Last Call (Stranded in the Stars Book 1)

by Naomi Lucas

  She looked around nervously at all the foreign, shiny objects the room held. The interior of his ship was pristine yet menacing. There was a soft blue illumination along the pathways and along the walls were the same red strips of light the exterior of the ship had. It was colorful, beautiful yet intimidating. Like it wasn’t meant to be appreciated. It was clean, forbidding, and severe.

  The crisp neon lighting let her see down the corridor that she had entered through. The hatch was still open but it didn't stop her from feeling trapped.

  She returned her attention back to Jack and it was then that she noticed a series of number tattoos across his right upper back where his mesh under armor failed to cover up; a single scar running through them. Suddenly realizing, "You– you're a Cyborg?" Gasping, "You were in the war. I knew you weren't Earthian, you are much too large but didn’t look like a Trent." Her eyes widened, "it makes sense."

  ***

  Jack was preparing a balm for her chapped lips when she figured out what he was.

  "Took you long enough, didn't think you even knew what a Cyborg was. Yes, I'm a Cyborg. I was bred in a vat of nanoparticles and humanoid genes." He turned toward her. "Does that bother you? That I could kill you in a thousand different ways as we speak."

  He walked back to the table, placing the fresh salve down between them and coated his middle and index finger. He was momentarily taken aback by her wide bottomless eyes and moved closer.

  I touched her earlier, I wonder how long it has been since she's been with another human, let alone a man. He wasn't sure if he wanted to know the answer.

  "I don't understand. Why would you be here, a Cyborg? There is no war here..." She hesitated, "Or anyone for that matter."

  He smirked at her assumption, "Maybe I'm here to find myself a pretty girl." Liking how she blushed at his comment. Red would really suit her. "Now don't move. I'm going to apply this salve I have here to your lips and then to your scratches. It won't hurt but it will tingle." He continued, "there are tiny micro-organisms in it that can replicate and promote new cell growth. I have also mixed in some of my nanocells so I may read your internal system." Staring at her, "Do you understand? They won't be able to affect you in any way, in fact your body will quickly destroy them but it would help me help you."

  While he waited for her to acknowledge, he couldn't help but notice how intense her stare was or how she began to breath heavier; that her mouth parted slightly. Jack didn't need to scan her to know what kind of reaction she was having to his nearness.

  "Yes, I think so."

  "Good. It's obvious that you're malnourished but you may have internal injuries that I'm unaware of." He placed his hand lightly on the back of her neck and the shock of the touch made her surge away from him and away from the table. Fuck. He frightened her.

  He grabbed her around the waist with his other arm and pushed her back onto the chair.

  Allie was struggling against him like a terrified animal. "Stop moving, I won’t hurt you. You could have a parasite or worse and I will not have you contaminate my ship."

  "I'm sorry" she breathed as her struggling slowed down. Damn, he liked it when she struggled. When she had stopped moving, with his hand still holding her neck, he coated the index and middle finger with his other hand.

  "Don't move." Jack warned.

  "Okay. I just,” she took a deep breath. “This is new to me." He watched her relax.

  He breathed in deeply and was immediately engulfed by her pheromones. "Why is this new to you?" He inquired trying to lighten the mood, softly pressing his fingers across her velvety bottom lip.

  "It was forbidden to be touched by a male in my colony. I was tested fertile when I turned fourteen cycles and was placed in a maiden commune, a community of unmated girls and their elders. Infertiles lived there too, in service to us but men were strictly forbidden to enter unless otherwise directed."

  Curious he asked, "Earthian colonies don't have a problem with women being fertile. Where were you? You have a Trentian accent"

  He could tell she was hesitant about answering him. What does she think I would do with the information? Take her back?

  “I grew up in a Trentian colony.”

  “And how did you end up there?” Jack watched her face as she chose her words. Her mouth opening and closing as she decided what to say.

  "My mother was Earthian but I never met her. She wasn't born at the colony but belonged to the Warlord's tribe. I don't know how she got there but I know she was pregnant with me before she arrived," she continued, "My mother was smuggled off of her birth colony, I was told, and she was on her way to Xntaeus Trent but she never made it. When she was delivered to the community, along with several other women, she and the others were immediately paired off. When she bore me,” she hesitated. “And I was not a half-breed, my mother was cut down by her chosen and I was sent to an orphanage."

  As she spoke, he continued to massage her lips back and forth; watching her watch him back. Jack wasn't too pleased with the story, temporarily caring about Pirate Captain Larik’s profession and the reasons the Earthian Council hated him; and why he was contracted to capture him.

  "So you have had no contact with a man before now?" He asked, intrigued about her innocence.

  "The priests– doctors who tested me were men and that was the first time I was touched by one." She shivered. "It was against the laws of the current Warlord for a maiden to be touched and it was a death sentence for any unworthy male who did. Only the Warlord could honor a male with a female and those males were always the closest to him, the strongest. It was only when he was overthrown by a spurned warrior that I was touched for the second time." She trailed off.

  He slowly rubbed the salve over her upper lip, coaxing her body softly with his light touch, watching her eyes go to half mast. His cock was as hard as rock. It doesn't help that her body is giving me all the wrong signals, He thought as he tried to cool off his ardor. I want her under me but I don’t want to frighten her.

  He could smell her desire and was painfully aware that she was pressing her legs together, that the blush that hadn't gone away was deepening.

  "It tingles." She whispered.

  "Yes, like I said it would," groaning, he scooped up more of the stuff. "Now open your lips slightly. I'm going to insert some into your mouth. I promise it won't taste like anything..." She complied without hesitation and he pushed both fingers in; rubbing her tongue, mimicking the motions like he would if he was fingering her.

  Her mouth was hot. And wet. And it drove him crazy.

  "Lick the salve off them... make sure you get all of it." He was a goner. This is so wrong. The second her mouth closed over his fingers, sucking them while he pushed them further in, he couldn’t focus on anything else but her pretty face, his grip on her neck tightened as she moved her tongue all over.

  "Fuuck me," he moaned– breaking the trance suddenly– her eyes shooting open. Jack released her and took a step back.

  "Did I do something wrong?" She gasped.

  "No sweetheart, you were perfect." He backed away, wiping his fingers on his pants. "I think you should apply the rest of the solution yourself. Make sure you get the scrapes on your knees." He needed to remove himself, shut down and let his cybernetic side take over before he did something he would regret.

  ***

  Jack walked out of the room and through one of the corridors, leaving her alone and feeling very confused.

  Did she do something wrong? She wanted him to touch her, she had been looking forward to the contact. Realizing that, that wasn't going to happen now and feeling oddly rejected, she scooped a dollop of the tingling gel onto her finger and sucked it off.

  Hmm it just isn’t the same. At least her lips no longer burned.

  She bent over to start rubbing the salve on her cuts when Allie noticed the chair was damp beneath her and her core was throbbing.

  Should she find something to clean it up? Look
ing around quickly she noticed a cloth at the medical unit Jack had pulled out earlier. Grabbing it, she wiped down the chair then folded the cloth and replaced it where she had found it.

  Now that she had cleaned up, she went back to her former task, carefully rubbing the salve over her cuts and scrapes and by the time she was finished, she felt remarkably better, enjoying the healing sensations playing over her skin.

  Jack still hadn't come back out so maybe this was his way of dismissing her. Unsure of herself, she called out his name, "Jack." She didn't want to leave without thanking him but when he didn't answer she took that as her queue to leave.

  Picking up the little capsule of solution that was left over, she capped it and placed it into her pouch. She was on her way out when his voice rang out behind her.

  "Allie." His pitch lowering, sounding rough and incredibly deep. She shivered and saw her freedom vanish as she listened to his steps catch up to where she stood, unmoving.

  "We leave at first light tomorrow. If you run then I'll assume the deal is off, find you, and demand payment for the medicine." He was going to let her leave and she found herself thinking she didn't want him to let her leave. "Take this with you." He handed her a small metal disk. It had a thin line of blue light essence along the sides with small ridges along the middle. "If you need me, swipe the sides and call my name."

  Without another word and with the disk in her hand– she ran outside and didn't stop until she was curled up in her cave, alone, allowing the soothing, healing sensations take over.

  Chapter Six:

  ---

  Jack replayed her face sucking his fingers over and over in his mind. She was so innocent and so very erotic and in that moment, right before her eyes went wide, he wanted to take her– knowing the repercussions in doing so he had quickly created some distance.

  He was relieved that she left, knowing it was safer this way because playing the hero to a wild girl was just not his fate. Once he checked this transporter ship for pieces, he would patch up his flyer and leave.

  It was mid evening now. The girl had left several hours ago and since then he had run the purifiers several times, choosing to erase her presence.

  He went about packing supplies for the journey to come. Opening his survival pack he tossed in simple first aid bandages and disinfectants; cleaning fabric for hygiene and ropes, tools, and other such necessities. He chose to only bring two guns with him, a .44 pistol and an assault rifle. Jack didn't expect to run into anything but if there was no shelter to be had at night, he wanted to be prepared.

  Jack didn't expect the girl would have much so he added extra food and water rations to his load.

  He looked around, walking through his quarters and realized he couldn't remember a time when he had to provide for someone else. He had barely met the girl a day ago and he already felt responsible for her safety.

  Cyborgs were only responsible to their allegiance, themselves, and to other Cyborgs. Even now he knew he could not leave this planet without the girl in tow. It would be cruel to abandon her to this planet alone even if she wanted to stay.

  What did my curiosity get myself into now?

  Walking over to his ship's replicator with a bundle of military grade mesh in his hand. He threw the material in and set it to reconfigure into a small cloak for the girl. The mesh would be breathable during the day and would morph into a well insulated heat pocket during the night. It wasn't much but it would help keep her warm at night.

  He placed the material into his pack, settling into the quiet of his ship.

  ***

  Allie hadn't slept well, lost in a whirlpool of thoughts and not willing to risk sleeping in, she tried to stay up through the night. She didn't want Jack to be mad at her but her half dazed thoughts no longer mattered when a strong voice called her name jerking her out of her half-sleep.

  Sitting up she rubbed her eyes, trying to remove the traces of her waking dreams, she slowly focused on the shadow before her blocking out the oncoming dawn.

  "I said sunrise. Did you not listen?" The shadow growled.

  He’s in my cave! How did he find me? And it isn't even sunrise yet.

  Glancing at the dim light behind him she could tell the sun had yet to crest. She appealed, "The sun isn't out yet. I did listen to you, please don't be mad," stammering. "I can't travel well in the darkness." Even his shadow was imposing, causing a shiver to run up her spine, reminding her of ancient horrors.

  "You apparently don't travel well at all," he crouched before her. "Get dressed. We won't be burning daylight for you– what with the monsters at night." He threaded his fingers through her unkempt hair.

  "I'm ready to leave. I just need a moment." She disentangled herself from his hand at the same time he stood up.

  Allie grabbed her pouch and filled it with roots. For strength. She told herself.

  He watched her as she moved to the spring and wiped herself down. She rinsed her feet in the cool pool before tying her wrappings around them and when she was finished she turned around to face him and tried to hide her nerves. "Thank you." she quipped.

  She couldn't help but notice that he had prepared more for this journey than her. He was in full body armor again with the black metal and grey mesh but now he had a large bag strapped to his back and several guns within reach and he carried the load as if it weighed nothing.

  Allie blushed as he just continued to stare at her, feeling a tension thicken the air around them.

  ***

  Jack was incredulous, "That's it? That's all you're bringing... I thought this was a several day trip, not a casual outing."

  She looked around self-consciously. "I don't have anything else," before walking over to where she had awoken just minutes ago and picked up her blanket. "I can bring this but it's frayed. It may fall apart. I don't need much out there." She contemplated.

  He grabbed the rag from her grasp and tossed it back on the floor. "I have extras. Let's go." He said furiously, climbing out.

  She lived in a hole in the ground with barely any tools and a meager food supply. The only thing going for that rat's nest was the spring. He thought, At least she had a source of water and heat.

  He was furious. Why hadn't she taken more from her crashed ship? Has she really been here that long, that everything was gone?

  Jack grasped her hand as she emerged from the hovel, helping her through the rocky entrance. He noticed glumly, that she had her blanket under one arm. She’s a proud one.

  Standing up before him, "Please don't throw my things. Like I said, I don't need much to survive on 'HIS', but everything I do have is precious. I've made this journey before with less."

  Choosing not to respond to her comment, He let her take the lead.

  They had walked the next several miles in silence. And in the wrong direction. Jack bristled. He was monitoring their location constantly. Was she really that upset about the blanket?

  "Is this the right direction?" He inquired slowly, wondering if she was going to try and lead him into a trap.

  "Yes..." She looked back at him."There is a shortcut a half day's walk this way. The crash is on the other side of that mountain bend in the distance," she pointed. "If we scout around the crags this way we'll eventually come to a tunnel that will allow us to cut through the worst of it." She continued, "It's easier than climbing over rocks all day."

  "Hmm, if you're sure." Jack scanned the route ahead, sensing no change in structure, no shortcuts.

  "The tunnel is burrowed through a rockier route. A giant wurm must have gotten stuck there at one point, long ago. It's held up by its bones."

  "Lovely. What can you tell me about them? The wurms that is," he inquired.

  She thought about it for a moment, rounding a large boulder in their way. "They only ever come out at night. I don't think they like the sunlight or the heat. So far I have never gotten close to one, they leave me alone in my cave and they're easy to avoid but I also
don't go out at night. Everything changes at night."

  "I've noticed the tremors get worse after dark. My readings have confirmed that they are sensitive to UV rays."

  Nodding, she continued. "Sometimes they come above ground to fight. They also eat each other sometimes and they spawn thousands of wurms that nest right below the surface. When those wurms die above ground they provide me a source of food."

  Jack grimaced, remembering her meager supply. "I noticed. I saw a pile of bugs in your cave." He paused. "What do you eat out here?" He glanced at her small frame. She's willing to eat bugs to survive, he admired that.

  "The wurms when I can find them." Allie stopped briefly to look at him. "There are also other little bugs that survive here and some roots if you know where to look for them." She pulled out some to show him. "They grow near the mountains."

  He stopped to look at them outstretched in her hand. The roots had a good source of nutrients and minerals. He was pleased that she had something else to nourish her besides grubs. "With a planet infested, literally, with wurms, it's a wonder even these can grow here." Watching Allie eat the roots as they started walking again; Jack stayed by her side.

  He looked at her small frame next to him and wondered if she were hungry. Not the daily hunger every person feels but the type of hunger that occurs after being deprived of food for a significant amount of time.

  "Do you want some?" She pulled out more to offer him.

  Taken aback by her generosity, "no thank you. Cyborgs don't eat roots." She continued to look at him for a moment before putting them back into her pouch.

  Jack could have eaten the roots so he wasn't entirely lying, they would have done very little for his system. Cyborgs had far more complicated digestive systems than a human being or Trentian.

  Jack, like all Cyborgs, had to monitor and maintain his biological side as well as his tech core and processing systems. On one hand he fed his tech side with updates to his systems. Staying technologically ahead meant constant maintenance to improve speed, cyber reach, and physical endurance.