by Marcus Sloss
“Hey Jill,” I asked. “Did you see that?”
“You lit up the entire sky … yeah, I think America saw that,” Jill said, voice laced with wonder. “Umm… After my nap, I would like to give it a try, if that’s okay?”
I saw the charge bar indicate full. “Proceed to Xgate 232,”I ordered Goldie, “full sprint.” I lifted my Gpad, so Jill could see both my face and the display. “It seems user friendly and seems to intuit what to squash and what to tiptoe around. Let me figure out the opening code so you can board when I arrive. Oh, and Jill…” I paused to make sure she was paying attention.
“Yeah, Eric.”
“Head straight for the ankle when you enter. Trust me.”
She grinned, “I do, Eric. More than you know.”
I closed the connection and rolled my eyes. That woman had been pining hard for me. In every story, movie or television show, some girl chases the guy or some guy chases the girl and it seems like the world conspires to prevent them from being together. I had four wonderful women I shared my life with. I loved three of them ... my affection for Everly was slowly turning into love. I agreed with Torrez on this one, though, where should I draw the proverbial line in the sand on my … on my … I ruefully acknowledged that what I had was a harem. Maybe that line was with Jill? Maybe not.
Piloting the Goliath had turned out to be fairly mundane. It ran faster than any animal, outpaced most vehicles, could unleash a torrent of deadly fire, and was big enough to squash most beings, but it was nothing if not user friendly.
“Is there a combat mode, Goldie?” I asked, not wanting accidentally to trigger something in the operating system.
“Yes,” Goldie replied, “we are currently in the ‘no harm’ mode. It is recommended you only enter combat mode in emergency situations.”
“So basically,” I asked the fish, “this Goliath will treat all objects as friendly, unless specifically requested otherwise by the operator?”
“Correct, Mr. Yang. You or any other authorized operator will need to authorize lethal force. As the primary owner of this vehicle, I highly recommend you restrict the number of operators who can access lethal responses,” Goldie said. The wise ass fish busted out a smirk. “I would not give, for example, a seven-year-old the ability to kill -”
“Got it,” I snarled, “don’t you fucking lecture me, you overgrown bubble factory, or I will feed you to the Tavers.”
“The Tavers do not -”
“Onix?”
“Yes, Onix would eat fish, though I do not understand where this hostility is coming from. I am not actually a fish,” Goldie said.
“No, you're a mind reading operating system, who digs things out of my brain without properly requesting the information.”
“I have to know things to determine what to avoid destroying,” Goldie informed me.
I glared at the stupid fish for a long moment before scuffing my hands through my hair. “What is the code to get in?” I finally asked.
“You touch the boot, I check to see if you have the appropriate permissions, then allow you access to the pilot station. For instance, Miss Jill is at the boot asking to come up. That is code enough. Miss Lavaun, Nancy, set the opening to ‘do not disturb’ because people kept wanting to learn about me while she was studying my operating system.”
I felt a rush of wind on my neck from the tube behind and to my right. When I’d shot up the tube, despite cracking my head and tumbling around a bit, I didn’t panic, I corrected my sideways ascent and landed firmly on my feet. Jill, on the other hand … It turns out Jill is a screamer, and not in the good way. I covered my ears as her piercing cries drew closer, and then she tumbled out of the tube onto the command deck, her blanket tangled about her head and shoulders.
“You could have warned me,” Jill said, spitting her hair back out of her mouth and pushing it out of her scornful brown eyes. She fixed her ponytail while sorting herself out. “Well!”
I tried to hide my smirk at her dramatic entrance. I went to one knee beside her and kissed her forehead. “Sorry.”
She went to complain, but I held up a finger to her lips before she could work up a full head of steam.
“Goldie, can you handle routine tasks, or must I micromanage all operations?” I queried the system.
“Think or tell me what you want done,” Goldie said. I pictured helping load infantry octosuits onto trailer beds. “Where are you going Master Eric?”
“I am going to sort out this last bit of buying so we can get home and prepare for tomorrow. Is it okay if Jill stays in the command chamber? Does she have to stay wake?” I asked.
“Technically no, but if I complete all the tasks you assign, I will just remain stationary -”
“Goldie there are three other Goliaths you will be working with, and more than a thousand octosuits left to load onto the trailers. Just do your job,” I said in a stern tone.
“As you command, master.”
Jill cleared her throat, a blush crawling up her neck. “Do you always feel the need to give commands, or is it just a dominance thing with you?”
“Uh… what? No, not this time, actually, the system program reads minds, so maybe it thinks it is being clever,” I said, choosing not to dwell on the issue.
She unhooked her bra and did that thing that women do to take off their bras while still fully clothed and tossed it to the side of the nest she was setting up. “By all that is holy,” she groaned, “I miss small tits. My breasts have never been this big, even when I was nursing Mary. The virum sure loves a Double D. We all have the DD virum totties, as Perci calls them. I just have an odd frame making bras -”
“Try a wrap,” I suggested, “We’re not exactly a modest society. The Crixxi don’t wear underwear and the females have no nipple restraint… Is that even a term, eh... anyhow, they don't care.” I waggled my eyebrows at her, “My point is, Jill, just be yourself. For once, be you. Be happy. Fret not if Bob the builder sees you’re not wearing a bra.” A sly grin crept across my face, “I know I won't complain.”
“Eric,” she groaned, “that grand fucking market sucks out your soul.” She laid down on her blanket. “I do like that you trust me with this awesome machine, and I look forward to some alone time with you.” She paused and looked up at me, “I can’t recall a time when I was alone with someone I wanted to get intimate with while Mary was being watched, but I am too tired to do anything about it. Best if you just hurry along,” Jill yawned. She used her bag as a pillow and folded half of the blanket over her body. “Eric…”
“Yes, Jill?”
“You called me babe,” Jill said with a smile.
“Uhh, well, things happen, Jill. Do you want me to apologize?” I asked, willing to do whatever made her most comfortable.
A soft snore was her only response.
I glanced down and saw that she was out. I snuck in for a soft kiss to her forehead. We hadn’t been intimate, sexually, but we had certainly grown close on an emotional level. I went to the tube and hopped in. The air that had shot me up the tube, controlled my descent on the way down. I figured the Goliath would have had something more sophisticated, like a platform, but I was okay with this. The falling part was kind of fun.
When my feet settled to the matte grey metal of the boot, I stepped out of the robot towards the Xgate. It was time to finish our shopping and focus on preparing Bastion for the next blue season.
CHAPTER 7
The tanks, RVs, a few trucks, and four Goliaths provided plenty of illumination around the Xgate. It almost felt like daytime because of the odd shadows cast by the overhead lighting. Even the Xgate’s golden rays lit up the field where the activity around the gates had not slacked off. I had only taken a few steps towards the portal when my Gpad rang.
A video call from Everly and Perci. When I answered, I quickly muted the video, limiting the connection to audio only. I’d caught a glimpse of Everly in the shower and people were working all around me. At some point, I would need t
o let modesty go. My time in prison and in the military had revealed a harsh truth—people had to get naked and there wasn’t always a private place for them to do so. The Crixxi flat out didn’t care. The females typically went topless, even when not breastfeeding.
“Hey, why did you close down my video? I am sitting on a couch with Felix. Oh,” Perci chuckled evilly, “when did you activate your orb, you sly girl, I love watching the water run down your tight body,” Perci purred. At least she understood why I had closed the video. That Crixxi minx loved teasing me. “I crashed on the couch,” I heard Perci’s chipper voice, “I am up and on my way. Do you want to wait for me?”
The ground shook, the rocks danced, and I wanted to cover my ears. Goliath one had taken a massive step not that far from me. The impact was enough to rattle my teeth. Damn, how much did that thing weigh? Sultry tones broke through my stunned ruminations.
“I am in RV1. I will help our mate,” Everly said. The sound of water in the background ceased. I knew better than to turn that camera back on. When I glanced over at RV1, I glimpsed the Crixxi’s naked form heading for a back room. “Are you still there?” Perci asked.
“Yeah, I just got distracted by a really nice view,” I said in a pleasant tone.
“I love the stars at night,” Everly chimed in, and I smirked.
“Eric, do you want me to manage affairs back at Stronghold Mansion or help you finish shopping?” Perci asked.
“Stay there,” I ordered, then paused, “but tell me about the Pandarin, before I head back in.”
“Well, they are cute panda bears that talk back—but don’t expect a lengthy or deep conversation. They try to appear meek and simple, but there is a cunning in their eyes. If they are working, they wear a neck garment that is similar to a bow tie. I have been told that this is a common affection among the working races. Their managers generally assign them with tasks in a prioritized order, a contingency task or two for them to do if everything else is finished.” Perci paused to give a slight chuckle. “I guess at some point they were smart enough to realize that an assigned task list along with a notation by whoever ordered it would keep them out of trouble. So, for example, if I order Mapaw the third to scrub toilets after you ordered them to paint a wall, and the toilets don’t get scrubbed, then blame is appropriately assigned to the right person, and not on Mapaw.”
“If their bow tie is on, they are working. If I want to order them to do something, assign it to the bow tie,” Perci concluded.
“I can’t just shout out to a bunch of them to go pick weeds?” I asked.
RV1 swayed slightly with Everly’s exit and she flashed me a toothy smile before skipping in my direction. Her bouncing tits were distracting, a few of the workers stopped what they were doing and shuffled their feet to watch her delicious bounces.
“The bow tie will recognize your orders by voice, if ... and this is a big if … If you address the Pandarin properly,” Perci said.
“Yeah that keeps them out of trouble and gives them validation that they are people, well Pandarin, and not property,” I said tightening my jaw and nodding. No wonder this species was spread across the universe. “No hey, you brown and black ugly thing, go mop!”
“Okay, I see Everly is near you, good luck. Love you, babe,” Perci said, and she closed the connection before I could reply.
I typed out a quick note and sent it to her directly.
‘Stinker, I love you too,’ - Eric
I knew she was smirking, wherever she was. Everly had almost arrived, when I turned and walked for the Xgate. She matched my pace, sliding a hand into mine. I raised an eyebrow.
“This is one human custom I enjoy,” she smiled.
“I am surprised you like water so much,” I mentioned.
“Ha! I had to have Nancy explain that one to me. Sure, I have the tail of a panther, some hip fur, extra canines, and four ears, but Eric,” she batted her eyes at me and stroked a hand up my arm, “I am almost exactly human everywhere else. Even our language, numbers, and clothing are similar. I also happen to not like a swampy vagina, or the stench from under my -”
I tried to contain my laugh. I really did, but it burst forth. ‘Swampy vagina’? Who says that? My lovely Crixxi, that’s who.
“I appreciate you smelling nice for me. The yoga pants and cleavage-revealing tube top are delightful teases.” I squeezed her against my side.
“Another custom I will bathe in,” she purred, “Compliments. Yummy! You want to go into the robot and fuck me until I cum?” Everly asked, running ahead a few steps, only to slow down with a sauntering hip snap or two to focus my attention where she wanted it. “You know you want to. If you get some lube, I’ll let you fuck my tight little asshole.”
I yanked her tail to pull her back to me and threw her over my shoulder, my hand first cupping, and then squeezing a juicy ass cheek.
“And this is how seven days flew by before the market started,” I groaned. “I would love to … but later.” She pouted. “Later! Work first, plus Jill is already up in Goliath one. I need to see if all four use the same mental imaging process for their command interfaces,” I said and couldn’t resist a sharp slap on her amazingly firm ass cheek, before setting my marvelous Crixxi back down on the ground. She sauntered at my side, keeping pace.
“Oh. Oh!” she grinned toothily. “Jill as in the Jill. Did you?” Everly asked, bouncing her eyebrows suggestively.
“No,” I sighed, “Though I know I have all of your permissions if something does happen with Jill … Shit, Nancy said a Viking king doesn’t need to check with his wives. But I intend to, always.” I looked towards Goliath one as it loaded another octosuits onto a trailer. “She is going out of her way to get to know me, first, and I adore Mary. The problem is Jill is the kind of girl I would have dated in high school. She plays at being the boring, simple, and fun to be around, but mundane friend, when in reality she wants so much more. I don’t play those kinds of games anymore. Either way, she or I will end up getting hurt.” I frowned and glanced back up at the giant robot, knowing the topic of our conversation slept, blissfully unaware of how frankly we discussed her feelings. “Out of all you lovely ladies in my love life, she is by far the most conflicted and complex.”
“Well, don’t think too much about it. I understand you're satisfied sexually. So what does Jill add to our family besides Mary? Not much, really. Why not keep her as a mistress?” Everly asked, just as we arrived at the golden shimmer of the portal. We stepped through.
The golden sheen blinded me for a few seconds before I found we had entered the northern storage room. This one was empty and Goldie flapped in the air, swimming for me.
“The Goldie in the goliath, and you... What is the difference?” I asked before answering Everly.
“Flattery really, I am … You almost got me there. What is in the Goliath is a program based on what they thought I was. I have said all I can,” the storage guardian closed its fishy lips.
“Can you tell me which species to buy -”
My translator pinged and I received two messages.
“Not directly. I would wager that those messages will get replies, however,” Goldie said with a smirk. “Consider that a gift for keeping me on my toes.”
I turned to Everly to finish our conversation. “She is going to need a man in her life full-time, not just occasionally; even if Jill said she was okay with being kept on the side. I guess I have been keeping her at arm’s length, in case she moves on,” I said, rubbing my temples. Why were women the cause of so many headaches?
Everly hugged me. “Jill lost her stones again this morning. Let her anxiety fade, give her a womb full of babies, and then play it slow. You will see our society slowly change, with so many non-humans around. Normally, we Crixxi do not mate for life. Children don’t spend twenty years in our homes. By age five they follow us around. By age eight, they have assigned homes, jobs, and goals. By age fifteen, they are parents themselves, with others caring for their young. It m
akes things easier to mate with those we want, and if that choice was a bad one, we move on.” My Crixxi shrugged, “Jill will not have to worry about having her body ravaged by childbirth.”
I nodded with a terse smile. “I guess I am ready, then. If she has no stones in, she will be too, if I’m the reason she keeps rejecting them.”
“Yes, now let’s figure out this purchasing mess,” Everly said, kissing my cheek.
As if on cue, two alerts hit my translator.
Blob answered my query, listing three recommendations for building species compatible with virum … heh …. and one of her recommendations was a Sluggero. Interesting, they were gruff and bitchy, but did great work.
The second had a spider lower-half with a cockroach torso. Gross. Pass. I didn’t even bother reading about how great they were. No point in adding a community member that I knew wouldn’t fit in. Did that… yeah, I guess that made me a speciest. Damn.
The final option was super amazing.
The final recommendation was a gorgeous fairy. Her wings were an array of vibrant colors, her skin smooth and refined, with a doll-like sheen. She appeared to be a human with fairy wings … average height of five foot three inches … Species score of 6. There was no need to look any further. Done! Even if she couldn’t build a castle, morale in the compound would improve because of those tight rocking bodies.
“What was in the other message?” Everly asked from my side.
“Oh, just that Roarson is not available,” I replied.
“I guess that answers that,” Everly said with a scoff. “The fairy will be able to fly and help with projects. Still get at least one Sluggero, for when we start manufacturing. If nothing else, they can help with the automation. Maybe they can work with what we loot. I’ve been told humanity had decent levels of automation before the quarantine.”
“We would need to go to California, to loot that level of sophisticated equipment. I think I remember hearing about San Francisco being converted into a Mecca of manufacturing after the Chinese ban. I can check with the Gtower later; not even on my radar yet. Let me call Daphne,” I said.