by Mara Jaye
“Come on!” Xell grabs my hand and pulls, stronger than I thought she’d be. I let her but continue to monitor the stalk. The thin skin of the plant splits as Xell screams, “Run!”
I let her pull me until hearing a crash behind me. I stop to record the event, turning for a better view. Xell falls and pulls me to the ground as a thick, clear smattering of goo splatters across my legs. The stuff reminds me of the aloe from Earth. I begin to wipe the stuff off until my uniform begins sizzling wherever the substance landed. “What the hell?”
She scrambles over to me, pulling up my shirt. “Take it off. All of it. The acid will burn through to your skin.”
I help her remove my clothes, happy do to so. “I’ll need dinner and dancing first.”
“Not funny.” She tosses my shirt aside. “This will burn through everything but moss.”
“Really, the fabric is tougher than it looks.”
“Yeah? I thought so, until the acid hit the soles of my feet.” She’s tugging at my pants, her hand rubbing my belling and making my cock hard. Unaware of what she’s about to set free, she keeps trying to pull down my pants while saying, “Seriously, burns like a mother.”
The aloe acid touches my skin and she’s right. Bionans are rushing to fix the burn but anything eating through our uniforms? I don’t want to find out how far down the acid will go. I kick off my shoes before shoving down my bottoms, too. Standing naked as a newborn in front of her, I ask, “The moss stops the acid?”
“Yeah,” she squeaks as I grab some from the ground. The stuff is dried from being out in the sun. I rub it on the burn anyway to at least wipe off the goo. The nanos can do the rest. Satisfied when the pain eases, I pick a fresh handful and turn around in front of Xell. “Do you see any red marks on me?”
“Um, yeah, no. I think you’re fine.” She swallows and puts a hand to her throat. “I also thought underwear was universal, but ha. Silly me.”
I can’t help but chuckle because she’s trying to look everywhere but at my cock. Which, unsurprisingly, is starting to react to her attention. “Not everyone wears underclothes, but Gharians tend to. At home, anyway, since water is a luxury on interstellar travel.”
“Ah. No clean pants. I’ve been there. Thought about being there while here, but that makes no sense.” She’s hyperfocused on brushing dust from her behind.
“Actually, I’d be fine with nudity while here.” Especially if she strips down, too.
Xell laughed. “I’ll bet. You’re gorgeous.” She reaches out to touch my arm, stopping several inches short. “How is your skin so shiny? It’s like you’re oiled metal.” She glanced up into my eyes, her face reddening. “I’m sorry. Are skin colors a touchy topic on Ghar?”
“Not at all.” I take her hand and put it on my bicep. “We’re all Gharians, no matter what we look like or where we’re from.” Yes, I’m only being partly honest. I don’t want to talk about my off Ghar upbringing right now. If anything, I’d prefer her never know everything about my childhood. It’s bad enough Tira does. I’ll tell Xell when I’m ready. No need to rush into the sympathy dump from her.
I’m following her, enjoying the view, and while the moss is fine, the occasional stone hurts the bottom of my feet. It’s been a long time since playing near Fleeg’s mining slags. I’ve grown soft. “Hey, can you slow down a bit? Or maybe let me find my shoes?”
She pauses and comes back to me, staring into my eyes instead of my body. I return her grin. She’s mesmerizing and also not watching where she’s going. Before I can mention the slight step up in the path, she trips over it. I run up to catch her and once in my arms, the universe clicks into place.
99% genetic match. Begin union?
“I’m yours and you’re mine,” I blurt out before growling to my bionans, “No, stop.”
Xell runs her hand up my arm, her smile killing me as she asks, “Are you sure? Your words aren’t telling me no.”
No? Match denied. Union canceled.
Chapter Seven
Xell
G’nar shakes his head, taking a step back from me. I moved closer. He smells like chocolate and bergamot. An odd combination, yes, but two treats from home I miss the most. I can’t help but put a hand on his arm. “Are you all right? You turned a little too pale just now?”
“I’m fine.” He tugs on his earlobe. “My system is trying to delete a program I’m not willing to end so soon.”
“Oh?”
“Trying to suspend it until later but having difficulty.”
His eyes have that cloudy processing glaze to them so I wait until his attention returns. Hope he’s faster than my old laptop at home. Otherwise, we’ll be here for a little bit. Before my gaze can wander over his luscious and still very nude body, G’nar’s attention returns. I smile at him, grateful he’s back. “Everything settled?”
“For now.” G’nar tilts his head and nods ahead. I get the hint and turn toward the temple. He goes on, saying, “I’d usually welcome the diversion my system gave me, but not at the moment. Providing you with better comfort than the Vahdmoshi ship offers is a higher priority.”
His main concern warms my heart. “Thank you. I’m looking forward to something better than melted gummie bricks.”
“Like Earth’s gummie bears?”
“Yeah, only they’re about as big as my hand and liquid by now.” A Kik flies overhead, its cries making me pause for a few moments. “I had some hope they’d ferment but no. No excellent gummie wine or even rotgut alcohol.”
G’nar laughs and I smile. I have to admit I like how he’s lived on Earth and understands almost all of my references. I don’t get all of his and him saying we belong to each other seems a bit premature. We might be the only two people on the planet, and that is almost not a bad thing. I would like to get to know him a bit better as a person.
The temple is ahead, barely revealed in the dappled sunlight streaming through the thick leaves. Now that I can superimpose the former glorious version in my mind over the current worn building, I appreciate the structure even more. The Emoli were interesting. They lived and created like the Incas but had technology far beyond anything at home. “There,” I tell G’nar with a game show hostess flourish. “There is our new library.”
He continues on ahead of me. A bright light moving up and down the rock shows the drone is still scanning every stone. G’nar glances back at me with a smile. “I’d love to know the power source for this thing.”
“Nuclear? Biological? Geothermal?” I step over a twisty root, intent on avoiding another embarrassing fall. “Something top secret?” He stops and I run into him. “Sorry.”
G’nar puts an arm around me as we enter the temple. “Is there secret tech here I need to know about?”
I shrug, glad the movement doesn’t stop our contact. Water continues to drip as much as every other time I’ve been here. The air feels 20 degrees cooler than even the shade outside and I shiver. “Maybe, but the technology is so secret, I don’t know about it either.”
He peers down at me. “Cold?” I nod and he frowns. “If I had any clothes, I’d give my shirt to you.”
“You must be freezing. I should be undressing for you.” As soon as the words come out I want to take them back. Judging by the huge grin he’s giving me, he’s thinking how we could both be warm. “I mean,” I shrug out of Ralph’s shirt, revealing all of my tank top. “You could be wearing this at least. Too bad it’s short-sleeved. The fabric isn’t flannel because summer in New Mexico, but it’s warmer than nothing.”
He hesitates for a moment before taking the shirt. “Thank you. I’m not sure how much this will help, but it smells like you.” He holds my gift up to his nose and breathes deep. Smells like you and a little not like you.”
“Yeah, probably Ralph and let’s just ignore what that means.”
G’nar stops examining the podium and his eyes narrow at me. “You are committed to someone else?”
“No, not anymore, not since before the abductio
n.” His hard expression softens. I kind of like his jealousy. It’s not too much and he didn’t give off a creepy vibe. “I only meant I don’t have soap around here. I’m sure there are some lingering body oils from the prior owner.”
“Ah.” He examines my face for a few seconds as if taking a mental picture of me. I try not to squirm and instead stare back at him. “Let’s see how obtaining the antidote works, huh?”
“Okay.” I wave my hand over the impression. “When I got here, I had the toughest time resisting the urge to touch.”
“Even though you knew you probably shouldn’t?”
“Yes.”
“Did anything else odd happen to you before then?”
“Only the metal that melted in my mouth.”
“Right. Not odd considering nanos were infecting you.” He’s walking around the podium, scanning the structure. “They urged you into eating building materials.”
I’m not thrilled with being lured into chewing around on anything inorganic. Wondering how much the nanos control me subconsciously, I notice G’nar has stopped and his eyes are glazed. I don’t want to interrupt, but Deek is gone. Maybe G’nar has tripped one of those secret techs his nanos know about but mine take for granted. “Are you all right?”
“I am,” he responds in a quiet tone. “Just scanning with various types of light energy is all.” G’nar continues in silence for a few moments.
Only the dripping water echoes through the chamber as G’nar reaches for the hand imprint. “What if it doesn’t work,” I blurt out as the thought hits me. “I had no tech. I mean, only Emol tech and you’re far more advanced. What if the antidote kills the your nanos and I don’t know, clog your brain or heart arteries?”
He looks down at where I’m holding his wrist, stopping him, before looking at me. “I appreciate your concern more than you know, but I’ll be fine. My bio-um, nanites, are more advanced than any here. I’m worried more about spreading them to other planets than I am being harmed by them.”
“Famous last words.” I let go of him, but he doesn’t immediately reach for the impression. I’m glad he’s at least thinking through his decision again. “Are you sure you have to gather the antidote this way? Could you draw my blood for testing? Or maybe let the shirt soak up whatever is being released from there?”
“I could but my body is my own best laboratory.” He reaches for my face, tracing my cheek with his fingertips. “Although, I do like the idea of testing yours. We could kiss, make love, otherwise swap fluids, and I wouldn’t mind.”
“Eh, you lost me at swap fluids.” I take his hand and give him a businesslike handshake. “English isn’t your first language, is it?”
Refocusing on the podium, he chuckles. “Not even my fifth.” He clenches and unclenches his fist a couple of times.
I don’t blame him for the nerves. I’m afraid for him, too. “You don’t have to gather the stuff today. We could always come back tomorrow.”
“I’d rather begin finding a cure for us today. You deserve a better home than here.”
Home. I hug him, in love because he’s a true hero. “Thank you, because I miss my work, Earth food, and my friends so much. I want you to come home with me so I can show you everything before we visit your world, too.”
“Yes, we’ll need to plan our future, won’t we?” G’nar pulled away from me as his hand hovers over the impression. “I hope this is anti-climatic.”
His flesh touches the metallic stone and the clamp traps him. Instead of panicking like I did, G’nar is staring ahead at the screen. The display lights up and swirls without pictures like it did for me. Odd, but not as much as G’nar barely breathing, as still as the museum statues he resembles. I reach for his wrist to find a strong pulse. Taking a breath in relief, I can’t help but notice his shirt, formerly mine, doesn’t quite cover his manly bits.
I glance up to make sure he’s still bound by the Emol’s information before sneaking a few stares at Gharian sex parts. Which are much nicer than what I’m used to. Size proportionate to his height, yum, and seems a bit ribbed to me. Double yum. I shiver and remember the chill. I don’t dare laugh or G’nar might snap out of it to find me gleeful over his cold being better than any Earth man’s hot. That whole “I’m yours, you’re mine,” thing doesn’t sound half-bad. Especially if he takes me to his mucho advanced planet. I’m thinking service robots, food replicators, heck, zero-calorie chocolate mousse. Any spacefaring species would have to know about adding and removing calories, right? I do a quick check of the library and while the Emols didn’t, maybe the Ghars did.
I’m not sure how long I’m daydreaming about having sex with G’nar after he feeds me zero-calorie tiramisu but the clamp retracting pulls me into the here and now. I check his face as he wake up from the trance Emol tech puts us in. Reaching out for his arm, I ask, “How are you feeling?”
“Surprisingly unaffected,” he mutters. “Somehow, I expected a lot more.” Removing his hand, he rubs the palm. “My system is handling the compound now.”
“What’s the results?”
“It’s a lot to process. More intricate than I’d given the Emolis credit for.” He shakes his head a bit, looking away from the podium as if waking up from a trance. “How long was I out?”
“Well, my best guess is five minutes or so, but it seemed a lot longer. Mainly because I tried to keep from staring at you.”
“Why?”
“If I were half-dressed and the only woman on Emol, you’d be staring at me, too.” He grins and I add, “At least I hope you would since I’d be all you had down here.”
He puts his non-injected hand up to my cheek. “I’d stare at you no matter where we were in the universe. You’re beautiful. As soon as we’re out of here, you’re also my everything.”
“What if we’re trapped here forever?”
G’nar frowns. “I refuse to give up on solving this, but if we are? You’d be my choice.”
“Uh huh.” I turn toward the entrance. “You barely know me.”
“True.” He falls in step beside me. “How about we start learning more about each other.”
“For instance?”
“You say I was held for five minutes while the antidote was delivered?” I nod and he asks, “How long were you out?”
“I’d say a couple of hours at least. When I went in, the coolness felt refreshing. After I woke up, it was dark outside. I have to admit I was worried about walking around on a strange planet in the middle of the night. So, I stayed there until sunrise.”
G’nar looks back at the temple before taking my hand. “Despite the damp and dripping noises?”
I’m not willing to inject a dose of gloom about what I’ve had to accept in life and try to keep it light. “Oh, you know, I’m just a girl. Trying to enjoy living in a manmade cave.” I can’t help but smile at his laugh. “So, while I’m there enjoying the temple after a hot day, all of these outside thoughts begin flowing in.”
“The nanos with access to the main datalinks?”
“Yep. I learn the true name for the stalk trees. Also learned why I should avoid them. Sleeping in the temple was a good idea I didn’t know I had. Maybe the nanos subliminally suggested it to me, since the succulent flowers within flowers are nocturnal and carnivorous.”
“Flesh-eating?”
“Yes. They use the bones to build their trunks, strip the nutrients from the blood, and the remaining liquid fills their leaves,” I reply and laugh at the disgust on his face. “I know. I’m not eating them, ever. The library says they’re edible, but then so are a lot of things from Earth I wouldn’t touch.”
“How big are their victims and are you sure they’re only nocturnal?”
That’s something he could have asked the library. I stop him to look into his eyes. “Aren’t you accessing the Emol databases, yet?”
“No, but it’s not easy. I’ve been blocking their nanos with my own since I landed.”
“With your own nanos from your govern
ment?”
He gives me a grin. “Something like that. They’re used to blocking out various diseases and am treating the Emol contagion like any other biological threat.”
I hold out my hand, returning his smile. “Well? Want to share?”
“Not at the moment. It’s highly forbidden for me to even think of letting a Sixth Worlder have access to my tech.”
“Sixth? I suppose you’re first?”
“No, and I’m glad I’m not.” He glances at me and I give a go ahead nod. “The first, second, third, and so on worlds are broken down by space travel and other technologies. First World people, if you can call them that, are beyond physical bodies. They bend time and space in a way I’m not sure I can explain to you.”
“You could try because I’m not stupid. I did pass Physics.”
“I’m sure you did. I’m just not able to put what they do into words. Maybe images or abstract concepts, but you don’t have internal communications. Even then, I’m not sure I could convey their travel because I don’t completely understand it.”
Like someone’s age or weight, I decide to err on the side of caution and venture, “So you’re a Second World person?”
“Yes.”
I don’t care for his answer since it means I’m a lot more lower than I’d thought. “And I’m Sixth.” My tone reveals my disappointment and I try to kid with him. “ You’re really slumming it, man. Why are you even here trying to rescue me? It’d be like NASA going to retrieve a Mars rover.”
A hurt expression flashed across his face. “You’re more than a machine. You’re a person worthy of saving.”
The guy is risking his life. I’m not worth it. Still, I don’t want to fish for affection, so I tease him. “There’s not a lot of chicks on Ghar, is there?”
He shrugs. “Plenty of women live on myhomeworld and you’re lucky I spent time on Earth or I’d have no idea why you’re talking about baby birds.” He sneaks me a grin. “Or even what birds are.”
I laugh. “Come on, even Emol has birds, of a sort.”