Alien Mine Ch. 13

Everyone went on alert when that happened. The US, the Russians, the Chinese, even the Europeans. We all tracked explosions across China and at least into the edge of space. People are getting mighty suspicious, especially after the last two incidents. The best guess is that someone, but not the Chinese, were shooting at something that started at about 500 meters, then moved into the upper atmosphere at an impossible speed judging from the explosions, and then into space. But, of course, you don't happen to know anything about that, do you!"

As soon as the conversation started, Leslie contacted Rhys and Sandy, and they heard all of it. "He's guessing at a lot of that, but it's pretty close to the mark. But he is right; despite our best efforts, evidence is piling up. I am sure they have a better idea than he is letting on. We may have to do something about this sooner than later. Amancia, Stand by if we need to retrieve Leslie if this goes much farther." Rhys said.

"Rhys," Leslie said urgently; I think there are as many as four smaller Om bases. I have been looking, and Bob and I believe we have identified potential sites.

Rhys swore as he saw the locations. They were in a broad arc facing west away from what they suspected was their main base. "Ok, good work; we will investigate when we get the shuttle up and running."

Shifting most of her attention back to the present situation, Leslie chose her words carefully, aware that the conversation was being recorded. But, nevertheless, she didn't dare block it. "Give me a month," she said firmly, "and I will get you some answers."

"A month?" the director asked skeptically, "how about right now," he growled.

"No. One month," she said, looking him in the eye, "and no questions until then."

"What about your job? You can't just keep disappearing; too many people are asking questions now."

"Sir, I need a month. You put me on special assignment and cover for me. I can stay in touch and still do my job. I will have some answers in a month."

"What's going on Leslie, you ask for a month, but why is it no one knows anything else about this but you? No one! Not the FBI, not NSA, DIA, or any other three-letter initials, only you. And I am supposed to trust you for a month. Every major power was on red alert just a few days ago, and none of them or us have a clue why, but you do, don't you!"

"I need a month," Leslie repeated firmly; otherwise, I don't know anything," she said firmly.

The director looked at her like he had something sour in his mouth. "You better not be fucking with me; you get a month; after that, I will not protect you. Believe me, there are some who think you should be locked up in a small cell buried out in the middle of nowhere under interrogation right now. I can't continue to protect you; there are too many unanswered questions, and after the latest incident, I'm beginning to agree with those who want you to answer their questions."

"I understand," she said, "a month. I'm in the middle of something, something vital. I can't tell anyone yet, but I will have something concrete in a month."

"If you make me regret this, so will you. "Don't let me down on this, Leslie, or you will be under interrogation in one of your own sites."

"I understand," she said firmly.

"And just what do you intend to tell him in a month?" Sandy asked in amusement.

"I have no fucking idea, but I will think of something. Besides, at the rate things are happening, there may be several new problems to explain by then."

"What about those killings? I don't like the sound of that," Rhys said.

"Me neither, Amancia and I will look into it; Bob has grabbed all the information already.

"All right," Rhys said after a few seconds, "but we don't know what this is. We will be there in a few days, be careful until then."

'Yes, Sir," both girls replied.

That morning, Huan received a short call from someone she didn't know and didn't recognize the voice. The voice simply said there would be an email that she might find interesting, then hung up. The call didn't sound threatening, but she was concerned that someone had found out about her activities and would be blackmailing or threatening her.

Huan had a lot of enemies, so quickly turning to her screen, she brought up the email. She was surprised when she opened the message. At first, there was nothing on the monitor. Then, it blinked, and information appeared about another high official and his offshore accounts, mistresses, and video evidence that were surprisingly high quality. Huan watched all of them, and even fast-forwarding, it took an hour. Huan carefully checked to see if her door was locked, and downloaded the evidence onto a memory stick, then made four more copies before deleting it from her computer.

Information like this opened several possibilities if correct. She could expose him and gain recognition or blackmail him for support and money. Both options were appealing, but why had someone sent this to her, was it a trap? She would have to be very careful; one did not accuse a person of his importance without firm evidence; that would be the end of her career, if not jail. And one of the women he was with, that was explosive.

Huan felt her excitement rise, like a giant hawk swooping in for the kill. For kill, it may well be if this information proved correct. The anticipation of the demise of a superior was intoxicating to Huan as she began her own search for the data. Now that she knew where to look, finding the banking information would not take long. But why was someone feeding her this information? Were they just using her to get rid of someone? Huan had not survived the cutthroat competition this long by letting someone else play her. Still, a man this senior could help her career along if played right, and Huan was an expert at this

Mika woke up in Rhy's bed, forgetting where she was for a moment, then closed her eyes as the events from last night ran through her mind. What had started out as a seduction of Rhys had turned into first a threesome, then a foursome as another woman had joined them. Mika blushed and moaned to herself, thinking about what had happened with the four of them. MY God! She thought, I never expected to do something like that! But even as she castigated herself mentally, her body began to react to the memories in a very different way.

Rhys had been better in bed than she expected. Hell, better than any man she had slept with. She felt pleasantly sore in places; it felt good. And Sandy, that surprised her. She wasn't really into women, but last night was a little eye-opening. Sandy's tattoo was intriguing, to say the least; she had never seen anything like it. And her clit ring, Mika had always wanted one but could never bring herself to get pierced like that.

Her breathing quickened as Rhys' strong hand slid over her stomach, then up, taking possession of one of her breasts. Rhys's touch excited her, and Mika gasped as her body seemed to go from zero to ready for sex in just an instant.

"Good morning, beautiful," she heard Rhys say as he leaned over and kissed her. Mika moaned, responding passionately even after they had made love several times last night. OMG, where was her control, or even common sense? Then Mika felt kisses on her thighs, a long tongue heading for her sex. In a moment of clarity, she struggled to sit up for a moment, but Rhys pressed her down, his kisses driving her crazy. Finally, giving up the pretense of modesty, she spread her thighs, and the other pair of lips found her pussy. After that, Mika just surrendered to the passion that was quickly overwhelming her.

Later after a shower together and getting dressed, they talked over breakfast and coffee. It could have been awkward, but Rhys and Sandy kept Mika in a slightly aroused state. They could both feel Mika's excitement when they suggested hiring her as a consultant along with a substantial retainer fee. "What we are suggesting," said Sandy over coffee, deciding it was time to give her some tantalizing details, "is that the Miranda Group needs a friend here, as we are expanding our stake in several companies in your country. A friend that can help us and guide us through any pitfalls."

"A friend?" said Mika, clearly indicating she wanted to know what benefits went along with being a friend.

"If she only knew," Kiania laughed. She was outside having coffee watching everyone who was watching Rhys and Mika. So far, it was just Israeli's spying on them, undoubtedly frustrated because, despite their best efforts, they had been unable to penetrate Kiania's security measures. Then, of course, they would debrief Mika, but it was unlikely that she would admit to taking the large bribe that had just been deposited in an account in the Cayman Islands, courtesy of drug cartel money. Amancia enjoyed stealing from the bad guys.

"Yes, friends and the rewards of friendship should be mutual; don't you agree," said Rhys?

"Of course," Sandy went on before Mika could reply, "we would want to see our friends secure in their positions, and we all want to prosper financially," she added with a smile and a wink. "And we would want to stay in close touch; we expect Rhys and I will need to be here much more often as investments increase." Sandy leaned toward Mika so that her hair lay against Mika's bare shoulder while at the same time touching her on the arm and letting her fingers linger for a second.

Mika shivered as a bolt of lust shot through her at the touch. Her brain felt fuzzy from the arousal her body was experiencing, and while she reacted to Sandy's touch, her eyes were focused like lasers on Rhys.

"That certainly got a reaction from her," Rhys said; "I think it is a done deal."

Yes, as far as Mika was concerned, she couldn't say yes fast enough. They were offering her help with her career, as well as a paycheck. She could keep it hidden in offshore accounts. The greed, pheromones, and the minor tweaks Rhys and Sandy gave her pleasure centers had her squirming in her chair again.

Mika wondered if she had time to get Rhys and Sandy back into bed again. Thinking about another woman like that surprised her. But then sex with the two of them, well, the three of them, had been the best of her life. And deep down, Mika was a sensual creature. So, of course, she was going to say yes to their proposal.

***

Mei watched as Bao worked with the AI, wholly immersed in the experience as she explored mathematics in a way she had never dreamed possible. The new interface Thea had designed was a vast improvement to the original, and they would need it when they brought normal humans in. Mei had an even better connection; of course, the symbiont allowed her to link directly with her mind, none of the clumsy electronic connections. Like the difference between the telegraph and the modern internet.

Mei followed Bao's progress as she looked through the math, reviewed the work Mei had already started. She had been trying to understand how the laser beams generated so much power and how the beam remained coherent over distances previously unimaginable. Still, Mei hadn't made much progress yet. She was good at math, but her fundamental skills lay in physics, and Bao was a much better mathematician. Without Bao, she had felt handicapped, like missing an arm.

Once Bao had a symbiont, her life would never be the same again. On the one hand, she wanted Bao to find the happiness she had found here, but on the other, she had been responsible for what happened to her, and it was Mei's own selfish desire to keep Bao with her that had led to this.

Mei thought about the changes she had undergone since being taken from her car that night. The physical ones were continuing, not yet complete, but the total transmutation of her mind, well, that was the most profound. It was revolutionary. Her mental agility, memory, speed of thought had all been expanded to such an extent that she sometimes wondered if she could be considered human anymore. Her thoughts seemed clearer, her mind quick, so quick that it seemed to race to absorb information like a sponge. And the AI and the symbiont; that was almost as good as the sex. Now she could interface directly, and where before there was a trickle of information between them, now it was more like a fire hose.

She hadn't been able to wait for Bao to get here, the two of them working together with the AI; well, she was sure they could understand the secrets of the alien technology. Mei's body was still being transformed in a way that Rhys desired, and so did she. But, along with this transformation of her mind and body, she had found a love so deep, a love that consumed her. Mei wanted that for Bao as well. She Wanted Bao to experience the complete joy and rapture she found in Rhys' arms. She knew it was selfish of her, but Bao was here now, and the rest was inevitable. Mei just hoped Bao would forgive her.

Look at this," Mei said, showing Bao the hologram depicting energy output levels from the Quantized Inertia drive they were designing. "Shifting this by 0.0034719 degrees makes all the difference."

"Yes," said Bao replied impatiently," tearing herself away from a series of equations she had been studying, but I cannot interact like you do, and working out the math for the field stabilization may be impossible. Sandy told me about the symbiont," Bao said seriously with a thoughtful expression on her face. "I will need that if I am going to be much help," she said calmly.

"I am so sorry Bao, I am not sure I have done the right thing, but I couldn't just leave you there. I was too selfish; I wanted you here with me; I made Rhys agree to it before I really understood what having the symbiont meant."

"Sandy told me everything."

"Everything?"

"Yes, the symbiont, how you get it, what it does to your body. She also explained why I reacted like I did when I came into the bedroom. I am sorry, I didn't mean to, well, you know," she said shyly while blushing furiously at the same time.

Mei knew exactly what Bao meant. Bao had watched Mei act like a complete slut begging Rhys to take her in the ass, and had been overcome by the pheromones.

"No, I am the one to apologize. Oh, Bao, I am so ashamed, but I love Rhys so much. And the other girls as well," she admitted. "I didn't mean for you to see that without knowing everything about the symbiont first."

"Yes, Sandy explained that too," Bao said shyly. She turned to Mei and looked directly at her. "I don't care though, this is too fantastic, the technology, the completely new math, I never dreamed anything like this existed. Mei, this is the most important thing in the world, and well, the symbiont is a small price to pay. So I am willing, though Sandy was clear I didn't really have a choice. But I don't care, I would do anything to have the insights and resources you have, and I want to understand this math more than anything. There are concepts I have never even dreamed of. Besides, she said shyly, looking down, I would not mind Rhys; he is very handsome," she added quietly.

Mei could see that Bao was already smitten; Rhys and the pheromones had that effect on women; it certainly had on her.

***

Leslie looked over a pit that had been excavated by the FBI. It was the site where they had fought the commando team and the Om. The area had been fenced off while investigators had shifted through the debris, trying to understand what had happened. Leslie and Amancia were here because of the bones sticking up out of the ground. Work had been halted when the bones had been found. The bones were scattered over a 20-meter square area, and Leslie could see pieces of skulls, a jaw bone that was broken with missing teeth. Next to it was a femur sticking up, shattered about halfway, she guessed. Worse, she realized with growing horror that some of the skulls were small, probably children.

"Why did you bring me here?" she asked the FBI agent in charge. His name was Joseph Franklin, a man of medium height, short brown hair, and a no-nonsense kind of attitude. His blue suit, white shirt, and tie were bureaucratic camouflage, but his features were so nondescript that his own mother couldn't have picked him out of a lineup. Yet, despite his appearance, Leslie guessed he would hold the line if commanded, never giving an inch.

He looked at her with suspicious eyes, dark brown and intense. Leslie couldn't really blame him, given what had they had found. They estimated at least 15 human victims, but they were still digging out bones. There were animal bones of various kinds mixed in; dogs, cats, squirrels, raccoons, and rats. Basically, every mammal that could be found in the area.

"So you know what these bones all have in common?" he asked.

Leslie could guess, but she just shook her head no.

"They all have an unusual bite and gnaw marks that don't correspond to any known animal, especially one that eats such a wide variety of prey. The only time we have seen anything like this was the bodies recovered from your home," he said, staring into her eyes. "Do you know anything about this?"

She did, more than she wanted to. Leslie guessed they had missed sanitizing part of the Om lair, but then again, they had injuries, and the police were arriving on the scene. There hadn't been time for a careful inspection to be sure they had wiped all the evidence; apparently, they had missed the kitchen and the dining room. Leslie kept her eyes dead, showing no emotion. "No, I have no idea. I was briefed on this event, but I don't know the details."

"Ms. Clarke, some of my colleagues think you and the CIA are not being very forthcoming. In fact, there are suspicions that you, in particular, are withholding important information of terrorist activities now involving the deaths of over 20 people, some of them children," he said with a cold voice. There was fury underneath the words, but she didn't blame him considering he had been at her home and seen the victims, and now this.

"No, I don't know anything about it, Mr. Franklin," she said, her voice firm but without any emotion. I have never seen anything like this before," she added, gesturing toward where the bones were being excavated. But I would like to help in any way I can; I am as interested as you are in finding out who killed and ate my friends."

Agent Franklin regarded her as if she were an unsavory piece of evidence. Apparently, her credibility had suffered outside her agency as well.

"Agent Franklin does not seem to believe you," Amancia said, with a smile in her voice.

"No, I don't think so either," Leslie replied, mentally reviewing the agent's record Bob had provided her. Fifteen years and now a senior agent. His performance reviews were all top-notch, and he had been involved in a couple of combat situations and assignments in Mexico with the DEA.

"I would like to see the other bodies, the new ones," she told the agent. "This is an FBI investigation, Ms. Clarke."

"Of course, but if you want me to help, I need to see the other bodies."

Agent Franklin looked as though he would refuse but instead seemed to change his mind. "Ok, let's go down and take a look, but I hope you have a strong stomach.

***

Looking over the bodies did require a strong stomach, Leslie thought, or a symbiont enhanced one. Not so much because of the way they looked, but because of the stench of Om that clung to them. The agent couldn't sense it, but she could, and so could Amancia. The victims' faces were frozen in a grimace of horror and pain. The chest had exploded violently outward, but there was nothing inside; the rib cage and chest shattered and broken open from the inside.