by Jay Cannon
Xiao looks down the hall, which extended farther than she could see.
“This ship is enormous.”
“Yes, it’s quite the engineering marvel. It was built entirely in space. It’s about ninety kilometers wide, one hundred fifty kilometers long, and fifty kilometers deep. It is covered with nooks and crannies to the extent that it is difficult to determine were weapon systems, engines or hatches existed. It’s mostly made up of cargo bays. I would have taken a transport, but I thought you might want to see more of the ship.”
“Don’t worry. I don’t mind at all. This is an amazing adventure.”
“Here we are at the crew’s lounge.”
“We’ve passed by so many doorways, how do you know that this is the right door?”
“Firstly, the color of the light above the door tells me it’s an entertainment area. Secondly, my universal connection device provides details about the area, what services it provides, how large it is, how many people are inside, and who they are.”
“What if you want privacy?”
“Then you leave the ship. The ship is too important for individual rights to endanger its safety. You can block your location from general viewing, but the ship’s systems and those with a higher clearance always have access to your whereabouts while you are on the ship.”
“And when I am off the ship?”
“If you are not performing ship’s business then you can block access from anyone. It’s a sophisticated set of controls that work from the owner’s desires. When the owner dies, the device basically self-destructs.”
They walked through the doorway and entered a large lounge full of people seated and reclined, or even lying down. They were drinking, eating, reading, chatting, and playing games. There were tables of different sizes with matching chairs. They took a seat at an empty table against the wall.
“Can I order you a drink?”
“I’d like to, but I’m afraid to drink anything on this ship. It might make me sick or kill me.”
“Don’t worry. The order-receiving device will examine your physiology and provide a drink that is not only appropriate for it, but suits your taste as well.”
“How can it know what suits me?”
“You pick the color, texture, temperature, and size of the drink, and the feeling you want it to give you. It can make most of your Earth drinks.”
“Really? How about a Harvey Wallbanger in a tall glass?”
“Sounds sexy. I’ll have a Lardexian Mind Bender.”
Cobalt orders the drinks via his UCD and almost immediately they materialized on the table in front of them.
Xiao took a sip. “This is tasty. It could use a bit more vodka though.”
Cobalt spoke into his device then turned to Xiao. “Try it again.”
“What?”
“Try it again.”
“Okay.” Xiao took another sip. “Wow, how did you do that?”
“I just let the system know what you wanted and it augmented your drink with a little more vodka.”
“Your drink looks interesting. Tell me about it.”
“It’s made with a juice that changes color based on its temperature. Go ahead and grab the glass.”
Xiao held the glass in her hand and watched as the colors undulated under her fingertips.
“It’s also quite exhilarating, both to the taste and after it’s digested. I can order you one if you like.”
“Sure, I’d love to try it.”
Cobalt whispered to his UCD and moments later a fresh glass of the drink appeared on the table in front of Xiao. She took a sip and her mouth and eyes opened wide. She slapped her knee and let out a guffaw.
“Holy cow, this drink certainly lives up to its name. My mouth is a-buzz.”
“I’m glad you like it.”
“Like it? I love it!”
“Great. Now let me show you something else you might like. The tabletop is a display screen. We can view any of the planets in the Euclidian system and any that Euclidian ships have surveyed. Even Earth.”
Xiao could not wait to browse through the images of civilizations, starting with Cobalt’s. His planet was mostly water, with a few islands here and there. Majorellen cities had no cars, no pollution, and no visible police presence. They seemed to have electricity, but Xiao saw no sign of wires.
“Do you have a family back on your planet?”
“Not really. I didn’t grow up in a family.”
“What about a wife or girlfriend?”
“We don’t have such attachments. We prefer to experience life unencumbered.”
“So would you like to experience me?”
“I most certainly would.”
“Well, let’s finish up here and take me back to your place so we can get this party started!”
“As you wish. Grab your drink and let’s go.” Cobalt stood up and led her toward the corner of the room as he tapped away on his UCD. A doorway appeared seemingly out of nowhere, and they walked through into an elevator-like room. The door closed behind them.
“Hold on, Xiao.”
Xiao grabbed a nearby handle and the room whisked them away horizontally at high speed. The transport stopped and then they dropped several floors before stopping. The doors opened and they stepped into a corridor.
“This is where I live,” said Cobalt as he led Xiao off the transport. The corridor was elegantly decorated in the style of Cobalt’s home planet, and lit from recessed fixtures instead of the standard colored tubes. The floor was covered with a woven fabric containing designs from Cobalt’s island people. It felt plush underfoot. The color was mostly beige with red, blue, and green patterns, and it sparkled in places as if covered with glitter. The walls were covered by layers of sheer cloths, interspersed with mirrors and artwork.
“Is this a private area?” asked Xiao. “The corridor seems shorter and the decorations remind me of images from your planet.”
“Yes, it’s reserved for people from Majorelle.”
A being similar to but shorter than Cobalt walked up and offered him a drink from a tray. They exchanged words in a language Xiao did not understand. It was like they were shushing each other. Cobalt took the glass from the tray. Another one appeared and he handed it to Xiao.
“I hope you will like this. I believe you will find it even more exhilarating than the Lardexian Mind Bender.”
Xiao drank some of the elixir, closed her eyes, and suddenly gasped for air. Then she formed a broad smile across her face that Cobalt enjoyed immensely.
“What is this drink?” asked Xiao with an intensity in her voice.
“It’s called a sjutti sju. It’s a common drink from the northern region of my home planet.”
Cobalt touched the door to his stateroom and it immediately opened. Xiao walked in seductively and Cobalt couldn’t help but notice her curves. He found himself wondering what the next few moments would bring. She turned to catch his eyes on her and smiled. Cobalt smiled back and entered after her and the door closed behind them.
They were standing in a reception area furnished with a couch, a couple of comfortable chairs opposite, and a low table between. The walls were decorated with art from Cobalt’s home, mostly landscapes and space scenes. Indirect lighting came from the corners of the ceiling.
Cobalt issued a command and music started to play. The wall to Xiao’s right came to life and a scene from Cobalt’s home world appeared.
“What’s on the screen?” asked Xiao.
“That’s a live view of a performance hall in the city where I live. I can pan or zoom to get any perspective I wish.”
“What else do you have here?”
“Well, this screen can be used to view any image in our databanks, including some of Earth. I can communicate with anyone anywhere that has an advanced communication device. I can access computer networks, interrogation rooms, or any of the public areas on the ship.”
“Fascinating!”
“To your left is my desk, where I do
most of my work when I’m not engaged in interviews.”
“So your work with me is just one of many engagements that you have on planets your ship is investigating?”
“Yes, I’m working on four other projects involving agents such as yourself. Because Majorellens pick up languages quite quickly, we’re used as espionage liaisons for the new worlds that we visit. I can speak seventy-two languages and I’m learning three more.”
“All for intelligence gathering as a prelude to invasion?”
“No, not at all. We feel that whenever we come across an advanced civilization that is spread across several star systems, it is more strategic to form an alliance than to use resources fighting a war across multiple systems. In general, the Euclidians are not warlike. Their gathering of resources from planets is not much different from what your people did during your European colonial period. While they may capture the inhabitants of planets for sale, it is not their usual intent to have them killed.”
“Somehow, equating European colonialism with the extraction of minerals from a planet and seizing its people seems a bit out of whack.”
“Really? Tell that to the Native Americans.”
“You have a point. What’s through that doorway?”
“That’s where I sleep and get ready for the day.” Cobalt walked through the door into a smaller room. There was a closet and set of drawers on the wall opposite the door. To the right was a twin-size bed.
Cobalt pointed. “This door leads to what you would call a bathroom. And here is my bed.”
“Have you used the bed for other purposes?”
“Not as of yet. There are very few females of my species on the ship and they are all paired with others. Interspecies relations aren’t really popular.”
“So I can be the first to share it with you,” purred Xiao as she unbuttoned her blouse.
Cobalt cocks his head to the side, not knowing what to think. He had assumed that her earlier sexy banter was Earthling hyperbole. But then Xiao’s skirt was off and on the floor, exposing her black lace thong. Cobalt suddenly found it hard to breathe.
Xiao stepped to the edge of the bed in her black Manolo Blahnik stilettos. “Are you going to join me or is this just going to be a peep show?”
Cobalt was flustered, but he took off his jacket and hung it in the closet.
“So how are we supposed to make this work?” he stammered as he took off his shirt and exposed his blue-scaled chest.
“I’m not sure,” responded Xiao. “I’ve never been with one of your species before. However, if you get the rest of your clothes off I bet I can figure it out?”
“Before I finish undressing, do you mind if I capture this moment with a picture? It’s my first time you see.”
“You mean you’ve never done it before? How exciting.” Xiao licked her lips.
“You mean you don’t mind?”
“Not at all. I’m honored to be the first to make love with you. That means you will always remember me and I will be a part of your stories forever. Go ahead and take a picture of me so you can have a memory of this moment.”
Cobalt issued a command and a live image of Xiao appeared on a video screen on the wall. Xiao posed and Cobalt said, “Now!” The image froze on the screen.
“Are you happy with that?” she asked.
“Yes, very much so.”
“Now let’s take one together. I want one of you holding me.” Cobalt stood close and gave her a warm embrace. He could feel the heat rising inside him again. He looked at her longingly and she returned his gaze. “This is it,” Xiao whispered, and the image froze. “I love it. Print them both out so I can sign them.”
Cobalt printed a copy of each image and handed Xiao a stylus. “Write wherever you like.”
Xiao took the stylus and wrote her name in the lower right-hand corner of each image in English and Mandarin. She handed the photos to Cobalt.
“What do you think?” she asked.
“I like them a lot.”
“Print another copy of the one of us together, and sign it for me.”
He did as she requested.
“Now let’s get naked and more intimate,” said Xiao rubbing his chest. She found his skin cool to the touch. It fluttered beneath her hand. She rubbed his shoulders and he shuddered. “What’s that?” she asked.
“It’s a G-spot.”
“Oh, I’m going to have fun with that later.”
She undid his pants and dropped them to the floor, exposing a pair of glittery underpants.
“Those are nice,” said Xiao with a grin. “Did you put them on especially for me?”
“Not exactly, but I’m happy you like them.”
“From now on, when you wear them I want you to think of me and what I’m about to do to you.” She reached between his legs and rubbed his crotch. “So tell me, is this for me?”
Cobalt only panted. Xiao slipped her hand in the back of his pants and rubbed his ass. Cobalt leaned forward and whimpered. He was in unknown territory, unsure how to respond or reciprocate. She slid his shorts down and pushed him onto the bed. His quivering lips did not stop her advances. She popped off her bra and slowly removed her panties, but left on her nylons and high-heeled shoes.
“I hope you don’t mind if I leave my shoes on,” Xiao exclaimed. “It helps me stay in the saddle.” She stepped on his thigh with her right foot and kept her left foot on the floor. “Is that okay with you?” she said, leaning into him.
Figure 7. Xiao steps on Cobalt with her stilettos
“Yes, whatever you like.” At that point she could have dug her heel into his thigh until he started bleeding and he would have been okay with it.
“Good. Then let’s do it.” Xiao climbed over Cobalt and straddled him with her thighs. She aligned her crotch with his and adjusted the position until she found an angle she was comfortable with. She slid back and forth, watching Cobalt enjoy every moment.
“Yes, that’s it,” he said in a strained voice.
“So how about I just do this until I’m ready for you and then I squeeze your G-spot so we can climax together?” With her right index finger she gently rubbed the spot on his shoulder that excited him earlier.
“Okay,” he blurted.
“So no matter how much I stimulate you and how much you want to, you won’t achieve an orgasm until I squeeze this spot?” She licked her finger then teasingly stroked the spot.
Cobalt just nodded his head, his lips quivering incessantly.
I don’t understand why they didn’t design Earth men this way, she thought. Sex would be so much more exciting. By the time women are getting to the point of arousal the typical man has had his moment of pleasure and is hugging his pillow. Having this huge man beneath me, quivering and under my control, is exhilarating. I can just take my time until I’ve had my fun and then watch him have his.
Xiao started riding him with reckless abandon, enjoying her power over him. She could feel herself reaching climax and placed her thumb on top of his spot, ready to squeeze hard. The anticipation of what might happen made her twinge with an excitement that she could no longer hold back. She threw her head back, gripped him tightly with her thighs, and squeezed his spot.
Cobalt let out such a scream that it shocked Xiao. He grabbed the edges of the mattress with his hands and started thrusting his crotch into hers. Cobalt’s warmth washed over Xiao in waves, sending Xiao to a level of ecstasy that she had not experienced before. Moments later she collapsed on his chest.
Cobalt soon regained his composure and rolled onto his side, placing Xiao next to him. He stroked her hair and looked at her longingly. After a few minutes, he sat up on the edge of the bed and covered his face with his long hands. He was so overcome with emotion that he almost started to cry. He went into the other room and made a call to operations.
“Understood, Cobalt,” came a reply. He returned to the bedroom where Xiao was sitting up, smiling at him.
“I can’t express how wonderful that
was, Cobalt. Is it possible we could do that again?”
“Unfortunately not. Though I enjoyed it immensely and will treasure this moment forever, the moment must end.”
He pointed a small device at her. Xiao screamed, “Please, Cobalt, wang ba dan, don’t do this to us!” He squeezed the trigger. A flash of light engulfed Xiao and then she was gone.
“Zai Jian, Li Xiao. I will miss you, beautiful Earthling,” he said sadly, and let the device fall to his side.
CHAPTER 18
URANUS BITES THE DUST
Mikael the Britan could feel gravity in a way that other species couldn’t. He could even interact with it by changing the characteristics of his body to move around in his environment. This was not a telekinetic ability like the Cerebrans exhibited, and even amongst his own people Mikael was unique. He could change the physics of his body to interact with the gravitational forces around him. On a ship without artificial gravity, he did not have to worry about floating around in a weightless state. He simply adjusted his body and walked around as he normally would. Alternatively, no matter the force of gravity, he could float around unencumbered.
Mikael’s gravitational ability also permitted him to sense the movement of objects around him by feeling their gravitational fields. All objects, no matter how small, have a gravitational field. The movement of an object distorts the gravitational fields of objects around it. For example, when the moon circles the Earth it distorts the Earth’s gravitational field to cause tides in the ocean. Mikael could sense these distortions and thus determine an object’s speed and direction.
As a teenager Mikael used his ability to map the celestial bodies in his solar system. His planet, Britan, had a persistent and pervasive cloud cover so the inhabitants couldn’t see the space above the clouds. They hadn’t even been aware that there was anything above the clouds. Initially, Mikael could only detect the moons circling his planet, without really understanding much about them. After spending some time focusing on a particular celestial body, Mikael could determine its size, mass, distance, speed, and orbital path. Each of those attributes affected the gravitational wave emanating from a body. After perfecting his talent, he could detect the remaining planets in his solar system.
