Podcasts about ancillary services

KeywordsERCOT, Bitcoin mining, energy strategy, load growth, operational risk, power pricing, energy market, risk management, software solutions, energy transformationSummaryThe conversation delves into the evolving landscape of ERCOT's energy market, focusing on the impact of load growth from various sectors, including Bitcoin mining. Experts discuss energy strategies across different load zones, operational risks, and the role of software in managing these risks. The discussion also highlights the transformation of the energy market with the integration of renewable sources and the maturing of Bitcoin mining as a business, emphasizing the importance of risk management and strategic decision-making in energy consumption and pricing.TakeawaysERCOT's energy market is influenced by significant load growth.Bitcoin mining is highly sensitive to energy pricing and strategies.Different load zones require tailored energy strategies.Operational risks in Bitcoin mining can be mitigated with software solutions.The energy market is transforming with more renewable sources.Bitcoin miners can provide flexible load to the energy grid.The hash rate market is maturing, allowing for better risk management.Forward selling of power can lock in margins for miners.Risk appetite varies among miners based on their business models.Seasonality affects energy pricing and strategy decisions.Chapters00:00 Introduction to Mining and Community Engagement00:25 Energy Market Dynamics in Texas03:35 Strategies for Energy Pricing and Load Zones06:21 Operational Risks and Software Solutions09:36 The Role of Bitcoin Miners in Energy Flexibility12:28 Market Trends and Future Predictions15:36 Hedging Strategies and Risk Management18:21 Seasonality and Ancillary Services in Energy Markets21:33 Final Thoughts and Audience Engagement

Jim Paolino sits down for a hard-hitting and heartfelt conversation with Coby Hakalir, VP of Mortgage and Ancillary Services at T3 Sixty, to discuss the difference practicing gratitude can make.

Traditional real estate models are losing money—and it's costing you millions. In this session, Aaron breaks down why hitting volume thresholds is critical to avoid revenue compression (or getting “split tire”) and explains how modern brokerages are evolving. Discover how integrating ancillary services, embracing vertical integration, and leveraging data-driven strategies can transform your business model and boost profitability.In this episode, you'll learn: ➡️ Revenue Compression Uncovered: Understand how outdated models lead to significant losses and why reaching 10 million in volume is crucial.➡️ Ancillary Services & Vertical Integration: Learn how adding complementary services without commoditizing agents can protect your bottom line.➡️ Operational Excellence & Distributed Leadership: Discover strategies to scale your brokerage—from solo producers to mega teams—while maintaining efficiency.➡️ Data-Driven Decision Making: Explore how using market data and pattern recognition can guide your strategic decisions in a shifting market.➡️ Embracing Innovation: Real-world examples (think Kodak vs. Apple and Netflix vs. Comcast) highlight the need to disrupt traditional practices and adapt for long-term success.By applying these modern, data-driven tactics, you can avoid the pitfalls of legacy models and position your brokerage for sustainable growth. Whether you're a real estate agent, team leader, or brokerage owner, this video offers actionable insights to build a resilient and profitable business.

Collaboration between the industry and government will be paramount to maintain robust wholesale markets and ensure grid reliability as the state continues to promote rapid development of renewable resources in the coming year.That was the message from NYISO President and CEO Rich Dewey on the latest Power Trends podcast. In episode 38, Dewey reflected on his annual “State of the Grid” message to market participants and policymakers at the company's Management Committee, highlighting several areas of focus that he says will drive the work of the NYISO in 2025.Dewey outlined pillars necessary for a reliable clean energy transition and related ISO initiatives now underway. These include a major effort to examine options to modernize the capacity market and more accurately assess resources' unique contributions to resource adequacy. Through NYISO planning studies, the organization also continues to examine declining reliability margins, additional transmission needs and extreme weather risks.  “We've seen some dramatic changes, but one of the things that has not changed in this time period has been our steadfast commitment to the reliability of the power system and everything that we need to do to ensure that we can keep power flowing for New Yorkers,” Dewey said. “It's just so essential to the health, safety and economy of New York.”In this latest episode of the Power Trends podcast, Dewey also reflected on 2024 and ongoing energy sector trends, including the retirement of legacy power plants, the electrification of housing and transportation, and the influx of large loads like data centers, chip fabrication and traditional manufacturing plants.   “There is a fantastic news story of economic development across New York state with the addition of factories and data centers,” Dewey said. “Planning for that load growth — which translates into job growth and expansion of the economy — is exciting, but it's also challenging from the standpoint of making sure we have a reliable electric system that can meet that demand.Dewey highlighted NYISO innovations and successes over the past year including changes to the process of studying the reliability impacts of new generation and large loads that seek to connect to the grid. Hundreds of wind, solar and battery storage projects are currently being evaluated through the NYISO's new streamlined process. Looking at the federal landscape, the NYISO is developing a compliance plan for FERC Order 1920, to strengthen the long-term regional transmission planning process, Dewey said.Dewey also discussed the company's emphasis on creating a “learning culture,” which he says is necessary for innovation in the modern-day energy sector. The NYISO has been able to recruit and develop a talented and diverse workforce prepared to meet the challenges ahead. As the NYISO works to build out a clean and reliable electric grid, the organization also continues to invest in its collaborative relationships with neighboring ISOs, RTOs, state and federal agencies and stakeholders, according to Dewey. “The electric system in the U.S. is one of the largest machines ever built. We're continuously dependent on our neighbors and the power systems that are adjacent to us,” Dewey said. “The ability to work collaboratively across the industry is going to continue to be crucial to our success.”Learn More Follow us on Twitter @NewYorkISO and LinkedIn @NYISO Read our blogs and watch our videos Check out our 2040 grid page

As temperatures drop, New Yorkers turn up their thermostats and demand for electricity rises.In anticipation of the cold season, the NYISO Operations team develops a winter preparedness report that evaluates the ability of the grid to meet demand on the coldest days of the year. The NYISO's 2024-25 Winter Assessment considers load forecast, the capacity of generators, the transmission system, and the availability of fuels that power fossil-fuel generators across the state.This year's Winter Assessment finds sufficient reliability margins under forecasted conditions, but in extreme cold weather, fuel shortages could affect those margins.  In our latest Power Trends podcast, NYISO Vice President of Operations Aaron Markham discusses how his team works closely with generators, neighboring grid operators, and government agencies to prepare for the winter season and respond to challenges as they arise.Listen to the podcast to learn more.Read more:New York's Electric Grid Prepared to Meet Winter Demand Press Release New York's Winter Grid Reliability Challenges Fact SheetLearn More Follow us on Twitter @NewYorkISO and LinkedIn @NYISO Read our blogs and watch our videos Check out our 2040 grid page

Peter and Jackie start the podcast by discussing President-elect Donald Trump's threat to impose a 25% tariff on all imports from Canada and Mexico and the potential impact on Canadian oil and gas markets and prices.Next, Peter and Jackie welcome their guest, Vittoria Bellissimo, President and CEO of the Canadian Renewable Energy Association (CanREA). CanREA is a national industry association and the voice for Canada's wind, solar, and energy storage solutions.Here are some of the questions Jackie and Peter asked Vittoria: How would you describe the mood of renewable developers in Canada today? Tariffs on solar equipment could be added at the Canadian border; how will this impact the cost of developing solar and wind projects? Why has Canada recently imported more electricity from the United States? Does this mean Canada is already facing tighter electricity markets? Alberta is redesigning its electricity market, called the REM or Restructured Energy Market. Why is this change needed? What concerns do renewable generators have regarding the proposed changes for the Alberta market? Are you concerned about the potential electricity demand growth from AI data centres in Alberta and elsewhere?Content referenced in this podcast:CanREA's Clean Energy Procurement CalendarDunsky report commissioned by CanREA, that defines the potential for onsite or behind-the-meter solar in CanadaEIA note on how US exports of electricity to Canada have increasedCanREA's Go Solar Guide 2024, the go-to source for Canadians looking to install solar on their rooftops and homes Please review our disclaimer at:https://www.arcenergyinstitute.com/disclaimer/ Check us out on social media: X (Twitter): @arcenergyinst LinkedIn: @ARC Energy Research Institute Subscribe to ARC Energy Ideas Podcast Apple Podcasts Amazon Music Spotify 

 In this episode of Gravity Healthcare Hacks, Melissa Brown welcomes Devin Cassie, VP of Home Health Operations at Gravity Healthcare Consulting, to discuss the game-changing potential of ancillary services for senior living providers.They explore how expanding into home health, outpatient care, and other services can help senior living communities retain residents, diversify revenue streams, and prepare for the future. From leveraging expert insights to navigating complex setups, they share strategies to successfully integrate these services and avoid common pitfalls.Don't miss their tips on staying ahead in the evolving senior living landscape. Support the show

How will the demand for electricity, a changing generation mix, and the transmission system evolve over the next 10 years? This is the question that our Reliability Needs Assessment (RNA) examines in order to assess and identify impacts to reliability.In the latest Power Trends podcast, Senior VP of System & Resource Planning Zach Smith dives deep into the 2024 RNA to explain how the NYISO analyzes demand forecasts, seasonal variations, and the impact of electrification on heating and transportation to ensure the grid can meet future needs.Smith covers report findings that include the identification a Reliability Need in New York City in the summer of 2033, as well as changing scenarios that could solve for the need. Additional topics covered in the conversation include the NYISO's Interconnection Queue, large energy-intensive projects, and important grid investments such as the Champlain Hudson Power Express.This episode is a must-listen for anyone interested in the future of New York's power grid and the many scenarios that must be examined to ensure its reliability.Listen now to learn more.Additional Resources2024 RNA Fact Sheet2024 Reliability Needs Assessment Learn More Follow us on Twitter @NewYorkISO and LinkedIn @NYISO Read our blogs and watch our videos Check out our 2040 grid page

Send us a textIn part 3 of a 6 part series, Andy and Shane present how a digital health strategy supports nursing staff and supports and supplements in-house ancillary services staff. 

Battery revenues in ERCOT in June 2024 were 85% lower than June 2023, with average earnings of $45/kW (annualized), compared with when batteries earned a massive $309/kW/year in 2023. With the summer months historically providing the bulk of high revenue days for battery energy storage, operators would expect the sixth hottest summer on record to provide a similar picture, but that has not been the case in 2024. Increased competition in Ancillary Services, a boom in renewables buildout and changes to strategic operations have resulted in a very different picture.In this episode, Brandt Vermillion, ERCOT Market Lead at Modo Energy joins Quentin to give us insight into what has been driving battery revenues in ERCOT over the summer months. Over the conversation, they discuss:Recent buildout of storage and solar PV in ERCOT.The historical significance of the summer months on battery revenues, and why this has changed in 2024.Insight into the competitive nature of the market and saturation of ancillary services.Introduction to DART (Day Ahead Real Time) trading as a new strategy for capturing revenue.The emergence of tolling agreements as a response to revenue volatility.About Modo EnergyModo Energy provides forecasts, benchmarking, data, and insights for new energy assets - all in one place. Built for analysts, Modo helps the owners, operators, builders, and financiers of battery energy storage solutions understand the market - and make the most out of their assets.All of our podcasts are available to watch or listen to on the Modo Energy site. To keep up with all of our latest updates, research, analysis, videos, podcasts, data visualizations, live events, and more, follow us on Linkedin or Twitter. Check out The Energy Academy, our video series of bite-sized chunks explaining how different battery energy storage systems work. For more information on ERCOT, check out our written research.

Battery revenues in ERCOT in June 2024 were 85% lower than June 2023, with average earnings of $45/kW (annualized), compared with when batteries earned a massive $309/kW/year in 2023. With the summer months historically providing the bulk of high revenue days for battery energy storage, operators would expect the sixth hottest summer on record to provide a similar picture, but that has not been the case in 2024. Increased competition in Ancillary Services, a boom in renewables buildout and changes to strategic operations have resulted in a very different picture.In this episode, Brandt Vermillion, ERCOT Market Lead at Modo Energy joins Quentin to give us insight into what has been driving battery revenues in ERCOT over the summer months. Over the conversation, they discuss:Recent buildout of storage and solar PV in ERCOT.The historical significance of the summer months on battery revenues, and why this has changed in 2024.Insight into the competitive nature of the market and saturation of ancillary services.Introduction to DART (Day Ahead Real Time) trading as a new strategy for capturing revenue.The emergence of tolling agreements as a response to revenue volatility.About Modo EnergyModo Energy provides forecasts, benchmarking, data, and insights for new energy assets - all in one place. Built for analysts, Modo helps the owners, operators, builders, and financiers of battery energy storage solutions understand the market - and make the most out of their assets.All of our podcasts are available to watch or listen to on the Modo Energy site. To keep up with all of our latest updates, research, analysis, videos, podcasts, data visualizations, live events, and more, follow us on Linkedin or Twitter. Check out The Energy Academy, our video series of bite-sized chunks explaining how different battery energy storage systems work. For more information on ERCOT, check out our written research.

On today's podcast episode, we discuss the many goals of ancillary services, how they drive foot traffic, and what retailers should be thinking about before introducing them. Listen to the conversation with our Senior Analyst Sara Lebow as she hosts Vice President of Content Suzy Davidkhanian and Senior Analyst Blake Droesch.   Follow us on Instagram at:  https://www.instagram.com/emarketer/ For sponsorship opportunities contact us: advertising@emarketer.com For more information visit:  https://www.emarketer.com/advertise/ Have questions or just want to say hi? Drop us a line at podcast@emarketer.com  For a transcript of this episode click here:  https://www.emarketer.com/content/podcast-reimagining-retail-ancillary-services-bring-people-stores-what-retailers-think-introducing   © 2024 EMARKETER TikTok for Business is a global platform designed to give brands and marketers the solutions to be creative storytellers and meaningfully engage with the TikTok community. With solutions that can deliver seamlessly across every marketing touchpoint, TikTok for Business offers brands an opportunity for rich storytelling through a portfolio of full-screen video formats that appear natively within the user experience. Visit tiktok.com/business for more information.

As the diversity and scale of energy resources have evolved in recent years, NYISO's market design team has been working hard to create and implement market innovations to support those technologies.The most recent example of NYISO's commitment to innovation is the launch of a first-in-the nation program to integrate aggregations of distributed energy resources (DER) into the wholesale electric markets. This ground-breaking program allows small-scale resources including solar, wind, battery storage, and fuel cells to be aggregated as a single, dispatchable resource.In episode 35 of the Power Trends podcast, NYISO's Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Emilie Nelson discusses the potential impacts of the DER program on New York's ambitious climate goals as well as NYISO's real-time management of the bulk power system."When we look at the clean energy policies of New York State, we really need to create a framework that allows investment in all technology options," said Nelson. While the cumulative benefits of the DER program will take time to be fully realized, the new market design was lauded by Willie Phillips, Chairman of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) and former FERC Commissioner Allison Clement. In the order that approved NYISO's DER market rules, they stated, "We are only now leaving the starting gates in unlocking the potential of DERs to provide reliability value to our grid, but that value will be essential to ensuring we meet new and emerging reliability challenges in the future in an efficient manner that protects customers. To date, NYISO has been at the forefront of developing a participation model for DERs and seeking to implement that model expeditiously." NYISO forecasts distributed generation in the state to roughly double over the next three decades as the state strives to have 70% of its electricity generated by renewable resources by 2030 and achieve a zero-emission power grid by 2040.Listen now to learn more about NYISO's DER program.Additional Resources:DER Fact SheetDER Press ReleaseLearn More Follow us on Twitter @NewYorkISO and LinkedIn @NYISO Read our blogs and watch our videos Check out our 2040 grid page

Our mission at the NYISO is to ensure power system reliability and competitive markets for New York in a clean-energy future, and to work with all stakeholders to build the cleanest, most reliable electric system in the nation. In keeping with our mission, we operate a capacity market to meet resource adequacy requirements and serve consumer demand. The capacity market acts as a transparent and cost-effective mechanism to avoid the danger of service interruptions and outages.As older resources retire and new resources transform the way the system responds, capacity markets have become even more important to preserving system reliability. However, not every region in the U.S. has a capacity market to support reliability and resource adequacy. For example, Texas and California do not operate capacity markets. The Capacity Market's demand curve reset processIn New York, the inputs that factor into the setting of capacity market prices are developed in a process known as the “demand curve reset.” In this episode of the Power Trends podcast, Shaun Johnson, Director of Marker Design, explains how the process works.“The first thing we do is focus on proven technologies that meet system needs. We're trying to meet reliability for consumers at the lowest possible cost.” Referred to as “proxy units,” these technologies must be capable of responding to peak demand conditions and while meeting environmental and other regulatory requirements to operate in New York. Johnson explains the difficulty in transitioning from a generation fleet with one set of reliability attributes to one that is more intermittent, and weather dependent. The demand curve process assesses the cost to build and maintain capacity supply resources in order to be available when needed. That includes costs for equipment, construction, and financing, among others. Johnson describes the capacity market simply, “The capacity market is getting commitments from suppliers to help us meet reliability requirements and reduce the chances of the outages, even if they're not operating those facilities frequently.”Listen now to learn more about the capacity market and the demand curve reset.Learn More Follow us on Twitter @NewYorkISO and LinkedIn @NYISO Read our blogs and watch our videos Check out our 2040 grid page

Today we're diving into a crucial topic for outpatient clinics: the most profitable ancillary services to offer. We'll explore various subspecialties, weigh the pros and cons of different services, and consider how these services can enhance patient care and convenience. This episode will provide you with the insights needed to make informed decisions about expanding your clinic's offerings.First, we talk about primary care. Ancillary services can significantly boost the profitability of primary care practices while also enhancing patient care. We start by giving you a list of some of the most common and profitable ancillary services you might consider.  Please Follow or Subscribe to get new episodes delivered to you as soon as they drop! Visit Jill's company, Health e Practices' website: https://healtheps.com/ Subscribe to our newsletter, Health e Connections: http://21978609.hs-sites.com/newletter-subscriber Want more content? Find sample job descriptions, financial tools, templates and much more: www.MedicalMoneyMattersPodcast.com Purchase your copy of Jill's book here: Physician Heal Thy Financial Self Join our Medical Money Matters Facebook Group here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/3834886643404507/ Original Musical Score by: Craig Addy at https://www.underthepiano.ca/ Visit Craig's website to book your Once in a Lifetime music experience Podcast coaching and development by: Jennifer Furlong, CEO, Communication Twenty-Four Seven https://www.communicationtwentyfourseven.com/

Congratulations Jo Stevens on being nominated for the Entain Industry Excellence Awards for Administrative and Ancillary Services. Harness Racing New Zealand

In this episode, we have the Sr.Director | Ancillary Services of Simon Fraser University, Sid Mehta.  He shared with us: The scope of Ancillary Services within your organization, and how his role as Senior Director influences these services.Given the evolving landscape of the food industry, the challenges he foresees in maintaining sustainable and efficient food-related services in SFU, and how they are you preparing to meet these challenges.His vision in the future of food services in terms of sustainability and technological advancements, and what his role plays in shaping this future in SFU.Enjoy!

Dive into the fascinating world of imaging informatics with SIIMcast, the official podcast of the Society for Imaging Informatics in Medicine (SIIM). Join hosts Jason and Mohamed as they explore groundbreaking developments and innovative solutions in radiology with industry experts. In this compelling episode, we continue our mini-series by featuring Dr. Tessa Cook, a renowned Associate Professor of Radiology and Vice Chair of Practice Transformation. Dr. Cook shares insights from Chapter 10 of the "Practical Imaging Informatics" textbook, focusing on ancillary services and their critical role in enhancing care delivery and radiologist workflows. From radiation exposure management to the integration of artificial intelligence in peer learning, discover how informatics is shaping the future of radiology, ensuring patient safety, and optimizing medical imaging processes. Whether you're a professional in the field or simply intrigued by the impact of technology on healthcare, this episode offers a wealth of knowledge and inspiration for anyone interested in the advancement of medical imaging informatics.

Summary Jared discusses the importance of vetting service providers, especially those offering ancillary services, to ensure they specialize and excel in those services. He shares an experience with a martial arts school where poor service could lead to a contract termination and touches on KickSight, a CRM designed for martial arts schools. The conversation also covers the challenges of website development, emphasizing SEO, admin access frustrations, and the significance of user roles and client education in website management. Jared critiques third-party software companies building websites and stresses investing in high-quality web design for business growth. Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Overview 02:41 The Story of a Termination 05:13 Website Building and Maintenance 07:26 Access Limitations and Communication Issues 09:44 The Role of the 'Firefighter' 11:56 The Risks of Not Having Admin Access 13:59 The Pitfalls of Relying on Third-Party Software for Website Building 19:31 Chapter 1: The Power of Integrations 20:02 Chapter 2: Enjoying the Process of Building Websites 21:31 Chapter 3: The Passion for Writing Code 23:38 The Joy of Building Websites and Writing Code 24:08 The Importance of Delivering High-Quality Products 24:29 The Challenge of Communicating the Value of Technical Work 25:09 Providing Solutions that Clients Can Understand and Use 25:18 The Challenges of Finding a Reliable Website Development Agency 26:20 Avoiding Substandard Work: The Importance of Vetting Agencies 27:38 Profit vs Quality: The Problem with Some Website Development Agencies 28:30 Making Informed Decisions in Website Development --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/realbuildingblocks/support

What does the path to a decarbonized grid by 2040 look like? Dr. C. Lindsay Anderson of Cornell University is working to answer the question of where best on the grid to incorporate large amounts of new generation on the future grid to achieve optimal performance. Anderson is chair of Cornell's Department of Biological & Environmental Engineering. Her research focuses on creating detailed models of energy systems to see how they'll perform under different conditions. Her other research interests run the gamut including energy economics; the future of nuclear power including fusion; renewable power systems including solar, wind, geothermal and hydropower; energy conservation by users and demand-side management; and global climate change.The research team at the eponymous Anderson Lab is looking for ways to modify the algorithms used to make decisions on operating systems. The lab's modeling is comprised of numerous independent data sets including those provided by NREL (the National Renewable Energy Laboratory). Anderson notes that NYISO's publicly available datasets play an essential role in validating historical power flows, peak load patterns, and market behaviors.“The last thing we want to do is keep all the fossil generators online and running just in case we need them,” she said, “because that undermines our ability to decarbonize.”A big part of the research deals with considering the practical implications of the CLCPA. She calls it an exciting opportunity to look at New York's climate goals and determine how they'll workTalking to people at the NYISO who know the system well is another important part of the process according to Anderson. She cites our ongoing System Resource and Outlook reporting and analysis of multiple decarbonization scenarios as essential in understanding the numerous variables and impacts.Some of those challenges result from geospatial issues. Renewable energy generated upstate still needs to be transmitted to downstate where the demand is greatest.“The offshore wind off Long Island is key to that because it's located down there and wouldn't have to come through those lines. So those being effectively built up is going to be critically important,” she said.Moving forward, modeling the ideal end state of a decarbonized grid is as important as anticipating the steps along the way in order to understand the iterative impacts of integrating new technology, and how we keep the system reliable throughout the transition.Additional Resources and InformationDr. C. Lindsay Anderson bio | Anderson Lab Learn More Follow us on Twitter @NewYorkISO and LinkedIn @NYISO Read our blogs and watch our videos Check out our 2040 grid page

Join Certified Professional Inspector® Matt Hawley as he discusses some of the most common ancillary services and how they can greatly increase your revenue, with minimal cost to you.

The Black CatIn 4 parts, by RachaelJane. Listen to the Podcast at Steamy Stories.Chapter 16: An evening with PauloOf course I should have realized that there is an ulterior motive to his request. But I’m a willing participant to his brilliant scheme, even if technically I’m the victim. The lively dance music is sensuous and our bodies are almost constantly in contact. I’m not sure if it the desire building inside me or the strenuous activity that is making my clothes stick to me. Our bodies are glistening with sweat and the effect is driving me wild.As the dance progresses our bodies seem to come into contact more and more until we are moving like a single being. When the music ends I don’t want to part. But the dancing is only the first stage of Paulo’s seduction.“We need a shower,” he says, taking my hand and escorting me from the room. I don’t make any effort to resist, even though I know he means for us to share a shower. In fact, far from resist I feel a tremor of desire at the prospect.I’m neither mistaken nor disappointed in Paulo’s plan. I’ve never showered with another person before, let alone a virile young man whose motives are as plain as day. I follow his lead and we undress each other. That act alone arouses me even more. Then we enter the cubicle and Paulo sets the buttons to start the water. I don’t know if these showers are programmed to cater for a shower for two, but everything about it is wonderful.When Paulo starts soaping me I practically explode with desire as his hands work their dastardly deed. He kisses me and knows he has me where he wants me. Or so he thinks. I’m still in control of some of my emotions and manage to achieve the same sort of response from him as my hands work on his body. It’s a challenge both of us do our best to win. His hands work wonders between my legs, while I soon have his cock eager for more of my attentions. Who can be first to push the other into an orgasm? I’ve the advantage of my gender and can hide an orgasm. But for Paulo, the evidence of my claimed victory is obvious, whereas I secretly know Paulo won in reality.The shower program ends after about fifteen minutes. We are definitely clean and no trace remains of the effects from our dancing or from our water games. For the moment our lust is sated. But not for long. Neither of us bother to dress and I know full well what awaits me beyond the door opposite the one we entered.“Ready?” asks Paulo.“Yes, I’m ready,” I reply, taking the opportunity to kiss him.Paulo lifts me up and carries me into the suite’s bedroom. We have nearly four hours before the sensible part of my mind is needed again. Chloe is due to return at 2am and I need to be back in my dormitory by then if I want to avoid a confrontation. Given her actions last night, I’m not going to give her another opportunity to sabotage my chances in the Argonaut. However, between now and then I intend to explore all the opportunities this night presents. I was a shy and inexperienced maiden when I arrived yesterday. I shall not be leaving in the same state.To describe the next four hours as sensational or wonderful barely does justice to the emotions Paulo drew from me. Or to the emotions I clearly drew from him. I lost count of the number of times we fucked, each time in a different position. Had circumstances been different I’m sure we would have a longer term relationship. Perhaps one involving genuine love for each other. But we both know that isn’t likely to be.Sensible Jasmine rejoins me with twenty minutes to spare before my imposed deadline. I’m glad Paulo doesn’t resist my move to leave. If he held me back I’m certain I would risk Chloe’s wrath for another half hour with Paulo. I’ve no idea what she has been up to with Sarah tonight, and to be honest, I don’t care. But Chloe left me in no doubt she that intends to eliminate me from the Argonaut given the slightest opportunity. An impression neither Paulo nor Cassius have done anything to dispel.With a final kiss and a sorrowful farewell, I enter the elevator with the most wonderful memories of tonight.Despite it being after 2 o'clock in the morning, I find Harper standing in the corridor outside our dormitory when I arrive. He’s remarkably sober for this time of night, but he practically falls over in surprise when he sees me.“What are you doing here?” says Harper, as he recovers from his shock.“This is my quarters,” I reply, slightly annoyed he is questioning me like this.“That’s not what I mean. If you are out here, then who is the girl with Patrick in our dormitory?”I’d forgotten about Sheba. She and Patrick must have hit it off alright if she is still here.“Um; It’s probably Sheba,” I reply to Harper’s question. “I met her earlier tonight and introduced her to Patrick. They must have discovered they have a lot in common.”“And who is Sheba?”"She’s the daughter of some Argon bigwig. She was heading for the party on the top floor when I realized Patrick might be the sort of company she was really wanting.”“Hmmm; I suspect there’s more to this than you are telling me,” adds Harper. “But well done on finding Patrick a potential benefactor. I don’t suppose you rustled up a benefactor for yourself in the process?”“Ah! Yes, I do believe I have,” I reply, remembering I put Sarah’s business card in my pocket. “Her name is Sarah. She said she wanted to me to contact her if I’m a winner of the Argonaut.”Harper looks at Sarah’s card; the one which contains nothing but a picture of a black cat. He suddenly goes very serious.“And just how did you meet this Sarah of yours, sweetheart? You weren’t supposed to leave the building tonight. The employees of Le Chat Noir don’t do house calls.”“I didn’t leave this building. Sarah isn’t an employee, she’s one of the owners of Le Chat Noir. She was here on business earlier this evening. We got talking and she said she wanted to talk to me afterwards. Is that going to be a problem? What is Le Chat Noir anyway? And how do you know about it?”“Never mind how I know about Le Chat Noir, and you’re too young to understand what sort of business it conducts.”“OK, keep your secrets. Anyway, I had a good time tonight, and now I feel ready for bed. Where are the others if Patrick and Sheba are alone in the dormitory?”They’ve having a slumber party of their own downstairs. I suggest you go and join them if you plan on sleeping tonight.I take a quick shower in the communal bathroom, mainly to soothe some of the many tender spots around my body. Several parts of me received more exercise and attention tonight; than they’ve ever received before. What started out as a gentle tumble in bed progressively increased in tempo until Paulo and I were being quite rough with each other in our lovemaking. I probably discovered as much about myself as I did about Paulo. My only regret is it has left me wanting to repeat the whole encounter again and again, and I know that is likely to be impossible. The warm glow I was feeling when I left Paulo returns by the time I find my room-mates in the downstairs lounge, and my head hits my makeshift pillow. Sleep quickly follows.Chapter 17: The ArgonautI join an equally sleepy Patrick for breakfast at eight o'clock. He’s in a much happier mood than yesterday. I try to think of the right way to apologize for practically throwing Sheba into his bed last night, but Patrick speaks before I can say anything.“Thank you for what you did last night,” he says. “I don’t know how you managed it but Sheba was just the person I needed. And if Sheba was being truthful, I was the person she needed.”“Um; That’s OK,” I reply. “Sorry if I practically threw her at you, but I was late for the; er; party upstairs.”“Hmm! Sheba mentioned she was going to a party before she met you. But it didn’t sound like the sort of party I thought you would be interested in. Sheba made it sound like it was all scantily clad girls competing for Paulo’s favor. Perhaps the rumor about Paulo and some dark-haired beauty dancing naked in a roof garden are true after all?” he laughs.“Where did you hear that rumor?” I ask. “I’m sure it’s greatly exaggerated.”“Some of the contestants were talking while we were waiting in the studio yesterday. You must have heard them; Oh. No; Of course; You arrived a bit later. Wait a minute. Harper let slip there are rumors circulating about Paulo and a girl who fits your description. Are you the girl referred to in that rumor? Is the rumor true?”“Of course the rumor is wrong; We weren’t dancing,” I reply keeping my tone light. “That came much later. But I admit I’m the girl in the rumor. Are there are other rumors about me? It’s very difficult to get some privacy here with all the security cameras everywhere.”“You don’t need to apologize to me. I only wish I had half your courage to defy convention and take what you need.”Patrick and I are back to being pleasant to each other and able to talk without any awkwardness. I just hope he and I don’t have to compete against each other today. While there can be multiple winners of the Argonaut, some challenges involve head-to-head tests in which one of two contestants is eliminated from the Argonaut.At nine-thirty, forty-six of the fifty original contestants are standing in the huge hall that will be the main testing center for today’s Argonaut challenges. Apparently four contestants have already been eliminated. Despite plenty of rumors, nobody seems to know the reason, and the Argonaut officials are saying nothing on the subject. I can’t help wondering whether sabotage had a part to play in the contestants’ elimination.The Argonaut officials are easily recognized by their bright purple gowns. The woman in charge has lots of gold trim on her gown, as if to reinforce her status here. Even the other officials seem nervous about being near her.“By the end of the day, at least twenty more of you will have been eliminated,” she announces to us all. “For the first challenge, you will be divided into seven groups. When your name is called, go and stand under the colored banner of your group over there.”Another official reads out everyone’s names in group order. I’m in Green group, along with Patrick, Chloe, Mansel, and two other contestants I don’t know. Paulo is placed in Yellow group, and Vincent in Blue. Once we are all assembled in our allocated group, an official marches each group off to a different room.“Last night you have each been approached by citizen of Argon city, and received a card from them. The card indicates that the citizen is willing to provide you with employment in the city, should the Argonaut assessment panel be willing to loan you the money that you need to buy your freedom. Now, place the card on the table in front of you.”Fortunately I’ve kept Sarah’s card in my pocket, heeding her advice that it may prove useful. Is this what she meant when she said that? I notice Chloe has a similar card, although the black cat on her card is lying on its back, while mine looks as though it is stalking a mouse. I presume Sheba was the source of Patrick’s card. The official studies each card and checks it against something written on his notepad. A grunt is the only indication that everything seems to be in order. He tells us to retrieve our cards.“Your next decision will be critical to your success or otherwise in the Argonaut,” says the official. “You must now decide whether to accept your sponsor’s offer of employment. If you haven’t discussed the employment terms and wish to discuss them with your sponsor before accepting, then you should decline the current offer. I will now ask you in turn whether you accept or decline the offer.”Patrick, Chloe and I are the only three of us who accept the employment offer. In my case, it is a rash decision based on a few minutes of conversation with Sarah last night. I could be agreeing to something I will soon regret, but I’m more terrified of being eliminated from the Argonaut than accepting an unknown job. The three of us are escorted to yet another room and told to wait.We wait. And we wait some more. Finally Ellen and Cassius turn up.“Good. That’s all sorted,” says Ellen, handing each of us an envelope. “Read those later. You must go to your dormitories and pack your things. Meet by the front door in forty five minutes.”“What’s going on?” asks Patrick. “Have we been eliminated from the Argonaut?”“No. No. On the contrary. You have all been granted a loan and a work permit for the city. You will be transported to your new employer’s place of business. He or she will sort out everything else. It’s all explained in the letter I’ve just given you.”It takes me a few moments to remember to breathe. In my wildest dreams I never imagined winning the Argonaut would be so quick and easy. I had mentally prepared myself for a day of tests and challenges, and an anxious wait tomorrow for the final result.Packing my few belongings takes all of five minutes. I had already returned the Jewels of Desire to Ellen first thing this morning. With over half-an-hour to spare, I sit down to read my letter. Ellen has covered all the salient details in her answer to Patrick’s question. My indenture to the Buchanan overlord has been purchased by the Bureau of Ancillary Services for just under eight thousand credits, which I must repay from my earnings over the next five years. Failure to repay the loan by the deadline means my indenture will be sold to any Argon citizen willing to buy it, and I will once again be a serf. I’m to be employed as a hostess at The Black Cat Club, working five days a week. The letter doesn’t contain any further details about the job or what in entails. With the letter is a laminated work permit confirming I am authorized to work in the city center and travel to and from Buchanan settlement.Patrick and I join Chloe by the front door as instructed. There’s no sign of Ellen or Cassius, and I realize that we might be taken from here without the opportunity to say goodbye to anyone. A small bus arrives a short while later and the driver tells us to get on board. Ellen and Cassius appear at the last moment and wave us off as we drive away.The bus has only a short journey before we arrive outside an odd-shaped office building surrounded by a jumble of similar sized buildings. Patrick disembarks after sharing a brief farewell and good wishes. He suggests that we keep in touch. I say ‘yes’, although I’m not sure how achievable that will be.We have a slightly longer drive into the heart of the city center before the bus stops outside a building in what is clearly part of an entertainment district. The bus departs as soon as Chloe and I step onto the wide footpath. From the street, The Black Cat Club looks very unimpressive. The ground-floor doorway consists of a wide metal frame housing twin white doors, each with a black cat motif on the upper panel. There are no door handles nor any doorbell to attract attention.“Did you come here last night?” I ask Chloe, risking a hostile reply.“I don’t know,” replies Chloe. “I was made to wear a hood for most of the journey. If it’s the same place then I’ll recognize it once we are inside.”Which, of course, is the problem. How do we get inside?Chapter 18: Arrival at The Black CatThe area is quiet at this hour of the morning and there is no sign of activity at the club. Gaining access to the club is going to be a problem we need to solve on our own. I study the door and the surrounding frame. On door frame, either side of the doors, are two dark square pads with a motif of a cat on them. The one on the right has a stalking cat, like on the card Sarah gave me. The left hand pad has a cat lying on its back, similar to the one on the card in Chloe’s possession.Chloe tries pushing the pad in case it is a doorbell of sorts. The pad is solid so there is no audible or visible response. We wait a few moments in case what Chloe has done has summoned someone inside. However, nobody comes to the door, so I consider trying something else. I bring out my card and place it over the pad with the matching cat symbol. Success! The door on the right makes an audible sound as though a lock is being released. I push on the door and it swings open. Inside is short but wide hallway with a row of turnstiles left and right of a central column. The turnstiles are controlled by the same sort of pad we saw on the outside door. Those to the right of the column ahead of us have a symbol that matches my card, while those on the left match Chloe’s card.We each pass through one of the turnstiles matching our respective card. Once through to the other side, we find ourselves separated by a wall. I’m now in a different corridor to the one Chloe entered, and I’m unsure how we can meet up again without reversing our route. There’s still nobody about and I’m beginning to worry about my rash choice to accept Sarah’s offer without further details.“Are you still there, Chloe?” I call.“Yeah. There’s a staircase going down to a lower level. I’m fairly sure this is where I was brought last night.”“There’s no staircase on my side,” I reply. The corridor here seems to go past a cloakroom into a large room at the end.“"Well, let’s explore our own area and see if we can find someone,” replies Chloe.I quickly check that the cloakroom is empty before entering the large room at the end. It’s a night club, with a huge dance floor bordered by several rows of tables and chairs on two sides; a stage on the third side; and a bar next to where I have entered on the fourth side. On the other side of the bar to the entrance door is an archway, hopefully leading to an office, or somewhere that someone will be working.I eventually find an office where a woman about my age is working. She doesn’t seem surprised to see me and introduces herself as Honeydew.“The Bureau sent me your details but I haven’t had time to record them in our system,” says Honeydew. “If you take a seat in the lounge over there, I’ll do that now.”“Okay,” I reply. “I arrived with another woman; Chloe. The card she was given sent her through the left hand turnstiles when we arrived.”“She will be looked after downstairs,” replies Honeydew. “Don’t concern yourself about her.”Honeydew’s attitude towards Chloe strikes me as odd, but I accept her assurance that Chloe will be looked after. Since Chloe isn’t a friend, I put her out of my mind for now. After about fifteen minutes, Honeydew joins me in the lounge. She hands me some documents and a card similar to the one Sarah gave me last night. This card, however, is laminated like my work permit, and has a copy of the photograph I supplied for the Argonaut on the reverse. At her request, I hand over the card Sarah gave me.“The identity card allows you access to the club,” says Honeydew. “You’ve already discovered how it works. The documents are your terms of employment and your scheduled work hours for the next two weeks. A fifth of your earnings will be paid directly to the Bureau of Ancillary Services to repay your loan. Let me know if you ever want to make an additional payment. If you have any questions then come and talk to me.”“What should I do now?” I ask.“The club opens in just over an hour. Sarah will arrive just before then. I suggest you take a walk around the club and get an idea where everything is located.”I do as Honeydew suggests although there isn’t much more on this level than I’ve already found. The gender neutral toilets, and a set changing rooms are the only rooms I haven’t explored when I entered the club. There’s a locked door next to the bar, near to the one I entered. As seems typical of the club, the lock is controlled by the proximity of my identity card. Rather than wander around aimlessly, I try opening the door.The door opens onto a short corridor in front of two sets of stairs leading to the floors above and below. I take a quick look upstairs first. The landing at the top leads to what turns out to be a set of bedrooms, fitted out for some adventurous sex games. I then go basement level to see if I can locate Chloe. After my experiences over the last twenty four hours I’m not surprised to see the basement is fitted out like some medieval dungeon. There’s a dance floor and bar looking incongruous with the cages and restraints liberally scattered around the place. Every square pillar supporting the building above has four sets of shackles dangling down from above. That’s where I find Chloe, chained by her wrists to one of the pillars.“Are you okay?” I ask Chloe when I see her chained with her arms raised high above her head. She can only stand on her tiptoes.“Yes, Miss Jasmine,” replies Chloe, indicating with her eyes that one of the many security cameras is watching us. “Mistress is fetching my uniform. I’ll be fine.”I quickly overcome my shock at Chloe addressing me in the way she did, but I suppose she knew from last night how she would be treated here. Even with that knowledge, Chloe accepted the offer to work here without further inquiry. I’m not sure what more I can say to her, so I simply nod in acknowledgement of her signal, and continue my exploration of the dungeon. My experience with kinky sex is negligible, and I can’t pretend to understand the purpose of some of the equipment around the room. I find it fascinating, but also a little scary.“You must be Jasmine,” says a woman dressed in a black studded leather outfit. “I’m Caitlin.”I turn to look at the woman who has just entered from the door on the other side of the bar. Her blond hair his fastened in a plait which is pinned around her head. If I had to guess at her age, I would say that she was in her mid-thirties, but it difficult to be sure in the subdued lighting of the dungeon.“Yes, hello,” I reply. “Honeydew suggested that I explore the club while I’m waiting for Sarah to arrive.”“That’s no problem. But if you are waiting for Sarah, then I suggest you return upstairs. Sarah arrived a few minutes ago.”I promptly do as Caitlin suggests. I find Sarah in the office talking to Honeydew.“Ah! Jasmine! Excellent! I wasn’t sure if you would understand my offer, and I had half expected you to be standing out on the street wondering how to get into the club. I’m pleased you understood on both counts. Welcome to Le Chat Noir. We can discuss your duties while I find you an appropriate uniform to wear.”Sarah concludes her business with Honeydew and then she escorts me to one of the changing rooms I had noticed earlier.“These are the changing rooms. Rooms one to four are for visiting artists, five and six are for staff use. It can get crowded in here at busy times, so I recommend that you change into and out of your uniform at home. Honeydew will allocate one of these lockers for your belongings.”Sarah proceeds to describe my duties. Although my job title is given as 'hostess’ my duties include almost every task that could be expected of someone working in a night club, particularly one catering for clients with exotic sexual perversions. My base salary is no more than I was earning at the recycling factory in Buchanan, but with the added costs of my loan repayment, and travel to and from work. However, Sarah indicates some of the many ways I can voluntarily supplement my earnings at the club.Although I don’t start work until tomorrow, I spend the next couple of hours observing the club in action and meeting some of the other staff.Chapter 19: A session with IrisBy the start of my third week working at Le Chat Noir, I’ve reorganized by life to suit my variable hours of work. I’ve also decided; at least for now; which extra services I am willing to provide at the club in order to supplement my earnings. Tips from serving drinks at tables provide a small but steady boost to my income. But until I pay off the loan the Bureau of Ancillary Services provided to buy my freedom, I need to earn more. Prostitution is tolerated by the club, but that’s something I’m uncomfortable with doing. However, more subtle or specialized sexual services are something I could manage, particularly when it comes to helping out in the dungeon downstairs. Even Caitlin and Sarah seem impressed with the ease that I’ve adapted to being a part-time dominatrix. I confess that I like the leather gear I’m given to go with the role.When I’m not needed as a dominatrix in the dungeon, I put on a much skimpier outfit and work the floor in the main club. My outfit is inspired by the Jewels of Desire, with small semi-precious gemstones sewn into the glorified bra and panties that I normally to wear. The effect from wearing either of my regular costumes gives me a warm and pleasant feeling I associate with sexual arousal. However, I refuse all offers of sex despite my traitorous body wanting to comply.“Hello, princess,” comes a familiar voice as I pass one of the tables on a busy night.“Paulo! I didn’t know if I would see you again.”“Hmm. Like everyone else, I was shocked when you disappeared from the Argonaut. We all assumed you had been eliminated. It’s only when I met Chloe last week that I discovered what happened.”“I was lucky to find a sponsor and job that suits me,” I reply. “How about you?”“I was one of the nine Argonaut winners in addition to Patrick, Chloe and you. That’s a fairly typical success rate for the Argonaut these days. I’ve got a job with a building maintenance company; nice regular hours although the pay isn’t that great. I presume your job means you must work nights?”“Yes. The club doesn’t open until mid-afternoon, and stays open until the early hours of the morning. I’m normally working from six o'clock in the evening until the club closes around three or four the next morning.”“That must make it difficult for you to get home after work,” observes Paulo.“There are several of us in the same situation. We’re allowed to sleep on one of the beds upstairs until the first train services start in the morning. As long as my travel card shows me travelling to and from Buchanan every day then I satisfy the city’s rules about residency.”“I had hoped we could resume where we left off during the Argonaut,” says Paulo. “But our different work hours are going to make that difficult.”“I’m sure we can work something out,” I reply, although I’ve no idea how we might achieve it. “Anyway, how did you get in here tonight? Are you a member of Le Chat Noir?”“Chloe managed to get me a guest pass for tonight. The pass doesn’t seem to allow me access to downstairs.”“Only members of Le Chat Noir can enter the dungeon,” I reply.“Is that where Chloe works?” asks Paulo. “She was very evasive when I asked her. What does she do down there?”“Chloe works downstairs, but you’ll need to ask her about her duties. That’s not the sort of detail I can provide.”I’m being equally evasive as Chloe about her duties. Paulo might not understand Chloe’s submissiveness and react in a way that could cause problems.“I need to resume my work, Paulo. It’s been great catching up. If you can find a way for us to meet up outside of work, then I’m okay with resuming where we left off before.”My departure from Paulo’s company is a bit abrupt, but Sarah is trying to attract my attention from across the room. I promptly go over to where she is standing.“Caitlin needs your services as a dominatrix downstairs,” says Sarah. “Go and change into your leathers and report to Caitlin. And Jasmine; play your cards right tonight and Caitlin’s client could prove to be a very profitable source of extra income for you. But remember what I told you the first time we met about knowing when to keep your mouth shut about what you see.”“Yes, thank you, Sarah. I’ll go and change at once.”I quickly change and take the back stairs down to the dungeon level. Caitlin is helping out at the bar. The dungeon crowd is smaller than upstairs, but it is still fairly busy. Caitlin comes over to me and takes me into one of the side rooms.Although I am still new to playing the role of a dominatrix, Caitlin seems pleased with my efforts so far. I’ll admit that the role eases my pent up anger at the inequality in Argon society. And the extra money it earns me is welcome, and encourages me to develop my skills further.What I told Paulo wasn’t entirely true. Access to the Black Cat’s dungeon is restricted to the club’s premium members, and even staff access is limited to a select few. Quite how I was designated as one of the few was a mystery to me at first. Eventually Sarah admitted to her involvement in that decision after she saw how I handled wearing the Jewels of Desire during the Argonaut. This will be the tenth session I’ve run as a dominatrix. Two of my clients have returned for a second session, although it’s too early in my career to call them regulars.Caitlin takes me to one side and hands me some extra items to complement my outfit. A leather paddle and handcuffs are placed in a black leather bag along with a few lengths of rope. My rope tying skills are still work-in-progress, but I can handle a few basic restraints. My outfit is finished off with a black leather mask covering much of my face.“I don’t anticipate any problems, but we had best keep your identity secret until we are sure there aren’t going to be any repercussions,” says Caitlin.Before I can baulk at the implied danger, Caitlin ushers me into an area of the dungeon I normally avoid. This is the zone contains small private dungeons, and is reserved for the seriously perverted bondage freaks. Or at least, that’s how Chloe described clients who hire the facilities in this area. When I see it up close, I suspect Chloe’s description is slightly biased, but then, she and I are literally on opposite ends of the whip.The scantily clad female is waiting for me in one of the private dungeons. I am already mentally prepared to meet one of Argon’s rich elite wanting to play at being a helpless submissive for an hour or two. I don’t suppose it occurs to them that they could live and work in one of the settlements and achieve the same result at no cost.“This is Slave Iris,” says Caitlin by way of introduction. “She is yours to command, Domina.”Some clients prefer to call me by a name, whether my own or a made-up one. Others, like now, prefer to call me by a title such as Madame, Mistress, or an older style title like Domina. Caitlin leaves us alone, which is my cue to begin.“Kneel before me Slave,” I command, beginning a standard routine to establish the boundaries of this game. Iris obeys at once.By the time I have completed the initial routine I am satisfied that I understand what turns Iris on, and what commands I should avoid. If I want to maximize my earnings with repeat sessions, I must endeavor to provide the experience Iris desires. My preliminary assessment suggests that she is naturally submissive, and she is clearly wanting a session in which she is bound helpless and punished for whatever misdemeanor she wishes to confess. Even the prospect of being spanked with the paddle seems to turn her on.Despite Iris’s willingness to be subjected to harsh treatment, I’m careful not to inflict any tell-tale marks on Iris’s body. I recognize Iris from the numerous news-feeds featuring the higher echelons of Argon society. Caitlin’s warning was justified. No matter how willing Iris may be to the discipline I’m imposing, I’m well aware that her father is one of the generals of Argon’s ruling junta. How amenable he will be to me satisfying his daughter’s fetish is a big unknown.I’m starting to attune myself to Iris’s likes and dislikes. I don’t know what motivates her fetish for bondage, which makes it harder for me to deliver the right intensity of control. I have handcuffed her to a ring high in the wall so that she must stand with her arms raised. I complete her bonds with ankle cuffs anchored to rings in the floor which hold her legs slightly apart. On impulse I run my hand between Iris’s legs and stroke her lacy panties. It’s a tentative touch to test her reaction, which is everything I hoped it might be. She starts humping my hand, which I allow her to do for a few moments until I sense she is working up to a climax. I withdraw my hand before she can peak.I repeat the exercise numerous times and eventually I allow her to climax. She practically weeps with joy once her orgasm subsides. I tease her with the paddle and before long she is whimpering for my touch. The sense of empowerment it gives me is arousing me as much as the visible effect our games are having on Iris. I even have Iris satisfy my own needs by tonguing my cunt until I achieve an orgasm.It is customary for the client to indicate when the session is to end by saying the standard club safe-word 'Kitty-cat’. Iris doesn’t seem to be in any hurry to end the session, which runs for a mammoth three hours. Eventually she is too exhausted to continue and she brings our session to an end. By now it is well past midnight and both of us are tired.“Thank you, Domina,” says Iris, once I have freed her from her latest bondage. “Are you free for another session tomorrow night?”“My availability is managed by the club’s owners,” I respond with the answer Caitlin requires me to give to such a request.“Then we shall speak with Caitlin,” replies Iris, no longer the submissive slave she was ten minutes ago.We return to the main part of the dungeon, which still has a reasonable number of patrons despite the late hour. Caitlin is still working at the bar and has no hesitation in agreeing to Iris’s request for my services tomorrow night.When I finally finish work at three o'clock in the morning I get the chance to open the envelope containing my bonus for tonight. It’s more than I thought possible, and it reinforces my desire to train further in the art of being a dominatrix. However, I know I mustn’t get over-confident since the sessions with Iris could end at any time, and secrecy about her identity is essential.I consider the next step in my strange and unexpected career. Navigating the Argonaut was easier than I expected, but that owed a lot to chance and making risky choices. I made it, though. Now all I need to do is survive in the murky world of Argon’s powerful elite. But that’s another story.By Rachael Jane for Literotica.

The Black CatIn 4 parts, by RachaelJane. Listen to the Podcast at Steamy Stories.Chapter 16: An evening with PauloOf course I should have realized that there is an ulterior motive to his request. But I’m a willing participant to his brilliant scheme, even if technically I’m the victim. The lively dance music is sensuous and our bodies are almost constantly in contact. I’m not sure if it the desire building inside me or the strenuous activity that is making my clothes stick to me. Our bodies are glistening with sweat and the effect is driving me wild.As the dance progresses our bodies seem to come into contact more and more until we are moving like a single being. When the music ends I don’t want to part. But the dancing is only the first stage of Paulo’s seduction.“We need a shower,” he says, taking my hand and escorting me from the room. I don’t make any effort to resist, even though I know he means for us to share a shower. In fact, far from resist I feel a tremor of desire at the prospect.I’m neither mistaken nor disappointed in Paulo’s plan. I’ve never showered with another person before, let alone a virile young man whose motives are as plain as day. I follow his lead and we undress each other. That act alone arouses me even more. Then we enter the cubicle and Paulo sets the buttons to start the water. I don’t know if these showers are programmed to cater for a shower for two, but everything about it is wonderful.When Paulo starts soaping me I practically explode with desire as his hands work their dastardly deed. He kisses me and knows he has me where he wants me. Or so he thinks. I’m still in control of some of my emotions and manage to achieve the same sort of response from him as my hands work on his body. It’s a challenge both of us do our best to win. His hands work wonders between my legs, while I soon have his cock eager for more of my attentions. Who can be first to push the other into an orgasm? I’ve the advantage of my gender and can hide an orgasm. But for Paulo, the evidence of my claimed victory is obvious, whereas I secretly know Paulo won in reality.The shower program ends after about fifteen minutes. We are definitely clean and no trace remains of the effects from our dancing or from our water games. For the moment our lust is sated. But not for long. Neither of us bother to dress and I know full well what awaits me beyond the door opposite the one we entered.“Ready?” asks Paulo.“Yes, I’m ready,” I reply, taking the opportunity to kiss him.Paulo lifts me up and carries me into the suite’s bedroom. We have nearly four hours before the sensible part of my mind is needed again. Chloe is due to return at 2am and I need to be back in my dormitory by then if I want to avoid a confrontation. Given her actions last night, I’m not going to give her another opportunity to sabotage my chances in the Argonaut. However, between now and then I intend to explore all the opportunities this night presents. I was a shy and inexperienced maiden when I arrived yesterday. I shall not be leaving in the same state.To describe the next four hours as sensational or wonderful barely does justice to the emotions Paulo drew from me. Or to the emotions I clearly drew from him. I lost count of the number of times we fucked, each time in a different position. Had circumstances been different I’m sure we would have a longer term relationship. Perhaps one involving genuine love for each other. But we both know that isn’t likely to be.Sensible Jasmine rejoins me with twenty minutes to spare before my imposed deadline. I’m glad Paulo doesn’t resist my move to leave. If he held me back I’m certain I would risk Chloe’s wrath for another half hour with Paulo. I’ve no idea what she has been up to with Sarah tonight, and to be honest, I don’t care. But Chloe left me in no doubt she that intends to eliminate me from the Argonaut given the slightest opportunity. An impression neither Paulo nor Cassius have done anything to dispel.With a final kiss and a sorrowful farewell, I enter the elevator with the most wonderful memories of tonight.Despite it being after 2 o'clock in the morning, I find Harper standing in the corridor outside our dormitory when I arrive. He’s remarkably sober for this time of night, but he practically falls over in surprise when he sees me.“What are you doing here?” says Harper, as he recovers from his shock.“This is my quarters,” I reply, slightly annoyed he is questioning me like this.“That’s not what I mean. If you are out here, then who is the girl with Patrick in our dormitory?”I’d forgotten about Sheba. She and Patrick must have hit it off alright if she is still here.“Um; It’s probably Sheba,” I reply to Harper’s question. “I met her earlier tonight and introduced her to Patrick. They must have discovered they have a lot in common.”“And who is Sheba?”"She’s the daughter of some Argon bigwig. She was heading for the party on the top floor when I realized Patrick might be the sort of company she was really wanting.”“Hmmm; I suspect there’s more to this than you are telling me,” adds Harper. “But well done on finding Patrick a potential benefactor. I don’t suppose you rustled up a benefactor for yourself in the process?”“Ah! Yes, I do believe I have,” I reply, remembering I put Sarah’s business card in my pocket. “Her name is Sarah. She said she wanted to me to contact her if I’m a winner of the Argonaut.”Harper looks at Sarah’s card; the one which contains nothing but a picture of a black cat. He suddenly goes very serious.“And just how did you meet this Sarah of yours, sweetheart? You weren’t supposed to leave the building tonight. The employees of Le Chat Noir don’t do house calls.”“I didn’t leave this building. Sarah isn’t an employee, she’s one of the owners of Le Chat Noir. She was here on business earlier this evening. We got talking and she said she wanted to talk to me afterwards. Is that going to be a problem? What is Le Chat Noir anyway? And how do you know about it?”“Never mind how I know about Le Chat Noir, and you’re too young to understand what sort of business it conducts.”“OK, keep your secrets. Anyway, I had a good time tonight, and now I feel ready for bed. Where are the others if Patrick and Sheba are alone in the dormitory?”They’ve having a slumber party of their own downstairs. I suggest you go and join them if you plan on sleeping tonight.I take a quick shower in the communal bathroom, mainly to soothe some of the many tender spots around my body. Several parts of me received more exercise and attention tonight; than they’ve ever received before. What started out as a gentle tumble in bed progressively increased in tempo until Paulo and I were being quite rough with each other in our lovemaking. I probably discovered as much about myself as I did about Paulo. My only regret is it has left me wanting to repeat the whole encounter again and again, and I know that is likely to be impossible. The warm glow I was feeling when I left Paulo returns by the time I find my room-mates in the downstairs lounge, and my head hits my makeshift pillow. Sleep quickly follows.Chapter 17: The ArgonautI join an equally sleepy Patrick for breakfast at eight o'clock. He’s in a much happier mood than yesterday. I try to think of the right way to apologize for practically throwing Sheba into his bed last night, but Patrick speaks before I can say anything.“Thank you for what you did last night,” he says. “I don’t know how you managed it but Sheba was just the person I needed. And if Sheba was being truthful, I was the person she needed.”“Um; That’s OK,” I reply. “Sorry if I practically threw her at you, but I was late for the; er; party upstairs.”“Hmm! Sheba mentioned she was going to a party before she met you. But it didn’t sound like the sort of party I thought you would be interested in. Sheba made it sound like it was all scantily clad girls competing for Paulo’s favor. Perhaps the rumor about Paulo and some dark-haired beauty dancing naked in a roof garden are true after all?” he laughs.“Where did you hear that rumor?” I ask. “I’m sure it’s greatly exaggerated.”“Some of the contestants were talking while we were waiting in the studio yesterday. You must have heard them; Oh. No; Of course; You arrived a bit later. Wait a minute. Harper let slip there are rumors circulating about Paulo and a girl who fits your description. Are you the girl referred to in that rumor? Is the rumor true?”“Of course the rumor is wrong; We weren’t dancing,” I reply keeping my tone light. “That came much later. But I admit I’m the girl in the rumor. Are there are other rumors about me? It’s very difficult to get some privacy here with all the security cameras everywhere.”“You don’t need to apologize to me. I only wish I had half your courage to defy convention and take what you need.”Patrick and I are back to being pleasant to each other and able to talk without any awkwardness. I just hope he and I don’t have to compete against each other today. While there can be multiple winners of the Argonaut, some challenges involve head-to-head tests in which one of two contestants is eliminated from the Argonaut.At nine-thirty, forty-six of the fifty original contestants are standing in the huge hall that will be the main testing center for today’s Argonaut challenges. Apparently four contestants have already been eliminated. Despite plenty of rumors, nobody seems to know the reason, and the Argonaut officials are saying nothing on the subject. I can’t help wondering whether sabotage had a part to play in the contestants’ elimination.The Argonaut officials are easily recognized by their bright purple gowns. The woman in charge has lots of gold trim on her gown, as if to reinforce her status here. Even the other officials seem nervous about being near her.“By the end of the day, at least twenty more of you will have been eliminated,” she announces to us all. “For the first challenge, you will be divided into seven groups. When your name is called, go and stand under the colored banner of your group over there.”Another official reads out everyone’s names in group order. I’m in Green group, along with Patrick, Chloe, Mansel, and two other contestants I don’t know. Paulo is placed in Yellow group, and Vincent in Blue. Once we are all assembled in our allocated group, an official marches each group off to a different room.“Last night you have each been approached by citizen of Argon city, and received a card from them. The card indicates that the citizen is willing to provide you with employment in the city, should the Argonaut assessment panel be willing to loan you the money that you need to buy your freedom. Now, place the card on the table in front of you.”Fortunately I’ve kept Sarah’s card in my pocket, heeding her advice that it may prove useful. Is this what she meant when she said that? I notice Chloe has a similar card, although the black cat on her card is lying on its back, while mine looks as though it is stalking a mouse. I presume Sheba was the source of Patrick’s card. The official studies each card and checks it against something written on his notepad. A grunt is the only indication that everything seems to be in order. He tells us to retrieve our cards.“Your next decision will be critical to your success or otherwise in the Argonaut,” says the official. “You must now decide whether to accept your sponsor’s offer of employment. If you haven’t discussed the employment terms and wish to discuss them with your sponsor before accepting, then you should decline the current offer. I will now ask you in turn whether you accept or decline the offer.”Patrick, Chloe and I are the only three of us who accept the employment offer. In my case, it is a rash decision based on a few minutes of conversation with Sarah last night. I could be agreeing to something I will soon regret, but I’m more terrified of being eliminated from the Argonaut than accepting an unknown job. The three of us are escorted to yet another room and told to wait.We wait. And we wait some more. Finally Ellen and Cassius turn up.“Good. That’s all sorted,” says Ellen, handing each of us an envelope. “Read those later. You must go to your dormitories and pack your things. Meet by the front door in forty five minutes.”“What’s going on?” asks Patrick. “Have we been eliminated from the Argonaut?”“No. No. On the contrary. You have all been granted a loan and a work permit for the city. You will be transported to your new employer’s place of business. He or she will sort out everything else. It’s all explained in the letter I’ve just given you.”It takes me a few moments to remember to breathe. In my wildest dreams I never imagined winning the Argonaut would be so quick and easy. I had mentally prepared myself for a day of tests and challenges, and an anxious wait tomorrow for the final result.Packing my few belongings takes all of five minutes. I had already returned the Jewels of Desire to Ellen first thing this morning. With over half-an-hour to spare, I sit down to read my letter. Ellen has covered all the salient details in her answer to Patrick’s question. My indenture to the Buchanan overlord has been purchased by the Bureau of Ancillary Services for just under eight thousand credits, which I must repay from my earnings over the next five years. Failure to repay the loan by the deadline means my indenture will be sold to any Argon citizen willing to buy it, and I will once again be a serf. I’m to be employed as a hostess at The Black Cat Club, working five days a week. The letter doesn’t contain any further details about the job or what in entails. With the letter is a laminated work permit confirming I am authorized to work in the city center and travel to and from Buchanan settlement.Patrick and I join Chloe by the front door as instructed. There’s no sign of Ellen or Cassius, and I realize that we might be taken from here without the opportunity to say goodbye to anyone. A small bus arrives a short while later and the driver tells us to get on board. Ellen and Cassius appear at the last moment and wave us off as we drive away.The bus has only a short journey before we arrive outside an odd-shaped office building surrounded by a jumble of similar sized buildings. Patrick disembarks after sharing a brief farewell and good wishes. He suggests that we keep in touch. I say ‘yes’, although I’m not sure how achievable that will be.We have a slightly longer drive into the heart of the city center before the bus stops outside a building in what is clearly part of an entertainment district. The bus departs as soon as Chloe and I step onto the wide footpath. From the street, The Black Cat Club looks very unimpressive. The ground-floor doorway consists of a wide metal frame housing twin white doors, each with a black cat motif on the upper panel. There are no door handles nor any doorbell to attract attention.“Did you come here last night?” I ask Chloe, risking a hostile reply.“I don’t know,” replies Chloe. “I was made to wear a hood for most of the journey. If it’s the same place then I’ll recognize it once we are inside.”Which, of course, is the problem. How do we get inside?Chapter 18: Arrival at The Black CatThe area is quiet at this hour of the morning and there is no sign of activity at the club. Gaining access to the club is going to be a problem we need to solve on our own. I study the door and the surrounding frame. On door frame, either side of the doors, are two dark square pads with a motif of a cat on them. The one on the right has a stalking cat, like on the card Sarah gave me. The left hand pad has a cat lying on its back, similar to the one on the card in Chloe’s possession.Chloe tries pushing the pad in case it is a doorbell of sorts. The pad is solid so there is no audible or visible response. We wait a few moments in case what Chloe has done has summoned someone inside. However, nobody comes to the door, so I consider trying something else. I bring out my card and place it over the pad with the matching cat symbol. Success! The door on the right makes an audible sound as though a lock is being released. I push on the door and it swings open. Inside is short but wide hallway with a row of turnstiles left and right of a central column. The turnstiles are controlled by the same sort of pad we saw on the outside door. Those to the right of the column ahead of us have a symbol that matches my card, while those on the left match Chloe’s card.We each pass through one of the turnstiles matching our respective card. Once through to the other side, we find ourselves separated by a wall. I’m now in a different corridor to the one Chloe entered, and I’m unsure how we can meet up again without reversing our route. There’s still nobody about and I’m beginning to worry about my rash choice to accept Sarah’s offer without further details.“Are you still there, Chloe?” I call.“Yeah. There’s a staircase going down to a lower level. I’m fairly sure this is where I was brought last night.”“There’s no staircase on my side,” I reply. The corridor here seems to go past a cloakroom into a large room at the end.“"Well, let’s explore our own area and see if we can find someone,” replies Chloe.I quickly check that the cloakroom is empty before entering the large room at the end. It’s a night club, with a huge dance floor bordered by several rows of tables and chairs on two sides; a stage on the third side; and a bar next to where I have entered on the fourth side. On the other side of the bar to the entrance door is an archway, hopefully leading to an office, or somewhere that someone will be working.I eventually find an office where a woman about my age is working. She doesn’t seem surprised to see me and introduces herself as Honeydew.“The Bureau sent me your details but I haven’t had time to record them in our system,” says Honeydew. “If you take a seat in the lounge over there, I’ll do that now.”“Okay,” I reply. “I arrived with another woman; Chloe. The card she was given sent her through the left hand turnstiles when we arrived.”“She will be looked after downstairs,” replies Honeydew. “Don’t concern yourself about her.”Honeydew’s attitude towards Chloe strikes me as odd, but I accept her assurance that Chloe will be looked after. Since Chloe isn’t a friend, I put her out of my mind for now. After about fifteen minutes, Honeydew joins me in the lounge. She hands me some documents and a card similar to the one Sarah gave me last night. This card, however, is laminated like my work permit, and has a copy of the photograph I supplied for the Argonaut on the reverse. At her request, I hand over the card Sarah gave me.“The identity card allows you access to the club,” says Honeydew. “You’ve already discovered how it works. The documents are your terms of employment and your scheduled work hours for the next two weeks. A fifth of your earnings will be paid directly to the Bureau of Ancillary Services to repay your loan. Let me know if you ever want to make an additional payment. If you have any questions then come and talk to me.”“What should I do now?” I ask.“The club opens in just over an hour. Sarah will arrive just before then. I suggest you take a walk around the club and get an idea where everything is located.”I do as Honeydew suggests although there isn’t much more on this level than I’ve already found. The gender neutral toilets, and a set changing rooms are the only rooms I haven’t explored when I entered the club. There’s a locked door next to the bar, near to the one I entered. As seems typical of the club, the lock is controlled by the proximity of my identity card. Rather than wander around aimlessly, I try opening the door.The door opens onto a short corridor in front of two sets of stairs leading to the floors above and below. I take a quick look upstairs first. The landing at the top leads to what turns out to be a set of bedrooms, fitted out for some adventurous sex games. I then go basement level to see if I can locate Chloe. After my experiences over the last twenty four hours I’m not surprised to see the basement is fitted out like some medieval dungeon. There’s a dance floor and bar looking incongruous with the cages and restraints liberally scattered around the place. Every square pillar supporting the building above has four sets of shackles dangling down from above. That’s where I find Chloe, chained by her wrists to one of the pillars.“Are you okay?” I ask Chloe when I see her chained with her arms raised high above her head. She can only stand on her tiptoes.“Yes, Miss Jasmine,” replies Chloe, indicating with her eyes that one of the many security cameras is watching us. “Mistress is fetching my uniform. I’ll be fine.”I quickly overcome my shock at Chloe addressing me in the way she did, but I suppose she knew from last night how she would be treated here. Even with that knowledge, Chloe accepted the offer to work here without further inquiry. I’m not sure what more I can say to her, so I simply nod in acknowledgement of her signal, and continue my exploration of the dungeon. My experience with kinky sex is negligible, and I can’t pretend to understand the purpose of some of the equipment around the room. I find it fascinating, but also a little scary.“You must be Jasmine,” says a woman dressed in a black studded leather outfit. “I’m Caitlin.”I turn to look at the woman who has just entered from the door on the other side of the bar. Her blond hair his fastened in a plait which is pinned around her head. If I had to guess at her age, I would say that she was in her mid-thirties, but it difficult to be sure in the subdued lighting of the dungeon.“Yes, hello,” I reply. “Honeydew suggested that I explore the club while I’m waiting for Sarah to arrive.”“That’s no problem. But if you are waiting for Sarah, then I suggest you return upstairs. Sarah arrived a few minutes ago.”I promptly do as Caitlin suggests. I find Sarah in the office talking to Honeydew.“Ah! Jasmine! Excellent! I wasn’t sure if you would understand my offer, and I had half expected you to be standing out on the street wondering how to get into the club. I’m pleased you understood on both counts. Welcome to Le Chat Noir. We can discuss your duties while I find you an appropriate uniform to wear.”Sarah concludes her business with Honeydew and then she escorts me to one of the changing rooms I had noticed earlier.“These are the changing rooms. Rooms one to four are for visiting artists, five and six are for staff use. It can get crowded in here at busy times, so I recommend that you change into and out of your uniform at home. Honeydew will allocate one of these lockers for your belongings.”Sarah proceeds to describe my duties. Although my job title is given as 'hostess’ my duties include almost every task that could be expected of someone working in a night club, particularly one catering for clients with exotic sexual perversions. My base salary is no more than I was earning at the recycling factory in Buchanan, but with the added costs of my loan repayment, and travel to and from work. However, Sarah indicates some of the many ways I can voluntarily supplement my earnings at the club.Although I don’t start work until tomorrow, I spend the next couple of hours observing the club in action and meeting some of the other staff.Chapter 19: A session with IrisBy the start of my third week working at Le Chat Noir, I’ve reorganized by life to suit my variable hours of work. I’ve also decided; at least for now; which extra services I am willing to provide at the club in order to supplement my earnings. Tips from serving drinks at tables provide a small but steady boost to my income. But until I pay off the loan the Bureau of Ancillary Services provided to buy my freedom, I need to earn more. Prostitution is tolerated by the club, but that’s something I’m uncomfortable with doing. However, more subtle or specialized sexual services are something I could manage, particularly when it comes to helping out in the dungeon downstairs. Even Caitlin and Sarah seem impressed with the ease that I’ve adapted to being a part-time dominatrix. I confess that I like the leather gear I’m given to go with the role.When I’m not needed as a dominatrix in the dungeon, I put on a much skimpier outfit and work the floor in the main club. My outfit is inspired by the Jewels of Desire, with small semi-precious gemstones sewn into the glorified bra and panties that I normally to wear. The effect from wearing either of my regular costumes gives me a warm and pleasant feeling I associate with sexual arousal. However, I refuse all offers of sex despite my traitorous body wanting to comply.“Hello, princess,” comes a familiar voice as I pass one of the tables on a busy night.“Paulo! I didn’t know if I would see you again.”“Hmm. Like everyone else, I was shocked when you disappeared from the Argonaut. We all assumed you had been eliminated. It’s only when I met Chloe last week that I discovered what happened.”“I was lucky to find a sponsor and job that suits me,” I reply. “How about you?”“I was one of the nine Argonaut winners in addition to Patrick, Chloe and you. That’s a fairly typical success rate for the Argonaut these days. I’ve got a job with a building maintenance company; nice regular hours although the pay isn’t that great. I presume your job means you must work nights?”“Yes. The club doesn’t open until mid-afternoon, and stays open until the early hours of the morning. I’m normally working from six o'clock in the evening until the club closes around three or four the next morning.”“That must make it difficult for you to get home after work,” observes Paulo.“There are several of us in the same situation. We’re allowed to sleep on one of the beds upstairs until the first train services start in the morning. As long as my travel card shows me travelling to and from Buchanan every day then I satisfy the city’s rules about residency.”“I had hoped we could resume where we left off during the Argonaut,” says Paulo. “But our different work hours are going to make that difficult.”“I’m sure we can work something out,” I reply, although I’ve no idea how we might achieve it. “Anyway, how did you get in here tonight? Are you a member of Le Chat Noir?”“Chloe managed to get me a guest pass for tonight. The pass doesn’t seem to allow me access to downstairs.”“Only members of Le Chat Noir can enter the dungeon,” I reply.“Is that where Chloe works?” asks Paulo. “She was very evasive when I asked her. What does she do down there?”“Chloe works downstairs, but you’ll need to ask her about her duties. That’s not the sort of detail I can provide.”I’m being equally evasive as Chloe about her duties. Paulo might not understand Chloe’s submissiveness and react in a way that could cause problems.“I need to resume my work, Paulo. It’s been great catching up. If you can find a way for us to meet up outside of work, then I’m okay with resuming where we left off before.”My departure from Paulo’s company is a bit abrupt, but Sarah is trying to attract my attention from across the room. I promptly go over to where she is standing.“Caitlin needs your services as a dominatrix downstairs,” says Sarah. “Go and change into your leathers and report to Caitlin. And Jasmine; play your cards right tonight and Caitlin’s client could prove to be a very profitable source of extra income for you. But remember what I told you the first time we met about knowing when to keep your mouth shut about what you see.”“Yes, thank you, Sarah. I’ll go and change at once.”I quickly change and take the back stairs down to the dungeon level. Caitlin is helping out at the bar. The dungeon crowd is smaller than upstairs, but it is still fairly busy. Caitlin comes over to me and takes me into one of the side rooms.Although I am still new to playing the role of a dominatrix, Caitlin seems pleased with my efforts so far. I’ll admit that the role eases my pent up anger at the inequality in Argon society. And the extra money it earns me is welcome, and encourages me to develop my skills further.What I told Paulo wasn’t entirely true. Access to the Black Cat’s dungeon is restricted to the club’s premium members, and even staff access is limited to a select few. Quite how I was designated as one of the few was a mystery to me at first. Eventually Sarah admitted to her involvement in that decision after she saw how I handled wearing the Jewels of Desire during the Argonaut. This will be the tenth session I’ve run as a dominatrix. Two of my clients have returned for a second session, although it’s too early in my career to call them regulars.Caitlin takes me to one side and hands me some extra items to complement my outfit. A leather paddle and handcuffs are placed in a black leather bag along with a few lengths of rope. My rope tying skills are still work-in-progress, but I can handle a few basic restraints. My outfit is finished off with a black leather mask covering much of my face.“I don’t anticipate any problems, but we had best keep your identity secret until we are sure there aren’t going to be any repercussions,” says Caitlin.Before I can baulk at the implied danger, Caitlin ushers me into an area of the dungeon I normally avoid. This is the zone contains small private dungeons, and is reserved for the seriously perverted bondage freaks. Or at least, that’s how Chloe described clients who hire the facilities in this area. When I see it up close, I suspect Chloe’s description is slightly biased, but then, she and I are literally on opposite ends of the whip.The scantily clad female is waiting for me in one of the private dungeons. I am already mentally prepared to meet one of Argon’s rich elite wanting to play at being a helpless submissive for an hour or two. I don’t suppose it occurs to them that they could live and work in one of the settlements and achieve the same result at no cost.“This is Slave Iris,” says Caitlin by way of introduction. “She is yours to command, Domina.”Some clients prefer to call me by a name, whether my own or a made-up one. Others, like now, prefer to call me by a title such as Madame, Mistress, or an older style title like Domina. Caitlin leaves us alone, which is my cue to begin.“Kneel before me Slave,” I command, beginning a standard routine to establish the boundaries of this game. Iris obeys at once.By the time I have completed the initial routine I am satisfied that I understand what turns Iris on, and what commands I should avoid. If I want to maximize my earnings with repeat sessions, I must endeavor to provide the experience Iris desires. My preliminary assessment suggests that she is naturally submissive, and she is clearly wanting a session in which she is bound helpless and punished for whatever misdemeanor she wishes to confess. Even the prospect of being spanked with the paddle seems to turn her on.Despite Iris’s willingness to be subjected to harsh treatment, I’m careful not to inflict any tell-tale marks on Iris’s body. I recognize Iris from the numerous news-feeds featuring the higher echelons of Argon society. Caitlin’s warning was justified. No matter how willing Iris may be to the discipline I’m imposing, I’m well aware that her father is one of the generals of Argon’s ruling junta. How amenable he will be to me satisfying his daughter’s fetish is a big unknown.I’m starting to attune myself to Iris’s likes and dislikes. I don’t know what motivates her fetish for bondage, which makes it harder for me to deliver the right intensity of control. I have handcuffed her to a ring high in the wall so that she must stand with her arms raised. I complete her bonds with ankle cuffs anchored to rings in the floor which hold her legs slightly apart. On impulse I run my hand between Iris’s legs and stroke her lacy panties. It’s a tentative touch to test her reaction, which is everything I hoped it might be. She starts humping my hand, which I allow her to do for a few moments until I sense she is working up to a climax. I withdraw my hand before she can peak.I repeat the exercise numerous times and eventually I allow her to climax. She practically weeps with joy once her orgasm subsides. I tease her with the paddle and before long she is whimpering for my touch. The sense of empowerment it gives me is arousing me as much as the visible effect our games are having on Iris. I even have Iris satisfy my own needs by tonguing my cunt until I achieve an orgasm.It is customary for the client to indicate when the session is to end by saying the standard club safe-word 'Kitty-cat’. Iris doesn’t seem to be in any hurry to end the session, which runs for a mammoth three hours. Eventually she is too exhausted to continue and she brings our session to an end. By now it is well past midnight and both of us are tired.“Thank you, Domina,” says Iris, once I have freed her from her latest bondage. “Are you free for another session tomorrow night?”“My availability is managed by the club’s owners,” I respond with the answer Caitlin requires me to give to such a request.“Then we shall speak with Caitlin,” replies Iris, no longer the submissive slave she was ten minutes ago.We return to the main part of the dungeon, which still has a reasonable number of patrons despite the late hour. Caitlin is still working at the bar and has no hesitation in agreeing to Iris’s request for my services tomorrow night.When I finally finish work at three o'clock in the morning I get the chance to open the envelope containing my bonus for tonight. It’s more than I thought possible, and it reinforces my desire to train further in the art of being a dominatrix. However, I know I mustn’t get over-confident since the sessions with Iris could end at any time, and secrecy about her identity is essential.I consider the next step in my strange and unexpected career. Navigating the Argonaut was easier than I expected, but that owed a lot to chance and making risky choices. I made it, though. Now all I need to do is survive in the murky world of Argon’s powerful elite. But that’s another story.By Rachael Jane for Literotica.

Love in Dangerous Waters.In 4 parts, by RachaelJane. Listen to the Podcast at Steamy Stories.Serf Jasmine seeks her freedom by entering the Argonaut.Chapter 1: The next stepThe domed city of Argon is a marvel of engineering created in the dying days of the old regimes. Uninterrupted wars; the plundering of rapidly diminishing resources; and extreme weather events, had reduced most of the planet’s population to little more than scavengers and refugees, dependent on the largesse of the privileged few who controlled most of the Earth’s remaining wealth and resources. The ideas of democracy and freedom had been swept away by the unstoppable return of the medieval concept of feudalism. The wealthy elite became the new aristocracy, while the bulk of the population was reduced to modern day serfs; indentured to their local overlord from cradle to grave.History doesn’t record exactly when the planet’s ruling elites decided to create huge domed cities like Argon. Possibly the domed cities simply evolved as the ravages of war, and the uncontrollable elements, destroyed wide swathes of land. Floods and wild fires herded those with the wealth and ability to move into defensible towns and cities. Those who lacked the means were abandoned to their fate. Hundreds of millions died. Taxes were directed solely towards protecting the new centers of population. Many old and famous towns and cities were left to the elements, or to the marauding armies who lived off the misery of others. Within a few decades, there was little trace of the old world. Even the rogue armies finally disbanded when it became too difficult to find food and supplies to service their rapacious needs.We’re told that Argon is typical of the domed cities scattered around what is left of the inhabited world. Argon’s large central city houses about eighty thousand people. Access to the domed part of the city is strictly controlled, and no serf is allowed into the central city without a special permit. To live inside the domed center requires wealth far beyond most people’s imagination. No city citizen ever dirties their hands doing menial tasks. Consequently, in order to service the needs of the new elite, nearly two hundred thousand people commute daily into the city from one of sixteen outer settlements. Most of the commuters are serfs who have purchased short term freedom from their settlement overlord. The commuting workforce provide all the essential services that keep the city operating from day to day. Laborers and house servants are in great demand, along with those who provide personal services ranging from hairdressing to sexual services.Despite the strict rules that control our lives, we are generally a happy population, or so I am lead to believe. Our rulers constantly remind us that these days we have a steady supply of food, and that most settlements now boast their own medical center, albeit with unqualified medics and very few drugs or medicines. New laws limiting a serf’s work hours to only sixty hours a week mean that we have more leisure time. None of this existed until as recently as eight years ago. I can remember the days when my family went without meals, and my parents’ reliance on dubious folklore remedies for dealing with ailments.The strictures of modern day serfdom prohibit those living in the settlements from obtaining jobs in the central city without compensation for ‘loss of future labor’ being paid to their local overlord. For young people, where 'future labor’ may represent forty or more years of service, the cost of compensation for a lifetime of freedom is well beyond the means of a young serf. Many must opt for purchasing their freedom for a limited time in the rarely-achieved hope of earning enough in the city to purchase an extension of time.Those seeking permanent freedom usually take an indirect route towards achieving their goal. One such route is to undergo one of the quarterly assessments and authentication conducted by the Bureau of Ancillary Services. The Bureau’s authentication process ensures that the never-ending demands for young workers in the city are satisfied. Success in the Argonaut, as the assessment and authentication process is commonly called, means freedom from serfdom; although that freedom invariably comes at the price of a large debt to be repaid. The Bureau will lend the successful serf the amount of compensation due to the serf’s overlord, enabling a city work permit to be issued. However, even attending one of the quarterly assessments can be a costly affair. Firstly the serf must compensate his or her overlord for the three days absence from work, and secondly the serf is required to cover the cost of accommodation for the duration of assessment.Argon’s settlements are named after American presidents and European royal houses, reflecting the origins of most of the city’s population. Governance of Argon, and hence its settlements, is by a military junta who appoint all the administration and military officers, including each settlement’s leader. The junta also creates and enforces the laws which control our daily life. Anybody who voices dissent against the junta’s reign is rapidly and severely punished without any right to a trial. Even those living in the city are careful about what they say. Rumors says that the worst offenders are executed, but none of our heavily censored news-feeds make reference to anyone suffering that fate. Minor offences usually result in longer work hours, or the loss of access to the few recreational facilities.But enough about my world, it is time to tell you of my place in it. My name is Jasmine, and Buchanan settlement has been my home for all of my nineteen years. I’ve worked in one of the local recycling plants ever since I left school at eight years old. For a decade I have had a dream of buying my freedom so that I can work inside Argon’s central city. Now I have a chance. I am one of those who will be assessed at the next Argonaut, thanks to an anonymous benefactor who has sponsored my application.For better or worse, I have chosen my next step. My arrival at the old boarding school that houses the Bureau of Ancillary Services assessment center is the gateway to my future.Chapter 2: The lacy nightie.It’s nearly midnight and I can’t get to sleep. The first session of the Argonaut starts in nine hours. I still can’t get over my sponsor’s generous offer that has allowed me to attend. I realize that the very late arrival of the sponsor’s offer confirms that I’m a last minute substitute. Given my father’s blemished political record, I suspect my anonymous sponsor is scraping the bottom of the barrel in choosing me. But he or she did, and that has enabled me to be here at the old boarding school which serves as the headquarters of the Bureau of Ancillary Services. The original school closed decades ago when Argon’s junta decided to close the last remaining links with the decaying towns and cities beyond the borders of Argon’s self-proclaimed territory, effectively isolating us from the world. There was no need for schools with boarding facilities after that.Every three months, Argon’s Bureau of Ancillary Services accepts the applications of exactly fifty settlement adults between the ages of eighteen and twenty-seven. Successful applicants become contestants in the Argonaut, which consists of a series of interviews and tests supervised by an assessment panel. Some of the interviews are broadcast on the news-feeds throughout Argon and its settlements, with the intention of attracting future employers for the hopeful contestants should they secure a city work permit. The number of permits available each quarter is a closely guarded secret. Consequently, passing all the tests doesn’t automatically result in a contestant being granted a permit. And obtaining a permit doesn’t guarantee a good job. Not all city jobs are better than those in the settlements, but that doesn’t stop the competitiveness for the permits. That competitiveness often includes a range of sabotage and underhand tricks targeting the weaker contestants.These days the Argonaut doesn’t automatically favor the handful of contestants who have served a ten-year term in the military, and who are now into their twenties. The leaders of some settlements still prefer the old tradition of favoring the applications of those who have served in the military. Former soldiers are often trained to do well in the Argonaut’s tests. A contestant’s success can give a boost to their own settlement’s ranking in the eyes of the junta; a ranking that determines the priority given to the funding of a settlement’s civic improvements.It’s no secret which contestants were formerly in the military. Knowledge of their status is intended to intimidate the other contestants. Their names and reputations are etched in every other contestant’s mind; Paulo and Chloe from Eisenhower, Heidi from Grant, and Mansel from Bourbon. All contestants have the support of volunteer helpers who do everything from offering advice to helping solve minor problems. These helpers are an eclectic selection of oddballs and do-gooders from among the city’s bored residents. Not all of them are model Argon citizens, and three of the female contestants have already complained about being groped by one of the helpers.I give up trying to sleep, and I decide to take a walk around the old school building housing the fifty contestants for the current Argonaut. I slip my short dressing gown over my even shorter nightie. Normally I sleep naked, but I had the sense to borrow a nightie and gown from my twelve-year-old sister. I’m not a blushing maiden, but sleeping naked in a mixed gender dormitory is asking for trouble.The eight dormitories are designed to accommodate six people in each. Seven are single-sex dormitories. However, the late applicants, like me, must put up with eight of us crammed into the room, which now houses three male and five female contestants. Everywhere is quiet as I head towards the communal dining area. Everyone else must have had no trouble in falling asleep. In Harper’s case that probably has more to do with the quantity of alcohol he consumed during the evening meal, since he’s asleep on the dining room floor. Suddenly a movement catches my eye. I duck behind a door in case it is Patrick. He also comes from Buchanan, and he’s the closest person I have to a friend in this place. I’m not certain I want him seeing me dressed like this. I watch the figure at the other end of the dormitory for a few moments before realizing it is one of the robots that clean up after us. They try to be invisible, hovering just out of sight unless one is needed to clean up after us. The robot is using our absence to finish clearing away the empty glasses and plates from our evening meal.The robot leaves the room through a side door. It dawns on me that there must be a service corridor somewhere in this rambling jumble of rooms to enable the robots to come and go. The main door to this wing of the old school is locked and monitored at this time of night. The sophisticated sensors provide security against intruders, and ensure the contestants don’t do anything underhand before the assessment begins. I feel the urge to explore.I go through the door the robot used and find myself in a corridor with a relatively new door at the far end. Undoubtedly the robot is going to the kitchen and I follow it at a discreet distance. I follow the robot through the end door and I see that it opens onto a corridor crossing at right angles to the one I’ve just travelled. More doors are visible along the corridor, but I notice that each has one of the security pads used to unlock the door. My adventure is going to be short lived if all of the doors need a security code to operate them. I head in the opposite direction to the kitchens and try one of the doors at the end of the corridor. It’s unlocked. A set of rickety wooden stairs are on the other side of the door and I descend to the level where the recreation and practice rooms are located. The door at the bottom of the stairs opens and I tentatively peek out in case anyone is around. Everything seems quiet.I’m now in the main corridor on this level, not far from where the main stairs are located. I know my way to the recreation rooms, but not what lies behind the many other doors branching off the main corridor.The lack of security guards concerns me for a moment before I recall that everywhere is monitored by cameras. My little adventure is probably already being observed by the security guards in a control room somewhere. Any minute now I can expect to hear the sound of stomping feet and being faced with a squad of burly guards wanting to know what I’m doing. My best plan is to ignore the cameras and just walk as though I’ve every right to be here. Sneaking about will just raise suspicion that I’m up to no good. Fortunately my dressing gown is a similar color to the robots, so an inattentive guard may mistake me for a robot.I walk along the corridor not daring to breathe in case I trigger an alarm, or my actions make the security guards decide to investigate. I haven’t thought about where I’m going other than I don’t really want to go into the games rooms. A door off the main corridor is ajar and on impulse I go through it into another short corridor with a door at the end. This part of the building is much newer than the area behind me. There’s plenty of light streaming through the window in the door. The lighting has been dimmed everywhere else, but the room on the other side of this door is fully lit.The window in the door is misted, and the smell of chemicals makes me think that it’s a laundry. I open the door and peek inside. Not a laundry. It’s a large swimming pool. Much larger than anything Buchanan settlement can boast. The room is warm and the water looks inviting. At least to someone like me who can swim. I walk around the pool to check that nobody is about. I come across some racks with towels but there are no swimming suits. Nobody said to bring a swimming suit, so I must either forgo a swim, or swim naked.The water looks enticing, but I’m also aware that the pool, like everywhere else, will be monitored by cameras. I can see at least three cameras around the walls. What I can’t understand is why I’ve not been accosted by security guards. Even the dopiest guard must surely have realized by now that I’m not a robot. But I push my concerns about that to one side and prepare to enter the water. I slip off my dressing gown and dive into the water wearing my short nightie. I’m not brash enough to strip myself naked in front of whoever is monitoring the cameras. That’s something I quickly regret. The way my wet nightie is clinging to me I can see that I’m leaving very little to the imagination.I swim a couple of lengths of the pool before I realize that I have company. Someone else has entered the water. I make a sudden cry of alarm. Who is it? I’m in two minds whether to leave the water and make a hasty exit, or to stand my ground. The daunting prospect of running around the corridors wearing nothing but a wet translucent nightie settles my dilemma. I turn to face whoever is here with me.The swimmer heads in my direction. As the distance between us shortens I realize the swimmer is male and that he has no clothes on. Suddenly running around the complex in a wet nightie doesn’t seem such a silly idea any more. My indecision causes me to waste my only chance of leaving the pool without confronting him.The swimmer comes directly for me. He stops a few meters from me and treads water.“I didn’t think any of the other contestants knew about this place, nor be brave enough to take a midnight swim,” he says.Chapter 3: Swimming with a naked girl.“We don’t need to fight,” replies Paulo. “There’s time for that soon enough. I intend to enjoy my swim and then go to bed. I suggest you do the same. Or can’t you sleep? You wouldn’t be the first contestant to be nervous and suffer sleepless nights before the Argonaut.”“I’m not nervous,” I say defiantly, mostly for my own benefit. “I just can’t get used to sleeping on a soft bed.”“Yeah, whatever,” he replies dismissively. “Well, in that case, you can race me to the other end of the pool and back.”“Why?” I ask.“Because it’s fun and I don’t often get the chance to swim with a naked girl. Are you normally so argumentative?”“I’m not naked. And I’m not arguing. I’m being; um; curious.”“Ha! You may as well be naked for all that is hidden by that flimsy thing you are wearing. You have a nice body. You shouldn’t be afraid to let people see it.”Paulo’s comments immediately cause me to feel awkward. He’s a rival and ex-military, so he’s a serious threat to my chances during the Argonaut. But my traitorous body would be happy to yield to his desires. I mustn’t let him see how much his comment has disturbed me, so I move into position for the race that he wants.“Are you ready? Go!” I call as I launch myself off in the direction of the far end.“Hey! Cheat!” he calls before taking off after me.I’ve never tried swimming in a race, but I soon see Paulo’s point. It is fun. I’m almost reach the far end before Paulo manages to draw close to me. He’s a strong swimmer but doesn’t have the elegant style that my father drummed into me. We turn only seconds apart and I try to increase my speed on the return leg. Half way down the pool I realize that Paulo’s strength is starting to tell, and that I’m struggling to keep my lead. Moments later we are level and I draw on my last reserves to regain the lead. We reach the end of the pool neck and neck. I don’t think either of us can tell who touched the end first.We are both breathing heavily as we climb out of the pool and collapse on the floor. It is only then that I realize that we are virtually touching. I’m lying next to naked young man. That’s something I’ve only ever done in my wildest fantasies. My limited sexual experiences to date have involved remarkably little nudity. Fortunately Paulo seems too preoccupied in regaining his breath to notice my discomfort. I should move away before he recovers, but something inside me makes me stay where I am.“Is that the best your settlement’s wonderful training regime can teach you?” I say.“Swimming isn’t an essential skill, even in the military. The Argonaut tests rarely require the need to swim beyond having sufficient skill to avoid drowning. Where did you learn to swim like that? I didn’t think there would be much call for swimming in the industrial settlements.”“There isn’t, but my parents always hoped I would gain a permit to work in the city. It’s impossible to know what skills might be required if I land a job in the city. I suppose my father thought it useful for me to learn to swim well.”Paulo turns towards me. As hard as I try not to look below his waist, my eyes are drawn like a magnet. I notice he is looking at me in a way that makes me both excited and uncomfortable. I look into his eyes and immediately sink into their depths. I don’t even notice when he moves closer so our bodies are actually touching. The kiss that follows seems so natural my body responds by itself.“We shouldn’t be doing this,” I say with half-hearted sincerity when we break for air.“Why not?” is his reply.“Because we are rivals. We will be expected to try and outsmart each other tomorrow.”“And does doing this make any difference? This is now. The assessments are later.”“I don’t know if I can separate the two.”“Not all contestants are selfish machines. Chloe may fit the classic win-at-all-costs profile, but unlike her I don’t enjoy sabotaging another contestant’s chances.”“But your training will still make you sabotage that person’s chances regardless of how you feel now. And that person could be me.”“I know. I won’t like doing that to a fellow contestant, but I’ll do it if necessary. It would be unfortunate if you and I come face to face in one of the tests. But you are right, my training will help me make the right choice.”“I’m sure I shall be a lot happier knowing how cut up you are as you sabotage my efforts,” I say with as much sarcasm as I can manage.“Yes, I may even shed a tear,” he replies with equal sarcasm as he leans towards me and shares a second kiss with me.My mind and body are confused. Even fully clothed I’ve never been this intimate with anyone before. My near nakedness is sending all the wrong signals to both of us. I should stop and walk out of here, but as crazy as it sounds there is no way I want to do that.Our third kiss is accompanied by roaming hands. His on my yielding torso and mine onto the rock hard shaft pushing against my thighs, and seeking entrance to the throbbing slit between my legs.“Do you think the security cameras in this room are switched off?” I ask before Paulo can claim the prize his cock seeks.“No. I’m fairly sure we are being watched.”“Then why haven’t the security guards frog marched us back to our dormitories?”“We aren’t trying to kill each other so there’s no need for them to intervene. Anyway, if they do then they’ll miss all the fun? Can you imagine how boring it must be to watch banks of screens for hours, with absolutely nothing happening to break the monotony. We are livening up their night for them. For all we know they could be selling tickets to watch the main event.”“That’s disgusting. Anyway, what main event? I hope you aren’t implying that we are going any further with this liaison.”“I’m not implying anything.”Chapter 4: The hunter’s proposition.“And what makes you think I want there to be a main event?” I say.“Because you do,” says Paulo. “Otherwise you would have dressed more modestly before you left your dormitory. And you wouldn’t have stayed in here when you saw me in the water with you. Nor would you have let me lie close to you like this.”“I don’t have to explain myself to you. If I choose to say 'no’, then that is my right. Or did you have something more forceful in mind? Something more in keeping with your special training.”“Nonsense! Have I in any way hurt you while we have been here? As far as I can tell you’ve so far enjoyed my company.”I suddenly feel awkward and uncomfortable. My own feelings are strange to me and causing some confusion. Paulo is right. I have enjoyed his company, and I have no complaints about his behavior so far; other than his suggestion that this has all been the appetizer, and that the main course is about to follow.His remarks have hit home more than I’m willing to admit. He’s right. I chose not to put on more clothes, because I felt an urge to free my sexuality from its everyday constraints. And the more daring I’ve been tonight, the more alive my body has felt. Even now the prospect of allowing Paulo to perform the most intimate acts with me is sending a thrill through my body. But common sense is telling me to stop. And I’m the sort of person who pays a lot of attention to common sense; well, most of the time.“I’m sorry,” I say. “Your behavior so far doesn’t deserve my last remark. But I still have the right to say 'no’.”“And I’ll respect your decision. But can I remind you that is well past midnight and we might not have the opportunity another time.”“Where I come from, it is customary to seduce a girl before leaping on her,” I say, not really knowing if that statement is true.“Really? You would surrender yourself to someone who told you your eyes are beautiful, that your body is just perfect, and your choice of clothes is divine? Surely you are far too level headed to fall for that sort of line.”“Hmmm; Well you aren’t persuading me at the moment.”“Hah! You’re perfect! I love a woman who plays hard to get. The chase is just as much fun as the end result.”“You’re talking from experience, I presume?” I retort.“You are an interesting challenge! I notice that despite your reluctance, you haven’t ruled out accepting my suggestion.”“You’re stalling. As you said, it is getting late and as much as I’ve enjoyed our time together, we both have a busy schedule tomorrow.”“I agree. If I can’t make you say 'yes’ within five minutes then I shall concede defeat and we shall go back to our dormitories.”He looks at me and I nod in agreement.“So, what really excites a girl from Buchanan?” he muses to himself. “We can’t be that different. Your settlement has industrial factories and my last ten years have been in the military. Both require heavy manual labor. Sweating bodies and dirt everywhere. Which explains why you aren’t swooning at the sight of my bare chest. There are girls who almost faint at the sight; but not you. Despite what you said, I don’t think sweet-talking you is going to make you want to say 'yes’. So, that leaves a more physical approach. I think you are the type who likes to be hunted. Not the fake chases and mock play about being captured and becoming a helpless victim of a man’s wicked desires. No, I think you really want a man to prove to you he is able to outsmart you and is therefore worthy of your body.”“What a bizarre idea,” I say, trying hard to sound casual. My already heightened senses are being pushed into overdrive. I’ve never thought about what attracts me sexually, but Paulo’s comments are setting me alight with desire. “How are you going to prove your theory?”“I shall give you a thirty second start. If I can’t find you within four minutes then I shall return to my bed a sorry man. But if I corner you, then you are mine.”“I thought I had the right to say 'no’,” I say.“And you do. It will only take you ten seconds to reach the door to the main corridor, and from there you are free to return to your dormitory. I shall not attempt to stop you. You have twenty five seconds left.”I leap up and bolt for the side rooms holding the towels. There are other rooms on the far side. Saunas and hot pools. All ready for use, but currently devoid of people.There is a lack of good hiding places, but I only need to stay free for four minutes. It will take Paulo most of that time to check all these rooms. I settle for a room with several sunken hot tubs in the middle and clothes lockers around the walls. Some lockers are just large enough for me to hide inside. It isn’t until I’m hidden that I realize that by staying in these rooms I have made a major decision. If Paulo finds me then I’ve promised him that he can fuck me.One minute passes; then another. I can’t hear anything. My hiding place offers only a limited view of the hot tubs. I begin to wonder if Paulo is actually looking for me. How embarrassing it would be if he simply left for his dormitory, leaving the security guards monitoring us to laugh at my folly. But I saw the look in Paulo’s eyes. He definitely had the look of a wolf eager to devour a lamb. A lamb called Jasmine.The three minute mark must have passed before I hear something in the adjacent room. The sound of doors being opened and closed. He must be searching the lockers in that room. The speed at which he is doing it suggests he knows he is running out of time. He won’t have time to search the lockers in this room. I’ve won!Or have I?Chapter 5: Are we done talking?Although I don’t have a watch, I know that Paulo’s time is definitely running out. Paulo must know that too. I do something I would never have thought myself capable of doing in these circumstances; I leave my hiding place.Paulo bursts into the room with the hot tubs with what can only be seconds of his four minute deadline remaining. He stands by the door in shock.“What kept you?” I say. “Your four minutes are nearly up. You almost missed enjoying a treat. This water is divine. Not too hot and not too cold.”Paulo recovers from his shock and joins me in the tub. The tub is only two meters in diameter so we are fairly close together as soon as he enters the water. But he doesn’t immediately touch me as I had expected. He waits on the opposite side of the tub as though waiting for permission to approach me.“You allowed me to find you when you could have easily hidden in one of these lockers,” says Paulo. “What does that mean?”“What would you like it to mean?” I say.“I would like it to mean that you have proved your cleverness and that you are now ready to continue where we left off before.”“Are you sure you aren’t too tired and wish to go to bed?” I tease.“I think I could manage to stay awake all night given the right incentive. How about you?”“The same. Are we done talking?”“I thought women like to talk,” he says as he wraps me in his arms.“There’s a time and a place for everything. And talking isn’t what I need right now.”He kisses me and I melt into his arms. My hands reach down to massage his already solid cock.Just at that moment the lights go out and we are plunged into pitch darkness. But I don’t care. Paulo’s arms are wrapped around me and I simply don’t care.Less than a minute later the emergency lighting activates and the room changes from pitch black to something akin to a moonlit night.“Stay where you are and don’t move,” comes a man’s voice over a hidden speaker.The warm glow flowing through my entire body makes me wonder why the man would think I would wish to move from this position.“I think we are about to be arrested or something,” whispers Paulo into my ear.I don’t care. I just want to hold Paulo like this and feel him pressed against me. The normal lighting comes back on and we break our hold on each other to look around us. I take the opportunity to retrieve my nightie which is floating in the water. I don’t recall whether it was Paulo or me who removed it during our brief interlude. I put it back on with some difficulty. The wet fabric clinging to me in a way it didn’t seem to do just moments before.Three security guards enter our room accompanied by a man with enough gold braid on his uniform to indicate that he’s somebody important.“This is most irregular. Most irregular,” grumbles the man. “These facilities are closed for the duration of the Argonaut. I don’t know how you gained entry to this building, but you must leave. It is fortunate you didn’t enter the old school. We would have had to arrest you if you went up there. Now, make yourselves decent and I’ll escort you to the door.”I look at Paulo and realize that he is as baffled as I am at what is going on. As Paulo and I fetch some towels to dry ourselves it dawns on me that these security guards think we are central city residents who have found a way into this recreation center. They don’t know we are Argonaut contestants, and have sneaked down here from our respective dormitory.Neither Paulo nor I have clothes, unless you count my flimsy wet nightie. I can’t remember where I left my dressing gown. Paulo presumably arrived wearing something, but he doesn’t seem inclined to go and fetch it. We both wrap towels around us and knot them to preserve a modicum of decency. The security officer signals for us to follow him. We meekly follow him like two naughty children.“I know the festivities during the Argonaut are a time for high spirits, but you mustn’t enter a secure area like this,” lectures the man. “Now go home before you get into more trouble.”With that brief lecture over, we are escorted out of a side door to the large plaza outside. The door is closed firmly behind us. The plaza is just outside the domed city, between the dome support wall and the huge drainage channels that funnel storm water away from the inhabited areas. Consequently this area is accessible to both city residents and the serfs of the settlements. However, the distance to the nearest settlement means that few serfs will bother travelling here for pleasure.“You heard the man. We must go home,” says Paulo.“In case you haven’t noticed, we have no clothes, no money, and it’s a long walk home,” I say. “Besides, if we go missing we are automatically disqualified from the Argonaut.”“That’s true,” replies Paulo. “But we won’t be missed until morning. We have at least seven hours to ourselves. We can do a lot in seven hours.”“Yes. We could look at the statues over there, and; ”I almost break into laughter at Paulo’s reaction to my suggestion. He clearly has something quite different in mind and, in truth, so do I. I take his hand and walk along the wide boulevard that runs next to the recreation center and the old boarding school next door. I soon realize that this area is what passes for an entertainment zone, but the various places are closing for the night.The boulevard is busy. Mainly with young couples like us enjoying each other’s company. In their case, they are returning towards their homes under the domed part of the city. Having worked myself up into deciding tonight is going to be my big night, I feel slightly disappointed that we can’t find somewhere to go.“Can you climb?” asks Paulo, pointing to a wide balcony above a café which has already closed for the night. Climbing the wall to reach the balcony shouldn’t be too difficult.“Yes. Can you?” I reply already heading towards a promising looking place on the side wall.Paulo follows me as I make light work of climbing the fixtures adorning the café wall. Despite his military training, Paulo doesn’t find it quite so easy. Something I must remember when the Argonaut starts. We scramble onto the balcony and see it is laid out like a terrace with tables and chairs for the café customers. This place will be perfect.Chapter 6: Games in the night.I find a large sofa with a low table in front of it. I clear away the glasses and plates the last occupants of this area left behind. The owners of the café clearly intends to clear up in the morning.“Hey, look what I found,” says Paulo. “A half-finished bottle of wine. I’ll fetch some glasses.”It won’t be real wine, but I’m sure the technicians of the central city can produce something akin to the real thing. I make myself comfortable. Even outside the dome, the ambient temperature is several degrees warmer than in Buchanan; a product of the hot exhaust air pumped out of the city. The huge domes act like greenhouses, and the air inside must be continually vented to regulate the temperature.I lie back and look at the starlit sky. It’s all very romantic, which helps put me back in the mood for what I know is about to happen. When we were in the hot pool we thought we were pressed for time and needed to rush things. Here we are alone and unlikely to be disturbed before morning.Paulo returns with two glasses and a bottle of what I presume is pseudo-wine. I’ve never drunk wine before, real or fake. It isn’t the sort of luxury anybody in Buchanan can afford. Paulo pours some of the wine into the two glasses. He samples some wine before passing my glass to me.“Need to check the wine hasn’t gone off,” he says when he sees my puzzled look. I shrug in response. Either he is showing off, or drinking Argon wine is a far more common event in the military than I thought.“Ah! A Chardonnay, if I’m not mistaken,” he says has he sniffs the wine and takes another sip.“Are you an expert on wine?” I ask incredulously. “Or are you just making that up?”“Neither. That’s what is written on the label,” he laughs.I join in his laughter. His playfulness is helping me relax and I’m no longer nervous about what is going to happen. By the time we’ve finished the wine we are sat side by side on the sofa. He puts his hands on me. Mine echo his movements. The real world seems a million miles away. I can’t tell whether it is the effects of the wine or Paulo’s attentions which are causing me to think only of this moment and the intense pleasure I’m feeling as our limbs entwine.Then he starts kissing me. At this point I lose control of myself and crave for more of what he is doing. I’ve no experience at this level of intimacy, and only the vaguest idea of what I’m supposed to do. Knowledge gained from teenage gossip in the factory, which is probably completely wrong. But I needn’t have worried. Somehow my body seems to know what to do by instinct. When I’m not doing something quite right, Paulo quietly guides me towards the right action. Our bodies respond as though we are one.Then, before I realize it, he is on top of me. I feel that I’m at his complete mercy. That should alarm me and make me struggle, but all I want to do is to surrender myself to his desires. I’m rewarded with the most sensational feeling I can imagine. Heavy petting is as far as I’ve gone before. Paulo’s actions make it clear that we are going well beyond that tonight. I had been told there would be some pain involved, but I’m too far gone into the stratosphere of my arousal to notice. Paulo senses my submission and rewards me with a gentle and unhurried treat. His cock pushes its way into my moist cunt and I wrap my legs around his thighs to hold him in position.“Careful. I don’t want to get pregnant,” I say in a brief moment of lucidity.If he hears me he doesn’t alter his actions in any way. I’m too light-headed to force the issue. It’s a problem for another day.Finally Paulo and I are spent. Our emotions can only remain at fever pitch for so long. We eventually return to the real world. I’ve no idea how long I’ve been away. We lie in each other's arms for a while regaining our breath.“That wasn’t bad for a first timer,” says Paulo.“More of your experience talking, I suppose?” I reply, not certain whether to feel complemented or insulted.“You’re not my first, if that’s what you mean. There are benefits to being chosen as a contestant long before the Argonaut starts. Good performance in training is rewarded by a bevy of young women eager to be fucked by a contestant. But I meant what I said. I could tell that you were inexperienced, but you let go of your inhibitions. Few young women can do that the first time.”“Well I’m not sure we will be in a position for there to be a second time. Things get very competitive once the Argonaut starts.”“Who knows. Perhaps we will come face to face in one of the tests and you can throw yourself at my mercy and beg me to let you win in exchange for a repeat of just now.”“In your dreams! I was thinking more of the other way round. Would you like to be my plaything, Paulo?” I tease.“Now who is dreaming? You are bold, and you control your fears well. I can see you are someone I must regard as a serious rival. My chances of achieving a permit would be much better had you not been accepted as a contestant.”The afterglow of our coupling is still flowing through me, making me feel mellow. The ambient temperature is dropping now that the local businesses are closed for tonight. I snuggle closer to Paulo, both for warmth and to try and renew the strange and wonderful feelings I’ve experienced tonight. He gently caresses me and I start feeling aroused again. Surely he doesn’t have the energy for another round of sex. Tiredness is starting to overtake me, and I can’t believe it isn’t affecting Paulo as well. But his caresses are divine. I don’t want them to stop. He gently runs his fingers up and down my spine and sends more waves of pleasure coursing through me. I respond in kind and despite my obvious inexperience my efforts are having a visible effect on him.“I wish we could stay here like this forever,” I say. “But we both know we must return to our dormitories before dawn. If we don’t turn up for roll-call, our absence will be noticed by the officials and we’ll be disqualified from the Argonaut. Despite the security officer’s error in throwing us out of the center, I doubt we will be shown any mercy if we miss roll-call.”“Yes, I know,” replies Paulo, deep in thought. “If only there was another way. Thanks for tonight. I can honestly say I really enjoyed it, and in other circumstances I would hope for many more. I’m going to be selfish and keep your nightie as a trophy to remind me of tonight.”I was planning on doing the same thing, but I don’t refuse his request. “As long as I can have a trophy in return,” I reply.“Agreed. I seem to be out of suitable offerings at the moment. Let me know tomorrow what you would like.”I feel so comfortable that I easily forget that Paulo and I are soon to face each other as rivals during the Argonaut. Either Paulo is a superb actor or his feelings mirror mine. Eventually tiredness overcomes me. The warmth of Paulo’s embrace, and the after effects of the wine and our coupling, causes me to doze off despite my nakedness.It must be an hour or so later when I wake. I’m disoriented at first, and wonder what has woken me. However, I soon realize it is the absence of Paulo’s warmth that has caused me to wake. I sit up to see where he has gone, but there’s no sign of him.However, Paulo’s absence isn’t my main problem. As I move I realize there is a length of chain locked around my ankle, the other end of which tethers me to a heavy table.To be continued in part 2, by Rachael Jane for Literotica.

Love in Dangerous Waters.In 4 parts, by RachaelJane. Listen to the Podcast at Steamy Stories.Serf Jasmine seeks her freedom by entering the Argonaut.Chapter 1: The next stepThe domed city of Argon is a marvel of engineering created in the dying days of the old regimes. Uninterrupted wars; the plundering of rapidly diminishing resources; and extreme weather events, had reduced most of the planet’s population to little more than scavengers and refugees, dependent on the largesse of the privileged few who controlled most of the Earth’s remaining wealth and resources. The ideas of democracy and freedom had been swept away by the unstoppable return of the medieval concept of feudalism. The wealthy elite became the new aristocracy, while the bulk of the population was reduced to modern day serfs; indentured to their local overlord from cradle to grave.History doesn’t record exactly when the planet’s ruling elites decided to create huge domed cities like Argon. Possibly the domed cities simply evolved as the ravages of war, and the uncontrollable elements, destroyed wide swathes of land. Floods and wild fires herded those with the wealth and ability to move into defensible towns and cities. Those who lacked the means were abandoned to their fate. Hundreds of millions died. Taxes were directed solely towards protecting the new centers of population. Many old and famous towns and cities were left to the elements, or to the marauding armies who lived off the misery of others. Within a few decades, there was little trace of the old world. Even the rogue armies finally disbanded when it became too difficult to find food and supplies to service their rapacious needs.We’re told that Argon is typical of the domed cities scattered around what is left of the inhabited world. Argon’s large central city houses about eighty thousand people. Access to the domed part of the city is strictly controlled, and no serf is allowed into the central city without a special permit. To live inside the domed center requires wealth far beyond most people’s imagination. No city citizen ever dirties their hands doing menial tasks. Consequently, in order to service the needs of the new elite, nearly two hundred thousand people commute daily into the city from one of sixteen outer settlements. Most of the commuters are serfs who have purchased short term freedom from their settlement overlord. The commuting workforce provide all the essential services that keep the city operating from day to day. Laborers and house servants are in great demand, along with those who provide personal services ranging from hairdressing to sexual services.Despite the strict rules that control our lives, we are generally a happy population, or so I am lead to believe. Our rulers constantly remind us that these days we have a steady supply of food, and that most settlements now boast their own medical center, albeit with unqualified medics and very few drugs or medicines. New laws limiting a serf’s work hours to only sixty hours a week mean that we have more leisure time. None of this existed until as recently as eight years ago. I can remember the days when my family went without meals, and my parents’ reliance on dubious folklore remedies for dealing with ailments.The strictures of modern day serfdom prohibit those living in the settlements from obtaining jobs in the central city without compensation for ‘loss of future labor’ being paid to their local overlord. For young people, where 'future labor’ may represent forty or more years of service, the cost of compensation for a lifetime of freedom is well beyond the means of a young serf. Many must opt for purchasing their freedom for a limited time in the rarely-achieved hope of earning enough in the city to purchase an extension of time.Those seeking permanent freedom usually take an indirect route towards achieving their goal. One such route is to undergo one of the quarterly assessments and authentication conducted by the Bureau of Ancillary Services. The Bureau’s authentication process ensures that the never-ending demands for young workers in the city are satisfied. Success in the Argonaut, as the assessment and authentication process is commonly called, means freedom from serfdom; although that freedom invariably comes at the price of a large debt to be repaid. The Bureau will lend the successful serf the amount of compensation due to the serf’s overlord, enabling a city work permit to be issued. However, even attending one of the quarterly assessments can be a costly affair. Firstly the serf must compensate his or her overlord for the three days absence from work, and secondly the serf is required to cover the cost of accommodation for the duration of assessment.Argon’s settlements are named after American presidents and European royal houses, reflecting the origins of most of the city’s population. Governance of Argon, and hence its settlements, is by a military junta who appoint all the administration and military officers, including each settlement’s leader. The junta also creates and enforces the laws which control our daily life. Anybody who voices dissent against the junta’s reign is rapidly and severely punished without any right to a trial. Even those living in the city are careful about what they say. Rumors says that the worst offenders are executed, but none of our heavily censored news-feeds make reference to anyone suffering that fate. Minor offences usually result in longer work hours, or the loss of access to the few recreational facilities.But enough about my world, it is time to tell you of my place in it. My name is Jasmine, and Buchanan settlement has been my home for all of my nineteen years. I’ve worked in one of the local recycling plants ever since I left school at eight years old. For a decade I have had a dream of buying my freedom so that I can work inside Argon’s central city. Now I have a chance. I am one of those who will be assessed at the next Argonaut, thanks to an anonymous benefactor who has sponsored my application.For better or worse, I have chosen my next step. My arrival at the old boarding school that houses the Bureau of Ancillary Services assessment center is the gateway to my future.Chapter 2: The lacy nightie.It’s nearly midnight and I can’t get to sleep. The first session of the Argonaut starts in nine hours. I still can’t get over my sponsor’s generous offer that has allowed me to attend. I realize that the very late arrival of the sponsor’s offer confirms that I’m a last minute substitute. Given my father’s blemished political record, I suspect my anonymous sponsor is scraping the bottom of the barrel in choosing me. But he or she did, and that has enabled me to be here at the old boarding school which serves as the headquarters of the Bureau of Ancillary Services. The original school closed decades ago when Argon’s junta decided to close the last remaining links with the decaying towns and cities beyond the borders of Argon’s self-proclaimed territory, effectively isolating us from the world. There was no need for schools with boarding facilities after that.Every three months, Argon’s Bureau of Ancillary Services accepts the applications of exactly fifty settlement adults between the ages of eighteen and twenty-seven. Successful applicants become contestants in the Argonaut, which consists of a series of interviews and tests supervised by an assessment panel. Some of the interviews are broadcast on the news-feeds throughout Argon and its settlements, with the intention of attracting future employers for the hopeful contestants should they secure a city work permit. The number of permits available each quarter is a closely guarded secret. Consequently, passing all the tests doesn’t automatically result in a contestant being granted a permit. And obtaining a permit doesn’t guarantee a good job. Not all city jobs are better than those in the settlements, but that doesn’t stop the competitiveness for the permits. That competitiveness often includes a range of sabotage and underhand tricks targeting the weaker contestants.These days the Argonaut doesn’t automatically favor the handful of contestants who have served a ten-year term in the military, and who are now into their twenties. The leaders of some settlements still prefer the old tradition of favoring the applications of those who have served in the military. Former soldiers are often trained to do well in the Argonaut’s tests. A contestant’s success can give a boost to their own settlement’s ranking in the eyes of the junta; a ranking that determines the priority given to the funding of a settlement’s civic improvements.It’s no secret which contestants were formerly in the military. Knowledge of their status is intended to intimidate the other contestants. Their names and reputations are etched in every other contestant’s mind; Paulo and Chloe from Eisenhower, Heidi from Grant, and Mansel from Bourbon. All contestants have the support of volunteer helpers who do everything from offering advice to helping solve minor problems. These helpers are an eclectic selection of oddballs and do-gooders from among the city’s bored residents. Not all of them are model Argon citizens, and three of the female contestants have already complained about being groped by one of the helpers.I give up trying to sleep, and I decide to take a walk around the old school building housing the fifty contestants for the current Argonaut. I slip my short dressing gown over my even shorter nightie. Normally I sleep naked, but I had the sense to borrow a nightie and gown from my twelve-year-old sister. I’m not a blushing maiden, but sleeping naked in a mixed gender dormitory is asking for trouble.The eight dormitories are designed to accommodate six people in each. Seven are single-sex dormitories. However, the late applicants, like me, must put up with eight of us crammed into the room, which now houses three male and five female contestants. Everywhere is quiet as I head towards the communal dining area. Everyone else must have had no trouble in falling asleep. In Harper’s case that probably has more to do with the quantity of alcohol he consumed during the evening meal, since he’s asleep on the dining room floor. Suddenly a movement catches my eye. I duck behind a door in case it is Patrick. He also comes from Buchanan, and he’s the closest person I have to a friend in this place. I’m not certain I want him seeing me dressed like this. I watch the figure at the other end of the dormitory for a few moments before realizing it is one of the robots that clean up after us. They try to be invisible, hovering just out of sight unless one is needed to clean up after us. The robot is using our absence to finish clearing away the empty glasses and plates from our evening meal.The robot leaves the room through a side door. It dawns on me that there must be a service corridor somewhere in this rambling jumble of rooms to enable the robots to come and go. The main door to this wing of the old school is locked and monitored at this time of night. The sophisticated sensors provide security against intruders, and ensure the contestants don’t do anything underhand before the assessment begins. I feel the urge to explore.I go through the door the robot used and find myself in a corridor with a relatively new door at the far end. Undoubtedly the robot is going to the kitchen and I follow it at a discreet distance. I follow the robot through the end door and I see that it opens onto a corridor crossing at right angles to the one I’ve just travelled. More doors are visible along the corridor, but I notice that each has one of the security pads used to unlock the door. My adventure is going to be short lived if all of the doors need a security code to operate them. I head in the opposite direction to the kitchens and try one of the doors at the end of the corridor. It’s unlocked. A set of rickety wooden stairs are on the other side of the door and I descend to the level where the recreation and practice rooms are located. The door at the bottom of the stairs opens and I tentatively peek out in case anyone is around. Everything seems quiet.I’m now in the main corridor on this level, not far from where the main stairs are located. I know my way to the recreation rooms, but not what lies behind the many other doors branching off the main corridor.The lack of security guards concerns me for a moment before I recall that everywhere is monitored by cameras. My little adventure is probably already being observed by the security guards in a control room somewhere. Any minute now I can expect to hear the sound of stomping feet and being faced with a squad of burly guards wanting to know what I’m doing. My best plan is to ignore the cameras and just walk as though I’ve every right to be here. Sneaking about will just raise suspicion that I’m up to no good. Fortunately my dressing gown is a similar color to the robots, so an inattentive guard may mistake me for a robot.I walk along the corridor not daring to breathe in case I trigger an alarm, or my actions make the security guards decide to investigate. I haven’t thought about where I’m going other than I don’t really want to go into the games rooms. A door off the main corridor is ajar and on impulse I go through it into another short corridor with a door at the end. This part of the building is much newer than the area behind me. There’s plenty of light streaming through the window in the door. The lighting has been dimmed everywhere else, but the room on the other side of this door is fully lit.The window in the door is misted, and the smell of chemicals makes me think that it’s a laundry. I open the door and peek inside. Not a laundry. It’s a large swimming pool. Much larger than anything Buchanan settlement can boast. The room is warm and the water looks inviting. At least to someone like me who can swim. I walk around the pool to check that nobody is about. I come across some racks with towels but there are no swimming suits. Nobody said to bring a swimming suit, so I must either forgo a swim, or swim naked.The water looks enticing, but I’m also aware that the pool, like everywhere else, will be monitored by cameras. I can see at least three cameras around the walls. What I can’t understand is why I’ve not been accosted by security guards. Even the dopiest guard must surely have realized by now that I’m not a robot. But I push my concerns about that to one side and prepare to enter the water. I slip off my dressing gown and dive into the water wearing my short nightie. I’m not brash enough to strip myself naked in front of whoever is monitoring the cameras. That’s something I quickly regret. The way my wet nightie is clinging to me I can see that I’m leaving very little to the imagination.I swim a couple of lengths of the pool before I realize that I have company. Someone else has entered the water. I make a sudden cry of alarm. Who is it? I’m in two minds whether to leave the water and make a hasty exit, or to stand my ground. The daunting prospect of running around the corridors wearing nothing but a wet translucent nightie settles my dilemma. I turn to face whoever is here with me.The swimmer heads in my direction. As the distance between us shortens I realize the swimmer is male and that he has no clothes on. Suddenly running around the complex in a wet nightie doesn’t seem such a silly idea any more. My indecision causes me to waste my only chance of leaving the pool without confronting him.The swimmer comes directly for me. He stops a few meters from me and treads water.“I didn’t think any of the other contestants knew about this place, nor be brave enough to take a midnight swim,” he says.Chapter 3: Swimming with a naked girl.“We don’t need to fight,” replies Paulo. “There’s time for that soon enough. I intend to enjoy my swim and then go to bed. I suggest you do the same. Or can’t you sleep? You wouldn’t be the first contestant to be nervous and suffer sleepless nights before the Argonaut.”“I’m not nervous,” I say defiantly, mostly for my own benefit. “I just can’t get used to sleeping on a soft bed.”“Yeah, whatever,” he replies dismissively. “Well, in that case, you can race me to the other end of the pool and back.”“Why?” I ask.“Because it’s fun and I don’t often get the chance to swim with a naked girl. Are you normally so argumentative?”“I’m not naked. And I’m not arguing. I’m being; um; curious.”“Ha! You may as well be naked for all that is hidden by that flimsy thing you are wearing. You have a nice body. You shouldn’t be afraid to let people see it.”Paulo’s comments immediately cause me to feel awkward. He’s a rival and ex-military, so he’s a serious threat to my chances during the Argonaut. But my traitorous body would be happy to yield to his desires. I mustn’t let him see how much his comment has disturbed me, so I move into position for the race that he wants.“Are you ready? Go!” I call as I launch myself off in the direction of the far end.“Hey! Cheat!” he calls before taking off after me.I’ve never tried swimming in a race, but I soon see Paulo’s point. It is fun. I’m almost reach the far end before Paulo manages to draw close to me. He’s a strong swimmer but doesn’t have the elegant style that my father drummed into me. We turn only seconds apart and I try to increase my speed on the return leg. Half way down the pool I realize that Paulo’s strength is starting to tell, and that I’m struggling to keep my lead. Moments later we are level and I draw on my last reserves to regain the lead. We reach the end of the pool neck and neck. I don’t think either of us can tell who touched the end first.We are both breathing heavily as we climb out of the pool and collapse on the floor. It is only then that I realize that we are virtually touching. I’m lying next to naked young man. That’s something I’ve only ever done in my wildest fantasies. My limited sexual experiences to date have involved remarkably little nudity. Fortunately Paulo seems too preoccupied in regaining his breath to notice my discomfort. I should move away before he recovers, but something inside me makes me stay where I am.“Is that the best your settlement’s wonderful training regime can teach you?” I say.“Swimming isn’t an essential skill, even in the military. The Argonaut tests rarely require the need to swim beyond having sufficient skill to avoid drowning. Where did you learn to swim like that? I didn’t think there would be much call for swimming in the industrial settlements.”“There isn’t, but my parents always hoped I would gain a permit to work in the city. It’s impossible to know what skills might be required if I land a job in the city. I suppose my father thought it useful for me to learn to swim well.”Paulo turns towards me. As hard as I try not to look below his waist, my eyes are drawn like a magnet. I notice he is looking at me in a way that makes me both excited and uncomfortable. I look into his eyes and immediately sink into their depths. I don’t even notice when he moves closer so our bodies are actually touching. The kiss that follows seems so natural my body responds by itself.“We shouldn’t be doing this,” I say with half-hearted sincerity when we break for air.“Why not?” is his reply.“Because we are rivals. We will be expected to try and outsmart each other tomorrow.”“And does doing this make any difference? This is now. The assessments are later.”“I don’t know if I can separate the two.”“Not all contestants are selfish machines. Chloe may fit the classic win-at-all-costs profile, but unlike her I don’t enjoy sabotaging another contestant’s chances.”“But your training will still make you sabotage that person’s chances regardless of how you feel now. And that person could be me.”“I know. I won’t like doing that to a fellow contestant, but I’ll do it if necessary. It would be unfortunate if you and I come face to face in one of the tests. But you are right, my training will help me make the right choice.”“I’m sure I shall be a lot happier knowing how cut up you are as you sabotage my efforts,” I say with as much sarcasm as I can manage.“Yes, I may even shed a tear,” he replies with equal sarcasm as he leans towards me and shares a second kiss with me.My mind and body are confused. Even fully clothed I’ve never been this intimate with anyone before. My near nakedness is sending all the wrong signals to both of us. I should stop and walk out of here, but as crazy as it sounds there is no way I want to do that.Our third kiss is accompanied by roaming hands. His on my yielding torso and mine onto the rock hard shaft pushing against my thighs, and seeking entrance to the throbbing slit between my legs.“Do you think the security cameras in this room are switched off?” I ask before Paulo can claim the prize his cock seeks.“No. I’m fairly sure we are being watched.”“Then why haven’t the security guards frog marched us back to our dormitories?”“We aren’t trying to kill each other so there’s no need for them to intervene. Anyway, if they do then they’ll miss all the fun? Can you imagine how boring it must be to watch banks of screens for hours, with absolutely nothing happening to break the monotony. We are livening up their night for them. For all we know they could be selling tickets to watch the main event.”“That’s disgusting. Anyway, what main event? I hope you aren’t implying that we are going any further with this liaison.”“I’m not implying anything.”Chapter 4: The hunter’s proposition.“And what makes you think I want there to be a main event?” I say.“Because you do,” says Paulo. “Otherwise you would have dressed more modestly before you left your dormitory. And you wouldn’t have stayed in here when you saw me in the water with you. Nor would you have let me lie close to you like this.”“I don’t have to explain myself to you. If I choose to say 'no’, then that is my right. Or did you have something more forceful in mind? Something more in keeping with your special training.”“Nonsense! Have I in any way hurt you while we have been here? As far as I can tell you’ve so far enjoyed my company.”I suddenly feel awkward and uncomfortable. My own feelings are strange to me and causing some confusion. Paulo is right. I have enjoyed his company, and I have no complaints about his behavior so far; other than his suggestion that this has all been the appetizer, and that the main course is about to follow.His remarks have hit home more than I’m willing to admit. He’s right. I chose not to put on more clothes, because I felt an urge to free my sexuality from its everyday constraints. And the more daring I’ve been tonight, the more alive my body has felt. Even now the prospect of allowing Paulo to perform the most intimate acts with me is sending a thrill through my body. But common sense is telling me to stop. And I’m the sort of person who pays a lot of attention to common sense; well, most of the time.“I’m sorry,” I say. “Your behavior so far doesn’t deserve my last remark. But I still have the right to say 'no’.”“And I’ll respect your decision. But can I remind you that is well past midnight and we might not have the opportunity another time.”“Where I come from, it is customary to seduce a girl before leaping on her,” I say, not really knowing if that statement is true.“Really? You would surrender yourself to someone who told you your eyes are beautiful, that your body is just perfect, and your choice of clothes is divine? Surely you are far too level headed to fall for that sort of line.”“Hmmm; Well you aren’t persuading me at the moment.”“Hah! You’re perfect! I love a woman who plays hard to get. The chase is just as much fun as the end result.”“You’re talking from experience, I presume?” I retort.“You are an interesting challenge! I notice that despite your reluctance, you haven’t ruled out accepting my suggestion.”“You’re stalling. As you said, it is getting late and as much as I’ve enjoyed our time together, we both have a busy schedule tomorrow.”“I agree. If I can’t make you say 'yes’ within five minutes then I shall concede defeat and we shall go back to our dormitories.”He looks at me and I nod in agreement.“So, what really excites a girl from Buchanan?” he muses to himself. “We can’t be that different. Your settlement has industrial factories and my last ten years have been in the military. Both require heavy manual labor. Sweating bodies and dirt everywhere. Which explains why you aren’t swooning at the sight of my bare chest. There are girls who almost faint at the sight; but not you. Despite what you said, I don’t think sweet-talking you is going to make you want to say 'yes’. So, that leaves a more physical approach. I think you are the type who likes to be hunted. Not the fake chases and mock play about being captured and becoming a helpless victim of a man’s wicked desires. No, I think you really want a man to prove to you he is able to outsmart you and is therefore worthy of your body.”“What a bizarre idea,” I say, trying hard to sound casual. My already heightened senses are being pushed into overdrive. I’ve never thought about what attracts me sexually, but Paulo’s comments are setting me alight with desire. “How are you going to prove your theory?”“I shall give you a thirty second start. If I can’t find you within four minutes then I shall return to my bed a sorry man. But if I corner you, then you are mine.”“I thought I had the right to say 'no’,” I say.“And you do. It will only take you ten seconds to reach the door to the main corridor, and from there you are free to return to your dormitory. I shall not attempt to stop you. You have twenty five seconds left.”I leap up and bolt for the side rooms holding the towels. There are other rooms on the far side. Saunas and hot pools. All ready for use, but currently devoid of people.There is a lack of good hiding places, but I only need to stay free for four minutes. It will take Paulo most of that time to check all these rooms. I settle for a room with several sunken hot tubs in the middle and clothes lockers around the walls. Some lockers are just large enough for me to hide inside. It isn’t until I’m hidden that I realize that by staying in these rooms I have made a major decision. If Paulo finds me then I’ve promised him that he can fuck me.One minute passes; then another. I can’t hear anything. My hiding place offers only a limited view of the hot tubs. I begin to wonder if Paulo is actually looking for me. How embarrassing it would be if he simply left for his dormitory, leaving the security guards monitoring us to laugh at my folly. But I saw the look in Paulo’s eyes. He definitely had the look of a wolf eager to devour a lamb. A lamb called Jasmine.The three minute mark must have passed before I hear something in the adjacent room. The sound of doors being opened and closed. He must be searching the lockers in that room. The speed at which he is doing it suggests he knows he is running out of time. He won’t have time to search the lockers in this room. I’ve won!Or have I?Chapter 5: Are we done talking?Although I don’t have a watch, I know that Paulo’s time is definitely running out. Paulo must know that too. I do something I would never have thought myself capable of doing in these circumstances; I leave my hiding place.Paulo bursts into the room with the hot tubs with what can only be seconds of his four minute deadline remaining. He stands by the door in shock.“What kept you?” I say. “Your four minutes are nearly up. You almost missed enjoying a treat. This water is divine. Not too hot and not too cold.”Paulo recovers from his shock and joins me in the tub. The tub is only two meters in diameter so we are fairly close together as soon as he enters the water. But he doesn’t immediately touch me as I had expected. He waits on the opposite side of the tub as though waiting for permission to approach me.“You allowed me to find you when you could have easily hidden in one of these lockers,” says Paulo. “What does that mean?”“What would you like it to mean?” I say.“I would like it to mean that you have proved your cleverness and that you are now ready to continue where we left off before.”“Are you sure you aren’t too tired and wish to go to bed?” I tease.“I think I could manage to stay awake all night given the right incentive. How about you?”“The same. Are we done talking?”“I thought women like to talk,” he says as he wraps me in his arms.“There’s a time and a place for everything. And talking isn’t what I need right now.”He kisses me and I melt into his arms. My hands reach down to massage his already solid cock.Just at that moment the lights go out and we are plunged into pitch darkness. But I don’t care. Paulo’s arms are wrapped around me and I simply don’t care.Less than a minute later the emergency lighting activates and the room changes from pitch black to something akin to a moonlit night.“Stay where you are and don’t move,” comes a man’s voice over a hidden speaker.The warm glow flowing through my entire body makes me wonder why the man would think I would wish to move from this position.“I think we are about to be arrested or something,” whispers Paulo into my ear.I don’t care. I just want to hold Paulo like this and feel him pressed against me. The normal lighting comes back on and we break our hold on each other to look around us. I take the opportunity to retrieve my nightie which is floating in the water. I don’t recall whether it was Paulo or me who removed it during our brief interlude. I put it back on with some difficulty. The wet fabric clinging to me in a way it didn’t seem to do just moments before.Three security guards enter our room accompanied by a man with enough gold braid on his uniform to indicate that he’s somebody important.“This is most irregular. Most irregular,” grumbles the man. “These facilities are closed for the duration of the Argonaut. I don’t know how you gained entry to this building, but you must leave. It is fortunate you didn’t enter the old school. We would have had to arrest you if you went up there. Now, make yourselves decent and I’ll escort you to the door.”I look at Paulo and realize that he is as baffled as I am at what is going on. As Paulo and I fetch some towels to dry ourselves it dawns on me that these security guards think we are central city residents who have found a way into this recreation center. They don’t know we are Argonaut contestants, and have sneaked down here from our respective dormitory.Neither Paulo nor I have clothes, unless you count my flimsy wet nightie. I can’t remember where I left my dressing gown. Paulo presumably arrived wearing something, but he doesn’t seem inclined to go and fetch it. We both wrap towels around us and knot them to preserve a modicum of decency. The security officer signals for us to follow him. We meekly follow him like two naughty children.“I know the festivities during the Argonaut are a time for high spirits, but you mustn’t enter a secure area like this,” lectures the man. “Now go home before you get into more trouble.”With that brief lecture over, we are escorted out of a side door to the large plaza outside. The door is closed firmly behind us. The plaza is just outside the domed city, between the dome support wall and the huge drainage channels that funnel storm water away from the inhabited areas. Consequently this area is accessible to both city residents and the serfs of the settlements. However, the distance to the nearest settlement means that few serfs will bother travelling here for pleasure.“You heard the man. We must go home,” says Paulo.“In case you haven’t noticed, we have no clothes, no money, and it’s a long walk home,” I say. “Besides, if we go missing we are automatically disqualified from the Argonaut.”“That’s true,” replies Paulo. “But we won’t be missed until morning. We have at least seven hours to ourselves. We can do a lot in seven hours.”“Yes. We could look at the statues over there, and; ”I almost break into laughter at Paulo’s reaction to my suggestion. He clearly has something quite different in mind and, in truth, so do I. I take his hand and walk along the wide boulevard that runs next to the recreation center and the old boarding school next door. I soon realize that this area is what passes for an entertainment zone, but the various places are closing for the night.The boulevard is busy. Mainly with young couples like us enjoying each other’s company. In their case, they are returning towards their homes under the domed part of the city. Having worked myself up into deciding tonight is going to be my big night, I feel slightly disappointed that we can’t find somewhere to go.“Can you climb?” asks Paulo, pointing to a wide balcony above a café which has already closed for the night. Climbing the wall to reach the balcony shouldn’t be too difficult.“Yes. Can you?” I reply already heading towards a promising looking place on the side wall.Paulo follows me as I make light work of climbing the fixtures adorning the café wall. Despite his military training, Paulo doesn’t find it quite so easy. Something I must remember when the Argonaut starts. We scramble onto the balcony and see it is laid out like a terrace with tables and chairs for the café customers. This place will be perfect.Chapter 6: Games in the night.I find a large sofa with a low table in front of it. I clear away the glasses and plates the last occupants of this area left behind. The owners of the café clearly intends to clear up in the morning.“Hey, look what I found,” says Paulo. “A half-finished bottle of wine. I’ll fetch some glasses.”It won’t be real wine, but I’m sure the technicians of the central city can produce something akin to the real thing. I make myself comfortable. Even outside the dome, the ambient temperature is several degrees warmer than in Buchanan; a product of the hot exhaust air pumped out of the city. The huge domes act like greenhouses, and the air inside must be continually vented to regulate the temperature.I lie back and look at the starlit sky. It’s all very romantic, which helps put me back in the mood for what I know is about to happen. When we were in the hot pool we thought we were pressed for time and needed to rush things. Here we are alone and unlikely to be disturbed before morning.Paulo returns with two glasses and a bottle of what I presume is pseudo-wine. I’ve never drunk wine before, real or fake. It isn’t the sort of luxury anybody in Buchanan can afford. Paulo pours some of the wine into the two glasses. He samples some wine before passing my glass to me.“Need to check the wine hasn’t gone off,” he says when he sees my puzzled look. I shrug in response. Either he is showing off, or drinking Argon wine is a far more common event in the military than I thought.“Ah! A Chardonnay, if I’m not mistaken,” he says has he sniffs the wine and takes another sip.“Are you an expert on wine?” I ask incredulously. “Or are you just making that up?”“Neither. That’s what is written on the label,” he laughs.I join in his laughter. His playfulness is helping me relax and I’m no longer nervous about what is going to happen. By the time we’ve finished the wine we are sat side by side on the sofa. He puts his hands on me. Mine echo his movements. The real world seems a million miles away. I can’t tell whether it is the effects of the wine or Paulo’s attentions which are causing me to think only of this moment and the intense pleasure I’m feeling as our limbs entwine.Then he starts kissing me. At this point I lose control of myself and crave for more of what he is doing. I’ve no experience at this level of intimacy, and only the vaguest idea of what I’m supposed to do. Knowledge gained from teenage gossip in the factory, which is probably completely wrong. But I needn’t have worried. Somehow my body seems to know what to do by instinct. When I’m not doing something quite right, Paulo quietly guides me towards the right action. Our bodies respond as though we are one.Then, before I realize it, he is on top of me. I feel that I’m at his complete mercy. That should alarm me and make me struggle, but all I want to do is to surrender myself to his desires. I’m rewarded with the most sensational feeling I can imagine. Heavy petting is as far as I’ve gone before. Paulo’s actions make it clear that we are going well beyond that tonight. I had been told there would be some pain involved, but I’m too far gone into the stratosphere of my arousal to notice. Paulo senses my submission and rewards me with a gentle and unhurried treat. His cock pushes its way into my moist cunt and I wrap my legs around his thighs to hold him in position.“Careful. I don’t want to get pregnant,” I say in a brief moment of lucidity.If he hears me he doesn’t alter his actions in any way. I’m too light-headed to force the issue. It’s a problem for another day.Finally Paulo and I are spent. Our emotions can only remain at fever pitch for so long. We eventually return to the real world. I’ve no idea how long I’ve been away. We lie in each other's arms for a while regaining our breath.“That wasn’t bad for a first timer,” says Paulo.“More of your experience talking, I suppose?” I reply, not certain whether to feel complemented or insulted.“You’re not my first, if that’s what you mean. There are benefits to being chosen as a contestant long before the Argonaut starts. Good performance in training is rewarded by a bevy of young women eager to be fucked by a contestant. But I meant what I said. I could tell that you were inexperienced, but you let go of your inhibitions. Few young women can do that the first time.”“Well I’m not sure we will be in a position for there to be a second time. Things get very competitive once the Argonaut starts.”“Who knows. Perhaps we will come face to face in one of the tests and you can throw yourself at my mercy and beg me to let you win in exchange for a repeat of just now.”“In your dreams! I was thinking more of the other way round. Would you like to be my plaything, Paulo?” I tease.“Now who is dreaming? You are bold, and you control your fears well. I can see you are someone I must regard as a serious rival. My chances of achieving a permit would be much better had you not been accepted as a contestant.”The afterglow of our coupling is still flowing through me, making me feel mellow. The ambient temperature is dropping now that the local businesses are closed for tonight. I snuggle closer to Paulo, both for warmth and to try and renew the strange and wonderful feelings I’ve experienced tonight. He gently caresses me and I start feeling aroused again. Surely he doesn’t have the energy for another round of sex. Tiredness is starting to overtake me, and I can’t believe it isn’t affecting Paulo as well. But his caresses are divine. I don’t want them to stop. He gently runs his fingers up and down my spine and sends more waves of pleasure coursing through me. I respond in kind and despite my obvious inexperience my efforts are having a visible effect on him.“I wish we could stay here like this forever,” I say. “But we both know we must return to our dormitories before dawn. If we don’t turn up for roll-call, our absence will be noticed by the officials and we’ll be disqualified from the Argonaut. Despite the security officer’s error in throwing us out of the center, I doubt we will be shown any mercy if we miss roll-call.”“Yes, I know,” replies Paulo, deep in thought. “If only there was another way. Thanks for tonight. I can honestly say I really enjoyed it, and in other circumstances I would hope for many more. I’m going to be selfish and keep your nightie as a trophy to remind me of tonight.”I was planning on doing the same thing, but I don’t refuse his request. “As long as I can have a trophy in return,” I reply.“Agreed. I seem to be out of suitable offerings at the moment. Let me know tomorrow what you would like.”I feel so comfortable that I easily forget that Paulo and I are soon to face each other as rivals during the Argonaut. Either Paulo is a superb actor or his feelings mirror mine. Eventually tiredness overcomes me. The warmth of Paulo’s embrace, and the after effects of the wine and our coupling, causes me to doze off despite my nakedness.It must be an hour or so later when I wake. I’m disoriented at first, and wonder what has woken me. However, I soon realize it is the absence of Paulo’s warmth that has caused me to wake. I sit up to see where he has gone, but there’s no sign of him.However, Paulo’s absence isn’t my main problem. As I move I realize there is a length of chain locked around my ankle, the other end of which tethers me to a heavy table.To be continued in part 2, by Rachael Jane for Literotica.

Columbia University's Daniel Zarrilli knows a thing or two about New York City and the effects of climate change.For almost a decade prior to Hurricane Sandy, he worked on the city's waterfront, managing maintenance and construction of the city's piers and bulkheads, overseeing cruise terminals and other maritime assets, and working with coastal communities on a variety of local projects. That experience along the city's 520-mile shoreline, plus his training as an engineer, put him in view of Mayor Michael Bloomberg as he was standing up his initiative to rebuild New York following Hurricane Sandy and make it more resilient.Bloomberg appointed Zarrilli as the city's first resilience director. He then became Chief Climate Policy Advisor under Mayor Bill de Blasio, helping usher landmark energy policy through the city council, which mandates emissions reductions produced by the city's largest buildings of 40 percent by 2030.Now Zarrilli serves as Special Advisor for Climate and Sustainability at Columbia University, helping to create a new world-leading climate school and advising on pathways to achieve the university's deep decarbonization goals. This wealth of deep experience and expertise makes him a valuable addition to the NYISO's Environmental Advisory Council, a group of outside experts that informs NYISO leadership on evolving state and federal climate policy and environmental justice considerations.Local Law 97, New York City's building decarbonization law passed in 2019, requires most buildings over 25,000 square feet to meet new energy efficiency and greenhouse gas emissions limits, with even stricter limits coming into effect in 2030.There are already indications that the policy is working, Zarrilli said.  “New Yorkers have so much to be proud of for the progress that has been made,” Zarrilli said. “There were $20 billion in climate adaptation investments made after Hurricane Sandy, everything from flood protection to grid upgrades to new elevated hospitals in our coastal communities.”  “I think the much more exciting thing about Local Law 97 is how it has catalyzed this marketplace in New York City around clean energy technology, innovation, and investment that is all now centered in New York City,” he said. “So much of our infrastructure was built for a world and a climate that doesn't exist anymore,” he said.He pointed to concerns about global economic conditions and supply chain challenges that can make electrification projects difficult. In the offshore wind space, he noted that some coastal communities have zoning concerns and questions that must be addressed and answered.Zarrilli credits the NYISO's forward-thinking approach to the wholesale electric market, which he says will drive incentives to speed up the clean energy transition. “The role that the NYISO plays to help provide that stimulus and incentive is really important, and not a fully appreciated role,” Zarrilli said, “but it's a critical one that I think the state and other ISOs are going to continue to learn from.Additional Resources and InformationThe New York ISO Environmental Advisory CouncilColumbia Climate SchoolLearn More Follow us on Twitter @NewYorkISO and LinkedIn @NYISO Read our blogs and watch our videos Check out our 2040 grid page

As the energy density of batteries continues to increase even as costs keep declining, the stationary energy storage market is booming, with investment growing by over 7x over the last few years – from $5 billion in 2020 to over $35 billion in 2023 – and with battery installations tripling just last year alone. While an influx of storage is certainly needed to integrate the vast amount of renewables we need to fully decarbonize the grid, the storage we are adding to the grid is not always or even usually reducing overall carbon emissions. In fact, too often new batteries are resulting in positive net new emissions – an outcome almost no one wants. In this episode, Chad Reed chats with Jacob Mansfield and Emma Konet of Tierra Climate and Adam Reeve of REsurety to learn more about the efforts of the Energy Storage Solutions Consortium (ESSC), which seeks to align the economic incentives of the storage market with truly accelerating grid decarbonization.Links:Energy Storage Solutions Consortium (ESSC)Charging Towards Zero: Harnessing Batteries and Carbon Contracts to Accelerate Grid DecarbonizationDecarbonization: Stocks and flows, abundance and scarcity, net zero Episode recorded February 14, 2024 Email your feedback to Chad, Gil, and Hilary at climatepositive@hasi.com or tweet them to @ClimatePosiPod.

You might say Nicole Bouchez's role as the NYISO's Consumer Interest Liaison and Senior Principal Economist combines deep data analytics with good, old-fashioned customer service.  She has an especially important responsibility evaluating the impacts of major market design changes for stakeholders, policymakers, and market participants. That's where her PhD in International Economics comes in handy.  But a large part of her job also includes working directly with some of the largest energy consumers in the state so they understand those studies and how changes to electric system planning, operations, and decarbonization policies might impact their bottom line.  “Consumers are always concerned about costs,” Bouchez said. “They're also concerned about the technology switch that's happening and how smooth that's going to be. They're concerned about reliability, as we all are.”In addition to performing consumer impact analyses, her office also responds to consumer questions about the markets and provides important training and information sessions. Her knowledge of the New York energy markets and her time as Assistant Professor in the Department of Economics at Royal Holloway, University of London, make her especially suited for that responsibility.Bouchez's role is unique even among ISOs and other research entities. She says one of the things she likes most about her job is how outward-facing it is – interacting with a diverse cross-section of market participants and stakeholders invested in the future of how the electric system will perform. Her office accesses “real-world” electric systems data in its presentations and materials for stakeholders, providing a deep but comprehensive look into how the energy industry and the grid is changing.  “We're able to leverage that information in our analyses, which is quite exciting,” she said.Bouchez, who co-chaired a task force in 2017 designing a carbon pricing proposal, is optimistic about the role that markets can play in supporting the grid of the future. “We learned a great deal about how we can incorporate carbon dioxide emissions costs into our markets to support clean energy policy goals without jeopardizing reliability,” Bouchez noted. She explains that if competitive wholesale electric markets can integrate the cost of carbon dioxide emissions, there's more incentive to efficiently invest in cleaner resources. As New York State studies its options to meet the goals of the CLCPA, Bouchez thinks the task force's efforts are important and especially timely. “I think that there is a desire to lower our carbon emissions as a country and as a state. It's taking us down a future that I could have never anticipated in 2017 when we started this. This is a really exciting time for [the industry],” she said.Additional Resources and Information:At the NYISO, "Independent" is (Literally) our Middle NameEnergy vs. Capacity: How Teamwork Between Markets Supports a Least-Cost Approach to Grid ReliabilityLearn More Follow us on Twitter @NewYorkISO and LinkedIn @NYISO Read our blogs and watch our videos Check out our 2040 grid page

New York's recent peak day for electricity consumption came during a heatwave, as millions of people relied on their air conditioners to keep cool. That's not unusual. However, some of the circumstances leading up to that day still provided a challenge.On our latest Power Trends podcast, NYISO's Vice President of Operations Aaron Markham discusses what goes into maintaining a reliable grid during a late-season heatwave. The peak load on Sept. 6 was just over 30,200 megawatts. New York's historic peak demand is 33,956 megawatts, recorded in July 2013.Markham pointed out that there have been several system changes since then, like generator retirements.  It's unusual to see a peak day in September. The high-demand days usually come in July or August when hot, humid conditions drive up the desire for air conditioning. Besides the peak coming later in the season than expected, there were other unusual factors that came up.“We had some generation that became forced out of service,” Markham said.When something like that happens, the operators in the control room activate contingency plans.“That resulted in us committing some additional generation to make sure we had sufficient supply,” he explained.On a peak day like this, very close coordination with utility companies is also essential.“The expectation is that we've talked through all the potential contingencies that could occur,” Markham said. “What is a system going to look like? What is the set of resources that we're going to use to resolve that and make sure that everybody is on board, from the neighbors to the utilities in the state, to the NYISO operators in the room.”Challenging situations aren't limited to warmer months. Markham's team of operators had to deal with a different set of conditions brought on by sudden extreme cold in December 2022.  With high demand for natural gas to heat people's homes, meant less gas available for generating electricity.“We have a survey process where we actually reach out to the generators to look at…what is their fuel supply situation? Do they have alternate oil backup in the tanks? Are they expecting deliveries of that?” Markham explained. “So that's another aspect that comes into winter operations, all of which we did leading up to this event.”Events like this demonstrate New York's system is reliable, Markham said.“We were able to maintain flows within limits, all the various parameters on the power system within limits. And we still did have, through the event, some surplus capability,” he said.To learn more about our Operations Team and how they manage the grid, listen to the podcast.Additional Resources and InformationReal-Time DashboardShaving Peaks with the SunStaying Cool in the Deep Freeze: How NYISO's Forecasters Performed During Winter Storm ElliottLearn More Follow us on Twitter @NewYorkISO and LinkedIn @NYISO Read our blogs and watch our videos Check out our 2040 grid page

Contact Center Management in patient access is a foundational issue for health systems throughout the country.  Elizabeth sits down with  Michael Hesseltine, Director of Ancillary Services, University of Iowa Patient Access Center and John Schultz, Director, Contact Center Operations, Ambulatory Services, Children's National Hospital to discuss their primary challenges including staffing & retention, managing provider templates and increased appointment channels.

Infusion services are important for many patients—especially those who receive infusions regularly and routinely—so having access to this type of care locally can have a significant impact not only a patient's health, but their quality of life. So, how do rural hospitals build a sustainable infusion service line to create access for their patients and community? On today's episode, hosts JJ and Rachel talk with Randy Holland, Infection Control Officer and Director of Ancillary Services right here at Hillsdale Hospital about infusion services in rural hospitals and how to keep the service line sustainable. Follow Rural Health Rising on Twitter!  https://twitter.com/ruralhealthpod/  https://twitter.com/hillsdaleCEOJJ/  https://twitter.com/ruralhealthrach/ Follow Hillsdale Hospital on social media!  https://www.facebook.com/hillsdalehospital/  https://www.twitter.com/hillsdalehosp/  https://www.linkedin.com/company/hillsdale-community-health-center/  https://www.instagram.com/hillsdalehospital/  Audio Engineering & Original Music by Kenji Ulmer  https://www.kenjiulmer.com/

In our latest podcast, we sat down with Rana Mukerji, NYISO's SVP of Market Structures, to learn about his journey from growing up in Calcutta, India to becoming widely regarded as one of the ­­industry's leading designers of electricity markets. We ask Rana about his past career experience working for General Electric and ABB, and how the markets must evolve to accommodate a new set of renewable resources while keeping the grid reliable.Wholesale competitive electricity markets are an essential component of grid reliability in New York. Markets play a critical role in reconciling supply with demand which must be in perfect balance at all times. As decarbonization policies drive an increase in intermittent, weather-dependent energy such as wind and solar, it has never been more important to understand markets' contribution to reliability. There are few people more qualified to explain this evolution than NYISO Senior Vice President of Market Structures Rana Mukerji. Rana was instrumental in the early research and data simulation that informed the structure of markets in New York. This edition of our Power Trends podcast is a master class on the wholesale electricity markets that the New York ISO administers and how the energy, capacity, and ancillary markets work together.Mukerji identifies two primary shifts affecting the market. First, new renewable resources coming onto the grid are driving down energy prices because of their low variable costs – particularly because they have essentially no fuel costs. At the same time, the system is becoming more volatile because that supply is weather dependent. To maintain reliability, the market assigns a premium to ancillary services that can balance: “The premium value of the future energy supply is flexibility,” he explains. “We are repricing reserves to make it more attractive to perform when needed and rewarding that flexibility.” “It's going to be a vastly more complex grid, but it is going to really drive our transition to a decarbonized and sustainable future,” he adds. Rana's path to the NYISO began decades ago with his first plane ride from Calcutta, India to New York City. From there he boarded a bus to Troy, New York where he began his graduate studies in electrical engineering at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) on a full scholarship and later worked as an energy consultant with GE. Today, he uses his deep knowledge and experience in economics and engineering to prepare markets for the grid of the future. In this podcast, Rana explains how the markets are changing, and how to make sure the grid stays reliable as we get closer to a 2040 goal of a zero-emissions grid.Learn More Follow us on Twitter @NewYorkISO and LinkedIn @NYISO Read our blogs and watch our videos Check out our 2040 grid page

Jonathan Westall, FACHE, Vice President of Ancillary Services at Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Healthcare joins the podcast to discuss his background, opportunities and headwinds he's keeping his eye on, how he's thinking about growth and adding value to his organization, a risk or investment worth making this year, and where he sees the best opportunities for growth in the future.Want to network with peers and hear more conversations like this? Apply to be one of our complimentary guest reviewers at our upcoming HIT + Digital Health + RCM Meeting Oct, 3-6 2023 here.

Jonathan Westall, FACHE, Vice President of Ancillary Services at Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Healthcare joins the podcast to discuss his background, opportunities and headwinds he's keeping his eye on, how he's thinking about growth and adding value to his organization, a risk or investment worth making this year, and where he sees the best opportunities for growth in the future.Want to network with peers and hear more conversations like this? Apply to be one of our complimentary guest reviewers at our upcoming HIT + Digital Health + RCM Meeting Oct, 3-6 2023 here.

What drives loyalty, provides new revenue streams – and most importantly, responds to customer needs and wants? Ancillary services are more than meets the eye: they are a portal into building an ecosystem that supports customer wellbeing. Costco is the poster child, offering 25 different services delivering the practical (gas and hearing aids) and the aspirational (travel services). What's next?  Join Robin Lewis and Shelley E. Kohan, TRR's strategist, as they discuss the next wave in services focused on healthcare.For more strategic insights and compelling content, visit TheRobinReport.com where you can read, watch, and listen to content from Robin Lewis and other industry experts.Be sure to follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter for the latest from Robin Lewis and The Robin Report.

Join Peter Hopkins as he discusses add-on services like Level II Chimney Inspections, Sewer Inspections, Infrared Inspections, Advanced Pool and Spa Inspections, Combustion Analysis, and more……Why not double your fee in 2023!

Jon joins the show to give some insight into what the American College of Healthcare Executives is all about and how it has helped shape him into the leader he is today as VP, Ancillary Services, at MLK Community Healthcare. We also learn how Jon just welcome his 4th child and his unexpected connection with party buses.

We welcomed Tonya Smith to the show today. Tonya was recently (in September) named Valley Health Senior Vice President of Acute Care and President of Winchester Medical Center (WMC). Our conversation is part of our community health partnership with Valley Health where we talk each month with administrators, physicians, and other Valley Health staff about health topics, events, and the community. Tony gave us a bit of insight into her background. She is happy to have returned to the Shenandoah Valley and returned to Valley Health. She had previously served as Vice President of Operations and Ancillary Services at WMC before leaving for Munson Healthcare in Cadillac, Michigan in 2015. She is the first female president of Winchester Medical Center. We discussed the unique challenges facing the healthcare system in the wake of the pandemic. She explained the need for increased training programs, staffing shortages, and supply chain issues. We also talked about the recent lawsuit filed by Valley Health against Anthem in an effort to recoup millions in past-due reimbursements.  

Making sure the entirety of Great Britain has enough energy, all the time, is a mammoth task, and doing this whilst simultaneously transitioning to a new suite of services in order to reach a zero carbon electricity system is even more of a challenge. In this bumper episode Quentin chats to Faye Relton (Ancillary Services Development Manager) and Neil Morgans (Balancing Services Optimisation Manager) from National Grid ESO. The conversation covers the following topics plus much more.An overview of frequency response in Great Britain, the history and a peek into the future.All about NGESO's new suite of services - Dynamic Containment, Dynamic Moderation, Dynamic Regulation and how they are being used.Frequency standardisation and how it supports the system.Changes to the Auction. Defining the problems and highlighting the benefits. A look at the reasoning behind the implementation of price caps.and of course how the National Grid ESO plays an integral part in all of this.Mentioned in the show - National Grid Roadmap to 2025: https://www.nationalgrideso.com/document/247136/downloadNational Grid ESO is the electricity system operator for Great Britain. Making sure the country has the essential energy it needs by ensuring supply meets demand every second of every day. To find out more head to: https://www.nationalgrideso.com/Find Faye on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/fayereltonFind Neil on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/neil-morgans-866ab273Modo's all-in-one Asset Success Platform provides data, research and benchmarking tools to help you get the most out of your energy storage assets. To find out how we can help you build the future energy system, check out: https://modo.energy/To keep up with all of our latest Insights, follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/modo-energy/ Find us on Instagram: @modo_energy

A conversation with two longtime multifamily industry veterans, Matt Rogers, Vice President of Operations with MEB Management Services, and Lance Dreher, the Senior Director of Ancillary Services with MEB Management Services … discussing the multifamily industry's ability to adapt and embrace new and emerging technologies. Show Guests: Matt Rogers – Vice President of Operations with MEB Management Services Lance Dreher – Senior Director of Ancillary Services with MEB Management Services Host and Producer: Paul Marks, CAS Tape Date July 12, 2022 Air Date: July 16, 2022 Rebroadcast Date: August 13, 2022See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A conversation with two longtime multifamily industry veterans, Matt Rogers, Vice President of Operations with MEB Management Services, and Lance Dreher, the Senior Director of Ancillary Services with MEB Management Services … discussing the multifamily industry's ability to adapt and embrace new and emerging technologies. Show Guests: Matt Rogers – Vice President of Operations with MEB Management Services Lance Dreher – Senior Director of Ancillary Services with MEB Management Services Host and Producer: Paul Marks, CAS Tape Date July 12, 2022 Air Date: July 16, 2022See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Infection control is a term that is now well understood even outside of healthcare thanks to the Covid-19 pandemic. This week, we get into the challenges rural hospitals face as they implement their own infection control programs, and how those programs have changed and adapted in response to the pandemic as well as preparing for future outbreaks. Our guest today is Randy Holland, Director of Ancillary Services and Infection Control Officer here at Hillsdale Hospital.

Hey guys! This week we have Eric Markowitz from Worm Capital. This episode is all things Tesla! Eric shares with us Worm Capital's research on Tesla such as Tesla's Autonomous Driving Advantage, Tesla's Gigafactories, Tesla's Customer Value Proposition, why being DTC is an advantage, and some of Tesla's potential ancillary services such as insurance, gaming and maybe becoming an advertising channel. [0:00] Worm Capital [4:00] What is like holding Tesla with outside money? [8:00] What does it really mean to invest for the long term? [14:00] Changing your mind [20:00] The Tesla Bull Case [29:00] Tesla's Customer Value Proposition [36:00] Tesla Autonomous Driving Advantage[45:00] Tesla Gaming [51:00] Tesla's Gigafactories [1:02:00] Tesla is DTC [1:07:00] Tesla's Ancillary Services [1:10:00] Tesla becoming an Advertising Channel [1:17:00] Tesla's Revenue Growth [1:20:00] More from Eric and closing questions. If you like what you heard, go follow Eric on Twitter here! Also, check out Worm Capital's website here. Finally, a big thanks to the following sponsors for making the podcast a reality. Mitimco This episode is brought to you by MIT Investment Management Company, also known as MITIMCo, the investment office of MIT. Each year, MITIMCo invests in a handful of new emerging managers who it believes can earn exceptional long-term returns in support of MIT's mission. To help the emerging manager community more broadly, they created emergingmanagers.org, a website for emerging manager stockpickers. For those looking to start a stock-picking fund or just looking to learn about how others have done it, I highly recommend the site. You'll find essays and interviews by successful emerging managers, service providers used by MIT's own managers, essays MITIMCo has written for emerging managers and more! Quartr Quartr is revolutionizing the way investors interact with IR departments, listen to conference calls, and engage in investment research. The best way to think of Quartr is like Spotify for investor conference calls. Quartr is 100% free and includes markets from 12+ countries (with plans to expand in the future!). Investors can easily request new companies, and Quartr is quick to add them. You can learn more about Quartr by visiting their site, Quartr.se If you're interested in changing the way you research companies, download the app today and give it a try on Apple and Android. Tegus Tegus has the world's largest collection of instantly available interviews on all the public and private companies you care about. Tegus actually makes primary research fun and effortless, too. Instead of weeks and months, you can learn a new industry or company in hours, and all from those that know it best. I spend nearly all my time reading Tegus calls on existing holdings and new ideas. And I know you will too. So if you're interested, head on over to tegus.co/valuehive for a free trial to see for yourself. TIKR TIKR is THE BEST resource for all stock market data, I use TIKR every day in my process, and I know you will too. Make sure to check them out at --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/valuehive/support

At 15, Zaynah Fry had her first child. At 12 years old, Rob Fry was a drug dealer in the projects of Indianapolis. Today, Zaynah is the Director of Ancillary Services in a Tucson hospital and Rob has run a basketball camp for youth over the last 15 years that has led pupils to play in college, the NBA, and more! Learn about their amazing story of overcoming adversities and the decisions they made that altered their lives and has allowed them to make a difference and improve lives of so many along the way.

Dave Klima has some valuable experience to share that will help you add revenue - even after your inspection. He will discuss how some of these programs work - and how he has already instituted them in his own home inspection company. Please enjoy the latest episode of Inspector Toolbelt Talk.

If you believe you are a Group Practice, let's do the Group Practice dance. In this episode, Captain Integrity Bob Wade continues the discussion on Group Practice under the Stark Law. Hear how to know what type of facility in which the services are provided, the difference between ancillary services and incident to services, why multimillion-dollar settlements have occurred in this area, what questions need to be answered, and a recap of Group Practice definitions and subdefinitions. Learn more at CaptainIntegrity.com

On today's episode, Editor in Chief Sarah Wheeler talks with Tracey Velt, the editorial director at RealTrends, about the latest brokerage rankings and how companies like Realogy are adding title, appraisal, mortgage and insurance to create revenue in a challenging market. The two also discuss what real estate leaders can expect from the 2022 Gathering of Eagles summit, including a keynote by Larry Kendall, author of Ninja Selling, and how to value their business if they are looking to acquire or be acquired. Articles discussed:Realogy beats out other brokerages with core services Larry Kendall to speak at Gathering of Eagles June 26-28JPAR CEO Mark Johnson to speak at DealMakers, June 26

(Lander, WY) - 1330 KOVE AM / 107.7 FM's Coffee Time host Vince Tropea had an assist on today's show in the form of Jerrad Anderson and Charene Herrera from the County 10 morning show and County 10 podcast. Herrera and Anderson chatted with a few members of the Fremont County DUI Task Force, as well as Keith Holley with Ancillary Services at Sage West. Check out the full episode of Coffee Time below. Be sure to tune in to Coffee Time every morning at 9:30 AM on 1330 KOVE AM / 107.7 FM, or stream it live right here.

Dr. Nichole Wilson, Vice President of Integrated Primary Care and Ancillary Services of Community Health Network, shares her insights on healthcare consumerism and its role in transforming and improving patient care. Need help growing a business or organization in the healthcare sector? Reach out to me at jennifer@michellemarketingstrategies.com, tweet me @MMSJennifer or find me on Instagram @LeadingwithHealth. And be sure to stop by my site and download my report, Great to Hear Your Voice!

What we discussed: Except for roads, we don't tend to interact with large, physical infrastructures. For sure, we see the wires of the electric grid, but we don't commonly see the electric power plans, refineries, and substations. Stuart and I discussed the business models and challenges that electric utilities face in Australia as they undertake decarbonization efforts. Why it matters: We often forget that we rely on infrastructure being available 100% of the time. Yet the cost of keeping the electric grid operating at that level is immense. Utilities build physical hedges in terms of overcapacity so as to provide certainty on uptime. What it means for you: As you think of system change, think of the failure modes of the system. How many failures are you willing to tolerate? How many can you avoid, and how many backup plans do you need to draw up to guarantee a certain performance criteria? Interviewee's Bio:Stuart Hillen, EnergyAustralia, Melbourne, AustraliaMBA, Saïd Business SchoolAs Portfolio Development Lead Stuart is responsible for originating and executing generation development opportunities to transition EnergyAustralia's 5,000 MW generation portfolio. Technologies covered include utility scale storage, pumped hydro and renewable investments. https://www.linkedin.com/in/stuart-hillen/ In this interview, we discussed the following questions:What's your favorite infrastructure?What were the critical skills you learned as a civil engineer that helps you with your day-to-day jobs?What is the problem solving approach you take as a trained engineer? What's your role at EnergyAustralia?What stage of project development do you get involved in? What is the business model of EnergyAustralia?So you try to have the right physical portfolio mix to provide electricity. When you don't have it, you procure it from the market.Can you describe dispatchable power? Batteries time-shift resources, depending on what's available on the market. Given these movements of fuel shifting globally, what's the role of the utility in decarbonized future?There is quite a bit of indication to "electrify everything". It implies the need to double the size of the electric sector to absorb the transportation sector!You've mentioned a smattering of technologies. Technology cycles are usually 6-18 months, yet utilities need to think in 30 years. As a project developer, how do you match these time cycles?When you're project financing, how much do you have to take into account new business models? What is the not-often discussed field of Ancillary Services?Can you comment on the high costs to effectively maintain 100% uptime of the electric grid?Sometimes the overbuilding is criticized as waste, but to maintain nearly 100% uptime, one just need physical assets as hedges.Another way of creating that resiliency is fuel switching. What's the advantage of the hybrid power plant you worked on?Is Hydrogen a drop in fuel for Natural Gas? Have you seen the trend of hydrogen projects?Hydrogen electrolyzes produce the hydrogen. What sounds unclear is whether the electric utility should own the business model of producing hydrogen, right?When you're evaluating technologies, how do you know if a technology is "good enough"?Are we waiting for technology to improve, or for capital to implement?How many different stakeholders get involved and how many do you have to satisfy? When did you first get exposed to these issues that made you want to work with an electric utility?Were you surprised by the level of complexity of the stakeholders and issues involved?What is it about complexity that made you want to seek it out?So basically, complexity gives you job variety!To a student or early professional, what skill would you recommend them to learn?Curiosity has a humbleness of knowing that there's more to know, and a seeking of what one's lacking.About Levers of Exchange:Interview by Jimmy Jia (www.jimmyjia.com)Music by Sean Hart (www.seanhart.com)Website: https://www.leversofexchange.com/ Season 3 is funded by a generous grant from the Skoll Centre for Social Entrepreneurship, at the SaïdBusiness School, Oxford University. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In this episode, we are joined by four AvalonBay associates; Liz Smith (Senior VP, Asset Management), Susie Maglich (Sr. Director, Design), Parks Underdown (Program Manager, Maintenance), and Angela Keckler (Director, Ancillary Services), as they discuss “Creating Your Own Career Path.” They share their own stories during this episode and offer valuable advice to those thinking about their next step (which isn’t always along a clearly defined path).

On this September 11th edition of the London Live Podcast: Retired London Firefighters Al Braatz joins Mike to honour the 19th anniversary of the 9/11 disaster, and the courageous sacrifice of the firefighters who worked through it. Afterwards Dr. Charles Pascal, former Ontario Deputy Minister of Education and Professor of Applied Psychology & Human Development at the University of Toronto, joins to discuss where the future of post-secondary education needs to go in the wake of a pandemic. Finally, Chris Alleyne, Associate Vice President of Housing and Ancillary Services at Western tells us how Western's residences are faring in the wake of back to school. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Our team of Advanced Practitioners and Ancillary Services help us provide the very best in state of the art diagnostics and medical care.

Are you looking at the big picture and pivoting your business? It will make or break you right now. Listen today and everyday to Carl Gould your #70secondCEO. Read full transcript: Hi everyone, Carl Gould here with your #70secondCEO. Just a little over a one-minute investment every day for a lifetime of result. So, are there any other ancillary services that you can provide? So, you're an IT managed service provider and they say well, you know, we trust you in our office, but we don't trust all the other people coming in and we have this big problem. We have to move all this furniture and we don't have anybody to project manage it. Well, we project manage all the time we get there IT projects, but a managed project is a managed project. So, can we, can is that something we can do for an existing client that fits into our core competency? It might not be exactly what we do, but isn't it? Is it an additional service we can do while we're there. We're a cleaning company, but can I clean the outside windows? Can I go in the back and power wash, power wash the sidewalks. Can I clean your car? We know how to clean stuff, what additional services can you also add. Like and follow this podcast so you can learn more. My name is Carl Gould and this has been your #70secondCEO.

The evolution of the structure of electricity systems and the new possibilities offered by digital technologies are leading to an evolution of electricity market designs around the world. In Italy, the need for new providers of flexibility and the increasing amount of distributed energy resources (DER) have prompted a reform of the market for ancillary services and its opening to virtually aggregated units of generation and consumption. In this podcast, Nicolò Rossetto (FSR) and Jan Marc Schwidtal (Università di Padova) address the results of the recent auctions that took place in Italy and that awarded the right to mixed virtually aggregated units (UVAM) to offer their capacity into the Italian market for ancillary services. Jan Marc highlights the positive result of the auction, with around one GW of capacity awarded to 26 companies. However, he also notices that for the time being, most of the UVAM are made of a relatively few large-scale distributed generation units and industrial loads. Retail-size units like households or small commercial customers are still not involved, probably due to the relatively high cost of installing the required ICT infrastructure that is not justified by the prices at which flexibility is remunerated. This podcast was recorded on 26th November 2019 in Florence at the 2nd Energy Innovation Bootcamp, organised by Energy Innovation Area of the Florence School of Regulation (FSR), in association with the Young Scholars Initiative (YSI).

Today’s guest is Stephanie Nadolny. Stephanie is the Vice President of Hospital Operations, Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital Cape Cod and the Vice President of Ancillary Services, Spaulding Rehabilitation Network. Stephanie started her career in therapeutic recreation and has worked in rehabilitation services for thirty years. In this podcast we talk about Stephanie’s journey from an entry-level clinician to running a 60 bed rehabilitation hospital and helping to lead a rehabilitation services network. I really enjoyed talking with Stephanie not just because she happens to be a two-time UNH alumna, but also because she is a truly authentic leader. I hope you enjoy listening to her journey as much as I did. This is the abridged version of the podcast. To check out the full length version please see our web site, healthleaderforge.org

Today’s guest is Stephanie Nadolny. Stephanie is the Vice President of Hospital Operations, Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital Cape Cod and the Vice President of Ancillary Services, Spaulding Rehabilitation Network. Stephanie started her career in therapeutic recreation and has worked in rehabilitation services for thirty years. In this podcast we talk about Stephanie’s journey from an entry-level clinician to running a 60 bed rehabilitation hospital and helping to lead a rehabilitation services network. I really enjoyed talking with Stephanie not just because she happens to be a two-time UNH alumna, but also because she is a truly authentic leader. I hope you enjoy listening to her journey as much as I did. This is the full length version of the podcast. To check out the abridged version please see our web site, http://healthleaderforge.org

Payment processing and ancillary services for cannabis with Max Miller Founder and President of Paybotic. My guest is an entrepreneur who specializes in payment processing and ancillary services. Paybotic is a payment solutions company specializing in tailoring its solutions to the cannabis industry. Paybotic is the premier payment solutions company that excels in tailoring solutions to the cannabis, CBD and hemp industry. We ensure compliance and continuity with state-of-the-art technologies, by partnering with banks that understand the underwriting process for cannabis products, and through continuous monitoring of the shifting legal landscape for cannabis sales and related state-to-state banking laws.

In this episode, co-host Ken Miller sits down with Andrew Smith, President of Ancillary Services Management, to discuss how student housing managers should be thinking about both expense savings and opportunities of other revenue sources for their properties.  Budget season is on the way, and this episode is the perfect tool to jump start the process and begin thinking of ways to boost NOI. This episode is sponsored by SimpleBills!  Regardless if your residents pay utility providers directly or if it is billed through the property, SimpleBills can provide residents and property managers an easier way to handle the process and provide insight to managers and residents on how they can save on their utilities. Contact them today at www.SimpleBills.com . Find more information about Andrew Smith and ASM, go to www.asmadvantage.com  For questions or comments about this episode, please email us at Contact@StudentHousingInsight.com 

Kate Woods, Counsel in the Healthcare Group, speaks with Dr. Marcy Borofsky, dentist, serial entrepreneur and dental industry thought leader, and Chris Davis, Vice President of Ancillary Services at Capital BlueCross. They discuss dental services, the correlation between dental health and positive medical outcomes, and where the American dental industry is headed from a business and health insurance perspective. 

Some patients require medical equipment for in-home care. Home medical equipment may be necessary but it isn't always inexpensive.Neidi Mack, Vice President of Ancillary Services for Prism Health Care Services, explains what home care medical equipment is covered by Medicaid, Medicare and insurance.

In our very first episode, Jason Henry, Senior Clinical Director of Ancillary Services at Arkansas Heart Hospital, is answering all the questions you never knew you had about sleep studies – is snoring really a bad thing? When is a good time to turn off your phone before bed? There’s a lot we can learn from sleep studies, and Jason is here to fill us in.

Michael Berg, CEO of Ancillary Medical Solutions and Vivien Hudson, pharmacist and Marketing Manager at Ancillary Medical Solutions discuss a variety of ancillary services that can help physicians boost their composite scores for MACRA and MIPS. This issue (8:56): Understand how ancillary services can help doctors with MACRA and MIPS What the top 5 ancillary services are to help physicians meet their scoring How to build value with these programs for their practice and patients    

MPT Podcast 54 - Integration of Ancillary Services into the Medical Practice, with guest Troy Tuttle of Ancillary Medical Solutions. Mr. Tuttle discusses how external pressures are causing physicians to integrate ancillary services. This Issue (16:25): Why are physicians turning toward integration of ancillary services? What are the most common ancillary services? How can a medical practice decide if it is right to integrate ancillary services? Click the play button to hear the podcast [smart_track_player url="http://mptaudio.s3.amazonaws.com/$emed$podcast/MPT_podcast_54.mp3" title="MPT Podcast 54 - Integration of Ancillary Services into the Medical Practice, with guest Troy Tuttle of Ancillary Medical Solutions" ]

This podcast is NJAFP 2008 Podcast #5, a presentation on increasing practice revenue by adding ancillary services, by Susan B. Orr, Esq., a member of the law firm Tsoules, Sweeney, Martin & Orr, LLC, from the 2008 Convention of the New Jersey Academy of Family Physicians.  Susan B. Orr, Esq. Read Susan's bio here. Download the podcast file here (84.6 mb stereo MP3 file, 01:01:37 length). Keywords: family, physician, njafp, convention, primary care, ancillary services, revenue, orr, lawyer, attorney, legal del.icio.us Tags: family,physician,njafp,convention,primary care,ancillary services,revenue,orr,lawyer,attorney,legal Technorati Tags: family,physician,njafp,convention,primary care,ancillary services,revenue,orr,lawyer,attorney,legal Produced in the studios of Professional Podcasts LLC, Cherry Hill, NJ

This podcast is NJAFP 2008 Podcast #5, a presentation on increasing practice revenue by adding ancillary services, by Susan B. Orr, Esq., a member of the law firm Tsoules, Sweeney, Martin & Orr, LLC, from the 2008 Convention of the New Jersey Academy of Family Physicians.  Susan B. Orr, Esq. Read Susan’s bio here. Download the podcast file here (84.6 mb stereo MP3 file, 01:01:37 length). Keywords: family, physician, njafp, convention, primary care, ancillary services, revenue, orr, lawyer, attorney, legal del.icio.us Tags: family,physician,njafp,convention,primary care,ancillary services,revenue,orr,lawyer,attorney,legal Technorati Tags: family,physician,njafp,convention,primary care,ancillary services,revenue,orr,lawyer,attorney,legal Produced in the studios of Professional Podcasts LLC, Cherry Hill, NJ