I have thought a lot about what it means to be a slave since I arrived here. I always thought, in my previous life, that slavery is something that had existed in the past. I could not imagine how people would tolerate being forced into slavery or watching others being enslaved. We are taught that the problem of slavery was resolved once capitalism became dominant. We hear that it rears it's head in isolated places, but it is always stopped.
The next day, I cleaned up the apartment, after our night of drinking and intimacy. Afterwards, I went back to work at the pool. I felt that everything had changed. I see the guests differently. I see their conversations differently. That strangeness about them, I see more clearly. They are old men in young men’s bodies. They don’t worry about anything harming them, I doubt they ever have. In their minds, they are the invincible masters of the world.
I asked him, “What are the standards for becoming immortal?”
He said, “So, we have wealth and achievements, which benefit society. Also, a member has to be a strong supporter of individualism. It is at the core of our heritage and our culture. The needs of the individual come before the needs of society. Self interest and ambition are the driving force of progress, so all decisions must be centered on individualism.”
“What else?”, I asked to keep him going.
Now, I wanted to shift the conversation. I wanted to hear more about what he was saying, but I was starting to feel overwhelmed by his distorted sense of reality. When he speaks, he has a confidence in what he is saying, that makes me want to believe him, even though I know what he says is some twisted elitist delusional fantasy.
I tried to skip past the conversation we were about to have. In hindsight, I wonder if I should have heard him out. I asked, “What happens when someone is worthy of joining your club?”
“How do people earn immortality? How do you decide who becomes immortal?”, I asked.
“There are several initial qualifications to become a member of our club.”, he said.
“First, There must be some type of recognized accomplishment. On top of being extremely wealthy, the individual must have achieved something, built an industry, solved a major problem, adjusted rules of the game so it functions better for us. In the process, this individual would work their way into a position of power and wealth.”
“So rich and famous people can become immortal?”, I responded.
One night, after we had rather passionate sex, I knew something had changed. It had seemed like he wanted me to enjoy it. He was attentive. He went down on me, which had not happened before. He held me after, and ran his fingers through my hair. I felt at peace.
A few more uneventful weeks have passed. We have enjoyed each other. I feel that I am becoming accustomed to living here. I have been reassigned to his room. I no longer report to the dorm but to his apartment. I had not slept in the dorms for a couple weeks anyway. I take care of his cooking and cleaning.
I spend all day catering to him. We go out more now. We go swimming and dancing. I eat meals with him. We are almost like a couple. I received another little pendant for my collar, and one was removed. Now, I can go on outings, and to the beach, with him.
So far, our relationship has been based around sex. We have had sex on every surface of his room, but sometimes we don’t have sex, and it seems more like he just wants me around. He often reads his tablet or a book while I watch the clouds go by or cook some snack. Sometimes he gives me something to read as well.