"Yes, yes. Have no fear. We will save your repulsive hide, Skarr. In the meantime, make sure Jones is still alive and able to enjoy the festivities."
General Deth melted away, leaving Skarr to grumble, "Extraordinary. I've spent years on this operation and they want to raze it to the ground for one Earthling. Deth is a madman."
He grunted while looking at his clock. "You're late."
Saleeta bowed. "My apologies, commander. I had to wait for Jones and his fat human girl to finish rutting."
Skarr widened his eyes. "Oh, that sounds like it would have been interesting to watch."
Saleeta rolled her eyes, once again reminded of how childish off-worlders were when it came to sex. "I suppose."
Skarr knitted his fingers together over his huge stomach. "What do you have to report?"
Saleeta glanced at Captain Kurrs standing behind her. "The last of the emergency food has been eaten by the newcomers."
"Excellent. We'll cut rations for a week, then build it back up so they can start saving it up again. What else?"
"The escape plan continues. We have completed another foot of the tunnel."
"Oh, interesting." Skarr leaned over to tap a button that made a hologram of the camp appear on his desk. "That would bring them to this area here. Quite an achievement. You will, of course, take care of it?"
Saleeta nodded. "I have Elo working to dull some of the tools, and pull a support beam to cause a cave-in. That will set the work back."
Kurrs grumbled. "Don't know why we don't just close the hole and put a stop to the fucking escape plan, once and for all."
Skarr held up a stubby finger. "Psychology, Captain. Psychology. The escape plan gives them hope. Hope keeps them docile. As long as they believe they are working towards freedom, they are much easier to control. What have you learned about this Jones fellow?"
She looked down at the floor. "He has come looking for someone. An Otis."
The commander rose up a little. "Otis? Otis Accolade? What could he possibly want with that old fool?"
Kurrs snarled again. "We should kill all of them right here, right now."
Skarr settled back behind his desk. "Not without orders. General Deth is on his way. We'll decide then. But we certainly would be well to get rid of him."
She looked over her shoulder. "If I may speak, I think Byron is a threat as well. The others speak of him as being the Outsider."
Skarr snorted with disgust. "The Outsider. Your people will believe in any amount of superstitious nonsense."
She swallowed the roar of anger forcing its way up inside her. "It is not nonsense to us."
He flicked a hand. "Oh, spare me."
"The point is that I agree Jones should be put to death."
"Duly noted." He curled his lips in a smile. "Thank you for your report. You have been most useful, as always."
Saleeta raised her eyes to him. "Useful enough to preserve in case of your engaging this Firestorm weapon you speak of?"
"Oh, yes. The Firestorm is a series of bombs placed at strategic locations on Nikor. Standard for planets that may put up resistance. Once activated, the bombs will detonate in unison, and trigger volcanic activity. What the bombs don't destroy immediately, the volcanic eruptions will. After that, the dust cloud will render the planet uninhabitable for hundreds of years. We will evacuate you with the rest of us. Of course." He smiled in a way that made Saleeta uncomfortable.
She held her hands out. "Then may I have my usual reward?"
"Of course." Skarr held out his hand.
Captain Kurrs held up a smoked leg of night-heart beast. "Here you go. Fresh off the grill."
Her mouth watered as she reached for the meat.
Kurrs lifted it out of her reach. "You know what you need to do. You made the commander happy. Now you gotta make me happy."
He reached down to unzip his pants. His rigid white penis came out into view.
Saleeta took a deep breath, forcing down the nausea sweeping over her as she dropped to her knees in front of him. She told herself this is what she had to do to survive. She closed her eyes, opened her mouth, and took him in.
Chapter 18
A LOUD horn awakened Byron, and he opened his eyes to see the Nikora stumbling to their feet as soldiers charged into the cell, punching and whipping them.
Kurrs came in behind them, calling out, "Everybody on your feet. Naptime is over. All of you wash up, get to the chowhouse, and then out to the mines."
He pointed at Byron who climbed off of Khloe. "That goes for you too, lovebirds."
The captain turned to walk out as the Nikora began filing out of the prison cell. Byron smiled at Khloe as they untangled themselves from each other. They didn't say anything, but he thought they both felt the new connection they had.
Princess came up to them with a big grin on her face. "Well, well, well. Looks like at least one of us had fun last night."
Khloe rolled her eyes as she stood up. "Okay, Princess, come on. Let it go."
Princess giggled and walked off with a swing in her hips. Her ass was small but firm.
Byron was about to follow her when Khloe grabbed his arm. "Hey, I wanna talk to you for a second."
"Oh, sure." He took a deep breath.
Khloe bit her lower lip before speaking. "Look, I just want you to know I don't normally do things like that."
She fluttered her fingers at the floor where they had slept. "I don't know what it is about this game, but it makes me really horny. Maybe it's all the buff bodies or the fact that it's not the real world so there's no diseases or pregnancy to worry about. Or maybe they just put something in the programming. Either way, it's not just the guys who have been fucking like rabbits."
He smiled. "It's okay. Believe me, I understand."
She looked over at Chetaara, Xana, and Scarlett still snuggling each other in the corner. "Yeah, I figured you were getting a lot of action from the harem. But I just wanted to make sure we're okay."
"Sure. I had a good time last night."
She came up close to him with a smile. "Had a good time, too."
They kissed and headed for the door, holding hands.
Xana, Scarlett, and Chetaara followed them. Only Scarlett seemed to acknowledge what they'd seen, giving Byron a wink and leaving it at that.
Chetaara rubbed the back of her neck. "Without my implant, I feel naked and unarmed, like they removed my claws."
Byron took her hand. "We'll get it working again. I promise."
They followed the Nikora out into the morning sun, joining the stream walking and shuffling across the prison compound.
As they passed one of the narrow buildings, Saleeta came up alongside Byron and nodded.
"That," she said, "is where your missing man is apparently being held. This Otis person. As you can see, it is well-secured and well-guarded. It will not be easy to enter."
Byron stared at the barred doors and numerous guards. "We'll find a way."
They went to another building lined with tile and shower heads. The Nikora gathered inside, lining up under streams of water to take a group shower. There were no walls or barriers to hide anyone, and all the wet and naked bodies made it hard to keep from getting stiff again, especially since the women outnumbered the men. One female Nikora scrubbed soap over her breasts while another stroked her tail while foam glided down the curves of her ass. Glistening boobs, shiny pussies, and naked asses were everywhere.
Byron stepped under the spray which was warm at least. He took a bar of soap from a shelf and turned to scrub down Khloe, making sure to run his hands over her slippery breasts until they fell into each other's arms, giggling.
He felt like a kid with his first crush, remembering what Scarlett had said. He wanted Khloe to be on the Icarus, but didn't know how she would feel being a part of his crew.
Before he could bring it up, more hands came up behind him, rubbing his back. Byron turned to see Princess smiling up at him. He tried not to stare at her naked boobs
.
Moaning drew his attention to a Nikora male and female in the shower next to him. They held each other in an embrace while kissing.
He heard more gasps and moans coming from another couple, this time two females kissing each other behind him.
As he looked around, the Nikora all seemed to go from bathing to making out. Males and females paired off, and some formed groups of three or four. Kissing and licking made groans and sighs echo through the bath.
Khloe held up her dripping hands while turning around. "Uh, what's going on?"
Chetaara smiled. "This is the morning union, a sacred ritual that brings joy and pleasure. It relieves us of sexual desire so we can focus on the day, and honors the will of the goddess. Here, it helps the people cope with their imprisonment."
Scarlet had the biggest smile on her face as she looked around. "You guys have an orgy every morning? I wanna join your religion."
Princess drew his attention by reaching up to stroke Byron's cheek with one hand. Her other hand dropped down to grasp his hardening cock. After the encounter with Khloe, he felt more confident that he knew what she wanted.
She looked deeply into his eyes with her dark almond gaze. "I was watching you with Khloe, Byron-san. I think I would like to try that with you."
He felt a moment's shock. He had picked up on Khloe's interest in him, but not Princess. He hadn't even been sure she liked him at all, especially after arguing with him so much. He supposed it was more of her being horny than romantic interest in him. He knew that should have made him upset, but he kind of liked being used sexually. He also found her femininity, elegance, and exotic background very sexy.
He looked to Khloe to see her reaction, but she had disappeared. Scarlett and a Nikora female he'd never seen before had taken Khloe's place, and the two of them stroked each other's waists and breasts while kissing.
Before he could look for Khloe, Princess had turned his face towards hers and kissed him.
Water flowed over their faces from the shower overhead as they kissed, and into their mouths when she pushed her tongue into his. He ran his hands down her back to feel her amazing skin, light and smooth. Her hands crept down his body as well to trace the hollow of his back.
He brought his hands up to cup her perky breasts, and felt her nipples like tiny pearls against his palms. As he rubbed them, she rolled her head back.
She hummed before whispering, "You are very handsome, Byron-san."
"And you're beautiful." That was true. She had stunned him with her elegant beauty ever since he first saw her.
Her face broke into a smile as she traced a finger over his mouth. "I love your lips. I want to see them all over my body."
He obeyed, planting kisses over her cheek, and down the curve of her neck. She shivered as he nibbled where her shoulder met her neck, and made his way down to her breasts. He could taste the water flowing down her body as he licked and tongued her nipples.
"Keep going," she whispered and put her hands on the top of his head.
She pushed him gently but firmly down to her thighs.
As she opened her legs, he once again admired the heart-shaped patch of hair above her slit. It seemed more flirty and sexy than just a landing strip or nothing at all. The delicate pink folds below parted for him and he slipped his tongue into them.
She gasped as he guided his tongue over her wet pussy, and he could taste her juices mingling with the water pouring down her body. He explored her slit to tease out her swollen clit. When he traced circles around it, she groaned and her stomach quivered against his face. Her fingers sank into his hair.
"Oh god, yes," she whispered. "That feels so good, Byron-chan."
As he licked her, Byron looked past her to see the couple next to them. The male Nikora had the female bent over in front of him, and thrust himself into her. The female gasped and moaned as he pumped her. Other Nikora beyond them had fallen into various couplings.
Princess reached down to pull him up to her and kiss his lips before turning herself around. She planted her hands on the tiled wall and opened her legs wider. He didn't need an invitation to guide his cock into her from behind.
She groaned as he filled her. "Oh, you are so big."
He bit his lower lip as he felt her tighten around him. She had the tightest pussy he'd ever felt, and even with her wetness, he found himself struggling to push in more than a few inches. With each thrust, he moved in a little deeper, and her cries grew louder. He placed his hands on her narrow hips and kept pushing harder until he finally went all the way in.
"Oh God," she shrieked as the base of his cock met her slit, and her whole body quivered in orgasm. Her long hair clung to her back as she rolled her head back and forth, making whimpering noises. He held her waist until she finally softened against the wall.
He'd never had sex in the shower before, and it really turned him on. The steam, the water flowing over them, and the way her cries echoed off the high walls made it a whole new experience.
He didn't hold back now that she had cum, and wrapped her long hair around his hands as he pumped his hips until he finally went stiff and came inside her. His grunts seemed deafening as they bounced off the wall in front of them.
As he began to soften, the spell was broken when the water cut off suddenly, leaving them all dripping and breathing heavily.
Captain Kurrs stood at the entrance, smirking. "All right, fuck time is over. Time to get to work."
They all finished arranging themselves and pulling out of each other to head for the exits.
Princess gave Byron one last kiss and a wink before walking off for the exit.
Scarlett came up to him and wrapped her arms around his waist. "Only you could get lucky in a concentration camp."
"Not appropriate," he murmured as he followed Princess.
When he walked outside, he saw Princess and Khloe walking side by side. For a moment, he felt panicked that they would be upset with him, but the two girls giggled and looked back at him with coy smiles.
So much for that, he thought.
He wondered if Khloe and Princess had the same attitude towards monogamy as the other virtual girls he'd met. If they could share him, that would be convenient and awesome. He reminded himself that they were real women, though, not some male fantasy.
The prisoners headed into another building where they lined up at a counter. A Death Trooper with no helmet scooped white mush into metal bowls and handed them to the Nikora as they passed him. The prisoner would eat the mush in a matter of seconds before dropping the bowl into a pile and shuffling out.
Byron held up a hand as he walked in front of the trooper. "Can I get a wine menu?"
"Shut up, smart ass," the soldier grumbled as he pushed a bowl at Byron.
Byron ate what had to be less than a cup of the gruel, tossed his bowl aside, and walked out.
The morning sun dried him quickly as he walked through the camp to the exit. He watched closely as they passed the gates, wondering if that might be his way out. All hope in that direction died within seconds. The security seemed even heavier as they left with Death Troopers forming a gauntlet on both sides for the prisoners to walk through across the dry grass to the mountain side. He also spotted towers with soldiers who had rifles trained on the prisoners.
NEW OBJECTIVE: HARVEST CRYSTALS
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The cave seemed to be a natural entrance that had been widened and reinforced. Sunlight gave way to blinding spotlights mounted in corners. Stalactites hung from the roof like swords alongside wooden beams as the prisoners marched inside. Byron stumbled over metal tracks running down the tunnel. Mining carts rumbled over the tracks, occasionally knocking into or over one of the Nikora. The cries of pain didn't slow down the operation.
Kurrs stood on a platform to one side, overlooking the procession. "Another day in paradise, ladies and gentlemen."
Scarlett sneered up at him. "Fuck off."
"Enjoy your attitude
while you can, robot." He touched the handle of the whip on his belt. "We'll soon beat that out of you."
Chapter 19
At the end of the tunnel, large freight elevators waited for them. Nikora would shuffle into the elevators until they could hold no more, and the doors would close to carry them down while another elevator would take its place.
"This is horrible," Khloe whispered.
Princess murmured, "Understatement of the year."
"Like, why is this happening? Why is the game doing this to these poor people?"
She pointed at the nearest Nikora. "NPCs, remember?"
Khloe's breasts swayed as she waved a hand. "Look around you. Do these look like simple programs? And even if they are NPCs, they're suffering. I don't know why Venus Online is so cruel."
Princess' firm breasts barely moved as she shrugged. "More dramatic, I guess. Why did Darth Vader have to destroy the planet Alderaan? Did you cry in that scene of Star Wars?"
"Well, no, but it's different when you're in the world." Khloe looked around at the sad and gaunt faces of the Nikora. "This all feels real."
Byron nodded. "It just makes me realize how badly this Empire needs to be taken down."
Scarlett jabbed a finger at him. "Fuckin' A."
They reached the elevator and stepped inside. The soldiers packed the Nikora in so tightly that Byron could barely breathe when the doors were shut. His stomach sank as the lift descended. There were no lights in the lift, leaving them in total darkness on the way down.
When the elevator stopped and the doors opened, light flooded in, showing an underground cavern that looked like a scene of hell.
The heat sweeping over him felt like being inside a blast furnace. Byron broke into a sweat instantly as he walked out into a huge cavern with blazing lights mounted on the ceiling. The cave had Nikora everywhere. Some hacked away with pickaxes at the walls and floor. Some pried crystals out of veins in the walls to throw into mining carts. Others pushed or pulled the carts on tracks into the freight elevators.
Mine Shaft: A LitRPG Sci-Fi Harem Adventure (Venus Online Book 4) Page 12