NOTE: Okay, so here's to hoping that you are all interested in learning a little more about Peter's tragic past, because this flash back chapter got waaaaay out of hand. ;)
Speaking of Peter's past Wondo has posted another wonderful short story to go along with this world! Again search for 'Animula' to find her work.
Chapter Thirty-one
Twenty-one years old Peter stood where the two glass walls met in a large corner office. Nearly sixty stories up Peter was watching a breathtaking lightning storm rage over the panoramic view of the city. Rain lashed violently against the glass from all directions as it was caught up in the drafty turbulent winds that surrounded the skyscraper. Peter's face lit up seconds after the sky did from a massive flash of lightning that ripped through his view. He loved witnessing the raw power of nature and she was in rare form today as purple and white electricity streaked down on the city.
Peter had always enjoyed a sweeping view of the city, it was one of the only near constants in his life. He didn't realize it at the time but the Market had two very strict rules for corporations looking to own Animula. They had to own a minimum of three Animula that had to have separate living quarters for each but also access to a commons area. The second rule was that their work space had to have an unobstructed view of the city from no less than twenty stories up. The rules didn't apply to private owners, but private owners tended to be rich enough that most rules didn't apply to them anyway.
The only times Peter lost his privileges of a stunning view of the outside world and at least a vague sense of companionship was when he was returned to the Market. Going back wasn't like when he'd been raised there. He had been placed in isolation for a terrifying amount of time when he'd first 'imprinted', but eventually he was brought back to more of classroom cohort type environment during the day even though interaction beyond basic pleasantries was still discouraged. His living quarters at the time had also been larger and in many ways nicer than the apartment Neal currently lived in with a breathtaking view.
It wasn't anything like that when he was returned after his first sale. Now that he was considered 'active' the Market had no interest in coddling him. In sharp contrast to life in the corporate world when an Animula was sold back to the Market they ended up in a windowless fourteen by fourteen foot space that was mostly taken up by a place to sleep and a desk to work at. There was also a two week mandatory solitary before they could even be reconsidered for sale. Peter had already been returned twice, and he didn't want it to happen again. The Market did its best to ensure that its Animula wanted nothing more than to stay in the working world.
Watching the storm in the corner office that he shared with three other Animula Peter smiled to himself. This was his third owner and he was determined to keep this one. His first owner had been a disastrous match for them both. A highly formal and strict Master right out of the gate had only enhanced his own defiant nature leading to a year long cycle of conflict and punishment that left both sides resentful of one another. The first month of his return to the Market he had been basically uncontrollable, determined to not be sold again. However by the end of three months trapped in solitary he had become willing once more to follow any command just for a shot at getting out of the four closed in walls and see the sky from behind the safety of glass once more.
His second home had gone better it was a large company with nearly two dozen Animula on site. His position there had lasted nearly two years, he'd even almost managed to make a human friend there. It had been easier to just blend in and go mostly unnoticed by his Masters there. His direct Master in particular only cared about results and interacted with Peter in person only as a last resort. The greater amount of freedom to work as he wanted to had helped. However while sorting through past accounts to see how to best run future ones he started to uncover skeletons that his Masters wanted to remain buried. Rather than trying to redirect him it was easier for the large corporation to simply trade him back to the Market for someone who was less curious.
Luckily he had only ended up with one week beyond the mandatory two week isolation before being sold once more. This firm that he'd been with for the past four months dealt mostly in investments and hedge funds. Moderate in size they had a large human staff with the four Animula on hand for detailed work and special accounts. His new Master seemed a little on the timid side, clearly a little uncomfortable with dealing with Animula, which worked fine for Peter.
Peter hadn't noticed but the other three Animula kept glancing up at him while he stood by the window. Peter was the youngest of the group by at least twenty years. They had all been with the company for just over ten years and so far they had been very wary of the young addition. They had barely spoken to him and he wasn't even sure that they knew his name despite his efforts to introduce himself. It wasn't as though Peter felt excluded though since they rarely talked among one another either. It didn't really matter, he just enjoyed having others somewhat like himself around.
Eventually Anthony got to his feet and joined Peter by the window. Peter smiled as Anthony looked out over the city clearly trying to figure out what Peter was looking at and not realizing that it was the storm itself that had captured his attention. Anthony turned his attention to Peter and their gold eyes met for an instant before Anthony dropped his gaze.
"It's 'Peter', right?" Anthony asked.
"That's right."
"Anthony." He introduced himself unnecessarily.
"I know." Peter smiled but Anthony was still looking at the floor.
"What are you doing?"
"I'm watching the storm. It's beautiful, isn't it?"
Anthony risked a quick glance out the window just in time to see a bolt of lightning strike one of the lightning rods on a building in the distance. He seemed captivated for a moment but quickly shook his head to clear it.
"Master Allens won't be happy with you just staring out the window." Anthony cautioned.
"I'm compiling a new program for an algorithm for stock sorting and selection. My computer is busy even if I'm not. Besides it's almost five."
"I just don't want see you get sold."
"Thank you." Peter said genuinely.
"I...I saw your arm when you were in the commons area the other night, you're too young to be working on your third owner already."
"I'm still learning." Peter admitted. "How many owners have you had?"
"Two."
Peter was taken aback to hear such a low number, Anthony was in his early forties. Peter looked over to the other two Animula in the room who were watching them, both of which were older than Anthony. Jack held up his hand with three fingers, and William silently admitted to having five owners. Peter rubbed at his tattooed list through his sleeve, at the rate he was going he'd have twenty or more owners by the time he reached their age. He was just about to ask Anthony what could do to avoid being sold when the door to their shared office opened. Anthony jerked violently away from Peter, looking terrified to have been caught talking with him.
"Peter," the intruding human said "Allens wants to see you in his office."
"Yes, Master Wentworth." Peter replied.
Wentworth gave Peter an uneasy look before retreating. Peter didn't understand that the human staff wasn't used to the Animula learning all of their names. Usually the use of a last name along with the Master title was reserved for direct supervisors and high company officials. Peter had been working hard on learning faces and names assuming that it was a good quality to have.
Not wanting to make Allens wait Peter picked his blazer up off the back of his chair and slipped it on. Making sure his tie was tight and straight he headed towards the door. Wentworth hadn't waited for him, he had just related the message and left. Peter was only a little nervous about being called into Allens' office, in the past it had just been his Master assigning him a new account or asking questions on a portfolio.
"Peter..." Anthony called out "keep your head down."
"Right. Thank you."
Peter knew that Anthony meant the advice more literally than figuratively. Peter knew the expectation was for him to keep his golden eyes to the floor, particularly when addressing humans, but it was a rule he easily forgot. Coming to his Master's office Peter knocked on the closed door and waited to be invited in. Gaining an invitation Peter stepped into the well decorated office. He was surprised to find Allens standing in front of his desk rather than sitting at it. There was someone standing next to him that Peter didn't recognize. Walking to the middle of the room Peter took Anthony's advice and kept his head down.
"How may I help you, Master Allens?" Peter asked.
"This is him?" The stranger asked Allens. "He seems respectful."
"It's not that he isn't respectful or obedient, it's just...there is something wrong with him. He's more trouble than the other three combined."
"I'm sorry, Master, I try to..." Peter started to defend himself.
"Peter," Allens sighed "speak when spoken to."
"Yes, Master. I'm sorry, I didn't mean an..."
"You're doing it again." Allens cut Peter off before turning to the other man. "See what I mean, Miller?"
Trying to do better Peter bowed his head and fell silent. He didn't have any idea that he had been causing any trouble having misread the social cues from the human staff. A burning curiosity about the stranger in the room forced Peter to risk looking up at him. Miller furrowed his brow when Peter actually made eye contact with him. Knowing full well his mistake Peter looked away quickly. Becoming increasingly uncomfortable Peter held his hands behind his back in hopes that the more submissive body language would make the humans happy.
"You bought him from the New York Market?" Miller asked doubtfully.
"I did, and paid a small fortune for him. Not that he isn't good at what he does, in fact he's one of the best I've seen, particularly given his age. It's just he has way too many 'learned behaviors', it unsettles my staff and it's starting to rub off on the other Animula."
Peter started having trouble breathing when Allens mentioned Anthony and the others. The last thing he wanted was to get them in trouble or worse yet sold. When Miller suddenly stepped up to him Peter froze completely. With the man closer Peter could see the insignia embroidered into his lapel, a single golden ring with inward radiating lines like the marks around his eyes. It was the sign of a Market employee. Peter's mouth instantly went dry as he realized that he was most likely going to be sold back to the Market.
"You really don't follow commands very well, do you?" Miller asked Peter suddenly.
"What?" Peter asked confused. "I...I'm sorry, Master Miller, what did you want? I didn't hear you."
"I want you to kneel down. I shouldn't have to ask."
Peter's last Master hadn't liked it when he'd knelt, he had wanted him on his feet so that he could leave his office as quickly as possible. As a result Peter had fallen out of the habit, particularly in response to just a visual command rather than a verbal one. Miller stared at him expectantly, but Peter was so terrified of the prospect of being returned to the Market that he had already forgotten the order.
"I do see what you mean with this one." Miller noted to Allens.
"I'm sorry." Peter apologized again as he suddenly remembered what Miller wanted and got down on his knees.
"He apologizes constantly." Allens added. "I don't need an Animula that apologizes, I need on that acts right the first time."
"I can fix this." Miller said confidently as he looked down on Peter. "In fact the new technology we just came out with is perfect for this."
"I don't mean to be trouble." Peter said quietly from his place on the floor. "I thought I was doing well here, my portfolios are all performing exceptionally..."
"You do everything I ask, Peter," Allens admitted sounding guilty "and you do it well, it's just you..."
"No, don't interact with him like that." Miller interrupted. "You're just making it worse. Half his problem is the way he questions humans, if you constantly answer him it just encourages him."
Allens just nodded. Peter wished that his Master had been allowed to finish his sentence, he didn't understand how he could be doing everything he asked and yet still be doing wrong somehow. Miller studied Peter for a moment, waiting to see if he would look up again and eventually Peter did. Miller smiled at him and although confused Peter smiled back at him. He knew that most humans became uncomfortable when he smiled, but since Miller had initiated the expression Peter hoped that it was what he wanted.
"Interesting." Miller said to himself.
Remembering Anthony's advice Peter brought his head back down and tried to concentrate on a small stain that marred the plush white carpet that he was kneeling on. Allens had his blinds dawn, but Peter could still see flashes of the storm outside through the corner of his eye but the storm no longer comforted him, if anything the flickering light just put him more on edge. Miller walked over to a brief case that he'd set down on one of the chairs and flicked it open. When he approached Peter he automatically glanced up. His handler at the Market had spent months when he was a teenager trying to remove his instinct to keep aware of his surroundings and looking up when approached, but eventually he'd given up. Peter's stomach tightened painful when he caught sight of a black band in Miller's hand. He'd never seen anything like it before but he feared the way Miller held it, like he was afraid it might bite him.
"What is that?" Peter asked nervously.
"Loosen your tie," Miller ordered ignoring Peter's question "undo the top two buttons of your shirt."
Peter glanced to Allens for confirmation of the unusual order.
"Do as he says, Peter." Allens said. "He's here to help us. I don't want to have to sell you."
"I don't want to be sold." Peter said honestly.
"Then do as I ask." Miller said gently.
Giving in Peter nodded. He reached up, finding his hands shaking, and pulled his tie loose enough to give him access to the buttons which he undid with a little bit of difficulty. Peter weld his eyes shut and forced himself to stay still as Miller opened the black band and secured it around his throat with a heavy click. It didn't weight much, but it was tight enough to make Peter acutely aware of it. Miller checked the device before turning his attention to Allens.
"This is a neural stimulating transdermal band, but we just call them 'collars'." Miller explained. "Since the incident with the Animula that supposedly murdered his Master there has been growing request for some sort of safeguard. However there are multiple uses for this technology and reconditioning is certainly one of them."
"How does it work?" Allens asked.
"The actual mechanism is very complicated. However all you need to do is to use a passcode anytime you receive a behavior from him that you don't like and want to stop. The collar issues a correction and over a short period of time he will associate the two and end the behavior."
"A correction?" Allens hesitated. "I...uh...I'm not sure that I want to physically hurt him. I don't feel threatened by him, he's just too huma..."
"Don't worry. Animula don't feel pain the way humans do. He won't cry out or anything." Miller assured. "It basically triggers the Animula instinct to kneel and helps encourage natural submissive behavior. It's certainly more humane to use a collar than to just sell him back to the Market, adjusting to new Masters is very stressful."
Listening to the humans talk about the collar Peter's heart started to race painfully. He didn't understand what was happening, but the hesitation in his Master's voice and the ease with which Miller spoke of pain was enough to make him nervous. Swallowing hard he could feel the collar tighten around his throat and he had to resist the urge to gag.
"Peter," Miller said firmly "stand up."
Already on high alert Peter was quick to get to his feet. Allens seemed impressed by the effect of the collar already. Peter's thoughts were tripping over one another as he tried to recall exactly which behaviors humans disliked. He'd been taught a long list of them by his frustrated handler when he was young, but he'd never managed to take any of it very seriously. He had always felt that if he was respectful and did good work that he'd be treated well. Miller stepped up to Peter causing him to bring his head up. The second that Peter looked up at him Miller set off the collar.
"Pareo."
Peter didn't understand the word, thinking at first that it was some sort of command meant for him. The collar he was wearing beeped sharply causing him to jerk in surprise. Before he could ask what was happening the collar bit down on the back of his neck. Far from having some instinct to kneel triggered Peter simply found his ability to stand violently stolen from him by the agonizing lash of energy that raced down his back.
Finding himself dropped to his knees Peter fought to recover from the 'correction' feeling like a bolt of lightning from the storm outside had somehow reached him through the glass. Punishment with his first Master had usually entailed longer work hours, or at worst a few days of starvation. It hadn't been anything like this and Peter was still unclear as to what he'd done wrong to deserve such harsh treatment. He had been told before that Animula didn't experience pain the way humans did, but he didn't know any other way to classify the deeply unpleasant sensation. If it wasn't true pain it was certainly just as bad if not worse. He would have screamed, but his voice had been ripped from him to the point that he feared that he might not get it back.
"Stand up." Miller ordered.
Trembling with the effort Peter quickly forced himself to his feet, surprising himself that he was able to get there. Miller had backed up and once again stepped towards him. Recalling how it had been the moment that he'd made eye contact that had caused Miller to use the passcode Peter made it a point to lower his head further to keep from looking up this time. With his senses still spinning from the first correction he wasn't sure he could handle another one right now without passing out.
"See how quickly he learns?" Miller beamed. "Very good, Peter, I bet your Market handler spent months trying to fix your eye contact issue."
Peter just nodded, but regretted doing so as it shifted the collar slightly and made him even more aware of it than he'd already been. It was all he could do to keep from reaching up and clawing at it. Panting for breath he just wanted the lesson to be over with so that he could just go back to work. Having trouble keeping his eyes focused he just let his vision go blurry leaving him with the vacant expression that Neal hated so much as he waited for whatever was going to happen next.
"That really is amazing." Allens noted. "He seems better already."
"Collars are going to revolutionize Animula handling. It's going to be beneficial for everyone. The Animula are going to know exactly what we want of them, and we are going to get it."
"Thank you." Allens reached out to shake Miller's hand. "Peter's skills really are remarkable and I didn't want to have to get rid of him because of behavioral issues."
"Now you won't have to. I will give you detailed written instructions on how to retrain him, and I will give you all my personal contact information."
"Thank you."
"I will need a few minutes alone with him, just some standard Market checks on his health and whatnot. It won't take long."
"Of course. I'll be out in the lounge when you are ready, just send him to his quarters when you're done."
As much as Peter hated Allens at this moment for calling the Market on him Peter was terrified of being left alone with Miller. He took a breath to say something, but then he noticed how carefully Miller was watching him. Realizing that anything he said would just give the humans cause to use the collar again Peter kept quiet. Once Allens was gone Miller studied Peter for a moment before making a slight gesture with his hand. Peter instantly went back down on his knees having caught the hand signal for kneeling this time.
"You do learn fast. This is going to work."
"I don't understand..."
"You don't want to end up back at the Market, do you?"
"No, Master." Peter replied honestly. "I like it here, the humans treat me well, the other Animula are starting to talk to me a little...I thought everything was going well."
"You must have imprinted early, I've seen this before, but you are the most severe case I've seen." Miller sighed. "I honestly think the collar is going to help you."
"It...it hurts." Peter admitted quietly. "I know I'm not supposed to feel pain, but I don't know how else to descri..."
"I know it isn't pleasant, but it is going to be worth the results. I currently have the collar set to less than half of what it is capable of..."
"It can be worse?" Peter asked horrified.
"Yes, and I want you to keep that in mind. I'm going to leave it on a lower setting for now, hopefully it will be enough. The 'pain' it causes is there to help reset your instincts so that you don't upset your Masters with your strong human tendencies."
"I'm not trying to be human. I just want to belong somewhere other than the Market."
"That's good, because if you end up back at the Market again, you're not only going to end up with at least a month worth of solitary, but you're also going to be added to the List."
"The List? I don't know what that means."
"Honestly, I'm surprised you're not on it already. It reflects very poorly on the Market when one of our Animula act too human or get constantly returned and traded. After too many tries with any Master who will buy you, you end up on the List, which is a list of proven Masters. Ones the Market knows it can count on to have a strong hand."
"I want to stay here." Peter repeated.
"I know, and I want you to. Now then, Allens is likely to heavily use the collar at first."
"No, this really isn't necessary." Peter said quickly. "Please, just tell me what you want from me."
"Clearly it doesn't work that way, I know the Market does its best to remove the behaviors from early imprinting and up until now they have always failed. Stronger measures are needed, particularly for your case. I've never had a conversation with an Animula like this, you are far too human in your behavior."
"Please don't punish me for that, it's not my fault that I'm broken."
"I know it's not, but we still need to fix you. Just try to learn something every time Allens uses your collar, whether or not you think you've done 'wrong'. Take cues from the other Animula here, but above all keep Allens happy. If I have to come back here in a week because you aren't doing better I'm going to turn that collar up on high. I don't want to have to do that."
"You won't have to." Peter assured.
"I believe you. I know you wan to do well, and you will."
"Will...will I ever get the collar off or do I have to wear it for the rest of my life?"
"You only have to wear it as long as Allens says you do. Hopefully in a few months you'll be like any other Animula. Like I said keep him happy."
"I will."
"Keep this home, Peter, it's likely the best one you're ever going to get."
"Yes, Master. Thank you."
Peter tried bowing deeper despite already being on his knees in hopes that Miller would allow him to go to the relative safety of his quarters. When Miller just stared down at him Peter was determined not to take the bait to look up. However when Miller knelt down in front of him he was so surprised that he couldn't stop himself. He braced himself for Miller to set off the collar again, however Miller just reached out and tapped at the collar. Starting to shake again Peter tried to resist questioning Miller's actions, but eventually his nerves got the best of him.
"Wha...what are you doing, Master?"
"I hate to do this, but I think I need to show you what this thing is really capable of, make sure you truly understand the stakes here. This is going to help you keep this home, but only if we do it right."
"Please, Master, I understand. Don't hurt me again, please." Peter begged. "I don't need..."
"You talk too much, Peter. This is going to help you with that. I'm just trying to help you."
"No, please..."
"Pareo."