Our New World: Science Fiction Romance Page 5

  Fury welling up within him, Ka shifted back into his dragon form, rushing forward and snatching the man up in his teeth. Bullets littered his hide as the troops turned back towards them, but it was as if he could not even feel them entering his body. All Selina could do from her place on the ground was watch helplessly as Ka tossed his head back, crunching the man and his weapon between his teeth. He continued onward, his desire for blood apparently not quenched. He stomped all across the fleeing troops, decimating them in groups as he threw his head back in an anguished cry. All guns were turned upon him at once, and more bullets than anyone could possibly survive littered his hide. Selina clung desperately to consciousness, her mouth falling agape as she tried to cry out to her lover. Though she knew death was likely to greet her soon, the last thought to enter her mind was the prayer that her sacrifice was not in vain. Ka had to survive or else all of this had been for nothing. Her eyes rolled into the back of her head, and she gasped for breath one final time before she felt her very life essence drain from her body.

  She opened her eyes, trying to blink the haziness out of her vision. Her body screamed in pain, and she tried to turn her head to take in her surroundings. However, her body was restrained to what seemed to be a hospital bed. She could scarcely make out the single nurse in the room with her. The nurse seemed to be fidgeting with some bandages that were stuffed into both the front and back side of her torso, removing the coverings from the hole left by the bullet that had entered her. The nurse raised a syringe with a strange blue liquid inside, pressing it into Selina’s skin and depressing the plunger. A sudden rush of pain flowed through Selina’s body, and she cried out.

  “What the hell did you do to me?” she roared, her voice ragged. The nurse simply stared quietly at her, as if she were unable to reply.

  “Ka—where is Ka?” She demanded this time, beginning to struggle against her bindings. The pain from the injection lanced through her entire body, but, just as quickly as it came, it began to ease off. The nurse remained agonizingly silent, and Selina screamed angrily, lurching forward with a strength she did not know she had. She grabbed the nurse by the front of her shirt, yanking her forward. The nurse bared her teeth, revealing pointed fangs. It was only then that Selina was able to make out the tail that flicked agitatedly behind the other woman. Her eyes widened, and she glanced up just in time to see Ka step into the room, his eyes lighting up with delight as he saw her up and moving.

  “Did the healing serum work as expected?” he inquired of the nurse, who nodded quietly in response, seemingly disturbed by her human patient’s apparent neurosis.

  “Yes, it worked far more effectively than any of us might have anticipated. I would be wary with this one, Elder Ka, she seems a bit…off,” the nurse finally spoke, glancing to Selina who stared at her in disbelief.

  “Duly noted,” Ka replied, biting back a snort as the nurse slipped out of the room. He watched her go, hesitating for a moment before rushing toward the bed and gathering Selina up in his arms. She grunted but surprisingly felt no pain as he lifted her fully out of the bed, squeezing her against his chest. “I was afraid we had lost you,” he murmured. “We’d never tested our healing serum on another species, but we had to try something,” he continued, setting her down on her feet and brushing a hand through her hair.

  She quirked a brow, parting the gown she was in to make out two matching scars on either side of her abdomen. She gasped, turning her attention back to Ka. “Please tell me this isn’t a dream,” she gasped out, throwing her arms around the draconic male. He rumbled a pleasant laugh, resting his chin atop her head. This couldn’t be real. If not a dream, she had fallen dead on the battlefield, and this scene was her personal version of heaven.

  Sensing her thoughts, Ka rumbled a laugh, running a hand through her hair. “No, not a dream. Though I am certain this may be paradise,” he purred. He stepped back, holding her at arm’s length. “Come. Come look out the port window. We’ve found a promising lead regarding a place to settle, and we will be landing soon,” he whispered urgently, dragging her through the ship.

  All around her, fulgonians cheered as she passed, and she realized this was the first time that anyone seemed genuinely pleased to see her—Ka aside, of course. She felt herself being pulled to a window and stared outside, gasping in shock at the sight laid out before her. The expanses of space seemed to reach out all around them, stars stretching out in all directions. A meteorite flashed past the window, and she gasped, drawing her hand to her mouth.

  “There! Look there,” Ka urged, tapping his finger to the corner of the window. When she looked where he was pointing, which was toward the nose of the ship, she could make out a planet surrounded by a faintly purple tint. It resembled Earth, if only vaguely. She looked up to see a screen displaying readings about the planet and its relation to the fulgonians’ home planet. Below these readings, there was smaller print, relating the new planet to earth. She realized that the earth readings were likely a newly programmed addition for her sake. She smiled, glancing to Ka from the corner of her eye.

  “That…that’s it? That’s where we’re going?” she inquired softly, hope swelling in her heart. If the readings were to be trusted, the planet matched both earth and the fulgonian’s home planet by a significant margin. He nodded, wrapping an arm around her side. Selina considered the still-distant planet for a long moment, having no grasp on how much time it would take them to get there. Ka rumbled contently at her side, and though she lacked his innate ability to read emotions, it was obvious he was eager to hear her opinion. “That’s going to be your new home?” she implored. He smiled, pressing a tender kiss to her temple.

  “No, my most beloved. It is going to be our new home. Not just mine,” he assured her. She stared at the purple-hued planet as they drew closer and closer, and she could make out bodies of water—not dissimilar to those on earth—scattered across the planet’s surface. She exhaled a sigh, and Ka looked to her with some hesitation, unsure if he was getting a false read on her emotions. She smiled, setting his mind immediately at ease.

  “Home,” she murmured, pressing a tender kiss to Ka’s cheek. Home, yes home—a home where she could spend the rest of her life at her newfound lover’s side, a home where they truly belonged. “I think I like the sound of that,” she murmured, and Ka smiled as he walked her toward the front of the ship to await their landing. It was the beginning of a new life, a life that would be determined by her own desires.

  The End

  Biomechanical Hearts

  Stella was restless, though she'd committed to wrapping herself up in a blanket, curling up with a cup of coffee, and spending a good hour with a nice book and the stars floating past. Without stress. A window to the outside in Space Station Orcus was a luxury, but one that she could well afford. She liked to gaze at the stars while she pondered the truths of the Universe, the meaning of life, and the ever-present human desire for companionship – and why she couldn't escape that companionship. A strange thought for a bot seller such as herself, but anything was useful to pass the time while she waited for the delivery man, who, as usual, was late.

  As if hearing her musings from the cargo bay, a loud buzzing noise resounded. Stella stood up, stretching, thankful for the interruption from her meditations. She took her sweet time sipping her coffee as she made her way to the door and laid her hand over the unlocking mechanism to find her usual delivery man. He was waiting with a box that she'd guess was nearly twice his height. The delivery man, Carl, had always seemed to Stella like he must have been the result of a short tryst between a human and a bear – in both intellect and appearance. But no matter, four hours late or not, her goods had arrived.

  “Evening, Miss Stella, this is the fourteenth delivery this month alone. I take it business is booming?” He motioned to the large stack of crates in the back of his truck.

  Stella looked at him flatly. She thought by that point he would have given up with pleasantries, but most people seemed to thi
nk her irritability was charming. “I believe a 'good morning' is more apt now, Carl. The goods were due by twenty-two hundred hours yesterday. It is now two in the morning. I don't know if you’re trying to beat your own record for tardiness, but if this continues I’ll ask for a different delivery man next time.”

  Carl managed the grace – or sense – to at least look a bit chastised.

  “Aww shucks, Miss Stella. Don't be so mean! There was some trouble at customs. None of my fault, they just looked real interested in checking all bot cargo.”

  “I’ll wave it one last time. Do me the favor of unloading the crates in the back. I happen to have no staff left for the night, seeing you took so long.” She rolled her eyes as she stepped aside to allow him into her apartment.

  It was nearly four in the morning when the two finished wheeling the bots into Stella's cargo port, but she wouldn't sleep until the shipment was finally unloaded and documented.

  She waved Carl out of her apartment and even gave him a tip for all his help with the unloading. He might not have been punctual, but at least he had the muscles to help with carting the bots around. Once he was gone, she turned to admire her new stock.

  Thirty-five new bots in all. Some of her clients’ favorite models had made a return, and some were entirely new products fresh off the production line. It would now just be a matter of testing them. Stella wasn't one to let her toys go without ensuring quality. She was tired, but she figured she may as well use one to relieve her stress and help her get a night’s rest. Now to see which would catch her eye.

  The box she settled on was nearly twice her size, but that didn't matter to her. She managed to wheel it into her bedroom on her own.

  Stella's dealings had mostly to do with pleasure bots, modern marvels of robotics that looked and behaved identically to human beings with none of the extra human baggage. Like emotion or morals. Pleasure bots were made for one purpose, and that was to be entirely non-metaphorical sex machines. Stella found the bots infinitely more desirable for companionship than dealing with another person. And apparently, so did plenty of other people because, as Carl has mentioned earlier, business was booming.

  The box had been labeled RAM-69 (Alternatively F.I.S.T.O.); she figured one couldn't really expect a higher level of maturity from the men who engineered her products. At any rate, this model was brand new, and quite impressive as far as specimens went. At over six and a half feet of lean toned muscle, he cut a prominent figure. His hair was an exquisite platinum that begged to have her fingers run through it. And she did, standing on her toes to reach up and tousle the soft locks.

  Resting her hand on his bare chest for balance, she noted that he was quite warm, but he'd likely been tucked next to the engine, or may have been jostled and turned on during shipping. His face was angular and well proportioned, his eyes the green of forests only seen in photographs. Stella reminded herself to keep breathing, it wasn't often that she was so taken aback by her products, but this one was almost akin to a work of art. But the veritable Greek god in front of her was worth nothing if it did not perform its principal task. This was what Stella was so keen to now find out.

  “R.A.M.-69, your Mistress demands that you bring her fulfillment.” Stella sighed. She didn't know who kept coming up with these activation phrases, but they became more and more off-putting with time.

  The pleasure bot turned to her and spoke in a silky whisper which carried a distinctly Mediterranean inflection. These engineers were good. “This is unit R.A.M.-69, operational and ready to serve.”

  Stella could not help but smile at the emphasis placed on the word serve.

  “I am Stella. Until further notice, I am your new mistress. I want you to demonstrate your talents.” She approached the unit, but to her surprise, it did not move. Maybe the command wasn't recognized by this model. There were glitches now and then. Maybe it was a cheesy model.

  “I, Stella, command you to pleasure me,” she said again.

  Nothing. Maybe he needed literal instructions.

  “You are to engage in sexual intercourse with me.”

  Nothing again. This was becoming increasingly frustrating for Stella. Delivered late. And worthless. Her patience was thin on a good day, and at four in the morning, she had no time.

  Stupid machine.

  She plucked up the crowbar she'd used to pry the crate open and took a step toward the bot. “Get over here and fuck me, you piece of shit!”

  And yet the pleasure bot did not move. She lifted the crowbar to swing at his face—

  But the crowbar never connected. Her hand was stopped by his steely grip. She struggled against the hand, yet couldn't break the grip. The force was clearly bruising her arm, and she was forced to drop the crowbar.

  “Let me go, you fucking hunk of junk!”

  He pulled her towards him. While his skin had been warm, his lips were searing hot. She tried to struggle, but the bot held her fast. More than that, she was losing strength.

  She felt his other hand cover the small of her back, pressing her closer to him. She beat at his steely abs with her free hand, but the struggle felt pointless now. He forced her lips apart, intertwined his tongue with hers, and she found she could no longer resist. The sheer force of his kiss and his arm clamping her against him were an incredibly carnal touch to such a beautifully carved bot. More humanoid than any she'd ever had, and entirely satisfactory according to the wetness now soaking her panties.

  The bot pulled back with a wolfish smirk, clearly having detected her arousal. She took a much needed breath before he turned her around. The bot maintained his grip as he pressed her against the edge of her bed and bent her over. Her pants proved little resistance as he tore the fabric away, and she could swear she felt hot breath against her thighs.

  Simulated breathing, that’s new, she managed to think to herself before she felt his tongue inside her. Stella let out a low moan. There it was again, that heat that was so exhilarating and new. She could feel his tongue move inside her, one hand still holding her wrist and the other gently spreading her cheeks. She felt him pull away. No, this couldn't end now; she couldn't be left teetering on the edge of arousal.

  “Fuck no, you aren't done!” She cast a scowl over her shoulder. “Get back to work!”

  The bot laughed, a soft chuckle that made her stomach flutter. He was too realistic. How dare this machine do this to her. He was property!

  Before she had time to snap at him again, he plunged inside of her. There was no gentle touch, just sheer animalistic voracity. She squealed, like she hadn't in so long.

  He was good. Maybe the best she’d ever had. He didn’t feel mechanical at all, moving as if with a desire of his own. She could feel the bot thrust over and over inside of her, pinning her against the bed with a hand on her shoulder and the other bracing her hip. She dug her fingers into the bedsheets, clipped moans escaping with every touch of his hips against her ass. At this rate it was all she could do to keep from losing herself. The bot pulled Stella up by her hair, still riding her but pressing her body close to his. She could feel his oppressive heat, and she was drunk off of it. Every thrust made her legs feel weak. Finally, he let go of her shoulder – only to cup her breasts in his oversized hand.

  He controlled her like she had controlled so many others. It was so exciting to lose herself for once, and this bot was like a tide, implacable waves of pleasure that her body could happily drown in. She could feel herself drawing to a finish, but he wouldn't slow down.

  He yanked out, eliciting a groan of frustration from her at the sudden interruption. But he flipped her so she could see him. That tantalizingly wolfish grin was still present on his handsome face, and those green eyes seemed to bore deep into her, almost as deep as he abruptly plunged inside of her again.

  She arched her back as his rhythm changed to match the new position. He leaned down to put her breast in his mouth. The heat again. Stella felt as if she were melting into the unrelenting fire that threatened to consume
her. She tightened her legs desperately around him as a final wave of warmth washed over her, tensing her body and yanking him against her to ride him until she was done.

  “Fuck,” she breathed, closing her eyes and turning her head away from him. She unfurled her legs and gave him a push. “Off. Power down.”

  The final commands were relatively universal, and he seemed to comprehend as he rolled away to leave her in peace. She crawled up to her pillows, anticipating the soreness she would surely feel when she woke. Just how many climaxes had the robot brought her? Three? Four? She was exhausted, but satisfied in a way she hadn't been in years. This model would be a bestseller, she thought as she settled into her blankets. And she’d have it again in the morning.

  ***

  The first thing Stella noticed when she blinked her eyes open was that the lights were still on. The second was the clear view of her alarm clock on the opposite side of the bed, displaying that it was ten in the morning. The third was that she shouldn't have been able to see the time because there should have been a six and a half foot robot between herself and her clock.

  There wasn't.