Project - Prometheus Ch. 28

"You shouldn't have initiated contact. It's too risky, right after a pirate attack," Dexter growled silently.

"After today, you won't be so dour after hearing what I have learned and can potentially offer our employers," Saubath whispered back.

"You had better damn well have something world changing to offer! We can't afford any suspicion like this! Especially since the pirate attack failed!" Dexter huffed.

"Indeed! I'm sure you've seen the footage of the counterattack led by the Darkstrider?" Saubath queried.

"I have. An impressive ship, and I would kill to get a proper scan of its hardware to send to our superiors," Dexter replied, smiling for the first time since he entered the club.

"What if I could give them something far more valuable than that singular frigate?" Saubath put forward.

"What could be more valuable than that ship?" the human asked, keeping his eyes on the dancers.

"A Prometheus class dreadnought."

Dexter's eyes widened at this, as he, along with every human in existence, knew of the fabled Prometheus class ships. It was every child's dream, to become a talented treasure hunter and be one of the ones lucky enough to find such a ship. Saubath told the tale of what he'd learned in his brief interactions with the Darkstrider crew. Dexter was floored upon learning that the Perseus was within reach!

"So wait, you're saying that a Prometheus class dreadnought sits in a system, that isn't mapped, but that the Darkstrider has been to?" the human asked.

"That's exactly what I'm saying. Think of the possibilities of what we could achieve, getting our hands on such a technological marvel!" Saubath iterated.

"It would catapult the Collective's plans forward by at least a decade!" Dexter agreed.

"Shh!" Arcann shushed him.

Dexter looked chagrined at this, his excitement causing him to break protocol and mention their employer's name out loud. He was thankful for the meeting at Sirens, as it had a strict NDA clause, which disallowed any monitoring devices within its walls. Though they were safe, it was still dangerous to even mention the Collective out loud, where an errant ear could catch it.

"This is wonderful news! If planned correctly, we can get to this uncharted system, take command of the ship and bring it to our home base with no one the wiser!" Dexter whispered excitedly.

"How do you propose that we do this?" Saubath wondered, as he watched the women delve deeper into each other.

"I have a few contacts who would be more than suitable to do what is needed," Dexter stated.

"What kind of contacts?" Saubath wondered.

"The hacker kind. From what you've told me, they have their own cyber security expert, so we'll need someone equally as good to get around them," the human told Saubath.

"I see. Is he or she or they here?" the Takharian man asked.

"No. It will take me a few days to get him here. I assume that we have at least that much time before the Darkstrider leaves?" Dexter wondered.

"More than enough time. They're here for at least a week, so time isn't an issue. I would advise that you send for this hacker in a hurry, though. I'm not sure if I got Commodore Tomisic's hackles up, but the faster you can muster this hacker, the better," Saubath told him.

"Agreed. Out of curiosity, what did you do to make the commodore act as such?" the human asked.

"I offered aid to repair the Perseus, hoping for a way to get to it, so we could steal it. He turned down the aid, even after I pushed a bit. Though I am worried our window will close when they leave," Saubath went on.

"Explain."

"Apparently, they have the tools needed to repair the hyperdrive of the Perseus. They're collecting the materials necessary to make the repairs, but haven't gained them as of yet," Saubath told him.

"So, we're in a race to get to the Perseus first?" Dexter questioned.

"Effectively, yes."

"I'll see about getting the funds to purchase the materials we need. In the meantime, do what you can to stall the delivery of those materials to the Darkstrider. The more time we have, the better off we'll be in the long run," Dexter told him.

"Very good. How long have you been here?" Saubath asked.

"Long enough where if I were to leave now, no one would suspect anything. Just another white collar guy who spent too much money at this place!" Dexter laughed.

"All right, then. I'm going to stay and see if my favorite dancer is here before calling it a night," Saubath informed him.

"Making attachments now?" Dexter questioned, giving him a mild stink eye.

"Not quite. Just establishing my place in her mind, so she thinks of me as someone who could keep her safe," the Takharian man smirked.

Dexter smirked back, knowing how his counterpart thought and didn't fault him. This job could be lonely at times, so any companionship was welcome. The human man finished his beer, got up and left, with almost no one noticing him leave. What he didn't know, was that his departure was noted, as was the conversation that he had with the commander of the Third Veldhern Defense fleet.

Three of the dancers at Sirens were, in fact, Internal Affairs agents for the UCW. Their job was simple; to blend in as dancers and glean any information they could about anyone that came through. Personal stuff was analyzed, then summarily discarded, but things between people of importance, like Saubath, that was the information they strived to obtain.

Of the three of them who worked there, two of which were human women, while the third was a Rondathan woman. Rondathans were a unique race, in the manner of which they were part organic, part machine. They came from a low gravity world, which was far lower than most standard planets. Because of this, they often required bulky suits and prosthetics to get around in the galaxy.

In recent decades, their genome had changed and strengthened considerably. Enough to where they could get around without the need for such heavy mechanics. Some Rondathans did still find it difficult to move about and do daily things that most sentients did. Many, but not all, had some form of subdermal prosthesis, which enabled easier forms of movement.

Rondathans were also a bipedal humanoid race, much like humans and Khontarans. Among all the races out there, their culture and physiology mimicked humans most. Their race was primarily red skinned, with some variants of their race being pink or purple skinned. Their eyes were yellow or gold, with orange, pink and every intersecting hue also being mixed in.

They were around the same height as humans were, with there being those taller or shorter among them. Another thing that was unique to them was their unabashed sexuality. Often, Rondathans were an amorous people, mixing it in so much with their daily lives, that other races viewed them as literal sluts.

This wasn't the case, as Rondathans were very choosy about their mates and viewed such relationships seriously. Sure, they were quite liberal when unmated, but once they had chosen someone, it was for life. They were often as amorous with their chosen mates, seeing little point in holding anything back from them. Though, aside from humans, Khontarans and some other select races, few could see the benefits to have what is termed as a 'Rondathan lust for life'.

The UCW agent with the human women had flawless purple skin and was marked with bright orange eyes. She had black hair, as was the case for most of her race, and a lithe, toned body, complete with a sizable bust and what would be called, junk in the trunk. She had an oval face, angular eyes and a similar jawline, with a pert nose, a rounded chin and plump, kissable lips.

Her name was Amarthena, and she had worked at Sirens since it had opened, along with other two counterparts, Tayla and Lucero. Tayla was a black human woman, of pure African descent, which was a rarity in this day. She was tall, nearly six feet in height, just two inches taller than Amarthena. Her body type mimicked the Rondathan's, albeit she was much bustier, nearly twice her size.

When they had first met, Amarthena and Lucero were sure that Tayla had mods to give her such an impressive rack. Lucero was of the opinion that it had been done, as a way to perk up her tits after having kids. Amarthena thought it was done out of vanity and a need to be noticed. Both guesses turned out to be dead wrong.

On one of their rare collective days off, they were browsing the mod shops, when Tayla was approached by one of the doctors. The doc had wanted to know where Tayla had gotten her mods done, as the doctor was of the opinion that her breasts were perfect. She told the doc how they were real, and the doc scoffed at the notion, until Talya had her put her under a scanner to see for herself.

After she was put under the scanner, the doctor was flabbergasted, at how such perfect breasts could exist outside of the lab. After gently telling the doc she needed to get out more, Tayla suggested that they head out over a coffee sometime. Shocked, but pleased, the doctor accepted, and they chatted a bit before leaving. The trio then left the mod shop, with Amarthena and Lucero vowing never to doubt Tayla again.

Lucero, whom everyone called Lucy, was a Latina woman, who was shorter than the other two, but not by much, at five-foot-eight. She had the typical black hair and dusky skin associated with women of her heritage, along with the striking good looks. Though Lucy was an IA agent, she wouldn't have been out of place on the runway or in a feature film as a holovid actress.

In every aspect, she was smaller than the other two, but she had all the curves that could drive men and women wild. She often had and enjoyed herself immensely while doing it and still did, despite her new... enhancement. Unlike the Amarthena and Tayla, Lucy wasn't fully a woman, even though she was born as one. She was what would be called a futanari, or futa for short.

Futas weren't uncommon around the galaxy at this point and beautiful futas were often highly sought after, by both sexes of many races. Half the time, futas were a natural result of childbirth, but extremely rare even then. More than half the futas were like Lucy, regular folk who had opted for the mods and genetic reconstruction to make her one.

The process was a lengthy one, more so than sex change procedures, which had advanced to where it could be done in a matter of weeks, as opposed to years. Making a futa from anyone was tricky, but transitioning from female to futa was markedly easier than if a male had wanted it. The tricky part was having the body recognize and accept both sets of hormones and balancing the estrogen with the testosterone.

Sometimes, the procedure could take a toll on the body, leaving the individual in question in extremely poor health by the end of it. Among the many tests that were taken to see if their health was up to par, genetic tests were done. Often, those who could become futa, had a gene in the DNA that made the transition easier. This gene, dubbed the 'futa gene' was responsible for the naturally occurring futanari that existed.

Those who carried this gene had the possibility to sire futanari children, though the odds of it happening were less than one percent. Other tests were done, to see if the gene was prevalent in their DNA or not. Those who had a high enough concentration of it could undergo the procedure with little issue. People who had low levels of it could still have the process done, but it would often take longer.

Lucy was one of the luckier ones, who had a high concentration of this gene in her DNA. It took the better part of three months for the procedure to be completed, but everything worked as it should. After an additional month long waiting period and extensive testing, the doctors gave her the green light to make use of the large cock that she had swinging between her legs.

They had warned her, though, that the procedure had an unusual side effect of making her excessively fertile. When she had asked which set was more fertile, the docs told her both. So, whoever she was to fuck, the odds of her getting pregnant, or impregnating another woman, were extremely high. Per their recommendation, she opted for both male and female reproductive implants, so she could at least control that aspect of her life.

Another thing she was told was how her ability to have futanari children had gone up as well. Instead of it being less than one percent, the odds were now at just over twelve percent. Hearing that gave her a lot to think about when having children, as she did want them, when she got older. For the moment, while she was young, she shelved the whole kids aspect, until she was ready for it.

The three of them usually danced together in tandem, often drawing in whales and other high paying clientele. In private booths, they would take things to another level, not just allowing their patrons to touch them. Every now and then, they would have at each other as their patrons watched. Said private dances often cost, and those who paid for such were never disappointed.

Though they were among the highest paid dancers in the club, no one was aware that it was just a cover. Even the owner who was often meticulous about who she allowed to dance there, knew nothing. The UCW was very thorough when it came to giving deep cover operatives a clean background. Amarthena's subdermal implant beeped, alerting her to a high priority recording.

Using a pre-arranged set of touch signals, she informed her friends of it and they flagged one of the DJs to have them go on break. The human man caught the signal and changed up the music, allowing the girls to exit, as he called up the next act for their area. The girls had thirty minutes to rest, relax and review the recording that had been flagged.

Being such highly paid dancers merited them their own room, which they used to stash and safeguard their recording equipment. Since no one else was allowed in, unless they said so, the room was theirs to maintain and clean, which they did. As the three of them locked the door, Amarthena activated the noise dampeners as Lucy played the recording. Their eyes widened as they listened to what was being said by the two men.

"Holy fucking shit!!!! Saubath is an agent for the Collective?!? I mean, I knew he was in some shady shit, but this goes beyond what I thought him capable of!" Lucy gasped, her low alto voice rising a few octaves.

"As is this human man who sat with him. I have seen him before around the station, but I do not know who he is," Amarthena replied, her womanly voice on edge.

"I know who he is. I've heard him and even met him a couple of times. Not here, but out in the station when I was dating Liliana. His name is Dexter Malkaran. He's one of the administrators here and pretty high up, last time I checked," Tayla told them, her bubbly voice taking on a resigned tone.

"How high up?" Lucy asked.

"He's one of the few who answers only to Dohbalan," Tayla responded, which made Lucy's jaw fall open.

"Well, as you humans like to say so much, we are screwed. Both Malkaran and Saubath working for the Collective? This is way beyond our pay grade to handle on our own!" Amarthena stated.

"Maybe, but we do have one option left to us," Lucy told them, pulling out a small device from her drawer. "Since we've been here, we've never had to use this, because there hasn't been a good reason. Now, I'm thinking that this is a damned good reason to activate it."

The device in question was a transmitter that sent a secret signal to their nearest handler. The signal sent was classified as an emergency signal, which was only to be used in the instance of a priority one alert, or Omega Protocol as it was often referred to. When such things were used, the deep cover agents in question were often, but not always, rotated out. This was done as a means of keeping them safe, as good agents were hard to come by.

"Damn it!" Tayla huffed. "I don't like it, but it seems we have no choice in the matter."

"And I was so close to being free of these implants!" Amarthena groaned.

Since being stationed at Veldhern with their cover as exotic dancers, Amarthena, along with Tayla and Lucy, was allowed to keep everything she made as a dancer. Much of which she had spent on getting upgrades to her DNA. Mainly so she could live her life without the aid of the prosthetics that most of her people used.

"We might still be able to maintain our covers here. At least you two will," Lucy told them.

"What do you mean?" Tayla asked.

"Protocol dictates that at least one member of the team has to meet the handler. In this case, I'm volunteering to do it," Lucy stated.

"What? Why?" Amarthena queried.

"If it's just me that meets our contact, then I'm the only one who might be noted as a possible agent. You two are my co-workers and though you might be scrutinized, you'll be in the clear and you might not be rotated out," Lucy replied.

"You sure about this? I mean, we both know how much fun you've been having at this job," Tayla grinned.

Lucy smiled back as a wave of memories came at her. Since being posted there, the three of them, who had never met before, had become as close as sisters would've been. They would often hang out in their off time, dish on the people they were dating and were casual lovers. There was even talk recently about the three of them getting their own place together, even though it went against protocol.

"I'm sure. Maybe, just maybe, if we're lucky, we might not be rotated out," Lucy replied cryptically.

"What are you working on?" Talya wondered, narrowing her eyes at the futa woman.

"Don't worry your pretty little head about it! Right now, just worry about making sure our security is up to par," Lucy told her friend. Seconds later, an alarm beeped, which Amarthena had set as they went on break.

"That's twenty-five minutes. We have five minutes to powder our noses before we head back out there ladies," the Rondathan woman informed her friends.

"All right. You going to send the signal then?" Tayla asked.

"Already done. The signal will transmit once we drop the dampening in this place. So, did you want to hit up those whales we were dancing for?" Lucy wondered, as she changed into a sexy outfit for their mingling.

"Well, see if Roya and her girls have their attention more. If they take no interest, then we go looking for anyone else who would be interested in seeing us dance for them," Tayla winked.

"No shortage of people who want that!" Amarthena giggled as she slipped into a sexy nurse uniform, which went with the theme they were doing. Less than five minutes later, the girls had left, dropping the dampening protections as they did so. With the signal now sent to their local handler, all they had to do was wait.

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Down on Veldhern, the crew of the Darkstrider was settling into their new accommodations. Dohbalan hadn't been underselling how nice these new villas were, as they looked like somewhere that royalty might stay! Once everyone had selected a villa to stay in for the week, they wasted no time in moving some of their clothes and such in.

The fridges were stocked with food of various kinds, but the crew also learned of a delivery service that was available to them. It wasn't just food that they could order, but also whatever souvenirs or items they wished, and it would be brought to them! The prices would have made them gawp initially, but with the millions of credits they had now, it was easily affordable.

This was one of seven such villas, placed at different points along the planet. Those who paid for the privilege of such a place often wished for privacy, and that was what they got. Though interacting with the tourists had been nice, the crew wanted a place where they could be themselves, and Dohbalan was more than happy to oblige.