“I can’t wait,” I replied dryly.
“You can’t wait for what?” Strave asked staring at me blankly.
I sighed then reached up to massage my temple. “Never mind. Look I think it will be a while before you see me jumping around and climbing up walls like the damned overseer did. The symbiote, she’s not at full strength yet and until she is I won’t crawling around like a damned spider. Got it?”
Strave’s face broke out into a grin. “Damn, well can’t blame a boy for asking, can you?”
I turned to Mara shaking my head and repeated myself. “What’s next?”
Training with the rebels had been an educational experience, and it had gone on for hours. They’d tested just about everything from my reflexes to how hard a punch I could throw. So when I finally got back to my room, I think it goes without saying that I was pretty freaking tired. The funny thing was when I set my head down on my pillow I couldn’t fall asleep. I kept thinking of landing on Strave and fighting down my sudden attraction toward him.
God, I was attracted to Strave? What was wrong with me? I sat up and cupped my face in my hands. I felt so… weird. My nipples were hard and my… ‘gulp’ vagina was wet. God, I was turned on! Turned on by the very thought of Strave, a man! I shuddered and tried to force those thoughts out of my head, but they wouldn’t go away.
Abruptly, I felt a pair of hands on my neck and I leapt of the bed yelping in surprise. Khala’s illusory form was knelt on the bed next to where I’d been sitting. “What the hell do you want?”
She smiled at me and perfectly mimicked a cat’s purr.”You’re feeling aroused. I thought I could help you with that.”
I blinked and slowly shook my head. “Why?”
She shrugged. “I feel what you feel. I can help relieve some of that sexual tension brewing within you. It’s to both of our advantage.”
“God! What the hell is wrong with you?! You actually think I want to feel this way? I’m a man goddamn you! I want nothing so much as to take Kaya in my arms and make love to her, but you screwed that up for me didn’t you!”
Khala’s face suddenly changed as her body, shifted and abruptly in her place was the splitting image of Kaya. Oh, she still had the blue hair and pink eyes, but in every other way she was identical to the woman I loved right down to the clothes she was wearing and her haircut.
“I can be her if you want,” she whispered then suddenly her face and body morphed to look like Strave. “Or I could be him.”
I took several steps back and shook my head. “God no! Not that! Just… Oh god!”
I took a deep breath then closed my eyes, and when I opened them again Khala had reverted back to her normal form. “I think it’s pretty obvious I still don’t understand humans. Look, this whole arousal thing is driving me slightly mad. I just want to help you so I can have some peace.”
“God this is all so fucked up,” I swallowed hard staring down at my erect nipples which were poking through my shirt.
I looked back at Khala who was looking back at me with a raised eyebrow and a smirk. “The offer still stands.”
I palmed my face with both hands then took a few tentative steps toward her. “Okay… let’s do this.” I swallowed hard and whispered the last few words once I was close.
Khala’s face stretched into a grin just before she kissed me. They may not have been real, but those phantom lips sure felt nice locked around mine. I unbuttoned my blouse unclasped my bra and let both fall to the floor before I collapsed onto the bed–slipping off my slacks and panties along with them as I did so–and let Khala have her way with me.
I came awake gradually and let out a long sigh as my eyes cracked open. I felt around the bed and found it empty. Never before that moment had I felt Kaya’s loss more keenly. Whenever the two of us made love I always woke up and found her laying there beside me. I felt so alone, so lost without her there to hold in my arms.
Khala was a poor substitute. She didn’t even have a physical presence outside of my body. Her touch felt real enough, but it just hadn’t been the same. Still… the feel of her hands on my breasts… I shuddered thinking about how good it had felt. It had felt wrong in so many ways, not just because I was in the wrong body, but also because it was with the wrong lover. Somehow it felt almost as if I’d been cheating on Kaya. It sounds silly I know, but I’d been with Kaya for over six months and then to have our relationship end so abruptly it was heartrending.
Then there was Strave… I was attracted to him that much was certain, but the idea of being with a man was repulsive and Strave well he was pretty repulsive too. He was attractive, I would admit that much, but he was so full of himself and he had that thing going on with Kaya. What was that about anyway? I knew he was mocking her, but there had to be some reason for it.
I shook my head again, looked down at my naked chest and blushed at the thought of Khala’s pretend lips kissing my nipples. I slowly sat up, slid out of bed and swooped down to grab my discarded clothes from the floor. I quickly dressed, then grabbed a fresh set of clothes and made my way to the shower room with Jaysen trailing me as I made my way.
“My dear, you certainly look ravishing this morning, if you don’t mind me saying,” Strave pronounced looming over me.
I ran a hand through my still wet hair and felt my cheeks burn as I looked up at him. “Just… please don’t,” I muttered biting my lips and staring up at him with wide eyes.
“You heard her, Strave!” Jaysen said suddenly stepping between the two of us.
“Oh look, the lost puppy has found himself a new master,” Strave grinned and shook his head. “How are we doing today, Jaysen?”
“Bite me Strave!” Jaysen growled planting his fists on his hips and glaring up at the much taller man.
“Well, I’ll see you two around!” Strave pronounced letting out a soft chuckle as he disappeared down the corridor.
“Lost puppy?” I asked turning to meet Jaysen’s gaze. “What he mean by that?”
Jaysen stiffened as his face turned bright red, “It was nothing! It’s… it’s probably best not to think about it.”
I shrugged, and pursed my lips, but didn’t press the matter any further. Whatever that exchange had been about, Jaysen didn’t seem real keen on sharing and I certainly wasn’t going to push him. If he wanted to tell me what it had been about then he would do so in his own good time.
“Oh, I almost forgot,” Jaysen said suddenly. “Mara wanted you to pay her a visit. She said something about… an interview… or something.”
“An interview? Are you sure that’s what she said?”
Jaysen shrugged, “I think so. I wasn’t really paying much attention. My mind was on…” he trailed off his eyes lingering on my chest before his cheeks again turned bright red and he looked away. “Other things!”
“Well, I guess I’ll find out soon enough. Come on, let’s go see what she wants,” I said motioning for him to follow as I started down the hallway.
“Jellfree, please sit,” Mara said with a hand extended to a small steel table with odd square hatches near its edges, as I stepped into the small dark room.
“Jaysen, if you could please step outside and lock the door behind you. I want to talk to Jellfree…” she added suddenly, glancing back at my tail who had followed me through the doorway. “Alone.”
He glanced from me to Mara and back again then nodded and stepped back outside latching the door shut behind him.
I sat down frowning up at Mara and swallowed hard as she stared at me between pursed lips. “Put your hands on the table over those squares.”
“Mara, what’s this about?” I shook my head.
She scowled and pulled an odd and large pistol from within her jacket and trained it on me, “This is a .44 Magnum, at one point it in our history was considered the most powerful handgun in the world. It fires bullets not
phase energy and with the right ammunition it’s capable of blowing the head off an ordinary human. I think it’s capable of hurting even you so do as I say!”
I swallowed a second time and placed my hands on the squares as she had indicated. I probably could have taken her, but something told me if I wanted to gain her trust, and by association the other rebels, I needed to play along. The hatches suddenly snapped open and dozens of strange black tendrils shot out and secured themselves tightly around my wrists. I tried to struggle and even managed to break a few of the cords, but for every one that I broke three more locked themselves around my wrists. I tried to stand up, but then more strings shot out from the chair grabbing at my waist and legs, forcing me back down into a sitting position.
“I wouldn’t bother struggling; the table and chair were designed to adjust for the strength of the detainee. I doubt even you could break free and if you’re thinking about trying to drain the power source I’ve had it completely insulated and if you did manage to somehow get through it it’s designed to maintain its hold in case of sudden power loss. I’m sorry for this, dear child, but I must know if it’s really you holding the reins. I don’t trust that thing inside of you,” she said folding her arms across her chest.
‘Children’s games, but I guess for the time being I will play along,’ Khala said her voice full of mirth as it echoed through my head.
“God dammit Mara! Is all this necessary!?”
“Absolutely,” Mara said tucking the gun back into her waistband. “Jellfree, assuming it really is you, I’d like you to give over control to Khala. The symbiote and I have some things to discuss.”
“I’m not really sure that’s such a good idea…” I took a deep breath and shook my head. “Khala isn’t the least bit intimidated by all this.”
“It doesn’t matter. I need to know one way or the other. That thing has put me in a rather difficult position and I need to know if I can trust it.”
I bit my lip and slowly nodded, closed my eyes and gave control over to the K’teth. Instantly my eyes snapped back open and I felt surge of amusement from Khala as Mara gasped.
“What is it you want, human?” Khala snapped staring at Mara with my eyes unblinking.
Mara took a seat opposite from me, leaning back in her chair as she spoke. “What I want is information, starting with troop movements, then you can tell me all about the current number of Qharr and K’teth on Earth and whatever else you can give me.”
I felt my face stretch into a smile as throaty laugh resounded from my throat. “You are asking me to betray my own kind.”
Mara leaning in closely and narrowed her eyes, “Assuming this all isn’t some elaborate ruse you and I both know what will happen if the Qharr get their hands on you. From what I know of the gray-skins I doubt you’ll live to tell what happened.”
Khala pursed my lips and shook my head, “You are very correct, but I don’t really care how the masters might react. I care about the K’teth I would be betraying. We are very few in number; I am looking out for the survival of my race.”
“Is that why you possessed Jellfree?”
“That was a happy surprise. My host was dying and I leapt into Jellfree out of desperation. I did not truly believe I would be able to join with her.”
‘Her?!’ I protested. ‘Unless I’ve been seriously head-fucked I was a guy before you and I met.’
‘Semantics,’ she answered back. ‘You are female now even if you don’t wish to accept it.’
“I just don’t understand… Why after living so long would you suddenly decide to oppose your masters?” Mara leaned back and folding her arms across her chest.
“You cannot understand what it is like to be K’teth. We are dependent upon our host for our very survival. A symbiote can only remain outside of a host’s body for a few minutes without dying! How do you suppose I could have ever rebelled against my masters when I am dependent upon my bond with one just to live! You at least are capable of self-sufficiency!” she yelled glowering at Mara.
“That still doesn’t answer my question, not completely. Why… rebel? Why remained joined with a human when that human is embroiled in what must be to you a hopeless cause?”
Khala bowed my head and closed my eyes. “I have never known hope. The gray skins consider it to be for self-deluded fools, but then I joined with Jellfree I knew it for the first time. That is when I finally understood what a beautiful thing it is. Before I served the masters because I believed there was no other path I could take, but now I know better. Before the Qharr conquered Earth you humans had freedom of choice I think that is something worth fighting for.”
“Pretty words, but actions speak louder than the load of crap spewing out from your mouth. As of yet you haven’t given me any reason to trust you,” Mara responded.
My eyes snapped back open and Khala gritted my teeth leaning in as closely to the table as the tendrils would allow. “Trust this then human. I hate the masters with every molecule of my gelatinous body and I will die fighting before I submit myself to them! You humans have given me a chance not just at freedom, but at revenge and I intend to take it.”
Mara placed both her hands on the table and met Khala gaze with unblinking eyes. “That I believe, but it still doesn’t mean I can trust you.”
“No, but it means we have common ground,” Khala muttered quietly. “At the moment our goals follow the same trajectory. Surely, that must give you some reason to trust me.”
Mara shook her head. “Trust is something that must be earned and frankly after what you did to poor Jellfree I don’t see any reason that I should give you my trust.”
“What else would you have me do? I must reproduce! How else can my species gain freedom from the Qharr?! I could bond with a human female, but the very act of severing myself would kill the host! And I very much doubt that my child would survive. She nearly didn’t live through the transition into Jellfree’s body.”
“Isn’t there some way you could give Jellfree the external appearance of being male, but keep his internal organs female?”
“I can combine genes randomly and make a new form for the host, but to create a body such as the one you speak of… That would require a level of manipulation far beyond my abilities and I wouldn’t dare try. The results could be disastrous. ”
Mara glared at Khala, “What about those eyes? I’ve never seen a Qharr with a pair like that. How did you do that?”
“It is not something I just conjured up out of the outer-realms!” she spat. “It’s… I don’t really know where it came from. I just knew how to do it. Much of what I know about such things was passed down to me from my fore-mothers, but many of the older memories become muddled with time. Frankly, I think they look striking.”
Mara pursed her lips, narrowed her eyes, and rapped her fingers against the table’s surface, but didn’t say a thing as she stared across the table her eyes trained on me. Finally, she let out a long sigh. “Tell me what you know about the planetary defenses around Earth.”
My eyes narrowed to slivers and I could feel Khala’s frustration as she gritted my teeth, “Why do you wish to know? Do you really expect to overcome the Qharr here on your planet? Surely you cannot be so deluded. The masters outnumber your people more than two to one. Wouldn’t it be a better plan to escape and find a new home for your species?”
“I want to know and you want my trust. That should be reason enough!”
“P’reck gah klensk!” Khala cursed. “Very well if you wish to know, human, I will tell you. There are ten J’narr and twenty-one B’nurr class destroyers, three orbiting defense platforms all with full compliments of fighters, and a shield grid in place around the planet with redundant emitters scattered across your world. In addition, at any given time there are a large number of ships in for supplies or repairs and if the need arises a number of vessels can be called in from nearby systems.”
‘Holy hell… all that for Earth?’ I asked. ‘Isn’t that overkill even by Q
harr standards?’
‘Compound slaves live an isolated existence so it may come as a bit of a shock to you, but your world has become an important hub for commerce within the empire.’
Mara nodded seemingly unfazed by Khala’s revelation. “Now tell me. How many are there on Earth?”
The symbiote bit my lip and let out a low growl before continuing, “The number varies, but there are over four-hundred-million masters residing here on a permanent basis and as many as ten thousand additional masters at any given time.”
“And the number of humans?” Mara breathed leaning in to stare Khala in my eyes.
“They don’t include slave populations in census data, but… it’s been estimated that there are no more than two hundred million humans living on Earth,” she muttered with a shake of my head.
“Two-hundred million where once there had been billions.” Mara lowered head and shuddered. “Th-that coincides with the data we’ve collected.”
“Now,” she said suddenly standing up and planting her hands on the table in front of her. “Tell me everything.”
“Everything?” Khala asked.
“You were the host to the Overseer, you have to know some information that would be of use to the cause.”
“Jahal was a civilian leader, what exactly do you expect to learn?”
“Whatever you can tell me! Names of important leaders, locations of secret installations, or even the god-damned Sub-Ascendant’s home address! Just give me something!”
“Why didn’t you just say so?” Khala flashed Mara a toothy grin. “I can give you all that and more…”
“Well, I think that is all for now,” Mara said after what seemed an exhaustive round of questions and answers.
“That’s it? What no more questions? Perhaps you’d like to know about K’teth reproductive practices or maybe the qualities I typically look for in potential host? You have asked me nearly every other question imaginable.”
Battle For Earth Page 12