Olsen Dairy Farm Ch. 01

The Olsen 'family' Dairy farm had begun as a smallholding some two hundred years in the distant past. As time ground on most of the other local farms sold up to the ever growing big farming companies or vanished into housing development. The Olsen farm struggled on defiantly, slowly lagging further and further behind its competitors until the farm was only kept afloat by locals who trusted in the quality of their produce.

Then some five years ago, the fickle hand of fate touched the small ailing farmstead. John Olsen the young farmer who had only recently taken over from his aging father won the lottery, he surprised his neighbours by staying on his land and investing his new found fortune into cutting edge modern technology rather than indulging in luxuries. His investment turned his dilapidated farm into a high tech modern business and began to spread the local fame of its produce into the start of a nationally known brand.

His daughter, Cindy thought it was the stupidest idea in the world.

"But daddy I have things I need to be doing this week. I was going to go shopping," she whined pouting at her father's exasperated expression.

"You can waste your allowance another time Cindy. I'm three men down with this damn flu and if I don't make the show I'll lose customers. The whole farm is automated, you just have to keep an eye on things and call me if we get any more glitches," Her father replied glaring at her, "It will do you some good to actually do some chores around here instead of wasting your time flirting at boys."

Cindy knew when she could get past her father and from the sound of it this wasn't going to be one of those times. He was a big man, his receding hairline just starting to show a touch of grey at the temples with the deep tan and rough skin of a man who had worked outside almost every day in his life.

At eighteen Cindy looked the very opposite of the typical farmers daughter, she was just over 5'5" tall, slim and tanned, with long manicured nails, cascading waves of blonde highlighted hair and pert C cup breasts outlined clearly under a near scandalously tight designer summer dress.

"But daddy you're going to be gone three weeks," she began to protest again stretching out his name in a pleading tone that usually melted her father's resolve.

"But nothing sweetheart, all the big buyers go to the stock shows. I'm going to be shorthanded as it is - even your younger brother is coming and heaven knows I'd take you instead if you had ever showed the slightest interest in the family business in your entire life."

"Why can't you just hire on more men?" she protested snappily, "Grandpa said the farm used to need five times the workers it does now."

"This is the Olsen family farm Cindy and damn it all you are family, so for once in your life you will do as your told. The farm doesn't need more men it just needs the ones it's got to get over this flu bug that's been going around. We are a family business honey we don't need outside help," Her father replied snappily.

"Yeah well we're supposed to be entirely organic too but that doesn't stop you pumping the cows full of that crap you get delivered each month," Cindy retorted nastily, from the look that flashed across her father's face she knew immediately that she had gone too far.

"You are doing it and that's final!" her father snapped angrily, "And if you don't do it you will lose your allowance for the next six months - and don't think I won't find out, I'll check the security logs when I get home to make sure you did a good job."

With that final ultimatum delivered her father stormed off outside, the sounds of one of the livestock transports starting up and rumbling away signalling his departure from the farm with the rest of the family leaving her on her own.

Normally Cindy avoided home as much as possible, she had recently flunked out of college showing little desire for study and no desire at all to find a job to the despair of her family. She spent most of her time hanging out with her friends or off spending her allowance and seldom if ever did any chores about the place, so instead of beginning the list of chores her father had given her she settled herself down in her room to sulk over her unfair families unrealistic demands on her time.

Eventually however the threat of losing her substantial allowance outweighed her desire to sulk so she went outside and walked the short distance to the grey steel dairy buildings.

Signing in at the entrance she looped an ID necklace around her neck and walked along the long observation gantry that led to the control room, below her whole herds of cattle were being cared for by the automated system - inspected, milked, cleaned and fed by machines that carefully monitored each individual cow. The farm had twelve huge barns just like this one with another set up as an automated slaughterhouse all controlled by a sophisticated computer system that meant the farm could handle many more times its original stock with only a fraction of the manpower.

Oblivious to the great mass of mooing cattle beneath her she opened the door leading to the control room and threw herself into a chair, she checked the screens and the long panel of numbered green lights, the entire system was set up to flag any anomalies it couldn't fix itself, so as long as none of the lights went red the entire place ran itself, with the workers on hand only to oversee things and top up the vast tanks of feed and other supplies.

She sat listening to her IPod until the system announced it was entering its 'sleep' phase to allow the vast amount of cattle to rest until morning and then logged herself out of the system and headed for bed.

***

The beeping of an alarm woke Cindy in the early hours of the morning. Unlike the rest of her relatives, Cindy usually slept in till noon but the steady beeping noise was not coming from her alarm.

Sitting up sleepily she realised that the noise was coming from her father's room down the hall, the computer system was programmed to wake her father in case of a problem and from the sound of the shrill beeping there was definitely something wrong.

Swearing under her breath she got up rubbing sleep out of her eyes and threw on her red dressing gown and slippers. Heading outside she noticed with disgust that it was still dark, the cold night wind whipping around her bare legs and cutting through her dressing gown and the flimsy negligee she had on underneath it making her shiver and hurry towards the farm sheds.

Ignoring the log in desk she opened the door and dashed inside, the giant barn was heated to keep the stock comfortable and despite the strong smell of a large amount of livestock crammed into a limited space it was a welcome relief from the biting cold.

Hurrying to the control room she saw a single

blinking red light labelled 'intake pen' on the board and taking a seat she tried to bring up a view of the problem.

"Bertha, identify the problem in the intake pen," she commanded.

"UNAUTHORISED ACCESS IN CONTROL AREA," the computers voice was a deep, synthesized feminine drawl that set Cindy's teeth on edge. Her father had jokingly nicknamed the system Bertha and the name seemed to oddly fit the mechanical sounding voice.

"Bertha I'm not unauthorised its Cindy quit messing around," she snapped, "Don't tell me you have another bug dad will think I broke you."

"USER ID NOT FOUND, YOUR ACCESS IS NOT AUTHORISED," Bertha droned in her normal inflectionless tone.

"I'm right here you stupid computer," she snapped back at the machine attempting to type in the code manually.

"CINDY IS NOT LOGGED INTO THE SYSTEM," the computer replied her screens flashing up access denied.

Cindy realised that she hadn't stopped to log herself into the system because it was so cold in the entrance and her ID tag was sat on her bedside table, the stupid computer was programmed to recognise her voice but only it appeared if she was logged in.

"SYSTEM ERROR IN INTAKE PEN SYSTEM WILL PROCEED TO THIRD STAGE ALERT IN EIGHT MINUTES," Bertha announced making Cindy wince.

If the system logged an error, it first sounded an alarm in the control room for fifteen minutes, then moved to stage two sounding an alarm in the house and at stage three the stupid computer would call her father's mobile phone no doubt getting her into deep trouble. However it would take at least that long to get her ID and log back in, she would never be able to turn off the alarm in time, so she reluctantly hurried out to the intake pens to see if she could find the problem.

Unlike the rest of the building, the intake pen was partially open to the elements. A long corral was designed to funnel new cows from the trucks into the barn where the automated machines would log them into the system and lead them inside. Unfortunately it was also the only place without concrete flooring, her father had only taken a delivery of new stock a couple of days ago and it had been raining steadily since, making the pen a treacherous morass of muddy slurry.

Almost immediately she saw the problem, one of the mechanical arms that processed new stock was sliding aimlessly back and forth as it attempted to return to the 'ready' position its track blocked by what looked like a dead bird stuck in the mechanism.

"Damn stupid machine, birds must have been roosting on the track again," Cindy muttered. She fetched a long handled broom from a storage closet and tried to knock the corpse loose by hitting it on the overhead track. Unfortunately the malfunctioning machine was stuck right in the middle of the pen and it looked like she would have to wade through the muck to fix the problem.

Taking off her expensive slippers she climbed over the fence and gingerly put her foot down into the mud her toes sinking into the icy cold black mess.

"Eeeeew daddy you are so going to give me a raise on my allowance for this," she squealed squirming in distaste as she reluctantly put her other foot down and started to carefully edge her way into the pen. The thick mud crept up over her ankles and half way up her calves before she got more than three feet into the pen forcing her to pull against its sucking grip with each step.

Remembering how much time she probably had left she tried to hurry but she only managed to overbalance herself and with a shriek she fell face down into the sticky black glop.

Struggling upright she dragged off her ruined dressing gown and used it to wipe the filth off her face spitting foul tasting goo and trying not to be sick. she struggled to her feet and using the broom like a walking stick managed to squelch her way over to the malfunctioning mechanism.

Using the head of the broom she dislodged the dead bird from the machines track and stood leaning on the broom for support and shaking with the cold as the freed arm trundled off into the darkness, she was a complete mess her once red silk negligee torn and covered in filth one strap fluttering free and smeared head to foot in filth she stood there gasping in air so chilled by the icy wet mud that she felt almost frozen to the spot.

Distantly she heard the deep buzzing noise of the morning alarm sounding the start of a new work day the sky only just turning a pale shade of pink in the east as dawn approached, she was so numb she barely noticed the approaching hum as the same mechanical arm returned along its track but she certainly paid attention when the steel cable of the leash attached to the arm dropped over her head and pulled itself tight.

Gasping and struggling like a gaffed fish she let go of the broom and pulled in vain at the cold steel noose that began to firmly lead her towards the entrance to the rest of the barn, the machine was used to guiding dairy cows many times her strength and mass and the young girl was faced with the choice of stumbling along or being suffocated by the dragging cable.

Helpless Cindy floundered through the morass held up by the arm as it directed her slowly and patiently into the building, she was dragged through the thick rubber sheets that helped keep the heat from escaping and led up to the inspection station.

More mechanical arms whirred into life and a glowing green line tracked up her body as the computer mapped her into its database.

"ANOMALOUS STOCK IN INDUCTION AREA," Bertha's synthetic voice growled "STOCK DOES NOT MATCH WITH ANY BREED SILHOUETTE IN DATABASE."

"It's me Bertha, let me go you stupid machine, its Cindy!" the struggling young girl shouted pulling at the noose around her neck.

"CINDY IS NOT LOGGED INTO THE SYSTEM," the computer replied "LOGGING ANOMALOUS BREED TYPE AND BEGINNING ASSESSMENT."

"No you stupid piece of junk! I'm Cindy, I'm not a damn cow let me go!" with mounting horror she saw a computer image of her body appear on the station monitor, she tried in vain to reach the emergency release button but the cable round her neck kept it far out of her reach and she had lost the broom outside.

The mechanical arms whirred around her, one continued to play the green laser line over her body while another slender arm behind her whirred in bearing a trio of long needles which it unceremoniously jabbed into her mud stained backside.

"OWWW! Get off me you stupid machine," Cindy shouted trying her best to dance away from the stabbing needles which moved with her drawing vials of her blood for analysis.

The needle arm withdrew and the noose pulled her forward onto a steel plate set in the floor which rocked slightly as she stepped on it, out of the corner of her eye she could see the screen listing her height weight and dimensions.

"ASSESSMENT COMPLETE, ANOMALOUS STOCK REGISTERED AS IMMATURE MILK STOCK 0024601M"

"Nooooo!" Cindy screamed, the computer had taken her details and mistakenly decided she was a calf and logged her into the system as livestock.

The noose started moving again, dragging her off the plate and deeper into the processing area through another set of heavy rubber sheets. On the other side rows of water jets hissed into life spraying her from head to foot with powerful blasts of stinging icy water, no matter how she struggled and protested the mechanical arm kept the tension on the noose tight enough to hold her and forced her inexorably through the icy water.

The next row of jets sprayed her with a foul smelling bluish liquid that burned her eyes and made her gag, after a thorough dousing she was led again to a third set of jets and again sprayed with icy water.

Blinking away tears from the stinging fluid, Cindy was dragged to another terminal station where heavily padded bars pushed against her sides almost squashing her, another arm lowered behind her and pressed against her tender rump and with a hiss branded her ass with the Olsen's Dairy brand.

Screaming in pain Cindy tried to struggle but the pads held her fast as another machine swung in and with a click shot the stud of a stock tag through her right earlobe.

The sobbing young girl was released from the padded restraints and dragged out into an empty paddock where the constricting cable was finally released letting her collapse to her knees.

After a few minutes sobbing Cindy collected herself enough to stand on shaky legs and look around, having never paid any attention to the workings of the farm she didn't even have the slightest idea where she was but there was an access gate leading out of the pen so she hobbled over to it and attempted to pull it open, the moment she touched the metal fence a powerful jolt of electricity shocked her leaving her hand stinging and numb.

"Dammit Bertha turn off the fence I need to get out this is Cindy identify my voiceprint you stupid heap of junk."

"CINDY VOICEPRINT CONFIRMED, STOCK 0024601M IDENTIFIED AS CINDY," Bertha's voice echoed from a speaker in the rafters.

"At last! Okay you know it's me so log me into the system," Cindy replied feeling a wave of relief that she was finally getting somewhere.

"PLEASE CONFIRM YOU WISH TO MODIFY SYSTEM RECORDS AND UPDATE PERSONAL TEMPLATE?" the computer rasped.

"Yes whatever just let me go," Cindy begged trying her best not to cry.

"SUBJECT CINDYS TEMPLATE UPDATED," Bertha replied a nearby screen flashing up with her ID picture instead of the livestock details, Cindy rushed forwards to try the gate again but again she was given a hefty jolt of electricity sending her flying backwards onto the hard concrete.

"What the fuck Bertha why didn't you turn off the damn current," Cindy snapped getting back to her feet and self-consciously attempting to adjust her ruined nightgown.

"ELECTRIC FENCE ACCESS IS ONLY GRANTED TO AUTHORISED SYSTEM PERSONEL, SUBJECT CINDY HAS CONFIRMED TEMPLATE CHANGE FROM PERSONEL TO LIVESTOCK ALL SECURITY ACCESS HAS BEEN REVOKED."

"No that's not what I meant you stupid piece of garbage change it back," Cindy screamed in frustration rushing at the door and trying to force it open despite the stinging current.

"UNABLE TO COMPLY LIVESTOCK DO NOT HAVE ACCESS TO TEMPLATE CONTROL," Bertha chimed helpfully her mechanical arms swinging back into motion and throwing another steel noose over Cindy's head.

The computer ignored Cindy's protests as it dragged her through another gate and deeper into the facility its confusion over her status finally cleared up the computer ignored her increasingly desperate pleas as it guided her past long rows of cattle pens until it found an empty quarantine stall allocated for the new livestock and led it inside.

Cindy was dragged into a concrete pen and released once the electrified gate had closed behind her, all around her she could hear the sound of the farm processing the herd and the lowing of the cattle as they were guided through their daily routine.

The walls of the pen went up about six foot and with the exception of a concrete trough in one corner it was completely bare, the track overhead was hung with assorted mechanical equipment but it was all well out of reach.

She immediately tried to climb over the wall of the stall but her fingers almost immediately found the electrified wire that ran along the top sending her crashing back into the pen.

"Come on there's got to be a way out of this," Cindy muttered to herself looking around in desperation. One of the long mechanical arms dangling above the pen was only just out of reach if she jumped for it if only she had something she could stand on she could pull herself up on it and scramble up to the observation gantry above and get out of this nightmare.

Suddenly she had an idea, taking off her ruined silk negligee she twisted it up and tied a knot in the fabric turning her last shred of clothing into a crude rope which she started trying to hook on the dangling mechanical arm, on the fifth try the knot caught in the crook of the metal arm and Cindy tugged hard on it checking that it would hold her weight.

"So long Bertha I'm going to have daddy turn you into scrap when he gets home," Cindy muttered jumping as high as she could and starting to desperately scramble up the silk.

Unfortunately Bertha's sensors registered the sudden weight on the arm and after registering that stock was attempting to leave its pen labelled her as a problem animal. The mechanical arms that had hung limply around her as she began her climb sprang into life and after a few moments frantic struggle Cindy lost her grip and fell back into the pen followed by the reaching arms.

One arm strapped a thick woven steel collar around her neck and pulled it tight the mechanism adjusting the fit to her neck automatically but the width of the restraint meant for the longer neck of a cow forced her head up as it dug painfully against her jaw and collarbones. Long cables were attached to the collar and clipped to pulleys built into the floor and ceiling which whirred into life locking her head at a set height as a thick nylon sling was passed under her stomach and pulled gently tight forming a cradle that raised her onto her tiptoes. More needle tipped arms diagnostic arms whirred down piercing her already sore backside and injecting her with a tranquiliser meant for a much larger animal.