HARPER
The morning before we shuttled down to Halor, Scarlet, Zoe, Nora, and I went to the supply room to be body scanned for clothing sizes. Dania Fratu, directed us to stand on a floor mark one at a time. She was very nice to us explaining how the scanner worked. Not only did it take our measurements, but it also created holograms of each of us.
“We have four styles to choose from,” Dania said and touched her virtual screen to display them for us. “I suggest, two long sleeved tunics, the sleeveless and a short sleeved since you each get four outfits.”
“Looks like your uniforms without the markings,” said Zoe, a little disappointed.
Dania smiled with a hint of sympathy in her eyes. “I’m afraid it’s all we are authorized to issue.”
“It’s better than wearing just a long shirt with no shoes or underwear,” I said. “It’s not like we are going anywhere.”
“I think you’ll find them very comfortable,” Dania added, “and they are self cleaning.”
“What about underwear?” Nora asked
Dania frowned. “What is down clothes?”
Obviously, a hitch in our translators. “For breast support.” I gestured to my breasts then kind of drew a pair of panties over my upper thighs and stomach.”
“Ah, inner clothing,” Dania nodded, “is unnecessary. It is already inside the garments. That is why we must special order for you four. All of the women in our company already have theirs, and men don’t need breast support.”
“What about sleep clothes if we don’t get underwear?” Nora asked.
“We have some extra-large shirts without sleeves if that would help,” Dania offered.
“Ask her about, you know, Harper,” Zoe said. “I should get mine any time now and I have nothing.”
“What’s the problem?” Dania asked.
“Well,” I began, “We human females have a monthly reproductive cycle where we shed the lining of our uterus if we don’t get pregnant…? We need some way to contain that… do you know what I mean?”
“Ah, yes! There are two ways we handle that cycle. We have this.” She took out a small plastic case and took out what I recognized as a menstrual cup. Zoe frowned as Dania held it up to show us. “Or, while you are at the clinic on Halor you may opt to have your cycles suppressed until you wish to breed.”
“That sounds like the implant I have,” I said. “How do we know that will work for us?”
“Just like the language biochip, it will be tailored to your specific DNA and it can be counter acted whenever you are ready to breed,” Dania explained.
“No more periods?" Zoe grinned. “I’m in.”
“Does it hurt much?” I asked.
“Not at all,” Dania assured.
“What about this language chip they are going to give us?” I asked.
“They apply the pain blocker. It won’t hurt at all.” Dania assured us. “But let me finish telling you about the tunics. The fabric can project different colors and patterns through its fibers. Each one has four colors and patterns. We use that feature off duty so we are not all dressed a like.”
“Hell, I’m just glad to be getting clothes,” Scarlet added. “I want both those implants, too. Mine is about to run out too.”
I didn’t want to say anything, but the idea of getting alien technology injected into my body was just a little scary. Well, more than a little. But I would do it. If I couldn’t read and write, the language, I knew I wouldn’t be able to make a useful contribution to the community.
“Before I forget, you will also each be given two pairs of footwear.” She brought them up on the screen. One pair was a pair of simple black slipons and the other was a pair of black midcalf high boots. These came with a set of four pairs of anklet socks of thin stretchy material
“Thank you, Dania,“ I said and offered her a smile. “I for one am glad to be getting real clothing.
As I thought about it, I guess we were lucky the slavers didn’t just make us go naked. But, I heard one of the alien women say that we would be naked for the auction and the prospective buyers could touch us and examine us like we were livestock. I suppose we were in a way. Then Zared came into the room and the invisible sparks flew between us. That never happened to me before, that shock of attraction when you know he’s the one for you.
It seemed longer than a few weeks since our rescue. My old life back on Earth almost seemed like ancient history. Whenever I thought about my family there, I didn’t linger on those memories because I would also remember that I would probably never see them again. I couldn’t do anything about it so I chose instead to be thankful my hot, hunky warrior man had my back. By then he had my heart, too. So, he had better not go out and get himself killed. It may be superstitious, but I didn’t dare say the words out loud.
Before reaching Halor, we met with the ship’s upper echelon including Zared and the Admiral. The four of us from Earth were not the only women whose worlds were unknown in this part of whatever galaxy were in. It could even be the Milky Way. These people wouldn’t know it by the name we called it. The Milky Way is big with multiple arms and thousands of light years across. But I digress.
They called us to the meeting to outline our options: we could stay with them and settle on Farseek when they eventually made their way back there. They were going to the mining colony on Breskaa where they expected to find two hundred of their people. It could be dangerous. I had a tough time to keep from laughing. Putting out the garbage was dangerous. That’s how I got kidnapped by aliens!
The Farseek Brigade had a reputation for being the baddest of the bad---Special Forces, Army Rangers and Navy Seals rolled into one. They were going deep into enemy territory to steal back their people where they were enslaved. They expected resistance but had no way to predict how much resistance they would face. Worst case scenario, the ship could be destroyed and we would all be killed.
Or, we could stay on Halor. Governor Guryon guaranteed housing for all of us until they could return and take us to Farseek. Like hell! No way was I staying behind to wait and wonder if Zared would make it back, I would take my chances. When I met Scarlet’s gaze across the table I knew she thought the same thing about Pyrr Avantu. I wasn’t sure, but I thought Zoey had her eye on Tahvo Brintu. I wasn’t sure if Nora was interested in anyone, but she refused to stay behind because we were her only friends from Earth.
The rest of the rescues decided they would accept Guryon’s offer to stay on Halor and reside there until they could decide what to do. They were excused from the meeting and they shuttled down with us when we went to have our clothing fitted.
I was more nervous about getting that biochip than shuttling down to the planet. I was thinking needles and surgery. I always hated needles. I was so glad that Zared caught up with us at the clinic. He humored me and held my hand while they injected the new chip.
The procedure went just like Dania told us it would. They stuck something on my forehead, did a DNA scan with a scanner in the procedure chair. I felt a pressure against the back of my head, once when the new one was inserted. When they said biochip, I was thinking like one of those little data chips they used in phones and cameras back on Earth. This was so small that it was microscopic. Each one was custom made to match up with the recipient’s DNA. For them the technology was over one hundred years old and had been used on numerous species.
The new chip was inserted at the same point the old one was placed instead of removing the old one so I wouldn’t be left unable to communicate while my body assimilated the material on the new chip. I can’t really explain it, but even though they called it a chip, it was a biologic, living cells with the primary Consortium language etched into the DNA. Within 24 hours it would be as though I had always known their language as well as my own. I would be bilingual. We each got new contraceptive implants, which were the size of half a grain of rice.
There was no pain at all. I felt embarrassed at being so nervous afterward, but I sure didn’t mind having Zared there to hold my hand. I didn’t feel any different as they removed the pain block device.
He continued to hold my hand, and though unnecessary, helped me out of the treatment chair. As I stood up, he bent his head and whispered in my ear so only I could hear, “Wait until I get you back to the ship.”
I sure knew what that meant and stifled a giggle. That was all it took for my body to respond. But sometimes it was just a look, almost like I could read his mind. He drew back and gave me a wicked smirk, his eyes gleaming with desire. I hoped he didn’t think all Earth girls were as easy as I was for him. I was never easy for anyone before him. All he had to do was look at me like that and I wanted him naked and inside me. I could almost feel his hands on me stoking the rising need in my core. With just the thought my breath came little faster and I could feel my pulse rise.
As soon as the shuttle landed on the Dreadnaught, it broke orbit and headed out of the system to the closest FTL jump point. Zared and I went back to his cabin, now our quarters. While we were down on Halor we also registered our mating. My understanding it was equivalent to a civil marriage on Earth. We had already pledged to each other. One day we would do so before his comrades---when the time was right. To do so at that time would only serve to emphasize their loss of loved ones.
Before the fall of Farseek, the warriors did not have spouses or mates aboard except for solmatu. That rule changed when the Farseek divisions turned mercenary. They could now have their mates with them if they were trained to serve a useful service to the company. However, only a small percentage of Zared’s company were mated. Some of their mates were among the missing.
The four of us from Earth agreed to be trained basic warrior skills. We had about three and a half weeks to Breskaa. Zared had related all that to me on the ride back to the ship.
As we headed for our quarters, I’m pretty sure we were both thinking about what was going to happen when we got inside and the door closed behind us. The supplies and clothing we picked up on Halor were unloaded by a robot and our things were delivered after we requested them much later.
The door had barely slid closed behind us and Zared pulled me against him. I raised my arms and curled them around his neck and leaned into him. Tilting my head back, I parted my lips slightly for his kiss. Something between a moan and a sigh hummed low in my throat. His kisses were slow and deeply masterful, the kind I felt all the way to my toes. After a few hot, tongue tangoing kisses, clothes started coming off as we did a slow dance into the bedroom.
We were naked by the time we got to the bed and fell into bed in a tangle of arms and legs. I rolled onto my back and Zared poised himself above me. I liked that he preferred to make love face to face. It seemed so much more intimate than other positions, because we could look into each other’s eyes as we rocked together toward orgasm in no particular hurry to get there.
Zared lowered his weight against me squeezing my breasts flat against my chest. The only thing that felt better than that was when he sucked on my nipples which he did at length while he used his fingers inside me and thumb rubbing my clit to make me come. He kept me writhing and shuddering at length, commanding me to look into his eyes as he did so. I loved the way he could do that.
As I lay limp and sated afterward, he kissed my lips and caressed my face whispering love words. I did the same to him. Then after a little breather he was on me and in me, delectably so. In those moments, it was as if he were the universe and the universe was all mine as we journeyed to ecstasy together.
His velvet cock filled me, hitting all the pleasure spots as he thrust it to the hilt. He thrust fast and hard until I was close to orgasm then stopped. I knew if I squirmed and arched against him I could come, but I didn’t. I had learned to let him draw out our pleasure stoked by pheromones and hormones. It was so much more satisfying when we came together. The way he pulsed inside me was exquisitely pleasurable. So much so, all I could do is groan and pant as I shuddered with each contraction of my inner walls around him.
Making love let us forget for while what lay ahead. It reminded us that we had something extraordinary growing between us and gave a hint of what the future could be if we made it back to Farseek.