Cyber Viking Box Set

by Marcus Sloss

  “You are going to need new clothes, lover boy,” Willow said with a twist of my nipple.

  I grabbed a towel from a rack up top to dry off with. I wrapped the towel around my hips when there was a knock at the door.

  “Who is it?” Willow asked before I opened the door.

  “Jill. Since the RV stopped rocking, I figured you were done. Super hot, by the way. All us older ladies who are young again started fanning ourselves. Holy shit, I can’t believe I said that out loud,” Jill said from behind the door. Willow wrapped up in a towel. I opened the door to see a younger Jill facing me with hunger in her eyes. My body was being devoured as her gaze scanned my chiseled torso. She wanted to run a hand down my body but yanked it back in time. “Ugh, I am losing impulse control. I brought a vibrator. Out of the shower. My turn.”

  She came through the doorway with my jaw agape. Okay, this was going to be an issue. Or was it? I was super conflicted about the virum right now.

  “Jill, what did you even knock on the door for?” I asked as Jill rummaged through a bag in the loft. No way! She was not actually digging for a vibrator. She was definitely looking younger. Willow pushed me forward with an eye roll as I was caught checking out Jill’s shapely butt. “Jill, what did you need?”

  “I bet Mary found it and buried Mr. Unicorn in the sand. Kids, I tell ya, can’t keep anything nice. The old guy is young again. Former Iraq soldier from the first Gulf War. He is looking for orders from his new commander. He is handsome. Jacky called dibs, though.”

  Willow scoffed. She twirled her hair to look out the RV window. I could hear the sound of twangy music. A celebration was underway by the Mansion’s porch. Jacky was dancing with a handsome man about five-seven with blonde hair and blue eyes. I chuckled until I got a death stare.

  “This is all your fault,” Willow blurted.

  I went to soothe her when Jill crackled in triumph in the loft.

  “Found it,” Jill said while wielding a large pink dildo with a vibrator on the tip. “Even has the heated throbbing option. Oh, please, Willow, don’t blush from this little thing. We all know how amazing ‘master’s huge cock’ is.”

  I couldn’t hold my laughter in. Willow left for the bedroom while I held my belly-aching laugh. Jill squeezed my peck on her way into the shower. She paused to catch my attention and mouthed “Be thinking of you.” before closing the door.

  My eyebrows shot up. There was a slight temptation. I liked Jill as a friend. She was someone I felt comfortable around. I was not sure how to handle her openly flirting. Perci, Willow, and Nancy all loved her. At the same time, my bed was full. I’d literally need a bigger bed if I wanted to add another babe into it.

  I sighed, realizing it was too late to fix the problem this rotation. Maybe a bunch of sexually fulfilled people would work harder, fight better, and cause fewer issues. That was my prevailing thought as I went to get dressed. Again.

  CHAPTER 6

  The longhouses were going up quickly with the new tools Gary and his construction team purchased. The purchase of an auto-nailer was almost as awesome as the board creator. The auto-nailer was not a new concept; the difference here was that we could stick a high-carbon steel bar into the back of the device. The bar would be ingested as the trigger was squeezed. We had dozens of these now, along with a whole pallet of bars. I had never seen plywood go up so quickly.

  The interior walls were the priority. The exterior structure tended to use the rounded part of the half walls. As the interior walls were secured, a mudding team was finding holes and gaps on the exterior. Mind you, this was not drywall mudding—actual mud to fill unwanted entry points. There were plenty of windows and doors to let in the fresh air.

  The next machine was amazing. Gary called it the “tree processor.” I was miffed there was nothing fancy with the name. He tapped his translator, blaming the device when I asked why the name was so basic. The design reminded me of a fifteen-foot-tall wood chipper with a massive mouth. There were saws, claws, and flat blades. On top of the machine was a stool built for a larger species. You would operate the claw and drag the tree to the mouth. The options for the machine were incredibly advanced; when I studied them, I quickly became confused. Gary swatted my hands when I tried to mess with the interface pad.

  He had the machine set exactly the way he wanted it. When a tree went in, multiple ten-foot-long four-by-fours came out. The man had the foresight to buy a concrete rover. You could add aggregates or it could collect them for you, same with the water. Since it required cement to be manually added, we had a crew following a building-shaped droid named Grinder with supplies to keep it stocked up.

  With these new tools, production skyrocketed. Dig a hole. Brace the four-by-four. Grinder the droid fills the holes with quick-dry cement. Support beams and trusses are nailed to complete the frame, with plywood crews following behind. I worked into the early morning helping where I could. The progress was amazing. We completed from start to finish five longhouses, with more partially done. The Cornerstore residents had somewhere to sleep tonight. I worked in tandem with them to ensure they were not neglected; I could only imagine what they were going through. Being there for them felt like the right thing to do. I felt the weight of the long day dragging me down so I said my goodbyes. When I retired for the night, I did so knowing I had improved the lives of our citizens.

  I awoke an hour before the gate was due to flare blue with new planets to explore. I had fallen asleep in my comfy passenger chair that I had only meant to check reports in. Apparently my desire to get some actual sleep overrode my need to lay with my ladies. When I stretched out of the chair, I carried my gear for war. Dalila was spooned with Felix on the table bed. Felix the dog snored from the driver’s seat. Jill was snuggled by Mary in the loft.

  I barely managed to get the RV door open while hauling a power plant bag, two alien weapons, and my sidearm. If the bag did not neatly hold the shield extender pucks, it would have been impossible. My feet gingerly touched the stairs down, and I twisted the handle to close the door quietly.

  Fairly confident I escaped without disturbing anyone, I inhaled a big whiff of the morning air. The ground was covered in droplets of dew. The sun was blasting light high into the sky with orange hues while still hiding below the horizon. Thin clouds swirled, birds chirped and trilled their early morning songs ready to greet the day, and our single rooster belted out an annoying call.

  The night crews were still working hard. Instead of giving them a long study, I walked over the stone path for the community dining hall. People were prohibited from crowding the kitchen inside the mansion ever since this area was established. All food and drink were staged here so the cooks could work effectively. I passed the morning grub to gear up, setting my items on a park picnic table.

  Jevon found me while I was equipping my power plant bag. The man gave a yawn. Jevon had lost the scar on his cheek—even the missing chunk of his left ear had been replaced. The man was handsome, but now he had his young dashing looks again. I guess I had lost my ruggedly handsome appearance too.

  “Morning,” Jevon said while seating himself at the bench. Bonnet, Becca, and Sarah followed behind him. Jevon was handed a plate of new fruit with green eggs!

  “We got eggs already!?” I asked, hurrying to get my gear on.

  “Miss Jacky bought a whole bunch. We had to plug in all the refrigerators we looted. Which consumes a lot of power,” Becca added on. Her tattoos were gone. I bet she was pissed. She saw me noticing. “Yup, the little virum fuckers killed my skin stains. I want to be mad, but I think they don’t let me get angry over them. Also, I went from my period to—” Becca showed me that she was ovulating on her Gpad.

  “Same with Willow. I am glad you’re not concerned about the tattoos.”

  Bonnet stopped shoveling food for a moment and said, “Sarah here is a nice addition. The new tools are even better. Framed out eight more buildings in a few hours with three more roofs.” She smiled proudly at her statement.
I tilted my head at my soul-stealing death dealer’s happiness. “Cap, I know. I’m at home here. I hated city life. Maybe a farm was all I ever needed. The work… It invigorates me. I even stopped turning men into my man whores. Me and that Bellows state trooper moved in together.”

  “How about you, Sarah?” I asked. Her face was softer, with brighter eyes. Actually, I knew they all had minimal sleep. While I waited for her to answer, I checked my Gpad. I did a search for those showing sleep deprivation on their vitals. Zero results returned.

  “You okay? You look like you’ve seen a ghost,” Jevon said to my meek half-smile.

  I went to explain when Sarah answered my question.

  “Integration has been surprisingly great. I had some dark thoughts when the reality of Denver dying sunk in. My two cats, my parents, and my friends are probably all gone. Everything I held dear is likely lost to me forever. That is a really tough reality to swallow. I always had hope. Maybe I would find them on a rooftop. Or under a school. The mind imagines scenarios to placate you. I think, at least. Then you gave us a hard dose of facts. My gloomy attitude shifted last night; suddenly I felt better later. Not sure why at first, until I realized it’s the virum. Even without them, though, I would be happier here than at the Cornerstore plaza. The fresh air, the farm animals… The lack of huddling in frightened corners is very refreshing,” Sarah said. I watched her joyfully scan the growing community around her. “Behind you, Cap.”

  Jacky stood with breakfast and coffee. Yes! “You are the best! Hold on, I am about to power up. Close your eyes or avert your gaze from my awesomeness,” I said in my best superhero voice. My power plant’s cables slithered from my back to my arm. My weapons sought power, and for a brief moment, I was a ball of teal light. I peeled my weapons off so they could dangle on their slings over my back for now. “Thanks, Jacky, you’re looking vibrant this morning.”

  “Why, thanks. This virum did wonders. Henry and I… Well, a lady doesn’t kiss and tell. I am feeling more alive than ever before, thank you. More chores to attend to.” Jacky handed me my breakfast before skipping away.

  “Deluxe Duke, did you notice anything peculiar while I slept?”

  “Besides the fact that people are suddenly young again, or that they are coupling up faster than I have ever seen? Did you read the report from the doctors in Aspen?”

  I sat my food down beside Jevon, who scooted over. I bit into a green fruit and it was divine. My desire to read my Gpad faded. The moment food hit my mouth I wanted more. I noticed the others voraciously eating also. Five minutes later I was licking my fingers. I gulped down the large mug of coffee almost in a single sip.

  “Or the food ingestion. That will be an issue,” Becca said with Sarah, Jevon, and Bonnet nodding in agreement.

  I flipped my Gpad open.

  “Report as follows:

  “The virum is an invasive species. They are not always compatible with hosts and can kill species they do not mesh with.

  “The virum, if compatible, will seek to bend their hosts to their goals. Reproduction, longevity, and sustenance.

  “Based on the Gpad monitoring data we are siphoning from Stronghold Mansion, the virum is bonding well with humans. Age reduction, reduction of sleep requirement, fertility increases, healing, and general mental health improvements. The virum is also encouraging its hosts to ingest additional food to attain the most proficient weight.

  “The early conclusion is that the benefits far outweigh the detriments.” - Doctors’ Report, Aspen Stronghold

  Jevon flexed his arms. My jaw dropped. His biceps were bulging. The man was active and fit, not a bodybuilder.

  “Yummy. When you taking me to our bedroom, my duke!” Becca blurted with bouncing eyebrows.

  “Yeah, that is the other thing. I have been testing Becca. No sex for her yet—you see the ways she is eyeing me. She has asked every five minutes for sex or she gets handsy. I tell her soon, no change. I promise her our sex will be the way she loves it, no change. I think once a woman couples she goes from a hornball to a happy princess. Hence Jacky over there skipping while humming a tune. Then look at these two pouting ladies,” Jevon said, pointing at Sarah and Becca. Bonnet beamed a mischievous smile. “I think everyone hosting virum will seek out a mate until they couple.”

  “Well, they are not going crazy over it, at least. A blurted comment here or there is a driving desire, not an overriding craze. We have, what, thirty-three extra females?” I said, looking at my Gpad. Confusion spread over my face when I saw forty-five. “Wait, how did we add more eligible women overnight?”

  Nancy arrived right as I said that. She placed a hand out for me to accept. “The elderly. There were more old women than men. They’re now young women. Buckle up, boys, there are going to be some lonely women. The virum wants two parents, if not more, in the picture, so expect more throuples or harems is my guess. We need to talk if you already ate, my king.”

  Nancy pulled me for the RV. I waved to Jevon who had not passed me command yet. My Gpad showed the gates were void of color. A timer said forty-five minutes until the blue should light up. Our four scout teams were watching each gate with sniper rifles from a good distance away with electric bikes nearby. The morning crew was gearing up. I could spare a quick conversation.

  I stepped up the RV back entrance to see Willow and Perci helping gear each other up for combat. Nancy closed the door behind me. I instantly felt cornered. Since they were clothed, all the while putting more clothing on, I was not about to get seduced. So…

  Perci stuck her Gpad forward. Her vitals were perfect; not a thing was wrong. She flicked her screen to reproduction and it errored out. Willow showed me the same, which was followed by Nancy showing me another indication of error. I frowned.

  “Becca is ovulating on hers,” I said with a confused sigh that matched my furled brows.

  “So is Jill,” the girls muttered.

  “So the virum is working its magic, we just don’t know how yet. I would guess you are preggers.”

  “Damnit, Eric, no one calls it preggers. Pregnant, probably. The fact that it is erroring out is very concerning. I want to jump for joy and scream to the world I am going to be a momma,” Perci said in a flustered tone. She grunted while slamming a fist into a pillow. “I love you, Eric. You will be a fantastic dad.”

  “Oh… Oh! Perci, you will make a wonderful smothering mother of love. Willow, you will be a kickass mom. Nancy, you will be the mom we all knew you should be: loving, caring, and supportive. As a team, you will be the absolute best. Was that the right answer?”

  We formed a group hug. I guess it was.

  My Gpad pinged an alert. Half-hour countdown timer.

  “Let’s go, ladies. I am famished,” Nancy said, breaking the embrace.

  The three of them rocked the RV on their way out. I walked behind them while enjoying the view. Jevon met me halfway to the dining hall. I looked over the gathering area and noticed it had no side walls still. I think I liked that feeling of openness—it certainly helped people flow into and out of the dining area. Maybe add fire pits for when winter returns or expand it with fire pits in mind.

  “I enjoy seeing everyone grouped up and happy. I admit, when we got that message from Dr. Gepstein, this was the last scenario I envisioned. Perci sure gave us a fighting chance,” Jevon said with a sigh.

  “Yeah… Are you tired?”

  “A bit. I will tag along with you for the portal opening. You have command,” Jevon said with a thumbs up.

  “I have command,” I replied.

  My Gpad altered me to the top spot in the command channel. I walked for the wall with Jevon at my side. The river stones crunched under our feet.

  “Team leaders, ready checks in ten minutes,” I said over the command channel.

  “No mikes?” Jevon asked.

  “Douglas had a point. Minutes versus mikes. Might as well say the actual word. Show me the pebble shooter in action please,” I said. Our boots thunked over the wood
en ramp as we walked up to the top hesco. I shouted, “Testing live. Cover ears!”

  I walked around the planted tree to sit on the edge of the mesh container. I pointed at a tree in the distance beyond our growing kill zone. Jevon leveled the pebble shooter while flipping a lever that readied the weapon. A container of small rocks fed into a plasma housing unit that spun a round into a barrel. The buttstock of the weapon contained a long square battery. The first round zoomed out with a pfft of noise that was barely audible. Almost like a bulldog passing gas. The round smacked into the tree in the distance with a spray of bark and wood chips flying from the impact spot.

  I watched a pebble drop into a reddish-orange goop. A pointed round entered the chamber a fraction of a second later. Pfft. Another round smacked into the tree with a loud crack.

  “Thank you,” I said, halting the exercise.

  “Between these, the .308s, and the empowered rifles, we have seven hundred armed people. Armor is still shy of three hundred, but the veterans all have armor now. What were—”

  Our Gpads pinged with an override alert. I checked the drone video to see the gate was still inactive. The video swapped to show XLroaches tumbling down our eastern valley cliffs. My eyes shot to that direction beyond the new homes and farm fields. Before I could say anything, Mclain’s team hustled from their staging area to greet the threat. I let the drone get to the backside of the mountain.

  A single path of creatures scurried up the mountain. A few thousand insectoids were wandering around, unsuccessfully looking for alternate ways up. We were seeing the first of them come cascading down into our valley.

  “Whoa! Alpha Team only. They are going to be shooting ducks in a barrel over there. Everyone else, mount up. Get ready to adjust,” I said into the military operations channel.

  My teams raced for lined-up convoys. I called Slister.

  “Go for Bravo,” Slister said.