“Thank you for waiting Sandra,” Cindy said as she climbed up off of Al. “But you have no idea how much I needed that.”
“Oh I think I've a pretty good idea,” Sandra retorted. Then as Al began to sit up she added in a sharp commanding voice, “Stop! Stay! Lay down!” Then she continued in a softer voice. “You had better be up for another round Al... Cause now ‘I’ need it.”
As she said that Sandra stepped out of her one piece dress and quickly straddled Al's face. Then she looked at Cindy, who was watching her with an amused expression.
“Don't laugh Cindy, this is all your fault,” Sandra said. “I wasn't even horny when I got here. But do tell me what you wanted to talk to me about.”
“I could tell you Sandra,” Cindy replied. “But would you be listening?”
“Well that depends on how long it takes you to spit it out Cindy,” Sandra asserted. “I mean I know Al's good at this but even his skills won't shut down my cognitive ability for at least the next five minutes.”
“OK, you asked for it,” Cindy began. “But don't blame me if it throws your timing off. I wanted to tell you that the implant worked. Of course you know that because if it hadn't you'd still be in that, oh what did you call that thing Al?”
Abruptly Al stopped what he was doing long enough to say, “I said it was a stasis sphere Cindy.” Then he resumed ministering to Sandra's needs.
“Yes that was it,” Cindy agreed. “So you would still be in that stasis sphere... Thank you Al.”
Once again Al stopped what he was doing to say, “Anytime Cindy.” Then he got back down to business.
“Stop that!” Sandra said sharply. Then quickly continued. “No not you Al, you just keep right on doing that. But you Cindy, Stop teasing me by pulling Al into the conversation. ‘He’ is busy!”
Cindy chuckled.
“OK, I'll play nice,” she claimed. “But like I said, the implant did it's job. It was, however, a very near thing. If your lab wasn't safe from these bastards. How long before they try it here?”
Al practically threw Sandra off of him as he jumped up.
“They better not try it while I'm around!” he said. “Or so help me between Adam and I, we will tear them limb from limb!” As he said this he stepped up to the edge of the bed and pulled Sandra's body over to him until she suddenly found herself impaled as he informed her. “You, on the other hand are decidedly ready.”
Then he began thrusting with a vigorous rhythm. Cindy decided that if she wanted Sandra to hear what she had to say she better get to the point more quickly.
“So anyway,” Cindy resumed explaining. “I was thinking that I'm gonna need a bigger, badder set of nano-toys.”
“Good, I was hoping you'd feel that way,” Sandra's voice was a bit ragged as she replied. Because I've been working on a set of combat grade toys that are guaranteed to piss off those assholes in the guild council.” Sandra paused long enough to take a couple of breaths. “The next time a bunch of creeps try something, they're gonna get a big surprise... Cause your gonna be loaded for bear! Now please shut up for a few minutes. Then we can go downstairs to one of Steve's spare labs where I've been working on them.”
A few minutes later Cindy and Sandra were on their way downstairs. Sandra took the opportunity to ask Cindy if she had noticed how big a chunk she had taken out of the Micronic Enterprises R & D building when she unleashed that corrosive blast of nanomorphic material against their attacker.
“Sure did,” Cindy replied. “Al told me that we were very fortunate that there weren't any Micronic's personnel in the way at the time. He also said that it was a good thing that the nano-construction tools you developed would be able to sort of grow a building patch, in situ. Otherwise, once the local building inspector became aware that the damage was so extensive, he would have condemned the entire building. So I'm thinking we need to work on better targeting systems before I accidentally kill somebody.”
“You mean somebody besides that asshole in the combat armor right Cindy?” Sandra asked. “Because I'm pretty sure you did kill him.”
“There wasn't anything accidental about his death Sandra,” Cindy affirmed. Him I meant to kill. But I was very lucky that none of our people became what they call ‘collateral damage’ in those action movies Jake used to make me watch.”
“Your right about it being a matter of luck Cindy,” Sandra replied. “So your also right that we will be working on better targeting systems when I fine tune the upgrades I'm about to give you.”
***
They had spent nearly an hour discussing the details of the enhancements Sandra had in mind. Cindy wanted Sandra to crank up the strength components of her autoboost system a lot further than Sandra thought was safe. Cindy however thought of a way to make it work. Which Sandra admitted was possible. She could do what Cindy wanted her to. She wasn't quite comfortable with the idea however.
“Are you sure you're ready for this?” Sandra asked one last time before she activated the auto-doc.
“Yes, we've only been over this about six times now Sandra,” Cindy replied from the operating table. “I know that this is very experimental and you can't guarantee the results. But weaving that reinforcement meshwork around my bone structure is the only way you can be sure that I won't break my own bones. Due to the stresses that'll result from cranking up the strength enhancement components of my autoboost system. Like I've asked you to do. Just push the damn button Sandra.”
When Cindy woke up she took a close look at her naked body in the mirror. She was still looking when Sandra walked in.
“I have to admit that auto-doc of Steve's is a damn good surgeon,” Cindy said. “I can't see a single trace of the surgery.”
“Yes,” Sandra replied. “Steve did a wonderful job on that piece of equipment. And I know it already feels like you're all healed up. But I want you to take it easy for the rest of the day. I mean it's only been a couple of hours since that auto-doc made some radical changes to your skeletal structure.”
“Oh all right,” Cindy agreed. “I suppose I could talk Al into doing all the work.”
“Absolutely not!” Sandra snapped. “At least not until I've run full diagnostic calibration tests on your implant's control systems. I mean you wouldn't want an orgasm to accidentally trigger an unplanned deployment of your auto-boost system, would you? Combine that with your reinforced bone structure and you could accidentally crush the poor hunk to death.”
“Spoilsport,” Cindy retorted. “But you're right. I do want to be sure that nothing like that ever happens...” She would have said more but she was interrupted by an ‘intruder alert’ alarm signal.
“That's the location code for the primary portal chamber!” Sandra said.
Cindy didn't waste the time to get dressed as she grabbed her new weapons bag and left the lab at a dead run. She wasn't yet used to the new intensity of her auto-boost system. She soon found that she was running a little too fast. When it became time to stop at the elevator she had to use her arms to keep from slamming into the door face first.
“Ouch!” she exclaimed with surprise.
Though as she looked at the dent in the stainless steel door Cindy decided that it shouldn't surprise her that it had hurt. Her skeletal structure may have been reinforced but it was still her own flesh wrapped around it. Then the elevator door slid open with a soft creaking sound that she had never heard it make before.
***
Darg wasn't sure what to do about the suddenly hysterical woman that he had been quietly talking with. Samantha had proved to be a good conversationalist. Even though she had seemed somewhat distracted, clutching her crystal disk firmly every few minutes. He had decided that he liked her company. Even if he couldn't shake the notion that she had told him far less of herself than he had spoken of himself. This had gone on like this for hours.
Darg had used his supply of firewood to cook a small stew from the dried meat in his pack. Then before the fire died out he had quickly made anoth
er pot of asulrod tea.
The light streaming into the cave through the waterfall had begun to fade. When suddenly Samantha gasped and gripped her disk so tightly that he wondered what was wrong. He never got a chance to ask however, as she suddenly let out a scream of shear horror.
Then the poor girl had jumped to her feet and started to run down the dark tunnel. He had quickly followed but scarcely had he caught up with her than she stopped in her tracks. She muttered something about it not being fair.
Then she turned around and began to shuffle slowly back towards the falls. She moved like she was filled with dread. Then she placed her crystal disk into the depression on the pedestal. It didn't take nearly so long for her disk to start glowing as it had for his own but it wasn't a pale blue glow. In the darkening gloom of the cave Samantha's disk shined with a deep red hue.
Darg had spent the next hour listening to Samantha alternate between incoherent ravings about it not being right or somehow not fair, to expect something of her. Then there would be a pause punctuated only by the sobs of her incessant weeping. Then suddenly she would be screaming, in a most unladylike fashion, at the glowing red disk to hurry up and open the door.
Darg had tried to ask her what was wrong but she hadn't seemed able to speak coherently. Nonetheless, by the time the magic door opened he had gathered that she believed that something had gone horribly wrong with Jake's reconnaissance mission. While he didn't quite understand by what magic she knew it, there was no doubt that to her it was a well established fact.
When the ‘door’ finally opened Samantha was shaking so hard that she could hardly stand. Darg had seen condemned prisoners move towards the gallows with less obvious dread. Than he could see in Samantha as she crept closer to the doorway. As to himself, there was little in life that Darg still feared. Not even death itself had any fear for him anymore. Not since the day that Gwanon had passed before him. Though this magic door was one of the few things that still made him uncomfortably nervous. Still, he couldn't bear to watch the way Samantha was dragging herself towards the glowing circle. So he muttered a curse under his breath and stepped forward. He put his arm around her shoulders and walked with her through the glowing doorway.
No sooner had they arrived inside the strange chamber on the other side of the doorway than the magic door closed behind them. Then suddenly the strange chamber was full of flashing lights and strange chiming sounds. A strange voice from nowhere began speaking in a language Darg had never heard before. Yet somehow he seemed to understand it's meaning.
“Intruder alert! Intruder alert!” the mechanical voice of Hillside's house computer resounded through the portal chamber. “Identify and authenticate the reason for your intrusion. Identify immediately.”
Sam stepped up to the identi-screen and placed his hand on the scanner.
“A bio-morphic cloaking device has been detected,” the computer said. “Protocol requires that you decloak prior to authentication.”
Sam shot a quick look at his companion and hesitated. Darg didn't know that he was really a man and since he had been sitting on his woolen cloak, rather than wearing it when the portal opened. The only garment he was wearing now was far too revealing to leave any doubt about it in Darg's mind. The moment he decloaked Sam would lose Darg's friendship.
At that moment the elevator door opened and a very agitated, heavily armed and quite naked Cindy stepped into the room. Darg's jaw literally fell open when he noticed how exactly this naked woman looked like Samantha.
“Who?” Cindy started to ask.
“A bio-morphic cloaking device has been detected,” the house computer repeated. “Protocol requires that you decloak prior to authentication.”
“Yes, do decloak,” Cindy commanded. As she pointed a compact but lethal looking plasma-stream weapon at her doppelganger.
“Very well,” Sam said. “But I need to say I'm sorry Darg, I...” Sam's voice faded away without explaining what he was sorry for.
Then there was a momentary distortion of Sam's image.
“Identity confirmed,” the house computer acknowledged.
Cindy's jaw fell open. Darg just sagged and fell to his knees. With a look of sheer horror on his face.
Meanwhile, Sandra stepped off the elevator. There were tears in Sam's eyes as he tried to explain.
“There's no time for this.” he said. “It's terrible. They've got Jake! And Jess...” His voice was more like a whimper as he added, “Stephanie's dead. We gotta tell Steve that Jake's in trouble.” Then he held out his recall disk.
“Stephanie,” Sam choked, then continued. “Steph... St.. She gave her life to send...”
Cindy took the disk and Sam collapsed against the wall, giving in to his tears. Darg, who had regained his feet, looked at Sam with a mixture of disgust and pity. Then he started to explain to the only woman with enough sense to be wearing clothes.
“Tell this Steve, as you call him,” he said. “That I've seen the omens he foretold. The dragons have descended upon my people.”
“I know Darg,” Cindy interrupted him. “This crystal disk has told me your story. And much more.” Then turning to Sandra, Cindy held out the disk she had just interfaced with.
“There isn't time to wait till Steve is in communications range,” she insisted. “I've got to do something about this. And I've got to do it now! I'm going to need full combat armor Sandra. And perhaps a dozen decoy drones.”
“You can't be serious Cindy,” Sandra retorted. “You're not ready! And even if you were what chance would you have against an enemy that Jake couldn't handle.”
“Jake!” Cindy said fiercely. “Was taken by surprise. I won't be. Besides you're about to give me some of the nastiest weapons your twisted mind has ever conceived of.”
“But...” Sandra started to say.
“No buts!” Cindy said. “There isn't time! I'm less than two hours away from launching an attack. You're going to need every minute of that to gear me up enough to pull this off. Because it really doesn't matter if I have a chance or not. Jake needs help. I'm going. And God help anyone who gets in my way!”
Chapter 33 Monsters
“This is insane!” Sandra exclaimed again.
She had been trying to talk sense into Cindy's head. Ever since she found out just exactly what it was that Cindy intended to do. They were standing by the portal control console in the launch bay. The large door to the portal launch chamber was open. As was the outer door of the stern airlock of the stealth shuttle. Which had already been placed in the launch cradle.
The standby cradle was holding a short range attack fighter at an odd angle to the floor. While both Al and his brother Adam were busy making modifications to several critical control systems.
“Besides that,” Sandra added when it became obvious that Cindy was ignoring her. “Do you have any idea how much energy this insane plan of yours is going to cost us?”
Cindy was busy making some fine adjustments to the fighter's autopilot program's advanced autonomous combat mode which she had just upgraded. She had heard every word of Sandra's arguments but she wasn't about to admit that she thought Sandra was right. Her plan was dangerous and would most likely deplete more than 90% of Hillside's massive energy reserves. So she had nothing to say to her friend.
Then Sandra tried another tact.
“You know I should stop you from doing this,” she said.
Cindy just looked at her with an expression that should have been enough to curdle milk. Sandra decided it was time to make her move.
“Alright Cindy,” she pleaded. “I won't stop you from trying this fool hardy plan of yours. Providing I come along to keep you out of trouble.”
Cindy sighed.
“You can't go Sandra,” she explained. “If I fail, Steve will need your help for whatever he decides to do about it. You know this.”
“That's just it,” Sandra admitted. “I don't want to be the one to tell Steve about all of this...” Then she sighed and squared
her shoulders. “I'd ask you to promise to at least be careful. But the only way you could really do that, is not to go. And I know you have to.”
“The preliminary portal link is established,” the mechanical voice of the house computer said.
Sandra suddenly leaned forward and kissed Cindy on the cheek.
“I guess it's time,” she said. “Go save the big jerk.”
“That's the plan,” Cindy said.
Then she turned on her heels and sprinted for the airlock door of the stealth shuttle. Adam, who had been much closer got there first and Al was only two steps behind Cindy as she stepped inside. Cindy was grateful for their help. Aside from Jess, Adam was the best spacecraft technician Hillside had. Without his help the modifications to the small attack ship behind them wouldn't have been possible. There had been no hesitation about their going with her on this virtual suicide mission either. Both of them had insisted. Al had explained that he was the best stealthcraft pilot currently on the planet. Adam had insisted that her mission was too important to take any chances. He'd said that the surest way to have a serious malfunction was to leave the mechanic behind. For her part, Cindy only hoped she wasn't going to get them both killed.
The big door to the portal launch chamber closed at the same time as the outer airlock door. The stealthcraft wasn't roomy. There were only a half dozen acceleration couches including the pilots seat. The one and only cabin area was so full of advanced stealth system components that there was little room to move about. As soon as the inner airlock door opened Al headed for the pilots seat. Adam quickly sat at the primary stealth control console. Which left the copilots seat for Cindy.
“Permission to initialize the sequence Ma'am?” Al asked as soon as she was seated.
Cindy noted that Al's mock British accent sounded comical. She decided that it was his flippant way of acknowledging that while he was the pilot, she was in command.
“Do it.” was all she said.
Though the forward view screen she could see the portal's meshwork begin to glow. Al began his launch run even before the portal finished opening. By the time the stealth shuttle reached the portal aperture Adam had the stealth system fully engaged.
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