As Above, So Below

Jasper knocks some of the cans out of the way and thumbs the projector in the middle of the table on.

"Meet Ixar and Berkeley." Jasper says, pulling up their mug shots. "These two were part-time criminals until they managed to scrape together enough cash to buy a bounty hunters license. Mostly, they work jobs here in the Nocturne system but they've been known to go farther afield for a bigger catch."

"Both of them have a Code CX license, which means they can shoot first and ask questions later." Jasper says.

"Code CX-ers are the worst." Chet offers. "They're always trigger-happy assholes. I remember back on Janus, they'd come in and shoot up the cantina at least once a month."

"At least." Malix agrees.

"That said, Tombstone couldn't find many high-profile cases from them recently so they are probably a little hard up for cash."

The picture switches to their spaceship - a sleek red number with flared engines.

"When they aren't grabbing bail dodgers and lowlifes, they spend most of their time drinking on the tropical moon of Epsi 12 where they have a couple of bungalows."

You shoot Chet a confused look.

"That's about two days' travel from here." He says. "It's off the HavenConduit grid."

"So they are probably not heading home each night," says Jasper. "I called around to the local moorage and no one has booked the Flying Herodotus."

"Even Cyborg Jim?" asks Malix. Jasper shakes his head. "He told me to fuck off but I don't think they are there either. I think they are parked out in the waste. Which means they are probably crashing at a local den rather than trekking out over the surface each night."

Malix gets a wild look in his eyes.

"Oh shit, are we going to go bust some heads? Fuck yeah!"

"Malix, you are drunk." Chet chides.

"I am drunk but I could still kick some ass!" He says confidently.

Jasper ignores him and continues on.

"Tombstone found your bounty on the wave. It's not a huge amount, thank goodness, so I think these jokers are the only ones you need to worry about for now. The interesting thing is it was placed through a third party... but it was in OCC credits."

"So what does that mean?" You ask.

"It means someone with the OCC wants you captured but not enough to spend big money on it. A personal grudge maybe? Something they are working on out of pocket or on the side?" He gives a shrug and thumbs off the projector.

"Now Chet said you were looking for a ride off this rock. Where do you need to go?"

Malix stops squirming for a moment and all three men watch you intently. You blow some air out your mouth and dive in.

"I need a lift to the Abhaile Cluster." You answer. "I'm meeting a friend and need a lift."

"Abhaile Cluster?" Jasper is incredulous. "Who even lives out there? That's in the middle of nowhere."

"A friend." You say, absent-mindedly fingering the bracelet on your wrist until you notice Jasper watching.

"I assume you've got some cash to pay your way?" Jasper asks.

"That's right. We only accept cash, ass or stash." Malix goes for a high-five from Jasper who ignores him as Chet rolls his eyes.

"In that case, I've probably got two out of three." You shoot him a grin drawing whoops from the boys.

"But if you've got some heat on you, we don't need the extra attention." Jasper says firmly.

"Come on Jasp," says Malix. "Like we haven't dealt with a little heat before? And we're not talking much, it's these two dirt kickers. We will shake 'em after the first couple of jumps."

Jasper chews his lip, his eyes resting on you in a way that makes you blush.

"Let me talk to Tombstone some more, see if we've got a load to deliver out that ways. Maybe we can get you part way there."

"Thank you." You say. "Okay, who wants another round?"

###

By the time the party winds down, it is late into the evening. You exchange a warm embrace with Jasper that lingers long enough to be filled with promise. Malix gives you a similar if slightly sleazier squeeze and then Chet and you head out into the night air arm in arm.

The roar of the Twee Bon is now a dull hum as the two of you descend down the rattlecart to the canyon floor. Quick hooded figures shuffle past, illuminated by the honeycomb lights of the recessed caves in the canyon walls.

Chet leans on your shoulder, swaying slightly as you make your way through the streets and dive bars back towards the rattlecart to your ship.

"Hey, did you ever get a chance to call your folks?" you ask. Chet perks up.

"I did. They're good. The mercury farm is producing more than usual, they are thinking if the static storms don't hit them too hard this winter that they will be able to purchase an additional couple of SifterBots in the spring. Lassic, that's my aunt, just had her second child, and... they sound great. I miss 'em."

He leans on you unsteadily, body swaying to a rhythm only he can hear.

"You ever think about settling down?" You ask. He shakes his head. "Nope. Give up the stars? Never. It's where I'm meant to be, out there... in all that stardust." He gives the night sky a grand gesture and nearly tumbles over. You laugh, nuzzling into his neck as you two right yourselves.

"What about you? You ever think of settling down?" He asks.

"I have!" You answer reflexively. "I've got a husband, a boyfriend and a couple of kids."

"That's right! I forgot, sorry." He gets a little quiet as the walk stretches on. "Is it hard being away from them?"

"Very. Some days, it is the hardest thing but I know they are doing okay and having people who care about me nearby makes it easier."

Chet loops an arm around your waist.

"Well, I'm happy to help. You're a damn fine woman, Brenna Sweeney, I'm proud to have met you."

You reach up and ruffle his hair.

"You're pretty good yourself Chet."

Clang, clang! The two of you stumble onto the Silent Leopard, making your way clumsily through the cargo bay and mess hall and towards the crew quarters. He reaches the top of the ladder going down to his room, puts one foot on the rung and then turns to you.

"Hey, I had a really good time tonight..." he pauses, searching for the words.

"No need to stop now, I'm coming with you." His face lights up and the two of you descend into his quarters.

He quickly pulls off his shirt and workman's trousers and stretches out on his bed in his underclothes.

You reach up and pull off your shirt and bra, soaking in his gaze as he watches you intently.

"Goddamn." He whispers, and you can see him stiffening in his underwear, the outline of his cock pushing against the fabric.

You wiggle out of your skirt and underwear and straddle him on the bed, layering him with kisses, your hair falling in sheets around him.

He moans softly, his hands roving across your back, his lips eagerly returning your affection.

You run your hands under his thin shirt, rubbing his chest and abs, before scooting down and pulling his underwear off. His cock springs free, full and thick like you remember it.

You grasp it firmly by the base and slowly glide your hand up and down. Chet moans appreciatively and you give him a saucy grin, gently increasing the pace and pressure. You feel his thighs tense as he tosses his head back and forth.

"Wait! Wait!" He says, springing up and pushing your hand away. "I don't want to finish yet. You first."

He scoots over and pats the bed next to him. You crawl up and kiss him, cradling his face with your hands. He gently pushes you back on to the bed, and you let him.

You feel his lips on your collarbone, your chest, his tongue tracing lazy circles around each nipple before sucking them into his mouth hungrily, all the while you feel his fingers gently tracing your lower lips.

He slowly rubs around the hood of your clit, sending shivers through your body, as his kisses move lower and lower across your belly and to your sex. As his tongue replaces his fingers, he slides his thick middle finger deep into your pussy, rubbing your clit from the inside. You thrash and moan, crying out in wild abandon as he moves faster and faster.

You grab a fistful of his hair, pulling him into you, grinding against his mouth as the feeling builds and builds.

"AGGHHH!!!!" You moan as you cum, hard and fast, chest heaving as he continues to swirl your clit with his tongue, sending you into shuddering spasms of pleasure.

Finally, finally, you push him away, too sensitive and completely drenched in pleasure. He politely wipes his mouth with the back of his hand and climbs up between your legs.

You reach down lustily, finding his hard cock, ready and eager to be inside of you. You lift your legs and guide him in. He groans in satisfaction as he slides inside you, burying himself all the way to the hilt.

"Oh god, Brenna." His eyes are a kaleidoscope of desire and all you can see. He slowly pulls out and then pushes himself back in, pressing against your most sensitive spots. You reach up, caressing his shoulders as he thrusts inside you, hard and deep.

Slap slap slap, he grinds his hips down, pressing into your overstimulated clit, sending waves of pleasure before pulling up and plunging back in.

"Oh! Oh! Oh!" you cry out clinging to him like a piece of driftwood in a storm as he goes faster and faster.

Finally, he pushes deep inside you and his whole body goes tense, his butt clenching and he lets out a long, low groan as he cums deep inside you. His face is pure bliss as he rides those moments of satisfaction that you have provided him.

"Yesssss," you sigh as he folds on your chest, his head cradled between your breasts as he slides out of you.

Not quite ready to be done, you reach down and stroke yourself, reaching between the two of you. Chet stirs, lifting himself up off of you and looking down in amazement.

"You've got more..." he begins but you are lost in your own world, the roaring of your pleasure, the building crescendo. Suddenly you feel his hot hands on your sex, expertly fingering you, pushing you over the top.

You scream out your second orgasm of the night, back arched, toes curled. Finally spent, you flop back to sheets, content to curl up with Chet and drift off to blissful rest.

###

"Where are you going in such a rush?" Chet's hands are on your hips as you put start to climb the ladder out of the crew quarters. He pushes up your skirt to reveal your bare bottom, smacking it softly.

"Hey now, I've got stuff to do." You protest.

"Oh really?" He says kneeling behind you. "Something really pressing?" He pushes your legs apart and presses his face between your cheeks.

"Cheeetttttt," you complain without any vigor as you feel his tongue on your sex, your willpower weakening.

He pulls himself back up to standing, steading himself on your full hips. You grasp the ladder with both hands and look back with a grin.

"Just do it." You say and then moan as he slides his full cock into you. Chet rails into you, thrusting with wild abandon as you push back into him lustily, every stroke going deep inside.

"Yes, yes yes!" You cry out as he slaps your butt, using you roughly as you cling to the ladder. His thrusts become more passionate, faster and rougher, lifting your feet off the ground with his thrusts.

Finally, you here a low groan behind you as he finishes, shooting load after load deep inside your sex.

"Mmmmmmm," you moan appreciatively as he slips out of you.

"Okay, now you can go." He says with a cheeky smile. You give him a quick kiss, pull your skirt back down and scurry up the ladder before you accidentally tumble into his bed again.

###

One shower, quick change and meal later, you are taking the rattlecart down the side of the canyon to the market below.

Already the streets are clogged with people, robots and aliens, a hummering chittering throng of creatures. You make your way through the sea of people, stopping by the vendors' carts to look at their wares.

You weigh the currency in your hand. Since Lia still hasn't gotten paid for the job, you just have the pocket change she gave you but it seems to be more than enough for some trinkets. For Silas, you find a small collection of magnetic cubes that self-assemble into miniature robot that dances. For Rianna, you snag a beautiful shell necklace with color-changing shells.

You are skeptical about getting too many souvenirs but both are small enough to carry on your person and you are on an alien planet! How could you possibly come back empty handed?

The midday sun is getting intense, even down here in the canyon and with your Jakitta, so you duck into the nearest cantina, a series of interconnected caves with light filtering in through colored rocks in the walls.

You order a smoothie-like drink that Jaxica had ordered - it is cold, nourishes and tastes faintly of licorice and chocolate from a gruff looking warthog alien. Tipping well, you lean across the counter and pull out the pictures of Ixar and Berkeley that you had Chet print off for you.

The bartender gave an irritated huff.

"Those ratbastards. My chidling, he works at Quagmire, they spend their money there. When they pay. He throw them out regular like. He's strong, my chidling, like me." The bartender gives another huff, this one closer to a laugh, and waggles his eyebrow hairs.

"You go there, if they do be not there, they do know where they be." You give him another tip, pull up your hood and head out into the sun.

###

The Quagmire. It was notorious, Esiar had originally recommended it as a place to party on your first night but quickly changed her mind. Burrowed deep underground, it is reportedly the most expansive brothel on Twee Bon, a massive catacomb of interlocking chambers. Within its walls hold all the earthly pleasures that can be imagined. A paradise of drugs, sex and debauchery.

It takes you the better part of day to find the entrance, a discrete elevator guarded by two scantily clad women with neon pink skin. A few bars of currency gets you into the elevator, smoothly descending several floors to a glowing swanky lounge.

Stepping off the elevator, you are surrounded by pale purple light, club music and shifting dancers in the dark. You make your way to the bar, past the gyrating men and women and aliens, a dazzling array of shapes and colors and body types. To your right, bleary-eyed revelers gather around electronic hookah devices, blowing concentric smoke rings into the air and above you, men and women are shuffling into private rooms for more discrete pleasures.

"I'm looking for a couple of people." You have to shout for the bartender to hear you, her skin a pale violet, as she leans over the bar to listen, displaying a truly impressive amount of cleavage.

She shakes her head before you can even finish your question.

"No names. We haven't seen anyone. No names, no faces. Just business." She looks you up and down.

"I just need to know if they have been here. Can you tell me that at least?" She shakes her head.

"No can do. So what will it be? You want a drink or some company?" She gives you a second look, appraising, "Or maybe you are looking for a little work on the side? Our rates are very generous."

You defer for the moment, taking a drink and setting yourself up at a table in the corner with a pair of red skinned horned aliens with diamond shaped scales.

"Hello!" You say with a friendly cheer. They give you a little nod, barely stirring from their stupor.

"Hey, sorry to bother you, but have you seen either of these two people?" You pull out the picture. The older of the two red lizard aliens, barely takes a glance before making a face.

"Yes. I have seen them. They are here often." His partner ignores the two of you, eyes glued to the dancer's platform.

"Do you know where they are now?" The Lizard alien gives a slow blink.

"Probably entertaining company or passed out somewhere around here." The creature gives you a dismissive smack of his lips and then settles back into their chair to watch the show.

You sigh, taking a drink and scanning the crowd.. A dancer catches your eye. His lithe form moves slowly, a sleek pair of black underwear clings to his slender hips. He is swaying with the club beat but his eyes, his dark eyes are full of malice.

"Dr. Quilp!" you exclaim but no one can hear you over the music.

You quickly make your way over to him but he's up on the dancing platform and not making eye contact, his gaze raised to the flashing lights in the ceiling, distant and angry.

Frustrated, you make your way back to the bartender.

She looks up from her deep conversation with a six armed robot creature.

"Well, you want something else?" She asks.

"That one? Are you sure? He's kind of a pain in the ass." The bartender shrugs and pulls out a slender blue remote with a couple of colored buttons on it and hands it to you as you count out the cash. Renting him costs a pretty penny, about half your pocket change but you need to know.

The bartender hits the greenbutton and Quilp's anklet, ah yes, you can see it now, a grey metal anklet, lights up and he steps off the dancing platform and makes his way up to the balcony.

"Room number 17." The bartender says. "If he gives you any trouble, and believe me, he will, hit the red button to give him a jolt. Try not to fry him too much, you are responsible for any long-term damages, but don't be afraid to rough him up if you need to. His species is stubborn as a mule and pretty durable."

You thank the bartender and head up the balcony, walking through the eerie red lit hallway to the private dancing rooms.

You reach room seventeen and touch the remote to the door. It glides open effortlessly, revealing Quilp standing idly in the middle of a dimly lit room. A mini bar is tucked in the corner and a wide bed appears on one side. On the far wall, an oddly shaped couch is mounted leaving plenty of open space in the middle.

Quilp turns and his eyes lock on you.

"YOU!" He snarls and leaps forward, eyes filled with a murderous rage. He's fast, his fingertips latching onto your throat before you hit the red button.

"AGHH!!" He screams, releasing you and doubling over at your feet. You release the button and he looks up in anger and confusion.

"How? You here? How?!" You feel a moment of pity but then remember all the women he had abused in his city of glass and the terrifying melodrama he put you through after your return from Scotland and any sympathy evaporated like ice on a skillet.

"Hello Daniel Quilp." You say simply, striding past him to pour yourself a drink and then landing, gracefully on the couch. "I think I will be asking the questions."

Quilp, teeth clenched, stands before you and you take a moment to admire his muscular frame, accentuated by the slender black underwear. He says nothing, simply standing and seething.

"Let's start with the big one, how did you get here?"

"You should know, after all, it was you that abandoned me in that false Hotel..." and with that Quilp begins to pace, his voice finding the easy rhythm of a monologue.

"It was, after all, my second imprisonment inside a realm of my own creation but unlike my precious London, this one afforded me few amusements. The world I had created was thin, drained of people and filled with the sort of fascists that make poor companions with which to live out a lifetime."

He turns to you, his eyes blazing with a smoldering rage. "And I was not going to spend another lifetime imprisoned."

"So I set about gathering what pieces I could of the alien metal to pierce the substance of the world itself. It required quite a bit of ingenuity, if I might say so myself, including retrieving what I needed from my old shop in Seattle, but once I was able to obtain the necessary materials, I fashioned a blade - something sharp enough to pierce the walls of my own creation and set me free in our world so that I may find you and extract a pound of flesh," his eyes lingered on you at this threat, "for the harms you had caused me."