Bubblegum Crisis and its characters belong to AIC. I just borrowed them for
my nefarious purposes.
If you're curious as to what happened before this story, then you can find
the previous stories (Passages and Scars) at my web page.
I guess I should also warn you that this fiction contains adult scenes
between women. If that disturbs you, delete it.
Changes
Part 2
________________________________
By She Hulk (shehulk@neocom.net)
Priss woke slowly, her mind sluggish and resistant to the state of
consciousness. She floated up through the layers and as she did, she became
aware of the voices whispering around her. Her brow wrinkled in confusion
because these were not the electronic voices of data relayed by the
scanners, but human voices. The data stream was gone. Priss opened her
eyes. Sylia was leaning on the side of the examining table next to her and
Linna and Nene were at the foot. "What's going on?"
Sylia smiled slightly. "How do you feel?"
Priss thought about that for a moment. "Okay I guess. A little confused
though." She rubbed her forehead, her expression becoming puzzled. "I can't
hear them anymore."
"I disengaged the scanners in your arm." Sylia spoke quietly. "Obviously
something has caused them to malfunction. I'm sorry, Priss."
The nightmare began to return in bits and pieces, causing Priss to sit up
and catch Sylia's arm. "Oh God!"
"What?"
Memories and dreams were tangled in Priss' mind and she struggled to sort
through nightmares and reality. She began to remember more and more about
last night. As things began to clear, she wished that she could disappear.
Priss closed her eyes. When she opened them again she met Sylia's gaze and
found only caring. Priss touched Sylia's chest lightly, but there was no
stream of information, no relays of texture and temperature. She might as
well have been touching stone. Something must have shown in her face
because Sylia was quick to reassure her. "It'll be alright. We just have to
find out what went wrong."
Priss thought about the information that had been pulsing through her mind
last night. "Danger. Maybe a warning, but there was too much information."
Her smile was sheepish. "I couldn't deal with it."
Sylia's face was expressionless. "Who was trying to warn you?"
Priss looked down at her hands. The cybernetic limbed seemed numb and the
lack of sensation was distracting. She thought about the tiny voices and
tried to remember what they had called themselves. Nanobits? No. Nanobots.
That was it. "Nanobots."
Sylia's sharply drawn breath caused the others to look at her. Her
expression was utterly still. "Nanobots? Priss are you sure that's what
they were?"
Priss nodded and it was her turn to mask her emotions. More and more of
what had happened last night was returning to her and she didn't like what
she remembered. "Yeah." She threw back the blanket that covered her and
stood, swaying slightly. Priss moved away from Sylia. She needed to put
some distance between them. At least until she could remind herself that
she was in love with this woman.
Sylia closed her eyes and wished again for the ability to turn time back.
"I see."
Priss' laugh was derisive. "I just bet you do. I have one request, Sylia."
"Yes?"
"Don't make me drag this out of you." Priss thrust her hands through her
hair and turned to face Sylia. "For once, just tell me."
"The injection contained two nanoclusters. Each cluster contained
approximately two thousand nanobots. They were supposed to tie into the
optic nerve and enhance the control of the arm's scanners." Sylia looked
into the strange color of Priss' eyes and exhaled sharply. "I don't know
what went wrong."
Priss just stared at her. "I'm going to have a little talk with you later,
in private." As much a threat as a promise, her words caused Sylia to shiver.
"I hate to interrupt, but I have a question." Concern tinged Linna's
voice. "If they were only supposed to increase the scanner control, what
could have made them do what they did to her eyes?"
"I think...I know this will sound nuts, but I think they wanted me to see
more. From what I can remember, I could actually 'see' the things scanners
were picking up. Usually it's just raw information but they wanted me to be
able to see what they were seeing."
"You make it sound like they're alive." Linna's voice was hesitant, as if
she didn't want to call attention to herself.
"I think they might be." How did she explain the strong sense of urgency
that had gripped her?
"No!" Sylia's voice rose in agitation. "That can't be. The nanobots are
the simplest forms of boomer technology. They are programmed to perform
certain tasks and that's all."
"Don't tell me that, tell them."
She began to pace around the lab. Nene drew back a little as she
approached her and Priss halted.
Priss ran a rough hand through her hair. "Okay, everybody get a grip,
alright?" Nene jumped at the sound of her voice and Priss laughed. "I'm
alright, Nene. It's still me. Imagine that I've just gotten some really odd
contact lenses, okay?"
"What were you dreaming?" Nene's question was low, softly spoken and she
immediately wished that she hadn't asked. Nothing that would frighten Priss
like that was something she wanted to know about.
"I saw...God, I don't know where to begin." Priss began to describe what
she had seen and the others began to realize just how terribly vivid an
imagination could be. At one point Nene buried her face in Linna's arm.
Priss continued. "-so I looked down at my own hand and saw it reach up and
wrap around my throat. Then I woke up." She looked at the others. "It was
more than a dream. Somehow, I know that something is going wrong with the
boomers and with the implant technology. We just have to figure out what."
Before her dream became a reality. Priss didn't say it, but the others were
all thinking along similar lines. Nene glanced at Sylia but she ignored her.
Sylia was still reeling from the concept that the nanobots inside her were
sentient. "I still don't understand how you can sense the nanobots to such
an extent. The scanners weren't designed for that."
Priss shrugged. "It has to be their doing. I know it makes no sense, but
what other explanation is there?" Her tone was calm, but there was a touch
of something more in her voice.
A slight quaver that spoke more than any words could of Priss' distress.
Sylia knew that she had crossed another line in their relationship.
However, there were other things to consider right now. Nanobots that had
conscious will. Had this been part of her father's original design? How
could she have missed this?
With a sickening lurch the rest of last nights events came back to Priss
and she closed her eyes as the final pieces fell into place. She knew that
the time for secrets was over. Priss moved to stand directly in front of
Sylia. "The nanoclusters came from your body, didn't they?" Priss touched
Sylia's face and her expression was sad. "I saw all my demons last night. I
saw them swimming through your body. They have always been there haven't
they?" Sylia stiffened as she realized what Priss was talking about. The
sensors were not supposed to-. "You're part machine."
A small sound came from Nene, but Sylia ignored it. "In essence."
"So now I'm like you."
Sylia just nodded.
Priss tilted her head to one side and frowned slightly. There was
something else. Mackie. "Mackie is like you as well."
Sylia was startled. "How did you know that?" The nanotechnology that her
father had injected her with so long ago was something she had never
revealed. "How do you know this, Priss? How do you know about Mackie?"
Priss ran a hand through her hair and rubbed her eyes. "Like I said, I
don't know. The information is just there. I can't figure out how it came
to be there, but it is.
Sylia was nonplused. "This isn't possible."
"Yeah. It's hard to explain. The information was in a jumble, but I know
that some of it was coming from the nanobots inside you. They've
communicated with the nanobots in Mackie. And the ones inside me." She
looked at Nene and Linna. "And the ones inside you two."
The girls were literally speechless. Sylia shook her head in confusion.
"There are no nanoclusters in Linna and Nene."
The denial infuriated her. Priss' expression turned hard as she faced
Sylia. "Enough bullshit, Sylia! I saw them! Do you understand? I saw them!"
She waved a hand toward the still silent duo. "Why? A little experiment?"
Sylia had had enough. Her voice was icy. "No! I have never injected nano
technology into Nene or Linna. Ever! The scanners must have been
malfunctioning, Priss." They had to be. Sylia turned to the pair in
question. "I swear to you that I have not and I would not do that to you!"
Nene glanced and Linna, who nodded slightly. "We believe you, Sylia. But
maybe there's another explanation for what Priss saw."
<*><*><*><*><*>
Sylia programmed the computers to list all unusual boomer malfunctions,
especially those in which no explanation had been found. Priss snorted.
"Doesn't that describe most of them?"
Sylia smiled and began to ready the medical scanner. She adjusted the
setting to scan for any anomalies within the nanobots and them stepped onto
the pad. A series of metal rings lowered and began to pass along her body,
as the computer constructed a 3-D view of its findings on screen. Several
thousand tiny points appeared, each showing the location of a nanobot
cluster. Within these clusters were thousands of nanobots.
Priss looked at the screen and then back to Sylia who merely shrugged.
"They've been with me for a long time."
"So many!" Nene was reading the results of each scan as it completed.
"This is amazing! They seem to be at every essential function point in your
body!"
Sylia stepped down from the pad and motioned Priss to take her place. She
did so reluctantly. The rings lowered and Priss tried not to flinch. They
made her nervous, but she'd be damned before she'd admit it. Linna smiled
at her obvious discomfort and looked back at the screen. Her gasp was
echoed by Sylia and Priss leaped off the pad quickly. "What? What is it?"
The 3-D view of Priss' body was startlingly similar to Sylia's. Sylia
stared at the data in disbelief. This was not possible. She had only
injected two nanobot clusters into Priss. This was registering over two
thousand active clusters! "This isn't possible. I don't understand how this
happened." She turned to Priss, her expression pleading. "I swear to you
Priss, I only injected two nanoclusters."
Priss moved next to her and put reassuring hand on her shoulder. "I
believe you. Can you tell why they've multiplied? And, how? Where would
they get the parts?" Her knowledge of this was sketchy at best, but she was
assuming that it was like building any machine.
"They can rebuild themselves from any extra tissue stored in the body, but
these weren't programmed to do that." Sylia was frantically paging through
the scan results, trying to find some explanation. "It's such a simple
program. It has about the same level of command structure as a programmable
toaster! It should not have done this." She continued to mutter to herself
as she searched. Sylia inhaled sharply. "No, that can't be right." She was
practically stabbing the keys as her fingers flew over the keyboard. She
stopped typing and stepped back. "How is this possible?"
Priss looked at the jumble of numbers but whatever they revealed was
decipherable only by Sylia. "What?"
"I just checked the chronological spread of the nanobots. Some of them
were created almost four years ago."
"What does that mean?"
"The nanobots must have somehow migrated to your body not long after you
joined the Knight Sabers. Which should have been impossible."
"But that would explain what Priss saw." Linna looked at Nene and then
stepped up onto the pad. Nene hit the scan and Sylia's head whipped around.
She moved to stand beside Nene and looked at the settings. "It's still set
to detect nanoclusters, so it shouldn't-" Sylia broke off and stared at the
display in horror. Tiny pinpoints of light appeared, outlining Linna's
form. A strong concentration of clusters had grouped around her injured
shoulder.
Linna stepped from the sensor field and watched Sylia carefully. "We
realized last night that my arm was healing faster than it should have been."
Sylia sat down hard in the chair behind her. "It can't be." She buried her
face in her hands. Priss placed a comforting hand on her shoulder and
looked at Nene.
Nene knew that it was her turn on the scanner. The rings lowered around
her and with an almost fatalistic calm she watched the readouts appear.
Sylia slowly lifted her head and watched the display blankly. There was
not enough energy left at this point to be shocked. It was almost identical
to Linna's readout. She began to laugh, softly at first then louder. The
edge of hysteria was chilling and Nene moved back automatically. Priss
gripped her lover's shoulders and spoke soothingly. "It's okay."
Sylia stopped laughing as if a switch had been thrown and Linna inhaled
sharply at her face. She hadn't seen that cold mask since the day she had
installed Priss' arm against her wishes. Then Linna had been furious and
confused at the seeming indifference, but now she was simply afraid.
"Of course it's not okay, Priss." Sylia's voice was emotionless. She stood
up and jerked away from Priss' touch. "It's happened." Sylia's hands rolled
into fists and she stared at the computer equipment that surrounded them.
Her fist flew through a monitor and it exploded in a shower of sparks.
"I've become a monster." She dragged her hands through her hair and exhaled
explosively. "And I've taken you all with me."
Priss jerked slightly as feeling began to return to her arm in a tingling
rush. The low throb of data returned and Priss swore softly. "Damn. Uh,
Sylia? I think we have a problem here."
Sylia turned to find Priss staring at the metallic limb in alarm. "What is
it?"
"My arm just reactivated itself." The panic in Priss' eyes had Sylia
rushing forward.
She gripped the wrist firmly and motioned to the table behind her. "Nene,
hand me the analyzer." Sylia kept her voice mild, but continued to grip
Priss' wrist just in case. She smiled reassuringly at her as she began her
scan. Indeed, the scanners had reactivated as well as the two clusters that
she had shut down. "Hmm. Let's shut the scanners down again and see how
they were reactivated." She began to type the commands again and Priss felt
the rush of data increase.
"Sylia, I don't think you should do that." The warning was issued too
late. The scanners went dead and the data stream ceased. Sylia watched the
readout as they were immediately reactivated. Priss felt the rush and the
sense of agitation. "No!" She pulled loose from Sylia's grip and stumbled
back just as the arm lashed out. Strange prickles of current surged down
her arm and arched to Sylia.
The last thing Sylia saw before she was thrown backwards was the look of
terror on Priss' face.
<*><*><*><*><*>
Sylia slowly opened her eyes and her surroundings swam into view with a
stomach-turning roll. She could hear the others arguing above her and
struggled to focus on them. Priss was holding a laser scalpel and appeared
to be trying to remove her arm the hard way. Linna had grabbed the hand
holding the tool and was trying to reason with her. "Come on, Priss. At
least wait until Sylia regains consciousness before you do anything."
Priss' expression was determined. "And let this damn thing attack her
again? No way, Linna! It comes off now!" She pulled loose and activated
the laser. Sylia groaned loudly and tried to sit up. She didn't manage it,
but the attempt was enough to divert Priss' attention.
Priss dropped the scalpel and it shut down automatically as she fairly
flew to Sylia's side. "Sylia! Don't try to get up yet. Take it easy."
Sylia reached up, gripped Priss' shirt in her fist and yanked her down
next to her. "Just what were you trying to do with that scalpel, Priss?"
Priss was nonplused. "I..Uh..."
Sylia shook her slightly. "Do you realize that severing the arm while it
was still active could have ruptured the power cells? Do you realize that
it could have very well blown you, and everyone else in the room, into
teeny, tiny pieces?"
Priss' gulp was audible. Sylia used her grip to pull herself into a
sitting position. She looked around her, ignored the grin that Nene had
failed to hide and focused on Linna. "I sincerely hope that you weren't
going to let her do something so foolish?"
Linna's smile was broad as she raised her hand to show Sylia what she
held. The sight of the familiar pressure syringe caused her to laugh. "Nice
to see that someone was thinking."
Sylia slipped off the exam table and stood still until the room ceased to
spin. She waved off the others protests not to rush and looked hard at
Priss. "Are you okay?"
Priss nodded. "Yeah. It's gotten very quiet since that energy surge. The
new control circuits are still working so I can tone it done. I guess my
guard was down last night."
Sylia made her way to a terminal, trying not to appear as weak as she
felt. "I think it's time that we find a way to understand what they were
trying to tell us."
"You know what I don't understand?" Nene waved a hand at the four of them.
"Why haven't we noticed them before now? I mean, we've all had our share of
injuries in the past, so why didn't we realize that something was going on?"
Sylia shrugged. "Most of the wounds were always major enough to require
immediate medical treatment. Linna's shoulder had already been popped back
into place and there wasn't really any more that could be done outside of
giving it time to heal." She pointed at the display of Nene's nanobots.
"But the main reason is that there wasn't enough of them in your systems to
effect that level of healing."
Linna held up a hand. "Okay, now I'm really confused."
"The majority of these nanobots were created within the last five hours.
And before you ask, no, I don't know what caused them to multiply so
rapidly." Sylia was careful not to look at Nene.
"No." Everyone started at the harsh sound of Nene's voice. "They have to
know even if we're not sure." Sylia was motionless. Nene ignored her. "We
think it may be a computer virus. The problems with Priss' scanners could
be a side effect from the nanobots trying to fight off the virus. It would
also explain the increased numbers. They could have warned the other
nanoclusters inside of the rest of us about the virus and so they're
getting ready to fight it off."
That got Sylia's attention. She'd been thinking along the same lines. A
strangled sound from Priss had her turning.
Priss' face was a cold mask of fury and the struggle not to let go of that
rage was obvious. Sylia watched her pull that emotion back inside of
herself with a fatalistic calm. Her time would come and she knew that she
really didn't have a good excuse this time for what she had done. Priss'
voice was flat. "How do we find out for sure if it's a virus?"
Nene explained how they were attempting to decipher the command code. "It
should tell us what it was designed to do and might even tell us who
created it."
"What if it's not a virus?"
Nene hesitated. She knew that this had to be a virus; its actions were too
obvious. But it also had to be obvious to Sylia, which made her request to
keep this a secret look very bad. Nene watched Sylia as she spoke. "It's a
virus. There's nothing else it could be." There was a note of apology in
her voice.
"I see."
Sylia drew a deep breath and turned, only to watch Priss walk out the door.
<*><*><*><*><*>
They poured over boomer incident reports the rest of the day. It was slow,
eye searing work and eventually even Sylia had to call for a break. "Nene,
feed the rest into the computers and let them have a crack at it. I think
it's time we took a break." Sylia rubbed her neck as she walked with the
others to the elevator. She was wondering if Priss was ever going to return
when the doors opened and the object of her thoughts stepped from inside.
Everyone stopped. Priss reached up and removed the dark sunglasses she was
wearing and stared at Sylia. "We have to talk."
Sylia met her eerie gaze and nodded. To the others, "We'll pick up where
we left off in the morning." She stepped into the elevator and waited for
Priss to follow. Nene and Linna declined Priss' invitation to share the
car, much to her amusement.
<*><*><*><*><*>
The bedroom door snapped shut, but Sylia made no move to turn and face her
lover. Instead she rested her head against the cool surface and wished the
ground would swallow her. It had seemed so simple. Two little nanoclusters
and Priss would have the control she wanted, needed. How easy it had been
to convince herself yet again that she knew what was best. Such arrogance!
But Damn it! Priss had needed this. A small spark of anger lit and Sylia
let it grow.
Priss studied the dejected form before her. Sylia tried so hard. She had
only wanted to help, Priss was sure, but she couldn't seem to grasp the
concepts of asking first and sharing information. She was too used to just
doing things her own way. Priss had gotten over the initial shock of what
had been done, but it was the deception that she couldn't get past. Sylia
was obviously braced for a fight. She wouldn't get one, however. Well, not
one like she was expecting.
The fingers of Priss' metal hand flexed and she raised it slowly, watching
the symmetry of the metal. Many hours of work had gone into this limb and
Priss no longer took that for granted. Sylia had tried to give the very
best she could and Priss had come to realize that that spoke more of her
love than anything else could. The fingers flexed again and the claws
extended silently. Nevertheless, she still had this problem with asking
first. Her smile turned a shade wicked.
Enough of this! Sylia thought angrily. If we're going to fight then let's
just get it over with. She straightened and turned. Priss schooled her
features into a blank mask as Sylia advanced towards her. "I know you're
probably thinking that I deceived you and maybe I did, a little." Priss was
silent, a raised brow her only response. "If you weren't so touchy about
this! I understand your fears, Priss, but you're going to have to accept
that everything is different know." Sylia stopped and shook her head at
Priss' forbidding expression. "That is exactly what I'm talking about. You
start throwing up walls whenever you don't like the situation."
Priss reached out suddenly and gripped the front of Sylia's blouse. Sylia
gasped as Priss pulled her close and stared straight into her eyes. Her
tone was flat. "Did you or did you not, put more boomer technology in me
without my permission?"
The lack of emotion in her voice startled Sylia. "Priss..?" Sylia was cut
off by the small shake Priss gave her.
"Did you?"
Equal parts of anger and fear made Sylia snap, "Yes! Yes I lied to you and
tried to help you in the only way I knew how. Damn it, Priss! I was hoping
that I was wrong about the virus. I didn't want to worry you
unnecessarily." Priss snorted. "So what are you going to do about it?"
Sylia jerked loose of her hold and backed up a step. "Are you going to
storm out and ride off into the night?" Sylia waved her hand at the visible
blades on Priss' hand. "Or are you just going to rip my throat out?"
Priss raised her hand and considered the claws. "Perhaps I should,
considering that fact that you knew something was wrong days ago. You chose
not to tell me, which was bad enough, but then you went ahead and used more
of the same technology that you knew was malfunctioning. And then to top
it all off, you found out what was wrong and then tried to keep it from
me!" Priss stopped and closed her eyes. When she opened them again her face
was still. "No matter what your intentions, that was very bad of you
Sylia." Her eyes flicked up to meet Sylia's and she smiled slowly, without
humor.
Sylia did not like the look on Priss' face and decided that maybe
discretion would be the better part of valor. She whirled and ran to the
door. Priss was after her in an instant. Sylia had her hand on the doorknob
when Priss pushed her firmly against the door and pinned her there
Sylia felt the sharp points touch the back of her neck and froze. Wha-?
They hooked into the thin material of her top and Sylia felt it open
beneath the razors with a faint hiss.
"What should I do with you, Sylia?"
Cool air slipped down her back as the cloth was cut away and Sylia shivered.
"What would you do?"
Her heart pounded furiously in her throat as the claws continued to shred
her clothes. Pieces fluttered to the carpet around her and she realized
that she had no idea what Priss was feeling right now. Or what she was
planning.
"I've tried to be patient, really I have. You just keep...pushing."
Goose bumps rose along Sylia's neck as Priss leaned close. A sharp nip
caused Sylia to gasp and brace herself on the door. Hot breath washed over
her skin and Sylia turned to face Priss.
Her face was in shadow and only the strange silvery sheen of her eyes was
visible. Despite herself, Sylia felt herself press back against the door.
The claws were still extended on the hand that reached up to cup Sylia's
head and she felt the slight pressure of the tips as Priss pulled her
forward. The kiss was all heat, desire, and something wild. Sylia was
gasping as Priss broke the contact. "You bitch-," She tried to speak but
the fingers that were placed over her lips halted her.
"Shhh." Priss' hand traced a path down Sylia's body. Sylia shivered again
as her breasts felt the tiny pricks across their tips. "You don't have to
say anything. In fact," Sylia winced a little as her nipple was caught
lightly between Priss' fingertips. "I insist." She pushed Sylia down onto
the floor and straddled her waist. "You're still seem to be having problems
with certain interpersonal skills. Maybe I can help with that." Priss bent
over her breast and began to suckle strongly. Sylia arched up of the floor
with a strangled cry.
<*><*><*><*><*>
Down the hall, Linna snapped off the bedside lamp. A faint sound reached
them and Nene looked at her in question. Linna just shook her head. "We
don't want to know, trust me."
<*><*><*><*><*>
Priss and Sylia entered the lab together the next morning. Nene stared
hard at them, trying to find evidence of a fight, but there was only a
small mark at the base of Sylia's throat and it was definitely not from a
blow. Nene flushed and looked away when Sylia cleared her throat. Linna
grinned and leaned down to whisper, "I told you that you wouldn't want to
know."
Mackie hurried into the room. "I think you might want to see this." He
switched the monitor to the local news. They could see the burning remains
of a car in the background as a reporter frantically gave his report. "-the
number of casualties is unknown at this point, but with the AD Police's
ineffectual attempts at stopping the rampaging boomers failing, the count
is sure to rise." The camera panned to the surrounding area. Buildings had
been reduced to rubble and they could see people frantically trying to get
clear of the area. There was a tremendous bellow and a boomer stepped into
view. It was one of the larger construction boomers and it wasted no time
in proving that it could destroy just as efficiently as is created. A
stream of white-hot rivets sprayed across the pavement toward the camera
and they heard the reporter scream as the feed went dead.
Sylia was already in motion. She activated the release for the hard suit
chamber, already unbuttoning her blouse.
Priss tapped Mackie on the side of the head and pointed toward the door.
"Out, Mackie." He did so reluctantly.
They were suited up in five minutes and on the road in seven. Nene had
already accessed the ADP reports and was reviewing them when they reached
the edge of the scene. It was like a flashback to the Kanto earthquake. The
level of destruction was indescribable.
The Knight Sabers spread out a little as they made there way to the sounds
of battle ahead. They rode between the police barricades slowly, passing
the nervous officers cautiously. No need to scare one of them into doing
something silly.
There were a lot of grumbled protests and quite a few colorful comments
that the Sabers let pass, but no one tried to stop them. They emerged into
the battle and were immediately under attack.
They separated as a large truck crashed to the ground in front of them.
Priss got a good look at the boomer that had thrown it and shifted the bike
into motoslave. Standing at just over 18 feet tall, the boomer's design had
been based on a standard bulldozer. The large scoop was now being wielded
like a shield and what would have been a rear bucket was now an effective
claw.
"Nene!" Any suggestions?"
Nene had climbed up to a better (i.e., safer) vantage point and was
searching for weak spots. She sent the targeting data to Priss' suit and
focused her attention on the other two boomers.
Priss flicked the safety off on the impulse cannon and aimed for the lower
left side of the boomer. The blast from the gun would have broken most of
the bones in her body, but her suit and the motoslave absorbed the shock.
She watched the hole blossom as the pulse melted its insides and laughed
softly. The boomer fell backwards and exploded as she turned to help the
others.
Sylia's energy blade neatly sliced the jackhammer arm off and she flipped
away as it roared in fury. Linna raced up and fired into its face, causing
it to fall back a step as she leaped over the startled boomer. The front of
the boomer's chest exploded as the impact caps on Linna's armored fist
fired into its back. They turned to the last boomer.
"Shit." The others echoed Priss' quiet comment, albeit silently. The
ground shook as it moved forward. it was easily twice the size of the other
boomers. The treads that had propelled the massive steamroller were now
swinging like thick whips. Linna and Sylia scrambled out of the way as one
whistled past. It crashed into the building behind them and removed enough
of the structure that the rest tumbled down onto the Knight Sabers. Priss
began to curse steadily as she opened fire on the boomer to draw its
attention away from the others.
"Nene!" Priss felt the strong pull of air current as one of the treads
narrowly missed her. "See if you can get them free. Then find me a target!"
Nene was already shifting through the debris. Thanks to her suit the
fallen walls could be tossed around fairly easily, but she wasn't thinking
about that now. "Linna! Sylia! Somebody answer me!" She spotted one of
Linna's ribbons and began to dig faster. The sounds of the fight going on
behind her urged her on. Linna's voice sputtered into her ears. "I'm okay,
but I can't get any leverage." Finally she uncovered enough so that Linna
could move the rest off of herself. Nene immediately turned to search for
Sylia in time to see her racing towards the boomer. "Well, I guess she's
okay then."
Priss saw the white flash out of the corner of her eye and gave a silent
sigh of relief. "Nice of you to join me." She blew one of the treads away
and retreated a few feet. "Gee, Sylia. I destroyed my boomer and Linna
destroyed hers. How come you're having problems with this itty, bitty thing?"
Sylia extended her energy saber. "Old age, I guess." Priss was still
laughing when Sylia leapt onto the boomer's shoulder and drove the saber
down through its neck and into its center. The boomer began to shake.
Nene called in. "Aim for the...oh...never mind."
Sylia moved out of range as the boomer exploded and joined Priss. "Well
that wasn't quite the way I wanted to spend the day." Priss smiled at her
comment, but there was an under current in her voice that triggered an
alarm bell in Priss. She watched Sylia carefully as they regrouped at the
truck. Once inside her suspicions were confirmed. Sylia almost collapsed
into her seat and her voice was weary as she ordered Mackie to take them home.
Priss tossed her helmet aside and reached for the release on Sylia's. It
was as she was lifting it off that she found the damage. A long splinter of
metal had pierced the side of the helmet at an angle, so that it wasn't
immediately obvious. Sylia gasped in pain as the helmet came off and Priss
looked at her. The gash started just under her left ear and sliced an
almost surgically precise slash up and across her cheek. Priss heard the
others exclamations with only half an ear as she grabbed the medical kit
from the wall and fumbled it open. She tore open a couple of sterile pads
and pressed them gently against the wound. "Mackie! Scratch going home.
Head for the clinic, and step on it."
Sylia smiled faintly. "It looks worse than it is, Priss."
"Hah! You don't know how it looks, so keep quiet." Priss wondered if she
was going to have to go up front and show Mackie were the gas pedal was.
Sylia reached up and cupped the hand that Priss had against her face. "I
thought you weren't talking to me?"
Priss laughed shortly. "Nothing like a kick in the pants to wake you up."
She looked down into her eyes. "We need to get out of these suits."
Ten minutes later, Priss and Sylia entered the clinic through a private
entrance wearing street clothes. Sylia was treated quickly and quietly and
there would be no trace of their having ever been there. One of the perks
of owning the business in question. The doctor had to reassure Priss a
dozen times that the wound would heal with no scars which amused Sylia a
little and touched her more. They exited the building to find Sylia's car
parked outside. Priss drove and Sylia didn't object. They drove in silence
for a while, each trying to figure out what to say to the other.
Finally Sylia spoke, "What can I say to make us alright again?"
Priss took a long time to answer. "There's nothing to say." She paused,
trying to put what she was feeling into words. "I guess I'm just hurt that
you don't trust our love as much as I do."
Sylia was shocked. "What?"
Priss shrugged. "What else would explain it? You said it yourself to
Mackie. 'Let me find a way to tell her so that she doesn't leave me.' You
obviously believe that I'm just looking for an excuse to leave."
"But I don't!" Her protest was cut short by the wave of Priss' hand.
"After everything, and I mean EVERYTHING that we've been through, you
still don't trust me. That's what so hard for me to deal with."
"Priss, I trust you with my life!"
"But not your love."
Sylia had no words.
"If you think that being honest with me would make me leave you then I
think I should tell you that you have the wrong end of the stick." Priss
glanced at Sylia and shook her head at the tears she saw in her eyes.
"Don't Sylia. There's no need. I'm not going anywhere, no matter what
happens. You see I love you and I trust you and more importantly I trust
our love." She pulled off her sunglasses and reached over to take Sylia's
hand in hers. Warm metal fingers curled around hers and Sylia still didn't
know what to say. "I want one thing from you Sylia, I want you to believe
me when I say that I'll never leave you."
They pulled into the underground parking garage at Silky Doll and Priss
switched off the car. The garage was empty except for them and Priss felt
no hurry to go upstairs. Sylia was still griping her hand and Priss was
quite content.
"I do trust our love. It's me I don't trust." The words were almost a
whisper, but Priss heard. She waited patiently. "I don't have any
experience with this kind of thing. I had to take care of Mackie and then
there was the years developing the suits and then the forming and training
of the Knight Sabers-."
Priss interrupted incredulously. "You were a virgin!?"
Sylia shook her head impatiently. "Of course not. But I've never really
loved anyone." There was a pause. Priss heard her draw a deep breath.
"Until you. I don't know what I'm supposed to do."
Priss thought about that for a while. She knew that the admission was a
big one for Sylia. To admit ignorance in anything was a rare thing indeed.
"You're not supposed to. Do you think I know what to do? There's no rules
for this and you should know that much at least. Turn your head off, Sylia
and listen to your instincts. It's all anyone can do, really. Trust your
emotions and trust yourself."
Priss reluctantly released Sylia's hand and got out of the car. She moved
around to Sylia's side and opened the door for her. Sylia accepted her help
for the car and Priss tucked an arm around her shoulders. They walked in
silence to the elevator and Priss thumped the button with her fist. The
doors slid open and they stepped inside. As the doors closed Sylia spoke.
"I believe you."
<*><*><*><*><*>
Sylia swung her legs off the side of the bed and stood up only to pause at
the sudden discomfort. The vague aches in her back and neck were annoying
enough to make her wonder at their cause. <Maybe I am getting old>, she
thought with depreciating humor as she made her way to the bathroom.
Sylia bypassed the shower in favor of a hot bath and ran started the water
running as she brought up the current status of the lab computer on the
bathroom console. The computer still hadn't cracked the code and she hit
the off switch with a little more force than was necessary. Sylia turned
and stepping into the huge tub, exhaled softly as the water worked its
magic. Submerging herself up to her neck, she made a mental note to check
her suit's inner padding. If it were worn in some places that might cause
the aches she was feeling now. A long time later she heard the bathroom
door open.
Priss watched Sylia from the doorway and frowned at how tired she looked.
The faint line that was etched across her face would probably be gone
completely by tomorrow, but now it stood out against Sylia's pale face like
a brand. Priss stepped into the room, stopping when she saw Sylia smile.
"Pleasant thoughts?"
Sylia nodded. "Yes, actually. I was imagining you joining me in here."
"Oh. Well, I guess I could manage that." Priss slid into the water with a
hiss at the temperature. "As long as you realize that this doesn't mean
that I'm easy."
Sylia practically purred as she felt Priss brush against her. "Of course not."
<*><*><*><*><*>
Sylia sipped her coffee with a calmness she did not feel. The news reports
of increasing boomer malfunctions were still the major headlines, but it
was a small story in one of the papers that had alarmed her greatly. A
local clinic had reported an increasing number of implant failures. There
were no fatalities as yet from these failures, but the doctors could find
no reason for them.
She brought up the data from the first scan of Priss and then looked at
her. Priss sighed heavily and reluctantly stepped back onto the pad. The
new scan displayed next to the other and Sylia didn't have to check numbers
to see and immediate difference. There were fewer nanoclusters than before.
A sudden chill swept over her and she began to verify what she was seeing.
Of all the things she was expecting from this second scan, this wasn't one
of them. "Damn."
Nene was watching over her shoulder and heard her quiet oath. "What's wrong?"
Sylia shook her head and turned to Priss. "The scanners are only showing
about half of the nanoclusters than before."
Priss smiled slightly. "That's good, right?"
"No. That's bad. Very bad, as a matter of fact." She reached out and
caught Priss hand. "It means that the others were either burned out
fighting the virus or were destroyed by the virus itself."
Priss thought about this for a moment. "What happens if too many get
burned out or destroyed?"
"Your body has become dependent on the nanobots to do certain functions.
However, the nanoclusters inside you are, for the most part, relatively new
so that if they destroy the virus you should recover completely."
Priss reached the obvious conclusion quickly. "But you've had them inside
you for years." Priss pulled her hand away from Sylia's in an automatic
response. "What happens if you become infected?"
Sylia's smile was gentle. "Now there's an interesting question."
"Don't joke about this. What could happen?"
"I honestly don't know, Priss. There's a chance that my body could pick up
the slack, so to speak, but there's a bigger chance that I'll just..." She
trailed off, unwilling to complete the thought.
Priss gritted her teeth and did it for her. "That you might just die?"
Sylia nodded. "Could I have infected you?"
Sylia reached out and pulled her into her arms. "No. That's impossible."
Priss returned her embrace, but wasn't satisfied by her answer. "Then
let's run another scan on you to make sure."
Sylia agreed, but her expression gave silent testimony to her opinion. She
was humoring Priss. So it was a complete surprise to discover that several
hundred clusters had disappeared. "Oh dear."
"Oh dear? Oh Dear?!" Priss' fist slammed into the console with a dull
'thunk'. Sylia said silent thanks that it was her human fist as she turned
to her. "That's a response?"
Sylia shook her head and waved a hand at Priss' clenched fists. "That's a
better one? You can't punch out the virus, Priss." The reasonable tone in
her voice belied her inner turmoil. She was infected? How? Suddenly it came
to her. The memory of Priss striking her the other night was crystal clear,
but Priss' memories of the night were obviously blurred. There was no way
that Sylia was going remind her of the incident.
"If you didn't get infected by Priss, then how?" Nene could tell from the
expression on Sylia's face that her question had been a mistake.
Linna finally spoke. "The boomers yesterday. It had to be when you were hurt."
Sylia nodded, relieved that she had suggested it. "Yes, that's the only
possibility, but there's still the question of what is the virus infecting?
Other than the nanoclusters I don't have any implants of any kind."
"It's infecting the nanobots." Nene's voice was low as is she didn't want
to be the one to say it. The others turned to stare at her in surprise.
"Think about it. The virus takes over the nanobots within a cluster. It
would immediately start evading detection just like it's programmed to do.
The clusters haven't been destroyed. They've been infected."
Linna looked down at her arm and thought about the slashes that the
cleaning boomer had left in her arm the other night. She wondered if she
really wanted to know. Even as she asked herself, she was moving onto the
scanner. "Considering my little run in, I think we'd better check mine as
well."
Understanding her concerns, Sylia quickly activated the scan. There was no
obvious difference in the scans. Sylia check the numbers. "About ten
percent of your nanoclusters have vanished." Something else occurred to
her. "Damn!" Sylia pointed at Nene. "Up you go."
Nene and Linna exchanged places. Sylia watched the readouts in silence and
Nene joined her at the console. Again there were no obvious differences in
the scans, but the readouts told another story. Just fewer than five
percent of the nanoclusters in Nene's body had disappeared.
"I was afraid of this." Sylia's voice was grim. "The infected clusters
have migrated."
Priss remembered the strong sense of urgency that she had felt. "I wonder
if it really was a warning that I was picking up. If they were being
overpowered, would they react like that? Would they try to get help?"
Sylia considered this. "It's possible. They're designed to protect the
host, but if they couldn't do that then they might interpret their
programming in that way."
"So they are thinking."
Sylia shook her head. "Not really. It can seem like it though. They're
preprogrammed so that in case of 'X' do 'Y', if 'Y' doesn't work then try
'Z'. Once they run out of options its pretty much over. The intensified
signals could have been meant as a warning."
Linna had been running over the events of the last few days. "Okay. I was
infected from the cleaning boomer. Sylia was infected from the construction
boomer and Nene was probably infected by me." She ticked them off on her
fingers as she went. "How did Priss get infected?
No one had an answer.
Sylia tapped the monitor. "I think a bigger question might be; what effect
will the infected clusters have?" She drew a deep breath and plunged ahead.
"We need to face the very real possibility that if we don't stop them that
they will probably kill us. The virus seems to be designed to harm humans.
The contaminated boomers were actively hunting people when they were
stopped and the implant failures-,"
Priss held up a hand. "Believe me, I know 'exactly' how bad the implant
failures could get. The ten levels of Hell mean anything?"
Sylia nodded. "Exactly."
The ramifications of this were just sinking in when Mackie entered the
lab. "I think I may have it."
Priss nodded in agreement. "Yeah, you probably do. The little bastards
aren't wasting anytime looking for new hosts." She turned to Sylia. "So how
long do we have before they kill us?"
"That depends on the number of clusters in each person. Mackie and I are
more dependent on the them so the effects will be more apparent in us."
Like the aches and pains this morning, she reflected. "Linna and Nene will
be the slowest effected. I'm afraid that you are somewhere in the middle,
Priss."
Mackie listened to them in confusion. "What are you talking about?"
"The virus, of course." Sylia saw his confusion. "What were you talking
about?"
Mackie held up a vial of clear liquid. "The new nanobots."
<*><*><*><*><*>
Sylia checked the data again and then turned to Mackie in wonder. "I can't
believe that you actually did it!" She threw her arms around him and
laughed. "This is fantastic! You've saved us all."
Mackie shook his head. "You keep saying that. What's going on?"
Sylia filled him in as she prepared five pressure syringes. "The new
nanobots destroy the infected nanoclusters and then takeout the virus
infecting Priss' arm. Then we can figure out how to stop the progression of
the virus everywhere else."
Mackie was shaking his head, "Sylia, the new nanobots are..." He stopped
when he realized that she wasn't listening. He caught her arm. "Sylia! I
had to make some changes to father's design in order to make the clusters
stronger."
"Changes?" Sylia sensed she was not going to like what she was about to hear.
He let go of her and picked up one of the syringes. "I thought that you
and I were the only ones who would need them, maybe Priss, but that was a
long shot. I was hoping that you would crack the virus first. But to inject
them into Nene and Linna as well..."
"What did you do, Mackie?" Sylia's tone was flat.
"I designed them to have a sense of self preservation." She didn't respond
so he clarified. "They are programmed to not only actively protect the
host, but to enhance the host, to learn.... and to...well...evolve."
Sylia looked at the syringe and shook her head.
"Do you understand? I made them as close to sentient as I could manage.
They will alter whomever they enter. They're programmed to connect their
own well being with the hosts. At the least they will wipe out the virus
and upgrade the other nanoclusters. At the most..." Mackie spread his
hands. "I'm not sure. The changes could be radical. You and I could handle
that better than the others would." Sylia was still silent. Mackie
hesitated. "I just thought you should know. That they should know."
Sylia took the syringe from him and placed it against his neck. There was
a faint hiss and she tossed it away. Mackie looked at the four remaining
syringes in question. "We find another way."
She turned to walk out of the room.
"Sylia? What about you?"
Sylia looked back over her shoulder. "Not without Priss. Find another way,
Mackie. And not a word about this to the others, understand?" She didn't
wait for his answer.
<*><*><*><*><*>
Priss felt like screaming in frustration. "What do you mean, 'It won't
work'? Why not?"
Sylia shook her head. "The cure would be worse than the illness. Mackie's
having another go at it. Until then we work harder on breaking the virus
program."
Nene threw up her hands and waved at the computer terminal in front of
her. "Fine. Knock yourself out. Because I'm out of ideas and we're running
out of time."
Linna scowled at her. "Don't you dare give up. You, Sylia and Mackie are
our only hope to fight this thing. Priss and I are just the muscle." And
right now she was feeling pretty useless.
Nene saw the look of self-disgust that passed over her face and
immediately leapt to her feet. She caught the other girl in a Nene-sized
bear hug. "Yes, but you're very pretty muscle."
Linna smiled despite herself and lightly tapped Nene on the head. Sylia
winked at Priss and nodded. "I would have to agree with you on that Nene."
Priss smirked and pointed at the computer. "Funny. Now I don't want to
imply that your equipment might not be top of the line Sylia, cause I know
it is." Her smile was mischievous. "But is there anybody out there who has
bigger, uh terminals?"
Sylia's eyes closed to slits. "Hmmph. Hardly. No one has anything this good."
Nene nodded emphatically, the double entendre flying right over her head.
"She's right Priss. Nobody has better than Sylia."
Linna burst out laughing at Nene's enthusiastic support, Sylia and Priss
joining in as Nene looked on in confusion. "What? What did I say?" The
humor helped break up some of the almost unbearable tension and was a
welcome relief.
Sylia controlled her mirth with difficulty and took Nene's place at the
computer. "Really Priss, it should only be a matter of time before the code
is broken. We just-," She broke off as a wave of dizziness swept over her.
To give herself time to recover, she pretended to scrutinize the screen in
front of her. The inky spots continued to dance in front of her eyes. "We
just need to be patient."
Priss shook her head. "Yeah, right. You never did tell us how long we
would have before the virus kills us. How patient can we afford to be, Sylia?"
Sylia realized that the dizziness wasn't passing. It was getting worse.
"You have lots of time, Priss. It will-," she stopped.
Priss saw her slump forward and managed to catch her as she tumbled from
the chair. "No!" She caught Sylia up into her arms and felt for a pulse.
The scanners relayed back a faint pulse and she tried to scan deeper, but
the signal from the warring technologies was blocking her probe. "Damn it!"
She looked up at the others. "What do we do?"
"We get Mackie," Nene was heading for the door as she spoke. In seconds
she was back with the young man in tow.
Mackie took in the situation in a glance. "Get her onto the table." He
readied the medical scanner as Priss laid her down. The more specialized
medical scanner had fewer problems taking readings through the static.
Mackie's face turned grim as he studied the information before him.
"What? What's wrong with her?" Priss thought she might just kill him if he
didn't spit it out.
"Her heart stopped for a moment."
Priss felt something clench around her own heart at his words. "A heart
attack?"
Mackie nodded. "Yes. The uninfected nanoclusters restarted it." He glared
down at his big sister. She wasn't going to live long enough for him to
redesign the nanos. He looked up at Priss and decided to defy his sister's
wishes for the first time in his life. "She's dying."
The sound that Priss made was primal. "No! There has to be someway to stop
this!"
Mackie nodded. "There is."
Priss was almost jumping at this point. "Then why the hell aren't you
doing it?!"
"Because she told me not to."
"What?" Priss looked down at Sylia in confusion. "Why would she-? WHY
WOULD YOU EVEN LISTEN?!"
"She said that she wouldn't take the cure without you." Priss was more
confused than ever. Mackie explained the difference of the new nanobots and
the old. "You thought they seemed sentient before, but there's no
comparison. And I'm still not sure of the extent that any internal changes
would take. I had to leave that up to them so they would have the ability
to do whatever was necessary to stop the virus."
Priss threw up her hands in exasperation. "Who the hell cares? Mackie, the
only way I accept what I am now is through her. If she's not here then it's
not worth it, understand? Inject the damn things, at least we'll be around
to debate the consequences together."
Mackie sighed in relief and went to get the syringes.
Linna and Nene looked at each other in question. Nene spoke first. "It
could be days before the code is broken."
Linna nodded. "Yes, it could. It's a risk either way."
"Yes." Nene looked down at Sylia's pale face. She did not want to end up
on that table.
Mackie returned bearing a tray with four syringes. He set it down and
turned to Sylia with one in hand. Priss intercepted him.
"I'll do it." She took it from him. "This is my decision. I'll take the
heat for it." She pressed the syringe into Sylia's neck. Tossing it aside
she picked up another and, not giving herself time to think about what she
was doing, injected it into her own neck.
Mackie smiled encouragingly. Priss rolled her eyes and shrugged. "I think
this was one of those 'dammed if you don't, dammed if you do' scenarios."
He just smiled again and picked up the tray. Nene and Linna stepped in
front of him. Each took one of the remaining syringes. Mackie looked at
them in question. "What are you doing? You guys should be all right until
we can come up with another way."
Nene shook her head. "We don't really want to take that risk."
Linna laughed. "Besides, I kind of like this faster healing thing."
<*><*><*><*><*>
Sylia opened her eyes and focused fuzzily on the lab ceiling. <Now this
seems familiar> she thought as she tried to remember how she came to be
lying on the exam table again. She pushed herself into a sitting position
and looked around. Priss was asleep in the chair next to her, her head
resting on the gurney near her thigh. Sylia felt herself smile and reached
out to brush a strand of hair away from her lover's face.
Priss stirred at the touch and blinked at her sleepily. "Sylia?" Priss
quickly wrapped her arms around tightly around her and buried her face in
Sylia's neck.
Sylia returned the embrace but was a little confused. "What happened?"
Priss pulled away and Sylia was shocked to see tears brimming in the other
woman's eyes. "We almost lost you."
Sylia shook her head slightly and Priss elaborated. "Your heart stopped."
Memory returned with her words and Sylia drew a deep breath. "Priss..."
"No. Don't bother." Priss stood up and began to pace. "I know everything.
Mackie said that it would just get worse; harder and harder to keep you
alive." She turned back, sank into the chair beside Sylia and took her hand
between both of hers. "Now I want you to stay calm, Sylia."
"Me?" She frowned at her, a sudden trickle of unease overcoming her.
"Shouldn't that be my line?"
Priss firmly kissed the hand she held, smothering the smile that fought to
escape. "Usually. Now I want you to know that I love you a great deal and
all of my actions come from that, okay?"
"All right, Priss. You've succeeded in unnerving me, now cut to the chase."
Priss grew solemn. "I injected the new nanoclusters into us."
"What?" Sylia was stunned. "YOU? You inject....into....US?" Sylia caught
Priss shirtfront in her fists and pulled her close, her expression urgent.
"Us Priss? You injected both of us?"
Priss nodded slowly. "Yes."
Sheer relief flooded Sylia's face. "Thank God!" She hugged Priss fiercely.
"What made you....?"
Priss laughed. "Remember that promise I made about not ever leaving you?"
Sylia nodded. "I should have mentioned that it works both ways."
Sylia laughed softly. "I see." She cupped Priss' face and slowly brought
their lips together. Priss sighed and was sinking blissfully into the
caress when the sound of someone clearing their throat interrupted.
Priss pulled away reluctantly and turned to see Nene and Linna standing at
the foot of the bed. "You know Nene, you're beginning to make a habit out
of this."
Nene blushed slightly, but grinned at Sylia. "Hi. Nice to see you among
the land of the living."
Sylia smiled back and moved to get up. Priss held her arm, making sure she
was steady before releasing her. "Nice to be back. How's the computer
coming on the code?"
Nene shook her head. "Still working on it, I'm afraid."
Sylia looked at her and Linna. "We'll crack it in time, don't worry."
A look passed between Nene and Linna. It was almost like guilt. Sylia
frowned slightly. "What is it?"
"Um...well Sylia..... it's... uh," Nene's stammering seemed unending and
Linna ended it with her blunt, "We injected the new nanobots as well."
Sylia stared at them in surprise. "You did? But there was no need. You had
plenty of time."
Linna shrugged. "You weren't watching you die. They had to restart your
heart three times."
Sylia looked at Priss in question who nodded slightly, her features stony.
"It took time for the new nanos to work."
"It wasn't something that either of us wanted to experience." Nene's voice
was wry.
"Besides," Linna began, waving a hand to encompass the four of them. "You
don't know that the new nanobots wouldn't have migrated like the others
did. So we just speeded up the time table slightly."
"We still need to find out how they were transferred between us." Sylia
glanced at the lab clock. "And where is Mackie, our resident nano vending
machine?"
Nene winced at her description and Priss spoke in his defense. "You can't
blame him, Sylia. I threatened to relocate some of his favorite body parts
if he didn't tell us about the cure. And I was the one who made the
decision to use it. The others didn't give him a chance to talk them out of
it either."
Sylia made a small sound in the back of her throat. "I see."
"But I did tell them that the cure would work." Mackie stood in the
doorway, his face sober but determined. "Strangely enough, I had problems
with letting you kill yourself."
Sylia smiled. "I guess it's hard to argue with that." She met him halfway
and hugged him tightly. Very softly she spoke, "I'm sorry I put you in that
position. My only excuse is that I wasn't thinking clearly."
Mackie nodded. "That's an understatement."
<*><*><*><*><*>
Sylia was still feeling tired and she excused herself and went to lie down
in her bedroom. Nene and Linna had to go to work and Mackie was given the
task of trying to find out how the nanobots had been transferred.
Priss rambled around the apartment, unable to focus on any one task for
more than a few minutes. She picked a book at random from the library and
settled herself on the couch. A strange restlessness was driving her and
she felt an odd sense of urgency. Priss realized that she had been reading
the same page for the last ten minutes and she finally gave into the urge
that was compelling her to check on Sylia.
Soft light filtered into the room and across the bed from the shaded
windows. Priss stood in the doorway and just watched the play of light
across Sylia's body. If the trail of clothes leading directly to the bed
hadn't told her that Sylia was naked under the thin sheet that covered her,
then the way the material was clinging to her slender form would have.
Priss felt her mouth go dry and other places grow damp as a sudden wave of
desire gripped her. Sylia shifted in her sleep and the sheet slipped down,
exposing the smooth curve of her shoulder. The material stopped its
descent, caught on the rise of a softly rounded breast. Priss' breath
caught and she felt herself actually begin to tremble as the knowledge that
she could help that cloth continue along. She could step closer to the bed.
Her feet moved of their own accord and Priss could suddenly feel the edge
of the mattress pressing against her legs.
Cool cotton slid through her fingertips as she tugged at the fabric, but
Priss was utterly focused on what she was revealing. Her eyes followed the
sweeping curve of Sylia's brow and down, over the soft rise of her cheek
and into the shadowed hollow of her throat, rising again to crest the
gentle slopes. The cool breeze from the air-conditioning chilled Sylia's
skin and her body reacted, much to Priss' delight. Her gaze fell from the
enticing crests and pursued the graceful flow of flesh as it stretched down
Sylia's body into the shadowy regions that Priss knew so well now. Priss'
breathing was quickening and the feeling of urgency was growing stronger.
She pulled her shirt over her head and tossed it aside.
Sylia felt the bed dip as Priss slipped under the covers and smiled. She
had been beginning to wonder if Priss was ever going to join her. Priss'
hands slid across her body and turned Sylia to face her. Sylia gazed up
into her eyes, frowning slightly at the clouded emotions that they
revealed. "Priss?" Priss placed her fingers against Sylia's mouth,
whispering, "Shhh." She buried her face in Sylia's hair and inhaled deeply,
letting the scent fill her senses completely. Priss caught her earlobe
between her teeth and tugged lightly as her hands roamed over Sylia's body.
Sylia gasped as Priss' hands swept in and out of soft places, across
yielding planes and tightened around supple peaks. Soon she was writhing in
frustration as each touch was all too brief and Priss seemed determined to
explore every inch of her in gossamer strokes.
Priss caught her lips and devoured her mouth. The urgency driving her was
beginning to infect Sylia as well and she fisted her hands in Priss hair to
hold her in place. Shivers of pleasure rolled across her flesh and Sylia
wondered at how Priss' hands seemed to be everywhere at once. Pressure was
building to almost unbearable levels and finally Sylia broke the kiss,
gasping as she drew great gulps of oxygen into her lungs. A soft growl
issued from Priss' throat and she grasped Sylia's face between her hands,
dragging her back into the kiss. Sylia brought her hands up and pushed
slightly at Priss' shoulders. The action seemed to trigger something in
Priss and she pulled back, caught Sylia's hands and pinned them to the bed
above Sylia's head. It wasn't fear that Sylia felt twist inside her at the
action; it was desire. She met Priss' fierce stare with one of her own and
in a quick movement, flipped Priss onto her back and straddled her hips.
They stared at each other for a moment as the tension continued to build.
Sylia thought that she could hear the sound of Priss' heart, its beat
pounding in rhythm to her own and urging them on. Finally, when it felt as
if their skin was on fire and their muscles were screaming for something to
happen, someone to move, the tension snapped. Like the strands of a broken
wire, it lashed back and struck them. They grabbed each other and held on
tightly. And then they consumed each other in the fire they had created.
Sylia watched the curtain flutter in the slight breeze of the
air-conditioner and waited for the feeling return to her extremities. She
felt as if she had been rolled up, bounced around and shaken back out
again. Priss' was deathly quite as she lay next to her and Sylia turned to
see ifshe was all right only to find Priss studying her. There was odd look
in her eyes and Sylia grew concerned. "Priss? What's wrong?"
Priss shrugged and let her head fall forward onto Sylia's shoulder, hiding
her face. Sylia sat up and caught her chin, turning her back to face her.
"Tell me." She waved a hand to the tangled bed. "As much as I enjoyed this,
I'm not blind to the fact that something is bothering you." Sylia brushed
the hair back from Priss face and smiled down at her. "Please?"
Priss sighed and reached up to lightly trace Sylia's face. "I'm not sure
what to say."
Sylia was silent, giving her time to collect her thoughts.
Priss wondered were to start. Images of Mackie's struggle to keep Sylia
alive flashed through her mind. "You died."
Sylia put a comforting hand on her shoulder and waited, knowing there was
more.
"Every time your heart stopped, mine did too. It may seem silly, but
you've always seemed invincible to me." Priss paused, feeling embarrassed
by the admission. "It was a little frightening to find out just how
vulnerable you are."
Sylia's voice was very quiet. "I understand. Priss, I can't promise you
that I won't die someday, but I can promise you that I'll try very hard not
to."
Priss chuckled at her words. "I'll hold you to that." Priss looked around
her and shrugged. "I guess that I just needed to confirm the fact that you
were alive."
Sylia stretched mightily and laughed. "I'd say we proved that we're both
alive and in very fine form."
Priss looked at her closely and frowned slightly. "Hmmm. I don't know
Sylia. You look a little peaked. Maybe we should check again. Just to make
sure." She rose up and pushed a laughing Sylia back into the bed.
<*><*><*><*><*>
End Part 2
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