Colony 11 by Gwendolyn Inman (dark academia books to read TXT) 📕

are you a free floater? No push, little push, or lots of push?” She said as she looked me up and down. I thought for a second.
“Those measurements are correct. I am free, I wasn’t planning on plastic but you look fantastic so I’m thinking about it, I like commitment, and lots of push makes me look hot.” I said and she beamed. She ran around the store and grabbed a bunch of bras and thongs. She put them in a bright pink shopping basket and put the basket into my arms and started pushing me towards the sleep wear section.
“Now are you planning to sleep alone or... not?” She asked as she started pawing though the racks. She turned to look at me and blinked. When I didn’t speak she got this look on her face that I didn’t like. “Oh I see how it is. You like to lead them on, break there hearts. Well that's good. It’s better for you to break theirs then for them to break yours. I think I should give you something seductive for you to wear if they come calling in the morning. Hear is a style that is comfortable and sexy. A simple bra and G-string set under a shear white slip.” She said as she picked one up and draped it and for other garments over her arm. “I will give you that and four other sleepwear styles like it for only fifty tokens, and in you basket in ten bras and fifteen under bottoms. Five G’s, ten panties. The stuff in your basket will only cast you two hundred tokens. That brings your total too two hundred fifty tokens.” She said as she stepped behind the counter and pulled out a card reader. I handed her my card and waited for her to scan it. She handed it back to me with my two bags filled with stuff and a small leather shoulder bag. I assumed it was a gift and put my cards in it. We walked out of the store loaded with bags that we barely had enough hands to hold.
“Ugh! I was not built to carry bags! We need a floating porter.” Morgan said as a large floating disk came up from behind us. “Great hears one now. Stop, we need you.” She said to the disk. The disk floated back and wait in front of us. She put her bags on the disk and I fallowed her lead and put all my bags but my purse down on the disk.
“These things are great, they fallow you around and hold your bags. It has a one way force field to let things go it and keep them in.”She said as we walked in to the next store. This store was small all it had was a large board of colors and patterns and a bored looking girl behind the counter.
“Hello and Welcome to Scarce Technology. Please give me your name and the color or pattern you want on your new and improved mePhone 200s.” She said without looking up from her phone.
“My name is Morgan Five-Eight I would like the words ‘You can be with this’ in hot pink on my black phone.” Morgan said to the girl. She didn’t even acknowledge her.
“Next” the girl yelled to me. I jumped into the air and started breathing quickly. I wonder if her power was to make others uncomfortable.
“My name is Regina Five-Eighteen. I would like neutral leopard print. “ I said quietly. She pushed towards the back of the room. She grabbed two phones off a table and handed them to us. They had our personalisation's already on them.
“Have a good day and goodbye.” She said and waved us away. I put my phone in my purse and realized that it was free. I shrugged and walked into the next store.

* * *

The woman who greeted us at the door was another smiley blond with a spray tan. She looked me up and down then ran away. When she came back she had four huge bags loaded with clothes.
“I think you with find that all these clothes fit you perfectly and that they will give you that slutty librarian look you like. The entire purchase will cost six hundred tokens. May I see your card.” She asked as she placed the bags on the disk. I fumbled though my bag and handed her my card she rush off scanned it and handed it back. Almost instantaneously Morgan was back by my side. We walked outside and went across the street to the shoe store we were greeted by a short lady with a clipboard.
“Welcome to ‘Preppy Marry’ the best place for shoes. Now I will need to see the new one for a moment to ask her a few questions.” she grabbed my hand and took me into a a back room with two cushioned arm chairs. She sat in one and gestured for me to take the other. I sat down and she looked at her clipboard.
“So Regina, what is your favorite color of shoes and do you were socks most of the time?” she asked me expectantly.
“Black of course and only with closed roof shoes.” I told her.
“Great! Please go to the counter, I will meet you there in just a moment.” she said as she hurried out. I fallowed her out and walked to the counter while she grabbed shoes. She arrived with five boxes of shoes. I handed her my card and she scanned it. Me and Morgan left the store and headed for what looked like the center of the shopping district.
“Okay! Now all we need is your gown for the gala and we can go home for lunch. Then you can use your laptop and the catalogs to get new stuff for the apartment. You are in charge of redecoration.” Morgan said as we walked into ‘Belle of the ball’. When I looked around I caught my breath. I was surrounded by gorgeous gowns that glimmered, shimmered and sparkled. I walked around until I found an attendant.
“Excuse me miss but can you get me a red floor length gown, one shoulder and shiny but not sparkly” I asked her. She nodded and walked away. She came back with three dresses draped over her arm. She lead me towards a fitting room to try them on. I tried on the first one, but it didn't feel right. So I tried on the second one. It was the one. It caught the light when I twirled and I was tight until the knee where it became flowy and it was just gorgeous. It was the dress. I took it off and draped it over my arm to give to the lady to bag, but when I looked for her she was gone. Morgan ran over to me.
So just grab a bag on the way out and put the dress in. Your first gown is free but they don't like mentioning it so just be casual.” she whispered in my ear. I grabbed a bag and carefully placed in my dress. I but the bag on the disk as we walked out of the store and headed for another of the machines I had used to call the taxi. Then, a question dawned on me.
“Morg, what gala will I be wearing this dress to?” I asked her.
“Oh yeah the summer achievement ball.” she said.
“Well what's that?”
“It's the best party of the year. It is were the group that just finished being advised gets their first job based on their scores on their achievement rank. That would be the group that came in five years ahead of you. Only the group getting assignments and the newest group get to go. There is food and speeches. Though the best part of the night is the dance of the high achiever and his prodigy.” she said with a wistful voice and a glimmer in her eye. I payed for the cab to come get us and sat down on a bench.
“Who gets to be the prodigy?” I asked.
“Well that depends on who the achiever is. Generally the achiever picks someone from their colony.”she said as the taxi pulled up. “But who the achiever is, well that is highly classified.” she stepped into the taxi.

Chapter 8

When we go back to the flat I saw all our shopping bags were sitting on the coffee table. I grabbed my bags and puzzled over how the got into the apartment as I lugged them into my room. I set the bags on the floor and walked over to the desk to read the closet instructions.
To have an outfit presented to you walk to the back of the closet and say ‘new outfit’.To select an outfit that has been presented to you, touch it and the outfit will be on your bed when you come out. To have a different outfit presented do not touch the outfit, instead say ‘new choice’. To select your own outfit, which we do not recommend, walk to the back of the closet, say ‘self selected outfit’ and pick the outfit elements you would like to use from the walls. To add clothes that you have bought to your wardrobe, place the bags in the back of the closet, say ‘add to wardrobe’ and leave the closet, they will be there next time you enter.

Ok that seems fairly strait forward. I fallowed the instructions and added the clothes to my wardrobe. I left my room and walked into the kitchen to find some food. What I found was a dining table compleatly set up for diner for two and a note from Morgan. I wonder where she is?
Dear Rea,
I’m going out to diner with Jonas. Diner is all set for you and Ramon. I invited him down you should probally get dressed for your date he will be down here at seven. If you go into your closet and ask for date clothes. Then go into your bathroom and ask for a date look. You’ll look great!
love ya,
Morgan

I checked the time, it was six thirty. Crap! I ran into my closet and slammed the door shut.
“Date clothes!” I shouted. There was a flash of light and i saw an outfit. I touched it and ran out of the closet. It was already on my bed. I pulled the tight red strapless mini dress and red pumps and ran into the bathroom. I sat down in the chair in front of the vanity and looked it the mirror.
“Date look!” I said. There was another flash of light and in front of me there was a mannequin's head with bleach blond hair that looked like it would go down to my thighs. There was also a tube of glitter eyeliner, a tube of cherry red lipstick. I applyed the lipstick and eye liner and puzzled over the wig.
“Can I get some help with this wig?” I asked the thin