Worlds Apart Pt. 02

"Maybe...I'm not as alone as I thought I was," Jamie mused.

"You're the first interspecies couple to have a baby, I know that much."

"You think it'll work?" Jamie asked warily. Walker probably knew more about the hive than anyone, and nobody had a closer relationship with the Bugs than he did.

"I know it," he replied with a confident nod of his head. "The Jarries weave genes like the Borealans weave tapestries. It's an art for them, probably the only form of cultural expression that they have."

"What's next for the hive, do you think?" Jamie wondered.

"It was a hard fight to get them admitted to the Coalition," Walker began. "Between skepticism from the Security Council and outright assassination attempts, it almost fell through. But now, the Jarilans are official members, with all of the rights and responsibilities that entails. We're going to be providing labor, troops, building new shipyards for the UNN. Few people in the Admiralty really understand the value that the Jarilans represent, their potential."

"We do," Jamie added, not breaking stride. "Without them, we couldn't be here."

That seemed to please Walker, a smile brightening his scarred face.

***

"This is my stop," Walker said, the group coming to a halt as they arrived at the entrance to the hive. One of the two Drones who were on guard duty brushed her fingers against the chemical switch, the resin doors beginning to part.

"Hopefully, we'll see you around," Jamie said as he gave the ex-Marine a wave.

"You're welcome to come inside and take a look around," he added, but Liz shook her head.

"We should get back to the settlement," she explained. "Doctor Sousa will probably be waiting for us."

"Suit yourselves," he replied, waving in the procession of Bugs. "Maybe I'll come and see how you guys are doing before I leave on another expedition. Good luck with the baby-making."

He vanished down the tunnel, the doors closing behind him. The guard returned to her position, glancing between Liz and Jamie, awaiting further instructions.

"Strange character," Liz said, turning back up the path. "You two had a good chat. What do you think, has spending so much time out in the forest with only Bugs for company loosened a few of his screws?"

"No, he seems like a cool guy to me," Jamie replied as he matched pace with her. "We talked a little about Borealans."
"Oh yeah?" she asked, giving him a sly look.

"He's the only other person I've met who knows what it's like to live with one."

"I hope you said flattering things about me," Liz chuckled, reaching down to mess up his hair with a furry hand.

"Nothing but praise," he replied, ducking out of her reach. "He asked whether I thought your instincts were hardwired or if they were cultural."

"And what did you say?" she asked, her ears swiveling to track him curiously.

"A little of both. He said that you were unusually mellow, and I told him that it was because of your Earth upbringing. That said, you told me that you did very well for yourself on Borealis, that the pack life fit you like a glove."

"That's pretty accurate," she said, pausing for a moment as she considered. "Ever since that first night that we spent together, it's always been there, bubbling just under the surface. It's like an intrusive thought in the back of my mind, nagging at me."

"I still have the scars on my back from that night," Jamie chuckled. "Don't worry," he added, seeing her tail start to droop. "I could get them removed if I wanted to, but I'd never do that. They bring back so many fond memories."

"I make it sound bad, but...it's really not," she continued. "It feels...great to let loose, to obey my nature, but growing up alongside humans has made me realize how destructive it can be. I prefer to just pop the cap every so often, let out a little steam, but not too much. Being removed from the pack environment helps a lot."

"I can imagine," Jamie added, taking Liz's hand as she helped him climb over an especially tall tree root that rose up from the carpet of ferns. "It's hard to be the voice of reason if you're surrounded by unreasonable people."

"I want to take you there one day," she insisted, her enthusiasm surprising him. "To Borealis, I mean. I'll keep you safe, you don't have to worry, but I think it would really help you understand Borealans. It'll help our kid, too. I want you to know that side of me better."

"O-okay," he stammered, not sure how else to respond. "We won't have the UAS paying our way next time, though. We'd have to plan it carefully."

His reply seemed to please her, her cheeks warming.

"Let's hurry back," she said, keeping a tight hold on his hand. "With any luck, Sousa and his team will have cracked the code by now."

***

Sousa welcomed them with open arms on the steps of the UAS building, greeting Liz and Jamie in his thick, Brazilian accent.

"You found your way back! Good, good. I was starting to wonder if I should send Bluejay to fetch you."

"We met that Walker guy you mentioned," Jamie said, Sousa raising his eyebrows.

"I thought he was out searching for specimens, I haven't seen him in weeks. You must have caught him on his way back to the hive."

"Have you made any progress with the Bug machine?" Liz asked. "If you were waiting for us to get back, you must have found something."

"That's right," he replied with a broad smile. "We don't understand the details of how the organ itself works, but we've narrowed down the process it uses with the help of the Jarilans. Come inside, we'll take a look."

He led them into the lab, which was still crowded with Bugs and scientists who were examining readouts and inspecting the pulsating organ with unidentifiable instruments. Sousa brought them over to one of the holographic displays, tapping in a few commands to produce a floating image of a chromosome.

"So, here's what we think is happening," he began. "A genetic sample is...I suppose ingested would be the best word...by the organ. Once the foreign body is detected, specialized cells locate the chromosomes that are present and begin to unpack them. The strands of DNA are then passed through molecular readers, kind of like a punch card through a vintage computer, which translates each amino acid into a chemical signal that gets sensed by a network of nerves. The organ then builds a library of genes, feeding those into a computer system rather than the Queen's brain in this case, where they're cataloged."

"So...what does that mean?" Jamie asked.

"In short, we know enough to perform the procedure. All that we require now are two things, your eggs," he said as he gestured to Liz. "And your sperm," he added, pointing to Jamie. "Egg retrieval is actually a medical procedure that you'll have to undergo. It's quite safe," he assured them, the pair exchanging a concerned glance. "It involves inserting a thin needle through the vaginal wall to reach the ovaries, then using ultrasound to locate the mature follicles, which contain the eggs. They're then siphoned up. We'd usually need a weeks-long regimen of hormones and stimulants to encourage your body to produce more viable eggs, but Borealans produce several at once, so we can skip straight to the final step. Just as soon as we can figure out how much anesthetic it takes to knock out a five-hundred-pound alien, we'll put Lizka under. She won't feel anything or remember any of it."

"And...what about me?" Jamie asked warily. "Are there any needles involved?"

"Nope," Sousa replied, thrusting a small cup with a red lid into his hand. "You'll be doing it the old-fashioned way. I trust you two can handle that?"

Jamie nodded, holding the cup awkwardly as Liz grinned down at him.

"You'll need to return the sample to us so that we can freeze it not long after it's, uh...produced," Sousa added. "No rush, it'll take us a little while to get ready for Lizka's procedure."

"And once you have the eggs and sperm, you can start splicing?" Liz asked.

"That's right. We know enough to monitor the process now. We can double-check the Jarilans' work, make sure they've understood the instructions, and we can hopefully learn a hell of a lot in the process."

CHAPTER 6: GAMETE

They thanked Sousa, then retired to their prefab, Jamie setting the cup down on the kitchen table. He wasn't sure where else to put it.

"I suppose we just have to wait for Sousa and his team to get the procedure set up," he said, kicking off his boots and flopping down onto the couch. "You ready to have your fertile eggs harvested, Liz?"

"What a romantic way of putting it," she grumbled, reaching down to unfasten the straps on her shoes. "I'm sure it will be fine. The UAS people seem to know what they're doing. God, I hate wearing these things..."

She kicked them off by the door, flexing her paws in relief, then made her way over to the table. Jamie watched as she picked up the cup, tossing it into the air, then catching it again. She walked around to the front of the couch, planting one hand on her hip as she held the little plastic container between her padded fingers.

"I don't want to wait any longer than I have to, so take your pants off..."

"Uh, right now?" he stammered.

"If I have to undergo an invasive procedure, then I'm going to make damn sure you provide a high-quality sample," she said as her emerald eyes locked onto him. She exposed her sharp teeth in a grin as he began to unbuckle his jeans, her tail whipping back and forth behind her impatiently.

As he freed his growing erection, Liz reached out with her prehensile tail, brushing its furry tip up the length of his shaft. He shuddered, leaning back into the couch cushions, the faux-leather creaking.

Liz had such fine control over the appendage that she could wrap it around his length like a tentacle, encompassing him in her silky, straw-colored coat. It was like being teased with a feather boa, his smirking partner standing there, twirling the cup in her hand as she watched him shiver.

Keeping her hold on his member, she took a step closer, setting the cup down on the armrest. Jamie lurched as she reached down to slide her hands beneath his arms, lifting him from his seat. She sat down in his place, her hips wide enough to wedge between the armrests, the wooden frame grumbling under her weight. She sat Jamie in her lap, his butt sinking into the cushion of her thighs. Her leather jacket was open, and he felt the soft meat of her breasts spill over his shoulders through the fabric of her shirt, cushioning his head as he leaned back into her embrace.

"Sit still," she cooed, her warm breath blowing his hair. She leaned a little closer, Jamie's spine arching as he felt her soft lips brush his ear, her pointed teeth pricking him as she bit him gently. One of her muscular arms wrapped around his waist, pulling him closer, sinking him deeper into her inviting bosom.

"You're more comfortable than that ratty couch," he muttered, Liz rewarding him with another teasing bite.

The tip of her fluffy tail brushed his balls, a tingle of pleasure making him go quiet. He watched as she slowly crawled her free hand down towards his pulsing member, her fingers curling around it. Her coat was as soft as velvet, Jamie able to feel each individual hair brush his glans as she squeezed, burying him in a prison of silky fur. Her hand was large enough to encompass him completely, Liz starting to slowly pump her fist in a gentle stroking motion. He squirmed in her lap as her fingers caressed him, those wickedly sharp talons kept mercifully clear, the way that she alternated her grip keeping him guessing.

"You'd better tell me when you're gonna pop," she warned, giving his earlobe a tug with her teeth. "If you come in my hand instead of in the cup, I'm gonna be mad."

"What're you gonna do about it?" he asked, playing along. Liz always liked it when he was defiant, when he challenged her.

"Guess I'll just have to keep milking you until you cooperate..."

He gritted his teeth as he felt the fleshy pad of her thumb press against his glans. The sensation contrasted sharply with her delicate fur, spongy and soft, like a warm marshmallow. Liz began to make slow circles, massaging his tender tip, Jamie gripping her leather sleeve as the waves of pleasure rolled over him.

Her other hand slid beneath his shirt, Jamie's head spinning as he felt the tips of her claws prick his belly. She was so careful, knowing exactly how much pressure to apply so as not to cut him, but their mere presence heightened his sensitivity. Her hands were so warm, Liz seeming to relish the way that his abdominal muscles tensed with her every squeeze.

The pace of her gentle stroking gradually increased, the warmth and wetness of her tongue snapping him out of his stupor as its pointed tip probed his ear, the sound of her sucking and nibbling filling his head.

He began to thrust into her fist, her fingers acting as ribs, creating another layer of wonderful sensation. She held her hand still, allowing it for only a few pumps before squeezing the base of his cock tightly between her thumb and forefinger, watching his erection swell and throb.

"I know you'll give me more if I make you wait a little," she giggled, her hand sliding down to cup his balls. She cradled them, the silky texture of her fur unbearable, her lips crawling down to his neck.

"Fuck, they feel so full," she sighed. "Maybe it's just my imagination, but it makes me feel all...squirmy."

She pressed her teeth into his skin, just enough to leave a red indent, the familiar warmth of her lips making him melt into her arms.

"I want this to be special," she whispered, bringing her hand back to his aching member as it bobbed in the air. She pressed the pad of her index finger against his tip, wetting it with a bead of his leaking pre, making slow circles. "We've been playing pretend up until now, but this is the load that's going to get me pregnant. I want you to think about that," she added, giving him another soft bite that made him buck. "I want that cup full of your intent, as well as your come. I want to know that you want it."

"I...I do want it," he stammered. "I'd do it myself if I could."

"I like that idea," she chuckled, rewarding him with another teasing press of her pad. "Do you fantasize about it? Tell me..."

"Yeah," he grunted, prompted by another prod. "I can't even count the number of times we've made love, and I've never even touched a rubber. By all rights, we should have an army of kids by now."

"We might be skipping the most fun step, but the result will still be the same," she chuckled. "They used to rut so much back on Borealis, it was crazy," she added with a sultry sigh. "If a girl liked you, she'd just pin you to the ground and fuck a baby out of you, keep going until you loved it. My pack were always at it, the higher-ranked members having their fill of their subordinates almost every night. They used to think that I was crazy for cloistering myself away, getting myself off to memories of you, to thoughts of what I'd do with you when I made it back."

The thought made him blush, Liz nuzzling the nape of his neck contentedly, wallowing in a fantasy that was soon to become manifest.

"I promised you'd never have to get yourself off again," Jamie said, Liz purring in his ear.

"And you've been true to your word..."

She released his member, bringing her hand to her mouth, parting her lips to extend her long tongue. She coated her palm in a web of bubbling saliva, matting the fur, closing her fingers with an audible squelch. She returned it to his shaft, sliding him into her fist, his skin gliding on a slimy layer of her warm drool. Jamie groaned as he felt her hot, wet fur drag across his tender glans. It felt like someone had soaked a mink glove in personal lubricant.

"You look about ready to pop," she whispered, giving him a dizzying squeeze. "Come for me..."

She started to stroke again, more vigorously this time, her soaking-wet fur caressing his throbbing length. Jamie could do little other than relax into the inviting cushion of her ample breasts, feeling them rock gently against the back of his head as her fist pumped. His hips rose up to meet her hand on its way down, fucking it in earnest, Liz cooing in his ear contentedly as she watched him rut. She swirled her damp thumb around his glans, teasing his balls with the tip of her tail, whispering encouragements as she drowned him in pleasure. Her hand was so warm and slimy, as tight as she wanted to make it, his addled mind unable to distinguish it from her clenching loins.

"Fuck," he grunted, feeling his climax welling. "G-get the cup!"

Liz reached over to swipe it from the armrest, hastily removing the lid as she sat up to lean Jamie forward, placing the container just beneath his glans. Her pace reached a fever pitch, Liz applying more pressure with her fingers as she neared his tip, like a farmhand milking a cow. It was exactly what he needed, exactly when he needed it, a stifled moan of ecstasy escaping him as he watched the first rope of his seed splash against the bottom of the cup.

Liz changed its angle a little, catching another thick, gelatinous wad as it impacted the side. He could hear her breathing heavily in his ear, biting her lip as she watched him orgasm, another pump of her fist wringing more of his emission from him.

"God, I can feel its warmth through the plastic," she murmured as he gave her another shuddering rope. "Keep going..."

Jamie sank his fingers into her soft thighs through the fabric of her sweatpants, his mop of blonde hair falling over his face as she squeezed out one last throb, his cock connected to the edge of the cup by a sagging rope of pearly fluid. His muscles aching, he leaned back into her arms, letting a wave of afterglow wash over him.

"Good boy," Liz purred, holding the cup up to the light. "You gave me so much. Look at that," she added, admiring his work. "It's almost enough to fill a goddamned shot glass..."

Jamie chuckled, shifting his weight as he got more comfortable in her bosom. She secured the lid, still holding the container in her hand, as though unwilling to put it down.

"This is the one," she sighed. "I can feel it."

"Even if it isn't, I got plenty more where that came from," Jamie sighed.

"I think I have a problem," Liz muttered, watching the contents of the cup slide around as she turned it over in her hand. "How crazy am I on a scale of one to ten if I just kind of want to...pour it into my hand? It's still so fucking warm..."

"We can do that later, if you want," Jamie mumbled.

"Watching you get off always pushes my buttons," she added with a frustrated snarl, burying her nose in his hair as she took in a lungful of his scent. "We should get this to Sousa. I don't know how long it stays fresh if it's not refrigerated. But when we get back, you'd better help me burn off this heat."

"You betcha," he replied groggily.

***

It only took a day for Sousa and his team to prepare Liz's procedure. It was carried out in the UAS building, rather than in the depths of the hive, which set her more at ease. It was a human procedure, performed by human doctors, and it went off without a hitch. They were able to harvest a dozen fertile eggs ready for use in the gene-editing process.

Jamie was by her bedside when she woke up, fading in and out of consciousness as the anesthetic slowly wore off. It was a little alarming at first to see her try to wake up but to be unable, yet the comfortable smile on her face reassured him. When she finally came around, she described the sensation as a deep, restful sleep. Besides some slight soreness in her abdomen, she didn't complain of any pain or discomfort.

With that done, all of the donor cells were ready, and they could proceed to the gene-editing phase. Most of the UAS scientists were clustered around one of the monitors, a few Bugs joining them, while the rest of the team crowded the strange Jarilan organ that was still hooked up to the servers. Between them, they had managed to parse the data in a way that was more intuitive for a human, the technicians working with the Bugs to create a user interface that let them more easily examine the output from the biomechanical device.