sealed glass jar no larger than a fist. Inside, a black, oily glob shifted and pulsed like a living thing. “I’m calling this Lustex. It’s just like Latex back on Earth, except it has some unusual sentient abilities. We are still in the early stages of this discovery, but it’s very sensitive to my thoughts and words.”

The bald man stared at the jar, his eyes widening with greedy lust. How much for a small supply?” he asked.

Victor carefully set the container down on the desk. “Not yet,” he said with a sharp response. “We are still learning about its properties and limits. Once we are ready to part ways with the material, we will make it available for trade.” He grinned as he stared at the other man. “But we are willing to trade for the water. One full month’s supply of clean water, delivered weekly, for two fresh women. I need more test subjects, and my men are getting too horny for their own good.”

Magnus didn’t hesitate. Done.”

The large, imposing man clicked his fingers toward the tent flap. Two of his men stepped inside, leading a couple of wide-eyed, grumbling women on short leashes. They were former crewmates on the Starfire. Officers Haywood and Miller were completely naked, their wrists bound behind their backs with rope, and cloth gags stuffed deep in their mouths and tied tight. They continued to struggle as they were led beside the kneeling Riley, and their leashes were handed off to Victor. The man gently caressed Hayley Miller’s pert breast before pinching her nipples, prompting the woman to bite into her gag.

“Pleasure doing business with you,” he directed his attention back to the tall, bald man. “You will receive your first delivery in five days. He then glanced at the pair of captured slaves now in his possession.

Magnus nodded, already turning to leave. His hand brushed the desk as he passed, his fingers covertly closing around the small jar of Lustex in one smooth motion. He slipped it into his pocket without breaking his stride, a grin forming on his lips. Victor never noticed.

The bald man exited the tent and stepped back into the blinding sunlight. Behind him, the flap fell shut on the muffled, desperate sounds of three women learning exactly what their new owner had in store. Magnus, however, had a long trek back to basecamp and a new toy to play with when he got there.

❖

The crater basin of New Eden came alive with the voices of men hard at work and the steady thud of hammers driving stakes into the rich, dark soil. The first permanent structure rose swiftly in a single morning: a long, low stable of metal and timber dragged down the steep path the day before. Lotus and Bubblegum stood hitched side by side at the front of the slope, their naked bodies soaked in sweat as ropes ran through O-rings in their harnesses to the heavy support beams being dragged along the ground. Every step made their nipple bells ring proudly, and any defiance saw them smacked in the ass with a painful whip.

Jeremy circled the almost-finished building with his hands on his hips, his eyes bright with pride as his vision slowly transformed into reality. The frame stood tall enough to cast a welcome shade, and the men worked shirtless, their muscles flexing as they lifted and fitted the next beam the ponies had just delivered. Lotus’s red mane-ponytail clung damp to her neck, and Bubblegum’s pink hair stuck to her cheeks in sweaty strands. Both women trembled from exhaustion, but they were not permitted to rest just yet.

Three hours later, one of the builders drove the final nail into the roof supports and stepped back to a cheer from his peers. The man wiped his brow. “The stable’s done, boss,” he told Jeremy. “You just need to fill it now.”

Jeremy’s grin widened into something feral as he surveyed the finished structure, its long shadow stretching across the soft green earth. He turned his direction toward two men who had already begun turning the rich soil in the distance, preparing for the first farm plot. “Bring the ponies to me,” the leader ordered one of the builders before nodding to another. “Prepare the branding iron.”

The two handlers unhooked the heavy ropes from the ponies’ harnesses and led them forward by their reins. Lotus and Bubblegum stumbled on their weak legs, their breasts swaying rhythmically with every exhausted step while the bells on their nipples chimed with each trot. The men guided them to a thick horizontal beam mounted between two posts at waist height, the wood already warmed by the sun. With practiced efficiency, they bent the women over the bar, pressing their hips against the smooth surface so their backs arched and their asses lifted high. Ropes looped from the O ring on their collars to a ring planted on the ground, ensuring the two ponygirls couldn’t rise from their bent-over position. Their hooves were then spread out wide and locked to the ground, leaving both women completely exposed, tails raised, and plugs pushed mercilessly into their rears.

Jeremy let the anticipation settle over the gathered men before he lifted the first branding iron from the brazier, its tip glowing an angry red. Bubblegum’s entire body went rigid the instant she felt the heat kiss her skin. She tried to twist away, but the ropes held her perfectly still, offering her ass to Jeremy like a gift. Jeremy pressed the iron to the plush curve of the pink-haired woman’s right asscheek. The sizzle of flesh meeting hot metal filled the air, followed by a long, muffled scream that vibrated through the ponygirl’s bit and sent the bells on her nipples into a frantic song. When he pulled the iron away, a stylized “J” stood out in a large logo on her rear, the word WORKHORSE seared beneath it in crisp, permanent letters that would never fade.

The faction leader set the iron aside and selected the second, longer rod from the coals. The metal glowed red-hot, and the men quieted in anticipation. Jeremy moved behind Lotud, letting the heat radiate against her skin for several long seconds while the woman trembled. When the iron finally touched her flesh, the former lieutenant’s body convulsed against the ropes, and a roar, animal howl ripped from her throat as the brand sank deep. The Asian woman had never felt pain like it, and she bit hard against the metal gag in her mouth. Jeremy held the iron steady until the design was perfect, then drew it away.

The same proud “J” that Bubblegum had received moments earlier now marked Lotus’s right asscheek. However, beneath the logo was a new role: BREEDING CATTLE. The men erupted into cheers as Lotus tried to break free of her bonds. She had no idea what he had marked her with, but she knew it wasn’t good for her.

Jeremy stepped in front of the former crewmate, lifting the branded woman’s chin so her tear-filled eyes met his. “You’ll be happy to know that your hauling days are finished, sweetheart,” he said intimately. “From now on, your role is to grow the population, one fucking after another, until that belly swells.” Lotus’s eyes widened, and she fought against her bonds harder, trying to escape the inescapable.

The leader produced a thick plastic tag from his pocket and drove a piercing gun through the soft cartilage of Lotus’s left ear without warning. The repurposed woman screamed again as the yellow disc snapped into place. It was reminiscent of a locator tag you would find on farm cattle. The tag was stamped simply LOTUS - 001.

Jeremy patted her cheek almost affectionately. “Take her inside,” he ordered the handlers. Pen 001, secure her properly for her new duties.”

The handlers unhooked Lotus from the bar and marched her into the shaded stable. Jeremy turned away from the stable entrance, satisfaction radiating from him as he turned his attention to his men. He spotted one of his men directing the plating of the first crop rows and beckoned him over with a lazy wave.

“Jackson, we need more livestock,” he said resolutely. “Take four men with you and head back toward the crash site at first light. Do not come back until you have at least four fresh women in harnesses. This stable is perfect, but it’s empty. Let’s fill it up.”

The man’s grin mirrored his leader’s. “Yes, boss. We’ll get it done.”

Jeremy clapped him on the shoulder and watched the man stride off to gather his team. The criminal looked around and sighed happily. He thought he was on his way to spend the rest of his life chained up in some space outpost, and now he had his own land, his own men, his own breeding cattle. Things were looking up.

❖

Victor stepped out of his tent into the late-afternoon glare and paused to admire the two newest additions to his collection. Officers Rebecca Haywood and Hayley Miller hung naked on a sturdy metal frame at the edge of the camp, their bodies stretched into perfect X-shapes by thick leather cuffs that locked their wrists and ankles to the corners. Rebecca’s sandy-blonde hair fell across her shoulders, framing the lean, athletic lines of her 5’10” frame and the proud swell of her C-cup breasts. Hayley’s darker brunette locks clung to her more compact 5’6” figure, her slim waist flaring into gently curved hips and smaller B-cup breasts that rose and fell with every furious breath. Black ball gags filled their mouths, turning every attempted curse into a wet, helpless gurgle.

Victor walked a slow circle around them, letting his fingertips trail across Rebecca’s taut stomach. The tall blonde jerked against the restraints as she tried to lunge at her new captor, but the cuffs held her spread and motionless. Her blue eyes blazed with pure hatred above the gag while her breasts quivered with the effort.

The man stopped behind Hayley and let his palm rest possessively on the curve of her ass. “Welcome to your new home, ladies,” he said, his voice warm with false hospitality. “It won’t be long until you feel like part of the furniture.” He chuckled at his joke.

Both women thrashed harder as their muffled screams vibrated through their effective gags. Victor only laughed before reaching into the crate at his feet. He lifted out two thick black Lustex anal plugs. The moment the air touched them, the surface shimmered and a clear, viscous lubricant seeped from the tips, coating every ridge.

The lean-framed man pressed the first against Hayley’s exposed rear entrance. The brunette’s entire body went rigid, and her brown eyes widened in panic as the plug pushed forward, stretching her mercilessly until the widest point forced a strangled cry from her gagged throat and the toy seated itself deep inside her. Victor gave the plug an experimental twist, watching the bound woman’s hips buck uselessly against the frame, before he moved to Rebecca. The taller blonde fought harder, her thighs clenching, but the cuffs allowed no escape. The plug slid home with a slick, inevitable pressure, and the blonde’s muffled screams joined her friend’s in helpless harmony.

Victor stepped back to admire the sight of both attractive women impaled, before producing two longer, thinner Lustex plugs. He slid the first into Hayley’s pussy without ceremony, the living material pulsing gently as it filled her, drawing a fresh wave of muffled protests. Rebecca received the same treatment, her athletic body arching as far as the restraints allowed, while the second plug claimed her completely, every hole now stuffed and owned.

The women writhed, trying to expel the invaders, but the Lustex only settled deeper, warm and insistent. Victor placed a hand on each of their asses and closed his eyes, focusing.

The plugs deep inside both women’s rears suddenly liquified, turning to a slick, black, oily substance that poured from their bodies in controlled streams. The substance spread across their skin like spilled ink given life, racing over their hips and thighs. It coated their legs first, moving down and forcing their heels upward until both women balanced painfully on the balls of their feet. The oil surged higher, wrapping around their waists, sliding over their stomachs until it reached their breasts.

Rebecca’s 32C-cups swelled beneath the living sheath as the Lustex molded and lifted them, pushing them into perfect, rounded globes two sizes larger than before. Hayley’s smaller mounds received the same treatment, the material cupping and thrusting until both sets of breasts jutted proudly. Their nipples were encased in gloss black caps that kept them permanently erect and noticeable.

The Lustex continued upward, flowing over the pair’s shoulders and down their arms until every finger was individually sheathed. It then raced up their necks in a final, unstoppable tide. The liquid Lustex poured across their faces, sealing itself over their gagged mouths, sliding into their nostrils to form breathing holes, and covering their eyes until the world vanished in warm, absolute darkness before the Lustex settled and set. In moments, two perfectly identical black humanoid dolls stood where the women had been, every curve exaggerated, every hole filled, their bodies frozen in silent, glossy perfection.

Victor released the cuffs. The dolls did not fall. They remained standing as their arms hung loosely at their sides, toes pointed, chest thrust forward as though awaiting the next command.

The camp leader clapped once in appreciation. “Magnificent,” he declared triumphantly. “The experiment was a complete success.”

The two Lustex figures stood motionless beneath the dying sun, sealed away from the world, breathing shallowly through the tiny vents the material allowed, every inch of their naked bodies claimed by the substance that now owned them completely. Victor turned back toward his tent, already planning the next phase, while his newest creations waited in perfect, glossy silence for whatever purpose he chose next.

❖

Two hours after they fled the cave, Ethan’s group staggered across the endless red-sanded dunes under a sky that had turned the color of fresh blood. The storm had died, but the air remained thick with suspended dust that clung to the survivors’ bodies and turned every breath into a gritty rasp. Thirteen figures moved in a ragged line, their once-crisp navy uniforms now reduced to sweat-stained rags that clung to their exhausted bodies.

Ethan marched confidently at the front, his pistol in one hand, the other gripping the short rope that bound Kendra’s wrists behind her back. The former captain stumbled every few steps, the rope biting whenever she lagged. Yet, her chin stayed high, and her eyes stared ahead with silent fury. Ethan had sold the measure as an act of protecting the group and Kendra herself. The rest of the women followed in uneasy silence. Some cast sideways glances at the way their old leader was being treated, but hunger gnawed louder than their conscience, and no one spoke out against the new captain.

Sarah walked just behind Kendra, her black braid whipping in the dying down winds and her lips pressed thin with barely contained rage. Every time the rope jerked Kendra forward, Sarah’s fingers twitched toward the knife at her belt, but the presence of the surrounding crew members prevented her from doing anything rash. She glanced back at Emily with a cold expression, knowing the woman’s decisive vote had given the lone man in the group all the power.

Emily herself limped near the middle of the line, her bandaged thigh throbbing with each step. She stared at Ethan’s back as her mind reeled in guilt. How could she betray the woman who had put so much faith in her? Still, she held on to the hope that their new captain would lead them to sorely needed provisions.

The medical lieutenant finally broke the silence after an hour of aimless marching, her voice hoarse from thirst and exhaustion. “We’ve been walking for hours, and there’s no sign of wildlife or water anywhere,” she complained, wiping sweat from her brow with the back of her hand. “Are you sure you’re leading us in the right direction?”

Ethan turned his head slightly, offering the blonde lieutenant a reassuring smile despite the tension etched across his face. “It’s not far now,” he answered confidently. “When I split from Grace, I saw a shimmering surface in the distance. I’m certain it was water. We’re almost there.”

The group pressed on, their boots sinking deeper into the hot sand with every step while the cool evening air began to replace the humidity. Sarah’s eyes constantly scanned the horizon, her hand resting on the hilt of her knife as she walked protectively close to Kendra. The former captain’s wrists remained bound behind her back, the rope occasionally tugging as Ethan adjusted his pace.

Suddenly, the lesbian communications officer caught movement near a cluster of dead, twisted trees ahead. “We have company!” she shouted out, her eyes fixed on the two unknown objects heading in their direction.

Ethan glanced over, his eyes widening as he raised his pistol in the direction of the two black silhouettes. “Retreat!” he commanded his new group. “Get back to safety now!” he continued without turning his head.

The women wheeled around in frantic unison as they bolted back the way they had come, but the desert betrayed them in an instant. From behind a low ridge, twenty armed men rose, their rifles leveled, heading towards them. They had been waiting.

Sarah skidded to a halt with her knife already drawn as she turned around, and back again, looking around frantically. “We’re boxed in!” she shouted with fury.

Kendra jerked against the rope that still tethered her to Ethan, but the knot held fast. She twisted desperately, searching for the man who had dragged her this far, only to find the rope slack in the sand and Ethan nowhere in sight. The newly christened captain had vanished, and the redhead was stuck with her arms securely fastened behind her back.

The first rifle warning shot cracked across the dunes like thunder.

Sarah spun toward the sound and hurled her knife with lethal precision. The blade buried itself in the throat of the nearest attacker, and he dropped to the sand, throat gurgling as blood sprayed over the ground. Two more men rushed her, and she met them with bare hands, driving her elbow in one throat while kicking the second between the legs. The women behind her fought with all they had, and any improvised weapon they could muster.

Emily limped forward and shot her pistol twice, dropping one man dead and wounding another before a rifle butt smashed into the back of her head, knocking her unconscious. Officer Kennedy screamed as rough hands seized her from behind, ripping her cropped top away entirely while another man forced her to the ground. The fight turned into chaos as the men began apprehending and undressing the women.

Kendra twisted violently, trying to free her bound wrists so she could join the battle, but the rope held mercilessly tight. A shadow fell over her; Caleb Miles stood there, grinning down at the helpless former captain he had hunted for days.

“Got you at last,” he said, and slammed his rifle butt into her stomach.

Air exploded from Kendra’s lungs. She doubled over, gasping, and the world tilted as two men hoisted her bound body onto their shoulders like she was some captured prey. The last thing she saw before darkness swallowed the edges of her vision was Sarah going down under three attackers, still fighting, before a final blow sent her sprawling unconscious into the sand.

When Kendra came to, the fight was over. All of the women knelt naked in a rough circle, their wrists wrenched behind their backs and lashed with soft, firm rope, ankles bound, mouths stuffed with whatever cloth the victors had torn from their own ruined uniforms and secured with more rope. Kendra was the only one ungagged, although she was just as trussed up as the rest of the group.

Caleb walked the line, testing knots, slapping a few asses, and pinching nipples until the muffled whimpers rose behind the gags. He stopped in front of Kendra and lifted her chin with two fingers. The redhead spat at him, but the man simply chuckled, wiping the spit from his cheek.

“Magnus is going to love his gift,” he told her with glee.

They worked quickly after that. Long carrying poles were produced from the hunters’ packs, wrists, and ankles lashed to the so the women hung helplessly beneath like they were some slaughtered game. Kendra was treated differently, forced into a shallow metal-barred cage, with her arms still securely fastened behind her back. The cage had four wooden poles attached, which four men carried as Kendra was hoisted up as if she were some prize.

The procession wound its way toward the settlement, the men cheering and singing as they joyously carried their bound prey back home. Kendra’s breasts swayed with every step of the men carrying the cage. Heat rose in her cheeks from rage and humiliation, but she refused to give the men the satisfaction of tears.

The gates of the newly named settlement, Magnustown, swung open to cheers and crude whistles. Dozens of masculine figures lined the makeshift street, hands reaching to slap the bare flesh of the hanging women as the captives were paraded past. The smell of smoke and cooked meat drifted in the air, a cruel reminder of the feast waiting for the victors while the prisoners’ stomachs growled with hunger.

Kendra’s cage was carried last and highest, ensuring every man in the settlement got a long look at the famous redheaded captain reduced to naked, bound cargo. Her green eyes burned with defiance even as her body ached from the jostling ride.

The men lowered Kendra’s cage in the center of the settlement square with deliberate ceremony, the wooden poles thumping into the dirt as the crowd edged closer. The front bars of the cage swung open, leaving the redhead exposed on her knees inside the cramped space, arms still wretched behind her, her bare breasts thrust forward by the awkward angle of her binding.

A shadowed figure approached through the press of bodies, tall and unmistakable. Magnus Holt stepped into the firelight, his leather vest open to reveal the thick slab of muscle across his chest, his eyes fixed on Kendra with undisguised enjoyment. The crowd quieted as their leader stopped directly in front of the cage.

The broad man dropped to one knee, bringing his face level with hers, and let his gaze travel slowly over every inch of the captain’s naked skin. His large hand reached into the cage, cupping one of Kendra’s breasts and squeezing until she hissed through her teeth. He circled the nipples with casual ownership, then pinched hard enough to draw a sharp complaint from the captain.

“Fuck you, Magnus,” she snarled in fury. “You will burn in hell for this!”

The camp leader only smiled wider, sliding his hand up to stroke the woman’s cheek with mock tenderness before forcing two thick fingers between her teeth. Kendra gagged at the intrusion, tasting dirt on her tongue, and she clamped down hard, her teeth sinking into the flesh of his fingers.

Magnus didn’t even flinch. Instead, he laughed richly and withdrew his bleeding fingers with a deliberate and unnerving calm. “You still got fire, Captain,” he murmured admiringly. “Good. I’d hate to have nothing to break.”

The bald man straightened and produced the small glass jar he had stolen from Victor’s tent, holding it up so the firelight danced across the living black contents. The crowd leaned in, a collective intake of breath rippling through them as Magnus uncorked the jar with his teeth and tipped the Lustex into the palm of his hand.

As his hand approached Kendra’s wide-eyed, furious face, the substance struck her lips like liquid midnight, spreading instantly across her mouth, forcing its way past her teeth in a warm, inexorable tide. Kendra’s eyes flew wide in horror as the material expanded, stretching her jaw mercilessly until her mouth formed a perfect, aching circle. Black straps erupted from the edges, racing around her head, over her scalp, under her chin, locking with no buckle as it sealed in place.

The crowd erupted in shock and approval as the black ring-gag harness locked into place, turning Kendra’s furious snarl into a wet, helpless gurgle. Her mouth was pried open helplessly, and no amount of biting would prevent that.

Magnus rose to his full height, towering over the caged woman. He nodded at the four men waiting beside her cage. “Take my new bride to my office,” he commanded, prompting the gagged Kendra’s eyes to widen in alarm as he used the word ‘bride.’ “We will start the wedding preparations in the morning.”

The cage door clanged shut again, and four men lifted it onto their shoulders. Kendra’s world tilted once more as she was carried through the cheering settlement with her breasts swaying and mouth forced open in a permanent invitation. She pressed her teeth uselessly against her gag as her mind reeled with the ramifications of what was happening. She had failed to protect her crew, and now she was being presented as the top prize.

The new life of Kendra Shaw had only just begun.

End of Chapter Four

——————

Status Report

Captain Kendra Shaw - Alive, captured by Magnus; naked, wrists rope-bound behind back, carried in small barred cage through Magnustown as trophy; mouth forcibly sealed with stolen Lustex forming permanent black ring-gag harness (no buckle); publicly claimed as Magnus’s “bride,” awaiting forced wedding preparations.

Lieutenant Emily Ward – Alive, captured; naked, wrists/ankles rope-bound, cloth-gagged; carried bound beneath pole back to Magnustown.

Officer Sarah Blaze – Alive, captured; naked, wrists/ankles rope-bound, cloth-gagged; carried bound beneath pole back to Magnustown.

Lieutenant Grace Harper (“Lotus” / BREEDING CATTLE #001) – Alive, captured by Jeremy; naked in full ponygirl harness, bit-gagged with plume, tail-plug, nipple bells, ear-tagged LOTUS-001; freshly branded “J – BREEDING CATTLE” on right asscheek; locked in new stable at New Eden crater basin, designated primary breeding stock.

Engineer Ethan Stone – Alive, fled the ambush; abandoned the entire group (including bound Kendra) the instant Magnus’s men appeared; current location unknown.

Magnus Holt – Alive, free; ruler of fortified Magnustown; personally stole jar of Lustex from Victor; used it to force permanent black ring-gag on Kendra; publicly declared her his bride; received Victor’s water shipment and sold two slaves (Haywood & Miller) in trade.

Caleb Miles – Alive, free; Magnus’s second-in-command; personally led the ambush that captured Kendra and the remaining female crew; delivered the naked, bound women in triumphant parade.

Victor Crane – Alive, free; ruler of water-camp; traded water to Magnus for two slaves; successfully tested full-body Lustex encasement on both women, turning them into glossy, identical, sensory-deprived black dolls (every hole filled, breasts enlarged, sight/hearing/speech removed).

Nathan Malik – Alive, free; Victor’s second; overseeing water production and Lustex mining.

Jeremy Reed – Alive, free; ruler of lush New Eden crater basin; completed first stable; branded Lotus as permanent breeding cattle and Bubblegum as workhorse; dispatched five-man team to hunt four more women to fill the stable.

Riley Thorn – Alive, captive at Victor’s water-camp; naked, wrists/ankles steel-cuffed and spread, pigtail blonde wig glued to shaved head; permanent seamless black Lustex ball-gag & collar; used as living demonstration for Magnus.