Ask Alice Ch. 04

"What do you mean when you said that particular mirror?"

"That reality... kind of hard to explain," Alice said. Her toes and fingers tingled as she anticipated what was about to happen next. "The captain will remove his hand from my panties, smooth my dress down and slide the straps of the dress off my shoulders."

"Why did you call him captain," Pansy asked.

"Sorry, I meant that guy, the actor Harry Hoopii. He and Captain Kahakaloha are probably the same guy." Pansy gave Alice a skeptical look. "Like I said, hard to explain." Alice hated how lame... and crazy she sounded. Kahakaloha smoothed down movie Alice's dress and daintily pulled the straps from her shoulders. "Joy told him to stop being gentle and to tear the clothes off my body."

In a violent downward tug that made movie Alice yelp in surprise, Kahakaloha ripped the black dress off her. Movie Alice Instinctively crossed her arms over her bra covered breasts.

"I was so fucking turned by that violent little move," Alice whispered recalling the heat of the moment.

One of the men stepped behind movie Alice, grabbed her black panties and aggressively pulled them down her legs. Her hands dropped from her breasts to cover her exposed crotch. the same guy gripped the back of her bra straps and pulled until the hooks gave way then yanked the bra off exposing her tiny A-cups. Movie Alice stood naked and vulnerable surrounded by men in just their underwear with bulging crotches. Movie Alice dropped to her knees. The men dropped their undies to expose their stiff erections then pressed in on movie Alice.

Real Alice watched her movie self give spirited head to the men for a little while. "It's like I'm in the room," she said. "Can I touch them?"

"Yes," Pansy said, "but this scenario is not programed for full intimacy. The people you touch will not react to you."

Alice walked up to Kahakaloha who was standing to one side, slowly stroking his plumb brown erection as he looked down at movie Alice giving head to others. Real Alice shimmied in close to him, he was a foot taller, she looked up into his face then ran her hands over his wide brown shoulders and well developed pecs... he felt absolutely real. Her eyes dropped lower and one of her hands joined his in stroking his hardon."Amazing," she whispered. She dropped to her knees to get a good look at Kahakaloha's erection. With little thought at what she was doing, she took the tip into her mouth... it felt soft and velvety... and surprising, she tasted the saltiness of him. Her eyes drifted up to look at the handsome starship captain. He stood absolutely still and seemed to be shimmering around the edges.

"The film is on pause because you are interfering with the action," Pansy said.

Suddenly feeling awkward by her brazen behavior, Alice pulled away from the captain's cock. "Feels so real," she said lamely as she stood to get out of the way. The action resumed. She turned her attention to movie Alice on the floor giving head. She dropped to her knees again to get a closer look at herself sucking some guys cock. It looked kind of undignified. She ran her hands through movie Alice's hair, it felt silky and soft. Her hand dropped to her movie self's bare shoulder, drifted around front to knead a naked breast. Her eyes flickered up to Pansy who was watching her intently. There I go again, Alice though... behaving like a degenerate freak! Alice stood up quickly and stepped away.

Kahakaloha stepped in and swept movie Alice off her feet. He walked her to the sofa and lowered her naked body onto her back. He positioned himself between her legs and entered her. Movie Alice let out a breathy gasp. The other men... and Alice... gathered around to watch, each pushing in and taking turns brushing the tips of their cocks over her face. "Funny, I don't remember them doing that," real Alice said absently.

"You mentioned that Ishani was involved," Pansy said.

"She wasn't in the movie," Alice said as she watched Kahakaloha's ass move and gyrate with each thrust of his hips. "She was the makeup girl but Joy talked her into doing some fluffing. Fluffing is—"

"I know what fluffing is," Pansy said politely.

Movie Alice screamed out in violent bliss as her orgasm arrived. Some blond guy took the captain's place between her legs. The Guy lifted her off the sofa and they went at it standing up. Real Alice frowned, she remembered the blond guy fucking her in that position but couldn't recalled if she had enjoyed it.

Soon, Movie Alice was back on the sofa on hands and knees with the big blond boy pounding at her from behind. One of the standing men walked around the back side of the sofa and pushed his stiff erection into movie Alice's mouth. Another guy pushed his way in and abruptly shot a jet of jizz striking movie Alice above the right eyebrow, more spurts followed lining her right cheek at a slant all the way down across her lips. A big glob attached to her upper lip under her nose. Real Alice looked at her plastered face with fascination and bit of disgust. Even Pansy seemed absorbed with movie Alice's messy face.

"This is very unusual," Pansy said. "I used a facial recognition program—"

"No pun intended?" Alice asked stupidly.

Pansy frowned, looked at movie Alice's smeared face for a couple of seconds then said, "Oh, I see. None intended I assure you. As I was saying, I used a facial recognition program and it appears that the woman in this movie is truly you." Pansy gazed at the real Alice with a look of puzzlement. "How can that be?"

Alice laughed and said, "Welcome to my world." Than suddenly her world went green. The swooning feeling returned and she found herself seated at the testing desk in the worm drive chamber. Claustrophobia closed in and she quickly pulled the meshed hood from her head. The other cadets were doing the same each looking around the chamber just as confused. A voice boomed overhead.

"This is not a drill. The Miami has been called into emergency service. All non personnel must leave immediately. All crews report to stations. I repeat... "

The bewildered cadets and Alice stood up from their desks. Haiku's eyes settled on Alice and wouldn't look away.

Captain Kahakaloha's voice boomed overhead.

"Lieutenant Haiku, round up all off duty officers and meet me on the bridge."

"Duty calls," Haiku said still holding Alice in her gaze. "Fun's over, time to clear out." She led the group out into the hall and flagged down two men in gray skin-suits passing by. "Show the the cadets off the ship," Haiku said to the men in gray. She gave Alice one last look as the men in gray led the cadets away.

Part Four-Companion Pansy

Alice and the cadets followed the men in gray skin-suits at a brisk pace. People and machines moved about with urgent purpose all around them. Soon, they were unceremoniously dumped at the dock exit.

"I hope you had a good tour," Marco the creepy robot said. He scanned each in turn as he had when they entered. No one said a thing to the robot as he did his scans all acted as if he weren't there.

Johannes said, "Was your test in the chamber weirdly sexual or was it just me?"

"Mine was too," Matisse said.

"Me too," Kang added.

"What the fuck was that all about?" Matisse asked.

"That was so inappropriate," Johannes said. "Someone should report her."

"Go ahead if you like then you can forget ever getting an assignment on the Miami," Matisse said.

Johannes said no more about it. Apparently, she didn't want to sully her chances.

Alice was the last to be scanned and she was sure that the robot was eying her up as they walked away from the security gate.

The cadets gathered at the entrance to the space station's commerce mall.

What do we do now?" Matisse asked.

"A shuttle to Nippon's moon will be here in three hours," Kang said looking at her light phone. "Mrs. Liza said we can get on it and catch up with the rest of the class. Or we can go to the hotel and skip the moon jump and catch up with the group tomorrow. Our choice."

"I'm for the moon," Johannes said.

"Me too," Matisse followed.

"It's been a long day," Kang said. "I'm going to the hotel."

"Go to the hotel," a voice sounded in Alice's left ear. It was Pansy her FTL companion. Alice felt around her ear for the microphone that had to be attached somewhere but didn't locate one. The other cadets were looked at her so she quickly stopped fussing with her ear.

"We need to talk." Pansy said sounding grave.

"I'm going to the hotel too," Alice said. She had no idea were the hotel was but it sounded like all the cadets were housed together so all she had to do was stick with Kang to find her way.

"You and the cadets are staying at the Waikiki Hotel on Mount Fuji Avenue," Pansy said in her ear. "Your bags are already there but you still need to check in."

"Um... thanks," Alice said weirded out that Pansy knew exactly what was on her mind. Can she read my mind? Is she implanted in my head? She resisted the temptation to poke at her ear again. She looked sideways at cadet Kang who walled along silent and sullen. Every now and then her lips would move. Alice guessed that she was having a sub vocal conversation with her personal FTL companion.

After walking along in silence for a while, Alice said, "Haiku was really rough on you."

"Comes with being the child of a famous Senator," Kang said. "People like Lieutenant Haiku will always be at me. I just wish it hadn't happen on my first day out. If Haiku really is with the IIW, my mom is gonna boil me alive for being so stupid."

"You got another name to go with Kang?" Alice asked.

"Georgia."

"Alice."

"I know," Georgia said. "Checked you up on line. Number one in cadet skin-fighter class on your home planet. Number three overall in the Cluster. I'm number four. Nice to finally meet you, Alice."

Alice lapsed back into silence to avoid having a conversation that might prove her an imposter. They arrived at the Waikiki Hotel. On the outside, aside from a colorful lit sigh with palm trees, it looked like all the other space station buildings around it, white, plain and sterile. Inside was a WHOLE other thing though.

"Wow," Alice said.

"Not much holo-techture were you come from?" Kang asked sounding a bit amused.

Not knowing what the hell holo-techture was, Alice shook her head. If she hadn't stepped into the hotel from the sidewalk of a the sterile white passageway, she would swear that she was in the open air lobby of a Waikiki hotel back in her time. There were windows all around depicting a busy tourist trade. As they stood in line to check in, Alice gawked at the the window behind the front desk showing Diamond Head crater with a sail boat moving serenely on bright blue water. She looked back at the entry way and just outside was a crowded beach that could be Ala Moana beach park.

"May I help you?" came a calm female voice. Alice turned to the front desk and her eyes went wide as she looked into an abstract face made of plastic and chrome.

To hide her surprise of being addressed by a robot, Alice said the first thing that came to her head. "Umm... if that is Diamond head behind you, the view to the street should be Kalakaua Avenue."

"I will advise Holo Tech Imaging of the error," the robot said. "Please remain still for a facial scan."

Before Alice could say a thing, a light flashed in her eyes.

"Thank you, Alice," the front desk robot said. "Your baggage and those of your friends Joy and Ishani have been check in from Space Elevator services ahead of you. Use your FTL phone app Pansy to enter your room and order room service. The lifts to the lower floors are that way." The robot pointed a sleek glass hand to the direction of the elevators.

"Umm... thanks." Alice said. The scene outside the the front doors had changed. Although the cars and buses looked different, and the people were dressed kind of weird, there was no mistaking that she was looking out onto bustling Kalakaua Avenue at the height of the summer tourist glut. "Wow," she whispered as she waited at the elevators for Georgia Kang to check in.

"I'm on sub level S35 room 116," Georgia said.

Pansy chimed in Alice's ear, "Same level room 121."

"I'm in 121," Alice said.

"I hear that jeans are all the rage on planet Perth," Georgia said, looking Alice up and down. "You look good in them, but what's with the lips and tongue on the shirt?"

"Rolling Stones, rock and roll band from Earth long time ago," Alice said.

Georgia's eyes went blank. Alice guessed that the girl was checking with her personal FTL phone app about the Rolling Stones. After singing a few bars of 'Satisfaction,' off key, Georgia said, "I thought Blue Robot Heads from New Euro wrote that one?"

"Nope, it was the Stones," Alice said.

As Georgia rocked in place listing to the Stones, Alice gave the girl a serious once over. She looked Filipino but her last name certainly hinted at something else. She wasn't tall, perhaps five two, dark brown skin, jet black hair cut in a bob giving her a boyish look. Her figure belied any boyishness though. The chick was curvy everywhere where it counted with an enviable pair of C's up top. She would fill out one of those Navy skin-suits quite nicely.

An elevator finally arrived.

"What's a honky tonk woman?" Georgia asked as they stepped into the elevator. She went back to listening so Alice figured she really didn't need an answer, and to be honest, Alice had no idea what a honky tonk woman was either.

The elevator was made of glass and showed a spectacular view overlooking Poi Pounder Island or Chinaman's Hat out in Kaneohe bay. Of course Poi Pounder was on the other side of Oahu and no were near Waikiki. I wonder if it would change if I complained about the view again, Alice mused. The elevator doors opened onto sub level thirty five.

"I'm gonna call my mom and face the heat," Georgia said. "Wanna meet for dinner later?"

"Um... maybe. I'll see how I feel," Alice said.

Georgia Kang gave her a little wave and walked away, bobbing her head to a Stones' tune.

Alice found door 121. There was no nob, she didn't know what to do.

"Hold me out and say open," Pansy said in her left ear.

Alice did and said, "Open."

The door slid open with a soft hiss. She stepped into a room with corner windows overlooking Waikiki Beach. The room was absolutely bare, there was no bed, furniture or anything. "Where is the bed?" Alice asked. "And where's my luggage? The robot at the front desk said it would be here?"

"Everything is space liner hideaway," Pansy said.

Alice let out a small yelp of surprise when she found Pansy standing next to her who now wore jeans and t-shirt just like Alice, but her t-shirt was a bright sun yellow with the words Laga Snow in black liters with dripping red trim. "Like my outfit?" Pansy asked with a tiny spin. "Many of the cadets are looking into buying blue jeans. Just as many are looking for original Rolling Stones songs too. Rolling stone t-shirts are nowhere to be just yet but symbols of other rock groups are selling to fill the void. Laga Snow from Oort Cloud Doom Jam is the number one seller." Pansy pointed at her Laga Snow t-shirt.

"Nice to know," Alice said halfheartedly. She was exhausted and just wanted to lie down. "Where is the bed?"

"Ask for one and it will come."

"Bed please," Alice said. Right before her eyes a bed with a sea blue quilt of hibiscus flowers grew out of one wall. Alice tentatively touched the bed... it felt solid. She sat down with all of her weight dropped onto her side and curled up in a ball.

"What is wrong?" Pansy asked sitting on the bed with her. On impulse, Alice reached out to take the woman's hand but quickly pulled back with a start when Pansy rippled and went out of focus. "Why can't I touch you like I did before?"

Pansy came back into full focus. "The room is fully holo but you will need a neuro-hood to interact with me," Pansy said. "The service is quite expensive to use. It was not budgeted in. I wouldn't order room service either. So tell me? What is wrong?"

"EVERYTHING is wrong," Alice blurted out.

"Please explain," Pansy said.

"What would you say if I told you that just a couple of hours ago I was in a hotel in Las Vegas in 1983?"

"I would say that you are joking but I can tell that you are not. Would you like me to look up the nearest clinic that accepts your insurance and make an appointment to see a mental heath specialist? The hotel has a full time robo-doctor on staff. We could start there?"

"It was me in that pron movie we saw," Alice said. "You said it yourself."

"Yes, that was clearly you and the movie was not a fake. I find that very perplexing," Pansy said with a frown. "The approximate date stamp for the movie is the late twentieth century to early twenty first." Pansy looked at Alice gravely. "If this is a joke, it is quite elaborate. Perhaps my programing cannot appreciate the humor."

"No joke," Alice said just as gravely. "There is nothing funny about stepping through mirrors into the lives of other Alice Miharas."

"Please explain," Pansy said.

"You're just gonna think I'm crazy."

"As a personal FTL companion, my loyalty to you is solid," Pansy said sounding hurt.

"But?" Alice asked sensing a BIG but coming her way.

"But... if I find that your behavior is harmful to you and others around you, my programing will force me to seek help. BUT... if you convince me that you are not unstable, I will help you in anyway possible."

"Fair enough," Alice said as she rolled on her back and stared at the hotel ceiling. "It started in Honolulu in 2014, my boyfriend Nelson set up this sex party where I was the only girl present...

... One our later...

... and after the blowbang at the pool, I went back to the Roman Hotel in Las Vegas and fell into my third mirror leaving 1983 behind and found myself riding the space elevator up to this space station."

After a very long and very human pause Pansy said, "There are three possibilities."

"Just three?" Alice joked. Pansy gave her that grave look again. "Sorry," Alice said. "For a phone app you sure can give a good stink eye."

Pansy said, "Possibility number one, you are clearly insane and we should find you a good mental health facility."

"Not fond of that possibility," Alice said.

"Possibility number two, you have created this elaborate hoax to bring attention to yourself to further a secret longing to start a brain tube career. Others have done it."

"I don't know what a brain tube is but at least I'm less crazy in THAT scenario."

"Possibility number three, you are a Liner with a capital L."

"What's a Liner?" Alice asked. Her eyelids drooped against her will, she was a blink away from dropping off to asleep.

"A person who can travel in time."

Alice sat up suddenly wide awake again. "Travel in time? People can do that here in the future?"

"Nothing has been scientifically proven," Pansy said. "But there have been a flurry of stories on the internet of people experiencing involuntary episodes of time travel most claiming to have skipped to the future. Bloggers dubbed them Future Liners some called them Straight Liners mostly they are called Liners for short. Another sub group are called Tachyons, named after a theoretical particle that defies the laws of physics. Tachyons can travel backwards in time. On the discussion blogs such people are considered very rare."

"So you thing that's what I am?" Alice asked very excited. "One of those Liner Tachyon people?"

"No," Pansy said. "I think that you are emotionally disturbed and in need of help... BUT, you being in that film is not allowing me to draw a final conclusion."

Alice's mouth stretched open with a huge yawn as her sleepiness returned. She lay back down on the bed.