Unity and Destiny Pt. 03

Finally she reached behind her, finding his softening erection. It took her no time to remedy that, and she slid back. Javier groaned as her wetness covered his erection, and he angled his hips, trying to help her. But when he found her entrance, just as he was ready to slide inside, she suddenly pulled away. Teasing him? That was fair enough.

But she kissed his temple and finally spoke.

<< We can't do it. They can't know that I'm infertile. >>

Javier shook his head. She could be on the pill, though she'd have missed doses. Maybe something else? But he understood. They needed to act as though they were nervous about pregnancy. Their tolerance of him partly depended on his ability to make healthy babies with her, children who could have children of their own.

And so of course he started thinking about Esther. They might never be able to have children. Did that matter to him? It sort of did, he realized. In an abstract way.

He felt Nicola bring her body against his again, his dick sliding along the length of her pussy, the shaft brushed deliciously by her bush. She kissed him again.

<< Could we do it like you and Esther? >>

The question hung between them, and he realized suddenly how tangled this all was for Nicola. She'd rather be with Esther, but she was settling for him. It stung, but this was all for Nicola's sake. And he missed Esther too.

Without replying he started the familiar motions. Familiar and shockingly different with Nicola's more ordinary body. She didn't want the same things Esther did. She tilted her hips until her clit rubbed the full length of his shaft. And she was so unbelievably wet. She moved faster and faster, holding him down and taking control again. He'd learned to come when he did this with Esther, but he didn't think this motion was going to work.

It clearly worked for Nicola, though. No crying this time, just the usual exhilarated moans and sighs. Not so different from other women. She arched her back and he stroked the freckles between her breasts. Indirect moonlight filtered through the tiny windows, and he could see her well enough now. She was so beautiful that it hurt. He stroked her and helped her ride him to another orgasm, as though he were just a warm cock with hands.

But that was unfair. When she was done, she quickly slid down and took him in her mouth. And then she made love to his dick in a way he'd never felt before. Gentle vibrations washed through his organ as she caressed him with her lips and tongue. She was singing to him, too quietly for him to hear. And all of a sudden he wished Esther could be there to hear for him. To help make love to this remarkable woman.

When the first spurt of orgasm came, she swallowed as easily as Esther sometimes did, squeezing him with one hand, holding his butt gently in the other. In the end she crawled up to cradle his head again.

<< Javier >>, she said, and then she was quiet a long time. Javier stroked her hair.

<< That was better than Unity >>, she said. << Better than any drug. It was exactly what I needed. You gave me that, Javier, and I'm never going to forget it. >>

They drifted off together towards sleep. Javier wondered if anyone had been listening in after all. Surely it would've been convincing enough. It practically convinced him.

* * *

"You want to talk?" Selena said.

It wasn't the first time she'd asked. Esther knew she'd been silent and preoccupied for their whole trip back to San Jose. Now they sat together on the couch in her living room, a fire going against the cool dampness outside.

Esther tried to think where to start. What she really needed was to unravel Benjamin's meditation, the puzzle she'd been wrestling with during the whole return trip. Probably she needed to get near the ancient place in Oregon to test her ideas. But Selena was too tired to make another plane trip immediately, and it would take many hours of driving. And Esther was too fuzzy-headed to even plan properly. But she needed a plan. Time was wasting.

Benjamin couldn't understand why the Chosen would have set up residence in an ancient place. Whatever cultural differences there were among Chosen, she thought this was important. If these were dangerous places of power, then this group of Chosen was desperate for some reason. Had been for years, given the apparently established nature of the colony. And now they were stealing people from outside, even powerful people like Nicola or Mark whom they would find difficult to assimilate into their Union. No doubt this all had something to do with the schism among the Chosen, but beyond that it was pointless to speculate.

Desperation meant they'd be doing everything to convert Nicola. And given what Benjamin had described about Union, and what Esther had felt of his attempts to recreate it in the canyon, she could imagine how difficult it would be for Nicola to resist. Time was absolutely of the essence. If Nicola began to volunteer information to the Chosen, it could unravel every chance they had to get her and Javier out.

But she couldn't think properly. She needed Javier or Nicola to tell her everything would be fine. Even Mark, but he was out on one of his walks into the hills again. His worry showed in different ways, but he wasn't doing well either. He understood there was a danger of losing Nicola forever, and that would tear him apart. Once more she thought back to the moment outside the motel. She should have sensed that woman earlier. She should have risked a direct assault then, guns or not. The odds now seemed far worse.

"Selena," she said slowly. "I can't think properly and I can't talk about that terrible man. Not yet. I need someone to make plans for me, plans that get us in position for the rescue. Something to get me moving to Oregon so I can test my meditations against the ancient place, and communicate with Javier and Nicola."

Selena nodded and began thinking. And Esther lay down on the couch, practicing relaxation. Just a short nap. Something that would get her focused again.

* * *

The knock on the door woke them both. Javier's head rested on Nicola's chest, and the blankets were all tangled between them. Christ, it still smelled of sex.

Luckily it was the two women who showed up. Although Javier almost wished he could have seen Mateo's expression. These women politely pretended to ignore the obvious evidence of their lovemaking as Nicola extracted herself from the covers and walked naked to fetch a robe. Javier kept himself well-covered by the sheet.

They'd lost their chance to talk privately, but Nicola gave him a tired smile as she exited, and it still looked like her. She hadn't turned into a zombie overnight.

In the shower, he let himself dwell on the sex some more. Maybe he'd started out thinking of it as a way to please and distract Nicola. And maybe she really had been trying to use him to remind her of Esther and Mark. But he shouldn't kid himself. They had much deeper chemistry than he'd realized. He would do it again in a heartbeat. He was already looking forward to that night.

On the other hand, maybe that was because his day looked to be every bit as boring as the previous ones. Just having her company was a major step up from this stupid room.

But just before lunchtime, he was surprised to see the two women at his door again.

"You can come with us to lunch," said the older one. "And perhaps more after lunch. The elders say to treat you as a special sort of initiate."

She looked skeptical about the decision, but the younger woman was giving him a different look. She looked away when he caught her.

"Go ahead and put on your green robe," prompted the older woman, and he looked at them with discomfort. Thankfully they closed the door.

He stripped and picked one of the longer robes. He told himself it was no big deal. Everyone here dressed this way, unless it was a hazing ritual or something. He didn't think so. Nicola would have figured that out immediately.

He still blushed when the door opened again. And he saw it again on the younger woman. She was clumsily sneaking looks at him. But of course, new people were rare here. Probably until this moment he'd been a weird alien visitor, but now he might be sticking around. Not a lot of people to choose from. Her attention shouldn't be making him feel as smug as it was.

They took him to the dining hall, where lunch was being served. Javier suddenly felt like he was in high school again, with everyone staring at the newcomer, including quite a few looks of outright hostility. Nicola wasn't there, but the place didn't seem completely full.

The older woman in blue had wandered off, but the young woman gestured to a table with a few other young people and one middle-aged man. All in blue. He wasn't sure what it took to get a grey robe.

"Hello," said the older man, putting his hand out. "Henry Atchison. I was the new guy until you arrived."

"José Santillo."

The man's grip was powerful, and Javier didn't think it was meant as a macho thing. Henry was used to hanging out with stronger people. Javier had a guess what that meant, and Henry confirmed it.

"I used to work for Prime. I even knew Nicola a little. Great girl, isn't she? And smart as a whip. You're a lucky young man."

The young woman had apparently had enough of that, because she turned to catch his attention.

"Eva Morningsong. I'm so glad they decided to let you join."

"I think it's provisional," Javier said, and the others laughed, as though he'd made a joke.

The other three introduced themselves: A girl named Maura who looked even younger than Eva, and a pair that looked like brothers: Geoffrey and William.

None of the other young people seemed too interested in him, so he tried to make small talk with Eva. She was really cute, truth be told. Strawberry-blonde hair and blue eyes and an earnest face. He learned right away that she had recently turned eighteen, which apparently carried as much significance here as it did outside, or maybe more. She certainly hinted at that. Maura noticed and rolled her eyes before turning back to Geoffrey.

It was embarrassingly easy to flirt with Eva, and he felt bad about doing it, but this was his chance to learn some more about this place. He excused himself to hit the buffet line, and on his way back he stopped near an open window to look out.

When he turned his head, he noticed three people watching him. The other woman who'd brought him, hovering not very casually around the door. Eva, of course. And Henry. He smiled at Henry and walked back.

"I can't believe what a beautiful place this is," he said when he sat down.

Henry smiled, and Javier detected a hint of relief in his expression. "I know! I pinch myself every morning I wake up, wondering if it's a dream. I feel like I've finally come home."

No question now. They'd asked the guy to watch him, but he seemed to be relaxed enough. Javier would try to keep him that way. After all, Nicola had gotten some information out of him.

"It's a funny thought," said Javier. "Home. I just got here, but the truth is I never had a real home. Moved a lot, you know. Foster families."

Henry looked sympathetic, but before he could say anything, Eva interrupted.

"Foster families? Is that where you get randomly assigned parents, because your real parents couldn't take care of you?"

Javier smiled. "Something like that. It's not random, but it felt like that sometimes growing up."

"That must have been really tough," Eva said. "It's not like that here. I have my parents, and my little brothers, but in a way everyone's family. Though, maybe I know a lot of them *too* well."

She was as subtle as a sledgehammer, but Javier sympathized. It must be bizarre to grow up in a place like this.

"Time for class," Geoffrey said.

Eva gave him a dirty look, but she got up with the rest to go return her dishes. "See you later, José!"

"They're good kids," said Henry. "Sure had a different experience than we did, though."

"I'll say," said Javier. "But I don't think my crappy childhood built character. It just made me lonely."

Henry nodded. "I know what you mean. I never thought of myself as a family man, but now that I'm here, all of a sudden—well. It's like a different world."

Javier put on a knowing grin. "Have you thought about marrying, then? Someone in mind already?"

Henry laughed. "I wouldn't go that far. But yes, there's a woman. What a woman, Carla. She's away right now, so I can't embarrass her. But it's not really marriage they do here. They call it binding, and they mean it. No divorce. Sent a shiver down my spine when I heard that, but it seems to work. And I think one reason it does is they encourage everyone to test the waters beforehand, if you know what I mean. Not that I'm saying anything against Nicola, because you obviously like her, and no wonder. But keep an open mind. They're really relaxed about that here, before the binding."

Javier raised his eyebrows, and Henry started laughing. "Oh, I remember what it was like to be your age. I think you'll love it here, José. And I'm so happy that you and Nicola are with us. These are such dark times. But I guess I'm not supposed to talk about that, not yet. You'll find out soon enough, when you get your blue robe."

"Is there a test or something? A ceremony?"

Henry smiled. "I guess I'm supposed to leave those details a secret as well. But you probably already know what Nicola's up to during the day. I'll just say, once the elders decide you're ready, that's when you get the blue robe. I think the same with the grey robes, not that I'm in a big hurry. Looks like a lot of responsibility." He winked.

Most of the others were filing out of the room for what Javier assumed was afternoon devotions as Nicola described. But when Henry stood up, he smiled at Javier.

"Want to take a walk outside? I'm not supposed to take you too far, but I know you were feeling cooped up in there, and this place is too beautiful to stay inside all day."

Henry seemed comfortable enough with silence when they exited the building, and Javier didn't have to pretend to be wowed by the scenery. It was bright and sunny but the wind was chilly, and he had an amused thought of fuzzy blue winter robes for everyone. It must snow here occasionally.

Some younger kids were playing soccer on a stretch of grass and dirt in front of a massive set of solar panels, and Javier asked Henry if there was any reason he couldn't join in.

"Don't see why not!" he said, and then watched in amusement as Javier made friends with the kids using his soccer tricks. He'd coached young players before and soon he had them doing some of the more fun drills. He made a couple very convincing failed attempts to block their shots, and maybe they saw through it, but they obviously loved having an adult to make fun of.

Eventually a blue-robed woman came to retrieve the kids, flashing Javier a surprised and grateful smile as she picked up the ball and herded them off. Henry was giving him a whole new look, of real satisfaction and pleasure.

"You're great with kids," he said. "The others will love having you here. It's always so hard to get enough adults away from devotions and patrols to keep the kids busy."

Javier smiled as Henry led him back towards the building. But he heard what Henry hadn't meant to reveal. Henry wasn't sure he'd be participating much or at all in devotions.

On the way, Javier saw a glint of reflected light through the trees. Most likely a car, not terribly far away. But he ignored it and looked ahead, where a large group was on its way out of the building. He immediately recognized Nicola's green robe, and of course she'd have seen him.

"Let's jog over and catch them," said Henry. "I think you might be allowed in this next devotion. I mean, I don't know that it's properly a devotion. Follow me."

He kept up easily with Henry, but the other man obviously wasn't concerned he was just going to bolt off. Indeed, when Henry caught a pair of grey-robed elders, he was clearly trying to convince them of Javier's good behavior.

He saw a few nods, and Henry gestured him to follow.

There wasn't much farther to go, as everyone stopped at a sandy beach. Javier worked his way towards Nicola, and Henry didn't seem surprised. But everyone was quiet, so Javier listened along to a brief sung prayer by an old man near the front of the group. It was beautiful even sung in the man's shaking voice, and Javier found pieces of the prayer stuck in his memory. Nicola looked at him with a slightly glassy smile. And there was Eva, who'd somehow wormed her way right next to him. This would be embarrassing, as he had a good idea now what was coming.

Sure enough, when the man finished his chant, people started pulling off their robes. Eva was one of the quickest, and if the point was to catch his eye, she had. Under the robe she had a fuller figure than he'd expected, with a host of ordinary freckles everywhere and a few on one breast than might be more than ordinary. She had a thick, light brown fur around her pussy, and she'd turned her hip slightly, as if to show him everything she could. She noticed him looking, of course, but she flushed with a smile.

Javier realized he was still robed, and so he tried to think boring thoughts as he pulled it over his head. There were plenty of not-very-exciting men to look at, including Henry right next to him. After last night he wasn't going to risk looking at Nicola at all, but he figured she'd forgive him.

Eva was checking him out at least ten times as obviously as he'd looked at her, and she seemed more than pleased with what she saw. To his discomfort, Javier realized she wasn't the only one looking. New guy. Of course they were curious. For that matter, Nicola seemed to have her own small crowd of admirers. Javier was glad to see no sign of Mateo in the crowd. But the others were all used to nudity, even Nicola. Javier had never been around so many naked women of every size and shape, and it was overwhelming. The group had begun to wade into the lake, and some younger men were taking it faster to get it over with, so Javier figured he'd be one of those. He raced down the beach, quickly catching the first few Chosen and prompting a few of them to chase him.

The water was absolutely frigid, and he gasped as it hit his private parts. The other guys near him laughed, mostly with good nature. A few of them were diving under, so Javier did the same. Get it over with.

He came up spluttering and as cold as he could ever remember. He was pretty sure his sperm count would be permanently lowered, but maybe it was just as well. Eva wasn't the only one of the younger women to be edging closer, though she was the only one thrusting her pert breasts near his face.

The whole group was pulling closer together, about waist deep in the water. Teeth chattering, Javier joined them, until there was an arm around him. Nicola. She was more beautiful than anyone here. He wanted to kiss her, but it seemed like the wrong time. And sure enough, Eva's slender arm snaked around his other side. He was pressed against the back of a hairy older man, but it wasn't as weird as he expected. An anonymous woman's body touched him from behind.

Everyone began to hum, and Javier joined as best he could, but he was definitely heading towards hypothermia. The heat of the people around him was what he craved. All humans, skin on skin. He was starting to understand why they did this.

And just like that, the group pulled apart, though Eva held on to him as long as she could. They splashed back to the shore to pick up their robes, and then they were jogging to a second entrance to the main lodge. Javier was mesmerized by so many buttocks. A few had freckles like Nicola or Esther, but it was obvious how much Nicola stood out.