Hayley had become a staple at the kick/dodgeball games. Playing three times a week, she was getting exercise, having fun and actually coming to recognize her teammates by their body dimensions alone. The pitcher on her team, the only other girl, was about two inches shorter than her, and weighed perhaps a few more pounds. She was certainly not heavy by any stretch of the imagination, quite the contrary. Her thigh muscles were quite well defined as were her biceps. She obviously did a lot of running, and the constant throwing motion with her arms had obviously helped to strengthen her arms. Her fellow outfielder, who’d not only introduced her to the game but was the one to invite her back, was roughly Hayley’s height, and was of slightly above average build. Certainly not a long time Exile, but it was clear he’d been at it for awhile longer than Hayley. The catcher was a shorter fellow with a little more paunch in his belly, but not fat either. Perhaps at one time he’d been, but the months he’d clearly spent as an Exile were rapidly changing his body. He was the one who owned the ball. All three of them resided in the same park as Hayley, although she wasn’t quite sure where. She’d occasionally run into them while wandering, and they’d bow to each other in that regal way she and her fellow outfielder had the first day. It’d become like their own secret handshake. A way of identifying each other. In the past two months Hayley had noticed a change in her own body. She’d always been a fairly fit individual, although nobody would ever accuse her of being toned. That had started to change. She was noticing more definition in her belly, and in her legs and arms. Although she couldn’t see them, she could feel her buttocks had also gotten firmer. Her physical appearance had never bothered her, although having her form so perfectly on display for everyone to see had caused her a degree of discomfort in her first few weeks as an Exile. She’d long since gotten over those early feelings of self-consciousness, which were never really that severe to begin with. As a singer, she was used to having her body on display and being the object of many a man’s desire. She’d worn some provocative attires in her career. Some might call what she was forced to wear now to actually be more conservative than some of those. At least in the latex suit, there was no skin shown. Further, her anatomy was barely on display. Except for the shape of her breasts and buttocks, her nipples and her clitoris were completely smoothened under the material. There was of course a bit of a downside to that as well, given she had no way of pleasuring herself. This became especially frustrating after one particular game of kick/dodgeball. The game had ended early due to rain. While there was no reason they couldn’t have kept playing since they were all waterproof, it simply became impossible to get a hold of the ball. It was hard enough with the slipperiness of their suits without the addition of water saturating everything. The game soon turned into an exercise of futility, and the frustrated players decided to quit.
On her way back to her pond, she came upon a young man and woman. Both were just sopping wet and covered in mud from rolling around on the ground in the downpour, and were passionately making out. The display was so powerfully passionate, Hayley couldn’t help but stop and watch. Normally she’d never have thought about watching two young lovers make out, but the image stirred something inside of her. A yearning. It’d been months since she’d felt so much as another body near hers. She missed Max...his company and his touch. Something about the young man reminded Hayley of him. Though a few years younger than Max, he had hair that was a similar reddish-blonde hue as Max’s. That was all it took for Hayley to begin to fantasize. She watched longingly at the two, pressing her back against a nearby tree and sliding down to her knees.
The lovers continued to jostle, rubbing their bodies against another’s, drawing their lips together and letting their tongues dance and twirl around the other. Hayley’s breathing became deeper as she ran a hand down her chest, firmly squeezing one of her breasts as her other hand searched the area between her thighs for some kind of sensation. Closing her eyes, she tried to imagine the feeling of a hand stroking the edges of her clitoris. She’d heard people could climax through thought alone, but without the physical stimuli, she wondered what was the point? Was the journey not half as rewarding, if not more so than the destination? But no matter how hard she tried to imagine or recall previous times she’d had intercourse, she just couldn’t get enough of a rise out of her body.
Her stroking became more vigorous. She dropped down onto her back, periodically glancing over at the lovers and imagining herself in the woman’s position. Squirming and rubbing her thighs together while prodding at the base of her crotch was just not having the desired effect. She could feel the pressure, but without friction it was pointless. She poked harder, squeezed her breasts tighter, and rubbed her butt into the mud with more force. Just nothing. At one point, the young woman noticed the Exile in their midst thrashing around in the mud, trying to pleasure herself. She let out a piercing scream that got the attention of the male, who looked back and spotted Hayley just a few meters away beneath a tree. "God dammit!" The male felt around the ground with his hand, grabbing a hold of a fist sized rock. Rising to his feet, he flung the rock at Hayley, catching her in the ribs. "Stupid fucking Exile."
That she felt. The weight of the impact cracked a rib, and pain ripped through her chest. Gasping, she crumpled up, drawing her knees up and wrapping her arms around herself. Moaning in pain, she rolled back and forth for a few seconds until the sound of Warden’s voice filled her head.
"Sub-dermal injury detected. Initiating analgesic protocol level 3."
As if having been switched off with a light switch, the pain vanished. Hayley sat up slowly in a mildly confused state. Did the Warden just take away her pain, instead of administering it to her? She stood up, feeling her affected rib and noticing a mild discomfort where the rock had hit, but no intense pain.
"Wow...so you can do more than be a pain in the ass?" She wondered aloud, her comments directed at the disembodied voice of her invisible jailer. "This is a red letter day."
The two lovers, still in the area, leered at Hayley as she walked by, appearing no worse for wear from the attack. She even had the courtesy to give them a friendly wave as she passed by, as if to say ‘no hard feelings’. Neither the young man nor the woman was sure what to make of that.
* * *
The Federal commission tasked with reviewing the situation in the Aegean Republic had, as expected, waited until the last minute to carry out their investigation of the rogue state. As an act of good will, the Supreme Chancellor had agreed to allow the inspection to go on, and even accompanied the special representatives as they toured the arcologies inside and out. Max Trainor was among those special representatives. Ambassador Kurtis had seen to it that he be granted special status and be allowed to go with the Federation reps on the tour.
The reps had spent the better part of the last three days going through almost every inch of the arcologies, except for a few of the restricted areas which Supreme Chancellor Aldrich Heissler refused to allow them to see. Among those areas was the medical center within the New Rome arcology. Closed off on account of ‘biologically sensitive’ experimentation being conducted within them, at least according to Heissler, it was one of the few key areas that the Federation reps really had wanted to see.
"So, gentlemen, I hope your investigation has been concluded to your satisfaction," Heissler said within the grandiose conference on the 200th floor of the New Rome arcology, the twelve special Federation representatives seated around the oblong table within. "I am interested to hear the results of the tour."
Also within the room were the Senior Administrators of each arcology, each of whom served as a member of the Republic Council. They included Sergei Tereshkova who served also as the Director of the Directorate of Internal Security. Lita Ross, the Senior Administrator of New Rome and the de-facto Number 3 most powerful person sitting on the council. Camelot Senior Admin James Wallace, a former long-time Federation Council member. Finally there was Dawn Kang, New Athens Senior Admin and Director of Republic Medical. The Admins sat across from the Federation reps, with Heissler seated at one of the long table and Ambassador Kurtis on the other. Max was seated further on the end, closest to Heissler. He wanted to see the man responsible for his girlfriend’s imprisonment up close and personal, and he wanted Heissler to see him.
"Yes, the results of the investigation," Kurtis spoke loudly and authoritatively, his deep resonating voice echoing throughout the large room. "Well Mr. Supreme Chancellor, you’re not going to like what I have to say unfortunately."
Heissler drew his hands onto table’s polished surface. "Oh?"
"In the three days that my associates and I have been allowed to examine your Republic, we have not been permitted access to certain key areas that are inherently critical to our investigation. Among those areas being the medical wings of all four arcologies, the offices of the Directorate of Internal Security, and several other areas we believe may potentially contain Republic citizens held against their will."
"As was explained to you and your party, there are a number of sensitive areas that contain equipment or potentially harmful substances that may endanger you and your staff. And we simply will not be held responsible for any injuries sustained by you and your party during your investigation. Beyond that we have been entirely cooperative..."
"You have not been cooperative." Kurtis cut him off.
Heissler fired an irritated glare at the Ambassador but kept his cool. "We have been entirely cooperative to the degree that we feel is necessary for you to complete a thorough report and present it to the Federation Council."
"What about the prison population...these so-called Exiles? We have not seen a single one throughout the arcologies."
"Yes, well that is because they are exiled to the outside. As part of the conditions of their sentence, they are relegated to the exterior."
"So they are allowed to wander freely?"
"Within limitations," Heissler answered smoothly. "We monitor their movements through a sophisticated network we call the Warden system. It ensures that they don’t wander too far and don’t cause any trouble."
"And how do you enforce those conditions?" Kurtis shifted around in his seat. "With punishment of course."
"Describe the kinds of punishment they are submitted to?"
With a light sigh Heissler leaned forward in his seat. "I’m not at liberty to get into technical details. However, what I can tell you is that they are not physically harmed in any way. As a matter of fact, the Warden system is designed to keep the subject safe just as much as it is designed to keep them on a leash. In the event of injury, the system lets us know, enabling us to respond quickly. Additionally, there are various countermeasures in place that prevent an Exile from ever harming another citizen."
Kurtis nodded his head slowly. "I see. And what prevents other citizens from abusing these so-called Exiles given the placement of these countermeasures?"
"A strict policy of non-interference. We’ve made it an offense for citizens to interact with Exiles in any way. Should a citizen be caught abusing an Exile, they are charged with violating that policy...as it would be on any other world with Federation laws. After all, Exiles are still people," a smug smile appeared on Heissler’s face.
"Don’t you worry about insurrection? Surely Exiles have formed communities and gangs and..."
"Again, I will not get into the specific details of our Warden system, but it has been designed with the specific purpose of maintaining the prisoner population. Part of how we do this is by enforcing the concept of autonomous solitary confinement. Exiles are essentially prisoners within their own bodies- they cannot communicate with the outside world, they cannot interact with the outside world. They are well taken care of, but are effectively non-entities."
"I would like to see one of these Exiles if I may," the Ambassador looked up and down the side of the table containing the Federation reps, all of whom nodded in agreement.
"We thought you might. We had a random Exile brought in for that purpose," Heissler turned toward Sergei Tereshkova, who nodded and rose up out of his seat, briskly marching across the cavernous room to the doors at the far end. "Bring in the Exile."
Tereshkova opened the door, ushering in two of his DIS agents, both of whom were flanking a petite female black latex-skinned Exile. She was marched up to the table, the twelve Federation reps, Max included, swiveling their seats around to get a good look at her. Max’s jaw dropped. Though he knew it couldn’t have been Hayley given the girl’s rather petite though toned frame, just seeing this one made him imagine her being encased in one of those suits, her head sealed up in the smooth black headgear. "This is Exile VC31, real name Victoria Chang, age 25," Heissler read off a DPAD tablet. "She was arrested as part of a group of anarchists who firebombed a DIS office seven years ago, resulting in three fatalities and twenty-five injuries. She was charged with conspiracy, assault on a peace officer, destruction of public property and voluntary manslaughter. She was found guilty on Earth date 2198.320 and is presently serving a 30-year sentence."
Max studied the Exile. She stood with her shoulders hunched and her head dipped, her arms crossed in front of her with one hand looped around her wrist. Her head moved a little as if she was scanning the Federation reps before her. She had the look of a woman utterly defeated. Kurtis spoke up after a moment. "Can you explain to me why you have them dressed so...provocatively?"
"There’s nothing provocative about it," Heissler turned his eyes to the dark skinned Federation ambassador. "What you see is essentially the natural state of a human body. The material they wear is opaque to give them at least a degree of dignity, but also serves a more practical function, and that is to simply make them seem less human. It’s a psychological barrier, makes them easier for ordinary Republic citizens to ignore them."
"But surely you could have provided them with some kind of uniform..."
"Uniforms and regular clothing require facilities to wash and maintain. These suits are designed to be fully self-contained, water and temperature proof, requiring no cleaning or repairs. The Exile will wear that and only that for the full duration of their sentence."
"And the helmets?"
"Another part of the psychological barrier to make the Exile appear less of an individual amongst his or her fellow Exiles. It also suppresses the Exile’s ability to communicate, and finally protects the sensitive broadband receiver that the Warden system uses to monitor each Exile."
Kurtis rose up from his seat and sauntered over to the Exile, who turned her head up toward him as he approached. Leaning toward her, he stared at his reflection in the woman’s helmet.
"Can she hear me?"
"Of course she can. But don’t expect to hear a response."
"I would like the opportunity to speak to Ms. Chang one on one if I could."
"I’m afraid that won’t be possible," Heissler responded. "We have a strict policy regarding Exile’s ability to contact outsiders. Your being here does not change that policy."
Max was growing agitated. Pursing his lips tightly, he clenched his fists on the table top while biting his tongue. He’d been instructed not to speak during the course of the meeting with the Supreme Chancellor, and he’d agreed to that. Now he was on the verge of exploding. He couldn’t imagine what Hayley must have been going through over the course of the past two months. She must have been going out of her mind by now---not able to speak to anyone, or be close to anyone, locked in that alien suit. He couldn’t hold his tongue any longer.
Slapping a hand firmly against the table, he locked his eyes on Heissler who threw a glance in his direction. "You son of a bitch! How can we let this smug asshole get away with doing this to Hayley? She’s a Federation citizen god damn it!"
"I beg your pardon?" An irate expression formed on the Supreme Chancellor pale-skinned face. "How dare you speak to me in such a manner. Who is this?"
"Max Trainor. And you’ve got my girlfriend locked up in one of those...those suits. And I want her back, now!"
"Mr. Trainor!" The Federation ambassador hollered, glaring at the younger man. "That’s enough!"
"Mr. Trainor..." Heissler glared at the musician through burning, anger-filled eyes. "Whether your girlfriend is a Federation citizen or not, Ms. Komit was charged of a crime and convicted..."
"By a fucking kangaroo court. She wasn’t even given a fair chance! No defense? You call that civil? It was a god damned witch burning!"
"Our legal system has proved effective. What crime have you seen? What violence? In the seven years since we introduced our SCIE program, our crime rate has fallen to zero. There has not been a single crime related fatality in seven years. Can the Federation make such a claim? I think not."
"The Federation consists of over 32 billion citizens across twelve star systems," Kurtis barked in reply. "You can’t possible begin to compare the two. And considering how many people do fall under the administration of the Federation government, our crime rate, while certainly greater than zero, is quite small per-capita compared to your Republic less than ten years ago. So don’t even begin to compare the two, Mr. Supreme Chancellor."
Heissler stormed to his feet. "That’s it! We invite you here as a sign of good faith, and you insult us. Well, Mr. Ambassador, Federation Representatives, I believe our business here is done. Go back to your Federation Council and tell them whatever it is you wish. We will not be threatened or intimidated by you or anyone else under the Federation banner. I now demand that you leave at once."
"One last question, Heissler," Max fired a cold stare at the Supreme Chancellor. "Rumor has it you locked up your own daughter in one of those Exile suits. How does it feel knowing she’s out there, looking like that, all alone, knowing you were the one to put her there?"
Heissler was clearly caught off guard by the question, as were the other members of the Administrative Council. They peered quizzically at one another, then looked to Heissler as he came up with a response.
"My daughter? Exiled? That’s preposterous! My daughter is off world...living on the Mars colony."
"Yeah? Well, we’ll see about that," Max retorted.
Under armed guard, the Federation commission was quickly escorted out of the briefing room. On their way back up to the rooftop landing platform, Kurtis shot an angry glare at Trainor, shaking his head in a baffling manner.
"I told you not to speak Mr. Trainor."
"Well somebody had to," Trainor responded curtly. "We both know the guy’s a power mad tyrant. You wanna go through due process, fine. It ain’t gonna change a damn thing. And Hayley is still out there."
"And now, thanks to you, we’re no closer to getting her back," Kurtis’s eyes narrowed sharply. "That outburst of yours cost us a needed foothold. Now we have nothing. Now, we have no choice. This will not be decided diplomatically."
Trainor glanced back at the Ambassador. "What do you mean?"
"Based on our recommendation, the Federation Council is certain to agree that police action is required. They will send ships, troops and weapons to Vega IV. And then there won’t be stopping it after that...war is inevitable."