Alien Mine Ch. 23

"Bring us down; let's finish this," Rhys said grimly.

***.

"We found the problem with the sensors," Thea announced to everyone. The Om had infiltrated the system. Leslie purged the virus and added additional barriers."

"I can't guarantee it's a permanent fix; the Om virus is self-evolving. There are millions of possible permutations, and the attacks are ongoing," Leslie said as she monitored the system, noting the newest attempts to penetrate the barriers. The defense she installed was also self-evolving. "The system is secure for now, and I will know if it is compromised. The bigger question is how did they block our communications, which was supposed to be impossible, and why did they start working again?"

"Nelya was able to reach me when she reached her residence; whatever the Om were using didn't work there. This was a well-planned assassination attempt; they knew where Nelya would be and attacked when she was vulnerable. If not for Yaneta and Bugrov they would have succeeded. Her guards sacrificed themselves for her, and casualties were high. We will need to rebuild her forces as soon as possible. I know we all feel her loss," Rhys said solemnly, "and she died following my commands to protect Nelya with her life. Yaneta was not a good person, but she had become an outstanding soldier. She died well, and the Om attack would have succeeded without her."

There were solemn faces, and Rhys could feel the sorrow in their emotions. Yaneta had been the first of them to die. It was not surprising that Yanetta's loss hit them all hard even though Yaneta had never been "one of them." She had always been an outsider; still, losing a comrade in arms was always difficult.

"I have analyzed the nano-attack virus; it is surprisingly complex but can be defended against. I hope Rhys will be providing us with the antidote soon," Thea said with a faint smile.

"Bob has made the necessary changes," Rhys said, "when we finish up here, I will do my best to accommodate everyone."

Jessica could sense the sudden eroticism in the air and how her body responded to Rhys. Even now, she was surprised at how quickly sudden passion could cloud her thoughts, and the physical need for Rhys became her sole focus. She had been shy at first, but the uninhibited nature of the others and the shared orgasms let her quickly overcome her inhibitions. Her body was still undergoing changes as it adjusted to the symbiont's redesign of her body. She didn't look much different; the outward physical changes were subtle but enough that former colleagues wouldn't recognize her. She kept her athletic body shape, which she liked, and gained a few centimeters in height, giving her more speed and killer legs. Her stomach muscles had returned, and there was the slight definition of a six-pack now. The hard body look suited her, but Jessica was secretly jealous of Sandy's large breasts.

However, it was a sobering thought that she had been chosen to be Mika's bodyguard, and she would have no choice but to die for her if necessary. Jessica didn't mind; she would have volunteered; the threat against humanity was too great to do otherwise, even if she had a choice. Jessica didn't; that had been one of Rhys' first commands before giving control to Mika. It had also been when Rhys marked her with the dragon etched across her hip and abdomen, just like all the other girls. Rhys and Mika had made love to her, and Rhys had marked Jessica just as a giant climax crashed over her. It had been the most intense sexual experience of her new life.

Mika now commanded her, much like a lord in ancient days commanded their subjects. But Mika's control was absolute; Jessica could not refuse even if she wanted to. That control extended to the bedroom, of course. They both had needs; the symbiont programming from Rhys' Bob ensured a vigorous sexual desire and eroticism.

"I guess we are done for now," Rhys said, his voice tinged with lust.

Startled, Jessica looked around and realized the other women were naked and were stalking Rhys like he was a tasty meal. She hurried and stripped off her clothes to join them.

***

"I have found him, its General Fedorov, FSN. He was paid a substantial sum to provide the information," the Binary said. "We have been unable to trace the Om who contacted him, but he didn't act alone. Several important FSN and Military officers are not pleased that you replaced the former president. They have lost considerable influence, and the economic reforms threaten them and their patron's status."

To be expected, I suppose. I am surprised it took this long, loyalty is usually bought in Russia, or it is acquired by fear. I do not wish to be Stalin, but this needs to be dealt with."

I think it may be worthwhile to wait; the Om may contact him again. With Yaneta gone, they may think you are even more vulnerable and try again.``

Nelya pondered the Binary's suggestion. Leslie was a counterintelligence expert and now digital communications. She could somehow disrupt the Om swarm intelligence, a skill that would have saved Yaneta. The other half of the binary was running the economy of Russia, the US, and Israel, and was a deadly warrior in her own right. The two of them together as a Binary were even more formidable. The ability to interface two minds into one had been brought on by accident, but this Binary could break the interface at will and become two separate entities. Hua was different; there was only the interlaced mind with its own personality, and the women previously known as Bao and Mei no longer existed.

Nelya's symbiont brought up all the information on General Fedorov, and slotted it into her brain. She absorbed the entirety of it in seconds, noting his background, vices, everything about him. "I need to meet him," Nelya thought, "give him something that makes him valuable to the Om." He was a widower, she noted absently, but apparently had an active sex life, frequenting the more expensive strip clubs that fronted for prostitution. These were also run by the Russian mafia. "Binary, we need to investigate links between our general and the Bratva, or brotherhood. He can't afford the kind of women he is paying for, and a certain Oligarch is probably tied to the Bratva as well. Let's see where this leads. In the meantime, we must isolate the conspirators as much as possible. A few discrete deaths and some transfers should slow them down until I am ready to deal with them all."

"I will ask Rhys if we can stay longer, but tonight I will visit the clubs and deploy the small drones for surveillance. The financial changes I am making will restrict their ability to hide income or shift funds out of the country. We will identify the key players in a few days, and I will provide you with their financial details."

The binary was incredibly useful; Nelya wished she had one of her own. Losing Yaneta had been a blow even though Nelya had felt little emotional attachment to her. Yaneta had been a tool to be used, and she had been highly effective. Russia was a male-dominated society, and men both desired and feared Yaneta. Nelya would have to pay more attention to internal affairs without her. Yet she still felt a sense of loss. Yaneta had been hers to command, and now something was missing; Nelya felt incomplete. Something about General Fedorov caught her eye. He had a young daughter, Varvara. Nelya studied the image. Varvara was not striking, but there was a quiet beauty underneath. She was slim, petit perhaps, but with short blond hair.

A cute button nose, big brown eyes, and a friendly smile. A quick scan of her background revealed a strict, controlling father. Something about the girl attracted her; perhaps the seeming innocence or because she was the daughter of the man who had sold out humanity and tried to have her killed. She would add Varvara to the binary's list for surveillance; Nelya wanted to know every intimate detail of her life. Perhaps she could convince Rhys to give her a symbiont; it would be fitting that the General's daughter replaced Yaneta. Nelya felt her lust rise as she contemplated the girl. That was another issue for her. Yaneta had always been available to see to her sexual needs. Nelya's needs were different than the others because of the torture Yaneta had put her through before being rescued by Rhys. Yaneta had delighted in using the drugs to force Nelya to enjoy pain and sexual pleasure. Yaneta had been thorough, and by the time Rhys gave her a symbiont, the pain and pleasure were so entwined in her psyche that both were required to orgasm.

Unfortunately, the need for pain had been locked in by the pre-sentient symbiont as it developed. The others understood it, but it was difficult when Nelya was alone. Abstinence was not an option with the symbiont-driven sexual needs. Yes, she would talk to Rhys about Varvara tomorrow. Rhys was coming to speak to her and Bugrov about security and replacing the losses they had suffered. Bugrov was already sorting through replacements, and like before, she would interview and approve each one. Thea had already started improving her defenses; automated drones were already working to make her residence and the Kremlin more secure. New vehicles, armored and armed to stand up to a Trangrod attack. It would take a while to replace the losses and train new soldiers, but Rhys had now assigned a ten-man squad to assist. Nelya let her thoughts drift back to Varvara, picturing her, the young, innocent daughter of a traitor. Nelya relaxed, sinking back in her chair while her hands slipped between her legs. As her lust grew, she wondered what Varvara would taste like.

***

Rhys and Sandy walked into the engineering spaces to see everyone else standing around Thea at the firing range where she tested weapons. "What is it you ladies wanted to show me," he asked. Thea was excited about something; emotional waves of bright colors rolled off her, Kiania as well. Hua's emotional state was neutral as usual, though it might be a little brighter.

Hua and I have been working on a new weapon, and with the AI's help, we have finally developed something that works," she said, holding up one arm. Rhys could see a thick bracelet around her fight forearm made from Drans metal. It was perhaps ten centimeters wide and one centimeter thick.

"What does it do," Rhys asked, slightly amused at Thea's enthusiasm.

"Watch," she said, turning down range and extending her arm towards the remains of a damaged but dead Trangrod about thirty meters distance. A faint light seemed to spring from her hand, and a hole about the diameter of a quarter appeared in the target.

"Wow, now that's impressive," Rhys said. It was, and he immediately saw the utility of such a weapon.

"No, this is impressive," Thea said, turning back to the target. Extending her arm again, she made a cutting motion with her hand, and one of the armored front legs of the Trangrod fell to the ground. Then she proceeded to literally carve the Trangrod into pieces. Now Rhys was really impressed. "One more demonstration before questions," Thea said to Kiania, who seemed about to burst with curiosity. This time one of Hua's bodies stepped forward. An almost intact Trangrod was propped up in front of what appeared to be a concrete post, approximately one meter thick. Hua waved a hand with a slightly different motion, and the beam shot out. At first, Rhys thought she had missed, but the beam had curved around from behind, penetrated the concrete, and punched a hole in the thorax. Before anyone could speak, each body waved a hand again as if conducting a symphony, twisted her wrists, and then squeezed her hand. Rhys watched amazed, as two beams swept around from behind the cement structure from different directions, curled around the Trangrods head where the sensors were located, and cracshed in, severing it from the rest of the body.

Rhys was speechless, but Kiania wasn't. "I can't believe it," she shouted, hugging first Thea, and then both of Hua's bodies. You solved the field theory of the dissipater, disrupter, or whatever we call it."

"Hua and the AI did; I just built it," Thea said.

Could you please explain it to the rest of us," Rhys said with a giant smile. He couldn't believe what he had seen either; the impact of a weapon like this would change the battlefield entirely.

This disrupts the Higgs field," Thea said, holding up her wrist. The Higgs field is a universal constant that allows particles to have mass. The disruptor beam forces a change in the constant, just slightly, but it's enough, and that causes the particles to break down. Atoms cannot exist without the Higgs field. The Drans knew how to do this, at least on a large-scale weapon like we have on the shuttle. The Om presumably, their nest ships were defended against it. Until now, we didn't understand the theory. Hua and the AI worked it out, and then I was able to downscale it," Thea said.

"This changes everything on the battlefield," Rhys said.

"Not quite," Thea replied. The range is severely limited, we cannot control the field at a distance of more than fifty meters, and at that range, the disruption is too weak to be effective against the Trangrods. It would kill an unarmored human, but thirty meters is the best we can do for now."

"And how did you control it?" Kiania asked," you even made it go around a corner and cut off the head."

"The symbiont and tac-grid. It takes practice, at least for me; Hua seems to have picked it up quickly. Her control is pretty amazing. I don't know if you could tell, but the beam wrapped around the obstruction and formed a noose around the Trangrod head. When Hua squeezed her hand, the noose crashed in from all sides, decapitating the Trangrod."

"That also means we can't equip the soldiers with it or put it on drones?" Sandy asked.

"For now. We are trying to design a workaround to stabilize the field disruption pattern that doesn't require the symbiont, but for now, without it, no."

"Make it a priority, even at short range this will save lives. Especially if we have to fight underground, and I suspect that's the only way we will pry them out of the last nest they have."

"Of course, One," Hua's two voices said.

"Do you have more, or is that a prototype?" Kiania asked, eager to try it out.

"Prototype," Thea said, "but here, you can try this one," she said, removing it from her arm and handing it to Kiania. "I will have more ready by tomorrow, but Rhys, you will need to get the others back here so they can learn how to use them."

***

"Aren't you anxious to try out your new weapon?" Sandy asked Rhys. The two of them had made the rounds after leaving Kiania, who was determined to master the new deadly toy. Jack was back with more Pentagon brass and new recruits, this time two hundred Marines. The training simulators had been greatly expanded; the problem was having enough instructors. Rhys tried to stay involved with the troops, but recent events kept him busy.

Rhys looked Sandy over slowly, enjoying her beauty and the sensuous way she moved. Even sitting still, every red-blooded male would want her. There was unfinished business between them, and the urge to shift, to let the 'One' rip off her clothes and take her was strong, but Rhys pushed it down for now. "Tell me about Anita," he said in a deep, almost gravelly voice. Sandy flinched, and Rhys saw her emotions change. Sandy recognized the change in his voice, and her body responded. She almost got up to kneel in front of him but caught herself. Rhys had not ordered it, but Sandy had expected it.

"Anita is coping well, more than well. She is the rock for the nation right now, as you know. Everyone is scared, but word of her courage has spread. The story of the President's assignation by aliens, how she killed them, then took charge during a nuclear attack. It's the stuff of legends, and Anita is becoming just that. Politicians fear her, the military mostly loves her, and the American people idolize her."

"You have solved the military problems?"

"Most of them. Rhys"-Sandy hesitated for a second, not sure she wanted to tell him, but knew she had to. "I am getting much better, stronger, I guess. Taking control of someone is much easier than it was. I can plant ideas, change emotions; it's almost scary how easy it is now."

"I know, but tell me about Anita."

"Anita is tenacious, tough, brilliant on the outside, and very much under your control on the inside. You own her. I don't know all of what happened with her, but your control of Anita is absolute."

"And Mika?"

Rapidly taking over the middle east and north Africa. She is staying out of Iran for now but will move to take control soon. The country is in chaos; it shouldn't pose a great problem. Mika misses you terribly, thinks she doesn't get nearly enough of your time, but is looking forward to having Jessica there; that will help."

"Nelya?" Rhys asked without any other comment.

Sandy hesitated momentarily, reviewing her impression of Nelya since Yaneta's death. "Different, Yaneta's death hit her harder than she admits. Yaneta had become Nelya's right-hand man; she leaned on her for many things. Sex, for one, and perhaps the most important. Nelya's needs are complicated because of what happened to her. She also has the strongest sex drive of any of us, except perhaps for you. I believe the drugs and the forced orgasms had already increased her libido, and the symbiont only worsened it. It affects her and may cloud her judgment. I expect she will seek to rapidly replace Yaneta and that she will treat anyone we give her in the same way."

"The way you intended to treat Anita?" Rhys asked.

"No! I wanted Anita to love me, and I would have loved her. I wanted control, of course, but Anita would never have been just a tool to be used," Sandy replied with sadness in her voice.

"What about Europe? I need Nelya to start taking control."

The attack will be a set-back, but Amancia is busy behind the scenes reorganizing Russia's economy and linking it to the economies of Europe. It will be a slower process than other parts of the world unless you intend to use force."

"No. I have given you control of the three leaders and expect results. I am concerned about Nelya's safety, but I am not giving her another Yaneta. After you train with the new weapon tomorrow, go see her and ensure she understands that. You and I both know she is a potential problem; you need to find a solution. I cannot afford to lose her and will hold you responsible."

"Yes, sir, Sandy replied. But then she saw the fury in his eyes.

"What do you call me in private," he said in an ice-cold voice.

"Master," she said hurriedly, "Master."

Rhys nodded and pointed to the floor in front of him. Sandy stood, removed her clothes, and knelt at his feet. Her mind rebelled at this demand of submission. Still, her body welcomed it, her cunt immediately moistening, and nipples that became rock hard, and even her anus itched with the need for penetration.

"Please," she whimpered, barely recognizing her own voice

"Please what?" he demanded, standing up, his changed form towering over her

Sandy wanted more of something she couldn't/wouldn't admit to; her hips moved of their own volition seeking his touch. Slick pooled between her thighs. She needed to touch him, feel his cock in her hands, her mouth, anywhere.

"Give me your hair," Rhys commanded.

Sandy's hair flowed out from her head to Rhys, making the connection. She didn't try to fight him anymore; he was too strong, and she felt an overwhelming presence in her mind but not her body.

"Compliance, submission, and obedience," the voice in her head demanded, and Sandy moaned as the words filled her mind.

Sandy shook her head no, but there was no denying the throbbing of her clit, the inviting pout of her lips wanting him in her mouth, the sheer raw lust he inspired in her, and the way her breath was coming in fast and ragged. Rhys was not forcing it on her, but how could she, or any woman, resist. Sandy hated it but had never felt so alive, and she pleaded for more, no longer knowing what she was asking for.