The classroom was amazingly green. Very traditional. There was a touch board at the head of the room. The instructor made a passable hot school teacher in a snug short green skirt and a loose green blouse. It was the scars around the pale white orb of her right eye that marked her a combat veteran.

  “The Dominion has, on record, evidence of seventy eight Creations from the Age of the Catgirl Cults. There is no information on how many were actually created or how many still exist. The Sol Region is vast and surprises happen,” the instructor at the head of the classroom read off of a data pad.

  A recruit yawned. This was going to be common knowledge to most of them. It would only be wholly new information to me.

  “There are twenty one confirmed different Creations on and around Mimas organized into a hundred and thirty two assorted states and form three different power blocks. For relevance and ease of conversation we can call these blocks by the name of the dominant power in each of them. They are the Dominion, the Conglomerate and the Sovereignty,” the instructor pointed out to a recruit at random. “You! Tell me all that you know about Mimas.”

  “Yes, ma’am. It’s a moon, made of ice, ma’am. Low gravity. Orbits around Saturn, ma’am,” the recruit responded.

  “That is correct, recruit. The majority of the powers, including the Dominion, hang out in the Lagrange Two of Mimas. That means that Mimas is always between us and Saturn. It is very cozy,” she finished with a sneer.

  “As each of the power blocks is armed with enough kinetic missiles to render at least one other power block a non-entity we all exist in a continuous state of Mutually Assured Destruction or MAD. Which is very fun. Write that down,” she stopped and patiently waited.

  I took the time to write down how fun MAD was.

  “While we cannot, must not, destroy each other, for fear of the response, we also cannot simply ignore each other. Our client states rely on us to defend them and their interests as we benefit from their service. It is our mutual prosperity that we must defend,” the instructor gave a sigh.

  “In the last five conflicts the majority of the fighting took place on the surface of Mimas, with soldiers defending assets from doll attacks. The last of which was the Solomon Incident two years ago. A series of raids against mining installations in the Solomon Region of Mimos. We never did confirm who the instigator was,” she grimaced with annoyance.

  Dolls… humanoid drone bodies controlled by an AI. I had seen military dolls in art and media but I knew even domestic dolls could use firearms in an effective manner. The assumption that households would be protected by armed dolls was a big part of Last Eden culture.

  “We have to go as far back as the Calagan Insurrection, nearly twenty years ago now, to find an example of living soldiers fighting each other. The conflict was facilitated by the Sovereignty, though no Sovereignty troops were involved.”

  Chances were I would be fighting dolls or poorly trained rebels.

  It probably wouldn’t be nearly as easy as it sounded.

  * * *

  Lingering on my bunk I procrastinated for a time by just looking at Sarah’s last message.

  She had written: I love you. The Dominion is trying to put pressure on us. Stay safe and be careful, okay?

  I hadn’t been very careful or safe. Things kept getting out of hand. I knew I was the only one to blame for that.

  I typed: I love you too. I need to talk to you about Eva.

  My finger hesitated over the send button. Tension rising. I pressed the button.

  Sarah replied: Eva? Is she a jag? What do you need to tell?

  That Eva was kind of my girlfriend now along with maybe two other girls and they all wanted Sarah gone. I was leading everyone on and if I didn’t do something soon it would all end in heartbreak and girls getting hurt.

  But instead I just typed: Yeah, she’s a jag. A good kid but troubled. We’ve gotten close. You two should talk.

  Sarah replied: The Dominion is trying to turn Last Eden into some kind of breeding mill. I don’t want to talk to a jag. And how close is close?

  I could understand why the Dominion wanted more humans. I was torn between the suffering of all the girls like Eva and the suffering that would have to be imposed on Last Eden to rectify it.

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  I typed: She’s just a recruit, she doesn’t set policy. I’m trying to do what is right here.

  Sarah replied: A pretty little recruit you’ve been living with for a week. You’re humoring an infatuation. The right thing to do is let her down easy.

  Let Eva down easy? My left eye twitched. She wouldn’t like that. She wouldn’t like that at all. My breath quickened.

  I typed: I don’t want to hurt her.

  Sarah replied: You can hurt her now or you can hurt her later. Trust me, she’ll thank you for it. The sooner the better.

  I doubted that. I paused for a moment. I had to get my breathing under control.

  Sarah sent: Don’t worry Jack. You’re strong enough to be able to do this. I love you.

  I replied: I love you too.

  Sarah was right. I was in control of this situation. I just had to be firm.

  A clawed hand gripped my buttock lewdly.

  “Time to hit the mess hall,” Sonia grinned. She had been getting more friendly of late. It had felt awkward and forced at first but I was getting used to it.

  “Sure, I’ll join you,” I smiled, glad for the distraction from my problems.

  * * *

  It was the first day of only half PE, so the recruits still had energy to burn. Mindful of this, the instructors had supplied a means to expend that energy.

  I intercepted the basketball mid dribble and passed it to Beatriz. The opponent guarding her failing her interception.

  I hadn’t played basketball since high school.

  Beatriz took too long to line up the shot and it was intercepted by the lanky jag on the other team.

  It was familiar. The excitement of the court. The singsong of the rubber as it bounced.

  The stocky opponent blocked me as I tried to move past her.

  It was without the squeak of sneakers on the floor, though. The jags played with bare paws.

  Sonia intercepted the pass to the outside and passed it back to Beatriz.

  It was a three on three half court match. Pretty standard.

  On the second try Beatriz made the shot.

  The hoop was thirteen feet high though and I had the feeling the court was slightly larger than those I had played upon as a boy.

  Having just scored, the other team had control of the ball.

  I grinned. This was a lot of fun.

  Beatrix took right, Sonia took center and I took left.

  The air was clean and the faux sun was shining.

  Sonia won the tip off and the ball was free.

  It was a great day.

  I slipped past the guard and passed the ball back to Sonia and she managed a drive towards the net.

  Everything was going to turn out just fine.

  * * *

  I was standing behind the barracks. I’d sent Eva the message that I needed to talk to her. That it was important.

  This was a good spot for this. Where we had shared our first kiss. It had fond memories and it was private.

  I didn’t want to embarrass her. The poor girl definitely didn’t deserve that. She was such a lonely girl.

  Bitter from her loneliness. But just lonely.

  I just had to be firm. Let her down easy.

  I… I really didn’t want to hurt her. I really, really didn’t want to hurt her.

  My left eye twitched.

  Eva was wearing her fatigues. Moving on her bare paws. It was pretty quiet. That with my distraction was how she had gotten so close without me noticing.

  She put her hand on my head as I looked up at her.

  “Eva. I did it. I talked to Sarah-”

  She smiled as she pushed me to my knees. I was getting used to her doing that. I didn’t hurt my knees at all this time.

  I mutely kneeled there looking up at her as she took off her pants.

  I had been doing something. There was…

  She slowly slid off her boxer briefs.

  I tried to speak, to find words to object with when she insistently pressed my face into her gash.

  My hands found their way to her thigh and hip. Offering her gentle, soothing, reassuring touches.

  So she knew she didn’t have to-

  I put that thought aside as I diligently ate her out.

  “I am first. Do you understand?” Eva spoke.

  I nodded. I had to nod. It was what she wanted. But no, I did not understand. First?

  I glanced up. Eva was smiling brightly down at me. Whatever it was, it was good.

  That meant everything was okay and I was safe.

  “I am second,” it was Beatriz.

  I tried to turn my head to look but Eva’s grip did not allow it. So I resumed licking and sucking at Eva.

  There was a moment of silence before Eva answered, “Yes, you are second.”

  Eva gave a slight shudder as she reached her climax. She stepped back.

  Beatriz offered me a warm smile as she stepped forward and took Eva’s place.

  “Hey, Jack,” she greeted as she pulled my head forward.

  I understood as I started to eat out Beatriz. Eva was first and Beatriz was second. It made complete sense. And this was why Eva seemed so easy to please. I was supposed to do them in series.

  My touches on her body were to welcome her.

  With context I was able to pick out the tastes that were jag from the tastes that were Eva and Beatrix.

  “I’m third,” it was Sonia.

  I didn’t move my head. It was easiest to just keep working on Beatriz.

  “No, no you are not,” replied Eva.

  “I’m third, or I go and tell all the other girls in the barracks what you’re up to and they can form a line,” threatened Sonia.

  “Fine. You are third,” Eva conceded.

  Sonia gave a quiet victory cheer.

  Beatriz climaxed with a soft ‘eep!’

  When Sonia stepped forward to take her turn she was insistent on grinding against my mouth.

  My tongue was a little tired and cramped so I didn’t begrudge her that. My hands merely settled onto her body with the intent of helping to avoid hurting me.

  Her taste was almost familiar from a week of sleeping a few feet away from her.

  Sonia finished, I wasn’t even sure if she came or not.

  The three of them smiled down at my breathless face. I smiled back, happily, as they pulled me to my feet. Their touch was firm but gentle.

  It felt right. Supported by three beautiful women.

  They posed with me for a photo. A selfie.

  “Can I have a copy? I want to send it to my mom!” Beatriz asked excitedly.

  “Same here, I need to send proof to my family so that they can cancel my old engagement,” Sonia asked in a more business-like manner. Like she was asking for a tax receipt.

  Eva even sent me a copy. A copy of what was clearly and obviously me with my new girlfriends.

  “You can send that to Sarah,” Beatriz gave me a hug, “so she knows you’ll be taken care of.”

  I smiled. That sounded nice. She wouldn’t have to worry that way.

  My smile faded.

  That… That wasn’t exactly how this was supposed to go. I’d fucked up again.