Lost Ark Ch. 03

"Right here." A deep voice which Danton recognized as Nkosi's spoke over the video. "That was fine, but here's where we encounter the problem. The more programming I give them the harder it is to get them back to their primary purpose."

"Yes, and that's exactly the problem that Juice is designed to solve." The second voice was Dr. Ford's. Danton realized that she and Nkosi were watching and speaking over the video feed from another location. "Try it. Use it like I said," she added.

There was a rustling sound, which must have been Nkosi standing up. Less than thirty seconds later he appeared in the video shot. Cheung roused himself from the bed, awkwardly trying to preserve his modesty with a pillow. As Cheung left, Nkosi addressed Amber.

"Amber, how about some sexy time?" The South African tugged off his shirt, revealing an ebony, perfectly muscular chest much like Bauer's.

She clearly heard him but Amber, who was just finishing her shower, only smiled at Nkosi. She donned one of the spa outfits and began tidying up the room.

Nkosi looked at the camera before digging into his pocket to retrieve whatever it was that Ford had given him, which turned out to be a capsule with a pink coating. "Amber, it's time for your vitamins."

Dutifully, Amber took the capsule from Nkosi but only held it in her hand.

"You can chew it," Nkosi explained.

Keeping the bland smile, Amber did as she was told. "It's kind of sweet," she said, before returning to her cleaning.

Nkosi looked at his watch. After roughly a minute he repeated his earlier invitation. "Hey Amber, how about some sexy time?"

The clone's reaction the second time was completely different. Amber dropped the brush she had been using to cleanse the edge of the tub, and with a sultry smile, tugged off her top. She playfully lifted her breasts, let them drop, then sauntered toward Nkosi. Thirty seconds later she had his penis in her mouth.

Here the video froze, but the narration from Nkosi and Ford resumed.

"Yes," Nkosi said, his breath still a bit labored from what must have been a vigorous session with Amber. "I think we can safely say Juice works."

"I'll have to find another name for it of course," Ford said with a note of pride.

"It's hormonal?"

Neither Nkosi nor Ford was on camera, but Danton could easily picture the latter's smug smile. "Oh, it's much more than that, Mason. There's one for boys, and one for girls. Juice includes three highly targeted hormones for arousal, yes. There's also adrenaline, a fast-acting analgesic, and a mild narcotic."

"Aren't you worried about addiction?"

"I'm counting on it," Ford responded. "If we can get the clones hooked they'll be much easier to manage. There is some risk," she admitted. "I'd prefer to run an addiction study with at least one hundred subjects and a control group. But understandably we can't do that right now."

Nkosi only laughed. "Can I get a few of those capsules? You know, strictly for scientific purposes."

Lissa stopped the video. "Motherfucker!"

"Narcotics, pain killers, and hormones," Danton said. "Enough to get any player back in the game."

"Or back in bed," Lissa said. "Li and his group were right. Bauer was building sex slaves. They were dressing them up enough to pass as girlfriends or wives, but never intended for them to have free will."

Like Lissa, Danton could no longer be surprised by what had happened on board Ark I. He checked the time. "Let's get out of here," he said. "We have enough time to explore the rest of this segment, but at some point tomorrow we need to head back. We should probably assume that Sheen can only pick us up from that first airlock."

"Wait." Lissa had started to follow Danton before suddenly coming to a halt. "So far this level is labs and common areas, including the spa. Bauer's suite is also on this level, but he's sort of a special case. The other rooms are probably on the next level up, right?"

"Yeah, probably."

"I'd like to check them out, especially the assistants' suites. If they were also keeping journals, those might help round out the story."

Danton didn't see why not. "Sure. We can go through the upper level then drop down at the far end and work our way back. We won't miss anything."

Together, the two retraced their steps, climbed to the inner ring, and began to explore it. Like the inner ring in the previous segment, there were storage rooms and habitat systems such as water and ventilation. Danton and Lissa found massive tanks of the cloning fluid and nutrients as well as a storage locker labeled 'planetside'. Upon inspection, it was shown to contain rain gear, boots, jackets, and other garments for a variety of climates.

"I guess they did plan to move to the surface eventually," Danton observed.

"Some of them." Lissa was running her fingers across a rack of boots crumbling with age. "I wonder if Bauer ever really planned to?"

After the storage lockers came the suites. They found larger suites for Nkosi, Ford, and Li, interspersed with more modest quarters for the assistants. With Danton's help, Lissa downloaded the contents of their terminals but had lost her appetite for watching more videos. "I'll review them later," she explained.

Danton suppressed a yawn. "We still have around twenty hours before the rendezvous with the shuttle," he said, addressing an equally fatigued Lissa. "Let's grab some sleep while we can."

Lissa echoed her assent and headed into one of the suites. She gestured for Danton to follow.

The suggestion caught Danton by surprise. "It's okay," he said, "I can sleep in one of the other suites."

"Let's not get separated again," Lissa said with what might have been a wink. She surprised him again by beginning to wriggle out of her flight suit. When she noticed Danton's hesitation she chuckled. "It's nothing you haven't seen before. Just a few hours ago, in fact."

Danton, too, began to undress but didn't skip the opportunity to admire Lissa. His ex-girlfriend's sleek body had always aroused him, while her spiky hair left the delicate hollows of her neck exposed and inviting. Danton ached with the memory of nights spent spooning her against him as he kissed her neck and ears. They might drift into sleep that way, but more often such moments would turn into lovemaking. His session with Amber had been blissful, but without an emotional thread connecting them, it would never be more.

Skye, on the other hand, had awoken something in Lissa. It wasn't just that she had confirmed her bisexuality, she and the clone shared something deeper. Or at least, Lissa seemingly had caught a hint of a connection yet to be fully explored.

Clad only in their underwear, Danton and Lissa settled into the sheets. The bed was large enough to avoid physical contact, but no one told Danton's organ. He drifted off to sleep with an erection.

***

-Lissa-

Waking before Kyle, Sloane ate an energy snack and began to review some of the materials she had downloaded the day before. The first video to catch her eye was from Li, dated almost a month after his ultimatum to Bauer.

"It has become obvious," Li said, "that Bauer has no intention of honoring our request. Not only has he declined to share any plans for moving the operation planetside, he hasn't eased up in his demands for one final generation of clones." The man looked bent and tired, pausing in his speech from time to time as if losing his train of thought. "I've reached a good stopping point. The final generations should be ready for Nkosi's latest programming regimen."

Here Li looked back over his shoulder as if worried someone might be eavesdropping. "The truth is that Skye's physiology is essentially unchanged. Her build was always the most pliant. Amber version three is ready. She's Bauer's favorite anyway, and Nkosi's, too. We've given up on Rod of course, but Lance is ready. And by the way, Bauer, if you ever see this, I want you to know just how fucking stupid I think those names are."

Li leaned back, rubbing at his eyes. Sloane thought the video was about to end, but then Li surprised her, leaning forward with renewed energy. "But Jade is my real accomplishment. I know where Bauer and Nkosi got her DNA, but I don't care. She is able to hold more programming than the others combined, and at the same time should be nicely resistant to manipulation. All I can say, Bauer, is good luck."

The video ended, leaving Sloane to digest yet another helping of Ark I history. As she did so, Kyle, still rubbing sleep from his eyes, joined her. He hadn't finished dressing yet, and she found the familiar presence of his body adding to her confusion. Sloane replayed the video for him.

"Well, I hate to say it," Kyle said once the video ended, "but it looks like Li and the assistants were the four that crashed on Kaybe."

He was right. Li, Weir, Cheung, and Corbin had given an ultimatum which Bauer cheerfully ignored. At some point they had left on the escape pod which, for whatever reason, then crashed onto Kaybe, killing them.

"Which means that Bauer, Nkosi, and Ford stayed behind. We're no closer to understanding what happened to them." Sloan chewed on her lip. "Was there another escape pod?"

"Not on either of the first two segments," Kyle answered. "I would have seen it on the diagrams I pulled up. I suppose there could be one on the final segment, but we'd have to reach it to find out."

An implication lurked in Kyle's words. As tolerant as he had become of maximizing their time on Ark I, there were limits. At some point, she and Kyle would need to head back to the first segment and prepare to meet the shuttle. The pair finished dressing, packing, and resumed their journey.

At the end of the inner ring, they dropped down a tight set of stairs to the outer ring, their arrival activating the overhead lights. Just like its larger twin in the first segment, the room had been designed for dining, with several tables, a kitchen area, and a bar. One of the crab-like cleaning robots hovered nearby, calling to mind a dog hoping for a scrap of food.

There were no terminals and no other promising clues. Sloane reached for the door to the next room, but Kyle put his hand out.

"Remember the spa?" he asked. "I'm pretty sure that as soon as we entered this segment we activated the hatching sequence for whatever clones were ready. I'm willing to bet that Skye and the two Ambers weren't the only ones."

The expedition, Sloane was forced to admit, had become more hazardous than expected. Still, the possibility of collecting the last few clues was too tantalizing to resist. "Li said they stopped hatching Rods, right?"

"Suuure," Kyle said slowly. "I think I know what you're going to say, but don't forget he also mentioned another male clone called Lance."

"No, I get that," Sloane said quickly. "I do, but I'm sure they didn't make the same mistake twice. If we run into one, his secondary purpose is probably a pastry chef or something."

Her partner didn't look convinced but relented nonetheless. "Okay, but let's review the list of key phrases."

"Oh, yeah." Sloane had downloaded a list of the phrases used to control certain clone behaviors. With Kyle looking over her shoulder, she brought up the document.

Amber:

Sexy time

Arm candy

Spa time

Blowjob

Follow me

I'm so hungry

Massage

I'm so horny

Three-way

Clean up

Just chill

Reboot

The list went on, a surprisingly rich set of commands directing Amber's primary and secondary purposes, with a few oddities like "Reboot" in the mix. Sloane and Kyle reviewed the entire list, which was quite similar from one clone to the next, except for where the secondary purposes were different.

Once they had studied the list, Kyle waved her forward. "After you," he said with an exaggerated bow.

If the spa had been the testing facility for the female clones, the next room was more eclectic. Just as in the spa, there was a bed and a kitchen, but instead of a grooming area or tub, a large platform dominated one half of the room. It was loaded with pieces of mechanical equipment on blocks, and there were several tool chests along one side. Sloane also spotted what looked to be several vending machines near the kitchen.

Sloane drew in her breath, already knowing what would happen. "Clones in five, four, three-"

On cue, a clone entered from a door on the opposite side of the room. He was of indeterminate ethnicity, but with a warm skin tone that reminded Sloane of Skye. He had handsome, square features, a heavy brow, and careless black hair. Bright eyes and a radiant white smile shone. To complete the effect, he was shirtless, revealing a well-defined chest, rippling abs, and impressive biceps. Favoring both Sloane and Kyle with a confident grin he asked, "Fuck or fix?"

"Fix," Kyle said at once.

The clone - he had to be Lance - nodded sagely, making eye contact with Kyle. "What do you think the problem is?" he asked, eyes sweeping over the collection of machinery.

"I'm afraid there's a worn fitting in there, but I don't know exactly where. You'll have to break them all down to find out."

"Right," Lance said, nodding as before. He grinned broadly at Kyle. "Guess I better get to work then." He approached the tool locker, carefully selected a heavy wrench, and began twisting off the bolts at the top of a machine's casing.

Sloane watched for a minute longer, admiring the play of muscles across the clone's arms and back, the confident way he selected and handled different tools. From time to time he glanced over as if to say I can take a break from this any time you like.

"You can tear your eyes away from him now," Kyle said dryly. "There is a terminal over there."

Chastised, Sloane moved toward the terminal, but before she reached it another clone entered the room.

Jade was impossibly seductive. Her Asian ancestry was on even clearer display than had been Li's. Arched brows topped eyes with heavy epicanthic folds. Those eyes were deep and taunting, daring you to meet her gaze and hold it. Full lips were slightly parted as if she was already aroused, and a cascade of jet hair spilled down her back.

But, Sloane had to admit, it was Jade's ripe body that most demanded attention. Slender, achingly long legs led to hips with a girlish swell, and a trim waist and torso. Her pale skin looked soft, but during certain movements small ripples of muscle made themselves seen. Like Lance, she was topless, revealing a pair of breasts improbably large for her slender body - perky, full, and with dark nipples that begged for attention. Only a diminutive bikini bottom provided modesty.

"Mmmm," Jade moaned, running her hands across her body, stretching languidly. Dark eyes settled first on Kyle then Sloane, perhaps assessing which of them was most taken by her charms. "I just woke up and I'm feeling so horny. Copulate or cook?"

Kyle laughed, but Sloane jumped on the chance to guide the encounter away from sex. "Cook," she said eagerly before adding, "I'm so hungry."

"Oh." Jade pouted at Sloane as if terribly disappointed. "That's no fun. What about you?" she said, turning to Kyle. The clone lifted her breasts, tugged at them, and released them to jiggle back into place. "Can I have some cock, please?"

"I said cook," Sloane repeated. Why, she wondered, wasn't Jade responding to the key phrase?

"Oh, I heard you, dear," Jade called over her shoulder. She approached Kyle, bit her lip suggestively, and tugged his flight suit partially open. She began to run her fingers through Kyle's chest hair. "Yesss, a real man." She slipped a hand to his crotch before exclaiming, "Oh, a real big man."

Too late, Sloane remembered Li's cryptic comment about Jade not being easily manipulated. Even so, the clone's actions were difficult to fathom. If she was free from her programming why press so hard for sex?

"Ahhh, I'm hungry, too," Kyle stammered, his gaze falling first on Jade then Sloane. By now the clone had her fingers around Kyle's cock and was stroking it through the fabric of the suit.

In response, Jade only pressed herself closer to him, her full breasts now rubbing against Kyle's chest. She said, "I. Don't. Believe. You," kissing Kyle's chest between each word.

Kyle took a step back, causing Jade to let out an exasperated cry. Lance, who by now had partially disassembled a piece of heavy machinery, stopped his work and looked over, still holding a wrench. His expression reminded Sloane of a man checking up on his younger sister. The moment was more fraught than she realized.

"Cock, oh yes, cock," Sloane said for Jade's benefit. "Kyle, why don't you give Jade what she wants?"

"Yes, Kyle," Jade said with a hungry smile. Her fingers reached once more for the zipper of Kyle's flight suit. "Give a little girl what she wants."

***

-Kyle-

Lissa's words couldn't have sounded any sweeter. With Jade's impossible body pressed warm and close against him and her hand on his cock, Danton was already hard. Being given permission to fuck the clone was like an early birthday gift.

Nor did Jade hesitate. In the space of just a few heartbeats she had Danton undressed and was kneeling before him. She looked up with her dark, deep eyes while she gave the shaft a generous lick. "Was that nice?"

"Yeah," Danton said, groaning with pleasure.

Again, while keeping her eyes locked on his, Jade licked his shaft. This time she started with his balls and only finished after teasing the head with the tip of her tongue. "How about that?"

"Yeah, yeah. Fucking nice." He found Jade intoxicatingly beautiful. Like other ethnicities, people of pure Asian ancestry on Earth were extremely rare, appearing only in a few cloistered communities, and often holding extreme views. Danton had never met one, and was struck by her exotic beauty, an effect magnified by the aggressive seduction.

"Then you'll like this," Jade said, before plunging her mouth over his cock.

"Fawwwk," Danton gasped, startled that Jade's small mouth could take so much of his bursting flesh. He watched, entranced, as she repeatedly engulfed and released his organ. Assuming her DNA was taken from a porn actress then the ability shouldn't be surprising, but the awareness did nothing to diminish the blissful sensation. The early warning signs of an approaching orgasm made themselves felt, a tingling just behind his balls.

"Do you want to cum in my mouth?" Jade had pulled free and was once again staring into Kyle's eyes as she tongued and circled his balls. "Or do you want pussy?" As if to guide his decision, she swiftly tugged off the bikini bottom, revealing a neatly trimmed bush.

"Pussy," Kyle said in a rush. Had it only been a day since he'd let Amber ride him to ecstasy? It didn't matter; Jade was an exotic beauty who seemed to fit into an entirely different category. Kyle was eager to explore more of her body, touch her skin.

While Lissa looked on with a cryptic expression, Danton let Jade lead him to the bed. They lay side by side. Danton brushed Jade's hair back, looked into her eyes and kissed her. The dark haired beauty kissed him back eagerly, her tongue sliding against his. Her nipples tickled his chest hair while her hand found and began to stroke his cock.

After a moment of making out, Jade drew back enough to whisper, "Don't you want to fuck me? Don't you want my little kitty?"

"Uh huh," Danton grunted. He let Jade nudge him onto his back and watched through slitted eyes as she vaulted on top. She swept her hair so it cascaded over a single shoulder, then eased herself onto him. He caught a glimpse of the muscles lying beneath her outer softness.

"That cock," Jade groaned. Her brow knit in discomfort, and for a moment Danton wondered whether it was an act. When Jade again moaned, "fuuuck," he decided it wasn't. Her hair tossing, she worked herself onto him.