Andena the Rebel Ch. 11

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Lunn walked into The Haggert and as he had expected no-one paid any attention. The bartender had a crooked smile on his face when he asked, "Same as last time?"

This time, he wanted to go easy on the alcohol, and he replied, "Yes, but just one."

While he was waiting for his drink, Lunn thought back to what his financier had said to him about the woman who was mutilated by Bionex. He sincerely hoped that it wasn't Andena and wondered how he could find out who this woman was. He realised that Danette might have information, but the thought of another confrontation with her filled him with dread. However, he began to wonder just how Danette could have any useful information. There was no doubt that his financier had paid an exorbitant sum of money for the highly classified information.

But who from?

Danette, as a new employee at Bionex, was unlikely to have the relevant security clearance. The best course of action was to wait. However, Lunn ruefully conceded that waiting was not something that he was good at.

He knew that the ring was complete except for the North Pole region. He was more concerned about the location: even a highly concentrated narrow EMP might damage sensitive equipment and trip some fuses in an area so vast. Lunn wasn't surprised that Bionex had chosen the Bangly plateau as their practice area: it was high, out of sight and had no security cameras.

But as the financier had pointed out it was a perfect opportunity, and he knew that with a strong enough EMP, the androids, and the woman wouldn't even know what had hit them. Bionex indeed would suffer an enormous loss which might bankrupt the company completely.

He was a bit startled when the bartender planted two glasses with the amber coloured liquid in front of him and grumbled, "I thought I said just one!"

The bartender held his hands up in a gesture of defeat, as he pointed with his thumb to the left, "Hey! Calm down, calm down. The lady bought you one."

Lunn sighed and hung his head. More than anything else, he wanted a quiet night to himself, and he realised that coming to The Haggert had been a huge mistake. He knew that he was in deep trouble as soon as he heard her sultry voice, "I thought you would be pleased to have some female company, especially if that also means free drinks."

He chuckled because he recognised her voice. She was one of the county's most desirable prostitutes and a night with her would cost about a month's salary. He turned towards her and remembered how he had always thought she looked so beautiful. She was as stunning as ever, and the aging process apparently hadn't begun to take its toll on her. Her radiant blue eyes were still as mesmerising as before, and her skin complexion was flawless as far he could detect. She had clearly invested in her appearance because Lunn was sure her breasts were considerably larger than the last time he had seen her. He considered for a moment whether he should give her what she wanted but, strangely enough, he was not in the mood to bury his face into her fake tits tonight. He smiled and clunked his glass against hers. He was a little embarrassed that he had forgotten her name when he asserted, "I appreciate that uhmmm."

"Lily," she purred with a naughty smile.

"Lily, a nice name."

Her smile changed to a mesmerising gleam as she said softly, "Thank you, Lunn."

He finished the glass in one go and took the other glass in his hand. He marvelled at the fact that she had done her homework and knew his name. He was flattered by her attention.

"You're welcome," he said after he had taken some deep breaths to recover from the burning sensation from swallowing the alcohol.

He saw she had done the same, and as he pointed at her empty glass he asked, "You want another one?"

She smiled showing her perfect, brilliant white teeth and happily agreed, "Hmm yes. It always makes me feel nice and warm, in my tummy."

Lunn hadn't looked at her lower body, and he admired her flat stomach. Her crop top barely hid her gravity-defying breasts, and her ultra-short skirt showed most of her smooth, toned legs. Lily looked incredibly sexy, and she seemed to be ready for some mind-blowing sex, but Lunn was not attracted to her at all. He slowly looked up and saw she was biting on her lower lip as if she was turned on by his gaze.

It was a strange situation to find himself in.

However, he didn't crave her fantastic body and the only reason for this, that he could think of, was the emotional roller coaster he was currently on: Andena was missing, Danette had practically dumped him and then he had enjoyed an incredible time with Alice. The steaming hot morning with Alice was still sizzling in the back of his mind which made him feel quite insecure. He needed to stop making his life so complicated. Having sex with Lily right now would do more harm than good.

He decided, to be frank with her and smiled as he said, "Lily, my lovely girl. I'm here to get a little drunk, and then I am going home. I don't mind if you want to stay and drink with me, but I am going home alone."

He wasn't surprised that her smile never faded as she countered, "You pay double if you find me in your bed tomorrow, my dear."

He laughed and downed the other glass. "Okay, challenge accepted on one condition."

Her beautiful face changed into a wild cat which was assessing her pray. Slowly sliding her hand up his legs, she growled softly in his ear, "And what would that be my gorgeous man?"

Lunn lifted her hands gently off his legs and said, "No touching, no body contact."

She pouted and asked with a girly voice, "I can't kiss you?"

He had to laugh at how she had changed from a predator into a little girl. He turned his cheek to her, and as he pointed with his finger, he smirked, "If you insist."

She playfully pushed his face away and chided, "Oh stop that Lunn. I'd rather have another drink than peck you on the cheek."

He chuckled when he signalled the bartender for another round and said, "Well, you've had your chance. So, are we game?"

He saw the horny smile disappear from Lily's face as she looked up. Her eyes became bigger, and she said with a little tremble in her voice, "Maybe another time."

Right at that moment, Lunn felt two big hands gently grabbing his shoulders and he was relieved to see the black nail polish out of the corner of his eye. It was Alice, and it felt uncomfortably strange: as if he had been caught red-handed for doing something wrong. Lunn stubbornly ignored her by picking up the two glasses from the bar.

As he handed Lily her drink, he said, "Don't worry. She is nice."

Lily's smile was weak and mumbled, "I know who she is Lunn, and I think I'm going to let you be for now."

He took a huge swig from his whiskey, and he was annoyed that Alice had managed to scare Lily away. At that moment, the burning sensation left by the cheap alcohol was starting to annoy him, and he murmured glumly, "I see."

Lunn turned around to study Alice's face because he suddenly realised that she might be pissed off by the fact that he was spending his time with a prostitute. He was taken aback by her warm smile, and he could only stare at her. She bent down, and she whispered in his ear, "I hope you're sober enough because we have a major issue at the new headquarters."

He had expected to hear something completely different but her words impacted his jolly mood. He cursed inwardly that he was being deprived the chance of playing with Lily for a bit longer, and he was remarkably relaxed: aware that Alice had a tendency to exaggerate the severity of a situation. Lunn patted Alice's hand to confirm and said after a big sigh, "Hmm yes, Lily. I'm afraid I'm needed somewhere else, but I really enjoyed your company."

Lily got up from her barstool, and she smirked as she said, "Too bad. I was looking forward to having some fun."

Lunn kissed her hand, and as she turned away, he said to the bartender, "Two more drinks for Lily."

Lunn marvelled at how graciously Lily walked to the other end of the bar. The bartender's smile was crooked when he teased, "It's a shame you're going. I would have loved to see you fail miserably."

Lunn was surprised. "Is she that good?"

"She drinks alcohol like water without getting drunk."

Alice quipped, "I'm so pleased that I had arrived just in time. Come, Lunn, let's go, the guys weren't happy when I left, and I hate to think what state they will be in when we arrive."

Tancred was humming the special tune when he arrived at the hidden entrance to the field. He rarely visited, but today he needed more information. He was starting to get nervous about what could be taking the others of his species so long to come.

Arnost, was becoming a nuisance, and today he nearly lost control. It was hard keeping both men under control and at the same time, leaving strong enough imprints in their brains to reassure them that that everything is all right.

The vines opened the gorse just wide enough for Tancred to slip in. As soon as his senses told him that nobody was watching, he stepped into the field. The view of the human bodies intertwined with the plants made Tancred's stomach turn. The Earthlings physical appearance repulsed him, and he quickly walked towards the centre of the field while using his hands to shield his vision of the horrible naked bodies.

He was pleased to be able to step into his vessel. As soon as he entered, he knew something was seriously wrong: the whole internal structure was gone, and the ship was no more than an empty shell.

"What?" he bellowed hoarsely.

His booming voice echoed strangely into the spacious hull, and he was startled when a female voice said placidly, "You are always so blunt and forget to greet us."

Tancred had trouble recognising the female voice, and he screamed at the top of his lungs, "Who are you, and by Hondas what happened with my vessel?"

It took a moment before the reverberation in the empty hall had died down.

The female voice cleared her throat.

He couldn't believe what was happening and groaned with frustration. A male voice sighed and said, "Greetings Tancred, what can we do for you? You need your Joy already?"

Tancred finally realised who was speaking to him: The ship's servants. They were normally integrated with the ship, but since everything had disappeared they were most likely somewhere out in the field, but the strange acoustics of the empty hull were making it seem like those voices were talking directly into Tancred's head.

"No, I don't," he rumbled, "By Hondas, what have you done with the ship?"

"You told us we are staying here so we are building permanent housing," the female voice explained.

He sighed as he was shaking his head. He still couldn't fully fathom that his ship, where he had spent a good deal of his life, was gone. Completely gone!

He longed for something recognisable from his own planet: hearing a voice or seeing an image of his own kind would give him the strength to cope a little longer in this backward place. He asked while he was trying to keep calm, "Am I still able to contact the main fleet?"

The ensuing silence made Tancred feel very uneasy. He repeated the question and bawled, "Hello! I asked a question! Am I still able to contact the fleet?"

A darker male voice sounded reluctant, "No, not at this moment."

Tancred felt his anxiety growing bigger by the second as he yelled, "What do you mean, not at this moment? By Hondas! When do you think I can?"

"I don't know."

"What do you mean? You don't know?"

The darker voice started to speak faster, "It depends on when I find the transmitter again. I have no idea where I have left it, and even when it does turn up, I will need to find the antenna and the other parts to make it work again."

Tancred couldn't believe what had happened, and he screamed, "What by Hondas did you do with all the equipment?"

The female voice said calmly, "All unnecessary equipment has been used to build our living quarters and a medical facility."

He had to lean against the wall because his rapid breathing was making him feel dizzy. He didn't understand why they needed living quarters because as far as he knew servants of a ship didn't have a physical body. He was dumbstruck when he saw three bodies walk into the empty hull.

They were humanoid, but their features were vaguely defined as if unfinished. One was female while the other two bodies had the male form and one had darker skin than the others.

Tancred was completely flabbergasted and stammered, "By Hondas, what have you done?"

The female stepped forward, and he looked with disgust at her body. She had female curves like an Earthling, and her face was harsh and scary just like the females that he encountered on a daily basis. Her smile made him feel very uneasy and he groaned, "Why by Hondas did you choose to manifest yourself in those human bodies? They are so disgusting!"

She snorted again and asserted, "We are on this planet where these humans are living, and since you have changed into their humanoid form we thought it would only be appropriate to do the same."

"How did you get into the bodies?"

Tancred couldn't believe his eyes when a dozen vines appeared from behind the three servants and started to weave themselves around their bodies. The female started to caress one of the vines which was coiled around her middle, and she said, "The Cerasus found us and helped us to create new bodies."

Tancred suddenly realised how his body was responding upon seeing the vines caressing the three bodies. His need to relax and enjoy a soothing moment with a shot of Joy was there in an instant. However, he became anxious when he saw several Cerasus vines moving closer to him and he queried, "Why are the vines coming to me?"

The darker male said with his baritone voice, "You seem to make them curious. I guess the Cerasus sense your elevated state. Maybe it is better to follow us to the medical facility. We can investigate what we need to do to calm you down."

Tancred's eyes grew bigger when two vines gently wrapped around his wrists. He knew that resistance was futile, and he had to use all his willpower to stay as calm as possible. He said meekly, "I guess that would be the right thing to do. I'm curious to see what you have done."

His mind was working at top speed. He wanted to get out of the field as soon as possible. He wondered how this could have happened. His decision to hide his vessel had resulted in unintended consequences.

He shivered at the prospect of being stuck on this horrible planet until the rest of his nation arrived. He followed the assistants towards a large heap of shredded material which he recognised as the remains of the padded surfaces. However, his eyes almost fell out their sockets when he passed the heap which was a mixture of vines, wires and other parts of the ship woven into a solid structure that was nearly as high as the gorse.

He murmured, "How remarkable."

The darker assistant said, "Not really. The Cerasus are using the parts to extract the necessary chemical compounds to finish off our bodies."

Tancred counted that at least four Cerasus had been used to create the structure, and he wondered whether the production of the chemical Joy was being impacted in any way. The baritone voice shook him away from his thoughts. "The other Cerasus have the humans who were on these four, so you don't have to worry about the production."

"So we are still on target?"

"No, we are not."

Tancred was getting nervous again and hissed, "Why is that?"

The female snorted, "You decided that the fleet's ration scheme wasn't good enough for you, so you increased the doses yourself."

He knew she was right and that he had occasionally adjusted the ration for his personal benefit. He sighed, "How many units are we short?"

"If you consider all the delays and all the legitimate losses, we are about three thousand units short."

He gasped aware that he was in big trouble: The fleet's ration was one-hundred units per day which meant that he would need to stop taking Joy for at least twenty-five days.

He could get away with a shortage of five hundred units, but anything higher than that would cause him severe difficulties. He was aware that the fleet could turn up at any time, and they would definitely arrive within twenty-five days. He sighed and asked, "Is there any way we can increase the production?"

"No, the enhancer is at maximum capacity," said the woman placidly.

That answer made him shiver.

Tancred reckoned he could survive on twenty units every two days, but he knew he would get very sloppy with his tasks. The main reason he had been chosen to recruit a new planet was because of his skill to manipulate beings with his mind-bending capabilities. He had found out that humans were much harder to keep under control. He felt worn out, which was one of the reasons why he had been taking Joy more frequently than normal.

Without this wonder drug, he would have failed long ago. However, he was smart enough to realise that by taking the drug he was severely abusing his body. He needed to re-assess the situation, and decide the best way to tackle the problem. He was so lost in his thoughts that initially he didn't realise that he had entered a spacious room with a table placed in the middle.

The woman said, "Tancred, I think you should lie down."

Totally flabbergasted he stammered, "What? Why? There's nothing wrong with me! I need to go because I have a meeting soon."

Both men guided him to the table, and he knew it was best to cooperate. The table felt cold on his back as he lay down. He shivered with fear and disgust when the woman smiled at him as she said, "Relax Tancred. It will be over soon."

Tancred saw one of the vines hover over his body and before he could say anything he felt the soothing rush scorching through his body. His last thought was forgotten as the blackness took hold.

For the first time since meeting her, Lunn felt awkward as he walked with Alice back to the new quarters. He still felt like he had been caught red-handed with another woman, which was ridiculous. He glanced at Alice, who had a huge grin on her face. He didn't understand why she was smiling so broadly, and he asked her with a slightly annoyed tone, "What?"

She started to giggle and shook her head.

Lunn could feel himself becoming increasingly annoyed. The alcohol was starting to influence his thinking, and he sneered, "Alice I am really starting to get pissed."

She burst out laughing as she pushed him into an obscure-looking bar. He was surprised when the wonderful aroma of fresh ground coffee caressed his nose. Lunn allowed himself to be guided to a small table in the corner of the dimly lit place, and as soon as they were settled, two mugs of hot coffee were put down in front of them.

He looked at Alice who was still looking at him with a smile, and he was surprised when she said softly, "As head of security I should have been there earlier. I'm sorry Lunn."

He took a sip of the coffee and enjoyed the rich flavour of the hot, bitter liquid. He pondered her remark and asked, "What do you mean, Alice?"

"When I discovered you were Lily's next victim I should have left immediately, which I didn't."

"Victim?"

"Yes, you see, there's quite some betting going on as to how long the next one would last if Lily decides to play her game."

Lunn snorted as he realised that he had fallen into Lily's trap and said sarcastically, "How funny."

"At least, I have saved you from a huge hangover."

He didn't know whether that was true because he hadn't wanted to get completely drunk especially as he hadn't fully recovered from the excesses of the previous night. His mind was clearing, simply by drinking the strong coffee and he remembered what Alice had said about the problems at the new quarters. He wondered whether she had used it as an excuse to get him away from Lily and he asked, "So there are no problems at the new headquarters?"