Alien Mine Ch. 10

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Chapter 10 edited

When Leslie awoke, she was alone with Rhys in the large bed feeling great, full of energy, a fantastic afterglow. Stretching lazily, her muscles tightened but then slowly relaxed. I haven't felt this good after sleeping since forever, she thought, enjoying the way her body was so relaxed and limp. She turned to look at him, studying his features, a stubble highlighting a strong jaw, high cheekbones, and full lips. Heat curled low and threatened to send her up in flames, but she slid away from that delicious temptation toward the middle of the bed. Feeling Rhys stir next to her brought back flashes of dirty, uninhibited sex, but instead of making her feel embarrassed or ashamed, she thought of it with something like pride.

Then she remembered what she had been saying to Rhys, and she pulled the covers over her head and let out a small moan of embarrassment. Damn, she thought, suddenly feeling flushed; that was really hot, letting her inhibitions down had felt good. Did feel good, she corrected herself, feeling a flush of warmth in her loins. Though Leslie had no idea where that had come from, she was never like that in bed...well, she never had been like that. But apparently, things had changed. She let the words flow through her mind, an 'obedient slut' she thought, picturing herself last night in the throes of the best orgasm she had ever experienced.

It just seemed to get better and better with Rhys and the girls. She froze at that thought but let it go; no use in pretending, especially after where her mouth had been. She almost giggled at that. After Rhys, Amancia and Kiania had woken her back up with their tongues, then insisted she return the favor. By then, all her resistance and shame were long gone, and she had willingly reciprocated.

Leslie let her hands slide down her stomach and over the swollen lips of her pussy. Wet obedient slut, she corrected herself, letting her fingers play over her clit. Leslie giggled softly because she was, in fact, already very wet. She felt arousal, of course, but a sense of freedom, happiness as well. Somehow freeing her inhibitions made her feel better about herself, actually happy!! Losing herself in her fantasies, she pictured Rhys fucking her as she continued to slowly stroke herself. Then she realized Rhys was looking down at her, a sexy smile on his face.

"I am glad you feel that way. It is exciting for me as well, he said" as he pulled the covers off her. Leslie froze in embarrassment, but that quickly went away because of the look on his face when he saw her playing with herself, her fingers coated with her juices. "Beautiful," Rhys said as he reached down and pulled her hand away from her oh so needy pussy. He took her hand and brought it up to his face, slowly licking the juices from her fingers. Leslie thought she was going to orgasm at the sight. "Very nice, he said, but I believe I will take over from here."

***

Afterward, Rhys pulled Leslie into the shower and wasn't at all surprised when Sandy joined them. Sandy began washing Leslies' back while Rhys took the front. "She may have qualms about helping us take over the government, but there is no hesitation about how she feels about you," Sandy whispered in his mind.

"I think you are right; perhaps that will help.

"I could feel her symbiont; it's growing."

Yes, I agree. That would solve our dilemma if I could actively control her." It would help with his plans and give him an idea of how to deal with the Chinese scientist they would be recruiting. Kidnapping was a better word for what they had planned, he thought, no use trying to sugar coat it.

"It seems a little early," Sandy said, "it took us months for Amancia and me."

Yes, but it was shorter for Kiania, about five weeks. Thea's symbiont is there as well, though very faint."

"Is the process speeding up?"

"I don't know, Bob?"

"I have detected increased growth; I do not know if it is due to the small program changes I have made to optimize the brain functions. Or perhaps you have changed it."

"Me?" Rhys asked, "I just supply the seed."

"No, I think it is more complicated than that. Remember, we are mated; you may be influencing this more than we realize. There has never been a mating between a symbiont and a human "One," and, as you know, I had to rewrite my core programming to ensure your survival."

"Why would that change anything," Sandy asked?

"In all the millennium, there has never been a symbiont who has been able to make choices. It was the combination of human/symbiont that allowed that and enabled me to get around the restrictions placed on my programming."

"Does this mean you have free will?"

"Perhaps," Bob replied, "but Rhys has assumed the role of a "One", and my basic core programming responds to this."

"So you may be changing to meet his needs," she asked?

"I do not know; I have no way to measure it. I do not know what limits were placed on me by my creators. That information was destroyed when Rhys almost died."

Sandy looked at Rhys as if expecting an answer.

"I don't know," he shrugged. "I guess we are all just learning as we go."

Leslie had enjoyed the shower; in fact, she had never had one like it. She had been pampered, teased, washed, and dried. It was terrific, but she wouldn't have minded another fuck, she thought, shocked at her neediness.

As they sat around the table and ate breakfast, Sandy brought them all up to speed. "We will be arriving at our destination in three hours she said; Rhys, perhaps you can bring Leslie and the rest of us up to speed on your and Bob's plans for a base."

"Of course," he said. Suddenly an image sprung up in front of them, showing Uranus and the moons. "We wanted a base at the outer solar system. Away from easy observation from Earth, but also to serve initially as an early warning point for any other visitors that might be coming." He highlighted one of the moons around Uranus. "This is Miranda, innermost of Uranus' large moons."

"It is medium-sized, with deep canyons, substantial deposits of ice for water. Our plan is to scout some of the canyons, which are several times as deep as the Grand Canyon. If we can find an area that looks stable with the right kind of rocks, we will leave remotes and stored energy containers. They will begin building remote sensors to place around the moon and start building habitat modules. We want the base to remain hidden from observation, so we will initially build it deep inside the moon, boring tunnels into the side of the canyon as we expand."

"Wow, Talk about a black ops site," Leslie said thoughtfully.

"Exactly, at least at first. Bob and I worked on this, but As Thea's symbiont matures, it will become her project," he said, looking at her. We want a base comparable to the one we have in west Texas. Big enough to become our research center, but able to grow and eventually become the leading shipyard for the construction of our fleet. It is here that we will develop weapons and ships to defend the Earth. Hundreds and then thousands of people will be living here, so we will need the capability to expand as needed. But initially, weapons development will be the priority; we need to be able to defend ourselves if another Om scout ship comes to investigate.

"How do you intend to develop the weapons? I thought the technology was too advanced," Leslie said.

It is for now," Rhys agreed, but we have identified a weapons expert from a company we acquired in Norway, Sandy replied, smiling at Thea. We have also selected a high-energy physics researcher from China that we intend to recruit shortly."

"China," said Leslie alarmed, "please tell me you are not sharing this with China."

"No," Rhys said, "we have just identified one person we think is probably the best in her field, but she is Chinese."

"Her," blurted Leslie, "you are going to recruit her, give her a symbiont?"

"Yes," said Rhys. "My decision."

"Does she know it," asked Leslie, looking at him questionably, not sure how she felt about another woman in what looks to be a Rhys harem?

"Not yet," said Kiania, "we have been considering how to approach her. We can't exactly let her turn it down if we offer."

Leslie was quiet for a minute, "sort of like me," she said.

Rhys at least looked a little uncomfortable, but the girls did not change their expressions. "Yes," said Rhys, "we need you."

Before Leslie could respond, Sandy reached over and touched her on the shoulder. "Don't think it was completely cold-blooded,'' she said. "Rhys was very attracted to you; he still is, that made the decision for him much easier."

Leslie appreciated the gesture, but she was still wondering how she felt about it.

"Please don't feel that way," Rhys said with a smile, "I have enjoyed our time together and am looking forward to a long future with you."

Leslie thought it was the smile that did it, but suddenly she felt happy, loved, belonging. "We are all happy you are here," said Amancia, "and we can't wait to get to know you better," she said, leaning over brushing her lips against hers.

Leslie liked that more than she thought she should as her body responded as if on automatic. The brief kiss and the words implied much more than just casually getting to know you; she did not know how she felt about that. It was a little late for those regrets, she thought to herself, especially after last night where they 'had got to know 'each other' rather intimately.

"Good," said Rhys, "Leslie, tell us what you think." It was a command, and Leslie's body seemed to enjoy that, adding to her confusion, but she didn't want to think about it. Adding another woman meant she would have to share Rhys with even more women, and that made her jealous. Kidnapping a Chinese scientist, forcing her to have sex with Rhys, and infect her with a symbiont seemed awful cold-blooded, even for her. She understood the necessity, but she still didn't like it.

"I don't like it, but I don't see any other way. Remember, though, China will react firmly, and we will need to be prepared. I will do what I can, but you will need to be careful.

They discussed several scenarios, but Leslie did not have any better ideas on how to go about it. Grabbing her from her apartment was the most straightforward scenario. Trying to get her to leave the secure compound got complicated but not impossible. Bob could probably arrange a fake meeting she would have to travel to, and they could take her then. That was perhaps a better possibility.

While the discussion was going on, Sandy was busy in Leslie's mind, squelching her feeling of jealousy, insecurity, and self-doubt. She replaced them with a sense of belonging, being part of a team and a family. Rhys was too practical; while having a well-behaved senior CIA agent was beneficial, she would be much more effective and loyal if she was more than just a team member.

Rhys, as much as she loved him, sometimes didn't get women and what they needed. Binding Leslie to the idea of her family would be much more effective; that's where her skills came in. Leslie on her knees was an excellent idea she planned to see, but a Leslie who was anxious to get on her knees was even better.

Thea was different from Leslie. She had acted predictably when told about the symbiont, but they took her to bed immediately afterward. A long night that certainly qualified as an orgy, and Thea was much better the following day. Someone had stayed with her constantly, and after that, she seemed to accept it, or perhaps embrace it was a better word given how driven she was working with the AI.

Unlike Leslie, Sandy had spent a lot of time with Thea, constantly tweaking her emotions. Some bonds were stronger than others, and Sandy wove the strongest bond of all, one that women needed. She and Rhys made a good team whether he knew it or not, she thought. Her thoughts shifted as she got up and headed for the piloting station and the approach to their future home.

*****

Thea watched with wide eyes as Sandy brought them close to Uranus. The sun was very faint out here; they could see two other moons, but what held everyone's attention were the rings. Not as bright as Saturn's, they were still spectacular. Thea could count nine brilliant rings and several fainter ones. Sandy brought them close, skimming along the ice and rock structure and then on to Miranda. In awe of what she was seeing, Thea couldn't stop thinking about how she would engineer a base on the moon. She knew much of it was programmed already by the base AI, but later, after her symbiont was developed, she would be the one controlling it, deciding what to build, how to shape it for future needs.

She already had ideas, vague images of shipyards, automated mining, and refining facilities. There was so much to look forward to, and every day brought something new. Thea had none of Leslie's hesitation and didn't understand her reluctance. From the first, she was eager to learn and study the latest technology, anxious to link with the AI. Rhys and the girls just made it all better; she was living her dream. Thea didn't think much about her previous life, work, Rhys, and the girls kept her occupied at least 18 hours a day. Kiania told her she wouldn't need as much sleep when the symbiont matured and her body changed. Thea couldn't wait. Having to sleep was something she did begrudgingly and kept it to a minimum.

Watching intently while Miranda came into view, Thea thought about what it would be like to live this far away from everything. But even as those thoughts occupied one part of her mind, the other part was excitedly planning the base, weapons, ship yards. Oh yes, and more of Rhys and the girls. She giggled quietly, thinking how absurd it all was but how exciting. She wouldn't go back to her old life for a billion dollars, even though Amancia could probably give it to her.

***

Miranda was the innermost of the five-round moons. It was also home to Verona Rupes, a canyon approximately 18 kilometers deep and the highest cliff known in the solar system to date.

"Only the southern hemisphere was mapped before," Rhys said, "so we will be looking for a site on the northern side."

Sandy slowed their approach as they went into orbit around the moon, mapping its surface. They all watched in the control room, the first humans to see the moon close up. There was a mystical feeling as they looked down on craters blasted into the surface and the vast cracks and deep canyons.

"The moon is named after the character of Miranda in The Tempest," Amancia suddenly said. The character is considered one of the most beautiful creations of Shakespeare.

Rhys looked at her in surprise.

"Miranda is a pure child 'created of every creature's best'," she went on, "and she is the only woman character in the play."

"How do you know that," asked Sandy, "you never mentioned Shakespeare once in the time I have known you."

"My first lover read it to me. Miranda means 'the wonderful one' and symbolizes her beauty, innocence, and modesty. She was a fan of Shakespeare and used to tell me I should have been named Miranda."

Rhys couldn't have agreed more.

The terrain was rugged, the canyons formed by collisions of unknown magnitude, and seeing this for the first time made them realize how little humans knew of the solar system. They followed a grid mapping the northern part of the moon and identified four potential sites, each with deep canyons.

Sandy eased the shuttle down into one of them. The shuttle was about 150 meters in length in this configuration, not a small ship, but the canyon's sheer size made them feel like a minnow in a vast pond. Sandy took them down to where the canyon was almost 800 meters deep and 300 wide. The surface at the bottom was covered by debris blasted loose from whatever titanic event had created this crack in the surface.

Finding an area with small enough rubble, Sandy brought the shuttle to rest, the first spaceship to touch down outside of Mars. Gravity was minuscule here, and they put on their armored suits designed for space. None of them had ever been in such low gravity before, so it was an experience when they left the ship.

Leslie was feeling even more like she was in a dream; it was only two days ago that she had flown to Mexico. Today, she was about to step outside an alien spaceship on a moon that no human had ever come close to. She was seeing sites that no human had ever seen.

Rhys led them around carefully, each of them getting a feel for the microgravity environment. Soon they were jumping and exploring. Kiania seemed to take to it the best, jumping up and turning somersaults and otherwise showing off. This is good thought Rhys; we need to train and fight in no gravity and microgravity environments.

They explored two other canyons, but the first was everyone's favorite, so they returned there and left the AI, 50 bots, and the power supply. Power would last for twelve months, and Bob was confident the bots could reproduce themselves. Soon they would have 100 working full-time mining alloys, doubling in number every month. After two months, most of the robots would shift to tunneling out and building the interior structures. They would come back in a few months with fabricators, more robots, and additional power supplies to begin turning it into something humans could live in.

Leslie stood next to Sandy as she watched Uranus recede on the screens. She still had trouble believing what had happened in just the last few days. Indecision tore at her. Everything about her wanted to turn them over to the agency, seize control of the alien technology. Although it wasn't clear how it could happen, guilt rode her thoughts as she looked around at the others. What would happen to them, to Rhys and the girls? What would happen to her when it was discovered she had an Alien symbiont. Part of her wanted to give into the temptation they offered, to be part of this, one of the few with a symbiont.

She watched Rhys standing with his arm around Amancia in a silent discussion she could not be part of yet, and her jealousy flared, her eyes narrowing. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Sandy turn and look at her, and the anger shifted to a pang of deep guilt. Kiania came and stood close to her wrapping her arms around Leslie. Breasts were pressed into her back as Kiania said something in her ear. Leslie wasn't really listening; her eyes were still on Rhys. Her mind might be confused, but her body wasn't. She knew Kiania could tell but didn't care anymore.

After the events in space, Leslie found landing back on Earth and seeing the Drans base anticlimactic in some ways. But the idea that an alien base this large could be constructed under the West Texas mountains with no one even suspecting was disturbing. She was proud of the capabilities of her agency and would have sworn nothing like this could happen without them knowing it. Obviously, she was wrong, but who could have guessed at the advanced technology.

Even now, she had trouble comprehending how advanced it was, but her experience was limited to Earth. A few months ago, that was fine, but now her horizons had been expanded considerably. Leslie's face grew worried as the shuttle descended into its landing berth. What else was out there, she wondered, were the Om the only voracious race, or was that the norm for interstellar civilizations?

"Welcome to your new home away from home," Sandy said as she shut down power to the ship.