Stories by Kiera Dellacroix

by Dellacroix, Kiera

  "Sergeant Alvarez," she called.

  "Go ahead."

  "What's your status?"

  "Still in excavation, Commander," he said tiredly.

  "Why?"

  "They're still fawning over the damn thing."

  She could almost see the compact Hispanic man rolling his eyes. "Is Dr. Rivers down there?"

  "Yeah, she's here."

  Malory sighed. "Very well, give them a little longer and then tell them to wrap it up."

  "Will do," he said, obviously happy to get the order.

  "Lovecraft, out."

  She leaned back in her chair and sighed again, deciding she would pass the time with a movie.

  --------

  It was after midnight when Corky got out of the shower. Malory had been right, the smell in excavation had been hideous and being in such close proximity to the creature had made her clothes stink as well. Earlier, Clovis had called her down to take a look at it and she found herself unable to resist. Caught up in her own curiosity and everyone's excitement, the time had gotten away from them. That is, until Alvarez had informed them, in no uncertain terms, that it was bedtime and they could play with their new toy tomorrow. It was then she realized how late it was and that she had unwittingly stood the Commander up.

  Guiltily, she dressed and slipped out the door, hoping Malory would still be up so she could at least apologize. When she entered the Commander's office, it was dark and there was no light coming from under the door to her quarters. With a sigh, she turned to leave and took a few steps into the hall before turning impulsively, walking back into the office and quietly entering Malory's quarters, closing the door behind her. She stood silently, letting her eyes adapt to the dark and then utilizing the light from the clock to guide her to the Commander's cot. Praying that she was making the right decision, she stripped to her panties and T-shirt before climbing in next to the sleeping woman. She had to nudge her a few times to make room for herself and ignored the sleepy grumbles of protest as she slipped under the blankets.

  So far so good, she snuggled up next to a delightfully naked back, putting a tentative arm around her waist and cautiously burying her face into clean smelling hair. She caught her breath in surprise when Malory suddenly grabbed her arm, but ended up smiling as her hand was cuddled between a pair of breasts. It took a few minutes for her to realize the Commander was still asleep but when she did, Corky quickly fell asleep beside her.

  05/04/02 - 0659 hours

  Malory noticed several things immediately upon waking up. First, was the floor, and she was staring at it because half of her body was hanging over the side of the cot. In addition, there was a warm weight resting on her back and most surprisingly, there was a possessive grip on her left breast.

  Her eyes traveled down her chest to examine the hand that the grip belonged to and an eyebrow went up in satisfaction. It was a small, obviously feminine hand and since it wasn't her own, the odds were favorable that it belonged to none other than Corky Rivers.

  She craned her head around to look at the clock; it was set to go off in less than a minute. Smiling, she plastered on her most smug expression and waited to see how the doctor would react to rising in such a compromising situation.

  The alarm went off with a shrill and irritating electronic beep and Corky's eyes grudgingly opened, then almost instantly widened as she found her cheek resting on a naked back and a pleasant softness filling her hand that could only be one thing. She froze in horror, immediately wishing that she had thought her impulsive decision from the night before all the way through. She hadn't given a moment's thought to how awkward it would be to wake up uninvited in someone else's bed or to be caught fondling the body that the bed belonged to.

  The alarm continued to blare and Malory could feel the tension running through the body resting on top of her, she decided to make the most of it.

  She cleared her throat loudly. "Uhm... if it isn't too much of a bother, could you let go of my boob long enough to turn off the alarm?"

  Corky flushed with embarrassment, silently removing her hand and turning to slap the alarm behind her irritably, instantly wishing she hadn't as she found the resulting silence even more uncomfortable.

  Malory was anything but uncomfortable, enjoying the situation immensely. "There's some Kleenex on the nightstand, would you mind wiping the drool off my back?" she asked, almost laughing when she heard the horrified gasp her request had produced.

  Corky's eyes dropped to Malory's back in mortification but after a quick examination, they turned to the ceiling in annoyance. "Funny," she said finally, bracing herself against the inevitable laughter.

  She was surprised when it didn't come and Malory turned around, gathering her arms around her and pulling her close. "I haven't woken up so happy in years."

  It was the last thing Corky had expected and she buried her face into the crook of the Commander's neck with a relieved sigh.

  Malory ran her hands inquisitively through Corky's hair, enjoying how soft it felt as she waited for the doctor to emerge from her place of refuge. Eventually, she stirred and lifted shy brown eyes up to meet hers. "I knew you could be sweet if you wanted to," she said triumphantly.

  Malory smiled. "I'm not the ogre you make me out to be."

  "I never called you an ogre."

  Malory shrugged indifferently. "So can I have that kiss now?"

  Corky chewed on her lip thoughtfully.

  "Oh, come on," Malory sighed. "It's the least you could do after having felt me up."

  Brown eyes looked away in embarrassment. "I was asleep."

  "If you kiss me, I'll let you feel me up anytime you want," Malory offered brightly.

  Corky chuckled. "Okay," she relented, bashfully moving forward.

  Her mouth had almost completed its journey when a hand blocked the way, completely obscuring the lips below hers.

  "Wait!" Malory said, her voice muffled by her hand and Corky backed away uncertainly, looking at her in puzzlement.

  "Could you brush your teeth first?" she asked. "Your breath would make a dung beetle barf."

  Corky went completely limp in exasperation, her face falling into the blankets as the Commander's chuckles washed over her. She waited stoically for her mirth to subside.

  "You just can't make it easy, can you?" she muttered.

  "Nope."

  "Corky, where you at?" Clovis's voice blared from the radio on the floor.

  "Oh, shit." Corky sprang upright in alarm.

  "Corky, you there?" Clovis asked. "You better have your radio with you or the boss is gonna be pissed."

  Malory chuckled and reached down to retrieve the radio from the floor. "You better answer him or I might have to discipline you."

  Corky snatched it from her hand. "Go ahead, Clovis."

  "Where the hell are you?" came the immediate response.

  She bit her lip. "Where are you?"

  "I'm in Medical."

  Malory snickered and received a slap on the arm. "I'm in the mess," she offered, crossing her fingers.

  "I just left there, I must have missed you. No biggie, on my way back now."

  "Shit," Corky cursed, jumping over the Commander and gathering her pants from the floor in a panic.

  Malory reclined on the cot, watching the show with interest as Corky frantically wiggled into her fatigues.

  "Goddamn it," she exclaimed, tossing dirty clothes aside. "Where's my other boot? How do you find anything in this shithole?"

  "You'll never get there before he does."

  "Shut up," Corky said, then squealed as she found her other boot and dropped to the floor to pull it on.

  "What the hell, Corky?" Clovis said. "Where did you go?"

  "Told you."

  Corky froze, totally at a loss.

  "Just tell him you're in my office and you'll get back to him shortly," Malory offered.

  Her shoulders slumped in relief. "Sorry, Clovis," she answered. "The Commander wanted to see me, I'll call you
back in a minute."

  "Alright, got lots to do today," he said. "See ya in a few."

  She fell onto her back, lying in a pile of dirty clothes. "Jesus."

  "I'm glad you came by last night," Malory said.

  "I am too," Cory replied from her position on the floor.

  "Will I see you again tonight?"

  "Only if you clean this place up or come to my quarters."

  "I'll come to your quarters."

  Corky chuckled and rose to finish lacing her boot, glancing up to meet blue eyes watching her intently from a few feet away. "What are you staring at?"

  "You. You're a beautiful woman," she replied, smiling at the resulting blush.

  "So are you," Corky said, trying to ignore the heat on her face. "Most of the time. When your mouth doesn't get in the way."

  Malory chuckled.

  "I better go," Corky said, rising to her feet.

  "Okay."

  The doctor debated for an instant, then hastily stepped forward and leaned in to place a quick peck on the Commander's mouth, withdrawing swiftly and rushing through the door without looking back.

  Malory watched her go with a smile and snuggled under the covers contentedly.

  V

  The Commander had been checking her watch every few minutes for the last hour, unable to concentrate on anything else but the approaching end of the current duty shift. She was down to counting the last few minutes when McNeely's voice from the radio demanded her attention.

  "Commander?"

  She sighed pitifully, knowing she would probably have to put her plans on hold. "Go ahead."

  "They were going to page you but I thought I'd give you a heads up. They want you in the lab."

  She groaned, having harbored the secret hope that she wouldn't have to look at the damn thing. "And the heads up would be?"

  "Hope you haven't eaten recently," he said and she winced, knowing that if the burly Sergeant thought to say something, it would be a dreadful sight.

  "On my way, Lovecraft out."

  She arrived at the lab a few minutes later and found McNeely waiting for her just inside the door. The laboratory was actually the largest room, or series of rooms, in the entire complex. Entering through the main door brought you to a glass-enclosed lobby of sorts, where one had to pass through a vacuum-sealed door to actually have access to the facilities inside.

  She noted Sergeant Terrel and Airman Daly standing behind McNeely, hands tight on their rifles and their attention fixated upon the activity inside. Malory avoided looking for as long as she could, glad that several of the scientists were hovering around the creature, partially obstructing it from view.

  "Commander, you'll want to put this on," McNeely said, extending a hand offering a clip for her nose, she looked at the man, noting that he was already wearing one.

  "Thank you," she said. "Let's get this over with."

  McNeely pushed through the door and she followed him through. Dr. Lenard turned at the sound of their entrance and beckoned her over with a wave. She approached and the scientists parted to give her a full view of the exam table, she wasn't wholly prepared to look at the creature in its entirety.

  The thing appeared to be equal parts insect, humanoid, and technology, its skin where visible, was the same greenish-black that she remembered. It seemed to be sitting backwards in a chair, not all that surprising considering its trunk resembled the hindquarters of a cat, only attached in the reverse and covered sparsely with a thick, coarse hair or antennae. Its arms were projected outward as if trying to protect itself from something, the torso covered in a carapace, like that of a huge cockroach, and seemingly fused to the strange looking chair. Tentacles, peppered with imbedded implants of alien technology, protruded from an orifice in the neck and wrapped themselves around the shoulders and groin. The actual head of the alien was the most disturbing feature to behold, resembling a snail's shell with no other visible features except for a frighteningly wide mouth consisting of three different rows of triangular teeth, all of which looked razor sharp and protruded in all directions.

  "God," she said. "Look at the choppers on that thing."

  "No kidding," McNeely said from behind her. "I wouldn't want it going down on me."

  His comment brought her out of her study with a chuckle and she looked up at the sound of a familiar laugh, surprised to see Corky on the far side of the examining table. She shot her a small smile and wondered why she hadn't noticed her upon entering.

  "Okay, why am I here?"

  Dr. Lenard spoke up. "A couple of reasons, Commander. First, you should be aware that it's impossible for this creature to suddenly reanimate. Its quite dead."

  "And you're convinced of this why?"

  "That's the second reason," he said, gesturing for the others to help him turn the alien on its side. "You'll notice that the back of the head and a good portion of the rear torso seem to be missing," he said, pointing to several gaping holes and missing chunks in the body.

  Malory leaned closer to observe and grimaced upon inspection. "Okay, and?"

  "In our estimation," Corky said. "The damage to the creature's body was inflicted by one of its own kind."

  "Huh?" Malory blinked.

  "We took a cast of the creature's mouth," Corky explained, producing a hideous plaster representation of the alien's teeth. "As you can see," she said, holding the cast up to the wounds on the creatures back. "These injuries were made by an entity with the same dental framework."

  Malory watched the plaster teeth line up almost exactly with the ragged wounds in the creature's body. "So they're cannibals," she said. "Or one of them was really pissed off at the other."

  "Cannibals would be my guess," Dr. Lenard said. "A good portion of this alien's internal body mass is missing."

  She winced and tried not visualize. "Alright, if we find one of these things intact, what are the chances of it getting up and walking around if thawed?"

  "None," Dr. Lenard said. "Our atmosphere would be deadly to a living life form of this type."

  "And you're a hundred percent sure of this?"

  "Yes."

  She pursed her lips thoughtfully, rocking back and forth on her heels for a moment. "Your opinion, Mr. McNeely?"

  "I'd prefer to remain cautious," McNeely said. "A lot of unknowns here, the craft might have had more than one kind of life form aboard."

  She nodded in agreement. "Okay, everyone remains armed for the time being, but lets cut the guard in excavation down to one."

  "Very well, Commander," McNeely said.

  She looked at the gathered scientists. "Is there anything else?"

  Dr. Lenard glanced at his colleagues questioningly. "I don't believe so, Commander."

  "Very well then," she said. "Please keep me informed," she added and turned to stride from the room, McNeely on her heels.

  As soon as they were outside, she reached to pull the clip from her nose, turning to the Sergeant with a sour look. "Is that you or me that smells so bad?"

  "Unfortunately, its both of us."

  "Jesus, that's rank."

  He nodded to concur. "They weren't pleased by maintaining a guard in excavation."

  "No, they weren't," she said. "But this whole space monster thing gives me the jeebies. Plus, if someone wasn't down there to tell them to call it a day, they'd be at it all night."

  "True enough."

  She gestured over her shoulder at Terrel and Daly. "Stow their rifles and give them the night off. Apparently, that thing isn't gonna get up and table dance."

  He smiled and gave her a nod.

  "I'm headed for a shower. Goodnight, Sergeant Major."

  "Goodnight, Commander," he said, watching her stroll from the room.

  --------

  Malory lay on the cot in her quarters feeling sorry for herself. It had been over two hours since she had left the lab and suspected she wouldn't hear from the doctor anytime soon. It was a hard pill to swallow playing second fiddle to some hideous, fo
ul smelling monster that also happened to be dead. She was trying not to let it bruise her ego.

  She spared a glance around the room and frowned; she had even cleaned her quarters for the woman. With a long, disappointed sigh, she rolled over to turn off the light, stopping halfway there when a knock came at the door.

  "Yes?" she said loudly, a hopeful lilt to her voice.

  "Can I come in?" Corky asked.

  "Of course," she said happily.

  Corky entered the room, closing the door behind her and projecting a sheepish look. "Sorry," she said. "Hey, you cleaned up in here."

  "Are you impressed?" Malory asked, pleased that her efforts had been noticed.

  "Yes, actually," Corky said but then smiled knowingly. "You ran out of clean clothes, didn't you?"

  "Nope, I did all of this for you."

  "Really?"

  Malory considered. "Okay, I ran out of clothes too."

  Corky chuckled. "Uh huh."

  "Are you gonna stand by the door all night or come over here?"

  Corky swayed indecisively. "Are you naked under there?" she asked, pointing at the blankets.

  "Would it make a difference?" Malory asked, smiling seductively.

  "Yeah," Corky admitted. "I was hoping we could talk."

  "Wouldn't you rather just sit on my face?"

  Corky's jaw dropped. "Jesus, could you be less romantic?"

  Malory choked back the intended retort. "Sorry," she forced, resituating herself cross-legged on the end of the cot and gesturing to the available space. "Make yourself comfortable and tell me what you want to talk about."

  The doctor sighed and sat down, pulling off her boots. "Larry said you were decorated, will you tell me about it?"

  Blue eyes narrowed. "What else did Larry say?"

  "Only that you were considered unorthodox."

  "He shared more than he should have."

  Corky turned to face her, pulling the opposite end of the blankets up over her legs. "Will you tell me?"