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Read Part 1, Part 2, Part 3

For this story, I’m unable to provide a “What happened before” paragraph each time, as it would require me to technically repeat everything I already wrote. The story is just too complex. If anyone is good at writing something like that and wants to do it, let me know.

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”You know … you know how much I love you, don’t you?” Michael said while he let his fingers brush through Nora’s hair. You’re the most sublime being in the whole universe. Nora laughed.

”Oh, stop it! You know I won’t lower my rate when we already had sex, just because you give me totally exaggerated compliments.” He kissed her forehead, then her nose, her mouth, made his way downwards on her naked body. His lips were soft and warm. He stopped just above her bellybutton.

”You don’t believe me? Why would I lie to you, my favorite?”

”Oh, I don’t know.” Nora pushed him away, gently but with an assertive force. Then she pulled up the blanket to cover herself. Maybe I don’t believe you because I know about your wife? Your kids? Your other call girls? Maybe because I know you probably tell them the same?” Michael reached for her right hand, pulled it towards him and kissed it lightly.

”Don’t confuse appearance with reality. We all need to ensure others think what they’re supposed to think. Me, a successful businessman, you, a reliable employee of the Central Government of Colonies. People need to believe we’re the pinnacle of human accomplishment and respectability. Even if it means not being able to openly give in to our … urges.” _@suesa
”Urges? That’s what you call that from earlier?” Nora laughed a high-pitched laugh, which made Michael frown. ”It felt more like we’re the protagonists of Orwell’s 1984. You ever read that book? Such a sex-deprived society …”

”I’m not sure you fully grasped what he wanted to tell his readers” , Michael remarked.”

”How would you know? It’s been centuries since that book was written. But society changed into something similar to what he feared, at least when it comes to sex. Everyone is so focused on staying pure, on not being seen as an animal controlled by their sexual urges. It’s so backward. First, they allowed prostitution, then they banned it again. And now you can even get in trouble for having sex outside of marriage or for purposes other than having kids …”

”Which is the right way.” Michael stood up from the bed and started to get dressed. ”Overpopulation will always be a problem, especially with all the Cephis running around and reproducing like crazy. If we don’t keep the lower society from having too many children, even our colonies won’t be enough to house us anymore. If we force abstinence, we ensure that the population stays at a tolerable level.”

”You’re such a hypocrite” , Nora said.”

”A hypocrite with a lot of money who knows how to fuck you right” , he replied with a smile. Out of his briefcase, he took an envelope. A thick envelope. ”I doubled your usual rate” , he said. ”It’s a thank you for giving me the keys to your apartment. It’s so much easier and more discrete than standing in front of your door and waiting to be let in. Feels like you almost love me too.”

”Sure. Didn’t want the neighbors asking questions. They’re already nosy enough.”

”See you next week then?”

”As always.”

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The memories came back when Nora-Ceph was in a situation that triggered them. On the inside, she was cursing the process. It was impossible to be aware of all memories all the time. Sure, they were there and she could access all of them - if she knew what to look for. And she hadn’t even thought of the possibility that Nora, her host, would be hiding a secret like that.

Luckily, it only took a few fractions of a second to remember the things relevant to the situation. Still, it was too little, too late. Nora-Ceph had no idea how to handle the naked man, Michael, in front of her. And he seemed to become a little impatient.

”Nora? What’s wrong? First, you don’t return my calls all week and then you act like I’m an intruder you’ve never seen before! Is this your way of ending this? In that case, you should have kept the damn keys!”

He was overreacting. Nora-Ceph realized that but didn’t know what to do to calm him down. She remembered that Michael was an impulsive man, who liked to hurt his partners during sex. Or at least he had hurt Nora several times. Not without her consent, but it got out of hand on more than one occasion.

And he had driven away all her other suitors, making sure with his money that she wouldn’t go and seek out other men.

Maybe he didn’t love her, but he was certainly the jealous type.

”I …” Nora-Ceph cleared her throat, collected herself. ”I am sorry I didn’t answer your calls. I was … on a vacation.” It felt like the safest way to stick with the story she had told the police. If they, for some absurd reason, ended up questioning Michael, he wouldn’t be able to contradict her lie.

”A vacation? Where? Why? How did you get free days for that? Why didn’t you tell me?” He moved closer. Too close. Grabbed her chin and forced her to look into his eyes, which forced her to angle her head in a painful way, as he was a good bit taller than her. ”Did you go with another man?”

”No!, Nora-Ceph called out. ”I had some … psychological problems. I didn’t tell anyone I was going. I just went to one of the lesser populated parts of the moon and spent some time … reading.”

”Reading? What?”

”Orwell, you remember how we talked about one of his books? 1984? I thought about what you had said when we discussed it last time, how I misunderstood the message. I … I wanted to have some time to think about it.”

His stare intensified as he looked at her in silence for what felt like several minutes. Reading? Why did she tell him she needed some time to read? That was the dumbest excuse he had probably ever been given!

Michael laughed and let go of her chin.

”You’re weird, Nora, you know that, right?” He walked back to the bed and sat down on it. ”You were at a remote place, reading. And I thought you couldn’t surprise me anymore!” Again he laughed, a loud, disruptive sound. Nora-Ceph didn’t like it a bit. ”Well then, get rid of those clothes and come to me. You can tell me all about your new insights.”

Nora-Ceph froze. No. She would not have sex with this human. She’d rather die. But he clearly expected her to obey his words. And his body sent very obvious signals too. Nora-Ceph closed her eyes.

”Please leave”, she said.

”I’m sorry, what?!”

”Leave, please. I’m not feeling well. They took me off from work till Monday, because I need to go through a psychological examination. I don’t … I can’t do this right now.”

”You’ve got to be kidding me!” Michael called out. ”At least give me some relief!”

”No! Go!” Her voice had gotten loud and she pointed at the door. Wordlessly, Michael got up and dressed. When he passed her, Nora-Ceph feared he might attack her. But he didn’t.

When she heard the front door opening and closing again, she fell down to the floor, shaking. The adrenaline was rushing through her veins. Such an unknown and unpleasant feeling.

She started to cry.

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_{GIF was created for me by @saywha and @atopy , rest of the signature by @overkillcoin}