I spent the rest of the day locked in a room while the transaction and paperwork were done. A Diamond City guard came to pick me in the early evening when a downpour greeted me. 

"Step forward slave, you are going to meet your owner."

I was still chained, not so tightly bound as during the sale but still unable to run. With the guard behind me holding me at gunpoint, I had no choice but to be forced to march toward the stadium. 

 

 

            I was put in the elevator, my hands locked behind the railing to prevent me from budging. I thought back to my recent events. A night of tickling that led into a morning of sex where I picked up a mission I shouldn't have done. I fended off the raiders but not the slaver and here I am now. Naked, wet, chained with an iron gag. The law of cause and effect. Was it bad luck? Or fate? I felt like I had just gone back to square one.

 

 

          The elevator doors opened and a guard took me to a secretary's office. She looked at me as if I were nothing. 

"This is the mayor's purchase right? I'll let him know his delivery has arrived."

She turned and yelled to the office behind her.

"Mister Mayor! You have someone waiting for you! A girl in chains with a sad face."

"Excellent, send her in."

"You heard him. And you better kneel before him or I'll make you suffer, slave."

 

 

            I went into the office and knelt down. The secretary was quietly watching me and I didn't feel like being lectured by a little bitch. I had never met the mayor of Diamond City, and he was not a popular person. He allowed slavery, rejected people who had become ghouls, and let his militia do his dirty work. A mayor in all his glory, but a dirty scumbag. 

"Good evening young lady. You are now the property of Diamond City. Let's not mince words, you are enslaved. You have some luck in your misfortune. The owner of your contract recently opened an establishment called The Red Seat on the west district. I don't know the details of the contract and I don't care, you will know that info when a guard escorts you there. Enjoy your stay in Diamond City, you're in for a very long time."

 

 

            I was picked up by on of the Red Seat guards and escorted to the establishment. The rain kept pouring down on the stadium. At least I didn't run into anyone on the way. It was humiliating enough to be treated like this. The entrance was towards the west stands (hence the name of the area) decorated with multi-colored light bulbs. It reminded me of the red light districts of my pre-war days. 

 

 

          Once there, I was thrown into a cell. Through the bars, the guard removed my shackles and gag but fitted me with a golden collar. I tried to take it off but there was no visible way to remove it. I had no chance to escape the cell, so I was left to wait for whatever was about to happen to me. 

 

 

            A few minutes later, I heard a person coming closer. A balding man with a baseball bat. He grabbed one of my legs to force me down and into range of his weapon.

"Good evening little lady, if you don't want your stay here to start with a beating, you're going to behave with me okay?"

I looked at him defiantly. I was repulsed, on one hand I would have given anyting to get away, but on the other hand... I refused to be smashed (again) with a bat.

"Nothing to say? Perfect, I'll introduce you to the people."

 

 

            He took me by the arm and led me to a staircase. Once at the top, he threw me into the cage. The white light burned my eyes, the first sound that came out of my mouth after a day was a scream of pain. The bodyguard behind me laughed, but then got serious and addressed the people in the arena.

"Okay you all! This is the new Red Seat worker, treat her right or you will have to deal with me, you have been warned! Her first performance will kick off at midnight. Join in with your caps to cheer her on."

 

 

          People were leaving the arena. I found myself alone in the cage, naked, on my knees trying to understand the speech of the bodygard. He didn't say slave but worker. Why this distinction? Would that mean it was possible for me to regain my freedom? 

"Girl, let's go to the Red Seat. I'll explain your job on the way."

 

 

          "What's your name honey?"

"Calista. What am I supposed to do?"

"Dance, entertain our guests. As long as you're wearing that collar, you can't leave Diamond City unless you wish to be zapped until death. When you've collected the caps we bought you for, you'll see the boss to finish your contract."

"Why did you say worker and not slave? I wear a collar and I'm forced to do what you tell me."

"Because it helps with morale. It's a reminder that, despite your condition, you can earn your freedom, someday. Anyway, go backstage and talk to Sonja, she'll fill you in." 

 

 

          Backstage, I met Sonja. She had been working for a few months here. But unlike me, she wasn't wearing a collar (or not anymore).

"You're the new girl right? You have a beautiful body and that collar looks great on you! Don't worry, it will soon become a piece of jewelry rathen than a burden. Behind you have some clothes in the footlooker, take what you want! Your job is simple, you saw it when your arrived. Pole dancing. The more you do, the more caps you'll get from customers. So shake your ass, climb the pole, and have fun! I'll be in the back to watch your first performance."

 

 

            I got dressed in panties, a small skirt and a blouse. To be honest, I was a little nervous. What if my appearance wasn't good enough? What would happen to me? I was asking myself too many questions, that was not a positive attitude. Sonja had a point, I just had to have fun. I needed to forget about my condition and do what I had been doing every night at the Third Rail for the past few months. 

 

 

          "Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome our newest recruit!"

I walked toward the bar. I knew I had a few moves, it was time to put them into action. Groovy music began to play. I shook my body to the beat, my hips satisfying the audience to my left.

 

 

          Once I warmed up, I climbed the bar. My arms were strong enough that I could see the whole club from up there. I was no longer nervous, in fact I was very confident in my skills.

 

 

            I wanted to impress the audience. I climbed as high as I could and spread my legs. I heard whistles and shouts of approval. When you have the opportunity to be sultry and make money from it, why should I hold back?

 

 

            I paused in my acrobatic movements. I spun around the pole, smiling at the people. A few more caps were thrown on the podium, in addition to those for my debut. I had an idea of how to finish my first time performing. 

 

 

            To finish my first appearance, I did several jumps using the bar, revealing my legs and feet to the audience. They were even more delighted and more caps were thrown on the podium.

 

 

            I thanked those present in the establishment before slipping away to the backstage area. For my debut, I hoped I had succeeded in my task as a worker. I was enslaved without feeling like it. That really helped my morale and if that was going to be my daily routine for the next few days, weeks or months, it was already much better than my time with the Corvega's raiders.

 

 

            I took a beer and sat in the back. The courtyard was small but protected by the bleachers. What a crazy day. Captured and then sold to an adult business. It could have been worse. To redeem my freedom, I had to raise 5,000 caps. For that first night I made a hundred caps in a short time. If I kept the same rate, in two months I could buy my release.

 

 

            I met another girl in the kitchen. Like Sonja, she was a dancer, recently freed. She also cooked the meals that went to the customers. 

"Hey newbie! You did great for a premiere. Keep up your game!"

"Thank you! I'm Calista just so you know. What kind of meat is this?"

"I'm Trudy. It's Radstag meat, it fills the belly nicely and makes you very thirsty. Speaking of which, you should give the boss a bottle. He'll probably tell you the same thing he told me when I was forcibly hired."

 

 

            I went to the counter and made my order. I was a bit short so I had to use the counter to increase my height and see the bottles on the shelves. 

"Hey new girl, what's your poison?"

"Hi! I'll have a bottle of Irish Whiskey. Does the boss like it?"

"Good choice, he'll appreciate this one."

 

 

            I took a seat in the private corner of the club. The manager poured himself a glass of whiskey and began the discussion.

"Welcome young girl or should I say Calista? I am Liemanto and you will be working for my cartel. My bodyguard Mykola inquired about you while you were dancing. You used to operate in Goodneighbor so you know a little bit about the shady business. You don't have to worry, you will be fed and lodged here. Earn your caps until you can buy your freedom back. Do you have any questions?"

 

 

          "Many questions indeed. Why do you buy slaves that you consider workers rather than hire them legally? Do I have to work every night here or do you have other opportunities to earn caps? Speaking of those, can't I give you an advance on the ones in my apartment in Goodneighbor?"

"For our line of work, it's better to have forced labor than to hire. Take Sonja and Trudy as an example. They were enslaved, bought their freedom and are still with us. Check with them about schedules. If you want to make extra money, you can always spread your thighs assuming you get customers. Forget your old life for now, only caps earned for the cartel are taken into account for your release."

 

 

            I sat back in the chair cross-legged, processing all the info I had just learned. 

"I don't think I have any choice but to give my best for your cartel and you, Liemanto. I'll make sure to buy my freedom back, as long as I don't get into trouble."

"Trust me. Work hard and you'll have nothing to fear. You may go, good night Calista."