FORWARD

"I know not with what weapons WW3 will be fought, but WW4 will be fought with sticks and stones."

Albert Einstein, in an interview with Alfred Werner, Liberal Judaism 16 (April-May 1949)

Prologue

The 'nuclear deterrent' had proven ineffective: not only did they not stop the war, but a majority of them also failed to be deployed, which was good as it avoided total annihilation. Enough did, however, such that coastal towns and harbors were rendered uninhabitable.

A century of war has left the country in shambles. Technology has failed, leaving behind relics of a past-gone era that can't be maintained. Once mighty nations have been shattered, breaking into local regions that could sustain a semblance of civilization without the need for extensive travel. Dwindling resources have pitted one region against its neighbors and the battles to maintain their borders are endless. It is called the "War without end, or the hundred-year war."

Most significant impact was the loss of technology. The 21st century depended on computers and the Internet, which turned out to be very fragile. When high tech failed, the economy was devastated. Only those geographic areas that could supply their own food, water and essential resources continued to flourish, although they were required to constantly defend their borders to protect their resources. Peace remains elusive. While overpopulation was a concern of the 21st century, now the concern is maintaining the population.

The constant war has resulted in a drastic imbalance in the ratio of females to males. Women now outnumber the men by a ratio of four to one as the eligible men are shipped off to war, most of them never returning. The result is a dramatic change in the role that women play in society. While the men are needed to fight, the women are needed to produce. Produce both materials for the war effort, and babies to maintain the population. The traditional one-man / one-woman monogamous relationships of the past has been replaced a more practical multi-wife system.

While technology from a century ago may never be reproduced, the goal is to at least get back to a technological level from a century before that. School is a high priority, and the smartest were groomed to be scientists and engineers. Everyone is required to attend school until they are 18. At that point, the brightest boys, the elite, will go on to college. The others were sent for military training. Girls who had maintained at least a 3.5 GPA would go on to another two years of college, and those that continued their GPA would continue on to even higher education. Those who fell short were found suitable employment. There was no such thing as 'unemployment' as all were needed to feed the insatiable war machine.

Workers were at a premium. Even the lowest ranked were in constant demand. The prison system changed dramatically, as it made no sense to keep potential workers locked up.

Chapter 1

Tina cradled her infant son in her arms as he suckled eagerly on her breast, watching him with awe, with all the adoration and the love that a mother should feel toward their young. She rocked back and forth, humming a tune that she only vaguely remembered from her own childhood.

She allowed him to nurse as long as he wanted, then draped him over her shoulder as she gently rubbed his back until she heard a burp, surprisingly loud from one so small. She smiled as she stood and moved towards the crib where she laid him down. Life had gotten significantly easier since their youngest started just going to sleep when he got tired rather than fussing for a couple of hours.

She stepped out of the nursery, and one door down the hall, to check on her two-year-old son. He was now in his 'terrible twos' and going to bed had become a battle of wills. She put her ear to the door, listening for any telltale sounds. If he hadn't fallen asleep, then opening the door would restart the battle. Hearing nothing, she quietly opened the door just a crack: he was asleep, all was as it should be.

She had met the requirement, and Tina knew that she should be happy about that. She was happy, she told herself. She had been lucky, and had two fine, healthy sons: an heir and a spare. She no longer needed to subject herself to the indignity of sexual intercourse. Never again would she need to suffer the torture of childbirth.

Throughout her life she had been taught that promiscuity and debauchery had been the downfall of civilization numerous times. Examples that were drilled into them included the fall of the Roman empire, the 'roaring twenties' that led to the great depression, World War II, and most recently the entire twenty-first century that resulted in the 100-year war. Now, the message was clear, although a bit contradictory: women were supposed to have a lot of children, but they weren't supposed to enjoy sex.

Tina was fine with the second part of that message. As a 'First Wife' she could defer the responsibility of repopulating the country to someone else. A second wife.

Tina would have preferred that her husband NOT have any additional wives, but the choice was either that or to have at least two more children herself. The 'diversity in repopulation' decree from decades ago required each male to supply at least four children for the 'gene pool' and encouraged them to have many more. The 'hundred-year war' continued to decimate the male population, leading to concerns about inbreeding while leaving a large pool of unmarried women. Due to the disparity in the number of men verses women, men are encouraged to father children from more than one woman. While it was expected that HE would have more children, they didn't have to come from her.

No more than one additional wife, she hoped. One additional wife was manageable, but problems grew exponentially with more wives. Her husband made a comfortable living, more than enough to raise their two kids, enough to support a second wife along with a number of kids from her. Kids that only needed room and board and the basics to cover education. They would all have to live under one roof, she realized, as he didn't earn enough to support separate homes, but that could work to her advantage as well. A second wife with no marketable job skills could be used for household labor. As a nanny perhaps, which would free her to socialize at will. Someone that she was clearly superior to in social status. Someone she could control.

A penal slave.

Under the current 'repopulation' effort the punishments for most crimes had been substantially modified from centuries ago. Men who were convicted of significant crimes were sent off to the war, which often was equivalent to a death sentence. Women, on the other hand, were needed for bearing children and for labor, and it was considered a waste to have a woman of childbearing age rotting in a prison. Thus, all but the most heinous crimes would be punished by a penal contract.

As a first wife, Tina was entitled to be involved in the selection and had the option of rejecting a candidate. Tina knew the selection would have to be made with care, as this felon would be living under the same roof. She had her children's safety to be concerned about, so certainly not someone who was guilty of a violent crime. Nor someone guilty of vagrancy; she didn't want someone who wouldn't end up pulling their own weight. Maybe they could find a smuggler, which was almost a prestigious title in the current economy.

"How about this one?" Tony asked, turning the open folder so Tina could see. Clipped to the inside cover was a mug shot of a young woman: a brunet, 5'6" tall, 130 lbs., clear blue eyes, 23 years old. She had an uncharacteristically warm smile for a mug shot.

"Her crime?" Tina asked.

"Accessory to fraud," Tony replied. "She was a fourth wife, but apparently not for very long. No children yet. Seems her husband was running some big scam, and he brought her down with him."

"What sort of scam?"

"The husband was selling medical supplies to the military. Seems that many of the supplies originated from veterinary supplies instead of medical. She claimed that she was only the bookkeeper and didn't know what was really going on."

"Has she served time?" Tina asked. There were always concerns about an ex-inmate who served 'hard time'. If they weren't hardened criminals before they went in, they would be likely to be one when they came out.

"No, she took a plea deal: pled guilty and provided testimony against her husband in exchange for a penal contract."

The penal contract, along with the disciplinary action form, or 'license to spank' as it was often referred to as, was when someone was placed into a another's home with the understanding that the 'guardian' would administer punishments as necessary and expected. While any combination of genders was possible, the vast majority were woman penal slaves serving a male guardian. He would have full carnal rights as well as the right to claim up to 80% of any earnings. Such earnings were usually small, however, as they were often kept pregnant.

"Fine," Tina agreed. She had said it in a tone that Tony knew meant that things were not 'fine' but he decided to let it go.

Chapter 2

Rachel carried a canvas duffle slung over one shoulder while she wheeled a second suitcase behind her. She lifted the suitcase up and carried it when she encountered the stairs leading up to the front door, ensuring that it wouldn't be damaged from banging against the steps. That suitcase had been her great-great grandmother's, and such relics were becoming scarce. It was perhaps the most valuable thing she owned and didn't want to risk damaging it with rough treatment.

Tony carried her two other bags, simple canvas sacks with shoulder straps, as he led her into his home and then down to the basement where a makeshift bedroom had been created. There were two small windows, tight against the ceiling inside, ground level outside. They, along with a single dim lightbulb, provided meager light. Meager during the daylight hours, when natural sunlight would contribute; nighttime would be even worse.

Rachel sighed in resignation: this is what her life had been reduced to. Living in a basement, all of her worldly possessions packed into four bags. There was a bed: nothing more than a cot pushed into one corner of the bare cinder block wall. A dowel, or possibly the remains of an old broomstick, hung by wire from the joists, and some old rusty hangers provided a spot to hang clothes. There was an old chest of drawers next to the bed, what had once been white paint was mostly peeled off. Fabric, from what appeared to be old bed sheets, hung down from the joists to separate the bed from the rest of the basement to provide some privacy.

"Come on upstairs," Tony commanded. "I want to get the preliminaries out of the way."

"Yes Sir," Rachel said with dread.

She knew what the 'preliminaries' were: punishment and sex. Their union of marriage had been made official at the county clerk's office by the signing of appropriate papers but needed to be consummated in the traditional style. It was common that the penal contract be made official by the infliction of punishment.

The sex she was okay with. Unlike most women she knew, she actually enjoyed it. At least the few times she and her previous husband had coupled prior to her world falling apart. The punishment was what worried her. Her dad had been almost nonexistent in her life and her mom had been especially lenient, so Rachel had never experienced even a childhood spanking. The stories she had heard, especially recently, all suggested that the masters were eager to inflict corporal punishment on their charges.

While neither the sex or punishment were legally required, they were both customary and expected. As first wife, Tina had the right to be aware of and even schedule all liaisons with additional wives. Her rights went ever farther with a penal slave, allowing her to be present and observe any sexual activity between her husband and said penal slave. Her mother had warned her that it was important for her to exercise that prerogative, at least at the beginning. If she didn't establish the precedent now it would be much harder to later. Like it or not, Tina was now in a 'pack', and she needed to establish herself as the leader of that pack.

"Rachel, this is my first wife, Tina," Tony introduced, giving a slight bow and a sweep of the hand in a somewhat theatrical manner.

"Very pleased to meet you," Rachel said merrily, extending a hand in the traditional form of greeting.

Tina looked at the hand with disdain, then harrumphed and turned her attention back to her husband, ignoring the handshake. Her fears were being proved right, as this hussy showed no remorse at all. She should be ashamed, not cheery! Rachel sighed and lowered her hand.

"Come over here," Tony said, motioning towards the dining table. He pulled out one of the wooden chairs, spun it around and sat down. Rachel only hesitated for a moment when he patted his lap. She was relieved to see that there weren't any of the typical implements of punishment at hand: no canes, no whips. With little delay she draped herself over his knees.

"I figure I will need to get a good tawse soon," Tony said. "For tonight, I will need to make do with just my hand." There was a soft 'whump' from his hand striking her upturned buttocks, the impact softened by the fabric of her skirt and panties.

"umph!" Rachel exclaimed in response. The swat hadn't hurt nearly as much as she had been expecting, and the verbal response was more a reflex action than an actual cry of pain.

whump.

"I will expect complete obedience from you!" Tony lectured.

whump.

"You will treat Tina with all the respect a first wife deserves!"

whump.

"Is that clear?"

whump.

"Yes Sir!" Rachel called out. She knew her place and had already been at the bottom of the pecking order in her last marriage, where she had been the fourth wife. Satisfying one other wife had to be easier than satisfying three, even as a penal slave. Or so she hoped.