by B A Vonsik
The sight of feet shuffling under and just beyond her stall door concerned Nikki. Heat bloomed in her face . . . some from embarrassment, more from anger. A girl can’t even get some peace and privacy in a bathroom stall, Nikki thought as she finished with her business, stood, and redressed.
“Hi, gorgeous.” The wide-eyed face of a platinum-blond woman appeared above the stall door. The woman’s eyes were unnaturally red beyond her drugged, bloodshot appearance. Her facial features told Nikki she was of European descent, but her skin was colored light blue. At a glance, Nikki thought her hair a wig and skin painted for cosplay.
“Yum,” the woman continued, then looked to someone outside the stall, but near. “You’ve got to see her. She just must play with us.”
“Leave me alone!” Nikki snarled at the woman.
“That’s not nice,” the woman chastised with a wounded pout, then dropped from the door and backed away from the stall.
Nikki stared at the door not knowing what to do. Her hair felt as if it stood on end as she held her breath listening for the woman. The din in the restroom pitched up and down with voices both female and male. Soft and deeper moans accompanied by rhythmic thuds, heavy breathing, and some grunting came from the line of stalls Nikki now stood in. She felt dirty just standing there. She wanted badly to leave. Is it safe to leave the stall? Is she . . . Are they waiting for me . . . or gone? Nikki worried at the unknown. She just couldn’t be certain. With a deep breath, she unlatched the door, then opened it slowly—no platinum-blond woman. A sense of relief washed over her. Several clusters of women and what Nikki thought were estrogen-treated men dressed in skimpy, feminine clothing took up most of the walking area of the restroom. That haze of smoke hung heavy in the air with the scent of drugs. A throng of women beyond them were at the wash counter touching up their makeup and hair. All of them had pigment-color alterations to their skin, as all had interesting styling to their equally colorful hair. Some had eyes of unnatural colors with one pink- and blue-skinned woman showing off her glowing, yellow eyes to those surrounding her. A short-haired blond man with cybernetic prosthetic legs, dressed in those loose-fitting purple, blue, and red athletic clothes left one of the stalls for the wash counter. Several of the women made room for him to wash his hands. He appeared unfazed by the surroundings . . . as if all were normal.
Nikki stepped from the stall and around one cluster of colorful women before going to the only open wash basin at the counter. She turned on the water and started washing her hands when she heard that woman’s voice behind her.
“There you are,” that blue-skinned, platinum-blond woman sounded triumphant. Nikki froze with her stomach feeling as if she dropped from a tall building. She felt hands on her shoulders . . . Strong, lean hands that quickly made their way to her neck where they lightly wrapped partially around her throat. “You’re just too yummy not to be enjoyed.”
“Please, let me go.” Nikki tried to keep her voice steady but knew it quivered more than she wanted.
“Not before we get a taste of you.” that woman stated with a certainty that made Nikki’s hopes sink and skin crawl. She felt a hand slide over the curve of her backside, then slip between her legs as the hands around her neck applied just a little more pressure.
Nikki felt violated. Panic welled up in her so quickly that she lost her ability to think soundly. What can I say to get out of this . . . get away from them? Rationality started slipping from her. What’s happening to me? Confusion gripped her as she was spun around by both pairs of hands and held against the counter. That blue-skinned, red-eyed woman stood close and eye-level to Nikki. She wore only a red bikini revealing a body as slender as her face and athletic. The other person, unseen till this moment, kept a left hand wrapped around Nikki’s neck. Taller than Nikki by a little, she had blue eyes, lavender-pigmented skin, long, blond hair, and a well-endowed chest. She squeezed Nikki’s neck hard to the point of giving pain when Nikki tried to pull away. Too strong. Nikki looked down at her lean body wrapped in a revealing black, wet-look dress showing off lean legs to the thighs. Nikki didn’t find the telltale sign of a man or a transgender as she suspected.
“She has one . . . be sure of that,” the blue-skinned face came close to Nikki’s. Her breath reeking of alcohol caused Nikki to crinkle her nose. The platinum blonde’s hands roamed over and gripped Nikki’s breasts. Nikki’s skin started crawling worse than before, and her mind went numb. She felt powerlessness, and that took away her strength to fight back. “Kitten show her. Give her a touch.”
The lavender-skinned blonde grabbed Nikki’s right wrist while wearing a sadistic expression. She . . . He then pulled her hand down to the hem of the black dress. Nikki realized what was happening and where her hand was being forcefully guided. In a burst of panic and anger, she pulled her hand back to her hip trying to find some part of her clothing to grasp with her thumb. Again, the lavender-skinned blonde pulled at her wrist, this time forcing Nikki’s hand under the hem of the black dress. Nikki’s eyes went wide in panic as she felt her body electrify with what she could only describe as crawling insects all over her. No! Her attempt to scream cut off into gurgles by the blonde’s strong left hand on her throat. Nikki then tried to pull both of her arms in tight to her body, but her right hand just wouldn’t move. Panic, her violation, anger—all mixed into a single tempest of emotion. Nikki swung wide and high with her left hand, slapping the platinum blonde hard on her right blue cheek staggering her back a step.
“You . . . bitch!” The platinum blonde’s red eyes turned bloodred with rage as she rubbed her face. She raised her hands, so Nikki had a clear view of them. With a flick of her wrists, small silver claws extended from under her red-colored fingernails. “Now, we’re gonna make you sorry before we have a taste of you.”
The hand around Nikki’s throat squeezed hard, slowing the blood flow to her head as she choked. Nikki grabbed at the hand on her throat with her free hand, trying to pull free from the blonde’s grip, but the blonde was too strong. Nikki started to see tiny flashes of light in front of her eyes.
“Let her go!” a woman’s voice demanded from deeper in the haze-filled restroom.
“Stay out of this, Tigress.” The platinum blonde made her own demand.
“I said, let her go, or I’ll bring in your martialist!” Several octaves lower, the unseen woman repeated her demand for Nikki’s release. Footfalls to Nikki’s right drew her eyes to the newcomer, a head taller than the platinum blonde, dressed in a differently styled wet-look outfit, and having naturally tanned white skin with black and orange tiger stripes coded into her dermal layer. The dark-haired woman . . . no, another transgender, stared down the blue-skinned, red-eyed, platinum blonde as if this were all a normal evening for them.
The platinum blonde held her ground for long moments before Nikki saw her “retract” her claws. “You spoil all our fun.”
The lavender-skinned blonde kept a powerful hold on Nikki’s throat and wrist throughout the whole exchange, controlling Nikki from any useful movement or calling for help. More tiny lights flashed in Nikki’s vision. She felt light-headed, almost euphoric, almost . . . a tingling sensation Nikki felt in her head . . . somewhere deep. A strange sensation unfamiliar to her. It grew larger . . . more intense as it spread throughout her body. The tingling transformed into a mild burning sensation, almost like an electrical shock, only not painful in the sense Nikki felt any potential harm. The tingling burn grew again and intensified, alarming Nikki now, but before she could act, the tingling burn radiated out to Nikki’s arms and hands, then burst in arcs in all directions.
The lavender-skinned blonde reeled back in pain as arcing electrical discharges bridged the gap between Nikki’s hands and their bodies. The blonde started cussing in a swirl of anger and pain, her voice now deeper by an octave or three. Looking up at Nikki, she half-demanded, half-asked, “What in the hell did you do to me?”
“I . . . I don’t know,” Nikki choked out in-between sucking in b
reaths of air. She felt them . . . him in her head. Nikki didn’t understand it, but she felt him clearly . . . a linkage between her and Aren. Her body felt charged up, alert, alive with the residual of whatever was that shocking charge. Everyone in the restroom who saw the sparks stared at her with surprise and some with fear or awe. Now with a clearing head, Nikki realized she no longer was restrained. Taking advantage of the awkward standoff, she scurried left out of the restroom, not knowing what to think.
Concentrating on walking steady, Nikki feared her nervous system damaged. That shock thing seemed to have injured me, making me a bit wobbly. Stumbling out of the restroom, Nikki looked to the spot where she remembered the group, but the crowd of martialists and colorfully skinned companions obscured them. She thought the music loud before she entered the den of debauchery. Now, it felt deafening and painful. Whatever Aren did to her, she found it both a blessing and something she didn’t want to experience again.
Walking toward the crowd, Nikki searched for her friends. A ruckus of voices behind her found the three “cat women” from the restroom hotly arguing as they hurriedly approached the dark-skinned female and large male cybernetic martialists. The pair of martialists seemed confused and annoyed at the trio’s ranting explanations and accusations. That is . . . until the two blue- and lavender-skinned cats pointed at Nikki as they made more accusations at her. Nikki couldn’t hear what they said, but when the body language of the martialists changed to something of sympathy as they stroked their cat companions to being calm, Nikki thought it best to get out of there.
Nikki plunged into the crowd, hoping she was making her way toward Anders and the others. Martial artists, martialists, companions, and others celebrating gave annoyed and dirty looks at Nikki as she brushed past them. She dared not look back for fear of seeing a bunch of them hot on her heels. After what felt like much longer than it took, Nikki emerged from the crowd close to where she aimed. Anders and Miller were standing off to her left looking into the crowd, likely for her. Miller looked almost as anxious as Anders.
“I’m here.” Nikki called out to them while waving her arms. Both looked her direction, then annoyed as they approached her.
“How long does it take to relieve oneself?” Miller asked callously in his Southern drawl. “Come on, Ms. Rick . . . Bathor. We have to get goin’. Timing is of utmost importance.”
Miller ushered Nikki and Anders down the paved path away from the Risen Cove, trying to catch up to the trailblazing Dunkle, Rogaan, and Aren. As emotional relief started to fill her, Nikki’s right leg started becoming painful again, though she didn’t complain for fear of them stopping. Nikki wanted distance from the TM2A Champions and their companions. Anders kept looking at her with questioning eyes, as if he knew or sensed something wrong.
While on their brisk walk, they passed scantily dressed patrons enjoying each other a bit too much in the open sky of adult hours of the resort. Numerous blue and silver service bots going about their business carrying food and drinks and things Nikki couldn’t identify were all around them. Some got in their path before moving out of the way at the last moment. It was a short walk at the edge of another large pool off to their left before arriving at a large, paved courtyard peppered with occupied round tables topped with open, circular, shade umbrellas. Now with the nerve to look behind, Nikki found more scantily dressed patrons pawing at each other as they walked with Rogaan and Aren strolling behind them. Rogaan seemingly enjoying the view. Discussed and feeling wounded, Nikki turned her gaze back to the courtyard. Her heart almost stopped at what lay ahead and with her two ancient friends still strolling some distance behind.
In front of the tables stood the dark-skinned cybernetic martialist. She appeared to be waiting with eyes fixed on them. Surprised and confused, Nikki admitted aloud she was fleeing this one. “How in the hell did she get in front of us?”
“I have a bone to pick with you,” she spoke in an aggressive American accent as she pointed at Nikki with her right prosthetic hand. The cybernetic arm and hand moved as naturally as one of flesh, maybe faster. “You slapped one of my kittens and tasered the other.”
Ahead of Nikki, Miller had tried to maneuver around the woman, but she easily cut him off at every angle. When the woman made her accusations, he stopped and looked back at Nikki along with Anders. Miller asked in his pronounced Southern drawl, “What happened in the restroom?”
“This redefines . . . ‘I need to go’?” Anders looked at Nikki with raised eyes. He clearly was hoping for an explanation.
“They assaulted me,” Nikki answered the dark-skinned, cybernetic woman dressed in purple, blue, and red shorts and a matching athletic top. “And I didn’t TAZER them. I don’t know what happened.”
“Not what my kittens told me,” the dark-skinned woman countered in disdain. She aggressively approached the three. Miller instinctively stepped between the woman and Nikki, as Anders closed to Nikki’s side. Nikki didn’t know if she should feel safe or not, but she appreciated their intent.
“That’s far enough.” Miller held out his hand like a law officer might in one of those old movies. The woman came to a halt in front of him.
“Get out of my way,” she spoke with determination and anger.
“I cannot,” Miller replied in a calm, almost matter-of-fact, manner. “We are short on time and need—”
The barely audible whirl of micro-gearing and an intense hum of electrical systems delivering energy to powerful mechanisms mixed with the gurgling sound of Miller’s choking gasps. The woman’s right arm moved in a blur, clamping its hand and fingers around Miller’s throat, lifting him slightly to his toes as he grasped the artificial arm trying to pull himself off the carbon fiber and metal mechanism. Nikki stood in shock, both at the speed of the attack but also for the action lacking any sense of social civility or respect for lawful behavior. I see where her kittens learned their ways.
“Let him go!” Anders left Nikki’s side to help Miller without a thought or hesitation. He surprised Nikki in his brave act . . . more so for him defending Miller. Anders ended up on the bad end of a powerful sidekick, sending him flying backward beyond Nikki, losing his hat while in midair, then landing with a thud on his back on the paving. He groaned in pain as he rolled into a ball hugging his chest. Nikki stood paralyzed, not knowing what to do. She has cybernetic legs too. I thought they were human legs. Miller had other plans. He started kicking at the woman’s midriff. The first strike caught the enhanced martialist by surprise, staggering her and forcing her to lean over with a winch of pain. Miller pressed on with his feet now solidly pushing off from the ground. He kicked her again with little additional affect. His next strike she blocked with her free arm, stopping the kick as if he hit a steel rod. Miller cried out in pain.
“You . . .” the woman martialist growled while grabbing Miller’s leg with her left hand, then let out a kiai as she drove him downward with her right arm, slamming Miller into the paving stones. Miller lay motionless. Nikki let out a gasp fearing the worst for him.
“Stop!” Nikki heard the shout directed at the martialist who now hovered over Miller’s still form. She then realized the shout came from her own mouth. Nikki swallowed hard when the woman cybernetic martialist looked up at her with intense, angry, bloodshot eyes. I have to make this end . . . How? She decided to plead. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry for anything I did to offend you or your friends.”
“You can apologize to my kittens . . .” the growling martialist countered as she forgot about Miller and stepped in front of Nikki, staring her down. The scent of alcohol and synthetic drugs wafting heavily from her as she spoke . . . giving reason to Nikki for her bloodshot eyes and unfriendly mood. In a lightning move, the martialist grabbed Nikki by her top hairs with that prosthetic right arm, pulling Nikki upward, so she had to raise herself up on her toes to lessen the pain in her scalp. “After you’re taught manners. You people . . . think you’re so much better than us. You’re not. You’re pathetic compared to us . .
. to me . . . and my kittens.”
Nikki grabbed the martialist’s hand and arm trying to give herself leverage to lessen the pain inflicted on her. The synthetic flesh felt unnatural and slightly cool to the touch. The flesh had a tiny bit of give over harder things beneath.
“What . . .? No. I’m not better than you.” Nikki attempted honest reasoning with the impaired cybernetic woman.
“No more am I hearing that wounded confidence in my kittens caused by the likes of you and others,” the woman martialist avowed with growling words.
“I didn’t . . .” Nikki tried more reasoning. She’s protecting her . . . kittens, Nikki realized. She can be reasoned with if she knows the truth. The woman martialist yanked up on her hair “Ouch!”
“No!” The martialist pulled Nikki close. The wafting of intoxicants on her breath made Nikki’s stomach sour, nauseating her. “No more useless excuses.”
Nikki felt herself being pulled and half-dragged back the way they came. She tried to keep up with short, choppy steps but continued stumbling. Realizing ration and reason weren’t going to work with this woman, Nikki tried struggling to get out of her grasp. Nothing. Another harsh tug at her hair delivered more sharp pain, making Nikki angry. She tried pulling at the martialist’s fingers but found them unmoving mechanical digits under their simulated flesh. This isn’t natural . . . not right. Nikki gave in to the fact she just wasn’t a physical match against this cybernetic woman. But then, she didn’t need to be her match. A smile came to Nikki’s grimacing face.
That familiar feeling of presence began growing in her head. Not the tingle and burning of earlier. The presence in her mind. The lights suddenly started flickering all about the resort grounds as if power somehow was being interrupted, and that booming electronic music from the TM2A Champions celebration fell silent along with the pleasant melody playing over the park’s outdoor speakers. The flickering lights finally settled to a steady on state, though dimmed, providing shadowy illumination across the grounds. Nikki then felt . . . him.
