Women's World

By J Itchen

Henry suffered badly from time travel to the Second World War so goes five hundred years into the future. There he finds that society has changed around massively. Men are limited to ten percent of the population and are not allowed to operate independently of women. Women are in charge and us the men for procreation and fun.
Henry it torn between the pleasure of having no responsibilities except to make love to different women on a rota system and his lack of ability to do anything at all as an individual. Coming from a different era his attitudes do not fit in. Whilst love rears its illegal head he still has to operate within society’s rules. That society has to change if humanity is to survive.

• Language: English
• Publisher: J Itchen
• Release date: Aug 1, 2014
• ISBN: 9781311783769

J Itchen

J is a graduate from Bristol University, England, who is married with four children. Currently lives in Southampton, England, although when young also lived in other parts of the world (Malaysia, Thailand, Yemen Arab Republic).J has been writing for several years mainly for magazines (more usually science rather than science fiction), for specialist books and recently a web site. Starting with science fiction (not fantasy), genres published have also covered the erotic, plus a combination of the two.

Book preview

Chapter 1 - Demand To Go

Henry pushed open the, as usual, unlocked door and marched into Professor Drummond’s Cambridge College rooms.

How far into the future can you send me? Henry demanded. He tried to stop his voice from quavering. Both pf his hands still shook as much as ever.

I am not sure, Professor Drummond turned in his high backed soft chair to look quizzically at his intruder, cup of tea in his hand. We sent you back four hundred years by accident, but I would not like to go much further. Possibly five hundred years would work.

Five hundred years into the future? Henry demanded. He noted that Bill, the Professor’s post-grad sidekick was not there. He had heard that since Bill had won his millions on the lottery he was around with the professor much less. Bill was often to be seen out on the razzle nowadays.

Henry looked at the grubby furniture in the Professor’s rooms. The old tired and torn sofa still sat there and nothing had really changed since the Professor had won his two sets of lottery winnings. His one concession to his new wealth was a very expensive coffee maker. This he hardly ever used as he drank tea most of the time, but could not abide the tea from tea making machines.

Did the Porter just let you in to the college? the Professor queried as he put down his cup of tea and stood up.

I have been so often he no longer challenges me, Henry said. I just sign the book and come right in to see you.

He has no idea who you are or why you come to see me, the Professor chuckled.

He just knows that you always are happy to see me, Henry said, looking to see if the Professor would deny this. Henry was aware that his own hands still shook badly, as did his voice and his whole body come to that.

Does Jane know that you have come here? The Professor asked.

No.

So why do you want to go into the future again? the Professor asked. Do you not want to simply enjoy your lottery winnings?

Jane is trying to get me better using the techniques she learnt in her last trip, Henry said. However post-traumatic shock disorder takes a long time to even start to get better, especially the severity I had it when I came back from my last time travel trip. Going forward in time was a greatly positive experience for me last time, so I thought that if I do it again. Not only will I see far into the future but I can get cured in that lifetime and come back here completely recovered. Then I can enjoy my life of luxury properly.

It makes sense, the Professor agreed. You know you were right about my article on time travel. Everyone refuses to publish it.

Despite the fact that we predicted the winning numbers for four successive lotteries in a row? Henry said.

They think that we cheated somehow and managed to change the lottery numbers in the sealed envelope that I gave them to keep in their safe, the Professor said ruefully. They now think that I am a fake magician and not a true scientist!

I told you that no-one believed in time travel when I went forward a hundred years to get the lottery numbers, Henry said.

Except maybe for the Owners, the Professor reminded him.

Who wanted to kill me, added Henry. This meant that they must have known about time travel but they thought that they could change fate.

Maybe they did change things, the Professor said.

It did not help them much if they did! Henry laughed. He was glad to be able to laugh occasionally now without sounding like a nervous lunatic.

You seem much better than when I saw you last with Jane, the Professor observed.

I still get the shakes the whole time, wake up screaming in the night and I cannot concentrate on anything much without getting vivid flash-backs.

Don’t you think that you will still have this if you go forward five hundred years?

Probably, but I think that being in a new challenging environment will force me to face it and perhaps just doing that will make me get better quickly.

Or maybe it will make it worse, the Professor countered. He had gone over to a pile of unopened letters and frowned at them. These were a major part of his ‘to do’ list that never got down now that Bill was not there.

I suggest that you can pay your bills now without worrying about your bank balance! Henry commented.

I can but I still don’t want to, the Professor said. When do you wish to do the trip and go forward five hundred years?

How about doing it now? Henry suggested. I can then go back to Jane this afternoon having had a great new lifetime, be cured completely and be able to give her a good lay.

You hope. The professor looked sternly at him over his glasses. He still wore his worn out jacket and stained striped tie that he had always worn. Henry hoped that he had several of the same design. The professor was not so unworldly as to simply wear exactly the same clothes every single day. He just did not want to think about clothes.

Henry added: Jane and I have an agreement that we can operate freely as regards sex on our time travel trips, on the understanding that when we come back what has happened has happened and we are as committed as ever to each other.

Henry had on what he hoped would not be too odd in the future. A pair of jeans and a plain white t-shirt with a blue sweater and warm anorak in case it was cold.

OK, the Professor said. The equipment is in the laboratory permanently set up. So I can set the readings and off you go. I will see you a lifetime later in your case, or a microsecond in my case.

Henry was flabbergasted. He had not really expected the Professor to agree, let alone to agree to do it now.

Do you not want me to do some specific scientific tests, as before, to test something out? Henry asked. His voice had started to quaver again. He struggled to control it but it just went off on a strange wavering tone that went up and down uncontrollably.

Nope, the Professor said. I think that going five hundred years into the future is experiment enough.

Do you think that the lab and the building will still be there in five hundred years’ time? Henry asked. I am taking some gold with me as before, so I have something of value to swap for money.

I would think that they would want to keep historic buildings like ours, the Professor replied. It has been here for five hundred years already and I see no reason for it not to be here in five hundred years. Anyway if it is not, you simply swap places with whatever is there. If it is a brick wall then the wall comes back here momentarily before you return after your lifetime.

The professor indicated with his finger. Come with me to the lab. This should be fascinating.

It was not far to the lab and as Henry sat in the old familiar seat he felt a trembling nervousness sweep through every muscle in his body. However it was not the trembling he had become used to from his post traumatic stress. Now it came from anticipation. This, he felt, was positive.

The professor fiddled with the dials as before. Try to bring back some more lottery numbers, if they keep that sort of silly data in five hundred years’ time.

I will do.

Ready?

As ready as I ever will be, Henry said grimly, trying to stop his words from quivering too much.

Henry felt the familiar swirl, almost sick-making. He closed his eyes, waited a moment to gather himself together, and then opened his eyes again.

The Professor had been right. The room was still there, except now there was no time travel machinery and no Professor. Henry stood up unsteadily, careful not to drop his Krugerrand gold coins. His hands shook violently and uncontrollably. He grasped the back of the chair that he had travelled on, just a normal high backed wooden chair.

For some reason there were lights on in the room, perhaps they came on when they sensed someone’s presence. That at least implied that there were still people and the human race still existed. There was something moving slowly over the floor and after watching it for a moment Henry concluded that it was a cleaner. The whole room was spick and span. However along the walls and indeed on the floor were picture and what looked like very realistic representations of flowers.

Henry went towards the door, which was still in the same place it had been five hundred years ago. It felt odd to walk on what looked like flowers but felt like a solid normal floor. The door swung open at his approach, accompanied by a perfumed version of fresh air.

Henry went out into the deserted passageway and went in the direction that he assumed the front door was. Suddenly someone turned into the corridor ahead of him and walked towards him. It was a woman and she was completely topless!

Chapter 2 - Future World

Henry stopped and stared as the woman walked totally unconcerned towards him. She had what looked like a tablet in her hand. All she wore was a pair of skimpy shorts and some soft flat canvas style shoes. Her whole visible skin was decorated, which was nearly all of it. He had no doubt that her serpent diagram that disappeared into her shorts continued to its obvious destination. Her hair was a bright purple and she was extremely heavily made up. She was small.

She became aware that he was staring at her and it was her turn to stare in astonishment at him.

She carried on walking, seemingly totally unconcerned that she was topless. Her ample breasts swung with the rhythm of her walk, which had become less rhythmical and less purposeful. The design of her body paint emphasised her bare boobs, with a focus on each nipple. Henry wondered what the building was used for now, was it some sort of almost nudist group?

Henry stayed to one side of the corridor as she walked past him. She stared back at him.

Howdy, she said, and swung her head slowly as she passed to stare some more at him.

Howdy, Henry replied. At least that was recognisable, although Americanisation of the language seemed to have gone a step further.

She carried on down the corridor away from him.

Henry wondered further whether this building had become a brothel, or a topless party haunt, or maybe women simply all dressed like that in this time. The latter seemed unlikely.

Henry continued towards the outside door, passing through another door that opened automatically for him.

He went outside into the street.

The first thing that hit him was the heat. It was hot. It was like stepping out from an air conditioned plane at Bangkok airport into a wall of humid heat, except that here the heat was greater. Perhaps it was summer, or perhaps there was global warming.

He then saw a couple more women. Again they were dressed very like the woman he had just seen in the lab building. They were topless, with short shorts and flat thin shoes. They were both decorated over their whole body and again their bare breasts were the focus of the decoration. One had a lizard design crawling up her front between her bare boobs and the other woman had a floral design, incorporating her bare nipples into the flower pictures.

Henry tried not to stare at them, but they stared at him. This topless theme extended to outside the building.

Henry felt uncomfortable. Clearly jeans and white t-shirt were not the usual things to wear here. He also carried his sweater and anorak which seemed redundant.

Henry crossed over the road. Even though this was a back street the walls were decorated and brightly lit either by the hot sun or by lights. The roadway shone with a gold glow.

Henry hurried towards what used to be a main street, past the two women who had stopped to stare at him. They were obviously discussing him animatedly.

Henry approached the main street. Before he reached it he saw people crossing in front of him. There was no sign of the automated cars he had seen in his previous visit to an earlier future. They all seemed to be walking now.

Henry observed some more women cross in front of him. At least not everyone was topless, although a high percentage of the women were. Several of the women held hands with each other. Henry started to wonder about the men. He needed to see some men to see how he was meant to dress.

Then with a shock he saw two men. They also just had short shorts on and were similarly topless. At first Henry thought that they were women but soon saw that they were flat chested. They did not obviously have body hair, apart from highly decorated, but short, hair on their heads. They also held hands.

Another woman was coming down his side road towards him this time with a skimpy top on. Henry decided that perhaps he should take his t-shirt off, although that would show his skin was not decorated.

The woman stopped and stared at him as he took his shirt off. When she saw his hairy chest she giggled and trotted on past him.

Maybe a bare hairy chest was worse than a t-shirt, Henry thought, so he put his shirt back on. He would just have to brazen it out. Maybe they would think that he was in fancy dress, or part of a play about the olden days.

Henry walked defiantly onto the main road and suddenly realised that his hands had stopped shaking. Maybe he could live a more normal shake-free life here.

He walked down the street, trying not to stare at the many topless women who brushed unconcernedly past him all the time. Some stared and pointed at him, but generally if he pushed confidently on they simply let him do so. He tried to listen to what they said, but much of it was unintelligible, with smatterings of familiar English words pronounced oddly.

There were many more women here than men. He occasional man also gave him an odd look.

Henry glanced in at the shops. They did not look like shops in that no-one seemed to buy anything or come out holding anything. Maybe they were ‘experience zones’, or all purchases were automatically delivered to them at home.

Henry headed for where he hoped that he might find a bank, if they still existed. He came to what used to be the biggest bank in Cambridge. Although the ancient building was still there, it looked like another ‘experience zone’ of some kind.

Henry walked in. There were several booths where people, usually topless women, went in and out of. Henry spotted a counter at the end with the immortal word ‘bank’ above it. There was a woman sitting behind the counter, which felt so delightfully old fashioned.

Henry went up to her and took out some of his Krugerrand gold that he had brought with him.

I would like to change these for cash, Henry said. He hoped that his old fashioned English would be understood.

Prdoon? the woman behind the counter said, looking completely flummoxed. She was dressed in a short skirt, a white formal shirt and a little bow tie. This all felt almost normal. There was no protective glass, only a counter between him and her.

Gold, Henry said as he pointed to the gold coins. I want cash. He looked at the woman hopefully.

Gold, she said and took it from him. She popped it into a machine, presumably to verify it and to weigh it. Henry knew that the gold would gradually deteriorate as parts of it started to return to their home time, until it was all gone. He would only survive this process because he was organic and the lost atoms would be replenished by his body from his food.

ID she said.

I have no ID, Henry said, hoping that she understood.

She stood up, grabbed his left hand and put his wrist on top of a marked area on the counter. The cashier saw that there was no response and pushed his hand away.

Identi-bracelet she demanded.

Henry understood that. Identi-bracelets had been common when he had moved forward a hundred years. Clearly nowadays it was more usual to have something embedded into one’s wrist, but clearly identi-bracelets were still used.

No identi-bracelet, Henry shrugged his shoulders. He was amazed that his shaking had almost stopped. At least that was good. He had to focus on what was going on.

The woman gave a big sigh. Clearly he was an awkward customer. Henry became aware of two topless women who had come to stand very close behind him, their breasts almost brushing into his arms as they stood either side of him and chatted to each other in a difficult to understand language. He would sound very odd to them too when he talked.

Nominated female? the woman said very slowly, aware that he may not understand. Maybe she thought that he was a dimwit.

Henry was thrown. He understood but had no idea what he was meant to say. Whose female name was he meant to give, or did he have some sort of female name he was meant to use for some reason?

Gold. Cash. Henry said hopefully. Clearly he needed an ID to do this transaction, or even a female name!

Gold, yes the cashier said and waved the gold at him. Cash, no. Cash [something] not exist [something].

Henry understood some of this, partly as she spoke slowly. Now it was becoming clearer. Cash no longer existed. It was all done on an identi-bracelet or identi-wrist or perhaps via a third party who was expected to be female.

No identi-bracelet, Henry said. No wrist ID. I take gold back.

He reached over to try to get his gold coins back from where they sat under the machine scanner.

No, the cashier said. [something] supervisor [something].

OK, Henry said. He would wait. Everyone who looked like they worked here were women with skirts, shirts and bow ties.

The cashier motioned for him to stand to one side.

The two topless women behind him immediately came forward before he had a chance to move and brushed their bare breasts against both of his arms, simultaneously, one on each side. They smiled at him as they did so in an unconcerned and sexless way. Their boobs wobbled after coming off his arms.

The supervisor appeared and she had a quick word with the cashier, which Henry understood little