by Marcus Sloss
I closed the distance to kiss her hungrily. “Patience is a terrible virtue,” I said, the door hissing shut. We shot under the earth. A timer populated on the capsule wall. Eight minutes and counting down. Perci tapped some buttons on her keypad causing me to ask, “What are you doing?”
“Disabling the video in here. I can finish in that time,” Perci said, pointing to the ground. “Can you?”
“Oh,” was all I said. Nothing more was really needed.
Perci stripped off her robe and tossed it down.
Her shoulder length hair spun freely as she twirled her body to tease me with a loud ass smack and a booty bounce. I hurried to the floor using her robe as a pillow and opened mine up. Perci pounced on me.
She flopped my semi erected cock onto my body. Her wet glistening pussy lips slid up and down my shift, stiffening my erection. When I plunged into Perci I knew what she wanted. A sweet and tender love session. I did not play the master to his sub. I let her enjoy our entwined time in a romantic fashion. We even finished together with a minute left on the time with lips locked lovingly.
“That was exactly what I needed, my love,” Perci said, activating the camera in the booth after we donned robes. “In case you were wondering, there is no better view than my body. Hmm. Not that there would be, merely saying.” She sighed. “The trip is dirt. You got the best version available.”
“Best in the universe,” I said, kissing her neck. She mimicked a crixxi purr telling me how happy she was.
The exterior dirt that encased the lift faded as we entered a tunnel lit by artificial lighting. I immediately saw another massive walled-off section that curved. There were numerous turrets, actual guards, and kill slots created in the wall. So to get to this point you had to get through an army back at the dome, use this underway in a long ride that not only was limited but it was slow, and the moment you arrived you were greeted by a second defense.
“Those siblings are amazing,” I said.
Perci scoffed and replied, “Willis and Sally are only part of it. The fairies did most of this. You have to understand that their experience has shed a lot on what defenses work well. Which, surprise, is layered themes. Most species and fighting forces want to go home before the portal ends. So a thick, arduous defense deters many aggressors.”
Our bodies were scanned and Bonnet approached from the wall, “Welcome home, Eric, or shall I say, my king.”
“I have executions to line up soon, you want your old job back,” I asked in a stern tone.
“Ha! You point, I kill. Return to the old times. I’m on guard duty though. That deluxe duke of ours wanted someone guarding our citizens he could trust,” Bonnet said, planting her hands on her hips. She rocked her body from heel to toe while thinking. She stopped and waved us for the door. “I will stay on the wall for now. Anyone can be a butcher. But when I get a freedom shift I will head out.”
“It’s bad out there Bonnet, I never imagined home would, or could be as bad as Saudi, but it is.”
“Yeah, well, kill the bad ones and then welcome the rest. We got the real deal here, Cap. Welcome to Bastion,” Bonnet said with a chuckle.
“I forgot how simple it was. These ladies have let my heart return. I did ace a murdering rapist in cold blood earlier,” I said with a pause. “I got no joy from it, calm yes, joy no.”
Bonnet gave me a stern glance of understanding as we were proceeding down a long tunnel. I noticed slits to fire out of were staged at random along the path. The barrels of some weapons were exposed, some even, and others recessed. A portcullis raised, a new set of doors opened, and then a third thick wall section slid out of the way with a grinding noise.
“And to think, we used a dumpster truck to block the road and dirt in mesh containers not long ago,” I said. I saw dripping water before we exited. My finger swiped a pooling droplet eager to fall. “Leak?”
“Ah, no. This whole section floods. Intentionally. We did a test not even an hour ago. Come on, we have like three more defensive fallbacks to pass through,” Bonnet said, passing the last stone door and stepping up an incline.
We entered an arena of sorts with the balcony viewers being guards with large weapons. The path led up to another set of open doors and a thicker portcullis.
“So why not just drill through this from above?” I asked.
Perci pinched my bottom tenderly and said, “Not how it works. There is soft earth in comparison to the thick bedrock. The shell, as the siblings and fairies named it, is hard bedrock. All across this shell that holds our new home there were robot drilled holes to access centrally located points. The pores in the bedrock were sealed in some alien epoxy. Essentially the rock that enclosed Castle is harder to drill through than can be done in a season’s timer.
Bonnet nodded as Perci described how this new home was protected. She butt in, thumbs over her shoulder to the way we came, and said, “That whole path of least resistance theory leads back there, on this side of the base at least.”
“Clearly there are more entries than this one,” I said, indicating the empty space around me. “No supplies get in from here. I mean, this is only a few people wide and then there is no automation for transporting goods here.”
“Correct. How many AS69s did you see at Fortress Dome?” Perci asked.
“I love that name,” Bonnet interjected.
“Well, now that I think about it, none,” I said as we trooped up a steeper incline into a third death room. “Jesus, you really want to fucking murder people. This is insanely hard to bypass even as a friendly.”
A fairy fluttered down from above in a kill box. I recognized my regal Longoria immediately.
“You look lovely, Longoria. That dress suits you,” I said to her. She was wearing a ballroom gown, she tended to favor those. This one was red with splashes of black. A very fine dress that accented her curves without revealing much.
“Welcome home, my lord. I overheard you conversing, I will take him from here Lady Bonnet,” Longoria said and I scoffed with a snicker.
Three sets of eyes stared daggers at me, my pleading to those soldiers in bleachers was ignored when they started inspecting weapons for dirt. So much for helping a soldier when he is down.
“Umm… I apologize for my lack of decorum Lady Bonnet,” I said. Three shining smiles. Score. “I have thoroughly enjoyed your tour and your presence. Until next time.”
We walked past the last portcullis after brief goodbyes. The last of the defenses were passed when we entered a long room with vendor booths and guards behind a screen. It reminded me of a customs checkpoint at the end of an international flight.
Was this… inspectors? What? We had a customs office? Then I figured it out. There was a vaulted door off to the right of the building. The workers wore collars, bracelets, or I would assume anklets.
I paused us, backing against a wall to hold a side conversation. The eyes of our customs inspectors watched us trying to find privacy.
“Okay, I want three answers. Is this the digital entry point like in Koor? How do supplies get into Bastion? And what was that terse reaction with Bonnet when I scoffed at calling the mistress of death a lady?”
Longoria deferred to Perci. Perci tightened her robe in frustration. “We learned of Koor, Eric. The entire population was shown videos, and more than that. We let unlimitied access to the city when combat calmed. Eric, a whole lot of people went to a different planet, put on security devices, and saw what their future could be. An almost crimeless society where people are free to do good and prohibited from doing bad. The Mother Hens were overwhelmed by mothers, fathers, and even regular citizens wanting something similar. We sent a proposal to the council. You signed off on it like… three days ago.”
Her raised eyebrows were telling me I should remember. “Whoa, hold up. Yes, I said three days ago we should use a system similar. We should do something close to it. Enacting a policy of subjugation are two different things. I felt Koor went too far.”
Perci grunted with frustratio
n and pointed to the guarded entryway. “That is exactly what that policy dictated. You approved Sally’s population security implementations one dot one. You are witnessing it. This is what the people wanted. The exact same thing. No incarcerations. Fines, banishment, or death. And it is working perfectly so far.”
“Already!” I asked in shock.
“Already,” Longoria said with a nod.
“Damn, that is efficient. I was expecting complaints, protests, petitions, and grumbling at least. Are you saying this is live and working?”
“Yes, she just said that. Inside the Bastion Nation you must wear a societal protection unit,” Longoria said and I blanched. “You have seen the value of this.”
“Yeah, but this gives so much power to the leadership,” I replied in shock.
“Exactly. An immortal leader who can reign infinitely. So you should think about these citizens having blind faith in your ability to steer them the correct way. They trust you and Koor showed us a way to live in harmony without conflict in our homes. They gave up freedoms to do violence so they could be protected from it. The sluggeros already had this planned from the beginning,” Perci said, propping up her breasts with folded arms. I was not falling… okay, my eyes laser-focused, but I still grumbled.
“I get it, if we have visitors. They need this. If we have murderers this prevents that. This also ties up neatly the issue of who we let seek refuge here. I don’t have to vet past background, I simply strip away the right to murder the person you hate or want to assassinate. Is that a body vault?” I asked pointing to the end of the hallway.
“Yes,” Longoria said with a finger in the air. “It is not ready yet. But phase one of rentals should start tomorrow at an interior vault. You will see, Daxstar is waiting not far from the build out.”
“Supplies?” I asked with a raised brow. “They obviously do not come from that ten person travel box.”
“There is a location we name Base Roost in the mountains. All our supply chain from the exterior has to be airlifted in. This way our foes with no or minimal air capabilities have a harder time getting through our larger entryway,” Longoria said crisply. She pointed to Perci who acknowledged with a smile. “And then there is the big opening above. It need special permission to open has a ton of defenses and windings but it can move massive objects in and out. You will see both eventually.”
Perci placed her hands on my shoulders and said, “Bonnet left so I’ll go into that, but know we're still growing and adjusting. We have been playing loose with titles for a few reasons, Eric. There was no difference between you and a crixxi on the front line. You both slept in overcrowded spaces. You ate the same meals together, and you both could die in the same battle. Inside here.” Perci indicated the space behind the inspection stations. “That changes. Bonnet has servants, a nicer home, and a dukedom she is responsible for. After today you’re managing a lot more personnel. Like a lot Eric. I saw Daxstar’s purchase list. It is massive. He already has fairies managing purchases that will put us at a population we would have not thought possible yesterday. Add in rescues and -”
“What the fuck is behind those doors?” I asked. “You’re making it seem like we’re adding a few million people. So whatever is back there must be impressive.”
“Another kill zone obviously, but behind that is a new beginning. Bastion is the name of the area. There are cities inside it. Calling this place Bastion is misleading and you will see why. This is Bastion Nation and it has cities of its own. Are you ready to see it?” Perci gestured for us to walk beyond the guards.
“I thought you would never ask,” I said, eager to see what was beyond the next layer of defenses.
CHAPTER 5
I was given a bracelet by a courteous mounamine in a crisp butler outfit. He informed me mine would have special rules, as in none. Perci shooed me forward insisting I wear one for syncing with our new systems. When I equipped the device to my wrist it morphed into my Gpad, which caused me to jerk in reaction.
I paused our journey to Bastion so I could study what happened. The Gpad was upgraded now with a larger interface, more power, and it was smoother. I learned we all had a new communication device not limited by the power of the Gnet; even those without Gpads previously would have one now in this device. Oh, neat I had wanted to upgrade to a uniform way to communicate. During our San Francisco battle we relied on vehicles communications as not everyone had Gpads. Problem solved as these new Gpads tied into our new VirtaBox Processor which was handling an upgrade at the moment. The function was limited for now and I figured I would be told more later.
Our brief walk had us cross into a new enclosed firing range of sorts. This made sense, if an unruly visitor ran past the mounamine guard refusing to wear a security device they would find a lot of trouble here. These guys with the heavy weapons, yup; they would halt you quickly if you tried to enter our nation without a safety device. At least I did see a hundred warning signs and the doors were set to open to my device.
A rockcrete path led us across the kill zone. The roof was limited and I was excited to finally be inside our new home. When passed under a final checked point I was unsure what to expect. What I witnessed left me shocked.
There was a night sky with sparkling stars and even a moon that matched the half casting the real moon gave. We entered a mostly dark underdeveloped area immediately around us. Multiple stations were arrayed around the entryway on this side to facilitate transportation. Each station had ten or so lifts attached so arrivals could step up for a ride.
About a quarter-mile away I saw pillars stretching from the ground to the ceiling, but not to the top. I twisted my head unable to understand what I was viewing.
“Are those apartment buildings?” I asked, seeing a light flicker on.
“The cavern is over a mile tall with an irregular shape, but as you will see it goes for miles in width in some areas. To sustain expansion, Sally constructed building printers. They -”
I cut Longoria off and said, “Building printers. Like 3-D printers of Old Earth?”
“Close enough. The concept is similar but the process is drastically different. The roof is a hologram, the top of the towers are too. There is a beam that runs vertically. Then housing was wrapped around it,” Longoria said. I saw platforms going from housing to a city of sorts. “We can walk or ride over to Balish. Your choice.”
“Balish?” I asked.
Perci patted my back, “I would like clothes and he can roam during the daytime or when we hit a lull. Come, let’s go to this lift.”
“This is so huge. I was expecting clasts, stalagmites, and whatever those other things are called,” I said snapping my fingers trying to think of the name.
“Stalactites. Yes, the first thing we did was clear the landscape. That material was used to form walls with an alien adhesive not much different than concrete mix. The result is almost instant housing. The building printers have been working non-stop for the last five days. They can build a story in about ten minutes,” Longoria paused to input a destination to the lift. “And we have almost a hundred now. A lot of this was purchased from Koor and we fairies were able to build new machines with old machines and new materials. This is the result.”
The lift shot into the air taking us hundreds of feet into the air. Against the far back wall on the horizon was a cascading waterfall that crashed into a lake. The lake pooled in the back corner eating up a lot of space. Even from here, I could see sand had been used to create a beachy feel to the water. Even glowing fishes were evident with their bright luminescence.
That lake was where the McCain would go when she got here. I knew there was a big hatch up top somewhere but I couldn’t find it. I bet it had forty layers of defenses.
Off the lake, a big river branched left to wind in between a thin jungle of trees. Those were on our purchase list today for sure. In the trees, there were a few night lights illuminating the way across suspension bridges. I couldn’t see much from this distance but
it appeared lovely.
I shifted my eyes to a passing pillar we slowly flew by.
A mounamine mom was rocking a crying baby on a balcony with a clear railing of sorts. She smiled when she noticed us drifting by. The pillar apartments were huge. No little cubby hole for temporary places to sleep like in the longhouses. I was shocked at how nice the interiors were. Sure they all had the same blackish-brown material, but they were huge with nice kitchens and even a stone table. Certainly were lacking furniture, and that homey feeling. We were gone before I could see more.
Perci tugged on my robe to get me to look at Balish. From this distance, the first noticeable thing was there were three cities inside Bastion, four when the forest city was finished. The left side of the cavern was divided by the river and significantly smaller. The right side opened up around a bend into an elongated cul-de-sac of sorts.
There were three clumps of skyscrapers soaring into the skyline. Why? I kind of expected a giant mega-city instead of this. I was sure I would find out.
Balish was a metropolitan area with high rises, parks, ponds, and no individual homes. Something straight out of New York skyline with it towering structures racing to the ceiling rendering of a night sky. This was a city that never slept it seemed. Not that we needed much sleep anymore but there was a bustle on the narrow streets without vehicles.
The building all had balcony pads for lifts just like the one I was on. There were no mansions or elegant structures with fancy architecture. This was through and through a rugged utilitarian design to maximize housing in a confined area. I hated it. I was not a big city guy, I loved the campus vibe of lots of open space with excessive parks.
When we neared I saw an elevated market, arena, and an aquarium park in the central core of the city. Oh, that was awesome, even I would want to visit those places. We hovered over the middle of the city letting me soak it all in. I may not want to live here, but I could understand why others did. I undoubtedly could visit and have a good time.