Giles and Jessica Marstone had met at college, worked together in the same accountancy practice and in their late twenties were financially secure enough to think about starting a family. The process took about three years, with interviews, psychometric tests and courses to attend to make sure they knew how to look after their mem. They were overjoyed to be introduced to Tessa and following a small civil ceremony welcomed her into their home.

Tessa was a delight as she had been brought up to be – undemanding, industrious and loving, she was all the Marstones could want and they proudly showed her off. There was only one problem, Tessa had slept in dormitories for most of her life and was painfully lonely alone in her room. All the training courses said this would pass but she cried every night for weeks until Giles and Jessica did what they had been told not to bringing the beautiful, gentle creature into their bed at night.

Physical intimacy with your mem was frowned upon, if not actually banned but Jess and Giles were an affectionate couple and Tessa had been brought up to be loveable. Despite their best efforts they slowly introduced her into their lovemaking.

Mems had to undertake a twelve month probationary period before beginning the process of carrying a child for the adoptive couple. Tessa’s twelve months sped by without a hitch she had the house to look after during the day and older mem friends in the street to visit and entertain who gave her valuable advice on preparing herself for her first baby.

If anything Jessica and Giles became more affectionate as their child began to swell in Tessa’s belly, they pampered her both day and night and basked in the attention they attracted on visits to antenatal classes. There were no labour pains to support a mem through but they elected for a local anaesthetic for the delivery so Tessa could be part of the experience (if well drugged).

The weeks immediately following the birth were even more intimate. Jessica had taken a series of hormone treatments so she could share the breastfeeding burden with Tessa, Giles played the doting Dad to perfection changing Ben’s nappies and taking his turn at quieting the baby at night. Problems only began when both returned to work; Jess became jealous of the time Tessa spent with her baby, while colleagues had been warning them both of the danger of Ben becoming a ‘memmy’s boy’ who would in turn be taken by the mem programme.

For their first time Tessa was banished from their bed at night so they could look after baby Ben. When she started getting up at night to take care of him Tessa found herself locked in her room. It was only the first of several changes the Marstone’s made. They took away most of Tessa’s clothes and gave her a uniform in their place. It was not an unusual step, if they had followed their training to the letter Tessa would have worn uniform from the outset, and been subject to mild corporal punishment. Most upsetting though was the withdrawal of affection when the three of them were physically intimate; when she was taking into their bed again it was not as an equal partner but as an object.