by Cameron Hale
Lynsey cast an inadvertent glance at the trio of generically stunning brunettes performing onstage. Flawless bodies vied with flawless faces, their sculpted perfection an extreme example of enhancement. By now, the only original body parts were undoubtedly their internal organs. “I suppose I see your point,” she said. “Though most people these days dabble to some extent.”
He smiled and handed her a silver edged invitation. His fingers brushed hers, the momentary contact like a mild electric shock. Lynsey suppressed a shudder, but not quite the tingling sensation between her legs. Though she stared at the invitation’s elegant black script, she could not focus on the words.
“I’d be very pleased if you came to the grand opening tonight,” he said. “We’re inviting only a few select guests.”
She cast a quick glance at Matt. Oblivious of her even now, a jab of irritation pricked her. “I’d love to come.”
“Your boyfriend is invited as well, of course.”
She continued to watch Matt observe the lesbian couple. A glimpse of fingers caressing a taut, rounded ass snared her. Her vision blurred and cleared. She blinked in sudden surprise, for the ass she looked at was now her own, the hands the strong, warm hands of a blond man whose name she didn’t even know. Fingers kneaded the pale flesh, slowly working their way to her moist crevice. Gripping the back of the chair, she bent forward, exposing herself, watching, yet feeling the encroaching hands at the same time. Fingers sought her moistness and slipped inside.
A cry escaped her lips. She felt the tension in her calves as she tried to maintain her balance. The club had become merely a blob of color and movement, the faces indistinct blurs. Her hips bucked, the chair rocking so violently it almost toppled. Sweat beaded her skin. That others might be watching was irrelevant. All that mattered was the intense, almost searing ecstasy that surged through her body. She turned, eagerly seeking his face, his hands—and found only Matt’s puzzled face. Around her, the club returned to a buzzing hive of activity. Her head swiveled in search of the blond man, but he had vanished.
“Are you all right, Lynsey?” Matt asked. “You look a bit strange.”
She nodded distractedly and stepped down unsteadily from the chair. Her flesh still burned from her arousal, and she felt an illicit thrill at having been caught by Matt. “I—couldn’t see the stage.”
“Well, whatever works,” he said.
A flash of white on the floor caught her eye. Her hand shook slightly as she picked up the silver edged card and read the brief, elegantly scripted text.
You and a guest are cordially invited to the experience the maiden voyage of the Saturn Sojourner. Liftoff will be at 10.00 pm tonight. The management looks forward to seeing you there.
“What the hell?” she said.
Matt peered over her shoulder and read the card. “The Saturn Sojourner? Where did you get this?”
She scanned the crowded club. Were it not for the card in her hand, she could have easily believed that she had imagined the encounter. “Some—management representative came by handing out invitations.”
Matt grinned. “This must be our lucky night. I’ve heard about the Sojourner. Very exclusive new venue.”
“Sounds spacey.”
“It is. Closest thing to the actual Saturn expedition to being there.”
Lynsey frowned. “As a matter of fact, I have heard about this, but I didn’t think a thrill ride was your kind of thing.”
Matt snatched the invitation from her hand and stuffed it into his jacket pocket. “It’s much more than a thrill ride. It’s the place to be seen. Hmmm—ten. We still have time to get there. Let’s lose this place. It’s getting stale anyway.”
She cast him a dubious glance. “I thought you were enjoying tonight’s entertainment.”
He smiled crookedly. “Time for something different.”
* * *
Lynsey’s breath misted against the frosty night air as she watched the line stretch behind them. Dwarfed beneath a strobe-lit, startlingly realistic replica of an orbital space station, the crowd of two hundred jostled restlessly behind barriers erected to keep the uninvited at bay. She stared up at the facsimile of the Saturn Sojourner nestled in the station’s brilliantly illuminated docking arm. The shape was vaguely reminiscent of a sailfish and gleamed in a dark, jewel blue tone.
Impressive, she thought, though not impressive enough to keep her attention from wandering to the armada of gray suited men carefully checking invitations. She scanned their faces, but could not spot the handsome blond. A tinge of disappointment filled her. Given the choice, she would have preferred another encounter with the mysterious man rather than spend her evening in special effects factory.
The memory of his hands on her flesh elicited a conspiratorial smile. Imagined or real, she still could not be sure what really happened in the club, but the lingering resonance of his touch was like a branding iron. A sexual thrill coursed through her body. If a touch had aroused her so much, the prospect of what his body could do was even more tantalizing. She envisioned him naked, his athletic body a lean, hard-muscled terrain for her to explore. Was there more of that gossamer blond hair to be found, she wondered, nestled perhaps around…
The shrill giggle of a nearby woman shattered her reverie. Irritated, she hunched further beneath her leather jacket and surreptitiously studied the faces around her. Something about them niggled her, but she could not pinpoint what it was. The excitement she had initially felt about the invitation was rapidly waning in the face of the bitter cold and noisy crowd.
“This wait had better be worth it, Matt,” she finally said. “I’m freezing my ass out here.”
Matt stared at her with an indulgent expression. Despite his thin, fashionably studded black jacket and pants, he seemed immune to the cold. “Not happy unless they’re naked onstage, Lynsey?”
She sighed, her discomfort growing as she surveyed the expectant faces around her. “Honestly, Matt, I don’t know what it is, something just doesn’t feel right.”
He followed her gaze and shook his head. “What’s the problem? It’s not every night we get invited to an important opening. After all, you were the one who got the invitation.” He placed his arm around her. “Come on, lighten up. You’ve been acting strange all evening.”
A thunderous claxon shattered the night. The crowd silenced in anticipation. An enormous chrome door flanking the base of the structure slid open amidst a spectacular laser show, revealing a cavernous black tunnel beyond. Two attendants in gray suits manned admission kiosks on either side. Lynsey shook her head, acutely aware of an irritating, low-pitched hum. Matt stared, mesmerized. A resonant baritone boomed from the tunnel.
“Welcome, guests. You are about to embark upon an incredible voyage to the outer reaches of the solar system. Saturn, mysterious jewel of the planets, awaits you.”
Voices murmured from the crowd.
“In a moment, a red beacon will signal you to enter. Attendants await within to process you for lift-off. The voice paused dramatically. “We guarantee this will be a most unforgettable voyage.”
Lynsey tensed as a scarlet beam flashed from the tunnel. The crowd surged forward. Matt took her hand and guided her up a smooth ramp. It stretched into obscure, vibrating darkness. Shadowy figures followed pulsing directional beams. Lynsey’s calves throbbed as the floor angled sharply. Momentarily disoriented, she almost lost Matt and had to jog to catch up with him. The humming grew louder. She found the whole experience unpleasant.
A soothing female voice echoed down the tunnel as she and Matt assembled with a group milling by a curving metallic wall.
“Welcome,” she said. “Enter the chamber when the light turns green.”
The group obediently waited until the door glowed an intense green and silently sank into the floor. Slowly, they filtered into a dazzling chamber of cathedral-like proportion.
“What was all back there?” Lynsey whispered. “I felt like I was drunk.”
Matt smile
d enthusiastically. “Artificial gravity. Gives a much more realistic effect. Look!” He gestured sweepingly. “Doesn’t this blow your mind? It’s like being in the real thing!”
She gazed into a futuristic arena flanked by rows of pneumatic restraint seats that descended to a large, transparent dome. Softly glowing walls rose to a circular control platform high above and converged at a central hub from which a rotating orb shone like a miniature sun. The annoying hum had given way to an almost subliminal pulse she felt through the cushioned floor.
Her gaze fell to the others crowding around them. With a burgeoning sense of dismay, she finally realized what it was that had been bothering her—everyone was attractive, fit and conspicuously young. There was no child or older person in sight. Her mouth felt suddenly dry as she scanned the attractive faces and fit bodies milling around. Every race, every nationality was represented in prime form.
Prime, but not necessary enhanced. This is what he meant by a select few?
She glanced at Matt, his attention snared by the dome that now displayed live images from the Saturn orbital station. Others also watched. Stepping away from the crowd, she returned to where she remembered entering the chamber and found only a seamless wall. She reached to touch it and felt disconcerting warmth. It became apparent there was no way out, in fact, anywhere she looked revealed no apparent exit. Her feelings of unease grew.
A door on the opposing wall silently opened. She watched disinterestedly until the gray-eyed man emerged. He paused to survey the crowd and turned directly toward her. All thoughts of Matt fled as they made eye contact. Phantom hands caressed her body, inflaming a feverish heat that culminated between her legs. She gasped, unable to stifle an exquisite sensation of penetration. The floor swayed, her vision blurred. His face loomed above her, the knowing smile becoming lips that tasted every inch of her flesh.
She blinked. Barely a moment had passed, but his knowing smile said it all. No one else had noticed, their presence now inconsequential. His eyes were for her and her alone.
“Welcome to the Saturn Sojourner,” he said in a voice that would have easily melted butter. “For the comfort of all passengers, a personal escort will guide you through the preparations for liftoff.”
His gaze locked once more onto Lynsey. Helplessly snared, she found her previous misgivings sliding away beneath the intensity of his regard.
The crowd murmured. All eyes turned to a contingent of striking men and women emerging from the doorway. Clad in tight-fitting copper mesh bodysuits, each made their way to individual members of the group. Matt’s gaze fell on the willowy oriental woman approaching him. Her swathe of waist length indigo hair moved in sensual concert with her fluid stride. Dark almond eyes appraised him almost hungrily.
Lynsey frowned, for once not because of Matt’s inattention to her, but at the way he watched the woman with a peculiar slackness of expression. The Matt she knew would be appraising her the way a cat would peruse a mouse.
“Matt? Matt, are you okay?”
Without a word, he moved toward the woman. Their eyes locked in time with their clasping hands. The woman inclined her head slightly and led Matt away. Lynsey watched the curiously silent exchange repeated with the others until only she and the gray-eyed man remained in the chamber.
He motioned the door closed. She felt an encroaching heat invade her body as he approached. She felt strangely lightheaded, and tried to shade her eyes from the brightening light. But the light was not coming from the orbs. Peering through her fingers, she saw his naked body encompassed in a shimmering veil of light, a veil that divided into gossamer wings. His blazing eyes mirrored the sunglow.
Don’t be afraid, he whispered. Of all the women here, I’ve chosen you as mine.
Who are you? The words articulated in Lynsey’s mind as clearly as if she had spoken them. She felt the warmth of his smile ease away her misgivings.
We are the founders, though you have known us by many names. You are our children, the remaining descendents of the seeds we planted on this world long ago. Those of you here, and in a few other places on this world that have also been assembled tonight, will bear augmented traits that will steer humanity into a new direction. They will all be released after the transfer, remembering only that they enjoyed an entertaining evening.
Lynsey tried to assimilate his words. And the rest of the world?
Will know nothing except the gradual changes brought on by our lineage. Though we have initiated countless successful seedings, there are the inevitable occasions where corruption has occurred and must be rectified.
You mean the mess we’ve made of things…
Life must develop at its own pace, but there are times when it must also be guided much like a child.
She found herself cocooned by his silken wings. He pressed against her, enfolding her tightly, the solid heat of his body merging into hers. Her clothing dissolved into shimmering flecks of light that showered the floor like iridescent snow. Their bodies locked together in a sensual rhythm. She drifted in a sea of pleasure as he moved in her, through her with a ferocity that echoed in her cries. Eagerly, she tasted him, her tongue caressing his skin that her filled her mouth with the taste of nectar not unlike honey.
A deep rumbling vibration coursed through her, followed by a brief sense of disorientation. The wings encompassed her more tightly. Her eyes drifted up toward the sunglow and widened in astonishment. Only then could she articulate words.
“My God!”
A crystal blue Earth plummeted into a velvety abyss dusted with glittering stars. In the distance, a yellow star blazed. The moon, ashen and pockmarked, whizzed by like a scattered billiard ball.
“You said we would be released!” she cried.
Rest assured the others will. They are not on this part of the ship, nor will anyone be aware of our departure. But you are destined to play a much different role, Lynsey. You will be my mate, a seeder of many new worlds. Your journey will continue far beyond this realm and will show you marvels to defy imagination.
His wings embraced her tightly, pressing her mouth to his. Observe your domain…
She raised her head and gazed at the sunglow. Filling the horizon, the glittering mass of a huge cityship beckoned. An armada of smaller craft flitted about like a swarm of jeweled insects. Two, shaped like golden snowflakes, broke away and approached. She stared in awe and reached out as if to touch them.
Welcome home, Lynsey…
PEEP SHOW
The feeling of suffocation occurred the same time every night, plundering Nikki’s fitful sleep until she awoke breathless and gasping like an asthmatic. Battling to free herself from the embrace of the pneumatic mattress and damp, rumpled sheets, she groped for the quaint bedside lamp that required no voice command. At three a.m., even the simple task of articulated two words was more of a challenge than her fatigued mind could accomplish. Groping the cluttered table surface in the rosy glow of the bedside light, her fingers sought the hermetically sealed pouch containing a jaxpatch. She squinted in frustration at its elusiveness, her hand sweeping aside the clutter of anonymous junk to the floor.
“Fuck!” she cried, alertness finally sinking in. “Where the hell is it?”
She struggled to her knees, her naked body gleaming with a fine sheen of sweat. A sweep of flaxen hair veiled her back, its thick silken strands emphasizing the gaunt beauty of her pale face. Pierced, pendulous breasts bobbed as she rose, each entwined by an intricately tattooed Ouroboros colored so intensely that they glowed with sinister life. Below, an Ouroboros shaped clitoris ring rose between her bald cunt lips.
Reaching over the table, she paused to mop her face with a crumpled tissue. The tremor in her hands increased with each agitated breath, her frown echoing the growing confusion in her mind.
“Where the fuck is it?” she cried, angrily sending all but the lamp clattering to the floor.
She pressed her hands against the drawer. It opened, revealing a chaos of discarded jaxpatch pou
ches, sex toys, lubricants and wispy fragments of lingerie no more substantial than cobwebs. The faintly illuminated inner panels revealed only, that somehow, she had exhausted her supply of jaxpatches.
The whine of an approaching car distracted her. It hovered outside her window, its strobing colors penetrating the half-closed blinds and immersing her room in a hallucinogenic lightshow. Though light sensitive windows were the norm these days, the old-fashioned blinds struck a chord with customers who liked to watch the slats slowly open.
Fired their anticipation, Nikki thought tartly, recalling a client’s claim that it excited him to see her body slowly revealed.
“Well it’s after hours and I’m not open,” she snapped at the persistent vehicle. “Go to one of the all night shows downtown.”
Almost in response, the vehicle drew closer, its relentless lights scything the blinds. They reminded Nikki of groping fingers, the clammy, rough fingers that used to manipulate her body until she turned to window dancing.
“Persistent fuck, aren’t you,” she muttered, feeling a slight buzz from the jaxpatch comedown. She would be more than buzzing if she didn’t get a fix soon, and if her supply was completely exhausted, it would be hell trying to locate Jerondo at this hour. Easier to count the underage wharf rats plying their trade for a smoke than to find her dealer.
Intrigued, she slipped off the bed, her long, lithe legs moving with the stance of a panther. Illuminated by the strobing colors, the reflective surfaces of the mystical drapes and rugs decorating her room eerily aglow. Despite air constantly filtered from the city grime, remnants of incense still lingered along with the potent musk of her sex. The earlier double session had exhausted her, the client’s penchant for penetration with unusual objects almost leaving her with a case of friction burn.
She glanced at her work chair, a custom designed, well-padded piece with a high, comfortable back and armrests wide and padded enough to accommodate her draped legs. The simple blue fabric was resilient and stain-resistant, a must considering the hours she spent in various positions. In full view of the window, it was merely a matter of opening blinds to present a show that commanded a handsome fee. Payment was completely computerized, input via the client’s terminal to her own. The wallscreen was situated conveniently adjacent to the chair. Only when the transaction confirmation appeared on screen did the blinds go up.