by Olivia Myers
"Wow," Kimi breathed as she gazed at the cabin. It had a plain door and a single window. "Did you make this?"
"Yes," Khan-Min answered, leading her toward the entrance. As they stepped inside, Kimi was awed by the simple yet sturdy-looking structure. It comprised of a single room, empty except for a mattress on the floor that had been covered with a white bed sheet and dozens of red petals.
"Oh, Khan-Min!" She couldn't believe he was surprising her again with another sweet gesture. "What's this?"
"I just wanted to help you relax, that's all." He walked her over to the mattress and asked her to lie on her front. She did as she was told.
Slowly and sensually, he took off her shirt and unclasped her bra. Far from relaxed, she felt herself getting warm with desire. Her heartbeat quickened and she could feel the hairs on her skin standing up on edge.
Next, he tugged down her jeans and tossed them to the side. She didn’t move. She didn’t even look at him or turn around. She lay there yearning for his kisses and caresses.
She heard him reach into his pocket and unscrew a small bottle. A spicy mixture of eucalyptus and peppermint filled the air, and she listened to him rub his hands back and forth. The scent grew stronger and more pleasant. He began to knead her back, and his fingers and hands, covered in the warm oil, glided smoothly over her skin.
"You've been working so hard the past few days," he said. "You deserve a treat."
"You've done too much already," she protested, but he quickly shushed her.
She decided to just close her eyes and enjoy the massage. As his hands caressed her back and dropped down to her butt and legs, she could feel herself moistening. Her legs seemed to have turned into jelly while the heat in between continued to intensify. She longed to feel his lips and tongue on her bare skin, and the wait was killing her little by little.
He took his time in massaging her entire body. When his strong fingers moved from the backs of her thighs and slightly inward, only to tease her by moving out again, she couldn’t bear it anymore. She was so aroused that she turned around and faced him. But to her dismay, he pressed her shoulders down and stopped her.
"Patience is a virtue," he'd whispered, annoying her even more.
After what seemed like forever, his hands moved from her back to the front, cupping her breasts and caressing them. His fingers tweezed her nipples repeatedly and then rubbed around the areola. She moaned, trying not to writhe on the mattress.
She felt his lips and tongue on the back of her neck, and she shivered all over. His kisses traveled downward continuously until his lips reached the waistband of her underwear. His hands moved down too and pulled her panties down while his lips made alternating light and hard presses on the cheeks of her butt. Her legs stiffened.
When she was fully naked, he spread out her legs and inserted two fingers inside her wet entrance. He wiggled them slowly in regular rhythm, exciting and stimulating her. His tongue followed his fingers from behind her, playing around, teasing... Cold and hot flashes moved across her entire body, and hot desire surged inside of her.
Soon she went rigid, so close to the delicious completion that she craved, and that was when he stopped. He removed his fingers and tongue and turned her around. She was looking at him wildly, groaning, begging for him to go on. He looked at her with fiery eyes as he removed all of his clothes.
She watched him, so aroused that her hands flew to her breasts and fondled them. His eyes tracked her movements and he hissed, licking his lips. She opened her legs to let him inside of her. The pleasurable contact combined with the pain of such fullness made her arch her back. He pushed harder and deeper, reaching inside of her. The erotic sensation enfolded her entire being, making all other thoughts and feelings fade behind the powerful lust.
Kimi was so lost in the carnal indulgence that although she noticed the cabin door opening, she couldn’t bother to care. The swinging of the door was not loud, but it banged hard on the wall, causing Khan-Min to pull away from Kimi and turn around.
"Kimi!" a familiar male voice shouted from above. When Kimi saw who it was, her eyes almost bulged. Standing in front of her, staring at her nakedness next to an unclothed alien, was none other than her previous lover, Lee 5.
***
Her eyes flew open in shock and embarrassment as they settled on the all-too-familiar face of her former cyborg lover. He was certainly as striking as ever with his jet-black hair brushed up in a slick hairstyle, his broad shoulders and muscular chest showing off through his tight-fitting uniform, and his powerful arms and legs, forged of the strongest metals.
Kimi scrambled to a sitting position while pulling on her shirt. Meanwhile, Khan-Min put on his own jeans. He was gazing at their intruder quizzically.
"What are you doing here?" Kimi demanded in a trembling voice. She couldn’t believe he was here, and that he’d seen her with Khan-Min. Completely awkward and embarrassing, and she felt sorry for him, that he’d had to see it.
"I've come for you," the uniformed cyborg declared in a monotonous tone. Although he’d shouted her name mere seconds ago, he was already back to his normal emotionless state.
Of course, she thought. He didn’t have feelings for her—she shouldn’t waste her own feelings, worrying about his embarrassment or awkwardness. No, she should worry about her own embarrassment.
"Can you just go out and let me get dressed?" Kimi managed to ask, although her face felt hot with humiliation.
Lee 5 left the cabin wordlessly.
As Kimi got dressed, Khan-Min asked, “Who is that?”
"He was part of the team who flew here to the Earth for our mission," Kimi explained, a mixture of guilt, exhilaration, and edginess swathing her. "He was our security personnel."
"He's come to rescue you?" Khan-Min asked, looking a bit confused. "I thought everybody in your team already knew that you're safe here and that you're staying longer for an indefinite period of time."
"I thought so too," Kimi said. This was beyond strange.
Khan-Min shrugged and then smiled. "Well, I am glad to meet a friend of yours."
Kimi didn't say anything. She still couldn’t believe what had happened. It was both weird and funny that Khan-Min didn't seem bothered at all, even if he didn’t know about her past with Lee 5. She would have been embarrassed no matter who had barged in and caught them having sex.
She took a deep breath and went out to meet Lee 5. She wondered why, exactly, he had come for her. A part of her was flattered, and for a while, she considered the possibility that he might have been looking for her for some time now. She was well aware that nobody else except for the Mongarians knew where the caves were actually located.
Khan-Min stood at a short distance, merely observing, giving her space and respect. Lee 5 threw him a glance before fixing his eyes on Kimi.
"Let's go home, Kimi," Lee 5 said impassively, taking her hand and starting to lead her away.
"Wait," Kimi objected, despite the fact that the simple touch seemed to have reignited something deep within her.
"What?" he asked, stopping.
"I can't just go," Kimi said, her emotions in turmoil. "I have a mission to accomplish here."
"You've accomplished your mission already," he insisted. "This isn't your home, Kimi."
She detected some sort of edge in his voice, but as if he was trying to hold his emotions in check.
Kimi felt torn. In her heart, she was truly happy to see him and was greatly thrilled that he seemed to actually care for her. This “rescue mission” must have been his own doing because she had already spoken to the Science Community at The Dome on Planet Venora. She was free to do what she wanted.
"Why are you really here, Lee 5?" Kimi asked.
He looked momentarily confused and hurt, but the expression on his face immediately became blank once more. "I'm just doing my job," he simply answered.
"There is no need for any rescuing," she said. "I'm okay here and my work here will help with my long-term ca
reer. The officials at The Dome know about this and have given me the liberty to choose this mission."
His eyes seemed to fill with emotion. But he simply said, "I don't have to explain anything. You don't belong here. It’s time to leave with me, now."
"Go away, Lee 5," Kimi finally said with a heavy heart. "I'm not leaving with you. Don't waste your time."
Her words seemed to have stirred something in him. All of a sudden, his expressionless face transformed. His eyebrows pulled down in an irritated frown, and his lips tightened. "You are leaving with me now," he stipulated in a furious voice. "When I say you're going, you are going!"
Abruptly, he grabbed her arm and began dragging her away. She struggled to free herself but he was too strong.
Khan-Min rushed to follow them. "Hey!" he yelled at Lee 5. "Let her go this instant!"
Lee 5 ignored him and continued to haul Kimi behind him like a sack of rice. Khan-Min took something from his pocket. His communication device, Kimi saw with relief. Despite her outrage at Lee 5’s handling, she didn’t want Lee 5 to be harmed. Khan-Min pressed a few buttons on his comm device and then hid it again.
As Lee 5 lifted Kimi to carry her on his shoulders, Khan-Min pushed him hard. "I said let her go!"
The force of Khan-Min’s push made Lee 5 stumble, but he regained his balance swiftly. In one swift movement, he settled Kimi protectively behind him and threw a punch at Khan-Min. Khan-Min acted fast, sidestepping, but Lee 5's powerful fist still glanced off his jaw. It infuriated the Mongarian, who lunged at his opponent and brought them both rolling on the ground.
"Stop! Stop it!" Kimi screamed, worried that they would end up hurting each other.
Two Mongarian policemen rushed up the path, probably called here by Khan-Min. They forcefully separated the two and then placed handcuffs on Lee 5. He protested and tried to fight, but the two policemen were strong and fast. He was outnumbered.
"Put him in jail." Khan-Min stood up and brushed the debris from his clothes.
Kimi watched helplessly as Lee 5 was dragged away. She knew he would be placed in the Mongarian dungeons in a deeper part of the forest. She felt sorry for him but what could she do?
***
Patients were streaming into the infirmary by the dozens, so Kimi and Khan-Min stayed busy. It was an advantage for Kimi as she had been trying to get Lee 5 off her mind. But seeing these aliens suffering every single day depressed the hell out of her. She had to shake away the negative feelings that were beginning to consume her, or else she wouldn't be able to concentrate and help them.
"You okay?" Khan-Min whispered to her when they were alone inside the laboratory.
"Yes, of course," answered Kimi, giving him a weak smile. He didn’t seem to believe her, but he let it pass anyway. She tried to distract him, though, by showing him the results of what she had been studying.
"So you've already identified eight plants that should not be consumed by the aliens with the rare blood type?" Khan-Min clarified.
"Yup, that's right. But I still need to go through more plants."
Right before evening, Kimi decided to call it a day. She was tired, but her mind was starting to drift back to Lee 5. It had been days since his arrest, and she had been too terrified to go see him. She wondered how he was doing in the dungeons, but she didn't want to mention anything to Khan-Min.
I need to see him, she thought as she made her way toward her cave cell. She passed by the security office and was surprised to find the door ajar. She peeked in and could see just one policeman left. He had fallen asleep at his desk.
With her heart pounding, she acted on impulse and took the risk to sneak inside. A couple of weeks ago, she and Khan-Min had needed to temporarily stash plant samples in the dungeons. Khan-Min had taken a ring of keys from hidden cabinets. In just a minute's time, Kimi tiptoed to the hidden cabinets and took the keys.
She shoved the key ring into her bra, and instead of walking back to her cave cell, she followed the Mongarian tunnels to the outside forest. It was cool in the evening, and dark. The moon was obscured by clouds, and the earth had a heavy, moist scent to it. Still, she pushed forward.
"What am I doing?" Kimi asked herself. Doubt and fear pulsed through her as she ran across the forest in her sneakers. Even as she doubted her actions, though, she didn’t pause. She didn’t even stop when rain began to fall. It hadn’t rained since she had come to Earth. Was it a sign? She shook away the silly notion. She only wanted to make sure that Lee 5 was okay—that was all. Just one last meeting. I need closure so I can move on with my relationship with Khan-Min.
When she finally got to a denser part of the woods, she crept toward the entrance of a looming cave that was partially concealed by tall trees and thick shrubs. The rain had soaked through her clothes, but she didn’t care. Her mind was on one thing only: Lee 5.
As she approached the cavern entrance, she was surprised to see that it was unguarded. She guessed that Mongarians were being lax because there hadn’t been any threats, other than Lee 5, in quite a while. They trusted their own people too not to cross the authorities. She felt a stab of guilt—they considered her one of their own by now, and they trusted her. But still, she had to see Lee 5. They had a history she couldn’t ignore.
She pulled the keys from her bra and quickly opened the lock. She slipped inside where it was dry and not so cold. A torch was lit, illuminating the contained space as well as the top of steep stairs leading downward to a darker underground area. She made her way down quietly and slowly, running her hands over the rough stone walls to avoid stumbling. After a few minutes, she came upon another lit area. There was a row of empty prison cells with metal bars. Only one was occupied.
Approaching the last cell where Lee 5 had his back on her, she felt her heart soaring and relief flooding into her entire being. He was sitting on a small wooden bench placed beside the single bed, clad in a plain white shirt and tattered gray pants. It was the first time she had seen him wearing such clothes. His shoulders were hunched. Even without seeing his face, she knew how he felt—his posture said it all. He looked thin, gaunt, and miserable.
"Lee 5," she called through the metal bars.
He whipped around in surprise. "Don't touch the bars!"
Kimi took a step back. "Are they charged with power?"
"Sort of," he said, his tone weary but still alert. He stood up, making her eyes sweep over his bulging chest and across the shiny surface of his metal arms. "Why are you here?"
"I wanted to apologize," Kimi said sincerely.
"It's not your fault," he replied, his expression turning cool. "I deserve this."
"I'll try to talk to them," Kimi offered quickly. "Maybe they'll let you go if you promise never to come back."
"I'm not leaving without you, Kimi."
"But why?" she asked.
He shrugged, his face blank. "I know that the real Kimi is still in there somewhere, even after they’ve convinced you to join them. That's why you came here today. What have they done to you, Kimi? I intend to escape this and bring you back to your real self. Even if it kills me."
Kimi's mouth dropped open. It was too much to absorb. " Look at me. I'm perfectly fine and I'm doing great, all right? They haven’t hurt me or done anything to me…other than beg for my help and accept me for who I am. And how could you escape this and even plan to kidnap me with all the Mongarians in that intricate cave system?"
Lee 5 sauntered toward her, the intensity in his eyes apparent. He was determined to fulfill this personal mission of his, as he had been trained to do with all other security missions in the past. "I have my ways. I'm just waiting for the right timing."
Kimi's heart began to race as she met his gaze and felt his persistence. She knew he would find a way, but it might mean putting his own life on the line. She took a deep breath and launched into her prepared speech. "Listen, Lee 5. I'm here because I wanted to apologize and make sure that you're okay. That's it. But I also want you to be able to get back home
safely. We can do it the right way without breaking any more rules. Besides, I believe your punishment is only for two weeks and then you'll be banned from this planet."
"I understand," he said. "But I…"
She waited for him to go on. At that moment, he moved forward again, took one of her hands carefully through the bars, and kissed it. He didn’t continue his sentence, but she could feel the aching coming from him which was probably coming into conflict with his stone-hearted nature. She was immensely touched. A part of her yearned to be in his arms again, but a bigger part of her was deeply connected with Khan-Min already.
"I have to go now, Lee 5," Kimi said immediately. "I'm sorry. I wish you the best. I guess…" She stepped back some more. "I guess this is goodbye."
She didn’t wait for him to respond. She turned and walked away, not looking back.
***
Two more busy days of work passed. Although Kimi was still distracted, she was able to determine the other plants that were causing the recent unknown disease. She worked closely not just with Khan-Min but with the other doctors and a couple of scientists to come up with an antidote, and to prevent the effects of the plants from worsening.
After one week, the medical/scientific team made a breakthrough. Their tested antidote was working wonders and the afflicted Mongarians were recovering quickly.
Kimi squealed in delight, jumping up and down. She turned to her alien boyfriend to embrace him. He hugged her back happily and they cheered like little kids.
It was just the two of them in the lab at that time. As soon as they quieted down, their lips met in a hungry, passionate kiss. It had been a while since they had been intimate. Kimi felt her blood rushing and her whole body heating up as Khan-Min pulled her closer and kissed her lips fervently. His hands traveled from her shoulders to her waist, and then down to her hips. The way he outlined her curvy body with his caressing hands aroused her even more.
His damp lips flicked down her neck and moved toward the cleavage that peeked over the top of her low-neck dress. In one rapid motion, he locked the door of the enclosed lab and undressed her. She also took off his clothes as she kissed him back ravenously.