House Pets Inc: Chapter 1
#1 of House Pets Inc.
Commission for Guri
Louis' head was throbbing, the pain stabbing him so painfully that he could barely make himself lift it up from the hard feeling pillow. His breathing came faster as he tried to move his hands under him, heaving upwards with a shudder before there was another stabbing burst of pain that made him squeeze his eyes shut. He groaned and shifted, his legs going down to the ground as he carefully sat up, his bare feet finding cold concrete on the ground. He smelled the sour smell of vomit somewhere in the air, sharp and appalling as his stomach started to twist and roll in disgust, threatening to add to the reeking stink. He pried open one eye after a few moment, rubbing them blearily as he looked around with grunt. His eyes didn't want to focus, they were watering slightly as he closed his eyes entirely for a moment and pried them open again.
The room was more like a jail cell than anything else, certainly not his elegant room in the hotel he had been in the night before. It was covered in smooth concrete that was painted an off pale green color that seemed more like something that should be in sort of institution. There were no bars, though, and the only door was a clear thick glass with holes drilled into it so that he was able to see a certain amount of light beyond it and the hallway. The bed was hard, too hard, uncomfortable enough that his back was aching slightly while he tried to get himself up with a low groan to his aching head. There was throbbing just behind his eyes, slowly fading as he rubbed his hand against his chin a few times and gave a shake back and forth before standing up. The moment he stood he felt the nausea rising and threatening to send him hurtling towards one of the corners, but he fought it off.
He realized, blearily, that he was entirely naked. His cheeks flushed a hot red color as he looked around wildly for his clothes, or at least a blanket that might be able to help keep him decent. There was nothing, just the hard bed with a sealed mattress that looked more institutionalized instead of promising. His cheeks flushed red and he looked beneath the bed, nothing, they had taken his clothes. Or had he even come here while he was in his clothes? He couldn't remember, and that wasn't normal for him. Louis never really blanked out, even at his drunkest, and certainly not to the point that he wouldn't recall how he had gotten somewhere, especially not in what looked like a prison cell!
The last thing he could remember was the laughter of the pretty little woman on his arm as he made his way through the casino to the various tables. He didn't know how many days he had spent there, they all blurred together as he had spent it all drinking. The casino provided free drinks to high rollers, and he vaguely remembered putting down far more than he had intended to after he had visited the bar. He had been on a winning streak, he'd been excited and eager to enjoy his stay, but then things had started to blur. He had ended up meeting a lovely girl that had been so damned sweet and seductive that he couldn't stop himself from trying to show off. There had been drinks, so many drinks, they had been on a whirlwind at the tables and poker games, his card being taken out time and time again as he had been coaxed into entering higher stake games. And oh how she had rewarded him, he blurrily remembered sex, many heated moments in his hotel room or in a bathroom, humiliating.
"Hello?" He croaked out, his throat aching as he swallowed a few times and gave his head another shake to clear out the cob webs. He couldn't recall half of what he'd done, he didn't think he wanted to remember it. "Hello?! Excuse me?"
_Fuck, what did I do? Public indecency? _ That's all he could imagine, but he didn't think he recalled such an event and if he was caught with his dick out he would certainly remember it.
"Finally awake?" Someone answered, someone female. "We had hoped that you wouldn't end up passed out for the rest of the day."
"Can I get some clothes?" Louis asked, the immediate concern on his mind as the speaker stepped into view in the pale white hallway, making him cover himself with his hands.
The woman was elegant looking, not a guard or a police officer, she looked more like an executive than someone that should be working in a place that was obviously some sort of jail. The dark blue suit was elegantly cut and fitted to her body perfectly, offset by the paler color of the blouse that was beneath the jacket. Her blond hair was pulled up away from her face, her face lovely looking with almond shaped eyes and dark red lips, the make up perfect and impeccable looking as she paused at the door with a chunky metal wand in one hand, balanced on her heels as her eyes flicked over him in a way that sent the heat rushing to his cheeks and his hands covering himself as much as he could as her eyes flicked down the line of his body.
"Mr. Tilvo, you are deeply in debt to the Downs Casino. Over the last five days you have been pushing your credit above and beyond the limits of our tables." The woman spoke coldly, ignoring his request for something to cover his nudity. "Are you aware that you currently owe an outstanding balance?"
"Outstanding?" He blinked owlishly a few times and rubbed his eyes a few times. "I.. okay. Just give me my clothes and I'll look over the bill so I can pay it."
"I am afraid that you do not understand the gravity of the situation." The woman moved the chunky wand and ran it along one side of the wall. "You currently owe the house an excess of $750,000, an amount that you have absolutely no chance of repaying given your current position and salary."
"Wh-what?" He stammered, feeling a cold chill spreading through his lower stomach. "I don't owe that much!"
"I am afraid you do, we have been very carefully keeping track after you pushed past the $100,000 mark. You maxed out your credit cards somewhere around the third day." The woman's voice remained impersonal as the clear door slid backwards slowly. "I am Elena Peterson, CFO of Bolan Inc, do you recall what you put up for your debt?"
"No..?" He made the answer a question, he wasn't sure what he could have put up. A second mortgage on his house? Could they even do that?
Louis didn't get a chance to step out, the woman came in with a wrinkling of her nose at the scent, her eyes hardening... and she was followed. The creature that came in behind her was obviously a body guard, but not a human one. The designer dog-human hybrid was built like some sort of shepherd, his body muscled and clothed in a lean outfit that showed off the pure muscled form that stood slightly behind her. He towered over her, his head well above a foot taller, his body broader and with more muscle. It was only the third time he had ever seen one of these slaves, they were only owned by the wealthy and they were too exotic and valuable to be allowed out in public often. This one was furred dark black with slightly brownish markings along his muzzle, his ears pricked up high on his head as he regarded Louis with dark brown eyes that were regarding him coolly. There was a thin metal collar around his neck, the tag that hung down was more military than expensive. True dog tags. At any other time he would have been gaping at the canine, but his attention was devoted to the woman.
"You were told that you were beyond the house limit and we could not allow for any more credit to be put on your account." Elena pointed out with a professional tone, opening up her hand so that the guard could hand her a file. "You were told, and counselled that if your debt exceeded $500,000, we would no longer consider allowing you to make payments as the debt would not reasonably be paid off in your life time."
"B-but, you have to at least give me a chance!" He protested, and another creature stepped into the room, another anthro servant. "I can liquidate.."
"We have gone through your assets already, and it is unreasonable. As such, that portion of your contract will now be enforced." The woman flipped open the file easily and glanced down. "Due to your debt, you are now owned by Bolan Inc, your ready assets and you have been seized to be sold in auction, the funds will be used to cover your food, care and boarding, as well as medical services. Your papers are being processed as we speak."
"What.. y... you can't do that!" Louis stiffened as the other anthro came towards him. It was another canine, a male, but it was nothing like the guard that stood behind her.
The anthro poodle was muscular, but more like a dancer than a guard, his white fur trimmed and shaved down along his trim stomach and arms, showing off his body. The canine was dark black, midnight colored from his nose all the way down to his toes, but it didn't make him look more masculine for the bold coloration. He wore only a pair of loose silk shorts that barely covered his upper thighs, hugging just tight enough along the loins to show off a bulge. The fur that hadn't been trimmed was styled and fluffed up, tufts hanging from his long ears and along his wrists and strangely canine legs, even the tip of his tail. The collar he wore was jeweled and thick as two fingers, but he showed no shame or humiliation as he walked around Louis and made the man flush hotly, his cheeks throbbing with the beat of his heart.
"You signed the papers and they were witnessed," The woman snapped the file shut. "Arturo, go and see that he is processed properly, we will be making contact with his direct family as well as his employer to inform them of the change in status."
"Of course, Miss." The poodle spoke in a surprisingly deep voice and inclined his head.
"You can't do this!" Louis stepped forward as he felt a paw touch his arm, but the moment he did the shepherd let out a low baritone growl, his ears tipping back in warning. "You can't! I was drunk! I wasn't thinking right!"
"Mm." Elena made the noncommittal sound before turning around with her guard following her, the large male turning with a final warning look as they left without even answering him.
"They can't do this.." He stammered, but the poodle's hold on his arm tightened slightly and gave a pull, making him step forward. "They just can't!"
"Just keep telling yourself that, maybe it will help." Arturo answered softly.
Louis was led out of the cell completely and totally naked, his hands struggling to hide his cock as he was forced to walk out into the cool white hall. The poodle's hold was firm on his arm, but not painful, the blunt claws and soft paw pads felt strange as he was guided down against his will. He would have loved to break free and make a run for it, but there was no doubt in his mind that he would be caught before he got very far. Where could he run? He was naked, he had no idea where he was, his head was throbbing and from the look of the hall he was in some sort of basement. The dog that was holding him was firm enough to make sure that he knew that he couldn't break free, leaving him to stumble behind the strange guard. A slave. The woman had said he'd sold himself to slavery.
I would never! I was drunk! _ He thought wildly and the dog guided him through a series of open doors. _I don't even remember doing it!
Not that that excuse would hold up in any court room. Slavery had become legalized, or rather, indentured servitude had become legalized at the turn of the last century when debts began to crash the markets. It had happened when the country had started to buckle under people that were all too willing to put themselves in debt, mostly because the result of such debt was hardly deterring. Even the most careful person ended up with their credit scores hurt, their ability to pay off debts with mounting percentages being lost as jobs shifted and it was hard enough to just put a roof over one's head. It tanked the economy, a careful tumbling of dominos that nothing seemed to be able to stop as lenders were opened and failed as people began to neglect their debts in favor of simply making it paycheck to paycheck.
It had been highly controversial and fought, but in the end, indentured servitude had become passed into law. It had been all over the news, the outrage hadn't stopped it, not when the unemployment rates had surged to such numbers that there was the threat of war looming within the states. Those who reached too much debt to be paid off reasonably had two options, they could be placed in debtors prison to work off their debt under the regime of the state and federal government, or they could work off their debt with the company they took out loans on. The former was less popular, rarely taken, as prisons were truly prisons with debtors intermingling with less violent criminals, but the corporations had leapt at taking on indentured servants. In the first two years alone unemployment had rapidly declined as unemployed members of society had their debts called in one by one.
Oh there were laws and rules on the books, one couldn't mistreat an indentured servant. Slave. Louis had no illusions that he was something as genteel as a servant. They had to be fed, housed and clothed. They couldn't be physically harmed or punished for not performing their jobs, they were given stipends that allowed basic comforts, they had to be in good health and regularly inspected by the government. There were bylaws to keep the contracts from being abused, one couldn't just be snatched up, they had to agree to the clause and be taken on. In the first few years there had been hordes of people crying foul play in the court rooms, the most used excuse had been drunk or under the influence. It happened so often that it was almost unheard of for a judge to release a prisoner with such an appeal, it was too abused.
"Come on, stop dragging your heels." Arturo gave another tug and pushed him firmly through a large set of doors so his bare feet touched cold tile. "You reek."
"I need to talk to my lawyer." Louis answered desperately, blinking at the white light that was illuminating what looked like a large shower room. "I have rights!"
"You signed them over." The poodle pointed out, the ludicrous looking anthro gave him another push forward and guided him further into the room. "The showers are over there, kindly wash the stink from you."
The room was built much like a gym with a series of large showers set against one side of the wall with several large drains set in the tiled floor. There were benches on the other side of the wall, they were stark and blank looking, no shelves really, only hoses that were hanging from hooks near the ceiling and towels resting on metal shelves. Everything was sterile looking, stark and strange. The poodle didn't hesitate as he moved around the room, stripping off his bottoms without even a blush. The dark shaved body was lean and muscular, his body strange looking with a blend of human and dog both as he tossed away his pants and straightened up to reveal his nude body, the dark brown eyes looking over Louis with an appraising eye that made him jerk back and blush hotly as he took in the nude form.
Anthros were designed to be attractive, each and every one of them. Nearly every one of them was a human that had been genetically altered to combine with an animal, carefully designed so that they were well muscled and their impurities burned away to meld with a more attractive animal. Male or female, they were the epitome of fitness and beauty, and the poodle was no different despite his strange breed. The fact that he had working hands and the ability to speak meant that he was one of the more expensive morphs. His muscular body was lean in a way that suggested grace, balanced on the compact paws and revealing a part of his body that was entirely animalistic. The furred black sheath rested against his lower belly, jutting up with a thick fullness hinting at what was hiding within it, nestled right above a set of dark heavy orbs hugged up tight between his powerful legs. He couldn't help but stare at the exposed flesh instead of moving towards the showers.
"Are you serious? Get in there!" The dog barked the words, showing sharp white teeth. "I don't want to get punished because of you."
"I.. what do you want? Can you at least leave?" Louis could smell himself, he did stink, he could only imagine the tapered muzzle picked up the scent with far more intensity than his human one did.
"I am to see you properly bathed, collared, shaved and prepared for your exam." The canine advanced on him and caught his arm. "Come on, we are on a tight schedule."
"E-exam?" Louis tried to protest, but the paw suddenly grabbed the back of his neck and pushed him forward, making him stumble slightly.
Arturo only let out frustrated sound and pushed him towards the shower heads. "I shoudn't have to deal with this, I'm not a breaker damnit."
Louis didn't have time to do more than yelp out a protest before he was pushed right under one of the shower heads and one of the hooks was drawn down from the ground. The poodle was far stronger than he expected something so lean to be, he tried to push away, cursing as he was shoved right up against the tiled wall, the cold feel of it against his nude body a shock that drew a gasp from his throat. The rough furred paws flexed against his wrists, dragging them up firmly above his body while the anthro dog pushed forward to use his body to pin Louis in place. The moment that warm furred form pressed against his naked back he struggled, protesting the way that the chest pressed against his own, but worst was the feel of the nude loins cupping right along the bare curve of his ass cheeks.
It was like when he had had a dog as a kid, the same warm furred feeling, but horribly intimate as he could feel the ridge of the sheath pushed along the crease of his ass. The weight of it wedged right between them, strangely hard feeling despite being still within the furred sheath and the orbs pushed just along the underside of his ass. He jerked backwards, struggling to break free, his cheeks burning in abject humiliation as the anthro only pushed forward harder and forced his wrists together. He was so distracted by the nude masculine body pushed against his own that he didn't really put two and two together until nylon wrapped around his wrists firmly, rasping over the edge and abrading his skin as they were snapped into place with broad Velcro strips. They forced his wrists tightly together until his fingers were nearly interlacing as the dog let out a grunt of satisfaction, tugging at them a few times before guiding Louis' restrained wrists up and over a rounded hook set in the wall. It was just high enough that he ended up on tip toe, strained and stretched out against the wall.
"Don't know why I get stuck with this." The dog mumbled to himself as he stepped back. "Now just stop squirming."
"I have rights!" Louis protested, his fingers balled into fists.
"You signed them away," Arturo pointed out, the nude dog padding to unravel a hose. "I accepted my fate, you should accept your own."
_His fate? _ Louis paused at the implication that should have been obvious from the very start of seeing the poodle.
There were no free anthros, they were all servants of one sort or another. There were three main companies that had patented the rights to the process, and every last one of them offered their services to anyone who wished to undertake the process...for a price. If a human wanted to change themselves they could easily do so, but it was expensive enough that it meant entering into a contract with the people in charge of the company. They were rented or sold out once the change was over, with a good deal of them earning their freedom since their services commanded a premium, but it was still entering into service just to become some sort of half animal. The lucky ones were like the shepherd, they ended up as high end body guards or in security, but there were always rumors of at least one company selling their servants for something else entirely.
The thoughts that were flicking through his mind were erased the moment a blast of lukewarm water hit him dead in the back, making him yelp out in protest. He tried to squirm away, but being stretched out and on his tip toes meant that there was very little wiggle room to evade the hammering water. It wasn't even body temperature as it hit him, pouring down his back in a stream while the poodle walked around and sprayed right down along his side without an ounce of consideration on how it made him feel to be handled thusly. It even moved up to spray right along his head, making him sputter and choke on the stream of water that hit against his cheek with a powerful stream that he jerked his head to one side so that it hit his hair and ran down along his back.
Once he was sopping wet the hose was shut off, but Arturo was hardly done. The canine stepped forward with a rough sponge that was liberally soaked in soap. Louis couldn't do anything more than squirm as the creature began to wash him with rough thorough strokes, the same way that one might wash a dog, working around and scrubbing at spots, but always on the move in an impersonal way that made it all the more humiliating to be the subject of it. His ears were washed down, the soap smelled harsh and industrial as he was forced to close his eyes as the sponge worked over his face and then moved the way down. The dog didn't seem ashamed at all, not when the sponge went down along his ass to even when the claws bit down and forced his ass apart and scrubbed between them.
"I CAN DO THAT!" Louis' voice was high pitched as the sponge pushed right up along his pucker and scrubbed back and forth.
"If you could have, than you should have." Arturo answered and moved away to wring the sponge out before continuing with his work.
More soap was lathered up and this time the paws shifted and reached up so that he was forced to twist around on the restraints with a short yelping sound as his back hit the back of the wall. The sponge soon worked over his chest, scrubbing roughly up and down while he flinched and felt the heat rising to his cheek as the paw moved around the edges of his lower belly and one of the soapy paws moved down to his loins before suddenly he felt the paw hefting up his balls. He cried out in shock, jerking out and attempting to kick the poodle, but the beast simply moved to one side and worked the sponge down to rub along his cock, using softer strokes on the more tender skin. It was humiliating, outrageous, his cheeks were flushed deep red, his heart pounding in his ears as the fingers worked beneath his balls and began to scrub down towards the base of his cock.
It was a warm touch, a gentle touch, he hated it, but his body responded as a matter of course to the working strokes that ran from his base to tip, his breathing coming out in short angry bursts as his body began to respond. It was simply a normal reaction to caresses, the blood filling out and swelling the shaft so that it started to plump up. He didn't grow hard, but it did grow thick enough that it had to be noticeable to the dog. He didn't even know what to say, how to make his throat work, all he could do was tremble in outrage as the sponge soon moved on to wash beneath his balls and then to his legs, leaving his length hanging there half mast for anyone to see if they had walked in. The dog missed nothing, not even the soles of his feet and between his toes, he was covered in the bubbles.
"I'm going to give you one warning." The poodle remarked as he tossed the sponge to the side, washing off his paws. "You will be still, entirely still, for this next part. If you move you're going to get cut. If you get cut, it's going to hurt like hell and I'm not going to stop what I'm doing just because you're bleeding."
"What?!" Louis's eyes flashed open wide at the warning, but the morph was already moving to one side of the room and one of the lockers.
The warning soon made complete sense, he pulled out an expensive looking razor kit from the locker, the sort that had multiple sizes of razors tucked away in a small case. He flinched a little bit, he wasn't that rough shaven, he had a small bit of stubble, but nothing that extreme. Protesting seemed to get him exactly what it had before, nothing except a glare from the poodle before the paws gripped his chin and forced his head down so that he was facing the long dark muzzle. He didn't even dare struggle as foam was worked up around his cheeks and chin and the largest of the razors were taken out to be used.
He'd never been shaved by someone else in his life, he didn't know what to do except go still as the blade ran along his cheek smartly, shaving away the stubble that had grown up over the last few days of gambling. Arturo came in invasively close to work, the dark brown eyes staring at him intently as his upper lips and even under his jaw were all tended with a meticulous touch that made him flush in hot confusion at the way he was being treated. He'd never taken so much time with his own appearance, never bothered to shave down so close that his skin was smooth and bare of even a hint of dark stubble. It didn't end once he was clean shaven it only continued as his chest was covered in the same foam, mixed with the soapy coating and he let out a short noise.
"What are you doing?" He managed to ask as he felt the blade sliding on his chest. He wasn't overly hairy, but he had never in his life shaved that part of him.
"Clean shaven is more appealing." Arturo answered and ran the blade again. "Now hold still or you'll be cut."
Louis flinched as there was a deliberate turn right around one of his small nipples and he returned to going very still through the process. The poodle was quick and efficient, for all that he no longer had to shave, and seemed to understand exactly what he was doing as before he knew it, Arturo had turned his chest smooth as a young boys. The razor even went over his stomach with a swift stroke to clean up the area, making him tighten the muscles. He should have known what would happen next, except he wasn't prepared for it, not when the paw reached down and slathered the same shaving foam right over his balls, the other paw lifting up his cock without so much of an apology. The canine kneeled awkwardly to better access them.
"THOSE ARE FINE!" He snapped out frantically as the padded fingers worked under the orbs and smeared along the front.
"Will you stop protesting." The dog snapped, annoyance tinging his tone. "You are making this take longer and I am on a schedule."
Before Louis could argue his case any further, the smallest of the razors was used to work over his sensitive balls, running over the pubic hairs and shaving them off cleanly. He squeezed his eyes shut and tried not to think about what was happening as the razor ran over the tender area making him tense up, expecting to feel the blade slip at any moment. It didn't, the dog treated his testicles with the same amount of care and efficiency as his face had been treated too, shaved smooth and close to the skin. The touches continued, the area of his body sensitive to even a brush and the dog was nearly fondling him all over as he remained stiff and angry. His breathing came out a bit faster, nostrils flaring delicately as he squirmed backwards a little bit and tried to keep himself from doing more than that as the razor slipped right behind his balls. How had he come to this? Why should it matter if he was shaved THERE?!
Eventually the humiliation came to an end, blessedly leaving him uncut from the ministrations, but not before his legs had been treated to being shaved as well, his body smooth cut in ways he had never wanted to experience. He remained quiet, the desire to protest lost in his horror as the canine stepped back and washed, repacked and put away the razors and gear back neatly into the locker. At this point, Louis was shivering and miserable, tired and frustrated with what was being done to him. He didn't even flinch when the hose was unhooked again, he wasn't surprised, the suds form being washed, plus the foam from being shaved still lingered in spots where it had been pushed down by razor and smeared about.
The blast was at least somewhat warmer than his own body at this point, he squeezed his eyes shut, grit his teeth, and just let it hit him to wash away the soap. He was at least clean, he could get dressed and finally get out of this place to find out what his next move would be. He had to find a lawyer or at least a government official who would be able to help him find a way to back out of the deal. This was all a matter of him being too drunk and too inhibited to figure out what he was doing, they had to put a stop to it, they couldn't keep doing this. There would be a lot of fights in the courts, and he'd have to add to his debt, of course, but that wasn't going to mean anything if he could just find a way to get.
"AAA!!!" Louis surged forward with a high pitched cry as a blast of water suddenly shot between his ass cheeks.
It wasn't simply the feel of the luke warm water against his pucker, it was pressured enough that it pushed through the clenched muscle and shot up right into his bowels as he tightened his ass cheeks in protest. Arturo only snorted a sound of amusement and pushed the hose closer up to hit him harder against the pucker, the stream spilling into him before the hose moved back and the water spilled out of him in a humiliating stream. He leaned his head against the wall, this was the worst day of his life. It had to end soon, a bed somewhere, a chance to talk to someone human and with enough power he could be taken out of this place.
~ ~ * ~ ~
"Louis Alexander Payna." The cool voice made Louis flinch as he kept his eyes averted to one side in humiliated anger. "Tag #12-D343293-T, Caucasian male, 22 years old, red hair, green eyes. Open ended registration."
The shower had ended in Arturo handing him off to someone that was actually human, a cold female that looked like she should have been sitting behind some sort of desk and looking over accounts, not standing in front of four nude people. She wore a neat blouse and skirt, her hair done up in a loose bun as she held a clip board in one hand and a gun in the other. The gun wasn't a weapon, it was a microchipping gun. The canine that had bathed him had also oiled him, a sweet scented oil that just barely coated his skin to give it a sheen and brought with it a sweet scent that wasn't terribly masculine. The other three people had had the same thing done to them, each one was bathed, shaved, nude and oiled, though the woman seemed to be holding up a bit better in the group, she wasn't as mortified as he and the rest of the men were.
"Turn and tilt your head down, please." The woman checked something off on the list as she shifted the gun in her hand.
"I have a right to see a lawyer first." Louis responded roughly, his cheeks still red, but he tried to sound sure of himself, even in the nude.
"Your right to a lawyer was signed off on, please turn and head down." The woman glanced up at him with annoyance in her features.
"Where am I going?" He persisted, not moving as she readied the gun for him.
All slaves were tagged with microchips, it was standard procedure to make sure that if they did try to leave their contract behind that they could be traced and recognized in the future. Collars were seen as too 'degrading' with the only exceptions being to morphs and changed humans who had animalistic features, but he wasn't sure it really was any less degrading than a collar. A marker, under his skin, complete with GPS tracking as if he were a lost cat that needed to be found.
"Your contract is being transferred to the highest bidder to pay off your debt." The woman gave him a cold look. "Now turn around or I will have to bring in security."
A low growl trickled from the side of the wall last sentence. Security. Security was a large looking man that had pushed him into the room, and beside him a truly massive dog that had paced them as they went. His eyes went to the mastiff like beast that was sitting beside the door, an all too intelligent look on its face. The dog wasn't really a dog, at least, not one that had been born into being a dog. The sheer size and dimensions of the beast had indicated it was another slave, one that hadn't been so lucky as Arturo or the shepherd had been. Slaves that were sold to 'certain' companies could look to a life that would be caught in a true dogs body, if they were lucky they were left with the ability to speak, if they weren't, they were mute and silent, their thoughts locked behind the guise of a beast. They were mostly bought as expensive show animals, security, models or simply to work in movies and television. Or sex. There was always that rumor, that some people bought and sold the changed humans into near legal prostitution.
"What do they mean bidder?" Louis turned, trying not to stare at the dog regarding him, feeling even more exposed.
"The casino has little use for servants at this point, they have too many come through, you will be processed and auctioned." A cold alcohol swab ran in circles on the right side of his neck, making him flinch.
"I.. but.. I don't get a say in this?" The dog was still staring at him, the wrinkled features fixated on the group of them without any mercy. Or perhaps it was simply because the creature looked so foreign that he couldn't tell what the dog was thinking.
The gun pushed in hard against his neck, cold metal indenting his skin with almost bruising force before there was a whoosh of air and a sudden stab of pain that made him flinch as the needle sank hope and injected the minute chip beneath his skin. It was over in a moment, sinking deep enough the muscle with bruising force and the woman stepped back and moved away without another comment. It wasn't simply the marking that was degrading, but the realization that he was truly owned, he was marked as a servant, a slave. He didn't know how the rest of them felt, but he just could stand there as the rest of their names were given, their tags called out as they were implanted with the same chips as he was.
It didn't take long, he spent the time staring at the rest of the servants that were in line with him. They were all of varying ages, most of them looked as embarrassed and confused as he was. How many had been tricked into this? He could only assume that this house ran something on the side, trapping people like himself into contracts with debt to auction off their contracts. He couldn't imagine that they were just doing this for fun. He didn't recall the rest of their names, not even when they were called out, he simply rubbed his aching neck as the last person was tended too and the dog that had accompanied the security guard heaved himself up from the ground. Herself, the correction was horrifying as he realized the masculine looking beast was actually female as she padded up and glared at them.
"You.. Enter that door there, you will stand at attention, you will not speak unless they ask questions of you." The woman returned to him and gestured. "You will do what is asked of you and quickly."
"I.." He started, but the dog let out a baritone growl the moment he started to speak and he stalled to a stop.
"If you go out and are obviously a hard case you will be bought cheaply and for labor, your best bet is to be obedient and show that you are willing to accept your lot in life." The woman responded, almost kindly, and gave him another push. "The choice is yours."
Another shove and Louis stepped through a door, blinking wildly as lights flashed in his eyes and he found himself walking out, entirely nude, in front of what looked like a conference room. There was a large horseshoe shaped table with people seated facing him, the lights aimed directly on him as he immediately moved to cover himself and nearly bolted right back through the door. The dog seated herself right between him and the exit, her all too intelligent eyes watching him as he was forced to stand in place, exposed and confused before a man came up beside him, a microphone held in one hand.
"22 year old male, good health, gambling debts in excess of $700,000 obtained at the house in the last seven days." The speaker started out and Louis glared at him, seven days? It hadn't been a week, only a few days. "Some college, no degree, primary work done in customer service so should have relatively good skills with people or work as a laborer. Contract terms are a life contract."
_Life? _ Louis felt the color leave his cheeks, horrified to hear the phrase, nearly opening his mouth before stopping himself.
He didn't know what his life was going to be like from all of this, but he didn't want to be bought by the lowest bidder because he had messed up. He wasn't even sure the woman in the next room had told him the truth, but he wasn't willing to risk it. He kept his hands covering his loins, trying not to think about the strangers looking him openly and appraisingly as the person began to talk about him and what was being offered. He moved forward as he was gestured too and saw some of the people watching him. He didn't know what he was expecting to see here, perhaps people that were more seedy looking or perhaps more old fashioned, wealthy people that didn't care about throwing away money to own a person's contract.
"I'll place one quarter towards the contract." Someone spoke up in a bid, raising their hand as they spoke.
They were business people, they looked like they were sitting in on a meeting, complete with open folders and briefcases and laptops. He was forced to walk forward as the man with the microphone came forward with a firm push and started calling out other comments about he was offering. He had no idea where they had gotten so much information on him, but they were calling it out easily about where he had worked in the past, that he had spent two semesters in college studying computer sciences. They were speaking rapidly as he was left looking around owl eyed, his breathing coming a bit faster as the man suddenly gave him a slight turn. Bids were called out, one after another as they eyed him dispassionately, they didn't care about his humiliation or feelings, they were just watching him with appraising eyes on figuring out his worth.
"I'll take it for three fourths." Another person spoke up and waved her hand. "Three-fourths with two percent earned from annual sales."
"Three fourths and a contractual fee from the final sale." Another person, their voices blurring together as he tried to figure out just what was being bought.
"First call, high bidder House Pets Inc." The barker called out and gestured. "Northern Security, do you counter?"
_House Pets Inc? _ Louis felt numb at the name, his entire body went cold as he looked at the man placing the bid.
"Going once.."
House Pets Inc. was a company that blurred the line between legal and illegalities. They didn't create morphs and animals based on the need for the security industry or even for modeling. They worked strictly to provide in home servants that were changed into either morphs or true animals, both of which were ludicrously expensive as they were rented out on extended contracts to individual people. They always were quite firm that they did so simply to allow for private security or for house keepers and cooks that were more exotic, but no one really believed that. There were too many rumors travelling around about how they modified their indentured servants and what they did to make sure that they would be pleasing to the average human that wished to buy them. They weren't bought for their skills with cleaning or cooking, they were bought for one reason alone. Sex.
"Going twice..." Louis stared at the person, willing someone to speak up and make a higher bid. They had to have a higher bid somewhere, he couldn't be sold to that company.
Everyone had suspicions that there were sexual services being performed by their sold servants, that they were genetically altered specifically to have sex with to the stipulations of their clients. It was illegal, it was entirely immoral, but no one could prove it. The ones that were sold into those situations did so because they wished to serve in that way, which made it very legal, or they were silenced and couldn't speak due to the way they were changed. There were even rumors that they were starting to breed their servants, having children, offspring, instead of simply changed humans. Louis' heart began to pound faster against his chest, his breathing came out faster as his eyes flashed wider and his fingers balled up into fists in an attempt to ignore the dread that was rising. He wasn't educated, but he was better than this! He was! They couldn't do this to him!
"SOLD! House Pets Inc, mark in the books and register the chip please." The barker called out, sealing his fate with a dismissive gesture to send him back towards the room. They couldn't do this, he had rights, he had to find a lawyer, someone to listen to him, he hadn't meant to sign that contract!