Project - Prometheus Ch. 22

"Don't be frightened of this next procedure. The drone is just going to spray you with a cleaning solution, which will clean away any dead skin and bacteria from you," Korsa informed her patient.

Aesha nodded and despite being told about it, she couldn't help but jump slightly when the solution hit her. It took her a moment to adjust, but she adapted to it quickly and found she enjoyed the feeling of it. Looking down, she saw the solution become slightly cloudy as it worked its way down her body. By the time it reached her feet, the fluid was a murky brownish-blue, which had Aesha crinkle her nose in disgust.

"Step onto the towel please and wipe your feet," Korsa instructed her.

Aesha did as she was commanded, taking the time to wipe her feet clean. Korsa couldn't help but chuckle at this, knowing what it was like to see gunk and grime sluiced off you like this.

"Now that you're clean, please step into the pod. I will need you to get comfortable as I ready the serum for the procedure," Korsa told the woman.

It seemed a little odd, climbing into the pod and a little scary. But Aesha knew that if she wanted to be rid of the constant aches and pains she dealt with, she would have to trust this woman. She slid into the pod and lay down on the gel mattress, which was comfortable and different, for a woman who was used to sleeping on furs. She lay there for several minutes until she heard the solid footfalls of Korsa approaching.

"The serum doses are ready, and the machine is powering up. I will have to close the pod and seal it, for this to work," Korsa informed her student and patient.

"I understand, doctor. Do what you must," Aesha stated as she controlled her breathing. She hated tight, confining spaces, but this was something that wouldn't kill her if she didn't move. Aesha then sensed the cover for the pod sliding over her and heard the pneumatic hiss as it locked into place.

Korsa finished plugging in the last vial of serum as the pod completed its warmup phase. She then walked over to where she left the tablet and cycled through the species until she found Artucian. Selecting the female variant, Korsa made the needed adjustments for Aesha's size, height and weight, before it was ready. She triple checked everything across all of its systems and found everything was good to go.

"The pod is ready to activate and begin healing you. Be warned, this may hurt as it is a serious reconfiguration of your body," Korsa told Aesha.

"I guessed as much. Do it, doctor. Just do it," Aesha replied.

Korsa couldn't help but snicker at that moment, as she was reminded of a prominent Doctor Who episode that she loved. She pressed the 'Start' button on the tablet and the Regen Pod came to life. The blue glow brightened as it began the first phase, which was the serum injections. Once Phase One was complete, it moved on to Phase Two, which was force the body to push the serum throughout, so it was evenly distributed.

"You doing all right in there, Aesha?" Korsa asked.

"A little uneasy and woozy, but I'm all right," Aesha answered.

"All right. Phase Two is nearly done, so Phase Three should happen quickly. This is the painful part, so I hope you can handle it," Korsa warned.

"I am ready, doctor."

The greenish glow grew brighter and brighter, turning into a low yellow, then getting brighter and brighter until it was almost like a yellow star. Korsa heard some crying and low squeals of pain and was fearful for Aesha. Checking the tablet, Korsa saw that Aesha's vitals had spiked a bit, but nothing too serious. After several minutes of this, the glow died and reverted to a muted blue once again.

Korsa glanced at the tablet once more, which informed her that Aesha was stable and conscious, but just barely. The pod opened and steam poured out of it as Korsa approached. Looking in, she saw Aesha lying there, breathing steadily with her eyes closed. She noted how there was a slight covering of dead skin cells and such, which she brushed away from her patient.

Bending over, Korsa scooped Aesha out of the pod and lay her on one of the beds. Using disinfectant wipes, Korsa cleaned Aesha of all the crusted and dead skin. Once she was properly cleaned, she noted how much better her patient looked. Most of the scarring was gone, with only faint pigmentation outlines showing where they had been.

She would need to complete a full scan to be sure that everything had been fixed. Korsa was certain though that it had, as seeing that Aesha now had a left pinky again. Laying her down on the bed, she called over the drone and had it start another scan of the woman. The scan came back, and Korsa smiled at the result of it. Not only had her left pinky regrown, but her bones had knitted properly, as had her tendons.

She sighed happily, glad that she had helped someone else go back to what they should have been, physically. Korsa then facepalmed herself, as she remembered that she'd forgotten a very important component to this! With that, she covered Aesha in a blanket and rushed out of Sick Bay. Korsa returned a few minutes later, arms laden with whatever food she could get her hands on.

"Mmmph! Korsa?" Aesha called out weakly.

"Yes, Aesha, I'm, here," Korsa replied as she was depositing the food on a tray. There was enough for three people there, but Korsa was confident that none of it would go to waste.

"Hungry..."

"I know. I've got some food here, but first, a little something to help you eat," Korsa stated, as she walked over to the drug cabinet. She picked out the vial she was searching for and loaded a small syringe with the liquid. She then headed over to Aesha and injected the woman with the drug.

"What... was that?" Aesha asked groggily.

"A small shot of adrenaline. It's not much, but it should help you wake up long enough to eat something," Korsa informed her.

Aesha blinked all four of her eyes, the cobwebs in her mind clearing away. She took a deep breath and the moment the scent of food hit her, Aesha's stomach growled. She should have been embarrassed, but wasn't as she eyed the try that Korsa had put before her. There was some fresh fruit and vegetables, but also some steaming dishes that she didn't recognize, but they smelled divine.

"Go on. Dig in. Your body will need all the nutrients it can get," Korsa told her.

Needing no further invitation, Aesha dug right in, starting with the slice of roast chicken and going from there. Korsa sat there and watched her eat every bite, as Aesha needed each one. Her body, having gone through a drastic reset, needed the nourishment and got it. Not even half an hour later, the tray was cleared, which was both expected and impressive.

"Good girl. Now it's time that you got some rest. The adrenaline is turbocharging your body, but will wear off soon," Korsa told Aesha as she scooped up the tray.

"How long? Because I feel great! I really want to get out of bed and..." Aesha got out, before her eyes rolled into the back of her skull and she fell back into bed, asleep.

"About that long," Korsa smirked. She walked back to Aesha and covered her with the blanket. She'd be out for a few hours, as she was already wiped from the sparring session earlier. Korsa hoped that during their next bout of training, she would see some improvements from Aesha.

She sighed and stood up, making sure that the Sick Bay was clean and orderly again. The moment she was finished, Korsa picked up the remnants of food and left, letting the Artucian woman rest. Her midsection rumbled, and Korsa knew that she would need to get some food herself. After a brief whiff of her armpit, though, she decided that a shower would have to happen first, and she headed off to her quarters.

******************************

Taal'ani rolled over in the bed, slowly coming to. She blinked her eyes and yawned, her tongue needing as much of a stretch as her body did. Her gaze went to the spot next to her, and she found that Tahral was gone. She panicked for a split second until she heard the unmistakable sound of a shower going. Smirking, Talon sat up, feeling sore but happy.

She sighed at this amazing feeling coursing through her and remembered what had happened earlier on. Though she was worried, she wasn't too concerned, as a taste of someone like that was unexpected, it wasn't unheard of. To be sure, she would have to taste Tahral like that again, but when she wasn't worked up into a sexual frenzy. Taal'ani considered joining her lover, but realized that she had important work to do.

She picked up a tablet that was built into the wall and dialed into her deck. It took a few moments, but it was a helpful feature that she'd put in in case she didn't have direct access to it. Taal'ani connected to it and found her contacts list, scrolling through it. She eventually found who it was she need to talk to and hit the dial button on the screen. She left the screen blank, as she didn't want him to see her naked. It took a few moments but connected with the line and he picked up on the third ring.

"Hello?" a slightly frazzled voice asked, sounding a little tired.

"Hey there, Bataar. Have yourself a long night?" Taal'ani jibed, teasing the man.

"You would too, if you had a late-night game and sex session with your spouse, Talon," he stated as he rubbed his eyes.

"Wait, you're married?!?" Taal'ani asked, shocked to her very core. Bataar had always been a bit of a shut in, but always a pleasant individual. Him getting hitched was news to her ears! It also explained why his screen was black and why she couldn't see his face.

"Yeah, a while ago. In fact, I have you to thank for that!" he grinned as he finally came fully awake.

"Hold on a second. You're thanking me for hooking you up? I never did anything like that!" she replied in disbelief.

"It was right after that job you took on Tahrion V. Remember? I told you it was a bad job and that you should have walked away from it," he reminded her.

"Oh yeah! With that fucking Tahkharian warlord! We should have listened, but at least we went in prepared," Taal'ani said, remembering their diciest job to date. "Wait, was she one of his concubines?"

"She was. She tried going back to her family, but because of her disgrace, they rejected her. She came back to me, asking me to help her. I did what I could, and we got... close. So much so that when it was time for her to leave, she didn't want to go, and I didn't want her to. We were married that very day and we've been inseparable since," he stated proudly.

"Wow! Congratulations! I would love to play catch up, but there was another reason I called you. I have some work for you. That is, if you're still in the game?" Taal'ani wondered.

"Yeah, I'm still in and my wife helps me out," he said.

"She does?" Taal'ani asked, shocked for the third time that day.

"Yup. But my prices have gone up Talon. Pulled in some very wealthy clients and so far, no one out there is better than me," Bataar told her.

"Money is no object, old friend. I have three clients who will require your services, ASAP," she said.

"Three? That should be easy enough to do. Where are you right now?" he asked.

"In hyperspace, on our way to Seerahn station. How long before you can get there?" she wondered.

"Well, I'll have to wake the wife up and let her know that we're headed out for a job. Pack up our gear and book tickets. So... eight hours?" he estimated.

"That works for us. We'll be there in five, so we'll pick up some shore leave while we wait. Gods know that we've been cooped up on this ship for a while now and could use the time to stretch our legs," she told him.

"Sounds good."

"Oh, and bring the whole kit. We will need some top end work from you and your wife," she stated.

"That will cost an additional ten percent," Bataar warned.

"Yeah, I know. Just bring everything you can to make the best work you possibly can. We've got you covered," Taal'ani assured him.

"All right. I'll meet you at the docks where the Darkstrider is moored in nine hours then," Bataar replied before he killed the call.

Taal'ani then shut the tablet down and put it back in its wall port to charge. Standing up, she stretched, her joints cracking and popping as she moved. The shower was still going, and she smirked as she sauntered over to the washroom. She walked in and saw Tahral had his back turned to her with his eyes closed. Smiling at him, enjoying such a simple luxury, she walked right up behind him and wrapped her arms around him.

"Taal'ani!" the man yelped, surprised that she had snuck up on him.

"Hello handsome! Thought I'd join you," she purred as she licked the base of his neck. The move had him shivering, and he turned to her, locking his lips with hers. Taal'ani moaned happily, feeling and needing more from this man. They let their passion overtake them as they stood beneath the shower, kissing each other heatedly.

******************************

Shazza sat in the lounge opposite Kasumi, her eyes focused on the board in front of her. The rules of this game frustrated her, and she was certain she had almost won, only for Kasumi to pull a victory out of the jaws of defeat. Shazza had read the rules extensively after their first game and knew that Kasumi wasn't cheating. She was just a better player than her.

"I concede. You win, again" Shazza admitted, tipping over the king piece on the chessboard.

"You learn quickly, Shazza and I will admit, you almost had me a couple of times," Kasumi replied, shaking the other woman's hand.

"Another game?"

"Sorry Shazza, but seven games in a row is my limit. I might join Lumi there," she replied," jerking her thumb at the Artucian woman.

Luminia was busy reading and was so engrossed by the novel, that she was oblivious to everyone around her. Shazza looked a little crestfallen, but understood, and let Kasumi read. She leaned over and reset the chessboard, making it ready for another game. She was just about to get up when the door to the lounge opened and in walked Natalya and Alex.

The young couple looked fresh faced, as though they had stepped out of the shower. They likely had, as a slight sheen of wetness could be seen in Alex's hair. Natalya also had a glow about her that spoke of a satisfied woman. That and her wide smile gave her away, as did the grin Alex wore. The man's gaze spotted the chess set and a questioning look crossed his face.

"Who needs an opponent?"

"Me!" Shazza blurted out, her hand shooting up in the air.

Laughing, Alex ambled over and took the seat recently vacated by Kasumi. Since Shazza was white, she moved first and Alex smiled as the game began. It went by rather quickly, as Alex was a seasoned chess player, bordering on full mastery of the game. Shazza was astonished when she was crushed in less than ten moves, and she stared at Alex in amazement.

"Another game?" Alex asked.

Shazza nodded dumbly and they reset the board to play again. She had honestly thought Kasumi knew the game just that well, and that was why she had lost. She realized though Kas knew the game; she was a novice compared to Alex. The man selected his moves quickly and carefully, always seeming to have some stratagem ready to execute.

Though slightly discouraged, Shazza knew that she would have fun playing against Alex. Also, by studying how he played, and what he did, Shazza hoped to improve her game. At least enough to where she could challenge Kasumi again and hopefully win. She put her entire focus on the game in front of her, tuning the rest of the world out.

With Alex and Shazza engaged and Luminia oblivious to everyone around her, Natalya pulled Kasumi aside and had a word with her. She started talking to her about what she had discussed with Korsa and Shazza and what had happened. Kasumi was shocked at hearing this, and a little offended. She was already pushing things in sharing Alex with Natalya, but this was almost too much for her.

"Going by that look on your face, you aren't exactly keen on the idea," Natalya said.

"Not really no! I mean, what did you expect? Me to just be fine with it?" Kasumi asked, exasperated.

"Of course not! It's a lot to take in, even for me!" Natalya admitted.

"Then why bring it up?" Kasumi grunted.

"Because they felt something that night with him and me. Shazza also felt something with you. She wants to explore it first and see what happens," Nats explained quietly.

"Wait, what?"

"Yeah. That moment you two locked lips, she felt something. It was more than just lust, she knows that much for a fact," Natalya went on.

"Then why not come to me or Alex about it?" Kas wondered.

"With the way you hang off Alex almost every chance you get, on top of the fact that you are an intimidating woman, would you?"

"Ok, you got me there," Kasumi admitted. "And Korsa?"

"She's had her hands full as the ship's doctor, that she often gets sidetracked. Plus, there's that research she gets excited about, that she often loses herself in it. You know how doctors can get sometimes," Nats went on.

"Fair enough."

"And both women know what they're asking and if you say no, they will respect your decision and not bring it up again. Korsa and Shazza know enough to understand that, so they won't push or prod if you are against it," Natalya informed her.

"Thanks. I need some time to think about this. But," Kasumi started, "if we do go forward with it, that's it. Just the five of us and no one else. I think I can say that you, me and even Alex, as... amorous as we can be, would hit our limits by going that far."

"On that, we can agree! If you are open to it, speak with Shazza first about the matter. She's the one who will need the most reassurance," Natalya told her.

"Fair enough. Maybe I'll have a sit down with them both, after I've thought on the matter a little," Kasumi said.

"I would expect nothing less, whatever your choice is," Natalya replied.

"What are you two whispering about back there?" Alex called out. Both women snapped their head to glare at him and cite women's business, when they were cut off by an announcement.

"Attention crew of the Darkstrider. We are five minutes out from Seerahn station. I advise everyone gets ready for debarkment when we arrive," Inari's voice called out over the shipwide comms.

Hearing this, everyone, even Luminia, stopped what they were doing and headed back to their cabins. After a few minutes, everyone was back in the bridge, each one of them wearing a casual outfit. They looked the part of intergalactic traders and merchants, with an air of scoundrels about them. They watched the blue tunneling glow fade to starlines as the Darkstrider dropped out into realspace.

In the distance, they could see an object that was steadily getting bigger. It didn't look like any station that most of them had seen. It wasn't uniform with a singular design, like most stations built by other races. It appeared to be a haphazard mixture of several distinct blockish designs, which were cobbled together. It drifted in space, away from the ship, but at a slow pace.

"Attention unidentified vessel, this is Seerahn station control. Please state the business for your visit," came a male's voice, crackling over the comms.

"Seerahn station, this is the merchant vessel Darkstrider, requesting permission to dock. We have no contracts and are looking for some work," Inari replied. It took a moment before the response came, which was much happier than the hailing call had been.

"Very good, Darkstrider. Clearance to dock has been granted in bay seventy-two. Please follow the course outlined for you. A customs official and representatives of the Merchants' Guild will meet you, to discuss potential contracts," the controller told her happily.

"Understood Seerahn control. Darkstrider, out."