by Naomi Lucas
On one shelf was a blackened glass screen with a keypad, one had a shallow crystal bowl that was brimming with silvery liquid, another shelf had a stack of old, peeling books. There were weapons, stones, and other items that she could not place. Jack must be a collector. These things must have some value to him if he kept them in his room; at least she assumed it was his room.
Allie tucked the blanket around her and slowly stood up, testing the strength of her feet. The swelling on her ankle had gone down significantly but blue bruises still splotched her skin. She could walk as long as she did not put the brunt of her weight on it. A dull pain settled at her joints.
She limped around the bed and used the wall as a support as she moved toward the closed panel, hoping it was a lavatory of some kind. The door slid open as she descended the three steps towards it.
Peeking inside, she saw a wash room unlike the ones she had used to in her previous life. The room was stark white with light grey undertones. The light gave it a clinical look and made the room glow in its brightness. A large shower stall took up the second half of the room and a small flat sink stuck out of the white metal paneling; opposite the sink was a large cabinet that ran from floor to ceiling. Curious, Allie shuffled over to it and opened it up.
Inside was long streams of gleaming wiring, a myriad of circuit boards in different shapes and sizes, robotic parts, and other electronic pieces secured about. There was even an entire cybernetic arm; the metal fingers hanging limp at the end. These must be replacement parts for Jack.
The humanoid machinery temporarily stunned her. She was used to seeing Jack, the man but now that she had a glimpse of the hidden cyber-robotic parts, it confused her. Jack is unlike me, why do I keep forgetting that? He’s part machine, of course he would have extra parts stored in his living quarters. Allie shook her head, feeling the cobwebs come back.
Was he more human or was he more machine? And maybe it was a good thing he wasn’t entirely human. Humans tended to suffer around her. A Cyborg may be able to survive her bad karma, the curse that clung to her existence.
“Looking for something?”
Allie jumped at the sound of his voice, turning to face him, her hold on the blanket draped around her tightening. “Someplace to clean myself.” She gaped at him, Jack was shirtless and leaning against the door frame. His muscles straining with his arms crossed over his chest. His hair clung to him like he had just washed but the smudges of dirt and sand that plastered his boots said otherwise.
Jack lifted away and stalked toward her, reaching around her to close the cabinet door. A light hum filled the space as a screen appeared on the wall next to them. He punched a series of numbers in and the washroom changed. A large showerhead manifested from the corner of the stall and gushed water out like a miniature crystalline waterfall.
The gleam of the white-metal and bright lights sparkled the liquid, the droplets that landed away resembled diamonds. The cascade of water pooled over the floor, leveling out over their feet and then sucked into hidden vents around the edges.
A relief basin appeared next to the small sink as the cabinet sunk into the wall and was replaced with a long mirror.
“Is that better?” He stepped away from the screen and watched her.
“It’s incredible. Yes, thank you.” Allie spun in a circle, “I didn’t know technology could do things like this–” she mused until she spied a brick of soap that appeared on a shelf in the large water stall. “Soap!” She scuttled closer to it and almost tripping on the blanket that was now water-logged at the bottom edges. A steel, warm hand wrapped around her upper arm.
“Careful.” He snapped, righting her.
“Do you mind if I use the facilities?” She looked at him, his closeness firing up her desire. The mere presence of him caused her stomach to clench but her mind was distracted, solely focused on the fresh bar of soap that was within reach.
“You’re asking now?” He grinned, letting her go and stepping back.
“Yes?” She almost felt sorry as she reached over to the stiff pink bar and cradled it between her hands, lifting the treasure to her nose. Her body contracted when she took a deep breath, her nose filled with the foreign scent. She smelled flowers. Flowers. The burn of tears formed in her eyes. I haven’t smelled something so beautiful or fresh in so long.
“What smell is this?” She whispered.
“Raspberry.” He smirked.
“It smells like flowers.” She sniffed the bar again.
He laughed. “No. It’s a berry native to Earth. You remind me of them, it suits my obsession.” She was reminded of his comments about her nipples, blushing. “I’ll make sure we find you some to try.” He jested.
“I would like that.” She finished, not knowing what to do next. Awkwardly, she held the bar to her nose and watched him across the small space that was now filling up with steam. Jack was once again propped up at the doorway, unmoving. “Are you going to leave?” She hedged uncertainly.
“I’m thinking about it.”
Allie’s heart skipped a beat. She wanted him to stay. Her skin prickled with heat as the dew of the humid mist settled over her. Her loose, tangled hair curled up over and around her shoulders as tendrils plastered her shoulders and cheeks.
Turning away from his domineeringly relaxed form, she stepped under the cascading water, dropping the blanket on the floor before she lost her confidence.
The overflowing water drenched her in moments. It pooled and flowed around her tense form, enveloping her like a lovers embrace. Allie was part of the waterfall now and the sensation of the warm water rolling over her was heavenly. She hadn’t bathed like this since the night she had been chosen by the Warlord in preparation of the primitive mating ritual.
It made sense.
She ran her fingers through her knotted hair, collecting it at her back and turned around to face him. He was watching her like a predator about to make a kill. And he had moved closer. His hands were yanking at the buckles that strapped his belted black pants.
Waiting for him, she ran the bar of raspberry soap over her body, the fragrance igniting in the air from the glistening heat.
The next moment she was pressed into the stall wall with his hand running over her delicate curves. They rounded her thighs and lifted her up until she was propped up on his hips. Without warning he impaled her onto his shaft.
She clawed at his shoulders as his hands cupped her butt, pounding into her, pushing her flush into the wall. All she could do was hold on as he used her, she could hear herself mew each time he pulled out and thrust back into her. The sensation of being filled then losing him every other second was driving her up the wall– literally. Allie entwined her fingers into his wet hair and dug her nails into his scalp.
“Jack,” she pleaded. “I can’t.”
The pressure of the wall lessened as he bent down and licked her neck and at the same time he reached forward between them and rubbed her clit, causing her body to rupture with a scream. Her core clenched down around his straining cock.
Jack pushed her back into the wall with a groan and pummeled her until he climaxed; for once it seemed he was exerting enough energy to lose his breath. It filled her with a sensual power– that she could break his control. A hot liquid spread inside her and dripped down her legs.
He set her down a short time later and picked up the bar of soap she had dropped. The water fell over him and pushed his damp hair over his face, the dark locks caressed his scars. An uneasy, giddy feeling filled her stomach at the sight and she wanted him all over again.
“I know what you’re thinking.” He gave her one of his sexy grins.
“You do?” She used his shoulder as a support as he ran the soap over her legs.
“You like me.” He slipped the sudsy bar between her legs, lathering up her pussy. Her feminine parts deliciously ached with his ministrations and continued to pulsate from her recent orgasm as he cleaned her.
She stared at the top of his head, unsure how to answer. “Do you like me?” His finger slid into her.
“I like you a lot.” He said as he leaned forward and kissed her nub. He pulled his soapy finger out of her and glided it through her slick lips, ending at her back. She jerked away from him but he held her firm. “Tell me you like me.” He licked her clit while the rough pad of his finger circled her back entrance.
“I like you,” she squeaked, her legs melted as his hot tongue rolled her nub.
“Tell me you want me.”
“I– I want you.” Her nails dug into his shoulders as he forced her to the edge. His thumb now pushing into her ass.
“Tell me you’ll stay with me.” He stopped and looked up at her.
“I’ll stay with you.” She whispered.
“Allie,” he groaned as he sucked on her clit and pressed further in. Her body collapsed from the onslaught as another orgasm ripped through. He caught her exhausted body in his arms and held her tightly as she burrowed into his chest, the water cleansing both of them. Allie couldn’t imagine being anywhere else in the cosmos other than in his arms.
***
Jack helped her wash after claiming her in the shower. He had lost his mind when she brazenly dropped her sheath and stepped under the sparkling water, goading him to joining her.
She was everything he needed, everything he wanted. He looked at her and envisioned courage, pain, fortitude. He saw an innocent hope. Allie wasn’t pretentious, never expected anything from him, she didn’t shy away from his Cyborg nature. She was the embodiment of wild– of what he felt so deeply within himself. I need wild hope.
I need her sincerity.
He would never have to hold himself back with her because deep down inside he knew she was just as imperfect as he was. They were blank slates that were just waiting to be filled with each other and Jack wanted her slate to be filled up with nothing but himself.
Blank slates, my ass, more like rusted steel plates that needed a good scrubbing.
Jack helped her dress in new soft cotton clothing he had the replicator create while she had been sleeping. A loose, sleeveless tunic and tight formfitting leggings.
“Do I have to wear these?” She pulled at the clothing cinching her ankles. He laughed at her pained look.
“No.” He pulled her pants off in one quick tug. She had reacted as he had expected until he watched in dismay as she took the pants from him, grabbed a dagger off the table and cut them in half; shuffling back into them. Now they only reached her knees.
“What’s wrong?” She asked, picking up the extra cloth.
He took the dagger from her hand. “Nothing.” Disappointment laced his voice. “I need to do a couple of final repairs on the impulse drive before we can leave.” He held out his arm for her to lean on. “I’ve been working while you were sleeping. The circuitry I salvaged is installed and functioning but will need to be replaced as soon as possible.”
Jack led her outside and to the damaged side of his ship. The jagged scar that streaked over the outside away from his impulse drives stood out in the midday light. He frowned, wishing he had Pirate Captain Larik’s throat in his hands. When my ship is damaged, I’m damaged.
“That was what made your ship crash? The impulse drive?”
“It got hit by several meteors while I was in pursuit of my target. The second hit knocked the plating to the circuitries. The stress of the landing and impact on the surface burned them out.” He let go of her to run his hand over his ship, transferring more of his nanobots for good measure.
“What’s that?” He heard her choke on her words. She was pointing at the black plating, the ones he had taken from the crash site and used to replace the gaping parts to his ship’s exterior.
“It’s the metal we took. The ones we picked up outside the reactor.” He said slowly, watching her. The black plating did stick out like a sore thumb against the silvery blue gleam of the rest of his flyer.
“It’s cursed, Jack.” Allie took a step back as she continued to stare at it unblinking.
“It’s metal.”
“It’s cursed metal.”
“How do you figure?” He sighed.
“Because everything from that ship is cursed. I’m cursed.” She exhaled, “I didn’t think of it when you picked up the stuff but now that I see it, I see everything that’s attached to it, to me.” She hugged herself. “It’s still with me. I can feel it eroding away my mind, pulling me into the darkness. I don’t like it.”
“Allie,” he clutched her hand. “It’s just metal. We can’t leave this planet safely without it, I’m not leaving this planet without you.”
“Are you so sure? It could curse you too. It will coax your thoughts and swallow you whole at night. It will whisper in your head and those whispers won't be yours. You’ll live with the heaviness of something watching you, waiting for you, manipulating you every day.” Her voice had gone emotionless and numb.
Jack was unnerved by her words, why was he just hearing this now? Why hadn’t she told him more before they had gone to the crash site? “Is that what happens with you? Why that shipwreck felt wrong? It was cursed. You were a part of it and now you think you’re cursed too? How do you explain how you survived then; twice?” He placed his hands over the black metal, forcing the bots he had transferred earlier into the foreign pieces to scan it.
“Ophelia saved me. You saved me the second time but she wasn’t there anymore. I need to know where she is.”
“Your friend.” He stated, his nanobots moving through the black metal, coming up with nothing odd.
“Yes.”
“Do you think this all ties to her?” He asked, flinching as his nanobots died, deteriorating at a rapid rate inside the plating. He didn’t try to save them.
“She used to talk to the darkness.” Was her only answer.
“Where do you think she is, if not here?” He stepped back to stand next to Allie, staring with her at the black blemish on his once pristine ship.
“I don’t know.” Her voice sounded crestfallen as he gathered her in his arms and held her tight, running his lips over the top of her head, the still wet strands dampening his skin.
“At the first opportunity, I’ll dispose of the metal.” He promised. “Allie, you’re not cursed and even if you were– are, I would do everything in my power to destroy it. I wish you had told me all of this before I asked you to take me to that place.”
“You would never have believed me.” She was right and he didn’t believe her now about being cursed, only that the things that had inhabited that ship were otherworldly and he would have kept her away from it.
Instead of agreeing with her he cupped her cheeks and lifted her head to face him. “I saw that thing in the cave, the same one you killed. I believe that. I heard wailing shrieks when I went to look for you in the ruined passages and I believe that too. All of it warns of the irrationality of it but I can’t deny my experiences.” He expected tears to drip down her face from the exhaustive trauma but her eyes remained wide and dry.
“If I’m not cursed, I don’t know what to do.” Her eyes fluttered closed.
“You heal. It will be hard and each day will be different. Some battles don’t end at the edge of a dagger or a bullet through the heart but are fought every single day in your mind.” He kissed the tip of her nose. “I will help you.” She leaned forward into him and he cocooned her within his arms, clasping her to his chest. Her body shook as the tears came forward. He held her close as she collapsed against him sobbing.
Chapter Sixteen:
---
It was approaching nightfall when he sensed a shift in the air, like a small annoying breeze that tickled a single strand of hair. It probed his senses subtly and then would go away just to return again a moment later. It was getting worse.
He had set Allie up on a communications device to read about anything she desired; anything to get her mind off of
her troubled thoughts.
They had encountered a small hitch in the setup because of her language barrier. It was a dialect crossed between Earthian and a primitive form of Trentian. It would be enough to get her by in most space sectors, especially with him by her side but she would have to learn more. At least enough of one language to hold a detailed conversation with a stranger. Jack reconfigured his systems to verbally queue upon request and switched its base language to Trentian which is what she could read.
He had been monitoring the process of his ship as it healed itself. The systems were just about recalibrated with the new, worn parts that were installed. They would be leaving this Hell-in-Space tonight– together.
A tingle rolled over the back of his neck.
He rubbed his neck absently as he routed electrical channels back to the foreign paneling, rescanning it for the dozenth time that day. Once again he came away with nothing. It is just metal. He kept telling himself as there were no unusual properties to be found, that it was only worn tungsten that had seen better days.
Why was it agitating him? After the last week, he wasn’t about to dismiss any possibility, there was already too much he couldn’t explain and the last thing he wanted was to bring the crap of this planet off with them.
At the first opportunity he would ditch the parts and be rid of the junk, especially if it made Allie happy. It was just a matter of time now.
“Jack, I think you should come look at this.” He swiveled in his chair, Allie was standing by the view glass looking outside. He could see unusual movement beyond her.
He jumped up and went to her side and surveyed the landscape. The usually still terrain was now being pummeled with gusts of wind, dirt and sand was being pulled up from the ground in a violent swirl. It was thickening by the second.
“It’s a sandstorm.” She whispered. A loud thunderous boom rang through his ears as a wall of sand clouds towered high and formed in the distance; monstrous static bolts crashed and crackled amidst the gusts. He clenched his hand, any moment they were going to lose visual.
