Ecstasy of Gold - Ch. 3

In the deep void of space, a warrior peered out a large, picturesque window into space. He was both a Zieke and an Enhance Marine. He had grey flesh, large eyes, small ears, a small, almost non-existent nose and almost reptilian mouth. The Ziekes had had a long history with humans, stretching back hundreds if not thousands of years. Because of this, they had interbred with humans and merged the humans that joined their group into their race. It’s where they received most of their human traits. The Enhance Marine was one of a dwindling number in his race that was pure Zieke.

Enhance Marines were cybernetic enhanced super soldiers originally made by humans. Many of the other races followed suit, not wanting to be at a strategic disadvantage. Enhance Marines were almost entirely cybernetic, and their physical size was increased because of it. It was done intentionally to make them large and intimidating on the battle field. Zieke Enhance Marines were made bigger than human Enhance Marines, mostly due to the centuries of conflict between the two in the past.

The ship itself was simple and rectangular. While the inside was highly ornate, modeled after imperial palaces of old Earth and their own, the outside was almost featureless besides their weapons. Zieke engineers had decided that the most efficient design for their ship was basic geometric shapes. While it was efficient, it did clash with the ornate design of everything else. Still, it meant the ship could carry far, far more than the ships in the past. It was enough to make the higher ups put up with the untraditional design.

The ship, the Blade of Wisdom, had received what they thought was a distress call. They went to answer it, having to search normal space for the faint signal. It took extreme measures to get to where the signal was. There was the home galaxy, our Milky Way, and its larger neighbor, the Andromeda Galaxy, and a ‘jump bridge’ between the two made of a long chain of jump stations that made it possible to travel between the two galaxies. To reach the signal, they had to deactivate one of the stations after they reached it, almost tearing the ship apart in the stresses it involved. The ship ‘skidded’ as it lost its incredible speed, translated to real space due to the stop. Most of the crew had never actually seen one of the jump stations.

They were magnificent and indescribably massive, dwarfing their ship. They were giant beautiful, giant rings with flat intertwined coils of metal stretching out in the distance. No one, any where, truly knew where they came from, where such beauty and magic could be made, but every race respected them, allowing the others to use them freely. To even attempt to destroy one of the jump stations was the worst possible crime committable in war, worse than even destroying an entire planet. It was so terrible in everyone’s mind that no one had ever committed it. The idea of cutting the two galaxies off from each other was a nightmare, life in both seeming to rely on supplies from the other.

It took forever under normal speed, but they had to be sure to find it. It was faint, and they had to be sure they didn’t overstep it. The Enhance Marine hated the idea of looking for it. It could be a possible threat or a trap, and he hated leaving the ship at a slow, vulnerable speed for so long, but he had no say in the matter. The captain over-rode his concerns, which he accepted. Still, that didn’t mean he had to like it.

“Zech to the bridge.” A voice came over the ships intercom. “Zech to the bridge.” He groaned and put his helmet on. The captain would call him for everything, from boarding pirate ships to handling minor altercations between crew members. It was excessive, like using a firehouse to put out a tea candle. On top of it, it was getting old fast.

He walked to the bridge, walking over to the captain and snapping to attention. He saluted the captain in the usual Zieke way, folding a pair of fingers closest to the person of the highest rank. In this case, it was the captain.

“Missileer Sergeant Zech reporting as ordered, Captain Chizek.” The captain saluted him back.

“At ease, Sergeant.” The captain stood up from his chair on the bridge. He walked over to the view screen on the bridge. “We’ve located the source of the distress call.” On the view screen, a small, black pod was displayed. It was slowly rotating, tumbling as it went through space. Its surface was almost perfectly smooth and polished except for carvings along its surface.

“Did we determine if it was a distress call, sir?”

“What else could it be?” The captain said, tapping the screen. “What else could something this size be? It could be a life pod, a computer core, a data beacon…”

“A bomb?” Zech interrupted. The captain was being far too optimistic about the object, something you couldn’t afford to do as a captain. Zech wouldn’t be able to bring it up without being severely punished. “Have we determined what it is, sir?”

“Sensors can’t pierce its outer shell. That’s why you’re going to bring it onboard.”

“With all due respect, sir. I highly suggest we…” The captain raised a hand to silence him. He shook his head, walking around him. Zech could tell he looked down on him. The captain was at least half human, putting him at a higher level in society. Being pure Zieke was almost a sign of shame, mixed-Zieke claiming they were the descendants of fearful bigots and racists. It wasn’t the case in most, but the lie stuck.

“No, the only sensors we have that will work on it are inside the ship. If a countdown for a bomb starts, we can simply jettison it into space. The hangar’s magnetic grapplers won’t work on it, which means we need you to bring it in.” The captain sneered, looking up at him. “I think you’re just not willing to do your duty. In which case…”

“Sir.” Zech saluted him again. “I will bring it aboard and stay on alert…just in case.” It bothered Zech that the grapplers wouldn’t work on it. They were powerful enough that they would work on even the smallest amount of ferrous metal. You could tow a shuttle with a piece of metal the size of a nickel welded to the front. Still, this object wouldn’t respond to them in any way, and that was definitely something to be suspicious about, at least in Zech’s mind it was.


Tasha woke up laying naked in her bed to the sound of someone knocking on her door. She knew she had locked it, breathing a sigh of relief. She decided to relieve all the stress, anger, and sadness from yesterday her usual way. She wasn’t proud of it, but it did help her sleep. Last night, it helped her sleep a little TOO well, and she had fallen asleep with a couple of dirty magazines on the bed next to her. She panicked, getting them together as fast as she could.

“Just a minute!” She shouted. She was being as careful as she could with them, knowing she’d have a hard time replacing them. It took almost all of her courage to buy them the last time.

“Tasha, it’s your dad…” Jessie said with remorse in his voice. “I wanted to apologize for last night…”

“Uh huh…” Tasha lifted up the side of her bed, leaning under it to put her magazine in a secret compartment under it.

“Come on, unlock the door…” Jessie tried to open it again. “I wanted to apologize to you face to face.”

“Uh…little busy…” She put her bed down with her magazines hidden, straightening her bed sheets.

“What are you doing in there?” She hesitated as she started getting dressed, throwing on just a pair of pants and a bra so she could get the door open faster. She shrugged her shoulders and decided to be honest.

“Hiding my porn…” Jessie laughed. She knew he wouldn’t believe her, laughing too.

“I should tell you, Constance is here to see you, too.” Tasha hurried over to the door, holding up her pants with her hand. She opened the door, smiling when she saw Constance. Constance nodded once and smiled. It was a much brighter smile than the other smiles she had gotten from Constance. “You always hurry when there’s company…” He hugged her. “I’m sorry about the argument…”

“It’s okay, Dad…” She hugged him, kissing him on the cheek. “There’s nothing to forgive…I was just…high strung because of the…well, the tazing…”

“I was being stupid, too…” Jessie hugged her. “And just so you know, I tried it, and shouting ‘Don’t taze me!’ doesn’t stop them. In fact, it just pisses them off…”

“I’ll remember that.” Jessie let go of her.

“I’ll let you girls talk…” He walked out of the room, pretending to tip his hat to Constance as he went. Constance curtsied to him as he went by. “See you at the group breakfast.”

“Yes, Captain.” Constance said with a smile. She watched until he was gone, kneeling down and picking up a magazine Tasha missed. “You missed this one, dear…Lucky he didn’t notice…”

“Oh, god…” Tasha grabbed it, snatching it out of Constance’s hand. She ran over to her bed, putting it under it, “please don’t…”

“Don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone.” She finished her sentence for her. “You’ve been far too kind to me since I got here for me to betray you.”

“Good…” Tasha rushed over to Constance, hugging her. Constance hugged her, giving her a peck on the cheek. Tasha jumped back slightly, caught by surprise. She stood in front of her, stunned. As she stood frozen, the pants she threw on in a panic slid down her legs. She realized what was happening, grabbing them just before they hit her knees. She pulled them up, blushing a bright cherry red. “Oh god, I’m sorry…I…I didn’t…I…” She bit her thumb nail. “Oh dear…I’m sorry…”

“No, it’s fine…I…I…” Tasha cleared her throat, looking down. “Sorry I flashed you…”

“It’s okay. You have a very nice body…” Constance said, biting her thumbnail again.

“Thanks.” Tasha said with a smile and a little chuckle. “What was with that kiss, though?”

“It’s…” Constance stopped buying her thumbnail. “It’s how Master Ariis wants me to great people…Well…not people, but women…”

“I…” Tasha choked on her words. She thought about how horrible everything was for Constance. The fact that Ariis was making her kiss women on the cheek was just the tip of the ice berg in her mind. She knew how Ariis was using her, and that infuriated her even more. Then she got the familiar feeling again. “I…know you’re in my mind…”

“Sorry…”

“It’s alright, Connie…” Tasha patted her on the shoulder.

“Connie?” Constance asked confused.

“Yeah…I thought it was easier than Constance…” Tasha coughed. She had taken a chance and it didn’t work, or at least at least she thought so.

“I like it, but only call me that when we’re alone…” Constance bit her thumbnail. “That way, it’ll be special…I won’t even tell Master Ariis…” She knew Tasha didn’t want Ariis dominating everything in her life, though now she was owned by her. If Ariis asked, she’d have to tell her. It was an impossible promise, one she knew she had to break sooner or later, which made her feel horrible.

“That’d be great, Connie.” Constance nodded. “How is Ariis treating you anyway?”

“Oh…uh…” Constance looked at the clock, doing her best not to bite her nail again. “You better shower…We’re getting close to the breakfast…”

“Do you mind if I shower with the door open so we can talk?”

“Sure. It’s…” She smiled. “It’s nothing I haven’t seen before.”

“Yeah, you better not tell anyone about any of that…” Tasha said, going into the bathroom and starting to get undressed. She was nervous about showering with the door open, truth be told. It made her feel vulnerable, and she hated it. She did her best to reassure herself in her thoughts, saying Constance wouldn’t let anything happen.

She left the light in the bathroom off, not wanting the reflection on the mirror to show out into the room. She started the shower and started to take off her clothes. She could see Constance’s reflection in the mirror, and knew that meant she could see her, too. Still, Constance was sitting on her bed, not looking towards the bathroom. She slid off her pants and unhooked her bra, though she was uncomfortable about the whole thing.

“So…How is Ariis treating you so far?” She spoke louder to make sure that Constance could hear her over the water. She got in the shower, getting her hair wet first.

“She’s…she’s making me get use to the atmosphere and gravity on her planet…” Constance sat down on her bed, already knowing everything that had happened the night before on it. She didn’t care though. She had been through worse. “I’m worried that she might take me with her…Leave the ship and go back home…”

“No, she’d be bored to tears if she left.” Tasha shouted slightly. “People on their home world…They’re trained to fight their entire life. The problem is, most of the ‘tribes’ on Akyllis have made peace through marriages and stuff like that. So, to get fights, they hire themselves out as contractors, mercenaries, et cetera…” Tasha moved so the water hit her back, massaging it gently. “In Ariis’ case, since she’s already rich, she’s working for free.”

“How do you know so much about Master Ariis?”

“Who do you think set up her massive quarters?” Tasha started washing herself. “Doesn’t seem right…her having bigger quarters than the captain’s…” She mumbled.

“Your father does own the ship…He could have used bigger quarters for his own…”

“Ya…your heard that?” Tasha stuttered.

“I heard the thought behind it…” Constance bit her thumbnail again, nicking her thumb slightly. She got up and got a tissue to soak up the blood. “I’m sorry…I’ve been having a lot of trouble…not reading minds since I left the brothel…”

{“So…”} Tasha thought. {“We can talk without talking…”}

“I can read your thoughts, yes…but projection’s…You could get some of my memories, and I don’t want to hurt you with them…”

“Oh, alright…” Tasha cleared her throat. She knew Constance might already know the question she was about to ask before she said anything, but it was still awkward. “Uh…what’s it like…sleeping with Ariis?”

“Well…for someone her size, she’s…remarkably gentle…” Constance cleared her throat. She wasn’t sure how far into it she should get. She had been talking about sex and what different clients wanted for as long as she could remember. She decided to keep going until Tasha was uncomfortable, that way she’d know how far to go in the future at the very least. “She’s the first person where…it wasn’t just about her. It…it made me feel VERY good…I didn’t know I could…feel that good before…”

[“That’s good…”] Tasha was rushing through her shower, starting to wash her hair. [“She didn’t do anything…Ba…”] she spit out some shampoo that got into her mouth, [“…anything weird or horribly wrong to you, did she?”]

“Well…” Constance took another deep breath. She knew Tasha meant well, but she was pushing the limits of what she thought was decent to talk about with her. “She…seemed to obsess with my belly button…She kissed it, ran her tongue along it…played with it…I’ve never had someone so obsessed with belly buttons…and I’ve had some…REALLY messed up clients before.”
[“So…”] Tasha rinsed out her hair. [“She has a belly button fetish?”]

“…maybe…” Constance threw away the tissue since her thumb finally stopped bleeding. In a couple minutes, it was hard tell she had hurt herself. “Otherwise…She just…fondled my breasts gently…and…”

[“Let’s…not get into that right now. It’d be too hot for me to relate…”] She bit her lip, turning off the water. [“HARD for me to relate to it anyway…I haven’t even had a boyfriend yet…”]

“Don’t worry, you’ll get one. You’re very beautiful…”

[“That…doesn’t seem to be enough…”] Tasha sighed, getting her clothes on. She had a drawer she kept all her underwear in next to the sink in the bathroom. She knew Constance could see her reflection from where she was sitting, but she didn’t care, hanging her head. [“I’m worried I’m going to be alone forever…”]

“Being alone’s not so bad…” Constance glanced up, seeing if she could look Tasha in the eyes through the mirror. Tasha was still just staring down at the sink, though she had her underwear and bra on. “I…I wish I could be…alone for a night…just one, in my life…”

[“I’ve got news for you…”] Tasha walked out of the bathroom, leaning against the doorframe. She knew she just had her bra and panties on, but she didn’t care. [“…spending nights…alone…by yourself…knowing that everyone else on the ship is with someone…HAS someone else…isn’t fun at all…”] Constance stared at Tasha slightly.

“Tasha…I don’t want to argue, but…” She looked down at her feet, kicking them slightly. “I’ve spent every night…for literally as long as I can remember…in the company of clients. I’ve…never gotten to be alone…for more than a couple of hours at a time. It’s horrible…never hearing just my own thoughts…”

[“Still…”] Tasha started getting dressed. She picked out a jumpsuit first, but that wouldn’t do. She had to wear something special for Constance’s welcome breakfast. She picked out a dark blue pair of jeans, one of the few she had that didn’t have a hole in them. She sat down as she pulled them on. They hugged her hips tightly. [“There has to be someone you wouldn’t mind being with forever…”]

“Hunter.” Constance said without hesitation. Tasha was a little surprised. She could never admit her crushes to anyone. “I could love him forever…but he ignores me…and I…I just don’t know what to do…If he leaves…”

[“Have you told him how you feel?”]

“I…I’d die of embarrassment…” Constance looked up at Tasha. Tasha could tell she was on the edge of tears. “How do you tell someone how you love them so much it hurts when you see them…with someone else…”

“Don’t tell me he actually…” Constance nodded. Tasha turned and hit her head against the wall. She didn’t believe anyone would listen to Ariis’ crazy demands like that. “Did he…in front of you?”

“No…well…” Constance bit her thumb again. “I…I watched…” As she bit her thumb, she tasted copper and she realized what she had done. “Oh dear…” Tasha gasped.

“You’re bleeding!” She grabbed Constance’s hand, holding it in hers. “Your little nervous tick is hurting you pretty badly…” Tasha grabbed a couple tissues, dabbing away blood from Constance’s injury.

“It’s not that bad…” Constance turned away. The sight of her own blood made her sick. She didn’t know how Tasha could stand to see it, OR how she could treat her with such care after everything she had just told her. She gently took care of it, getting a first aid kit. “Please stop…”

“Nonsense, you don’t want it getting infected or getting blood on your nice dress.”

“That reminds me…” Constance turned her head away so she wouldn’t have to see him working. “…Master Ariis has told me to get her fine clothes and given me access to her…nigh infinite bank account…I would like to buy you something for…all the care you’ve given me…”

“I wish you wouldn’t call her ‘Master Ariis’…” Tasha gently brushed a medicine on her wound. Constance had no choice but to call her ‘Master Ariis’ and they both knew it. “And that’s not necessary…”

“I think it is. Please, let me buy you something…ANYTHING…” Tasha sighed.

“I suppose I wouldn’t complain if you bought me something small…” She finished taking care of Constance’s wound. She wiped off the extra medicine. “So…you spied on them while he was…‘giving her a good fuck’?”

“Yes…but I’d rather not talk about it if possible…” Tasha looked into Constance’s eyes, thinking a question. She chuckled, shaking her head. “No, she didn’t crush him between her legs like a lobster claw cracker…”

“Sorry…had to ask…” Tasha let go of Constance’s hand, clearing her throat nervously. “I’m still only wearing my bra, aren’t I?”

“Yeah…” Constance held up a nice, purple silk blouse. “You have a nice taste in clothes…Will you help me buy some nice clothes?”

“Sure, if you’ll help me pick out a nice formal gown too.”

“Of course.” Constance stood up. She knew Tasha was glad to finally have someone not only close to her age, but a little younger on the ship. Constance hugged her tightly, standing up on her toes slightly so she could put her chin on her shoulder. “Thank you so much for being my friend…I’ve never had a friend that didn’t…I’ve never had any real friends, actually…”

“Well, I’ve never had a friend as cute as you…”

“Thank you.” As they walked, Hunter walked up to them, swaggering slightly as he walked. Constance knew he was swaggering because he had had sex with Ariis, and it made her horribly sad. She felt he had whored himself for his freedom. She curtsied to him. “Good morning, Mister Hunter…”

“Just Hunter is fine, Miss Constance.” He said with a tip of his hat. He was one of the few people on the ship that didn’t look down on Constance for being a slave. Everyone was already starting to make her call them specific names, knowing she had no choice in the matter, but not Hunter. “I remember making a promise to you.” He grabbed her wrist and pulled it towards them, sliding a credit card into her hands. “That should be enough to buy a few nice dresses for you.”

“Hunter…” Constance shook her head, ruffling her long, flowing hair. “I can’t take this. Master Ariis is paying for all my clothes, and she wants them…proper and fine…her words.” Constance sniffed, hiding her tears of joy. Hunter keeping his promise meant the world to her. She could survive on that happiness through years of pain and suffering. “She’ll let me buy anything I want. So…there’s no need for you to give me this…”

“You’re really smitten with her, aren’t you?” Constance nodded and blushed. “I don’t blame you in the slightest, but buy something for yourself on me. Make it special.”

“I really can’t…” She tried to give the money back, but he stopped her.

“If you don’t take it, I will be insulted, Miss Constance.”

“I…do not wish to insult you…” She held the card close to her chest. “Thank you…so much…”

“Don’t worry about it.” Hunter started walking down the hallway. He walked slowly, in no particular hurry to go anywhere. On top of it, going too fast risked looking like an intruder and getting shot, so he was in no particular hurry.

“Are you coming to the breakfast?” Constance shouted to him. He kept walking, not turning back but not ignoring her either.

“Only if you want me there.”

“I do!” Constance’s voice cracked with excitement. It seemed to be an eternity before he responded. Tasha kept Constance from biting her thumbnail again, pulling her hand away from her mouth and scolding her slightly for her nervous tick. “Sorry…” She whispered in response.

“I’ll be there then.” Constance smiled, giggling quietly with joy to Tasha. She turned and took Tasha’s arm, wrapping hers around it as they walked.

“Did you hear? He’s coming to the breakfast, Tasha!”

“I know. I’m really happy for you, Connie…”


Zech headed towards the airlock in the hangar. He had put on a special set of armor, EVA Armor. It took off his somewhat ornamental shoulder and knee armor plates and replaced them with parts with small retro-jets in them for maneuvering in space. Similar boosters were put on his belt and chest, with large engines on the back. It was a simple, octagonal pack with a ring of engines, one pointing in each direction, and a pair of engines pointed straight back. All of the extra parts were tied directly into his cybernetic implants, making them easy for him to control.

He had a pair of soldiers assisting him with changing his armor and tying it into his cybernetics. One of the soldiers started to take off his ornate samurai-esque helmet, but he stopped her.

“Leave it.” He said, pushing away the specialized EVA helmet. Instead of the armored, fierce looking horned samurai helmet, it was a simple helmet which essentially a large dome that went around his head to give him the maximum field of vision possible. Still, he hated it, feeling this whole operation was pointless. “I’m not going into combat, and even if I was, I’d still rather die with this on rather than that fishbowl.”

“Yes, sir…” The soldier put the helmet back on the shelf, polishing the handprint she accidentally left on it off with her sleeve. “And if the captain complains…”

“If the captain finds out…” Zech growled, towering over her. He didn’t like intimidating women, but in this case, he didn’t mind. Just because he had to go out to get the pod didn’t mean he had to like it. “…it will be too late as he sees me pulling it in.”

“Yes, sir…” She saluted him with a trembling arm. He saluted her back and ordered her to leave with a gesture, an order she was willing to follow without hesitation. She quickly ran out of the room.

Zech slowly walked out to the main part of the hangar. He ran checks on his air supply, fuel, et cetra to make sure he could make a round trip. He hated having to do this, but if he was going to do it, he was going to be the best he could possibly be at it. He stood in the airlock, letting the air slowly vent.

“This is Misseleer Sergeant Zech going out to retrieve the unidentified pod.” He stressed unidentified as he spoke. He had to be sure it was on the record that they had no idea what the pod was. He launched himself out of the hangar, flying towards the pod. He turned his radio off so he wouldn’t be heard.

The pod looked at least twice as large as he was, barely visible in space. It wasn’t even tracking on his scanners. The only reason he could see it was they had one of the ship’s spotlights locked on it. As he got closer, he realized it was far bigger than he was, the size of a heavy fighter. He looked at the pod’s strange engravings.

“It’s not registering as any known language…” He said, making sure he scanned the entire thing. Even his high powered scanners weren’t piercing the hull of the object. “What could he think you are?” He looked it over, looking for anywhere he could attach a tow line to. There was nothing. He looked for a place he could get a solid lasso around, there was nothing he could. He realized how it would have to go. He’d have to push the object, judge its weight, and calculate a trajectory.

He put his hands against it. It was heavy to him, but not so heavy that he couldn’t lift it. He fired the engines, pressing against it as hard as he could. He had to burn all his fuel, relying on momentum to carry them back to the ship. As he went, he looked in front of him, then in the back. He could see the galaxy stretching out behind him. Anyone else would be distracted with humbled thoughts by the whole thing, but not an Enhance Marine. Their minds were always on the task at hand. That is, until he saw the jump station. He knew what the captain thought it was, slamming it down on the deck of the ship as the hangar refilled with air.

“Chizek!” He yelled, pulling off his helmet. “Chizek! We need to talk now!”

He stomped off into the ship, denting the ground as they went. He didn’t even get out of the hangar before Zieke scientists wearing white lab coats swarmed over it like ants. They couldn’t wait to analyze it, despite the risk. He turned around.

“GET OFF THAT!” He yelled, but they ignored him. They had no real reason to pay attention to him. The danger just scanning it like mad didn’t occur to them at all. If it did, they were too greedy for it to have any effect at all. “CHIZEK!”


Tasha cleared her throat and looked off into the distance. Constance didn’t want to read her mind to find out what was bothering her, but she knew it would make things much easier. She bit her lip, but resisted the urge to do anything.

“Is something…” Constance looked down at her arm. “Oh…sorry.” She let go of Tasha’s arm. Tasha looked over to her, putting her arm out.

“Oh, it’s fine…” She let Constance put her arm around hers, walking arm in arm with her down the hallway. “I just…have a lot on my mind.”

“Like?”

“…well, you saw my magazine…” She kicked the ground as she went. “I feel like a pack rat…tucking away trash…”

“It’s not trash…” Constance said, tilting her head. “Some of the pictures were…very pretty…and classy…I mean, it looked really…”

“I’m so ashamed…” Tasha couldn’t bring herself to look at Constance, looking at the wall as they went. She had to do her best to keep from crying about the whole thing. She was so embarrassed about the whole thing she wished she could die. “It…it just hit me what I know you saw…and the sad thing is…all I can think of is how stupid it was that I was so bored with that one that I tossed it out of the drawer when I was…”

“It’s nothing to be ashamed of, dear. Especially around me. I…I use to be paid to do that, and that’s a lot more shameful than…” Constance bit her lip lightly. She didn’t have to be read Tasha’s mind to know she wasn’t helping the situation. She closed her eyes and thought for a second, going through every possibility she could think of in her mind. Finally, she came up with the only thing she thought would work. “Maybe me finding that magazine was for the best…”

“How the hell do you figure that?”

“Well…Now you have someone to confide in…” Constance said, tilting her head back the other way. She could feel her hair swinging, which seemed to stretch time and give her time to think of her next words. “…and I can get you new stuff as a thank you for being my friend.”

“WHAT?” Tasha shook her head, backing away from Constance and waving her arms. “Oh no, I’m not dragging you into this…”

“Come on, I could buy magazines like that, or even videos for you with no one knowing.” Constance didn’t want to see the look on Tasha’s face when she said what she was going to say next. “No one would notice a whore buying porn…”

“No, Connie…I…you…” Tasha stamped her foot and hit her head against a wall. “I’m sick enough as it is!” Constance hugged her, putting her head against her chest. “I need to get this whole thing under control…”

“Is that what’s wrong? You think you’re sick?” Constance took a deep breath, listening to Tasha’s heartbeat. Even worked up like she was, Tasha’s heartbeat was soothing compared to the constant base-drum beat of Ariis’ heart.

“Let’s…Let’s not talk about it anymore…for now at least, okay?”

“Alright…” Constance looked out at space. The Ecstasy of Gold was heading out of the planetary system to make a hyper space jump. Her heart soared when she saw space, smiling brightly. She gasped as they passed one of the large gas giants on the edge of the system. It had beautiful gold and silver rings that looked almost like solid sheets of metal. “Oh wow…”

“I forgot…” Tasha stopped in front of one of the windows, walking over to it. “You’ve never been in space before, have you?”

“Never…” Constance gasped. “It’s…it’s so beautiful…I never could have imagined it would be so…so…humbling…” Tasha smiled, seeing the planets with the same wonder that Constance had. “Can we see the Milky Way from here!?”

“No, it’s too far away…” Constance hung her head. “But…but we could…could…” Tasha snapped her fingers. “There’s a point in the bridge between Andromeda and the Milky Way where we could see BOTH. Maybe next time, we can talk my dad into stopping for awhile.”

“Really? That would be heaven…”


Captain Chizek was in the Captain’s Suite on the Blade of Wisdom, drinking a fine Champaign to celebrate his ‘victory’. His quarters were extremely luxurious, better than anyone else’s on the ship, because who could complain? No one could risk it. The captain might as well have been the dictator on the ship, and he used it to his advantage.

As he stared out his picturesque window, there was a rap on his door.

“Come…” He sipped his Champaign. The door opened and one of the more beautiful women from the crew walked in. She had long flowing black hair, dark grey skin, large purple eyes, and large breasts. That combined with the fact that she, like Zech, was a pure blooded Zieke, was all the captain needed to know about her. The captain turned and frowned slightly when he saw her. She was wearing her standard dress uniform, not the negligee he had her usually wear. “What’s this?”

“Oh…” She swaggered over to him. “I thought we’d try something nutty tonight, Captain…Like I’m the pure little soldier girl and you’re the enemy captain who’s kidnapped me and forcing me to fuck him.” She laughed, but he didn’t. He just stared at her.

“I’m not laughing.”

“Come on now, Captain…” She kissed him, pulling him close by his collar. “You know I’m joking…”

“Are you?”

“Yeah…” She kissed his neck, unbuttoning his shirt. “We both know I’m anything but ‘pure’…” She kissed his chest, looking up into his eyes. “And no one has to force me to fuck.”

“You’re still not wearing what I wanted…” He complained slightly.

“You’re the only person on this ship that can have me all over him and still bitch about it, Captain…”

“You wearing what I say’s half the fun.” He swirled his glass, looking up and away from her. “Perhaps I’ve been too generous with you…giving you the position you wanted and special quarters…”

“When’s the last time I had any position other than the one YOU wanted?” She smiled a sleazy smile. She hated trying to talk dirty and come up with new lines as she went, but it’s what Chizek demanded. “I was busy setting up the scientists with their toys, and didn’t have time to change.” She knelt in front of him, unbuckling his belt. “Let me make it up to you, my captain…” She looked up into his eyes, opened her mouth, and went to work. She closed her eyes, knowing it would make her look bored. It also helped her hide her tears.

She hated the captain for doing this to her, turning her into a sex slave. She had been on the ship since she first joined the military. He had drudged up every little embarrassing secret from her past, manipulating her until she finally had no choice but to have sex with him. She had been his personal whore since, doing whatever sick, twisted thing he wanted. Still, she was going to have the last laugh today and finally put a stop to it.

“That’s it, Karak…” He put his hands on the back of her head.

‘Karak’ wasn’t her name, Sala was, but it might as well have been since it was all he called her. It was an insult, loosely both calling the person a whore and calling the person and their family fearful racist bigots. It started out as that, at least. Now it essentially meant ‘slutty little native girl’ due to contact with other races. She knew the only reason he and some of the other crewmembers were interested in her was she was pure-blooded. If she had even a sliver of human ancestry in her, they’d leave her alone. And that’s how her plan came to be.

“You aren’t going to finish? I’m…” She knew he was about to make some threat at her. She knew it was serious.

“If I finish, you won’t be able to fuck me, will you?” She ripped open her shirt, heaving her breasts toward him. She could tell she had his attention, taking his hands and putting them on her breasts. She pretended that her legs were giving out from the ecstasy of him fondling her when truth of the matter was it was causing her serious pain. He had no idea how to please a woman in the slightest. She moaned and sighed as he ripped off her bra and panties, continuing his lame, ineffective foreplay. “Quit stalling and fuck me…” She moaned gently, just wanting to finally be through with everything.


“CHIZEK!” Zech yelled, forcing his way through the ships. Security teams tried in vain to stop him, thinking he had gone insane, but that wasn’t completely right. While he had gone somewhat mad, he was still in control. He wouldn’t let Chizek risk the ship for personal gain ever again. He had turned a blind eye on everything he was doing, but it was going to end now.

He finally got to the captain’s quarters. He didn’t bother ringing the bell, slamming his fist against the door. He yelled Chizek’s name again, slamming his fist against the door again and again. When he got no response, he rammed the door with his shoulder, making it give off a thunderous crack. That’s what he needed. He could get his hands inside the door’s seal, forcing it open. That’s when he saw it.

Chizek towered over Sala, holding her hips up to his. Her shoulders, head, and arms were flat against the ground. She looked entirely helpless, her moans sounding like desperate cries. She was biting her lip to bear having sex with Chizek. He didn’t care if he was putting too much weight on her, hurting her was a small price for her to take for everything he did for her. Sala had nightmares about it, seeing a flaming hot poke being stabbed into her. Still, those dreams were going to end. She screamed as he finished, putting on the show she knew he liked. She spread her toes, grit her teeth, and clawed at the ground with her fingers

“Filthy karak bitch…” He gasped for breath. Done with her, he let go of her, letting her thump painfully against the ground. That’s when he heard Zech roar.

“What did you call her?!” Zech rushed him and punched him in the chest, sending him flying backwards and slamming into the wall, shattering a mirror he hit. Zech’s shoulders heaved up and down as he steamed with rage. He was furious that he couldn’t just out-in-out kill Chizek. He ripped down one of the fine silk curtains from around the window, wrapping it around Sala. “Sister, are you okay?”

“I’m better than I’ve ever been.” She sat up slightly, not standing up. She and Zech weren’t related genetically, but they were all related through strife. “Don’t kill him. I need him alive.” The tone of her voice went from the sleazy, seductive voice she used on Chizek to her real voice. It was proper and refined.

“To face trial for your rape?” He put his hands on her shoulders. “Don’t worry, Sister. I’ll make sure he’ll…”

“No, it’s better than that.” She smiled. “What he’s too dumb to know is I took a hormone drug before I came here tonight. I am, most assuredly, pregnant with his child.”

“What!?” Chizek stumbled to his feet as the dozen security guards rushed into the room. They all saw the state both the captain and Sala were in and knew exactly what happened. Sala smiled, knowing that they knew what happened. “She…she seduced me!” The captain pled for the belief of the crew.

“I’m just a karak…You’re a full half-breed, you’re suppose to be smarter than me.” Sala stayed on the ground. She wanted to be sure the pregnancy held. “You’re supposed to be better than me. If I was trying to seduce you, you’re supposed to be able to rise above my filth. What’s more likely is that you forced ME to be your Captain’s woman…” Captain’s Women were the personal whores for Raider captains. They were train and altered to make them the perfect slave for their captains. “…and I just happen to know that if someone were to look into my records, they’d see that the reason I advanced in rank so fast was because you were paying me back for my…services.”

“BITCH!” He yelled, diving towards her. Zech caught him in mid-air, the security guards swarming on Chizek to protect Sala. Sala raised her arms, curling into a ball to protect herself. The men instantly knew who was telling the truth. “I’ll grind the life out of your womb!”

“Take him to the brig. I’m assuming command of the ship.”

“Under what grounds?” Chizek laughed. “Threatening a karak like her? Using a woman under my command as a sexual release? Please, I…”

“You risked bringing that pod onboard because you THOUGHT it was a Pre-Crash pod, risking the ship in both the maneuver to get it and breaking protocol for recovery of said object. It could…” Suddenly, the ship shimmied and the main lights went out.

It took a minute for the emergency lights to turn on, dimly lighting everything. As the crew tried to figure out what was happening, Chizek grabbed a knife from one of the soldier’s belts, lunging at Sala. Zech caught him again, shattering his arm. He yelled in agony as Zech threw him to the security guards.

“GET HIM THE HELL OUT OF HERE!” The guards did as he said without a second’s hesitation. He kicked and screamed, struggling to get free. He swore and kicked, swearing a vendetta against Zech and Sala. Zech knelt down next to her. “I swear that I’ll protect you no matter what it takes.”

“Thank you, but I…”

“You want to make sure you have that child, right?” She hesitated. She really didn’t want to have a kid, knowing how much it would change her life. Her entire life would have to change. No more late night parties, no more getting drunk, she’d have to focus on her child. Still, it would mean she wouldn’t have to whore herself for the captain any more. In fact, she would never have to work anymore either. Chizek’s family was rich, and she’d blackmail them into supporting her and giving her millions. She’d have her life and her child’s life set from now on.

“Yes…”

“Well then…” Zech knelt down, scooping her up. “Try not to move much.” Truth was Zech wanted Chizek to go through the same hell he had been putting the crew through. He hoped she ground him into the ground. He ran down the hallway, rushing her to the sick bay on the ship as fast as he could.