Parallel Extinction (Extinction Encounters Book 1) Page 17

  Before the woman was completely recovered, Taylor was ushering her toward the woman’s group privy, her arm around her shoulders and a look of protective concern on her face.

  CHAPTER 28

  EVENT: DAY 11, 1200 UT

  Dominique steeled herself for what was to come.

  She was about to embark on what would be a roller coaster of emotion. Not so much for herself (it was stirring butterflies in her stomach, a sensation that she’d not experienced for many years), but it was guaranteed to throw Bartell into a total tailspin.

  Sitting beside her co-captain, she had thought for as long as she could afford on the question that she’d posed for herself. Evaluating the strength of her need to know the answer to her question, she had judged it to be imperative. And, accounting for all of the circumstances in which she found herself, she decided how she would delicately extract this information from Bartell.

  From Garrison.

  She would have to use him.

  Such an ugly word. She wanted to think of it differently; there was a certain shame in her intentions. She would play mercilessly upon the man’s emotions and his clear lusting for her. She did not do this to hurt him; she would do her best to avoid that outcome. But her need was paramount. There was some solace in the fact that, at least for a time, Captain… Garrison, she reasserted to herself—at least he’d get some enjoyment from her choice.

  After coming to her momentous decision, she’d begun to perceive things about Garrison that she hadn’t let herself notice before. For one, he had a very fit body, the tone of his muscles finely outlined in his flight one-piece.

  She worked at accepting her decision to do this, forcing herself to see him as an object of desire. And with that effort, the image that filled her mind was the man’s embarrassing erections. Instead of pushing it away as an automatic reaction, she encouraged the vividly detailed vision, the outline of his hardened manhood. She found herself very turned on and breathing rapidly. My god, it’s like I’m an excited teenager.

  Dominique suspected that Center might be monitoring her heart rate, and she wondered what she might say if they questioned her about it. The freq’ remained mercifully silent though.

  Surprised by her own responses, she’d expected to be cold and calculating in her actions with him. She had anticipated putting on an act, something she’d done in times past with men.

  Dominique accepted that it was a good thing to have this excitement; it would enable her to be convincing in her advances toward him. But she cautioned herself not to make too much of these feelings. She needed to keep an absolutely clear mind through this.

  Garrison had reminded her at the beginning of the mission that it was commonplace for men and women to have sex during missions. Of course she was perfectly fine with that. She wasn’t a prude. It was simply that she never did it.

  Her biggest hurdle was lack of privacy: this would be witnessed by Center. When it came right down to it, she was embarrassed. She guessed it would raise no suspicion, being a normal occurrence, but she anxiously anticipated this violation of intimacy.

  The last description that applied to Dominique was Exhibitionist. She had a vision of leering men monitoring her lovemaking with Garrison—and there was nothing that she could do about it. That she could not see a camera in the sleep cubby did not console her. That would be the “love nest.”

  But setting those concerns aside, she needed to do more than just think about her intentions. It was time to take action because, while her end goal was clear, she needed to move to full-blown intimacy at a certain pace for it to make sense to Garrison. And yet quickly enough so she would have time to build on that intimacy afterward, and then, finally, get the information she needed before she needed it. Maybe she had waited too long already.

  She took a breath, then broke the ice with some safe conversation.

  “Garrison?” So very subtly, he flinched. She pretended not to notice.

  “Yes?”

  “You know, I shared some things with you about myself, I was wondering if I could ask a few questions about you?”

  He hesitated. “Uh, yeah, sure. I guess. What, uh… what do you want to know?”

  His ever-present discomfort pervaded his speech, and Dominique found herself wanting to soothe the man’s tension, tell him that she liked him; that he didn’t need to be uncomfortable. Instead she asked, “Where did you grow up?”

  “Oh. Um, in Texas. Outside of Austin Ruins.”

  “Cowboy?”

  Garrison smiled at the ancient stereotype. “Not really, more city-boy. What there is of a city, anyway.”

  “Do you have family there still?” she coaxed.

  “Just my mother. I didn’t have any brothers or sisters.” He stopped again.

  Dominique wanted to loosen him up, so she tried a different tack.

  “What about girlfriends?” That seemed to catch him off guard; he didn’t answer right away. She stayed silent and let him find whatever balance he sought.

  “Umm…” he stammered a bit, “I do—but don’t—have a girl right now. Sort of… It’s different.”

  His face had reddened a bit, and Dominique saw she was on fertile ground. She wanted to delicately reveal more of her own sexual nature to him, but it had to be just right. She shifted in her seat, firing an arousal within herself that began to radiate from her center of its own accord. She coaxed the small but growing flame as she tried to guide the energy.

  In preparation, she’d let the suit zipper down, more deeply exposing her upper chest. Her heart was thrumming, she flushed. Turning her reclined body toward him, the position exaggerated her exposed cleavage. She asked, “I don’t get it, did you break up?”

  He hadn’t yet looked over at her directly as he answered, “Mmm, something like that. We kinda’ went our own ways when we started this mission.”

  “We? Is she on this mission too?” This was a twist.

  “Yeah. She’s headed out on the Medallion.”

  “Oh. So, were you planning to hook up again?”

  “Yeeaah, well… we aren’t actually committed to any regular relationship. We each have our own fun…” he stopped in mid-sentence, his face shifting to another shade of red, as he caught himself about to share sexual stuff with her.

  She ignored his stumble, pretending that it was the end of his sentence, and then took advantage of the topic that he’d broken open. “Oh yeah, it’s good to stay in open relationships when you’re a spacer, as you mentioned yourself. You know how things are in space when you’re out for a long time.” She couldn’t resist adding with a sigh, “Or sometimes, a short time.” He would read into that. She was being a terrible tease. Is this too fast? But she found herself caught up in a way that removed the need for an answer to that question. She gave up on subtlety and dove in.

  CHAPTER 29

  EVENT: DAY 8, 1010 UT

  Taylor sat on the wash-up counter in the privy, swinging her legs like a little girl.

  “What’s your name?” She addressed her question to the red-faced but attractive woman who had just recovered from her coughing spasms. She was still catching her breath, leaning with both hands on the counter edge next to Taylor.

  “You just about killed me out there,” she managed between breaths. Taylor didn’t think that she sounded too mad. After all, Taylor had just given her a look, nothing more. The girl herself had done the choking.

  Taylor held out a moist wipe. “You know, we had those guys pretty hot and bothered,” she giggled, ignoring the woman’s statement. It produced a positive response from Taylor’s new friend, as she gave a quick laugh, and took the proffered cloth as a sign of truce.

  “Men are easy,” she responded, laughing again as she examined her reflection, stroking her red face with the cooling towel. She turned to Taylor, the ice broken, “I’m Jennifer.”

  “Nice to
meet you, Jennifer. I’m Taylor, or you can call me TJ if you want. Sorry about the choking thing. Didn’t really know that was going to happen. I just wanted you to know that I liked what you were doing… that I was having fun.”

  “Hmm, well it’s a little embarrassing, choking like that with the guys watching me. Sheesh.”

  Taylor thought for a second, and then offered, “I have an idea that will take their minds off of that image, if you’re game?”

  “Alright, shoot, TJ.”

  * * *

  Many heads turned as the two women exited the privy, including those at the table full of Jennifer’s crew buddies.

  Taylor and Jennifer emerged with their arms around each other, laughing and talking under their breath, their hips subtly synchronized in a slightly exaggerated sway. They each had just the right amount of finesse in the moment, in their energy together, to cause a question to bloom in the men’s minds; the fantasy that all men share when seeing to two beautiful women in such an embrace.

  As the two looked at each other, they surreptitiously glanced beyond, confirming that they commanded the lion’s share of attention from the nearby tables.

  “Oh man, Taylor, uh, TJ, thanks, I think they’ve forgotten all about my gagging,” she said in a low voice.

  “Uh-huh. You’re right Jen, men are easy.” They tumbled out of the mess hall in a burst of laughter, Jennifer steering them down the corridor.

  “I don’t remember seeing you, TJ. Are you E-BUMP?”

  “Naw, I’m along for the ride.”

  “What do you mean? You a Civvie?”

  “Pretty much. I was hanging with a sergeant when all of this stuff went down out there, with Pirate Patrol One, I mean—and I kinda’ talked my way into it.”

  “Really? Just a sergeant? How could a sergeant get you on a mission?”

  “Hmm, I guess I hadn’t really thought of it like that. It’s true, how could he?” Jennifer’s point brought up Taylor’s own forestalled question along these lines. “He kept talking about his superiors. I never gave it a thought beyond just wanting to be here. I just figured he’d do anything for me, like getting me in on the mission. Is it really that unusual for a Civvie to be on a mission?”

  Jennifer thought about it. “As far as I know, it is.” She said the next with such sweet concern for Taylor’s welfare. “Do you know anything about where we’re going, TJ? Did he even tell you that it might be dangerous?”

  Taylor was touched. “You don’t have to worry about me, Jennifer, really. I’ve been doing dangerous stuff since before I got out of school. And to answer your question, yes, he did tell me something about the mission, and its dangers.”

  “Really? Oh, TJ, tell me! I just keep hearing the most awful rumors.”

  “Uhh, well,” Taylor realized that she might have slipped here. How much could she reveal? Lamb had said “top-secret.” Did that apply to the crew who were on their way? “Haven’t they briefed you, Jennifer?”

  “No. Not yet. And that’s buggin’ me too. They will wait till the last minute to give us the details when it’s a dangerous mission. And sometimes they don’t even tell all of us.”

  “Well… I could probably get in trouble if I tell you exactly what I was told…” Taylor thought for a moment, then leaned into the shorter girl and, pressing her lips into the curtain of her dark hair, whispered in her ear, “Follow me, I have an idea.”

  CHAPTER 30

  EVENT: DAY 11, 1215 UT

  Garrison held his breath, straining to listen through the bloodrush in his ears.

  That sounded like an invitation… Or was his desire-addled mind playing tricks on him?

  In her flight couch next to him, she propped herself up on her elbow, waiting for his answer. He turned his head just slightly and was stunned as he made out a distinct, dark line of cleavage where the white flight suit was normally zipped tight. That little bit was so much more of her than he had seen so far. His hearing became further impaired by the rising decibels of his pounding heartbeat.

  Looking back at the ceiling, he spoke with a voice affected by nerves. “Uh, so you know what I mean about the… the thing between men and women? In space. I mean… I wouldn’t have thought….” He managed a broken paraphrase of her last comment.

  Dominique rolled off her elbow, laying back down on her couch fanning her face in mock over-heatedness. With the other hand she casually reached up to the zipper on her flight suit and tugged it down a bit more. That sound ripped through Garrison’s body like a shockwave. He struggled to maintain his composure and to take even breaths.

  The next thing she said tipped him further off kilter. “Yes, of course. When I get out in space, after a while my whole body starts sending me signals that it needs some sexual release.”

  Garrison was fired up. He was shaking. Why was she sharing this with him? He was glad she was. My god, it was incredible. He kept quiet; worried if he tried to talk he might just babble. He waited for whatever came next.

  “Don’t you feel that way?” she asked. He just nodded slowly, feeling dizzy, watching her from the corner of his eye. Her hand that was closest to him rested over her breast. His sideways gaze was riveted to that hand as it began to move subtly. Confusion was then overwhelmed by the erotic voltage of that moment—his crotch woke up suddenly, a building pressure feeding further arousal.

  Her head swiveled his way and his heart jack-hammered as her gaze moved down to the bulge in his suit. She let out a small sigh and visibly squeezed her breast.

  Startling him, she spoke his name. “Garrison? Am I safe telling you these things? Sharing this part of myself?”

  “Yes,” he managed to say with effort.

  “Will you… will you… touch me?”

  In his head he shouted, Oh my god. YES. With a shallow breath, still staring at the control surfaces in front of him, he said, “I’ve wanted to since I first saw you in the Bullet.”

  She made a wordless sound of pleasure at that as she slid the zipper down to her navel and pulled the suit open. Any pretense at modesty gone, he turned to gaze on the most beautiful breasts he had ever seen. He was mesmerized until he felt her hand grip his bulging crotch through his suit.

  CHAPTER 31

  EVENT: DAY 11, 1715 UT

  Too goddam much publicity!

  Rumors surrounding Pirate Patrol One’s demise were spreading like a fission reaction. Contingency plans for this occurrence fell short due to the number of witnesses at Center Comm Central.

  Admiral Swan had done his best to cap the leaks, and he’d turned some to his advantage, including the co-opting of Bartell, by way of his bed-hopping girlfriend and that sergeant. But word had squeezed past his tightening grip and reached the families of the “dead” soldiers; there was no stopping that line of gossip now. Word had it that some of the soldiers had survived.

  Swan might call it that, but he didn’t want anyone else to think so. It better served his devices to let it be believed all were lost, though no official statements had yet been released.

  It was no good, though. The people were clamoring for their children and loved ones or their bodies, had they not survived. Private Geoff would be one body at least that he could reply with. Beyond that, the admiral had made other plans for the ones still living.

  There was nothing that he could give the people that would make them happy. The re-growing of the soldiers from their fetal state did not reproduce the same person. Swan knew. It had been tried. More than once. In the past there had been accidents like the one that was currently being investigated. They had just been better contained.

  This time or age-reversal phenomenon wasn’t new at all, it was just part of a larger secret, the same secret responsible for the faster-than-light capabilities of their interstellar ships. Of course, while the world believed that BUMP had unlocked the secret of FTL travel, it was actually something that ha
d fallen into their hands. And it didn’t have anything to do with the speed of light.

  It was a function of incompletely understood wormhole capabilities. It had been found that these objects that powered their ships could be manipulated, and now were constrained to serve humanity’s needs. The ships also used them for instantaneous communication by focusing data streams through the anomaly. The “phenomenon” powering each fitted vessel was isolated in a combination of two fields—high-strength magnetics and gravity rejector fields. The containment-method discovery had come at the cost of the lives and minds of a number of valued scientists and less valued personnel. Those unfortunate souls had suffered exactly the same fate that the crew of the Seeker just had.

  Unconstrained, these objects were a menace. They were a mine, detonated by low or zero-gravity, with a time-associated anomaly at their heart.

  Because of the lethal nature of the force, one, and only one, of the extraordinary devices was permanently housed in a containment close to the Earth. This was at Center Comm Central on Toroid Alpha, where all space-directed communications were first funneled, and then focused, depending on the distance of the destination.

  The singular Light Skipper that Astra piloted was based on altogether separate and confounding alien technology. The ship was originally of a class of small shuttle-type vehicles designed to move easily between space and the Earth’s atmosphere.

  Once this ship took on its unexplainable ability, it never again was allowed to return to the Earth. SBMMP did its best to keep its secrets; aliens were one of the biggest. After all the centuries since the first reports of UFO’s, planet dwellers still did not know the exact truth. For spacers, it was another story. But to the ground-bound, a myth, hoax or fabrication was easier to swallow.