by Terri Lane
Leonard struck the ground with a grin and gripped the handle hard as he raised it back over his head. It was as if his vitality was renewed. The sun’s rays seemed to be pumping him with an energy that he hadn’t felt since he had the serum injection. He couldn’t tell if it was his body refueling itself or if that happiness was playing a factor, but either way he didn’t care. He felt exceptional and incredible.
He felt unstoppable.
~~~
“Finally!” Erika cried while setting the beaker down on the table. “Ulita, we’ve got it!”
Excitedly, Ulita sprinted from the other side of the dome and appeared at Erika’s side, leaning in close to inspect the formula.
“Did the hydrogen work?” Ulita asked.
“Yep,” Erika replied with her hands on her hips.
“And the Hormone FG6?” Ulita asked, stirring the liquid with a glass cylinder.
“Yep again,” Erika replied proudly.
“I can’t believe we’ve done it. Four day weekend, here we come!” Ulita cried triumphantly. “Shall we deliver it today?”
“Of course! We need to get this out of the way so Mr. Mets will clear us for the remainder of the week,” Erika responded.
“This is just fantastic. I’m so happy, amiga,” Ulita said.
“Let me type up the abstract for it and then we can take it to Mr. Mets,” Erika said.
“Actually, I was going to ask if you wouldn’t mind me taking off early and you taking it yourself,” Ulita said.
Erika sat silently for a moment.
“I think that should be fine,” she said with a smile. “It won’t take me very long anyway. Enjoy the rest of your day, amiga.”
“Thanks, doll. You, too,” Ulita said.
After Ulita left, silence filled the dome and Erika typed quickly into her touch pad to email the results to Mr. Mets. She documented the color of the liquid, the results, and projected how it might fare in a long-term study. Once it was all written up, she sent the email and then stood to collect her belongings. The office was located just beyond the dining hall, only a twenty minute walk from the dome.
Perhaps she might even run into Leonard.
Erika shut off the touch pad and locked it in a drawer, then carefully poured the formula into a container that kept it sealed. She grabbed her bag and then left the dome, making sure the door was locked behind her. The field was already filled with all manner of produce. She admired the colorful vegetables and fruits, shoulders pulled back as she walked past the dining hall and to the main office of the field.
The door displayed her superior’s name in large black letters with an additional note underneath that stated his position: Head Director. She knocked twice and waited for the locked to click, signaling her permission to enter. Inside, she found Mr. Mets sitting at his desk, a digital display taking up most of the surface. He was tapping the glass and clicking on different aerial views of the field, checking stats and documenting their progress.
“Ah, my lead agriculturalist,” Mr. Mets said. “How are we doing today?”
“Doing well, sir. How about yourself?” Erika responded.
“I’m great. How’s the formula coming along?” he asked.
“It’s a success,” Erika replied proudly while setting the container on the corner of his desk.
He held out his hand for the container and she handed it to him, watching as he raised it up and studied the contents.
“And this will produce better crops?” he asked.
“Yes, sir,” she replied.
“Without any negative side effects?” he asked.
“Yes, sir,” she replied.
“Fantastic!” he said. “I just looked through part of your report. I’m quite impressed with the work you and Ulita have done. It makes me proud of our province.”
“Thank you, sir. We both enjoy what we do,” Erika said with a smile.
“I’ve been observing you for some time now, Ms. Hopkins, and I truly admire what you do. I think you would be better in a higher role,” Mr. Mets said.
“A higher role?” Erika asked. “What do you mean, sir?”
“I mean, I want you to be a trainer,” he replied. “You’re our greatest scientist and I want you to inspire our youth to reach higher. Perhaps we can rid ourselves of field workers altogether.”
Erika smiled politely and looked at the container of liquid she had created with Ulita.
“Creating a new workforce that’s purely mechanical would displace a great deal of people, sir,” Erika explained. “It would put out a lot of farming families.”
“They’ll survive somehow. There’s plenty of jobs,” Mr. Mets said while waving his hand. “Why don’t you just think about it and get back to me?”
“Sure thing, sir,” Erika replied. “Have a good day.”
As Erika exited the office without giving Mr. Mets time to say goodbye, she grimaced. She groaned as she made her way back to the dome where she might find some reprieve from the offer she had received. It wasn’t a bad offer, but it meant it would affect a great number of people, including Leonard.
At least her date was this evening. That brought her back to happiness and she got lost in her plants for an hour, waiting on Leonard to make his appearance.
***
A knock came from the door. Erika looked up at the clock, not realizing what time it was. She stood and opened the door to find Leonard holding up a collection of flowers he had picked from the field.
“Oh, Leonard,” Erika said. “These are so beautiful.”
“I left some of the roots on them so you could replant them and perhaps experiment,” Leonard explained. “I don’t usually pick flowers, but I thought you would like these. They smell like lavender.”
Erika smiled.
“Thank you. That was quite thoughtful,” she said while carrying the flowers over to a pot of soil. “This should work nicely.”
As she tended to the flowers, she watched Leonard stand awkwardly in the doorway and giggled to herself.
“You can come inside,” she said. “None of my plants will bite you.”
“Except for that rather large flytrap over there,” Leonard said while shutting the door behind him. “How did you get it to grow so big?”
“I injected it with a hormone serum I’ve been working on,” Erika replied. “It was approved today, so we’ll be getting some better produce in the near future.”
“Your brain is quite amazing, if I can say that,” Leonard commented.
“Thank you,” Erika said, her face growing red.
She watered the flowers with her special H2O blend and they sprang to life, blooming even brighter than before.
“I’m absolutely intrigued by your work,” Leonard said. “It’s why I wanted to take you to dinner.”
“I’m not sure what to say,” Erika said, going to her locker to grab her purse.
“Just tell me about yourself,” Leonard responded. “And feel free to ask me anything.”
Erika smiled.
“I need to change first. Could we stop by my apartment?” Erika asked.
“Of course,” Leonard replied.
~~~
At the restaurant, Leonard admired the long flowing gown that Erika had chosen to wear. He was wearing his best silk shirt and a pair of slacks that he had kept from his last formal event that he attended. Holding out the chair for Erika, he could smell her perfume. It aroused his senses. He sat in the chair opposite her and folded his hands on the table.
“Where are you from?” Erika asked.
“The Hampton Farm before the Green Field was created,” Leonard replied. “I was one of the originals.”
“Oh wow, that’s impressive,” Erika commented. “Where did your family go?”
“They all became workers for the province. We’ve been farming for centuries, paving the way forward when it comes to agriculture. Of course that was up until the Guilderans came and introduced new ways to plant and harvest. The advancements
have been amazing,” Leonard replied.
“They have, indeed,” Erika said while looking over her menu.
“And where are you from?” Leonard asked.
“I grew up just north of this province in Greensburg,” Erika replied. “And then I went to agricultural school in my teens. I’ve been here ever since.”
“What did you hope to do with your life?” Leonard asked.
“This,” Erika replied. “Being a scientist and making life better for others. I want life to be better for everyone so they never have to suffer the diseases of our ancestors.”
Her eyes sparkled as she explained this. Leonard admired the way she spoke passionately. When she mentioned her job, her smile dipped and then returned to its place as she looked up at the waiter who greeted them. They each ordered water and then looked through the digital menus for something delicious to eat.
“What about yourself?” Erika asked.
“Me? Well, I’m content just farming,” Leonard replied. “And I hope to make a family someday.”
“That sounds lovely,” she said.
“You don’t think that’s boring at all?” Leonard asked.
“Well, no. The future of our existence relies on good families and strong genes, right?” Erika asked rhetorically.
“I feel like it’s more than that. I think our end game is really just happiness,” Leonard said.
“Even that can be boiled down to survival. It makes me happy to enrich other people’s lives, so I continue to do it,” Erika commented.
“Do you always think like a scientist?” Leonard teased.
Erika giggled.
“I suppose I do. I work formulas and run trials all day, so I tend to retain that practice in my daily life,” Erika replied.
“I admire that,” Leonard said.
“Really? You don’t find it boring at all?” Erika asked.
“No, not at all. It’s fascinating. You have this different view of the world that I would have never encountered had I not met you,” Leonard responded. “By the way, how was Factory G yesterday?”
“How did you know I was…?”
Erika trailed off, a shy smile crossing her lips as she crossed her arms.
“Have you been the one messing with that electrical system?” she asked.
Leonard looked up at the ceiling and shrugged.
“I’m not sure what you mean,” he said with a grin. “But it sounds utterly complicated for a field worker such as myself.”
Erika eyed him suspiciously, her lips uncontrollably curling up into a smile as the waiter returned to take their order. When he had typed it into his miniature touch pad and sent the order to the cook, the couple sat in silence for a moment.
“You’re quite sneaky,” Erika said. “And that was simply impressive how you managed to pick my pockets.”
“I don’t know what you mean,” Leonard said with a grin.
“Oh, come on. The gig is up and you’re totally exposed,” Erika said playfully.
“Well, not yet,” Leonard teased.
Erika blushed and giggled, covering her mouth with her hand.
“You’re so beautiful when you smile,” he said.
“Thank you,” she replied. “You’re quite handsome. I’m rather glad you asked me to dinner. I’ve been wanting to ask you myself.”
“Oh, really?” he asked.
“Yes, I find you interesting. Your life, your work, your family – it all interests me. Maybe it’s just the scientist in me who wants to know, but life is just fascinating to me,” Erika replied.
“I admire that deeply,” Leonard said. “And I want to tell you everything about my life. I really would love to get to know you more personally.”
“I would love that,” she said.
Their food arrived and they immediately dug in, chatting between bites and laughing loudly over the sound of the violin from across the room. Leonard noticed a few people eying them, but he didn’t mind it. Who cares? They were having a blast and he was beyond elated to have her in his company. After they had finished, he paid the bill and Erika offered to leave a tip from her chip which he gladly accepted.
Arm in arm, they walked out of the restaurant and hopped into a cab to head back to her apartment. He had wanted to take her home to his, but felt embarrassed about how small his quarters were after seeing the lavishness of her apartment. He wasted no time at the door, pressing his lips to hers as soon as they reached 32A and wrapping his large arms around her waist. Erika could barely touch the keypad to type in her code to open the door. She traced circles on his neck, causing him to shiver.
“Let me open the door,” she whispered.
Leonard chuckled as Erika fumbled with the code, brushing a lock of hair behind her ear before it finally turned green to allow them entry. She led him inside and pulled him straight to the bedroom, shoving him down on the silk sheets and crawling up his torso. She purred and leaned down to nibble on his neck. Leonard groaned.
Lifting the hem of her dress slowly, he ran his fingers up her thigh, eliciting a hiss from her lips as she bent to kiss him again. His fingers found their way to her portal, delighted to find that she wasn’t wearing any panties. One finger slipped over her petals and caused her to buck, lips tangled with his as he explored the sensitive skin within.
Erika moaned. She unbuttoned his shirt and slowly pulled it off, tossing it aside while pulling down the straps of her dress. Leonard sat in awe of her breasts, cupping them in his hands and pulling them towards his mouth to suckle. She bayed in pleasure. Another hand reached down and unbuttoned his pants which flew across the room to join his shirt on the floor. She stroked his already erect tool and wiggled down the bed to slip him into her mouth, her lips sliding all the way down to the base.
A moan left his lips and he cupped the back of her head to guide her lips up and down his shaft. Her tongue unfurled to lap at the head of his penis, his eyes watching her suck dutifully and admiring the way her lips wrapped around his member. She sat up. Leonard beckoned her with his hands, nearly begging for her to sit on top of him. She crawled up his torso and obliged.
Pulling up her dress, she rubbed her petals against his member and slowly slid him inside, smiling as he watched her bounce up and down. Leonard sighed and gripped her hips, holding her steady as he began to pump into her flower. She leaned back and bayed, rolling her hips forward and gripping the skin of his chest. An array of emotions filled him as he rocked into her. Another moan echoed from her lips, inspiring him to sit up and wrap his arms around her waist.
Leonard was fascinated with the soft roundness of her bottom, gripping her beautiful thighs and pressing his lips into hers. They moaned together as she rocked forward and he nibbled on her lower lip. He leaned back to get better leverage, pumping hard into her petals as her eyes slit shut in ecstasy. He smiled.
“Darling, does that feel good?” he asked sweetly.
“Oh, yes,” she moaned. “Give me more.”
As his muscles flexed, her feminine portal deepened and he could feel her tensing around his member, inspiring him to whisper every want and need to her in his husky voice. She moaned again and shoved her face into his neck, groaning between gasps for air. He pumped harder and smiled as she vibrated against him, gripping the skin of his back while he began to dance on the edge of orgasm. Grunting loudly, Leonard released his hot honey inside of her and fell back against the bed, taking Erika with him.
Gasping, Leonard chuckled and wrapped his arms around Erika who was still trying to catch her breath. She traced the nape of his neck with her fingernail, not bothering to move another muscle.
“That was amazing,” she whispered.
“You’re amazing,” he said. “Truly and absolutely amazing.”
Erika giggled.
“I have thoroughly enjoyed our evening,” she said. “Will you stay the night with me?”
“Of course I will. Are you alright with that?” he asked.
“Certainly. I wouldn�
�t have asked if I wasn’t,” she replied sweetly.
Climbing over him, Erika curled up and invited Leonard to crawl underneath the sheets. He followed suit and wrapped an arm around her, Erika pressing her bottom to his body as she rubbed his arm.
“This has been the best day of my life,” she whispered.
***
“I went up to Saturn recently. The beaches there are just gorgeous,” Ulita explained while sipping a cup of tea. “You really should take a vacation up there. The spas are simply marvelous.”
The workers in the break room listened carefully while Ulita spoke, turning her cup around in her hands but not drinking from it. Underneath Ulita’s story, Erika could hear the other workers in the room whispering.
Heard she’s seeing a field worker.
That sounds preposterous!
Such a scandal to be dating someone lower.
I mean, is he attractive? If she’s a scientist, she can always alter her children.
Erika looked around the room and the whispers stopped, each of the workers returning their attention to each other and switching topics. Had she really heard them whispering about her?
“Erika? What’s the matter?” Ulita asked.
“Hm?” Erika asked, looking up from her cup of tea. “Oh, nothing. I was just lost in thought.”
“What, is my story boring you?” Ulita asked.
“No, Ulita. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to get distracted,” Erika replied.
“It’s alright. You just look so worried,” Ulita commented.
“It’s really nothing. I swear,” Erika insisted. “So, what were you saying about the spa?”
“They have these little squid aliens that wrap around your feet and the massage is simply to die for, amiga,” Ulita continued.
Erika nodded and raised the cup to her lips, sipping slowly. She tried to ignore the chatter surrounding her, but she simply couldn’t concentrate.
