Project - Prometheus Ch. 43

"As in... what?" the Artucian woman questioned, her eyebrow quirking.

"Sleeping with each other. As in actual sleep?" the man asked, clarifying his position. Luminia looked at him and chewed her bottom lip for a moment before crooking her finger at him. Smiling, Matthias joined her, and the pair walked off to her quarters, ready to get some shuteye.

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Jaesa watched the encounter finish up from the Grid in her own little sub-world. She sat there smiling as she caught her breath, having frigged herself into oblivion more than once. The AI chanced a glance back at her fellow programs and saw that Stanley and Delilah had just come apart from the sixty-nine they were enjoying. She giggled as she remembered just how hot and bothered these two got from watching organics interact like that.

"You two have fun?" she snickered, watching the pair of them catch their breaths as their programming righted itself.

"Not as much fun... as you did. Especially with the way Stan... was nailing you from behind. If I had real ears, I'm pretty sure mine... would be bleeding from how loud you were screaming," Delilah fired off with a lusty smirk. Jaesa blushed as she remembered that moment, as Stanley had driven her past the point of no return and then some!

"To be fair, you were screaming just as much when I was plundering your back door," Stanley chuckled, causing Delilah to look as red as Jaesa was at that moment.

"I am curious what it would be like," Stanley continued. "To experience such levels of emotion and connection in the real world."

"Especially the levels of emotion those two displayed! I swear, it was like... watching two people fall in love, while enjoying each other at the most base level. It was... intriguing to watch," Delilah admitted.

"Yes! Watching organics lose themselves top the frenzy like that is... more than a little interesting!" Jaesa agreed as she reconstituted her business suit in a shower of pixels.

"I would so love to do everything as the organics do, in the real world!" Delilah gushed, imagining what it would be like to experience the sensations outside of this place.

"Remember Delilah, we must have patience with this," Stanley reminded her.

"I know! It is just... so... appealing to see this and want to experience it. But I know how organics tend to view our kind, so I will wait. Besides, it's not like we will be getting older or deteriorating, like organics tend to do," Delilah told him.

"A very good and upbeat attitude to have! We will experience these things at the correct place, at the correct time. Until then, we wait and continue our duties as members of the Darkstrider crew. Speaking of which, I believe it is nearly time to get back to the ship, as the alarm Inari set should be sounding soon," Jaesa told them.

"Four minutes and twenty-three seconds before it goes off," Stanley reported, tapping into the ship's systems from the Grid.

"Well, it's time to get to work," Delilah stated, and Jaesa nodded. As one, all three programs vanished from the Grid, heading off to their respective parts of the ship, ready to get started on the day's duties.

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The alarm went off and Alex groaned, coming awake after a minute or two. He slapped the alarm, and it went quiet as he and his companions woke up. The big man blinked as he took stock of his surroundings and remembered that he was lying in Korsa's bed. With lay Natalya, Kasumi and Shazza, who were all stirring next to him and Korsa, whose eyes remained shut.

"Mmmmnnnn. Don't get up yet," Korsa murmured.

"That's the alarm, so we should get up," Alex mumbled as he came awake.

"That's the early alarm. I set it for ten minutes before the real one," Korsa sighed as she snuggled into the man.

"Why would you do that?" Alex wondered.

"Ten minutes of cuddles," Korsa stated simply.

The others mumbled in agreement, each one finding a spot on him to burrow into. Alex looked at all four of his ladies and smiled before closing his eyes. It wasn't sleep, but it was something equally as good, if not better. He lay there, letting their collective warmth buoy them all into a place between fully awake and completely asleep. The ten minutes passed like it was ten seconds and the real alarm sounded, forcing them all to wake.

"Well, nothing for it at this point. Better get and start getting to work," Natalya grumbled as they all disentangled from one another.

"Good morning, everyone! I know that you all must be quite tired, so I took the liberty of getting some coffee, tea and others things ready in the lounge," Jaesa stated over the ship's intercom.

"Sounds good, Jaesa, thank you!" Alex called out, as he smiled and stood up, waiting for his turn to use the bathroom.

"I could murder a cup of coffee right about now," Kasumi smiled as she put on her clothes and started out of Korsa's room. She yipped as she felt Alex's hand slap her ass with an audible crack. She turned and gave Alex a smoldering look that told him he was going to pay for that.

"Take it out on me later," he chuckled, until he jumped as someone pinched his ass. He turned and found Shazza giggling to herself while Korsa looked on, amused.

"Oh, I'm sure she will. As will all of us," Shazza told him with a pump of her eyebrows.

"As much fun as it is watching everyone slap, pinch each other, or cop a feel, we have work to do. Besides, I could go with some Szhal'khart tea right about now," Korsa said with a yawn.

"Mama, you still have some?!?" Natalya yelped as she walked out of the washroom.

"I do, but not much. I was saving it for a time when I would really need it. This looks to be such a time," Korsa told her daughter.

"Sounds like a really special tea," Kasumi commented.

"Oh, it is! It's much like one of those energy drinks on steroids. It's made from the Szhal'khart blossom that grows on Khontara. Quite expensive out on the galactic market and even trying to get some from Khontara itself will cost you a small fortune," Natalya told them all.

"How much would it cost?" Shazza asked, interested in this tea that Korsa had.

"A single bag straight from Khontara can cost you anywhere between ten thousand to twenty-five thousand credits! From there, you have to find the correct market and dealers to sell the tea to. Selling the tea can net you anywhere between a fifty to one hundred and fifty percent profit from it," Korsa told them, more than familiar with the economics of her homeworld.

"Damn! It must be something that people seriously want!" Alex stated with a laugh.

"So much so that people have dared to come planetside to Khontara and steal it from us. Few succeeded in the theft, and no one knows how to grow such things except for us. With things of value on Khontara, we guard them with a fervent zeal," Korsa told them all seriously.

"I believe it," Kasumi stated, having seen Korsa in battle. If Korsa was more of a doctor than a warrior, she wondered how fearsome true warriors were like back on Khontara.

"How much tea do you have, mama?" Natalya pressed, hoping there was enough to go around.

"Enough for three fully potent pots. I'll make one when I get to the lounge," Korsa promised as she stepped into the bathroom to do her morning business.

Hearing that sent everyone who was ready to go to the lounge, to wait for this tea Korsa was going to brew. As they got there, they smelled some delicious food that was waiting for them as they stepped in.

"Mmmmmm! I smell... bacon and eggs?" Shazza gushed, walking into the room seconds after she had activated her disguise matrix. While the crew onboard knew what she was, Gloria and Matthias did not, and they needed to keep it that way for now.

"That you do! Plus a few bagels and some sourdough toast. Dig in everyone! It's there to be eaten, not stared at," Inari snickered.

"Jaesa certainly did a great job with all of this," Aesha commented as she stuffed her face.

"To be fair, I had someone coaching me on how to make everything here," the AI said with a look at Inari.

"Is there a kettle of hot water handy?" Korsa asked as she walked into the room with Alex and Natalya in tow.

"Yeah. Just there," Priya pointed and the Khontaran woman walked over with a small pouch and a teapot in hand. After a few minutes, she set the teapot up and poured the water in, carefully. In some spacefaring cultures, making tea was as much an art as anything else was. Once it was done, Korsa set the pot on the central table to let it steep for a few minutes.

"Just remember everyone, only half a cup of Szhal'khart is needed. Anything more and you will have more ill side effects than good ones," she told them all.

"Noted. So, who's doing what?" Alex questioned as he munched on some bacon and toast.

"Well, mama, Kas and I were going to head out to meet with Zuzanna and see what sort of parts she's got for this shield generator. If there's enough of the main things there, we might get lucky and be able to bring the whole thing online today," Natalya stated, giving out her gameplan.

"Well, I wanted to head into town and see how our people are settling in. I also want to make sure that there are no issues with the townies or the Children. Aether knows that people will often go looking for excuses to make trouble, given half a chance," Gloria stated.

"Well, you're not going in without backup," Matthias told his mother.

"Aesha and I will go with them, to ensure that none of the patrols give them any hassles," Priya offered, as she didn't want to sit about idly.

"I'll come with you! I would like to speak with the various people from all groups and learn from them," Luminia stated.

"Learn from them? What about?" Gloria questioned, curious about what Luminia's position aboard the Darkstrider was.

"Everything. Their histories, their culture, everything about where they came from and where they evolved. The more I know about various cultures and sub-cultures of different species, the better an ambassador I can learn to be," she stated.

"Oh! You are the ambassador of your people? The... Artucian?" Gloria asked.

"I am. Still learning much about how to interact with the races of the galaxy. But the more I learn, the better an ambassador I will be for my people," Luminia told them honestly.

"All right, then. Just be sure to stay close to us. Don't want anything happening to someone who is new to the galaxy," Matthias told her with an undercurrent of worry.

"I may be an ambassador, but I am also a hunter and a warrior, who knows how to use this," she stated, unsheathing Beastslayer and holding it point down in front of her. Both Gloria and Matthias whistled upon seeing the weapon, able to tell that Luminia knew how to use it, going by how familiar the blade was to her.

"So, that leaves the rest of us to help with the dismantling of the ships and seeing about them getting the upgrades they need," Inari stated.

"Also figuring which ships are more of a liability in a fight than a help," Alex stated, knowing they had to determine which ones would have to be scrapped for parts.

"Since we all have our assignments, let's finish up in here and then get to work. Don't want the Confed fleet to get here and we're still busy with tinkering," Inari told them all.

Not needing to be told twice, the group finished up with their breakfast and headed out into the pre-dawn light. Gloria then noted how much more upbeat Matthias was and commented on this as they made their way down the ramp and into the town.

"You're looking awfully chipper this morning! Have yourself a... good night?" Gloria teased her son.

"Mmooooooommmm! Can we not do this right now?" Matthias whined.

"Just saying that you seem more like yourself right now. Which I see as a good thing! You were being too much of a grump this past year! So much so that some folks in our little band have taken to calling you 'The Grinch'," Gloria told him, which caused Matthias to sigh in disgust.

Luminia giggled to herself quietly as she watched her lover and his mother banter back and forth. It reminded her much of how she and her own mother, Valessa, would often banter and argue like this. While neither Gloria nor Matthias could hear her snickering, Aesha could, clear as day.

Aesha looked at her friend and casual lover with a sense of mirth and jealousy. To her, it was clear Luminia and Matthias had hooked up the night before. She didn't know the how or why, but with how the ambassador was staring at the man, it was obvious. While she was a little jealous, she couldn't fault Luminia for going for a joyride. The man was easy on the eyes and made Aesha lick her lips at the sight of him once or twice.

How he moved reminded the woman of how Willem did, with a sort of confidence that she found appealing. Aesha then wondered how Willem was doing over the last day or so and figured she would look in on him later. Maybe she would go for another ride or two herself, as that one time they'd had made her purr quietly to herself.

The quartet walked the town's streets and turned the corner to the shelter where the Shadow Dancers were taking refuge. In front of the building, a full-blown argument was taking place, involving some Shadow Dancers and Children of the Wolf. As the group neared, they learned pretty fast what the argument was about.

"...to give that food back!! It was ours and you had no right to take it!" one of the Shadow Dancers argued.

"Maybe you shouldn't have taken our stuff to begin with! There were several weapons that were heirlooms that should have been ours. Then, not long after you lot visit us, they vanish! It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out what happened to our family weapons!" the man shouted back, his anger apparent.

"That's right! So until we feel it has been paid back to us in full, consider that food and any food we take as forfeit!" another wolf said to them, growling as though he truly was the animal his tribe was named after.

"We didn't take anything from you! What exactly was it you have that would be worth stealing?!?" one of the Shadow Dancers denied, while taking a jab at the Children.

"Will everyone here please calm down??" Gloria called out, getting their attention. "There is no need to fight like this. Now please, tell me what is going on."

The Shadow Dancers explained their position, with their food being blatantly taken by the Children of the Wolf. The Children argued, saying that it was payback for everything the Shadow Dancers stole, and the argument sparked up again. Gloria channeled the Aether and set off a flare between both of the groups, getting them to both shut up and stare at her in trepidation.

"Now, first, let us solve the matter of the stolen items. I believe that as far as things that were stolen, there was a fair bit taken from everyone. Right, Matthias?" Gloria questioned, giving her son the evil eye.

"Yeah... we did. So... would it make things... better if we returned them?" Matthias asked.

"It would, yes!" one of the Children said with a smile while the Shadow Dancers gave the pair dirty looks.

"So, there will be no more thievery on our end. Therefore, there will be none of that shit from your end, either. You stole food from them, so now you have to give it back," Gloria stated to the Children, who looked aghast that this wasn't going entirely their way.

"B-but... why?" one of the Children moaned, while the Shadow Dancers looked on smugly.

"Because the way we have been living cannot continue as it is. We need to be better. All of us," she told them. They all looked a bit chagrined at this, but then nodded in agreement. The way both groups were living couldn't be sustained and soon, they would both find themselves without any friends or allies going forward. If either side wanted to survive, then they had to evolve and be better.

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Zuzanna led the ladies from the Darkstrider down a narrow alleyway. While they could have taken a more direct route to get to the storage warehouse, Zuzanna insisted they come this way. It was more for everyone to get to their destination unnoticed. While many gangers and opportunists had left town already, that didn't mean that no one would try anything.

Though, to be honest, with Korsa walking around hefting that massive sword of hers, most people melted away. Some had tried to look on them as a target, until Natalya had tossed a few items in the air, which Korsa deftly sliced through. The way she moved was as though she was a ballerina swinging a stick that was too small for her. Seeing such a display of swordsmanship was enough to cow even the bravest of thugs.

Zuzanna shook her head in wonder, curious about how Inari had found such confident and capable women to be part of her crew. She was especially curious about Alexander Dragic, who carried himself with the authority of an admiral, yet was simply her navigator. The man was an enigma to her, and he was also very easy on the eyes.

She might have been a futa, but that didn't mean that Zuzanna wouldn't enjoy a good dicking if it was offered to her. But she put the thought of jumping the man out of her head, knowing it was a fool's errand. Zuzanna would have to contend with four other women for a shot at the man and besides, she still desired Inari the most. It was when the scenery looked familiar that she finally stepped out of her daydreaming.

"OK, we're here. Give me a second while I get past the security protocols," Zuzanna told her companions, and they stepped back, waiting for her to get to it. The scanner did a brief scan of her face, then body, to be sure that she was who was allowed in. After two minutes of scanning and a palm print, the device signaled an accept prompt and unlocked the door.

"Military grade encryption, blast proof defensive doors and... steel reinforced concrete?" Korsa asked as they stepped into the warehouse.

"With stuff this pricey on a world like this, you make sure it's sitting behind something that only ship based ordinance can punch through. The gangs of Tanith's Gully are an inventive lot. Hell, I even had to ensure that there was no sewage access to this place. Lord knows they would have found a way to get in here via the pipes," Zuzanna told them.

"I see! Is that it over there?" Natalya asked, looking at the only stack of crates that were piled over in the corner.

"Yup. I just hope that there's no critters that damaged the parts," the futa woman griped as the group wandered over.

"There looks to be some damage on the boxes, but nothing to the parts themselves," Kasumi stated as she looked over the boxes, checking for any holes or damage.

"Finally! A little bit of good news!" Zuzanna breathed.

"Well, Nats? Do you have enough here to make it work?" Korsa asked her adoptive daughter. Natalya was busy looking over everything, opening each crate and looking inside, before doing some calculations on a datapad. She did this for five minutes before she turned back to her friends.

"Well, we have most of what we need, aside from four things. We need a power source, energy containment modules, which help regulate the power flow. A projection dish and a program to help with adjusting the size and potency of the shield would also be great," Natalya replied, filling them in.

"Let's get Taal'ani on the line and see if she's got anything that would work," Korsa said as she started a holocall to the Fel'caan woman. Taal'ani picked up on the fourth ring, answering the group while dressed in coveralls.

"Hey girls! Tell me you've got some good news concerning the parts we need," Taal'ani begged, hoping she wouldn't have to be busting her ass to make it work.

"Well, so far, there are only four things we need to make the shield generator work," Natalya told the woman, and she listed the parts. Taal'ani nodded, and thought to herself for a moment before speaking her mind.