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The sensor eventually powered down and the tube opened up. I left it and claimed my briefs. Najali was even paler than before and Jenala eyed me with a mix of curiosity and frustration.

The Nor pulled a data chip from the scanning tube's operating console and returned to the desk. A moment later, a series of holograms depicting the most vital layers of my body appeared. I recognized the skeleton, cardiovascular system and food tract while other readouts were less obvious to me. Like peeling the skin off an onion, Najali swiped several layers aside until only the ghost of my skeleton was barely visible. Some kind of sleeve was visible around four of the larger vertebrae of the thoracic curve, opposite my sternum.

"Oh my," Najali said. "My condolences."

I almost twitched out of my chair as Jenala placed her hand on my naked shoulder. "Would someone please clue me in? What are we looking at?"

"This is a Nano-Shot," Najali said, needlessly indicating the foreign mass wound around my spinal cord. "A device to exert control over someone."

"Is it dangerous?" Jenala asked.

"Unless you're cuddling right up to Mr. Rios when it explodes, no. For him, it will be fatal. The explosion of the agitated nano-matter will not only obliterate a good chunk of his spinal cord, the resulting debris will act like shrapnel, tearing apart whatever is inside his chest cavity. Since he's a member of a Precursor species, that would include his heart, lungs and a good chunk of his digestive system. Chances of survival are...," she shrugged helplessly, "not good."

"How can this thing be deactivated?" Jenala snapped. "I need him!"

"That's the problem. No one has found a way to successfully remove a Nano-Shot. It's highly restricted black-ops tech. It also converts a certain amount of his own body tissue into reaction mass for its explosion. How long have you had it, Mr. Rios?"

"Three years." I squirmed in my chair.

"And no one has seen the literal bomb wound around your spine yet?" Jenala asked. Her hand slashed towards the scanning tube. "Even with this high-end scanner?"

Najali shook her head. "Like I said, it's highly classified. Most scanning tubes conveniently ignore it or classify it as muscle tissue. I've only found it because I ran a deep genetic scan and had the tube record areas where cells displayed anomalous DNA strings. Or in the case of the Nano-Shot, none at all."

"Since you seem to know so much about it, here's another question for you, doc," I said. My stomach was doing more impressive somersaults than during any high-G turns I'd ever flown. Over the past three years, I hadn't really forgotten about the bomb inside me. Early on, whenever I visited a space station, I had the local docs check up on me but few doctors knew about the tech or could even find it. Eventually I just gave up and hoped Neira wouldn't use it and it faded into the background, another worry on my ever-growing pile.

My slowly rotating hologram on the table was a stark reminder that Neira indeed had all the aces. All it took was a button press and I ceased to be. Shit like this gets a man to rethink his life choices in an instant. I took a deep breath to steady my nerves. I had a bad feeling about all of this. "Is there a limit on how far the detonator can reach?"

"Do you know who has it?"

I glanced over my shoulder at Jenala. Her eyes seemed to pierce my skull. She really hated where this conversation was going. Now it was my turn to sigh. "Yes."

"Let me check something real quick." Najali used a touch-sensitive area on her desk to type in a search query. To my surprise, I recognized the banner of the Nor Republic's administration on one of the sites she accessed. Other official-looking sites popped up in rapid succession, seldom more than a log-in screen, until she had a folder with technical schematics on display, along with a long document. As I was sitting across from her, I couldn't exactly read the mirrored script visible through the holographic projection, besides my Nor reading comprehension was only mediocre, no match for any high-level tech stuff.

"From what I could find in this short amount of time, it seems to take only a quick burst of especially encoded comms data to set off the Nano-Shot. As long as you wear your comms unit -- or are in reach of a ship-mounted one -- there is a good chance your tormentor can set off the device. Someone who has access to this kind of tech usually has no issue with pinging you across half the galaxy. All it takes is a decent computer specialist to make sure the signal will reach you."

Knowing Neira, she probably had her own pet Silician on call for just such an occasion. Another sigh. "Fuck. And there's no way to get rid of it?"

Najali scrolled through the documents she had on hand. A few moments of focused reading later and she locked gazes with me through the holograms. "There have been two reported attempts to disarm a Nano-Shot. In one instance, the doctors tried to remove the affected section surgically. The moment the scalpel made contact, the Nano-Shot activated. It took out most of the specialists in the operating theater. The second time, a nanotherapy was attempted, with much the same result. The moment the allied nanomachines made contact, the Nano-Shot activated. Boom." The pink-haired Nor shook her head. "I am sorry. For the time being, you should try not to upset the person holding the detonator."

"Splendid. Thanks, doc."

"I would also be very grateful if you didn't mention how you got that particular information. It's normally not part of the regular Bodyshop care package."

"Who exactly are you, Najali?"

"Just a concerned citizen and very motivated Bodyshop employee. What gave you the idea I could be anything else?" She flashed me a bright little smile which wasn't exactly convincing.

I stood up and dressed. "Never mind. What do I owe you?"

Her fingers danced over the table top. "Your TGoN membership took care of the consultation fee. Is there anything else you might want? We are currently running a sale on our wildly popular Bodyshop fragrance range. Maybe you'd be interested in grabbing a gift set of 'Aquarian Sunset' for your companion? Or maybe some 'Zuthrian Musk' for yourself? Women find the mix of hot stone and spicy aroma irresistible."

"I think we're good," Jenala said through clenched teeth. "Let's get going."

Within moments, we were back on the Promenade. Jenala's hand was like a vise around my wrist. She almost dragged me across the corridor, straight into Club Stardust. An impeccably dressed Gravon male staffed the entrance. The asymmetrically cut Nor suit made him look more slender than his two-and-a-half meter frame had any right to be. His silver mane was shaved short on his temples and gathered into a butt-length braid. If he carried weapons -- not that he needed them -- they were very well hidden.

"Hello and welcome to Club Stardust. What is your desire today?" He offered us a slight bow.

"A bit of privacy and some stiff drinks," Jenala snapped. She took a deep breath and added: "Please."

"Most certainly, milady." He opened the inner door and let us pass. The inside of the club was dimly lit save for the main stage. At the moment, a towering Gravon stripper, naked save for some silver loincloth filigree, was swarmed by a quartet of Felinoid girls in mix of dance and mock battle. His hands went for the gracefully swaying and twirling furballs, only to narrowly miss. When he managed to touch one, his fingertips tore into their clothing and peeled it off piece by piece until they all were naked. The audience was hidden in shell-like booths, invisible from the entrance. There was the occasional appreciative sound audible over the rolling thunder of Zuthrian tribal drumming,.

A purple-haired Nor male, wearing shorts, a bow tie and open-front vest with a starfield pattern sewn in, joined us halfway between the entrance and the bar.

"Hi. What can I help you with?"

"A bit of peace and quiet and maybe something to drink," Jenala repeated, much less aggressively than before. Her eyes darted towards the stage where two of the Felinoids were lovingly unpacking the Gravon's mammoth rod. Their admiring 'meows' could be heard even where we stood. "I've heard Supernovas are quite good."

"Follow me." He motioned for us to follow him, leading us deeper into the twilight. "Mind the steps," he said, indicating a barely visible outline. We ascended a long, low flight of stairs which curved to the right. The music became softer until he opened a door. The room ahead was perfectly circular and bathed in warm, golden radiance. Hidden speakers parroted the music playing on the main stage but much softer. Cushions in sand-gold, lipstick-red and silver had been strategically placed around the perimeter while a knee-high platform with an obligatory stripper pole made up the center of the room.

"Please, do get comfortable," the Nor purred. "I'll be back with your drinks in a moment. Should you require anything else, there is a menu under the platform." He indicated an almost invisible aperture in its base then he sashayed out of the room.

Jenala sank into one of the cushions and pulled down her hood. An accusing glare carrying a world of questions lanced into me. I took a seat two cushions away. Anger and disappointment radiated off my client like heatwaves off a plasma engine.

"I think you owe me at least an explanation. Why, in the name of the Ancients, would you be carrying a bomb inside you?"

"Not my idea," I said. "It's a long and not really humorous story." I took a deep breath. "I'm as shocked as you are. That's not 'a little cluster' as she had put it."

"Who?"

"Neira. She runs a Black Scorpion cell out of Unity's Landing."

"The Black Scorpions? I've seen them in this 'Fading Stars' thing."

I chuckled bitterly. "The sad thing about the fictional version is how easy the Nor fleet usually deals with them. A far cry from reality."

The door to our room opened and the purple-haired Nor returned, carrying a tray with two glasses and bottles. His gaze snapped to Jenala, eyeing her appreciatively. Gracefully, he deposited the tray on the platform. "Your drinks. Anything else you might need?"

"Thank you." Jenala said, affording him a smile. "I think we're good. We'll use the menu if anything comes up."

"Have a pleasant evening." The Nor bowed again and turned to leave the room. At the door, he stopped once more, his eyes lingering on Jenala, before he finally left us.

"Seems like I've found another admirer," Jenala said, her open hand gesturing towards the door.

"I don't like the way he looked at you."

"Maybe he was just contemplating if he wanted to offer his services?"

"Or maybe he is keeping an eye out for the local Black Scorpion operation."

"There are Black Scorpions in this system too? What are they doing here?"

"Well, technically, the Black Scorpions can be found wherever one can make a quick, illegal credit. Or a few million. Turns out, this system and the mining operation underway are a Scorp front and the local boss is a slaver. And if I read that creepy stare from our waiter right, you might have just made their 'persons of interest' list."

"You should have told me before we left the ship," Jenala admonished me.

"I didn't think it was important enough. After all, we just wanted to do some quick shopping."

"Not to sound overly aggravated but the instances of bad news you thought not important enough to share with me keep piling up today." Her fingernails tapped an irritated rhythm against her glass. She took a sip. I could almost see the drink pour down her throat and detonate in her stomach. Her cheeks flushed an adorable pink.

I sighed. "I'm sorry. I've been alone so long, this whole 'team player' thing is still new to me. Now what? Down with our drinks and away we go? Hopefully without drawing too much attention?"

"You still owe me another part of your life story. The one where you ended up with this Neira person. The way I see it, we have at least seven more hours before we need to renew our docking fees. We are still both relatively coherent, armed and alert. What's the worst that can happen?" Jenala moved closer until she sat on the cushion next to me. "I'd like to add one more clause to our contract though: Please, whenever you receive any kind of information which might become important-"

"Yeah, I get it. Share it with you. I'll try, okay?"

"Let's drink to that. No more omitting of vital information." She raised her glass.

"You're one to talk. I barely know anything about you."

"Two different pair of boots, I'm afraid. You omitting information directly impacts the chances of us both completing this journey in one piece. Me omitting information means less chance for you to end up as a research specimen."

"Fine, I see your point." I clicked my glass to hers and took a long sip. The cool froth made by fruit juice and Nor Vaporis tickled down my throat before the fireball of hot spirits followed. The drink detonated in my stomach, causing a nice wave of heat and relaxation to flood my system. I opened the top button of my shirt, took a deep breath and told Jenala about my brush with death near Waystation 63 and how I met Neira afterwards, how she injected the Nano-Shot and how my life has been ever since.

"Now I see," Jenala said, eyeing the ingredients on the table. "And killing her is out of the question?"

"I'm not a murderer, despite how shitty my life is right now," I said. "Want another?" I nodded towards the tray. The waiter kindly had provided enough ingredients for a few more shots.

"Absolutely."

I knelt down next to the platform and mixed the drinks. "Also, the moment her Scorp brothers knew she died, they would be all over my butt. One of their creeds is 'no death will ever go unpunished.' Neira told me how she had handled payback after another Scorp cell was annihilated. Not only the murderer would suffer but also all his friends, family and probably a couple dozen innocent bystanders as well."

"Don't you think she's overselling their power a bit? No organization can have such a long reach."

"You would be surprised," I muttered darkly, handing her a fresh and frothy Supernova.

Jenala had pulled a tablet computer out from under the platform. "That's a menu? Looks more like a photo album to me. Hm." She swiped over the display. In rapid succession, we saw members of all Precursor species, Felinoids, Silicians and even a Gray.

"You use it to order your paid companion," I explained.

"I don't see any price tags."

"Because it will be handled discreetly the moment we leave the establishment. When we entered, they had already deducted the cover charge."

"Really?"

I shot her a dirty grin. "Crossing the threshold is seen as a way to initiate a transaction. Most upmarket pleasure palaces work that way. The Gravon down at the door would have politely asked for us to leave if we didn't have enough money."

Jenala checked her account balance on her flip-out comms. "That's outrageous!" she hissed. "These few Supernovas cost more than twelve hours of docking time!"

"I told you it's 'upmarket.' Still want to stay?"

"If we were to leave now, I would be angry at myself for wasting this research opportunity. After all, I would be one of the first sisters in near-" She closed her mouth. "Sorry." Energetically, she swiped through the menu again and stopped when the display showed a long-legged, curvy Silician. Her picture was framed by a name tag -- Decima - at the top and a bright, inviting "Call this Companion" button. Like all Silicians, she was bald and had azure skin, teal eyes and the tiniest hint of gleaming subcutaneous circuitry. Her voluptuous, naked body leaned against a desk hewn from golden Zuthrian sandstone, pieces of her body plating neatly stacked on the table top while behind her a spectacular sunset bathed an endless dune sea in an almost mythical golden light. One hand was braced against the desk for balance, the other was on the inside of her left thigh, pulling open the built-in pouch where most Silicians stored their cocks when not in use. A radiant smile promised pleasure out of this world.

Before I could say anything, Jenala tapped the 'Call this Companion' button. Another quick swipe, and a Felinoid face appeared on the screen. She had the icy white mane of a Zuthrian along with a pointed snout, triangular ears and amazing golden eyes. Her name tag said 'Thayris.' Another tap.

"One not enough?" I asked her, sipping my own drink.

"After learning about your last three years, I can understand why you prefer the company of Felinoids. I thought it would be nice for you to relax a bit while I conduct my studies."

"Studies?"

"This is as much data gathering as it is pleasure-seeking." Jenala stood up and undid her weapons belt. She placed it within reach of her cushion then she slipped out of her robe. A moment later, her battle shell rustled to the floor. Naked and smiling, she sank back into the cushions and took another sip of her drink.

"I find it rather hard to relax right now," I muttered, one hand caressing the handle of my concussion gun.

"I don't think we have anything to fear in here. The Black Scorpions would be daft to cause a stir in their own pleasure palace." Her hand touched my knee. "And if they try, we'll spank their asses black and blue."

"I wish I had your confidence," I grumbled.

A moment later, the door opened and our companions arrived. Both wore gauzy robes made of a deep blue fabric with silvery specks woven in. On Decima, it seemed as if she was surrounded by ethereal smoke; both the robe and her body were almost identical in color.

As I had seen most of her anyway, I concentrated on Thayris. She had wound the robe rather loosely around herself, putting much of her body on display. She was covered with fine, icy white pelt, yet hints of her original coal-black skin coloration shimmered through. She was among the tallest Felinoids I had seen before. Her retrograde shins and an extra lower knee joint added to her height as she gracefully padded on five-toed, clawed cat feet. She was female, with the toned body of a long-distance hunter and a long, smooth tail snaking down to the ground. It ended in a fluffy tassel.

"Thank you for choosing us as your companions tonight," Decima said. Her voice was the polar opposite to Logos-Twelve's, a carefully modulated, soothing hum which even sent shivers up my spine. "What will be your pleasure?"

"I'd like you to keep me company," Jenala said, "while your beautiful friend will entertain my friend. Help him relax a bit. We'll see where this will go from there."

In an eerily choreographed move, both disrobed while coming closer, leaving their blue garments as colorful puddles on the floor. Decima shot me a curious look as she walked past me, as if she tried to understand why I was still fully garbed next to my naked alien client.

I caught movement from the corner of my eye. Thayris had gone onto all fours and stalked closer, every step a sinuous, graceful motion accentuating her hips and behind. Her tail came up, the tassel pointing over her spine like a scorpion's stinger, and a low, ominous purr filled the room, even drowning out the soft music. A moment later, she arrived at my cushion and pressed her cheek against mine. She held perfectly still and purred, the vibrations going straight into my body.

"Don't you want to pet me?" Thayris whispered. "Go on. I won't bite." Her voice was smoky and dark, another rather distracting difference to the usual Felinoid chirping. Also, no meows. Her ear twitched, tousling a strand of my hair which had escaped my loose ponytail. "You're awfully tense."

"I'm not really in the mood," I muttered. Any hint of arousal, any intimacy between me and Jenala had evaporated the moment I had a good look at the bomb wound around my spine. I placed a hand on Thayris' lower back. I could feel her muscles ripple under the fur as she curled up halfway on my lap.