Voyage

by C. Paul Lockman

  “Our policies, however, are not the issue. We need your help in persuading the public that this is the only sensible choice. A permanent state of war helps no-one. And surely we can find it in our hearts to forgive after so many centuries.” Vaira sounded like a true believer, a genuine idealist.

  Falik and I were both sceptical. We agreed to meet again after lunch and filed out. These young people were quite wonderful, we agreed, a little naive, but they had fresh thinking, a more modern perspective driven less by historical wrangling than a desire for peace in our time. I liked them immediately. And they gave me an idea.

  We chose to have lunch alone, and to be permitted access to the local Net, which could be done wirelessly from the dining hall. We sat huddled together, discussing my plan to get Jakalzzi’s public behind us. Falik gawked in disbelief when I told her, then collapsed into giggles at the rude audacity of it, but I gradually won her over. An update email to Takanli, and two to Daedalus, and we were in business.

  The meeting after lunch was short. We continued to agree on almost everything, particularly the enormous problem of persuading the public to back any kind of compromise. Finally, I asked if I might address the mob at the Exhibition Centre. There were furrowed brows. It was pretty crazy down there.

  “We really cannot guarantee your safety. Although you are generally well-liked on Jakalzzi, and your involvement is appreciated, there are some very angry, poorly-educated people out there. Weapons are not impossible to come by, and not impossible to conceal….”

  We discussed security, timings and the outline of my speech. The trio approved, still very wary of the ramifications of my violent death on their planet, and we separated once more to make detailed plans. I grew tired of the jaw-boning. I wanted to get this done and get out of here.

  Just after the afternoon meeting split up, I had a call on my communicator. A voice simply said, “Superfuse”. I smiled and hugged Falik, slightly to her surprise.

  “What are you so jolly about?” I tapped the side of my nose knowingly and we made our way out to the transports.

  Half an hour later we had already landed at the city airport, and were being whisked into town in a convoy of sleek, black vehicles. I felt like the fucking president or something. Falik giggled at the thought. As we came closer to the town centre, traffic slowed and I could see the beginnings of the crowd a few blocks ahead. Traffic police, assisted by hovering cameras and slow, circling gliders above, were doing their best to keep things flowing. We reached the exhibition centre and our driver suddenly turned off, taking the car down a ramp into the bowels of the building. We parked in a remote corner of the garage and were met by a substantial team of reptile guards. These were even bigger than the last bunch and had weapons which resembled guns. Falik thought to me, “actually powered by Frejudium. Never used in anger. These guys are serious about your safety.”

  We climbed a dozen flights of stairs, walked through various offices through various side-doors, and suddenly I was on a massive, open balcony at the front of the building, looking out onto the city. It was smaller than Takanli, less built-up, but populated by neat, glass-and-metal buildings in a loose grid style. The crowd beneath me, in this huge central plaza of the city, was staggering in its size. There had to be a couple of million. They packed the plaza, which was a vast acreage of sacred, public space, and every street leading into it. They were leaning out of windows in their neighbouring buildings, standing on their roofs, even hovering at the edge of the square in gliders or small rotocraft.

  I walked out towards the dais, where a cluster of microphones would broadcast my message, and was met by the loudest applause I had ever heard. Falik continued to send thoughts my way. A massive screen on the side wall of the Exhibition Centre was relaying my image, and every news service in the system would carry the speech live. The crowd were going bananas, and I hadn’t said a word yet. I smiled, trying to relax into this crazy new role, and clasped my hands over my head. I’d seen politicians do it for years, so I thought I’d play along.

  To my amazement, the crowd followed my gesture. Two million people raised their hands and clasped them together, alternating this with applause, hooting and cheering the whole time. “I think it’s working”, I thought to Falik. She was wreathed in giggles, out of sight in the hall behind the balcony. “Oh yes. It is definitely working.” Time to put the icing on this cake.

  “Friends, Jakalzzians, fellow beings…” I began, remembering my Julius Caesar, “how are you doing?” I called, loudly.

  They cheered back.

  “I said, how are you DOING?”

  A massive welter of sound, enough to shake windows, was their response. “Awesome! My friends, it is great that we can be together today”. Warm applause. “We’re together so that we can talk about something which is going to make all of our lives better.” More applause. They were being just perfect. “We’re going to talk about peace. And, what’s more, we’re not just going to talk about it… we’re going to make it!” More yelling, cheering, stamping. This was going better than could have been predicted.

  “No-one likes war. Everyone hates violence. We’d all prefer to just get along together, live in harmony, and enjoy belonging to a wonderful, vibrant society”, I said, gesturing expansively. They responded again, swelling with pride for their civilisation. “Everyone has this right. And today, we’re going to sign a document which will provide this same right for every... single... citizen of the Outer Rim!” They went nuts once more.

  “OK, now I need to ask you a question. Are you listening?”

  YES!

  “I said, are you LISTENING?” My shouts reverberated around the city, broadcast by a hundred speakers.

  Windows shook with their reply. They were, indeed, listening.

  “DO YOU WANT PEACE IN THE OUTER RIM?”

  YES!

  “DO YOU WANT PEACE WITH GASPIRI?”

  YES!!

  “WILL YOU LEARN TO LOVE THE ELDERS, THE RAPTORS, AND ALL BEINGS?”

  YES!!!!

  I raised my hands and clasped them together once more, and the crowd followed me. “THANKYOU!” I bellowed. I gave a signal and from each rooftop in the plaza, fireworks blazed into the sky. My voice, echoing from the loudspeakers, was promptly replaced by a very familiar sequence of chords.

  “Thank you, Jakalzzi, for showing the UNIVERSE”, I stopped to allow them to continue to go nuts, “that peace is possible, that peace is preferable, that peace is INEVITABLE!” Massive cheering. “Now make some fucking NOISE!”

  Born Slippy by Underworld, perhaps the more irresistible dance tune of all time, came thundering through the speakers as the fireworks reached the peak of their display. I don’t care what planet you’re from, I reasoned. If you don’t want to dance to this, you’re clinically dead.

  I withdrew from the balcony as the music took over the city. The largest party the Outer Rim had ever seen had just started. Oh, how I love it when a plan comes together.

  The three delegates were waiting, stunned at this turn of events, but wreathed in smiles, in one of the large meeting rooms. “I think you have your mandate. You have a document for me, I believe?” Signatures were completed, and a Red Cube containing warm greetings from Jakalzzi, proposals for cultural, trade and transport links, and a video of my speech, was compiled and included in the package. “Thank you. I’m afraid we must be going. It has been a pleasure taking part in the politics of this region. I wish you all every success.”

  We shook hands, and as soon as we could manage, Falik and I were back in the glider and on our way to orbit. As the planet receded beneath us, and our view of the city grew, the scale of the party now underway became clear. Falik took video of the amazing spectacle with her communicator. “How? Just tell me that. How?”

  I grinned. “Fine tunes and a little help”. I opened a small compartment in the side of the seat and brought out a small bag of white powder. “This”, I offered, “is good shit.”

  I had emailed the
Captain for one last favour. Using the Net and subspace communication with the Science Ministry, we had gotten hold of a massive collection of Earth music and a fairly comprehensive set of data on recreational drugs. Jakalzzi is naturally a very dry planet, so moisture machines constantly pump out water vapour, creating both a hydro-cycle which promotes clement weather, and a comfortable breathing environment for its populace. Two of the Captain’s most trusted staff had taken a prototype stealth glider down to the surface, quickly infiltrated one of the larger moisture plants, plugged in vials which contained a hastily-engineered MDMA compound, and left without being seen.

  This freshly-laced mixture was duly pumped out into the atmosphere and inhaled by the huge crowds in the plaza. “The rest was merely neurochemistry”, I explained to an utterly stunned Falik. “And the choice of music was pretty obvious. I was on Earth for the 1990s. I know how to party.” I checked the navigation screen. “Daedalus is in a high orbit, ready for departure. We have over an hour before we dock.”

  “Oh, I don’t think it will take that long”, Falik quipped as she unbuckled her seatbelt and floated up to the ceiling. “Now that you’ve joined, I’m sure you’ll want to continue to enjoy your membership of the ‘30,000 mile high club’?” She unzipped her shirt and pants, revealing tantalising glimpses of naked, chocolate-brown skin. I floated up and kissed what she had revealed, wanting to taste her immediately. I pulled down her pants, nudged her knickers a little lower, and bathed the sensitive area just above her pussy with my tongue. “Lick me, Earth Boy”, she whispered. I pulled her pants all the way down, then off, then took hold of her hips and rotated her in the rather cramped cockpit of the glider, so she was facing the ceiling. She quickly lost her panties and opened her legs. I worked on my clothes with my free hand.

  My tongue began at her smaller opening, loving the tightness there, the warmth. I parted the cheeks of her delicious bottom and opened her for my tongue. She began to masturbate, circling her clit with strong fingers, while my tongue tried to make its way into her anus, tickling her entrance as it flickered over it. She turned, trapping my head between her legs, and pressed her pussy against my mouth. She was wet, as always, juices already coating her outer lips, which parted as my tongue searched between them for her entrance. I pushed inside, tickled her opening with quick tongue-strokes, and let my mouth rest over her clit. She knew what was coming and grasped a handle above the window to steady herself.

  I sucked gently until her clit was a prisoner in my mouth, slid up the little hood of her clit, and began gentle, soft, quick strokes across it, side to side, with my tongue. She gasped for a moment, allowed the pleasure to build, and came, exhaling loudly. I let her rest for a few seconds, then began the same, quick strokes. She came again. I sucked deeper and gave her an orgasm just with suction, rhythmically, firmly. Back to tongue-strokes. When she came for the twentieth time, she grasped the handle, opened her legs further, and slid down to straddle me.

  “I love that you are always hard for me”, she purred, latching onto me and wrapping her legs around my ass, pulling me towards her. My cock instantly found her opening and slipped inside easily. She was so very wet. I took hold of two grab-handles and used them to get leverage, beginning a gentle, firm fucking motion. We floated up and treated the padded ceiling as the floor, holding myself in place with one hand and using the other to massage her breasts or stroke her ass (not forgetting to slip a finger inside, to add to her pleasure). We kissed, made love, kissed some more. I fell more deeply in love with this girl with every moment that passed. I revelled in the softness of her body, the firmness of her little, pert breasts, the tightness and warmth of her soaking pussy. Just as I was about to come, she whispered, “I love you” in my ear. Seconds later, a torrent of hot sperm spilled into her body.

  *****

  The Captain and I clinked glasses. “Peace, prosperity and a damned good party!”, he roared, and then threw back his rum. The ship was abuzz with the news of the startling compromise reached with the population of Jakalzzi. The Captain had naturally agreed to keep his involvement a secret, but I couldn’t help personally thanking the two young members of his team who had gone down to the surface and made it all possible.

  “Do you think they’ll be angry about this, once they sober up?” Falik wanted to know. We were sharing a large pitcher of her favourite drink, a luminous blue cocktail from Takanli. George, the bartender, continued to amaze.

  “I don’t think so. In my experience, once you’ve seen the legitimacy of a point of view when stoned, it is remarkably easy to persuade you of its legitimacy when straight. Getting stoned just opens up the pathways. Once done, its rarely undone. Besides, peer pressure will see that conservative opinions start to leach out of their society, and we’ll be left with a far more groovy crowd.”

  Falik nodded. “Very clever, Earth Boy. Very under-hand too, but I saw how much fun they were having. This Red Cube”, we had watched it together earlier, “is the start of something very positive for the region. I do believe you’ve done it.”

  We clinked glasses once more, drank. “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. The fugitives still have to sign, and then, only then, can we get out of here.”

  “How’s your plan going? The one to get you home?”, she asked, refilling our glasses.

  I smiled. “Oh, just great. Garlidan is in a video-conference with the Holdrian scientists right now. I’m expecting him here shortly. And the Ministry is being awesome, especially after our successes on Jakalzzi. And the Captain just can’t do enough to help. I guess his wife must have started to come out of her shell.”

  “Oh, I almost forgot. She wants to see you later.” Falik didn’t seem angry about this, but my liaisons with other women were becoming more and more awkward as our relationship deepened.

  “Really?” I tried not to sound excited. In truth, I had simply loved having sex with her. She was stunning, open-minded, deliciously moist… I wondered if I would have her all to myself this time. My cock loved the idea. But, was this really the right thing to do?

  Reading my thoughts, Falik intervened. “Fuck her brains out. Enjoy her.” She still didn’t seem angry. “Do you really think I’d expect you to go back to Earth and remain faithful for years and years, until you can get back? If the time-travel experiment is a one-way ticket, we’re talking fifty years until we would even have the remotest chance to see each other again. I don’t expect you to wait, and I don’t expect you to expect me to wait. When you get back, we’ll talk about exclusivity. For now, we carry on as we are. How does that sound?”

  I was still having trouble. “But I love you, you see”. She flushed, grinning. “Sure, I like screwing everything that comes into view, but you’re the only girl I want to be with. Look how we’ve done, these last months, with all this bullshit going on. We’re a great team. I just feel odd about it. Old Earth sentiments.”

  She took my hand. “Go and fuck that poor girl. Give her a great time. Then come back to my cabin and tell me all about it while I blow you.” She grinned again. I drained my drink, kissed her as passionately as the company would allow, and headed through the double doors to the lobby of the Captain’s rooms.

  Xathan was waiting there. He jumped up and warmly greeted me. “Delighted to see you again… I had hoped you would respond to Jasira’s request.”

  “How could I refuse?” I replied, shaking his hand. This was the man whose cock had rubbed against mine, occupying the same sweet pussy. The same man who had blithely handed over interstellar time-travel secrets, just for the chance to watch my cock in action. And here he was again.

  “I believe Jasira is ready, if you are?” he said, glancing down towards my trousers and grinning.

  “Of course”. Xathan was a little taller than me, probably as muscular, with a shaved head. If he were from Earth, I would say he could be Dutch or Danish. “I’m looking forward to it. Before we get into all of that, I should thank you for the Red Cube you gave me.”

  He smile
d warmly. “Has it proved useful?” he wanted to know, hand on my shoulder.

  “It has. Remarkably so. You have helped more than I can tell you.”

  He beamed. “I am pleased. You are a lovely man, if I may say. I was determined to help you, if I could.” He still had his arm around my shoulder. I tussled with the idea of being handled by a man who was so obviously bisexual. Falik had said I could do whatever I wanted. But did I want something like this? Pretty confusing. Mercifully, the door swished open.

  We walked in together and found Jasira by her window. Xathan went straight to her, held her and kissed her. She was wearing a black, almost see-through negligee which came down to just above her knees. His hands were all over her immediately. Perhaps they had not had the chance to be together for a few days, I wondered.

  She beckoned to me. “Hello”. Her voice was soft and cute. “Thank you for coming again. Do you mind if we begin straight away? Xathan was on duty during our orbits of Jakalzzi, and it has been four days since I had him inside me.”

  I nodded agreement, took a seat and watched the show. Xathan hurriedly undressed and Jasira took hold of his cock, which swelled to its full length. It must have been ten inches, and thick. She pulled off her negligee, letting Xathan suck her breasts. He rubbed his cock against her panties, pushing them aside to slide the head around in the entrance to her moistening cunt. She pulled off her remaining clothes, tossed her panties at me, and let Xathan pick her up. She straddled his thighs and eased herself down onto his cock.

  He held her tenderly and made small thrusts into her while she was cradled in his strong arms. I could see the wetness from her womb glistening on Xathan’s cock. She took an inch or two of him inside her with each stroke, sometimes more, resting her head on his chest and snuggling close to him. I had lost my clothes and was relaxing on one of the couches, stroking my own cock to hardness. That didn’t take long.