by Lucas, Naomi
Alexa collected herself before making her way back to her station. Just as she sat, Raul popped out of their quarters.
“Your stuff is gone,” he announced with a broken yawn.
“What?”
“In the room, everything is gone. Did you clean up while I was sleeping? You going somewhere?”
Alexa shot to her feet and rushed into the room. Inside, it was the same, Raul’s mess was everywhere, and her bunk—she shot open the privacy screen—was completely devoid of everything. She rushed to the bathroom to find all her toiletries gone as well.
“I didn’t…”
He took it.
“You’re not leaving us, are you?” Raul asked.
She shook her head.
Hysterian had taken everything she owned, and she knew exactly where he’d put it all.
Alexa stormed out of the room and ran to the second floor, Raul calling out behind her. At the end of the hall, she saw one of the ship’s androids enter the captain’s quarters. The bridge’s doors were closed.
“Morning, Dear,” Pigeon greeted as she rushed past him.
She pushed past the android as she entered the room.
And there her stuff was, upon the bed. Two other androids were taking her extra clothes and placing them neatly in a dresser. Another carried her toiletries into the attached bathroom.
“How dare he,” she hissed, going to the bed and snatching her razor up. The android she’d pushed past took it from her hand and headed for the bathroom. Her lips parted.
“What the hell?” She rarely cursed. She grabbed the remaining stuff on the bed and made her way toward the exit. One of the androids stopped her. “Let me leave,” she demanded.
“We are ordered to move your belongings into this room, Ms. Dear,” it responded dryly, mechanically. “We must follow orders.” It reached for her.
She held her items to her chest but the android pulled them from her grip. After a few minutes of struggling, she gave up. And when she turned, Pigeon and Raul were watching her from outside the room.
“You and the captain?” Raul said with disgust.
Alexa gritted her teeth. “I’m not with the captain.”
Raul looked like he didn’t believe her. Pigeon appeared shamed, curious. She stormed out of the room and fled to the menagerie, cursing under her breath.
He couldn’t do this to her, he couldn’t force her to stay with him. She refused. There was no way she was sleeping in Hysterian’s room—ever. Just because she wanted him didn’t mean she wanted to get any closer to him, especially in that way. She would never put herself in such a vulnerable position.
She wouldn’t be alive today if she had in the past.
He’s gone too far.
“Prepare for docking,” Hysterian’s voice invaded her ears from the intercom, “at seven hundred hours.”
Alexa tugged the gun from her pants and threw it in the trash.
I can protect myself.
It may have had a tracker on it anyway.
Fourteen
Hysterian waited until the entirety of his crew had vacated the ship before he left. He wanted them to think he’d stayed behind so they wouldn’t, so they’d find other arrangements and maybe not come back at all.
He’d been keeping tabs on Alexa for days, and knew she would probably kill him right now if given the chance, and he deserved it. He had given her a gun for that very reason. He deserved to be shot, quartered, and hanged. He deserved that tenfold and more.
He lifted her underwear to his nose and breathed in her scent.
Unfortunately, it was clean underwear, but he could imagine her arousal clinging to the cotton. He wanted them dirty. He wanted them covered with her slick and his semen. He’d been bucking for days, half-mad.
She refused an order.
He glared at the bed in his quarters. Not for much longer.
After today, he was determined to keep her close, when he knew he wouldn’t harm her in his lust. Today, he was visiting a brothel knowing it would slake him. If he was lucky, it would do more than that and rid him of his obsession for Alexa entirely. A Cyborg could fucking hope.
Hysterian stuffed Alexa’s underwear into his pants and around his cock. The cloth was damp within seconds, clinging to him.
He made his way off the ship and into the bustling port, barely acknowledging the androids restocking his ship. He trusted Horace’s capacity to do his job.
No, he wasn’t going to linger any longer. He had an appointment to make.
And he had Raul to take care of.
Libra Station was one of the rare, fully colonized stations around the known universe. It was originally established hundreds of years ago as a giant broken freighter ship, and over the years had expanded into a state. Ship after ship had been added to it until they were ships no longer, but instead an interconnected system of docks and floors where people lived and worked.
There were at least a hundred thousand or so inhabitants at any given time. Whether they lived on Libra or not, its docks were always bustling. Many crew workers would rent a room on a port like Libra—something no bigger than a hole with a bunk and a desk—and use that as their address. Those same crew workers only went home when their jobs happened to bring them there.
He’d checked if Alexa had a room on Libra. She didn’t. She didn’t have a room anywhere as far as his searches went.
It wasn’t uncommon for people in her field to not have an address either, if they chose not to invest in a hole in the wall. It saved money in the long run. Sometimes, they were forced to put their earnings elsewhere.
Paying back fines, paying off bail, or perhaps they had a sick family member that needed help with medical bills.
He could’ve gleamed a lot about Alexa if she had a room. Though he still learned something because she didn’t.
She was paid well. Above average for her position. His whole crew was paid well. If she wasn’t keeping up a home, where was her money going? He’d have to request special privileges to see her bank account. He wasn’t an expert hacker like many other Cyborgs.
People dashed past him as he made his way off the docks. Some stared when they realized there was a Cyborg, but most had other things on their mind. The further Hysterian got from Earth, the less people cared about Cyborgs.
He kept an eye out for his crew, mainly Alexa.
Deeper in the station were shops, hundreds of them, enticing those who were traveling to spend all their money and credits on items that they might not be able to get elsewhere. Stations like Libra were ruled by the government but since they were not rooted on a landmass of any kind, the laws were murky. Something that may be illegal on Earth or Gliese, might not be illegal on Libra. No one cared if you had stolen shells from Tau-Ceti here or bought a Coke with coke in it. As long as the systems ran and taxes were paid, those in charge paid no attention.
Though, if you did break one of Libra’s precious laws and were caught, you’d spend the rest of your sentence regretting it. The jails on ports like this were some of the seediest. It was easy to forget about people in a place like Libra.
Which was why Hysterian averted his trip to Atrexia a little while longer. He could get his relief, and then expunge the security systems of his passing entirely. Systems, electricity, and power surged everywhere, ready to be manipulated and digitally fucked.
Hysterian made his way deeper into the hollowed-out halls of the port, lit up by neon signs, smoke, and the occasional exhaust outlet. Hecklers for wares called out to him while exotic scents, mixed with chemicals, invaded his nose.
Ahead, he saw the first strip of pink lights indicating the district change. The crowd wasn’t nearly as big here as it was near the main shops.
He came to a stop in front of a giant, pink neon heart. A partially naked dancer swayed within it. She wore braids of shimmery white lingerie, that reflected the pink glow of the lights.
When she realized Hysterian was watching her, she bent forward and blew hi
m a kiss. Her nipple slipped out.
This was the type of woman he needed. Someone without shame. Someone who wasn’t easily offended, and knew the lascivious dance between a man and a woman. He wasn’t interested in an inexperienced woman. Damsels in white gowns, the kind who needed saving, were better off being saved by a man who wasn’t him. His patience was limited. His ability to be gentle almost didn’t exist at all.
Hysterian rubbed his chest where Alexa had rested her brow. She was better off seeking comfort elsewhere, even with Raul.
His jaw ticked. Anyone but Raul.
It was bad enough knowing that Alexa had kissed him, really kissed him, when Hysterian was desperate for the brush of her lips and fingers on him. He hated Raul, was jealous of Raul, and he wanted Raul’s blood in a jar for that reason alone.
Hysterian was created by some of the best minds, the best tech in the universe, and he couldn’t even have someone like Alexa? He twisted the wristcon on his arm and swiped some credits toward the dancer.
Pink hearts filled the smoky air above her head to shower down upon her. She danced amongst them. He smirked.
“Thank you,” she purred, lifting her arms above her head. “Would you like to meet me inside?”
Hysterian powered off his wristcon. “I have an appointment.”
The dancer pouted. “Too bad.”
“Too bad.”
He couldn’t take her up on the meeting even if he wanted to. She was a human. He couldn’t touch her.
If he could…he’d be fucking Alexa right now, and wouldn’t be here at all.
Hysterian turned toward the entrance as a group of men took his spot. Pink hearts flashed around him as he shoved the drapes of cloth aside to head in. Thick incense enveloped him. The bustle of the port disappeared as the cloth settled back into place behind him. The brothel was dimly lit, with pink, red, and purple cloth draped over every wall and every table. Pillows were scattered across the floor, surrounding little tables where some patrons sat and drank and fondled the females entertaining them.
He went straight for the headmistress, an Amazon of a woman smoking a hookah with several others behind the entryway counter. Hooded eyes met his when she looked at him. Smoke trickled from the sides of her mouth.
She rose and sauntered to him. There was a deep scar on her chin, sectioning off part of her face. It didn’t distract from her appeal, though, instead enhancing it. Hysterian would bet a hefty amount the headmistress accepted clientele—if they were willing to pay enough for her attention. Her enormous breasts alone were a young man’s wet dream.
“How can I help you today, honey?” she asked.
“I have an appointment.”
“Of course you do.” Her eyes slid down his body. “Who’s it with?”
“Your most expensive bot.”
She smiled. “Ah, so you’re the Cyborg. I thought you might be. Right this way.” She turned and swayed her way down a passageway off to the left, past the tables and pillows, and into a dimly lit corridor hidden behind even more drapes of cloth. She lifted them and waited for him to pass through and join her.
Behind him, the sounds of the port rose in volume for a split second, indicating the arrival of another. Hysterian glanced behind him and stopped.
It was Raul.
“You coming sweetheart? She’s waiting for you,” the headmistress said, and hummed. “Just about in a frenzy for you.”
Raul let out an appreciative whistle as he looked around the brothel. When he was about to turn toward Hysterian, Hysterian stepped into the corridor only to shift the cloth aside to watch his subordinate.
Of course Raul would be here. There were other places like this brothel on Libra, but not as well known or discreet. Hysterian had seen the man jerk his dick right out in the open, yards away from where Alexa was sleeping, where she could’ve seen him if she’d left her quarters.
Hysterian’s hands clenched.
A scantily clad sexbot wearing a golden slave costume approached Raul. She placed the flat of her palms on his chest and leaned up. She whispered something in his ear.
“There something else I could get you, sweet pea? Someone catch your eye? Me, perhaps?” the headmistress asked when she realized Hysterian wasn’t going to follow her deeper into the establishment.
“That man,” he nodded toward Raul, moving the drapes aside enough for the headmistress to see.
She sidled up next to him. “What about him?”
“Change of plans. I want you to give him my appointment.”
“You do? Are you sure?” The Amazon pouted.
“Yes, but I’ll need to pay extra for discretion.”
“What are you thinking?”
“I want to watch.”
She eyed him. “You’re a kinky one, aren’t you, love?” She hummed some more, tapping her finger on her lips. “I’d have to charge you triple what you already owe.”
“Quadruple it if you ignore the screams.”
“Oh, honey. We always ignore the screams. We use safe words.”
“These will be different screams.”
The sexbot leaned away from Raul and jutted out her chest. Raul smiled and pulled down the strips of cloth hiding her breasts, cupping them in his hands when they were out on display.
Hysterian gritted his teeth.
Raul squeezed the sexbot’s breasts, flicked her nipples, testing them and her response like she was a non-sentient piece of meat he was inspecting to potentially purchase. The sexbot moaned just as another approached from the side. He turned to her just as she pulled down her top.
Hysterian let the drapes fall back into place. The headmistress straightened from where she was watching beside him.
“I’ll need the money upfront,” she said.
Hysterian flicked open his wristcon.
“I’ll also need reassurance that whatever happens, my establishment, and all those who work within it, will be safe.”
“They won’t come to any harm. In fact, give them the night off. I’ll pay for the house,” he told her as he swiped an exorbitant amount of money her way.
Dollar signs instead of hearts materialized in the air between them. The headmistress beamed while the green glow illumed her face.
“Oh, you’re just a doll. The room is at the end of the hall, last door on your left.” She flounced past him and back through the drapery. The headmistress clapped her hands and went straight for Raul and the sexbots gathered around him.
Hysterian watched as the headmistress talked Raul up. When one of the sexbots started kissing Raul’s neck, disgust filled Hysterian and he made his way to the room.
Alexa could do better. What she saw in Raul, Hysterian had no idea, but he loathed that she’d been sharing a room with the sex-crazed cretin for over a month now.
Not anymore.
He made fucking sure of that. Alexa was going to be in his bed tonight, whether she liked it or not. She’d be safe there.
Hysterian scanned the room, finding a place to wait. Like the rest of the brothel, the walls were littered with drapes. The sexbot—his sexbot—was perched on the bed, wearing nothing but a scrap of red panties.
She watched him curiously but didn’t say a word, eventually turning back toward the door.
He didn’t have to wait long.
The door opened, and Raul stepped into the room, whistling out a breath when he saw what awaited him.
A state-of-the-art partially sentient female bot, perfect in every way. A man’s dream. It didn’t matter whether you liked redheads or blondes; the sexbot was able to shift her appearance based on the arousal level of her purchaser.
“Holy God,” Raul muttered as he approached the bed.
She went from being perched to turning over and spreading her legs on all fours. Her long blond hair shifted to black, and her flesh paled as she pushed her ass out for Raul.
His hands came out to frame it.
The sexbot took on the appearance of Alexa. In every way but her fr
igid primness. Raul rubbed his hand across his mouth as the bot looked back at him.
“I need you,” she whimpered. “Daddy.”
Oh fucking hell. Hysterian had enough. He surged forward and threw Raul up against the wall. The sexbot ran out of the room behind him.
“What the fuck!?” Raul yelled, thrashing. “Captain?” His surprise soon gave way to fear.
Hysterian threw Raul onto the bed by his neck.
He twisted and fled to the other end. Hysterian grabbed Raul’s boot and dragged him back.
Raul kicked like a child, raising his hands to his face. “Fucking hell! What the fucking hell!?”
Hysterian leaned over him, clasping Raul’s neck. “Hello, Raul.”
His eyes widened, then he sneered. “Do it,” Raul spat. “Do it! You piece of shit! You want to. I can tell.”
Hysterian gripped harder, pressing into Raul’s trachea.
Raul coughed, croaked. “Kill me, you Cyborg motherfucker! She’ll never fucking forgive you.”
Hysterian’s systems seized. His fingers bit into Raul’s neck, breaking skin. All he could see was Raul jacking off, Raul laughing, Raul teasing Alexa. “You should have never kissed her.” He saw that.
He saw everything.
He found it on the Questor’s security footage.
Raul’s face went from white to red. “Fucking worth it.”
Hysterian’s nostrils flared. His fingers twisted.
“She’ll never be yours,” Raul rasped. “You don’t know her like I do.”
“You think you know her?”
“I know she isn’t what you think she is.”
Hysterian scowled. After one last brutal squeeze, he tore his hand from Raul’s neck and yanked off his glove.
Raul’s hands shot up and wrapped around his neck. Curling onto his side, he sputtered and coughed. Hysterian folded his glove, setting it on the table next to the bed. Raul met his eyes when Hysterian turned back to him.
“You have no idea what you’re doing,” Raul wheezed.
“Stop. Fucking. Talking.”
Raul shunted and rolled off the bed. Hysterian grabbed the back of Raul’s uniform and yanked him to his chest. He wrapped one arm around Raul as his crewmate cursed and yelled, forcing him to still. He placed his bare hand before Raul’s face, his long fingers outstretched.
