by Sahara Kelly
“This is the Enforcement Unit,” he explained, letting go of her hand.
She chilled at the loss of his body’s warmth. They walked through a long hallway and Mia caught sight of technology the likes of which she’d never seen. Holograms centered one room, multiple planets and galaxies hovering in the air as if suspended on invisible wire.
Despite Earth’s many technological advances, M’Lorans were centuries ahead of them. At least this side of the planet was.
She stopped and stared at a window through which an entire wall was lit up with images of various M’Loran cities.
“Here we monitor daily activities. If crime occurs, we generally know about it immediately,” Ric explained. “These officers are responsible for inhabitants’ safety.”
“But you can’t catch every criminal in the process of committing a crime, right?”
“No, but sometimes we get lucky and we can catch them on the monitor. Other times we can pinpoint it within seconds of it occurring, but our technologists are working on ways to view the entire planet and its inhabitants without sacrificing privacy. We’re not there yet, but we will be soon.”
“Amazing. Kind of like Big Brother, huh?”
Ric arched a brow. “Big Brother?”
“Never mind. George Orwell was a writer in the twentieth century who predicted a society where every movement was watched. No one had any freedoms. It was frightening.”
He nodded. “Yes, it can be. On M’Lora that will not happen. With the massive improvements in artificial intelligence, we’re devising a way to have our field police units become aware of impending crime without actually violating privacy.”
Mia followed Ric toward the end of the hall where a thick, steel-like door stood. Without a word the door opened and they stepped through.
“How’d you do that?” she asked.
“The doorway possesses the knowledge that it was me standing there, and instinctively knows I am allowed through.”
He made it sound so simple, and yet she was in awe. Hello, door, it’s me, Ric. She snickered.
The room had shelf upon shelf of containers that seemed to be some kind of rugged metal about the size of a vehicle trunk. Ric stepped to the middle of the room and stood in front of one for a few seconds when it suddenly opened.
Peering around his shoulder, she frowned. “What are those?”
“My weaponry.”
She watched as he lifted out two dark objects. One was long, about two feet, and thick. The other was only half a foot long, but thinner. “They’re sticks,” she said, turning her gaze to his. “Your weapons are sticks?”
Chapter Seven
Ric frowned. “They’re not sticks. This is advanced weaponry.”
Mia found it hard to believe that black batons could defeat any enemy. “What do you do with these? Beat criminals over the head?”
“No. Let me show you.” He motioned her to an inner doorway that led to a classroom filled with large chairs and desks. Sliding his hand over a sensor on the wall, a video shimmered to life. “We use these for training purposes.”
Mia watched the images on the wall. A M’Loran held the longer stick, pointing it toward what she assumed was a criminal. A lightning-like flash flew out of the end of the stick, paralyzing the criminal.
“Magnetic electroshock. Can drop someone instantly, paralyzing their nerve endings and rendering them immobile for several minutes while the officer applies restraints or administers a sleeping shock.
“Okay, those are familiar to me. What’s the little stick for?” she asked.
“They are not sticks. The larger one is similar to your tasers. We call it a tolk. The smaller object is a plikor. Watch its capabilities.”
Mia turned her attention back to the wall. An officer held the small stick in his hand, the object almost dwarfed by the size of the M’Loran’s palm. The suspect was fleeing down a long street populated with people, but the officer was not giving chase. Surely the danger of hitting others would prevent the officer from discharging the weapon. Besides, the subject was nearly thirty meters away.
However, a sudden flash of red shot out the end of the plikor, skirting around objects and people on the street and striking the suspect in the back. The suspect froze and fell to the ground. The subject appeared to be either dead or out cold.
“Amazing. How could that blast not hit all those people?” she asked, turning to Ric.
He smiled at her. “The plikor is the latest advance in artificial intelligence. It travels the owners line of sight, knowing instinctively which suspect should be hit with the laser.”
“You mean it’s alive?”
“Not really. It’s connected to the owner’s brainwaves. Kind of like a partner. It reads and sees what the owner sees, and as long as the suspect remains in the owner’s line of sight, the laser knows where to travel. It will bypass other living beings and objects and track the subject until it strikes.”
“It won’t hurt anyone else?”
“No. If the owner loses sight of the target, the pulse dissipates so as not to injure innocent bystanders or property.”
“Wow. So, do I get one of those?”
“No.”
“Why not?”
“Because if you held one in your hand it would do nothing. Each plikor is connected via the owner’s brain waves. If I picked up Sev’s, it would not discharge for me.”
“Do they stun or kill?”
“Depends on the intent of the owner. I can use it to stun a suspect, or if there is imminent danger, the plikor senses my intent to terminate the lifecycle of the criminal.”
“Scary fucking piece of technology,” she said, more awed than she cared to admit.
“Not really. There are built in safeguards so that criminals cannot take it from an officer or hunter and use it against them. As I said, it can only take commands from the person to whom it has been calibrated for.”
“I still don’t like the idea of me not having a weapon. What about the tolk? I can use one of those.”
“No. You don’t need a weapon.”
“I want a weapon.”
“Too bad. You’re not in charge here.”
Mia’s eyes darkened and Ric swore he could hear her cursing at him in her mind. But he’d rather have her angry than injured using a weapon she couldn’t control.
“Quit treating me like an idiot.”
“I’m not treating you like an idiot. I wouldn’t give a weapon like this to anyone not from our planet.”
He saw the change in her immediately. Where a few seconds ago stood a seething female, now stood one seductively batting her eyes in his direction.
He wondered if that trick worked on Earth males.
“Ric,” she pleaded in a sexy voice that, despite his resolve, affected him. “I’m a police officer and a very good one. Please don’t put me out there without being able to protect myself.”
It would be so easy to deny her, but she was, in fact, right. He supposed he’d have to trust her.
He sighed and nodded. “Very well. I will instruct you as to its use and have one issued to you.”
In less than an hour they were out of the Enforcement Unit. They’d changed vehicles into some type of big hulking military machine, a cross between a tank and a super Hum-Vee.
“Why this vehicle? And does it fly?” she asked.
Ric shook his head. “We’re coming in on the ground instead of air. They have radar capabilities but nothing that can detect us on the ground. It takes longer and the terrain is rough, but it keeps the element of surprise alive.”
The planet was like a paradise, full of blue lakes and greenery. Flowers like nothing she’d ever seen grew tall, their myriad of purples, yellows and blues waving along the road they traveled.
“Your planet is beautiful,” she murmured, feeling like a kid with her nose pressed to the glass.
“Thank you. If we had time I’d stop at one of the lakes.”
“I can see them in the
distance, and I’d love to stop. How cold are they?”
“Some are more than one hundred degrees below zero. Others are warm enough to take a swim.”
“How?”
“We have had volcanic activity from several of our mountains over the centuries. Many lakes are fed by hot springs and warm the lakes.”
Considering how frigid the planet was, she couldn’t imagine stripping naked and taking a dip in the water.
“If you like, we’ll camp near one of the heated lakes this evening. Then you can bathe before we enter warrior territory.”
She liked that idea, although bathing wasn’t quite what was on her mind. The thought of being alone with Ric again tonight had her thoughts wandering to much more than sleeping.
But she wouldn’t use the phrase to hypnotize him. She wouldn’t. No matter what. She’d already compromised her principles once, and she refused to do it again, no matter how tempting he was.
Besides, she was just a boy according to the M’Loran women. She wondered if Ric thought the same thing.
“Do you think I look like a boy?”
He glanced at her. “No. Why do you ask a question like that?”
“Because those women said so.”
His lips curled in a smile that made her damp between her legs. “They’re not used to seeing women as small as you, that’s all. Take no offense. They meant none.”
Oh sure. Easy for him to say. How would he like it if he were on Earth and someone referred to him as a girl? She nearly laughed out loud. Yeah, right, as if someone could make that kind of a mistake. UlRic Lor was all man.
Her thoughts wandered through the afternoon and evening hours. Everything from the plan to capture Vad to the feelings of inadequacy she’d never felt before, coupled with her growing desire to straddle Ric and fuck him senseless.
None of her thoughts would do her any good. She’d simply have to concentrate on the mission and getting back to Earth when it was over. Then she could go back to her life.
Her boring, mundane, non-exciting life.
By the time the blue moon rose in the sky and a breathtaking dusk of purple hues heralded the quickly setting sun, they’d reached their destination for the night. Ric pulled the tank into a valley surrounded by grassy knolls and fields of flowers. Centered in the middle was a clear, turquoise lake, steam rising off the glassy surface.
Mia helped Ric unload their supplies, including a structure he indicated they’d be sleeping in tonight. What she thought was a folded up tent surprised her. Ric laid the object on the ground. Waves of shimmering light rose up and the object spiraled upward, changing shape and texture. Within minutes, a one room house with firm walls was set up next to the lake.
She stepped inside, awed to find a bed with what she assumed was an air current since no mattress sat on it. A fire roared in a small hearth next to the bed. Not too far away was a small eating area and a cleaning chamber.
“All the comforts of home. How’d you do that?”
He shrugged. “I told you. Our technology is advanced and it would take me weeks to explain it to you. Even I don’t understand it. Something to do with molecular restructuring and minimalization.
“Well, it’s damn handy to carry around in your vehicle.”
He nodded. “There is much distance between cities on M’Lora, and we don’t have temporary places to stay as you do on Earth. This house will provide shelter, food and warmth for us this evening.”
They fixed the meal in the makeshift kitchen. Mia was once again surprised at her voracious appetite. She ate nearly as much as Ric and yet didn’t feel overstuffed. He’d even brought along a bottle of Rlok, the sweet alcoholic beverage they’d shared the night before.
“Would you like to swim in the lake?” he asked, watching her over the rim of his glass.
“Sure.” Figuring this was her one chance to experience M’Lora, she’d better take advantage of whatever exploration she was afforded.
“I will go with you. I’ve always enjoyed swimming in our lakes.”
The thought of Ric in the water with her made her body tingle with excitement. Excitement she had no business feeling. Nothing was going to happen tonight. She repeated the silent mantra over and over again as Ric instructed her to undress and throw on the fur wrap.
She should have blushed or objected when Ric stood in front of her and undressed, but his unveiling of that magnificent body took all power of speech and any capability of protest away.
Naked, he motioned her outside and into the chilled night air.
Mia stepped carefully through the grass. The lake was only a short distance from the house, so before long she stood in front of the steaming water. Night was upon them now, the blue moon full in the sky overhead, casting Ric’s face in its azure glow.
“What do you look like in your M’Loran form?” she asked, her gaze fixated on his firm ass as he descended into the steamy water.
“Similar to this, only taller.” With a smile, he added, “And blue, of course.”
For a moment, she hesitated, then dropped the fur cloak, unable to tear her gaze away from his watchful eyes as she quickly slipped into the water.
It was heaven. Warmth enveloped her like a liquid blanket. A slight current swirled around her body like tiny fingers caressing her skin. She swam out toward Ric and stopped, treading water mere inches from his body.
She wanted him. Whether it was right or wrong, she wanted him. “Ric, do you think I’m beautiful?”
His smile died and his face went blank. She waited to see if the code would work, but of course she already knew it would. She’d never failed in hypnotizing a subject yet. What happened with Vad was a fluke, a guard error or something. She knew the hypnocode should have worked on him.
Just like it worked on Ric.
“Ric, can you hear me?”
“Yes.”
“Do you remember what happened between us last night?”
“Yes.”
“Tell me.”
“We fucked.”
Her nipples tightened hearing the words from his lips. “Yes, we did. And did you enjoy it?”
“Oh yeah,” he said, his lips curving into a wicked smile.
“Would you like to do it again?” she asked.
“Yes.”
“The same rules will apply as last night. You will speak and act as you normally would, but if I tell you to stop you will drop into a deep sleep. Is that understood?”
“Yes.”
“Good.” She turned to swim toward the shore, but Ric’s hand on her wrist stopped her. She turned. “What is it?”
“Come with me. We can make love under the J’Sol moon.”
He turned and swam away. Intrigued, she followed him. He led her to a smooth mini-island of rock jutting up from the center of the lake. Once he’d climbed out he reached for her. She slipped her hand in his and allowed him to pull her onto the banks of the island. The unusual moss covering the ground felt like the warm fur of a blanket under her feet.
She felt no cold, marveling at the heated grass, the steam from the lake like a protective blanket from the frigid air.
Ric led her to the center of the island and pulled her toward him, lowering his face.
She stopped him, pushing at his chest. He paused and frowned. “Something wrong?”
Yes, everything was wrong. She shouldn’t be doing this again. But at the same time everything was right. And besides, she simply had to satisfy her curiosity. “I want to make love with you in your M’Loran form.”
“Are you sure?”
“I think so.”
“We are not built…the same as human males.”
A shiver passed through her, whether from fear or excitement she wasn’t certain. “How are you different?”
“Perhaps you should just see for yourself.”
His body shimmered like heat on asphalt. Almost like a thin blanket shielding her from the actual transformation, Mia could see nothing but lights pouring out o
f Ric’s body. The lights grew brighter, then dimmed.
Within seconds, Ric’s height had grown another six inches and his skin turned completely blue. His shoulders, waist and legs were virtually the same as in his human form—still muscular and well defined. And in between his legs—
“Oh my God!”
Chapter Eight
“You have two cocks!” Mia exclaimed.
Ric rested his hands on his hips and arched a brow, trying to gauge her reaction. “Obviously.”
“Holy shit! Two cocks!” Then she frowned. “One’s longer than the other.”
“Yes.”
She stared down at his dual shafts and licked her lips. He shuddered, imagining what her sweet mouth could do to them.
“Do you…um, that is, can you…I mean when you climax do they…?”
Ric laughed at Mia’s struggle for words. “You mean can I ejaculate with both of them?”
She nodded.
“Yeah. The second depends on where and when and if I feel like it.”
Her eyes widened. “You mean one’s optional?”
Her childlike curiosity set his cocks blazing hard. “Yes. If for some reason it’s…not in use, I don’t let it come. If it’s somewhere tight and hot and squeezing me, then ejaculating is pleasurable.”
Just describing the potential scenarios set him off, made him twitch to be inside her. Everywhere inside her. With both his cocks.
Mia worried her bottom lip with her teeth. “You mean, for example, if one was in my pussy and the other in my ass, you could come in both places.”
He sucked in a breath. “Yes. Would you like that?”
Her eyes darkened with desire. “I don’t know. Maybe.”
“There’s more.”
“There is? What?”
“One shifts shapes.”
“No shit.”
“Yes, shit.”
She stepped forward hesitantly.
“Go ahead,” he said. “Touch me.”
Her nipples puckered and hardened to sharp points. With a tentative reach, she trailed the ridges of his primary cock with her fingertip, eliciting a rock hard awareness of her. It sprang to life, fully hard.
