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The Slut Within
The vid pick-up was in her hair, disguised as a dragon fly jewel with crystal eyes, so Brenda must look straight at the official, feigning rapt attention.

"Welfare and crime budgets were going through the roof," the official lectured. "We couldn't build prisons fast enough. Something finally had to give, and what finally gave was the paradigm. There had to be a different way."

Brenda knew all this, but it would play better in the words of the official than if she tried to put it in narration. "So we went back to an even older paradigm," she said. "Slavery. One that had been completely repudiated."

The official smiled. "But we're not repeating the mistakes of the past," he said. "That slavery was based on ethnic prejudice and was hereditary. This is based on the individual's ability to correctly run his own life. And slaves are not given childbirth licenses. There will be no permanent underclass."

"We used to be all about freedom," Brenda said. "Then suddenly this abrupt right-hand turn."

"Competing goods," the official said. "Freedom is a good. But so is food and shelter and medical care. And so is low taxes. Slavery cures homelessness, since the responsible party is obligated to provide. Slavery instead of incarceration for non-violent crime keeps taxes low, and provides labor for domestic service, child care, elder care, agricultural. You name it."

"Factories," Brenda said.

"No," the official said. "We stay away from occupations where there are still strong trade unions. It's a sort of an unspoken bargain. We don't compete with union labor directly, and in return they keep their opposition muted. What's your intended slant on this piece, Miss Smith? Op-ed. Expose, what?"

Her business suit was a tad uncomfortable in the warmth of the room. "Sort of something for everyone," Brenda said. "Mainly human interest. Lurid details to titillate those who want to be titillated, and to offend those who would rather be offended. But I need this background to frame it. Put it in context."

"Sort of entertainment masquerading as hard-bitten reportage."

A bit cynical. A bit too close to true. Brenda squirmed. "I can do social commentary with a message underneath as long as I'm entertaining about it," she said. "We all make our Devil's bargains. You have yours, and that's mine. My hardest job is going to be getting inside the slaves' heads. Making friends with them so they will trust me with their private truths."

"Unless you would like to report from personal experience," the official said. Was there just the slight hint of a smirk?

Fear knotted in her belly. She hoped she'd failed to understand. "I beg your pardon?" she said.

"Let us put you through slave training, Miss Smith. We couldn't let you wear your vid pick-up of course. But when it was done we'd have no objection to however you chose to portray your subjective experience. What do you say?"