Alien Mine Ch. 08

Rhys was positioned on the hill to the east overlooking the road and the rear entrance. According to the shuttle's sensors, one Trangord was low to the ground 200 meters further east and behind him. The other three were in a semicircle to the north, one of them positioned to cover the road's entrance. They had been placed well back, at least 300 meters, but given how fast they moved, it wasn't far.

There had been four of the Bugs hidden in the foliage when they arrived in the shuttle, and Sandy had put them on the tac grid. They had used the shuttles visual cloaking to place each of them on the ground, and it did not seem they had been detected. Amancia was inside Thea's apartment, and Kiania was positioned behind some trees but well inside the Trangrods. Rhys was hidden about 100 meters uphill from the back door where he could cover the two girls. This time it was his job to provide support fire. And draw the Trangrods' fire. Amancia and Kiania would grab Thea if there was an attack. He was sure there would be. The four Om bugs hidden around the area suggested the Om had given up using other humans against them.

The Trangrod worried Rhys. Why were they here, and how did they get there? Were the Om expecting them to show up, or was this just a precaution? He watched them carefully, but the Trangrod seemed unaware of them. Crouched down in the foliage, they seemed little more than large rocks, easy to overlook as they had found out. When they stood up, they were almost as tall as Rhys, insanely quick and deadly. They didn't seem very intelligent, rather this was by design or not, they didn't know.

Kiania had watched from her position about 50 yards from Thea's door. Her armor provided camouflage, and the infrared shielding seemed to keep her hidden from the bugs. Amancia was inside Thea's home, positioned near the front window, ready to kill any bugs approaching from the front. Kiania's right hand drifted down to her knife secured at her thigh. She stroked it in a sensuous fashion, gathering strength and comfort from the weapon. A knife provided revenge against the man who first raped her as a child and then 'helped' her make a living as a whore and assassin. Life had changed so much since Rhys had first saved, then kidnapped her. Now she was his weapon.

Not only was her body changing but her mind as well. She was getting smarter, yes, not just the symbiont, but she was also becoming deadly, focused on combat. Her senses seemed to be locked in combat mode, always aware of her surroundings, her mind calculating threats and responses. With her new capabilities, she was so much more than just an assassin. She was becoming a warrior. As she watched Thea arrive, her mind overlayed attack vectors, threat assessments, firing lanes, and escape routes. Smiling, she didn't think she would need the latter.

Suddenly her body seemed to shiver with delight, and the world slowed; she almost moaned in ecstasy. Something tugged at her mind. Looking inward, she was suddenly part of the tac grid. Amancia had told her this would happen, her symbiont was getting stronger as she connected to Rhys, and the tac grid came alive for her. "Wow, Rhys, this is so good' she said over the grid for the first time.

In Rhys' mind, Kiania's words sounded almost like a large cat purring. He was surprised when she suddenly joined the grid. "Focus," he said as the man following Thea got out of his vehicle.

Kiania felt her nipples harden as the command hit, her mind reacting instantly as she became hyperaware of her surroundings. Every noise, the rustle of leaves as an insect crawling across leaves, the wind, the footsteps of Thea. It all flowed through her mind, cataloged as if by a computer, calculating angles, fields of fire from the Trangords. Kiania smiled again. She was eager now, no hesitation as she raised her rifle.

The car pulled into the parking lot behind Thea, and a man got out. He turned quickly to follow her, his steps quick, almost running. Rhys watched for the Trangrod to see if they moved. "Wait, he is unarmed; let's see what happens."

Amancia had moved to the back of the house, and Kiania looked at her. She could see Amancia's face through the window, even in the dark. Shaking her head, she indicated Thea. Amancia nodded in understanding. "I am not going to let anything happen to her." The order didn't say how long they had to wait.

Kiania moved her finger gently over the trigger, the man's head in her crosshairs. An easy shot from this distance, but she was aware of the Trangrod as well. Don't prioritize targets over threats was something Rhys had drilled into them. She followed the man with her rifle as he chased Thea. Her finger tightened as he grabbed her, pulling Thea into his chest. "Now," she said, pulling the trigger, a single shot to the side of his head. Her bullet alone would have been more than enough, but Amancia fired at the same time, and his head exploded. Kiania turned, looking for the nearest Trangrod. As she did, she noted the man continuing to jerk as Amancia shifted her fire to automatic and brought her aim down to his neck and chest.

"Cover me," Amancia said, exploding out the window and running to Thea, who had fallen to the ground screaming. She grabbed Thea by the arm, jerking her up and half-carrying her as she ran. Amancia could hear Rhys and Kiania firing, then grenades exploding not far away. Then Kiania was there firing at something behind her, one of the bugs racing toward them. Kiania fired and hit the ground, rolling as it swerved toward her. The rifle was still at her shoulder, and a long burst raked the Trangrod. Amancia paused to let her rifle track it, and she fired as well. Parts came off it, then it seemed to explode as Rhys hit it as well.

"Get out of here," Rhys ordered, and they ran towards the shuttle. "Sandy, cover them," Rhys added. Amancia carried Thea in one arm, her weapon in the other. Something exploded nearby, but they kept going.

As soon as Amancia and Kiania had opened fire, Rhys let off a burst at one of the bugs. This weapon was much more powerful, and the rounds blew large holes in it. Metal and some kind of flesh were blown apart as the heavy rounds hit it. As soon as Rhys fired, he instantly moved as two more of them targeted his position. Multiple bullets struck his armor, knocking him back behind a tree. Automatic fire ripped into the tree, tearing it apart. Rhys fired two grenades, hitting the first one.

Another emerged from the trees running at insane speeds toward him. Moving again, he brought his weapon up to shoot, but he was slow this time, and the machine was already firing. He threw himself desperately to the left, jumping ten meters and rolling behind some bushes. His inhuman strength and speed was the only thing that saved him, but then there was a flash, and there was only a hole where the machine had been.

"Thanks, Sandy," he said while searching for the last one. He aimed and fired just as Sandy did, and it also disappeared. "That's all of them, time to go. Sanitize but watch out for the neighbors," he said. Rhys heard doors opening and sirens in the distance. As he ran, he saw two more flashes as Sandy got rid of the machines' remains.

***

"Any idea what that man, if it was a man, was trying to do to her," Sandy asked as she came into their 'dining room' on the shuttle and sat down. Kiania followed her in, taking a seat.

Rhys' eyes followed her as she came to the table. Her red hair and the midnight blue bodysuit looked, well, spectacular. Sandy didn't just walk. She moved sinuously, like a cat on the prowl. "None, "Rhys said, jerking his attention back to her question. "He may have just been trying to kidnap her, but Kiania and Amancia's shots just blew him up."

"Yeah, these guns are amazing. The rounds just took him apart. I watched the recordings of it this morning through the ship's sensors, and each round blew a plate-sized hole in him," Kiania said.

"There might have been enough left for an autopsy if you and Amancia hadn't shot him so many times," Sandy observed with a wry smile.

"Sorry," said Amancia, "but I didn't know what it was, and I wanted to make sure it was dead. Besides, Thea will be one of us, and it made me mad to see her attacked like that."

"Me too," added Kiania. "Whatever it was looked so weird right then. It didn't look like it was trying to take her away; I think it was trying to do something to her. We just made sure nothing happened to our new lover," she added with a smile.

Rhys looked at Sandy with a raised eyebrow.

"They only had sex once last night and none this morning. We are feeling needy, and we are looking forward to seducing our newest member of the team," she added with a wicked glint in her eyes.

"Easy, let's not scare her away."

"Oh, you are going to suddenly give her a choice," Sandy asked? "Too late for that; the Om will have her in a minute."

"No, but first, let her figure out where we are. Then after a walk on Mars and dinner,

I am sure she will be more than willing. Being around us breathing pheromones all morning will take care of that problem."

"You are just as anxious as we are," laughed Kiania. "I bet your balls are really backed up."

Rhys grimaced. "That's true, no need to remind me."

"I would be happy to take care of that for you," Amancia said with a sly smile, "just order me."

"Quiet now," Rhys said, "here she comes."

Thea walked into what appeared to be a dining room/kitchen. It wasn't what she was expecting. Instead of a meeting room or cafeteria, it was like walking into someone's home. Not large, but the colors were warm, and everywhere she looked, there was opulence on display—tasteful and welcoming but not something she was used to. An odd mix of comfortable and hi-tech was her first impression.

There were four other people in the room. The woman Amancia she had met. There were also two other women and the man; he must be the CEO she had heard about. One of the women looking at her had striking red hair flowing down her back. Her eyes were calm, welcoming. The other woman also had long curls, but her eyes were more wary, alert. And then there was the man, his eyes seemed to look right into her soul.

He stood up. "Hello, Thea, I am glad you are safe. My name is Rhys Smith. This is Sandy," he said, gesturing to a beautiful redhead, and this is Kiania. She was equally stunning, but Thea's attention was captured by this man in front of her. Tall, broad shoulders, handsome. There was an animal-like attraction about him, very masculine; down girl!. He looked like a modern Viking, she thought, or perhaps a pirate.

Gathering herself, Thea looked around at each of them. "Thank you, I think, though I am not sure what exactly happened. Where am I," she asked?

"One of our facilities," Rhys replied, "but let's have breakfast while we explain everything."

Thea sat down and then almost jumped back up as a robot of some kind detached itself from the wall. It approached the table and set tea, croissants, and some type of egg dish in front of her. Incredulous, she watched as it did the same for the others.

She looked around and saw the others watching her; Sandy had a small smile on her lips.

"Welcome to Miranda," she said, "we can't wait until you start working for us."

"Just one of the things we are developing," Rhys added.

Thea was quiet, taking a bite but not really tasting her food. Taking a few seconds to get her thoughts together, Thea looked up from her plate at the large paintings on the wall showing scenes from Space. They were beautiful, she thought, so real looking. She shook her head slightly, took a drink of her tea, and looked at Rhys. "I appreciate you rescuing me, but who was that man, and why did you kill him? And just where the hell am I?"

Rhys took a drink of coffee and gestured at the images on the wall. "Where do you think you are?"

"I have no idea," Thea said.

Sandy stood up and took Thea's hand, leading her over to the pictures.

She gestured at one, bringing Thea close. As Thea looked closely, it seemed she was looking out a window, not at a picture. Stunned, she looked at Sandy, clearly questioning what she was seeing. Then shaking her head, she said, "ok, great technology."

Sandy smiled and made a gesture with her hand, and the whole wall transformed into a large screen showing the planet in all its glory. Half was sunlit, the other half in darkness.

Thea gasped, feeling like she was about to fall through the screen. "OK, I'm impressed, but I still have no idea where we are," she said.

Sandy just looked at Rhys and shrugged.

"Would actually walking on Mars convince you," he asked?

Thea just looked at him, not sure what to make of the conversation.

"Take a seat, he said, "let's finish breakfast while I answer your questions."

Thea allowed Sandy to lead her back to the table. Sitting, she picked up her tea again; she did not think she could handle food right now. Rhys took a bite of food, then sipped his coffee. Putting down his coffee cup, he seemed to take a deep breath.

"You are on an alien spaceship holding position above Mars," he said solemnly, gesturing at the image of a planet and staring into her eyes. "The things that tried to take you last night were deadly alien creatures known as Om. They wanted you because we are fighting them, and somehow they found out we were recruiting you. Why exactly they wanted you is unknown. We discovered they were stalking you last night while you were at dinner and were able to get there in time to stop them."

Thea was speechless; she did not even know how to begin to reply to something like that.

"I don't mean to scare you, but you cannot go back to your house, the aliens know who you are now, and you will never be safe there. We can and will protect you," he said firmly, "you are safe with us, and we mean you no harm." Rhys went on before she could even begin to digest what he had said. "I regret what happened, but we don't know how we were traced to you. Yes, the story sounds too fantastic for belief, and you have only heard part of it."

Thea just sat stunned, trying to take it all in. She watched as Rhys calmly started eating again. She looked around the room at the other women, half expecting them to burst into laughter at her. Surely this was some kind of elaborate joke. Spaceships and aliens.

"We need you to help us understand the alien technology," the redheaded woman said. "Our plan was to get you to Tennessee. We own the company you were going to work for. Then we would have slowly brought you into the real work. But our hand was forced by the Om trying to take you last night."

The woman (Sandy?) reached over and took her hand. "We want you to feel safe with us; give us a chance to show you that what we say is true."

Thea felt like a deer caught in the headlights, frozen, unable to move one way or another. She looked at each of them, searching for some clues. Was this real or part of some elaborate joke. She was pretty sure about the gunshots and the man dying last night. Remembering being splattered with brains made her want to throw up. Thea put down her teacup to keep from dropping it, taking deep breaths.

"It's ok," she heard Amancia say. "It's a lot to take in. Do you need to lay down?"

Thea shook her head no. Fear threatened to consume her ability to reason. What she wanted was to wake up in her bed and discover this was just a nightmare. "I'm ok," she forced herself to say.

Finally, she had herself under control. "I'm sorry," she said firmly, but I just don't believe you; you realize this sounds like something out of a science fiction movie?"

Rhys drained the last of his coffee. "Would being the first human to set foot on Mars help convince you?"

For some reason, Thea wanted to laugh hysterically and wondered if this day could get any weirder. "Fine," she said. "Show me, Mars, convince me that anything you say is real."

Thea watched wordlessly as the planet grew closer. Sandy seemed to be controlling something with her hands, and what they assured her was Mars grew on the screen until Rhys announced it was time to get into armor. It was all so surreal, an alien spaceship, a spacesuit, walking on Mars, she still couldn't believe it. She was an engineer with a Ph.D., but despite all her intelligence, she couldn't seem to comprehend it all.

Then back aboard the alien ship, sitting at the table like it was an ordinary meal. Thea was trying to eat, but she felt lost, and horny, aroused. Impossible, she thought to herself, how can I be thinking about sex? Rhys is a sexy hunk, that's for sure, but still.

She crossed her legs again, trying to follow the conversation, but the itch was becoming almost unbearable. At one point, she caught herself staring at Rhys' crotch. She was sure she saw the woman named Kiania smile when she noticed. Thea blushed and looked away, but soon her gaze drifted back again.

The room seemed close, and her thoughts were foggy. I must be too tired, she thought, but then her mind kept drifting back to sex. Her own sex was leaking, and she was sure she could smell herself. Right now, she wanted nothing more than to grab Rhys and ask him to take her. She felt something on her thigh and looked down to see a woman's hand resting there. It belonged to Sandy. Thea thought she should say something, but instead, she just moaned.

"I think she's ready," Sandy said.

"Ready to get fucked," Thea blurted out.

She didn't know where that came from, but she felt hands on her, then Rhys' arms picking her up. Sandy, Kiania, and Amancia followed them into the bedroom, shedding clothes as they went. Rhys wanted them all there. It was better when they were all together, best to get Thea used to it from the beginning.

Sandy stepped out of her clothes and was naked by the time they went through the door. She couldn't wait to find out how Thea tasted. She could sense Amancia's and Kiania's excitement, as well. Thea was going to become part of the team, part of what the girls thought of as their family. Rhys giving Thea a symbiont excited her immensely, and she was going to be holding Rhys' balls as he pumped a Bob into her. Sandy thought she might have just had a small climax while thinking about it.

***

"That went well," Amancia said, licking her lips. Thea was sprawled out on the bed, sound asleep. She had reacted strongly to the pheromones and had been insatiable.

"When are you going to tell her about the symbiont?" Asked Kiania.

"Not for a couple of days yet. Rhys said, thinking about how to break it to her. Let's introduce Thea to the base and the AI first."

"You need to keep filling her up with Bob," Sandy said with a wicked smile. "Ladies, I think lots of pheromones are going to be required," she added with anticipation in her voice.

"You are so bad," Kiania laughed, "but it is a good ice breaker, I think. I don't know if she had ever licked a pussy before, but she was certainly eager."

"Yes, she was," Sandy agreed, "but I think she would have done anything to keep Rhys' cock in her."

"Ok, ladies," Rhys said, getting up. "Time to head back to the base."

This word was so full of life; they had not fed like this for eons. Even the lowest of the Om fed whenever they wanted. The nest had decided to take the risk to expand. Even the emptiest areas of this planet had food. They could extract minerals and carbon from the rocks if need be, but that would not be necessary yet. Plants, all kinds of life large and small, were food for the Om, and a site for a new small nest had been selected. Distant, but not too distant, it would start a new colony even though reproduction capabilities were limited.

The Om collective mind was concerned. A Drans minor-nest ship was unexpected, and their survival was now in question. It must be assumed that one or more Drans were present. The Drans would never turn over even a small-nest to a primitive species. Now it was imperative to search for the wreckage in the outer solar system. There might be salvageable weapons and materials they could use.