by Eve Langlais
Personally, Wulff enjoyed a bed. Indoors, he should add. He knew someone who’d lost his penis during an outdoor encounter. The fact he got a penile implant that was larger didn’t appeal. Some things didn’t need metal to make them hard.
Exiting the lush garden, they found themselves on a carpeted street, which looked as odd as it sounded. Especially since the street was lined with a variety of establishments. They all presented themselves differently, starting with one of pure black, no windows to relieve the stark facade, just a single door etched with a whip. The house of pain.
Across from it, rouged lips on a bright pink façade for those who enjoyed slipping on other personas.
There was a building for every general sexual fetish. Even the kind that would get a being arrested anywhere else. He didn’t enter any of those establishments. Their destination was another garden at the far end of the street. Rising from the neatly trimmed bushes, a tower that projected high into the air before seeming to disappear into a cloud overhead, the ceiling a hologram that looked like the sky.
Entering through the massive double doors at the base of the tower, he found himself in an atrium full of light, the giant fountain in the middle splashing water into a basin where lithe forms swam. Aqua maids, females from a watery world, appearing part humanoid on the top half of their bodies, fish on the lower. Extremely rare outside of their galaxy. Dangerous, too.
Mating with an aqua maid was said to be the most pleasure you could experience. Then you died, because they only ever mated once. At the apex of bliss, they clamped a male’s member inside and injected it with eggs, thousands of them, which found the sperm to fertilize. The fetuses, parasitic in nature, took root and fed on the body of their father until they were born.
So why would anyone choose that kind of experience?
The same reason some chose to overindulge on foods, drugs, and alcohol. Some just couldn’t help themselves.
Ignoring the aqua maids’ watery song and the enticement in it, Wulff headed for the stairs winding to another floor, the white metal shaped into a fine filigree that nonetheless proved sturdy under his boots.
The second floor appeared more sedate, offering a hallway lit by sconces with numerous doors lining it, all closed.
“Which one is Lylyth in?” he asked Kayne, who’d remained by his side.
“The third door to your left.”
“Thank you.” Wulff stalked to the ornate portal, which opened at his approach.
He entered to find Lylyth lounging on a couch. An attractive female with rouged lips, long blonde hair, and a bosom almost falling out of her grown. She tried too hard. Wulff felt nothing looking at her.
Not entirely true. He felt slightly repulsed. Lylyth proved to be the polar opposite of Ursy. He wished he didn’t have to come here, but he had no choice. This was the only place to get what he needed.
“Wulff, dahling,” Lylyth drawled, batting lashes heavily lined. “It’s been so long.”
“I’ve been busy.”
“Yes, running around here and there collecting your silly gears.”
He knew better than to react to her words. To others, it probably did seem silly because the cogs and other machine parts they collected appeared as junk to most. The latmevilium metal didn’t bond to just any organic being. Certain biological requirements had to be met. Just another reason the Siyborgh knew they were honored by the mighty Mecha gods.
“The new place is looking good,” he remarked. “But I didn’t see any competition.” In the past, the Obsidian Market had a few different providers of erotic services.
“Ah yes, the others,” she said with a slight sneer. “Would you believe they decided to retire?”
He didn’t believe it for a second, but he still smiled. “Lucky for you.”
“Isn’t it, though.” Lylyth rose from the couch, a veritable nymph in a diaphanous gown that hid and revealed at the same time. Meant to allure and seduce, yet it left him feeling nothing. If he’d not had an erection earlier, he’d have wondered if his shaft were broken.
“Rather than play games, let’s get down to business.” The sooner she took care of him, the sooner he could leave.
“Still impatient, I see.” She paused before him, her scent meant to entice. Her flesh close enough to touch. As a matter of fact, she probably expected it.
“I just want to get this over with.”
“Would it kill you to give me some foreplay?”
“I don’t have time to waste. You know why I’m here.”
“Because I have something you need.” She licked her lips. “But you’ll have to take care of me first.”
Before he could move, the door to the room slammed open, and Ursy stalked in, eyes blazing—quite the accomplishment given their fragile organic nature—her lip pulled into a snarl, and fists clenched. Quite livid by all indications.
Sexy as anything, giving him an instant erection. Annoyed at his reaction, he verbally poked her. “You’re just in time to join us,” he drawled.
“Frukx the rules, you die now!” Ursy yelled.
He managed to roll off the cushion just before she shot him.
5
“There is only one thing to do with a cheating partner. Melt him down for parts.” – Today’s Modern Female Siyborgh
Ursy missed. How could she miss? That never happened. Her cog of sharpshooting must be malfunctioning. She gave herself a quick shake and aimed her weapon again.
“What the frukx, Ursy? Are you trying to get us arrested?” Wulff hollered, ducking behind a stone altar.
Common sense rolled right over her simmering rage. “Is this why you wanted to split up? So you could get your rod polished?” she hollered. A part of her tried to interject that what he did—and with whom—wasn’t any of her business.
“It’s not what you think.”
“You ran to meet with a whore!” she snapped.
“Excuse me.” The voluptuous female with three full breasts interjected. “I find that word highly offensive. I am a highly skilled courtesan.”
“Skilled, my geared-up butt. You fuck for money,” Ursy boldly stated.
“A lot of money,” the female said with a smile. “Whereas you”—she eyed Ursy up and down—“obviously need to work a lot harder to make ends meet.”
“Good thing it’s easy to spread your legs for credits because you’re not too bright.” Ursy took aim, and Wulff chose that moment to stand in front of her, giving her a new target.
“You can’t shoot Lylyth.”
“Why not?” Debating if she shot him if she’d also hit the whore behind him.
“Remember what they said about not killing while visiting the market?”
“So they’ll ban me.” She shrugged. “I’m okay with shopping elsewhere.”
“You are assuming you’d leave alive.” The female smirked and almost lost her face right then and there.
Wulff held up a placating hand. “Or how about we don’t murder Lylyth. She hasn’t done anything.”
“You’re not the one she insulted.” Ursy angled to his left in the hopes of getting off a shot.
“And you’ll kill her for that? Since when do you care what others think?”
“Please, Wulff, are you so blind as to not see how jealous she is?” Lylyth interjected.
“Jealous?” Ursy’s eyes practically popped out as she squeaked the word. “I am most certainly not jealous,” she lied quite vehemently. “Just annoyed that while I am out in the market, busting my gears and staving off advances—”
He straightened. “Who attacked you?”
“No one attacked me. I said people were making advances, as in propositioning me.”
“I just left you. How did you manage to get in trouble so quick?”
“All I did was walk into the market and it started.” Ursy’s nose wrinkled. “Can you believe someone offered to make me his queen if I agreed to marry him?”
Wulff’s face lost its mocking humor. “Who? Tell me h
is name.”
“So you can do what?”
“So I can inform them what a stupid idea it is. Only a complete fool would ever want to spend more time with you than he has to.”
The insult struck her like a knife to the gut. “Repeat that,” she snarled, raising her gun again.
“Don’t get mad at me for telling the truth. We both know you’re prickly and have this thing about pushing people away. You don’t like people getting close to you.”
“Are you psychoanalyzing me?”
He snorted. “It’s called my powers of observation.”
“If you don’t like my attitude, then leave. There are plenty of ships here for you to catch a ride on.”
“Who said I didn’t like it?” He arched a brow. “Now, if we’re done arguing about the fact you can’t stand seeing me with another female—”
“I am not jealous!”
“—then why don’t you explain why you came running in here in the first place.”
“I didn’t run.”
“Just kicked in the door.”
“Only because that blue-skinned moron made me angry.”
“Maybe you should have tried asking him nicely where I was.”
“I did, and he got an erection. Then told me I could touch it if I wanted.”
“What?” Wulff bristled. “Where is the little bastard? I’ll show him to make rude advances.”
Her turn to smirk. “Why, Woofy, if I didn’t know better, I’d say you were jealous.”
“The word you’re looking for is brotherly.”
“My real brother would never presume to defend my honor because he knows I’m capable of killing anyone who gives offense myself.”
Wulff groaned. “Don’t tell me you killed him?”
“No. Because I might need him later on.”
“For what?” he asked. “I doubt he’s got any information.”
“No, but he is well-endowed, and he offered me the use of it for free.”
Wulff gaped at her.
“Brava!” The slow clap drew her attention to Lylyth, who beamed. “That was marvelous to watch.”
“Frukx.” Wulff groaned as he turned to the other female. “Sorry for the interruption. Ursy is still working on learning manners.”
“Oh, I don’t mind. I find lovers’ spats fascinating.”
“We are not lovers,” Ursy snapped, even as she itched to shoot the female between the eyes. Anger steamed in her veins at the false assumption.
Wulff shook his head. “She’s like a sister to me.”
The response making her even more irate. Why did she care?
“How lovely!” Lylyth clasped her hands, her face creased in wicked delight. “Which makes it even kinkier.”
“No, it’s not, because it’s never going to happen,” Wulff said.
Lylyth offered them a smile that said she didn’t believe them. “You will become lovers. And soon, I would wager. The sexual tension between you can only end one way. I don’t understand why you’re fighting it so hard. Or is it to enhance the experience?” Lylyth inhaled and sighed. “Ah, there is nothing that beats that first rough time when passion explodes and it’s all you can do to not overpower the other person in your excitement.”
“We aren’t suffering from unrequited passion,” Ursy retorted hotly. A complete and utter lie. She desired Wulff, and had for a long time; she just didn’t plan to act on it.
“Please, don’t lie to me about sex. This is my area of expertise. My nether regions are tingling with all the arousal pheromones floating in this room. It’s positively delicious and distracting. I can’t imagine how it is for the pair of you.”
“We are not having sex, now or ever,” Wulff growled.
“Obviously not, or you two wouldn’t be snapping at each other. Really, you should get it out of the way. I can help you get started if you like.” Lylyth licked her lips suggestively.
Ursy recoiled. “No!”
“We don’t need help,” Wulff choked out.
“Let me know if you change your mind.” Lylyth winked.
“Not happening. Woofy, if you’re done with your whore,” Ursy snapped a little more vehemently than necessary, “we should get back to our task.”
“But I’m not done here because you interrupted. If you don’t mind…” He turned his back on her to face Lylyth. “Shall we finish our business?”
Surely he wouldn’t? Not in front of her? Jealousy burned hotly against the chilling disappointment.
“I’d be delighted. Me first.” Lylyth sashayed over to Wulff and stood before him, making Ursy clench her fist around her gun. A gun she couldn’t fire.
Wulff pressed his wrist against her cleavage, which glowed red for a second. Lylyth then stepped back.
“Payment received in full.” Lylyth canted her head. “Always so nice doing business with you. A pity you never come to me for pleasure.”
“And ruin our arrangement with sex?” Wulff arched a brow.
“You mean you’re not here to fornicate with her?” Ursy asked.
“Nope.”
She chose to ignore her relief at his claim. “Then what are you paying her for?”
He turned to look at her. “Have you so soon forgotten why we’re here?”
“I don’t see how visiting the brothel level is supposed to locate any gears.”
Rather than reply directly, he veered. “Why are you here and not in the marketplace looking?” Then before she could reply, he did. “You came looking for me because you found out the drone we seek is gone.”
“How did you know?” She’d just come from talking to the vendor who originally had it. “The junk merchant would only tell me he sold it, but he wouldn’t say to who.”
“Because he knows better than to open any of his dozen mouths.” Lylyth smirked.
“You bought it?”
“No, he did.” Lylyth pointed to Wulff. “We have an arrangement. I keep an eye open for those silly gears your kind covet, and he pays me generously for my time.”
Ursy realized just how misplaced her anger at Wulff was. “You’re here to collect the gear.”
“And it better be a good one considering what I just paid her,” Wulff grumbled.
Lylyth flicked her hair. “Don’t whine. It cost me a good chunk to bribe the antiquities director into declaring the cog a fraud so that I could snare it for cheap. The dealer even threw in the drone that they found it with.” Lylyth sashayed to the wall while Ursy blinked at Wulff.
“You could have told me you hired her to buy the gear for you,” she hissed at him.
His lips curved into a smile. “Why would I do that when it was much more entertaining seeing your reaction when you thought that I hared off to get my rod polished.”
“An understandable mistake given where I found you. You could have said you had a lead on the drone.”
“The same way you told me about the drone in that asteroid field?”
She glared at him. “How did you find out?”
“You just told me. I should have known there was something suspicious when you chose that route.”
Caught, and yet rather than apologize, she hissed, “If you die, then I don’t have to split the proceeds anymore.”
He tucked his hands behind his head as he sank onto the puce-colored divan, smirking at her. “Go ahead. Shoot me. I dare you.”
She pinched her lips instead and glared. Usually only Zak had the balls to call her bluff. “I hate you.”
“Indeed you do. You hate him so much I need to fan myself.” Lylyth returned, guiding a hover platter upon which sat a drone and a stasis field shaped like a ball. Nestled within, a cog with a crack running through it.
“Frukx, it’s damaged,” Wulff declared, springing from the couch. He tilted the energy dome and frowned at it.
Joining him, Ursy inspected the machinery beside it. “The drone appears to have been mangled somewhat in its capture. It’s in worse shape than the other one we got.”
“You both seem very intent about acquiring this cog. What’s different about it?” Lylyth asked, sounding innocent in her query, and yet Ursy shot her a sharp look.
Wulff, oblivious male that he was, ignored the avid interest to crack open the stasis ball and pull out the cog, turning it in his hands, stroking a thumb over the glyphs etched upon it. “Definitely Mecha God etchings. However, it’s dead.”
“What do you mean dead?” she asked.
He glanced at her. “I mean the metal doesn’t hum.”
“Maybe it really is a fake.”
The crease on his brow didn’t disappear, but Lylyth tried to. Ursy whipped her gun around. “Where are you going?”
“Now that I’ve delivered what Wulff ordered, I have to attend another appointment.”
“You’re not leaving yet. How much did they pay you to double-cross me?” Wulff never pulled a weapon, but the quiet words resonated in the room.
“Whatever are you talking about? I would never betray our business arrangement.”
“Ursy, shoot her.”
“With pleasure.” She aimed the weapon.
Lylyth panicked. “You can’t shoot. The laws protect me.”
“From death. I don’t recall anyone saying anything about maiming. Wulff?” she queried.
“I can’t believe you thought I’d be fooled.” He tossed the useless gear and shifted the drone around on the tray.
“I was fooled,” Lylyth said with false indignation. “Let me go and I’ll have a stern word with—”
“Stop talking.” Wulff tucked his hands behind his back. “I’m so disappointed in you, Lylyth. Lying to me. Taking my money. Ursy is right. There is no rule against maiming you.”
“What do you think? Hand or foot first?” Ursy bobbed the muzzle of her weapon between the two before centering on Lylyth’s chest. “How about that third, useless breast?”