Minx Ep. 03: The Sphere, Cenozoic Zone

Dragon could see the crew was considering the possibilities, but was not quite convinced as to the benefits of this mission. He stared hard at the First Mate. Again, she blanched and then looked away from his gaze. In less than a second he had calculated that the pirates were not going to be as reliable as he required for his plans.

"Once we've finished on this world we're going to attack a few weakly protected worlds and take what we want. Credits, clothes, art, women, whatever we can grab will be ours! Trust in the fact that I'm a lot smarter than any of you, and I know taking this artificial world will be well worth our while!"

Some of the pirates seemed more enthusiastic now, but a couple of others were uncomfortably pensive, as was the First Mate. Dragon narrowed his eyes, staring at each of his doubters one by one. Both men were cowed and went back to their duties quickly.

Then the hyperman turned to the First Mate. He raised his hand, causing her to flinch involuntarily, but he merely put his open palm on her cheek. There was a mixture of lust and fear in her eyes.

"I think I'd better acquaint you with the details of my plans, my dear," Dragon stated, loud enough for everyone on the bridge to hear.

There were a few snickers. The redhead tried to turn about to see who was enjoying her plight, but Dragon cupped his hand a little and held her in place. She grabbed his wrist and tried to push away from him, but he held her fast. She winced, eliciting a small smile from him.

"We're going to my cabin," he told her quietly. "No-one is to disturb me!" he announced to the others. "Stay on duty until one of us returns."

Dragon released her. Now that she was free she scanned the room with desperate eyes, searching for someone that would offer her some support, but everyone turned away.

"You should learn that I like to be obeyed," whispered Dragon. "Now let's get going. You lead the way."

The First Mate swallowed and then left the bridge, with her Captain following close behind. Her shoulders slumped as she realized that she was about to find out if all those terrible stories about the tortures of the hypermen were true. Keeping her pace as steady as she could, she led the way to the Captain's room and opened the portal. She stepped aside, hoping he would step inside and somehow forget his plans for her.

Dragon peeked into the room for a split second. "It's nice enough by human standards, I suppose. Not enough trophies or skins on the walls, though."

The First Mate shivered as she wondered what kind of skins he meant. Dragon chuckled and gave her an evil look. Fear was beginning to replace lust inside of her, but there was still a part of her that craved his touch no matter how rough.

"I'm joking about the trophies and skins, my dear. Ladies first," he suggested.

The First Mate slowly stepped through the oval opening. Dragon swung his arm and slapped her bottom very hard, lifting her off the floor and into the room. She took a couple of steps to regain her balance, but did not utter any cry. Her eyes searched the room for possible weapons as the door clanged shut.

"So - so what are you going to do to me, Captain?"

Dragon strolled about the room, idly running his fingers over the various trinkets. The First Mate stood still, not wanting to invoke his anger and thereby incur punishment. He had brought some of his own belongings aboard, but most of the furnishings and paraphernalia in this room had belonged to Black Eye, the previous captain of the King Midas.

"Do you believe all the stories about what the hyperman did to humans all those years ago, when my people ruled human space?"

She wondered what the least offensive thing to say would be. Dragon gave her an impatient look.

"Yes," and her voice almost broke as she answered. She cleared her throat. "Yes, I believe the stories about your people. I - I would like to remind you, Captain, that as First Mate I am very useful and I intend to be your obedient servant in every way that you can imagine."

"Every way?" He sat on the edge of the bed, and the look he gave her made his meaning perfectly clear.

The redhead licked her lips and fingered her shirt, her fingers teasing the zipper. Her eyes opened slightly in surprise. Were his plans for her entirely sexual? Fear disappeared from her heart.

"If that is your wish, my Captain. My only wish is to serve you."

Dragon lolled his head back and looked at the ceiling. "Just like it was with Black Eye?"

She licked her lips and her breathing quickened. "Black Eye and I often shared his bed, but it was just an arrangement. Together we presented a united front that kept him in place as Captain and me as First Mate, without either of us having to watch our backs."

The hyperman turned to her and raised an eyebrow.

"We freebooters are notoriously fickle regarding who we serve," she explained. "I mean, a knife in the back is often the way to promotion here..." She stopped when she realized that her words could suggest she meant to eventually supplant the hyperman.

"And what do you think your chances are?"

She took a step back as she wondered exactly what he meant. "I hope that you realize how valuable I could be to you, and..."

"Oh hush, young woman! I don't intend to kill you. I just want to ensure your loyalty. You strike me as the smartest person on the vessel, well, aside from me, and I want to make sure you do exactly as I tell you to do."

She took a few steps forward and began pulling her top down. "Oh, definitely! I'll do everything you say, Captain. No questions asked. Only..."

"Only what?"

Her top was now open to her belt, revealing a pleasant figure and round, average-sized breasts. "Only I'm still afraid that you're going to kill me. I don't want to die."

"Take off your clothes," he commanded.

As she obeyed she kept an eye on him. Dragon stayed seated upon the bed, staring at her and scrutinizing her curves. She cursed herself for not keeping in better shape. How would she compare to a hyperwoman, she wondered.

At last she stood before him completely nude. His eyes wandered over her body, making her feel uncharacteristically modest. The First Mate glanced at his crotch, but there was no sign of an erection.

"What's your name, my dear?"

"Alice. Alice Roe."

"And what did you do before you became a pirate, Alice Roe?"

Dragon stood and began to walk around her. She kept still. "I come from Epsilon Eridani six. It was never given its own real name. I've had a lot of different jobs. I've been a waitress, a dancer, a stripper, a prostitute, and a maid. I was captured while travelling as an escort. The ship was boarded and Captain Stevens took me prisoner."

"Ah, and he was the one that whipped you?" She felt soft fingers caress her back where scars marred her flesh.

"Yes."

"But you liked it sometimes..."

"Only when he didn't take it too far. It hurt too much when he left scars. Please don't whip me!" she pleaded.

Instead, he slapped her bottom with his open hand. She squeaked and took a couple of steps forward, trying to catch her balance.

"And how did you like that?" When a few seconds passed and she'd been too afraid to answer he demanded, "Be honest!"

"I liked it," she admitted.

"Explain!" he commanded, as he stepped directly in front of her.

Shame kept her from meeting his eyes. "It hurt, but not too much. And I feel like I'm completely in your power. I don't know what you're going to do next and you're so sexy and I'm awfully excited. Please don't hurt me too much," she finished.

Dragon chuckled, and to her ear the sound seemed to come from deep within his chest. "You human girls are just incredible! You submit yourselves in ways that a hyperwoman never would. You beg when you should be demanding. You crave sex and yet act like you don't, and then feel guilty for being the way you are." He shook his head in wonder. "And I suppose if I ask you to bear my children you'll refuse me?"

She stared him straight in the eye. "It would be my greatest pleasure to be your fuck-toy and the mother of your children," she responded with absolute sincerity.

Dragon's eyes opened wide in surprise, and then narrowed momentarily in what Alice could only think was disgust.

"I'm sorry! You suggested it! If you don't want me to have your children I won't!"

He turned his back on her. That act almost astounded her. She knew she was pretty, and that men liked her. She decided to use her charms as best she could. Alice stepped forward and wrapped her arms around the Hyperman.

"You've been very naughty, Alice. You've killed and robbed, and who knows what else. If I asked you to list every crime you've committed, could you actually do it?"

She dropped her arms. "No, probably not."

"I thought so. For that, and your disobedience on the bridge, you'll have to be punished."

She stepped back from him. "Punished?" she asked with a tremor. "Didn't I do everything you wanted on the bridge?"

"No. When I tried to hold you in place, you resisted. You were embarrassed that some of the crew were chuckling at you. Once you've learned your proper place you will obey me implicitly. If I order you to strip for the crew and service every one of them, then you will. Am I understood?"

"Yes, Captain," she said in a quiet voice.

"Don't worry. The rest of the crew will also be punished for laughing at your expense. No-one will laugh at my First Mate. I have to maintain order, particularly with this bunch of undisciplined cutthroats."

"Thank you, Captain," she said with genuine relief.

"Now, find something in this room that I can use as a strap or a belt."

Alice stepped back from him, glanced around the room and hesitated.

"Don't take too long. I was only going to give you five lashings, but if you tarry too long I'll double that number. Or perhaps I'll use some of those weird looking sex-toys over there..."

Alice followed his gaze and shivered as she saw the cylindrical worship poles that she had helped Black Eye steal from the priests on Fantaz. She gulped and hoped the hyperman wasn't serious about trying to shove those metal cylinders into her. The smallest were as big as her upper arm! She hurried to a drawer and pulled out a leather belt.

"Stand by the bed, place your hands on it and stick you posterior out," he ordered as he took the belt from her.

She did as commanded and then watched a little fearfully as he tested the belt out on one of the metal bedposts. The impact shook the entire bed, and a tear rolled down her face. She turned her face away from him, afraid that he might have seen her cry.

"Five strikes, Alice. Five strikes and then you may rest for awhile. Does that suit you?"

She shivered as Dragon walked out of her sight behind her. Lifting her head to stare at the headboard, she summoned up all of her courage and replied, "Yes, Captain."

"And for each time you cry out there's an extra three lashes. Let's see what kind of self-control you have, Alice."

Immediately, there was a slap on her bare bottom. Alice winced and stifled her cry. It hadn't hurt nearly as much as she thought it was going to. In fact, the redhead could have sworn she felt a hand instead of a thick leather strap.

There was a second slap, and she bit her lip. She began to turn around to see whether the hyperman was using just his hand, when she was struck a third time.

"Now, now. No peeking, Alice. Do you want me to continue?"

"Yes, Captain!" She was almost eager for the next spank, as she was positive that he had cast the leather belt aside and was using his bare hand. She pushed out her bottom a bit and gave an eager wiggle.

There was a fourth impact, and Alice winced and then smiled. Her heels lifted off the ground as she tried to raise her bottom to make it easier for the taller hyperman to dole out her punishment.

"Are you actually enjoying this, Alice?"

"Oh, yes!"

"Then it hardly seems to be a punishment. Perhaps I should use the strap, after all."

"I..." she thought as fast as she could. She knew that she would feel no pleasure from the leather strap. "I like your hand on me, Captain!"

"Very well. I'll be merciful." There was a fifth slap, harder than the others. Alice let out a small squeal and then thrust out her bottom again, to show her eagerness for another one. "This time only, Alice."

XVIII

"Damn it!" swore Minx. She and Arachne were up a tree, literally.

Tired, thirsty, and covered in scratches from her days on the savannah, Minx shot an angry look at Arachne. "This is your fault."

The spider turned a little, being careful to keep her place on the branches. Its eight eyes regarded Minx.

"I'm sorry, Arachne. It's not your fault. It's just that this is the fourth of these giant birds that've attacked us since we came into this grassland! If not for this", the bounty hunter looked up into the tree, with its curving trunk and spreading branches, "this tree we'd be dead right now. And now we've got to sit here until Big Bird, there, decides to leave."

The avian carnivore snapped its beak and tried to jump at them again. Minx didn't even pull up her legs. The two were safely out of reach. The bird began to wander around the ground, every once in awhile glancing at its treed prey.

The bounty hunter stood and climbed higher into the branches. As she neared the top the tree's limbs swayed and bent under her weight. Arachne hissed and let out a frightened squeal below. Minx wasn't sure why her friend was such a lousy climber; weren't spiders supposed to be able to climb walls and ceilings? Perhaps that was only true of smaller arachnids.

Reaching the treetop, she pushed her way through the branches and peered around. She could see the enormous airlock, ever ahead of her. More importantly, she could see an end to the savannah, and beyond it lay forest and then a rocky shore. The portal was very close to that sea. Minx was near her goal now.

A series of angry clicks from below made Minx look down. The spider was excitedly pointing at something on the ground away from the tree. The bounty hunter descended, hoping the bird had left. Instead, she watched as the bird pawed the ground and then reached down and picked something up with its beak. Minx's weapon belt!

The two friends watched with breaking hearts as the bird gave them what seemed to be a look of spite and then ran off.

"You have got to be kidding me!"

The spider patted Minx's arm gently.

"I know. I know." The bounty hunter patted her friend's hairy arm and then gently pushed it away. "Let's get on the move again."

The human helped her friend out of the tree. After taking a cautious look around, they set out. Arachne crawled ahead. Minx had learned to let her friend wander off scouting and hunting. The spider loved this grassland, where she was well concealed from predators, and although they'd seen no others of her species Minx was pretty sure the two would say goodbye once they came to the trees.

However after only one more rest they did reach the trees, much to Minx's relief. The bounty hunter scrutinized the mix of pine and deciduous trees carefully, looking for any signs of danger and allowing her friend the chance to disappear in case she wanted no goodbye. Arachne decided to continue on with her human friend, again much to Minx's relief.

Once the two were in forest, Minx made two changes. She found a suitable straight piece of deadwood and spent some time sharpening the end of it until she had a usable spear. Then she removed her tattered clothes. She ripped up the larger pieces until she had a passable bikini bottom and a tie-on top.

The bounty hunter took a look at her own dirty and grimy self and shook her head. "The first waterhole we find, and weird prehistoric monster or no weird prehistoric monster..."

Arachne hissed impatiently, and shuffled around nervously.

"Out of your element, eh?" Minx kneeled and patted her friend's armoured back. "Come on. We'll go together. All we need is each other."

"And me!" called out Ship over the implant.

"Yes, of course you too. How are you doing, Ship? Any better?"

"The same. Still no sign of rescue from Dragon and Hephaestus?"

"Not a sign. Maybe he gave up on me."

Ship laughed at the idea. "He's coming. Don't you worry, boss."

"I don't need him," was the bounty hunter's quiet reply.

Ship did not push the point, but felt that her boss' view towards the hyperman had finally begun to soften.

XIX

There was a knock on Dragon's door. He was already awake, and had finished in the washroom. He checked the chronometer and noted that, once again, the First Mate had arrived exactly on time.

"Come in," he called out.

The door opened and Alice slipped into the room, with a naughty smile upon her pretty face. As she stripped out of her clothes, Dragon whistled aimlessly.

"I'm here to awaken you as ordered, Captain." She walked barefoot across the metal floor with a wiggle in her hips. She still had not figured out why merely being in his presence or the simplest touch from him made her so happy, but a little research on her part had informed her about the pheromones that hypermen emitted. Alice really didn't care if her sexual slavery was merely due to chemistry; she did know that she wanted the hyperman any way he would take her.

"I think your mouth this morning, Alice. If that's all right with you, of course."

A big smile crossed her face. "It's my pleasure. If you'll lay back on the bed I'll climb up and begin."

"No, today I'm going to sit here on the edge. You can kneel here on the floor, in front of me."

"May I have a pillow? That way I can take my time and we both can really enjoy ourselves."

"Very well." He reached behind him and then offered her a plump pillow.

She set it down between his feet and kneeled on it. Looking up at him, she put her hands on his legs. "Shall I swallow, or do you want to spray my face or tits?"

"What do you prefer, Alice?"

The redhead licked her lips. "To take every delicious drop of you into my mouth and then swallow your seed down with a smile."

Dragon nodded in agreement and leaned back a little. Alice undid his belt, then released the seam over his groin. She tenderly coaxed his penis out with her fingers. She gave it a sweet little kiss, and then reached underneath and cradled his balls in one hand.

Alice began by licking him from tip to base. The shaft grew in her hand, hardening as it grew. Pulling and squeezing, she stared up at his face as she worked. Dragon smiled down at her.

"Am I better than a hyperwoman?"

"Much better. You do things that a hyperwoman would never dream of doing, my dear."

"I know about the pheromones, now."

"And..." There was an edge to his voice that frightened and excited her.

"Nothing. I just thought you should know, Captain. And what I can learn the others can learn as well."

Alice leaned down and took the glans into her mouth. She gave it a gentle suck and then a lick. Dragon leaned back a little more, relaxing himself. The First Mate enjoyed touching him in any way that he allowed her to. The feel of his hardness between her lips and upon her tongue, knowing that she was pleasing him, was enough to bring her to her own orgasm when he let her take her time.

There was a loud "slurp" and they both gave a quick laugh. Then, Alice got back to work again. She used her lips to moisten as much of the erection as she could. She stopped pumping the cock and used that hand merely to steady it at the base.

There was a knock at the door.

"Come in," Dragon called out.

"Hrrrmmpph?" said Alice, with her mouth over the head of his erection and her back to the door.

"I didn't tell you to stop, First Mate."

She could hear several people enter the room. There were some gasps of surprise and one chuckle. She could feel her cheeks burning. Prior to this, not one of the crew had ever seen her naked, and she had always believed for them to respect her she would keep it that way forever.