Glimpses of the Island

Orientation

Elise waited in her stateroom while the other passengers left the ship. Just before docking the steward had brought a message from the captain, asking that she remain in her room until someone came to escort her ashore. The voyage from the Seychelle Islands had been uneventful. The captain and crew had been polite but distant. The captain had personally taken the time to apologize for the conditions but explained it was required for those who were en route to the Facility.

From the porthole in her cabin she could see parts of the city nearest the port. She didn't recognize any of the scenery, but that wasn't a surprise. Elise knew little about this part of the world. She was sure it was an island, since they had been heading south and east into the Indian Ocean, but she had no idea of its location, or even the name of the place. All she did know is that the mysterious Facility was located somewhere nearby.

Not that she knew much about the Facility either, other than what she had been told in the letter. The moment she had come aboard the ships' purser had taken her to see the captain. He had been very specific in telling her not to discuss the Facility with the other passengers, or to divulge anything about her own history. Elise still had an uneasy feeling that she was acting rashly, perhaps even risking her life. To abandon everything and everyone, and then travel halfway around the world sounded foolish at best. Every night she had gone over what she had done, but here she was anyway.

The one suitcase looked forlorn sitting by the door of her cabin. The contents represented all that was left of her past. The promise of the Facility was a brand new and radically different life; a chance to start over. The conditions they demanded should have scared her away immediately. Instead she had signed up, left her apartment in California, and sold or gave away virtually everything she owned.

No one knew she had taken the flight to Africa, or boarded the ship in the Seychelles to some unknown island. No one would miss her either. Whatever happened she would be on her own. After three months she missed her job at the hospital, but she knew that chapter in her life's story was closed.

At the sound of a polite knock she jumped up and opened the cabin door. Standing in the corridor was the ship's purser, with a crewman behind him. "Good afternoon Ms. Driesler. Might I trouble you to accompany me ashore? There is a car waiting. This man will take your bag." He picked up her suitcase and handed it to the crewman.

Elise grabbed her purse off the bed and stepped out into the hallway. "I have my passport here. Do we go through Customs first? I was told a visa wasn't required."

The officer, she remembered he had introduced himself as Ahmed, only one name, shook his head. "We have no real Customs here. You would not have been allowed on the ship unless you were expected. Your passport will not be necessary. The car at dockside will take you directly to the Facility. If you would follow me?" He spoke flawless English, but she could tell it was not his native language.

Having gone through several Customs gates as she flew across Europe and then on to Africa the prospect of avoiding surly bureaucrats pawing through her bag was a pleasant relief. Ahmed led her down through the interior of the ship to a large open hatch in the side where crewmen were unloading crates. They stopped to allow Elise and the officer to pass through the cargo hatch and go ashore. Ahmed pointed out a car parked nearby on the dock.

Once the driver caught sight of the approaching party he got out and walked to the rear of the car where he opened the trunk. The crewman trailing them put her luggage inside. The driver left the trunk lid up when he came around to open the rear door for Elise.

She turned to thank Ahmed for his courtesy. She noticed a brief flash of some odd emotion, almost an expression of sadness, cross his face as he wished her well. She got into the car but the driver didn't close the door immediately.

"Excuse me, Ms. Driesler, but I must ask that you leave your purse with your other belongings in the trunk. It is Facility policy." He held out his hand.

Elise hesitated, but she had been warned in the letter that she was to have nothing in her possession when she entered the Facility grounds. She picked up her handbag and held it out to the driver.

"I'm sorry, but you have a watch on your wrist. Could you place it in your purse? The earrings too, if you would?" The driver was polite but she could tell he would be insistent. She set her purse on her lap, slipped off the wristwatch and removed her jewelry. Dropping them in a side pocket she handed the purse back to the driver again. This time he took it and closed her door. Watching from the rear window she saw him place her purse in the trunk before he shut the lid.

The driver, who did not give his name, got in but did not start right away. He glanced back at her first and asked her to put on her seat belt, explaining that it was required. The moment she fastened it the car took off.

"Our drive time will be about 45 minutes, including a ferry ride. I apologize in advance for not answering any of your questions, but again it is Facility policy. There will be an orientation meeting as soon as you arrive. Please hold your questions till then. Welcome to Isla Del Sur." Those were the last words he spoke.

The trip was interesting for Elise as she did get to see a short glimpse of the Island from the car window. Isla del Sur , at least she knew the name of the place now. By appearance it could be any modern country. The buildings were a mix of classic and new designs, most of the cars late models, though the makes were unfamiliar. She didn't see anyone close up since they were on some sort of expressway, with walls or trees used for noise abatement blocking most of her view of the town.

At one point they stopped to board a ferry. Once the boat was in the channel she could see open sea on either side. Apparently the Facility was on a separate island. It took the ferry about fifteen minutes to reach their destination. Elise noticed her car was the only one to disembark. She could see the ferry pull back into the channel from the rear window as they drove off the pier.

From the ferry landing it was a short trip along a paved road to a complex of buildings. They went through an open gate into a large garage attached to what she assumed was the main section. The driver got out and opened her door. Elise noticed he did not retrieve her things from the trunk.

The moment she got out of the car a door at the rear of the garage opened, and a man in uniform came out. "Ms. Driesler? Elise Driesler?" At Elise's nod he continued. "Would you come with me, please?" He held open the interior door for her.

She stopped in the doorway and turned back, pointing to the car. "I have some luggage…" she began.

The man cut her off. "Don't be concerned. They will be taken care of. Please, others are waiting." He gestured for her to precede him through the door. There was a trace of some accent in his otherwise perfect English.

Elise had a mental image of the ominous sounding Facility as some kind of giant hulking monster of a Victorian era prison, with massive brick walls and barred windows. The real appearance was more of a large sprawling manor house, varying between three and four stories high, and smaller buildings arranged around it in a semicircle. There were no barbed wire fences, high walls, or guard towers anywhere. Judging by the few men she'd met so far courtesy and a professional attitude seemed to be the corporate culture, a far cry from the bullying inbred stereotypes she associated with institutions. There had been more than a few of those self-important types at the hospital. Perhaps she hadn't made a rash decision after all.

Her escort stopped at the door to a small conference room and held it open for her. "Please wait inside," he told her. He shut the door behind her, after she went in.

There were three other women in the room when Elise entered. All three were sitting around a long table. Pulling out a chair she sat down to wait. Perhaps this was to be the orientation lecture for new arrivals. The other three looked to be nervous too.

She must have been the last one expected for no sooner had she sat down than another woman came in. Elise knew at once this woman must be part of the staff, primarily because of the metal ring around her neck. It was no piece of decorative jewelry but a profound statement of who she was. Elise stared at the woman's collar, fascinated by the kind of life it represented. She wore what Elise assumed to be the standard uniform for the female staff, a beige colored sleeveless blouse and a maroon skirt. The name Mrs. Yates was stitched on her blouse.

The woman went to the head of the table but did not sit down. At first she said nothing, silently staring at each of the newcomers as they sat watching her. Elise jumped when Mrs. Yates, assuming that was her name, suddenly slapped her hands on the tabletop. "All of you, stand up right now!" The four of them leaped to their feet. "No one gave you permission to sit down!" she shouted at them. "Line up against the back wall, quickly." Elise and the others nearly ran to the rear of the room.

The woman picked up a chair and dropped it in front of them. She sat down, folded her arms and began to lecture. "My job this afternoon is to prepare you for life at the Facility. That's what we call this place. It's the only name you will use. My name is Mrs. Yates. All staff will be addressed by last name only. In here you will use your first name. Only your first name." She held up a hand as one of the other woman started to ask a question.

"Quiet! Stand there and pay attention to what I tell you. Don't any of you understand what you've gotten into here? It all comes down to one single word. Obedience . You are here to learn it, to live it, to offer it to the one special man who will someday come to claim you. Your training starts now, this very minute. You will be told when you may ask questions; until then you wait."

She stood up and walked up and down the line, looking at each woman. "I once stood in the exact same spot you do now. I know what you are thinking. I know what you will face in the coming months. I had all the same questions running around in my head that you want to ask now." Her voice dropped, so low Elise could barely hear her. "You came here out of desperation, searching for some way to put your lives back in order and perhaps even find some small measure of happiness. I'm here to tell you it will happen. Every one of you will complete the program here, and every single one of you will find her master. That's a promise.

"How do I know? Because none of you will leave here until you are done with your training ! That's a guarantee, whether you like it or not. There is no quitting. You can't just walk out the door. Get it in your heads now; there is only one way, our way. The men who run this Facility aren't going to let you give up and run away; no matter how much you beg or plead, you are here until you finish. So don't even bother to ask."

Mrs. Yates' words weren't a shock to Elise. She knew once she entered the building it would be her last act of free will. More than once it had been made painfully clear in the material she'd received that she would be incarcerated for an indefinite period of time. Attendance is mandatory until such time as the review panel concludes to its satisfaction that you have met all the goals of the training program . Those were the exact words in the letter. The precise nature of those goals, or even who made up the review panel, was not explained.

Elise turned her attention back to Mrs. Yates. "You will learn to reorient your thinking if you want to succeed here. To start, assume everything is forbidden unless you are granted permission. I saw numerous violations when I walked into this room. First off, you were sitting down. Chairs are a privilege; you stand until invited to sit. Next, you were talking. That is a privilege as well, one you will lose if you repeat that mistake.

"And finally you did not stand when I came in the room. As a sign of respect for authority you will stand whenever a man enters the room, or any member of the female staff, including me. All men will be addressed as sir unless you are told otherwise. For female staff you will use either Ms. or Mrs. and last name, never first name. See this?" She pointed to the name on her blouse. "Use that name. That's how you will know someone is not a trainee. Trainees, that's you, are allowed to use first names only, no exceptions. You do not have a last name here. Don't use it."

Just like that , Elise thought, no more Elise Driesler, now I'm inmate Elise . Not that she missed the old Elise right now. With a tinge of anxiety she realized she might wish for the old life after a few more days.

Mrs. Yates continued. "There will be a multitude of rules and restrictions. You will learn every one by heart. I can tell you now not to try making up excuses. No one will listen or care. Results are all that matter. You will be told where to go, what to do, and when to stop. Your days will be planned for you. Someone else will decide what time you wake up, when and what you eat, when you work, when you study, when you go to bed. You will be taught how to behave, what to say, and what to think. You will learn patience, and you will learn the high cost of a short temper and ill-considered words.

"And once you have learned all that, you will discover something else. Right now it sounds strict, even cruel, and brutally uncaring of your feelings. But there will come a time when you see it in retrospect as something else. Harsh, yes…but fulfilling too.

"There is a certain type of woman, and I count myself as one, who thrives on discipline. Not some threat of punishment, but a discipline based on a hierarchy of authority. I need someone to impose order in my life. You see this collar?" She ran a hand along the metal band close around her throat. "It was put there by the man who owns me. I would do anything for him. He doesn't hesitate in taking advantage of it either. That's not some silly romantic notion. It's reality; I live it every day.

"Each one of you will wear one of these someday. When that time will come depends on how much effort you are willing to invest. Be certain of one thing though. You will not be given the opportunity to be lazy. Good enough is not good enough. You will be held to a higher standard.

"There is a simple working policy here. You are granted privileges, but in turn there are obligations tied to those privileges. Fail in your responsibilities and you lose those privileges. You don't have a right to anything.

"In a moment you will be taken to another room and there you will be issued your uniform. I'm sure you recall from the enrollment terms that you are not allowed any personal possessions during your stay here. That includes your clothes. Starting today this place will determine what you need and provide it when appropriate."

Mrs. Yates paused for a moment, looking at each newcomer in the group. "Now you can ask questions. One each, so think about it. We'll start on the right." She pointed to the woman at the right end of the line.

She was a small, dark skinned woman. "You said we have no rights. Are there no laws in this place?"

Mrs. Yates answered quickly. "Yes, we have laws. None of them protect you. The laws of Isla Del Sur allow the Facility to act as the management deems appropriate. There is no oversight, no complaint board, no appeal. If you think that's unfair, too bad. Live with it."

The next question was about meeting men. Mrs. Yates was blunt in her answer. " You don't meet anyone. When you have completed the training to the satisfaction of the review committee, then and only then a possible master will be selected for you. The Facility accepts applications from carefully screened men who must then fulfill certain prerequisites before they are allowed access to information about the trainees. They will decide if they wish to interview you."

The woman standing next to Elise followed up. "What do you mean, an interview? What if I don't like him?"

"The two of you meet. He asks you questions. If he decides you are the right one, then you belong to him. If you don't think you can get along then you tell him in the interview. It's up to him what happens after that. You don't get to say no."

The other women seem surprised to hear it put so plainly. Elise had read the offer carefully before she signed up. No choice meant precisely that. There had been nothing ambiguous in the wording. Being handed over to a complete stranger she could accept. She had another concern.

"What if none of the men want me?" Elise was sure she could never compete with the other women at the Facility.

Mrs. Yates stared at Elise for a long moment before putting a hand on her arm. "That won't happen. No matter what you may think of yourself now, provided you are sincere in learning what the Facility offers, you will find yourself the object of someone's attention. This place has a certain reputation, one which draws the highest quality men to apply for consideration. There has never been a single instance of someone completing the training that is not subsequently chosen. That's why we can guarantee success.

"That's the last question. Before we go you will ensure this room is in proper order. You," Elise was surprised when the instructor singled her out, "you will return all the chairs around the table to their proper place. Do it now."

And so it starts , Elise thought. At first she simply pushed the chair in against the table, but one glance at Mrs. Yates told her she was missing something. Proper place, that's got to be the key to what's lacking. Elise backed up and looked at the chair in front of her. The carpet, there were marks where the chairs had been sitting earlier. Carefully she aligned each chair to the pattern in the floor. She went around the table and adjusted every one, even those the women had not used earlier. Only one chair was left, the one Mrs. Yates had been using. Elise stood next to it but did not touch it. She said learn patience, and assume nothing, so I'd better wait before taking the chair.

Mrs. Yates stared at her in silence. Did I do the right thing? Elise asked herself.

"See this?" Mrs. Yates pointed to Elise. "Did you notice what she did? I hope so, because you are going to have a hard time if you don't get it. It is not enough to be a robot and blindly obey. You are a person with a brain. Think about what you are told to do. She didn't just push in the chairs; she made sure they lined up correctly. Details are important.

"Put this chair away too. You did well." It wasn't much in the way of praise, but Elise appreciated it. "Back in line." Elise rejoined the group.

"This was your first lesson. It is not enough to simply react. You must excel in the small details as well as the greater. Try to put something of yourself in everything you do. Think first, but trust your instincts. Your master wants to see your personality. Don't ever forget that.

"Now listen carefully. We are going leave this room in single file. The last one will close the door. No talking, and keep your eyes forward at all times. Stay in line, keep to the right, and don't look around. This isn't a sightseeing tour. The corridor should be empty, but if anyone comes by, and I mean anyone, you will stop and stand with your back to the wall, eyes lowered, hands at your side. And stand still; do not fidget. I'll tell you when we can proceed. If a man stops us, do exactly what he tells you no matter what it is. Don't look at me; he'll be the one in charge. If he asks you a question, answer in a respectful tone of voice. And for God's sake don't forget the sir. "

Mrs. Yates opened the door and checked the hallway before motioning Elise, closest to her, to follow. The rest of the group trailed behind. In the hall Mrs. Yates paused for a moment to make sure the last woman in line closed the door. Their short trip proved uneventful. No one was in the hall, and no one opened a door to look out. The hallway looked like a million other office building or hotel corridors. Elise was tempted to take one peek over her shoulder but decided it wouldn't be a good idea. With her luck it would be exactly the same time Mrs. Yates turned around.

Their destination proved to be a locker room. The floor was concrete; the walls were painted an unattractive grey. Scattered around the room were several tables with cardboard boxes underneath them. "Each of you go to one of the tables," Mrs. Yates ordered. "There you will remove all your clothing, and I mean everything, fold each item neatly and place it in the box. When you finish you should have nothing on but what you were born with. After everyone is done you will be issued regulation uniforms. From now on, you will wear only the clothing supplied by the Facility." Mrs. Yates stood by the hallway door as they began.

Elise stepped out of her shoes first. From the corner of her eye she could see the rest of the group was reluctant to begin as well. I have to do this , she told herself. She took a deep breath, closed her eyes for a second, and then began unbuttoning her blouse. She dropped it on the table and followed in a moment with her slacks. She noticed the others were watching her. Great, now I'm a role model too. That left only her underwear.

Stalling for time she folded up the pants and blouse and placed them in the box. I shouldn't have done that , Elise realized. If my future master were watching he'd want me to take it all off first. She reached behind her back and undid the hook of her bra. The pantyhose were the last item to come off. She packed away the rest of her garments in the box, shoes on top. The other three women were still undressing. Finished, she turned to look at Mrs. Yates to see what she should do next.

Elise wanted to shrink and hide when she saw the way Mrs. Yates was staring at her. She saw it too , Elise thought, why doesn't she say something? I made a mistake .

Siobhan Yates did notice Elise's hesitation, but at this early stage it would easily be corrected with a quiet word later. This one is going to catch on quick , Siobhan told herself. If she can overcome her inhibitions she will go far. I hope she finds herself a Clancy Yates like I did. Too bad she isn't Irish or I'd mention her to Clancy's brother. She checked the progress of the rest of the women. All of them could do well, or the Facility wouldn't have accepted them. She didn't envy them the next few months though. How many times did I cry myself to sleep? These days, with Clancy next to her in bed, the crying represented tears of joy.

"All of you, your attention." It was time for her to get back to work. "I'll issue your uniforms now. Each of you pick up your box." Mrs. Yates headed for the stockroom as they gathered up their boxes.

"Line up in front of the counter. Stop on this line." Elise looked down and saw a white line painted on the concrete floor. "You will wait here for your turn. When I call you come to the counter where you will exchange the box for your uniform." Mrs. Yates went behind the counter and took out a clipboard. Elise could see racks and shelves of clothing. The concrete floor was cold on her bare feet.

Elise suppressed a shiver. She was self-conscious about standing in line in the nude. Comparing herself to the group it looked like the other women could be models. She thought she could be a model too, except it would be the cover girl for Plain Jane Monthly . Mrs. Yates seemed to be taking her time.

"We're ready to start," Mrs. Yates said, placing the clipboard on the counter. "The procedure will be as follows: one at a time you will step forward. Place your box on the counter and state your name. I will give you one uniform, which you will put on to check for fit. If it's too big or small I'll hand you another one. When I'm satisfied you will put the uniform back on the hanger and take it with you when you go back to the end of the line. You will hold the hangar in your left hand. First in line, step forward."

Elise walked to the counter and stood in front of Mrs. Yates. "Elise Dreisler."

Mrs. Yates frowned. "That's not acceptable. Hold out the box in front of you, with both hands." Puzzled at what she had done wrong, Elise took hold of the box in both hands and held it out, her arms straight. "Now keep holding the box that way while you go to the end of the line." A surprised Elise walked back to stand behind the other women. "First, I told you to drop your last name. Never use it unless one of the staff asks for a last name. Only use your first name from now on. Get used to it.

"Second, you failed to address me properly. The proper response should have been your name, followed by mine to indicate you are answering me. Next in line, step forward and state your name."

The box wasn't heavy but by the time Else made it back to the counter her arms were aching from the strain. Mrs. Yates made her wait, still holding the box above the counter, while she searched the uniforms for Elise's size.

"Put the box down and try this on. Sign your name, your first name, on the clipboard." Elise did as Mrs. Yates instructed. After checking the fit she put the uniform back on the hanger, as the women in front of her had done. "Join the rest," Mrs. Yates gestured to the line behind Elise.

The four of them stood in line, each holding a hangar in her left hand. Mrs. Yates didn't even look up while she filled out the forms they had signed. Only after she had finished, read it over, and then placed the clipboard under the counter did she return her attention to the four women waiting for her. "You may dress now. Place the hangar on the counter when you finish. Quickly, I don't have all day, and we have much to do."

Siobhan watched the group of women, looking for subtle hints about their personalities. They had started out well. Not a single one had protested over the uniform. The procedure was deliberately contrived to be a test of their patience and commitment. It's just a taste of what's coming , she thought to herself.