A Mermaid's Tale

"No. I heard you had a falling out." Bob frowned as he fixed the two mugs with sugar and creamer. He poured the coffee and tried and failed to smile. "The three of us had some amazing times together."

"You were the only man that treated us properly. We were two halves of one whole to you." Iris said her lip quivering and the tears staining her cheeks.

"You do not run into such gorgeous, intelligent, and loving identical twins often. I just wanted to make both of you happy." Bob said wiping the tears from his own eyes. "Are you happy? Does he make you smile?"

"I am looked after," she sniffled. "His work is important to him."

"Where is Ivy? Where is your mom?" He asked and Iris just shrugged.

"You know mom, she was always a free spirit." Iris smiled. "Did you sleep with her too?" Iris asked and Bob just smiled. "Of course, you did. You are as bad as mom you know. She sees a handsome young thing, boy or girl, and she must taste them. That is what she calls casual sex, tasting. How did she taste Booker?"

"Amazing. I will not lie. Your mom is an absolute beast in bed. I see where the pair of you get your um enthusiasm." Booker replied honestly. "How is Ivy?"

"Ivy, she has been hanging out and dancing at a strip club. It is under renovation and I do not know what she is doing for cash."

"Huh, your dad is loaded why is she dancing?" Booker asked. "Did she piss him off too?"

"Her drug habit was out of control and she ran up one hell of a tab on dad's account. He put her in rehab and paid it off one last time. After that he had no choice. Her life became her own. She still lives at home, last time he called me, but things are sketchy, and I cannot bail her out again. I just can't."

He could see the emotional strain Ivy had placed on those that cared for her. "She is dancing at the Zoo." Bob said and she nodded. "Hell, of a view you got here. Mine is better. Nick is letting me use the penthouse until my work here is done." He paused. "You two made gaming history back then. The first pair to run tandem BMI's and share a neural link without going bat shit crazy. I had no idea you were both playing that Sith pyromancer. Amazing."

"Ivy was pissed that I got to sleep with you that first night." Iris bragged. "Though, she more than made up for it."

"You made me wish I did have two cocks." Booker replied hungrily.

"Be careful what you wish for." She said as she stood in front of the line of windows. The light shone through her dress placing her body in perfect silhouette. "You might just get it."

The conversation turned to the past. The intimacy they shared, and he could see buyer's remorse on her features and the tone of her voice. They sipped their coffee as she stood in front of a huge full-length window that looked out over downtown London. He stood behind her and she ground her ass against him. If he said the word, she would have given him anything he wanted. He did not he was too much of a nice guy for that and he wanted it too much. She and Ivy were the one huge regret in his life and all three knew it.

"Iris. I need to ask a favor." He whispered in her ear.

"Gods Bob just ask. You know how I feel about you." She purred. "OW!" She yelped when he plucked several hairs from her head. He made sure they had follicles attached, a great source of DNA. "Bastard," she laughed. "Will you tell me once this shit show is over?"

"I am not promising anything, but I have high hopes of how this will all resolve itself." Bob said with a mix of hope and trepidation. "I... cannot make promises though."

"I love... I mean, I trust you." She gasped her voice cracking.

He left without a word or backward glance. If he did, he never would have left her there. Bob was shaking when he reached the penthouse. The elevator opened directly onto the living room. His sorrow forgotten as he gasped at the splendor Nick had put into designing the living space. There was a portion of the ceiling that was an armored glass dome that let in the sun and allowed the occupants to watch the weather. In London that meant a lot of rain and the occasional nice day. Today was a soft day a mix of mist and drizzle or mizzle as the Irish called it. If you happen to be outside you would be soaking wet from walking through the cloud like atmosphere. The weather fit his mood perfectly.

"Booker." Nick's voice was projected from hidden speakers all around the penthouse surrounding Bob. "What is going on?"

"Quetzalcoatl was successful in retrieving data from the hidden server." Bob replied as the walking stick spat out a data crystal. "I have also collected DNA from Iris."

"I can always count on you." Nick replied. "There is a sampling lab hidden behind the north wall. Get that sample processed and digitized and we can verify why he really married her."

"I am on it boss. Nice view this place has."

"Nothing but the best for my trusted employees and family." Nick chuckled. "Keep me in the loop and if I discover anything, we will adjust the plan as we go."

"Sending pulse transmission," Bob announced as he plugged the data crystal into the reader. "I need a nap. Once I process the hair sample I am going to crash and burn."

"I hope I am wrong." Nick said his voice low with a hint of sorrow.

"Me too." Booker said as the north wall split open and he stepped into the lab. "Computer... play Allay Pain."

Surfer frowned as the first crisp notes from the piano filled the air. It was a short song but had a deep impact on him when he heard it. It embodied his memory of Japan, the three of them at their best, and the guilt he felt for how Ivy's life turned out.

Midnight on the Edge of Shadows.

Jason exited the elevator and strolled down the hall to the corner apartment he shared with his wife. Wife, huh, she was his live-in science experiment. Sure, the sex was good. Iris was a gifted and enthusiastic lover though she did not match the talents of his mistress. She would endure things he would never inflict upon Iris. She was too delicate, and he dare not mar her beauty. Jason set down his backpack and went straight to his liquor cabinet. He called out to Iris as he poured himself a drink.

"The Lady Iris has gone shopping. Shall I contact her personal communication device?" Overlord asked.

"No. I could use some quiet time. Any external messages?" He asked.

"Affirmative. Three texts and one voice message."

"Display first text." He said as he settled onto the couch. It faced the three full length windows and beyond them Eternal London. The text slowly scrolled down his HUD. He read each word carefully and deciphered the hidden message sent by his contact among the White Chapel Gang. It announced the next harvest of female cargo had arrived via tramp steamer. The gate would have been faster but then the ladies' identities would have been known and matched to missing persons reports. The second text was alarming. The Zoo had been raided and if not for the mole in Scotland Yard things would have gone poorly indeed. This one required an immediate response. He mentally crafted the text using the latest cypher and he strongly suggested removing by accident the lead investigator. Things were far too along to be thwarted by a single cop. "Activate legal assistant. I require a solution to police harassment and an abusive investigation into my investment business known as the Zoo. Direct with strongest possible language to the head of Scotland Yard to end this frivolous action."

"Worded and sent." Overlord stated. "I will await a response from my brother A.I. Sherlock."

"I look forward to see how he will react." Jason chuckled. "Display the match while I finish dealing with my correspondence."

The three windows darkened and showed the beginning of today's cricket match. Due to the crappy weather the match was held indoors. Iris returned carrying a mere two bags of clothing, jewelry, and a single bottle of scotch.

"I went by Phil's. That bottle of scotch you have been waiting on arrived." She called out as she set the bags on the kitchen table. "I ordered dinner to be delivered. It should be here any time now."

"Excellent, a perfect ending to a bitch of a day." Jason said without moving from the couch.

"Who is winning?" She asked as she settled onto the couch and lay down with her head in his lap.

"Cambridge is up for now, but it has been touch and go." He mumbled as he absently stroked her hair. "I had a visitor to my lab today."

"Visitor? It is a clean lab who would want to barge in on you?" She replied using the words she knew would get the best reaction. Iris had quickly learned what language worked with her husband and what did not. She long ago chose placation than confrontation when she could.

"I know. It was infuriating. We may be moving out of the apartment next year, possibly earlier."

"Moving? Where and why?" Iris asked hearing the anger and fear in his voice.

"That little shit Hyde-White," Jason snarled his anger reaching a flashpoint. "Shaw has taken him under his wing. He is training him."

"He trained you. He reconfigured Erotech for you." Iris reminded him. "He has every confidence in you." She waited to see if her words struck home or not. "Nick got the laws passed that made your work made manifest." She verbally stroked his ego.

"You are right of course," he said though she sensed he still had doubts. The doorbell rang and she rocked up into a sitting position before launching her body towards the door. She held up the box containing Chicago style pizza and the scent was maddeningly mouthwatering. "Let's eat."

She loves me Jason thought. Would she still love him when Project Ariel moved forward and the price to be paid could drive an irreversible wedge between them? He could always find another wife he continued. The money and prestige Ariel would bring was worth it. Jason smiled as they sat together and devoured the pizza that had been baked across an ocean and delivered via the gate and was still steaming hot. Life was good. He watched her eat and took in her beauty. While her father was a Londoner, her mother had passed on her ethereal qualities that only two other women possessed, her twin and her mother. He caught her looking at him and there was that hunger kindled in her gaze. She belonged to him and Ariel or not she would stay with him if she knew what was good for her.

"Smile." Iris urged. "Your work has reached fruition and what could possibly spoil things."

"You are absolutely right." He replied as he refilled their glasses with wine. "Celebrations are in order." He said as the doorbell rang. "I will get it." Jason went to the door. It slid open revealing his assistant holding a small leather case. "Perfect timing. Would you like a slice of pizza before you go?"

"Thanks, but no, I am meeting with friends to celebrate." He replied. "Congratulations sir."

The other man turned and left. Jason cradled the case to his chest for a moment before resuming his meal. He set the case next to his backpack. He returned to the table and patted his wife's thigh. They ate and chatted, but they were both lost in their own thoughts. Jason was laser focused on the contents of the leather case while Iris was daydreaming about Bob and how close he was. Her body remembered and ached for his touch.

"Just once," she whispered, and Jason looked at her questioningly. "Just once I wish you would let me teach you to dance." She lied flawlessly.

"I have no sense of rhythm, but I love you for thinking about me." He fired back with a smile on his lips. "I am stuffed. Let me put the rest in the fridge and then I can give you your early birthday gift."

"Oh, you should not have." Iris said wondering what was in the leather case. Had Jason sent his assistant out shopping for something? She got to her feet, picked up the paper plates and helped him clean up the mess. She wiped down the table as he poured the last of the wine into her glass. Once things were cleaned up, he directed her to sit in her lounger. Upon his insistence she drained the last of the wine from her glass and settled into the chair. Once she was comfortable, she looked over and the leather case was gone from where it was. Jason's hand brushed her throat and then he was pressing something against her neck. The soft hiss was the last thing she remembered before everything went black.

Jason returned the used CO2 syringe to its spot in the case. He removed the second of the three syringes and stripped down and lay atop the marriage bed. He found the major artery in his own neck and injected himself with the same treatment he had given his wife. As his head drifted to the side his last sight was of a tarnished silver fob watch sitting on his end table. He was unconscious before he could reach for the watch or place the syringe where it belonged. Neither Iris nor Jason dreamt as the potent genetic treatment coursed through their bodies changing them on a fundamental level. Project Oberon had begun.

While They Slept.

The view from the shower was breathtaking. The time he had spent in game web-slinging helped him deal with his vertigo and fear of heights. The mirrored walls of the shower acted as two-way mirrors so that anyone that could see up this high would only see the flash of light glittering on the polished surface. Behind the armored glass Booker balled up his fist and pulled back his hand to strike. He faltered and let his hand fall to his side.

"Chances of me breaking the shower wall?" He asked and Surfer pondered the question for a moment.

"Without using 'shatter point' targeting system. I approximate a seventy five percent success rate." She chuckled. "Left is a formidable bioweapon after all."

"True," he spoke opening his hand and seeing the odd ridges that to the passerby might be misconstrued as scars. "And with it?" He followed up grinning.

"Nigh on a perfect success rate." She added whimsically. "Take heart that you, a not so mere 'mortal', can shatter a high tensile polycarbon/transparent titanium alloy with your bare fist." She stated. "Just imagine if you got into a fight."

"Surfer... play Behind Blue Eyes." He asked and as the music swelled within the shower he began to sing.

"...But my dreams they aren't as empty as my conscience seems to be."

Left joined in without prompting. "I have hours, only lonely. My love is vengeance that's never free." His tenor blending well with Booker's voice quite nicely.

They sang one duet after another while Booker let the hot water and music drive the tension from his shoulders and neck. He could not help but grin when Left joined in. They were connected on a level that still defied analysis or understanding. They were separate and yet united on an unconscious level. Left laughed even as the thought formed in Booker's mind. There was a price for being the Hand of Shaw. One was performing his duties without question or hesitation. Nick had promised him he would never take a life during his work. When things got violent the bodyguards stepped in and met violence with violence. Kusanagi, his lead shadow, was a stone-cold killer and sucked a mean dick too. She had long ago surrendered to the will of the Shaw.

"One day you will be the Shaw." She had said once after a long night of love play. They lay sprawled on the deck of the superyacht the Numenor staring up at a sky full of stars. "One day we will serve you. Be the Hand as long as it is necessary. It will temper your heart for what is to come."

'Close your eyes Master,' Surfer purred derailing the memory. 'I brought you an eager stress reliever.'

'Okay. What mischief are you up to?" He asked as he heard the soft hiss of the shower door opening.

'Do it.' Surfer growled as Booker felt tits press against his back and two hands reach around and wrap around his cock. 'Stroke it slowly.'

Was it Melissa? It was too early for that. If not, who the hell was stroking him off? He moaned despite his best efforts to remain silent. Soft lips planted gentle kisses on his back. Whoever she was stood barely above five feet in height as he guesstimates. He had often wondered why Nick had spent so much time programming Surfer to be such a sexual creation. Now he got it. She read how anxious he was and acted to remedy it.

'Yes, he is extremely hard.' Surfer said allowing him to hear only half the conversation. 'Use your mouth.' The girl, as he thought of her, was in front of him now. She was caressing his balls with one hand and the shaft with her other. 'Yes, just like that. Swirl you tongue around the tip.' Surfer guided the other. 'Open wide and take just the head and tease him.'

Booker shuddered when he thought of a novice giving him head. Inch by inch until a third was between her head she began rocking her head up and down. She stopped and he could feel her shifting around. What was going on he thought.

'She says, go ahead, and do it.' Surfer passed on the other's message. 'Hold on... okay she is ready now. Go for it.'

His fingers blindly felt around until they slid into her soft silky hair. There was something odd he discovered. Her hair was hanging straight down. How was that possible? She was still kneeling but now she was facing away from him. He felt her head shift as she arched her back, let her head fall the rest of the way back, and heard her gasp as she opened wide. Booker fed her one inch at a time until her lips touched the base. So much for a novice he thought. He rocked his hips as he fucked her throat.

'Define throat-swabbing,' Surfer giggled. 'I am tied in with her nervous system. She is in lust with you.' Surfer informed him. 'She wants this so bad it aches. Be a dear and lean forward and grab her tits.' He did as she directed, and his balls were resting against the mystery girl's nose. 'Nice. I will show you the footage later. So close, let go of all that nasty stress and blast a load down her throat.'

The moment his hands cupped her small perky breasts he guessed who Surfer had wrangled to be his sex toy. He adjusted his stance, and it was a bit awkward but worth it. Her moans urged him to satisfy her fantasy. 'She is bragging now. She is boasting how she took you to the root. Wait until you are balls deep in her ass.' Booker felt the girl stiffen. 'You said you'd do anything to make him happy. Come on girlie, just think of him buried deep and you satisfying him completely. I knew it. You just needed a little prodding. He's almost there.' Booker howled as he climaxed. He heard her gulping as she swallowed his load. 'Don't you worry that was just round one. When I am done the three of you will be stress free.'

"Three?" Booker asked just as the doorbell rang. "Come... in." He called out as Melissa walked in carrying snacks, drinks, and a need to be broken. "Cinta this is Melissa this is..."

Some hours later.

Jose Rodriguez was the acting king of the lab. Incoming blood samples from volunteers were flowing and being processed at a steady rate. Project Oberon was cooking inside the boss and his wife. What would they look like after he wondered? If the projections were accurate an already gorgeous woman would reach a level never seen. The light above the airlock turned green. No one was scheduled to report for duty. The normally reassuring click and hiss of the reinforced door filled him with doubt and curiosity. He recognized the man but why was he back?

"Bob?" Jose the normally nameless felt panic work from his bladder to his brainstem.

"Hello Jose, we need to talk." Bob said and his cheerful disposition was clearly absent.

"I did not do it, whatever the hell it was, I did not do it." Jose rambled.

"Overlord," Bob called out and the A.I. replied jovially.

"Yes Sir?"

"Grant Jose here full administrative access to all active and ongoing projects." Bob directed.

"I need your clearance code to access private logs and secure files." Overlord insisted.