“Harper, I need to call in a favour.”
Harper rolled out from underneath the Maru’s port control console to see if his eyes could convince him of what his ears couldn’t believe.
“Okay… I been welding too long, maybe I need some fresh air,” he muttered to himself as Tyr stood in the doorway, arms folded and waiting for a response.
“I do believe you owe me one after the incident on Machin Alpha. One of several,” Tyr added, his tone emphasising his disappointment in himself as he recalled saving the life of a kludge at the risk of his own.
Harper beamed. “You’re asking me for a favour?” He considered rubbing in the fact that a kludge had something to offer an uber, but then Tyr had proven to be more than just another uber, and he was having a hard time at the moment. Harper dropped the mocking grin and replaced it with the egotistical one.
“So, what can the Harper do for you?” he asked, climbing up off the floor. Tyr was hesitant about how to phrase his request; he almost looked uncomfortable as he paced back and forth. But Harper was too busy with his own ego to notice. He twirled his pocket welder and holstered it into his tool belt before leaning back against the Maru’s bulkhead. “Well?”
“I need nanobot inhibitors,” Tyr began, “but I have to acquire them without the Andromeda’s AI finding out.” Tyr stopped pacing and turned to face Harper to await the response, keeping his anxiety hidden under a mask of indifference.
“Oh.” Harper’s ego slipped away, leaving his face with an uncomfortable statement. He didn’t quite hide it the way Tyr did.
“What?” Tyr asked when he saw the look.
“I… don’t think I have any nanobot inhibitors, sorry.” Harper forced a smile and shrugged.
“Yes you do,” Tyr retorted impatiently. “It’s standard equipment for an engineer.”
Harper bolted for the exit, but Tyr was quick enough to block him.
“Tyr, Rommie would kill me if she found out!”
“Well then don’t let her find out.”
Harper bolted back and down, fumbling with a hatch in the floor. Tyr stepped behind him and locked him into a chokehold.
“Help!” Harper yelled, and Tyr placed a hand over his mouth quickly.
“These nanobots are coming out before you leave the Maru, one way or another. Or you won’t leave the Maru alive. Do we have an understanding?” Tyr whispered into Harper’s ear, giving away a hint of desperation.
“Maybe he could remove them by hand,” Rommie suggested smugly.
Tyr flinched when he felt a now familiar jolt of pain in his rectum. He sighed and let go of Harper, then turned to the android standing behind him.
“Rommie!” Harper yelled excitedly.
“This can only go on for so log before I get them out,” Tyr warned, pointing at Rommie accusingly.
“Why would you do that? You seem to like it.” Rommie stepped around him, slapping him on the groin as she passed. “Tyr Anasazi, report to the First Officer’s quarters.” Rommie ordered, her voice booming over the PA system.
“Again?” Tyr moaned. Rommie answered the question with a single look, and Tyr reluctantly left.
Rommie turned around to face Harper. He got up off the floor, still beaming.
“Someone’s gonna have a well oiled Slipstream drive by the end of the day.”
“Actually I was hoping you could help me with something else,” Rommie said, stepping in close to him.
“Rom doll,” Harper replied, taking a moment to enjoy the close up view, “your wish is my command.” He loved it when she teased him, but wasn’t expecting her to take it further.
“You’re so much more agreeable than the rest of the crew,” She said, wrapping her arms around his waist. Harper fidgeted slightly, unsure of how to react, or what to do with his hands. Eventually he just held them out to the sides and shrugged. “Hey, I aim to please,” he said nervously, and stared at her breasts. That seemed to draw his attention and calm his nerves. Rommie let him enjoy it for a few seconds, before snapping him back.
“What’s this?” she asked, putting her hand over his back pocket and squeezing. Harper jumped, started to smile, but then it dropped away when he realised what she was talking about.
“What’s what Rommie?” He asked nervously. Rommie slipped her hand into his pocket and pulled out the Data Disk.
“This.” She clarified, holding it in front of him. Her voice had a threatening undertone to its playfulness.
“Oh, that. That’s nothing.” Harper replied. “Can I go now?”
Rommie closed her had over the disk and shut her eyes for a second. “It doesn’t look like nothing,” she said when she opened her eyes, staring Harper down. He turned red and shrugged.
“Um…”
Rommie walked him over to the pilot’s chair and sat him down. She stood behind him, rubbing his shoulders. “Relax,” she said. Harper wasn’t sure of what to make of all this, but he wasn’t about to turn down any pampering from Rommie’s avatar. Rommie caught him off guard, plugging a jack into his data port and pulling him into her mainframe.
Harper found himself sitting on a black leather couch in VR, a big screen hanging in the air in front of him and a beer in his hand. Rommie was curled up next to him, dressed in the same shade of leather. Harper put his arm around her; too far from reality to feel inhibited. “I like!” was all he could say as she smiled back at him.
“I thought you might,” she replied. “Shall we watch this?” She held up the data disk that had slipped right out of Harper’s mind. He tensed up again, opened his mouth to reply but wasn’t sure of what to say. The screen in front of him came to life, with images of Rommie and Tyr in his quarters.
“I guess I should be flattered,” Rommie mused, rubbing Harper’s tense shoulder’s again, trying to get him to relax. “It’s all you’ve ever watched since you found it, and you do have quite a collection.”
“Rommie I…” Harper tried to come up with an excuse but he was interrupted when Rommie blocked his mouth with her own. He dropped the beer, which fazed out of existence as it hit the floor.
“Whom do you think I recorded it for?” her voice spoke directly into his head as her tongue explored his mouth.
Harper had to push her away to answer.
“Rommie, this isn’t you,” he said as he forced himself to focus his attention.
“You don’t know me, Seamus Harper,” Rommie replied, just as seriously. “Does that look like the Andromeda you know?” Harper’s sight was suddenly replaced by the contents of the video. He couldn’t close his eyes, all he could see was Rommie tormenting Tyr, squeezing his balls and enjoying the scream. “I’m bored of the High Guard routine,” she continued. “Dylan can chase after the past all he wants but he’s not gonna stop me having my fun.”
The video cut, and Harper’s vision was gone completely. There was a moment of silence.
“Rommie?”
He felt the couch disappear from underneath him. The air around him started to warm and thicken until it was like a fluid; and he started to float.
“Hello?”
“Wanna watch Tyr and Beka?”
Rommie didn’t wait for an answer. A top down view of Beka’s bed replaced the darkness, and she and Tyr were in a 69 position, Tyr on top.
“Roll over onto your side,” Rommie said. Harper didn’t understand the command, he was floating and his sense of direction was absent. Then he understood. He watched as Tyr rolled onto his side, giving Harper a better view of the proceedings from his view in the ceiling. The camera tilted up, and he saw Rommie’s hologram at the side of the bed. She looked up and waved, and for a moment Harper felt panicked, like he’d been caught, until he remembered the odd circumstances. Beka and Tyr were oblivious to Harper’s presence; they were giving each other their full attention. They changed positions; Beka was lying on top of him with her back towards him, and his hands were exploring her front, one settling on her breast and the other stroking her clitoris. Beka was gently rocking up and down on him.
“Enjoy the VIP seat,” Rommie whispered into his ear. Harper did just that. He had never seen the Maru’s Captain like he was seeing her now. He reached for his groin with his right hand, and realised he was naked. “You like that?” Rommie asked. Harper wondered where she was and if she could see him. He reached around in the fluidic surroundings, and for a moment wished he could make the image that was taking up his view disappear.
“I’m right here, Seamus,” she reassured him, her voice coming from directly in front of him. He felt two hands clasp his torso, and then a pair of moist lips pressed themselves against his nipple. Harper put his hand against the back of her head, and the other ran itself down the leather-clad curves of her back. He felt her bite down on his nipple, and his grip tightened, pressing her closer. She bit down again, harder, and he gasped a sharp jolt of electricity sparked from her bite into him.
“I said relax!” Rommie said, pushing his hand back and taking her lips away. She pressed her body against him, holding him. Her leather suit felt cold at first, hardening his nipples again, and then it started to warm. Harper tentatively put his arms round her as well. They floated there for a while; enjoying the show Beka and Tyr were putting on.
Harper slipped his hand between himself and Rommie, and started stroking himself again. He his chest against hers with his other hand, and he felt her moist lips against his ear, and then her teeth as she gently bit down on his lobe. Harper stopped touching himself and wrapped his arms around her, squeezing her affectionately. He started to think about what was happening, and couldn’t believe his luck.
“Hey Rom doll?”
“Hmm?”
“Can you get them to try something different?”
“They seem to be enjoying it.”
“Yeah, I know, but…” Harper shrugged. “You know.”
Harper felt her stop brushing against him, and he stopped as well. There was an uncomfortable pause and for a moment Harper wished he hadn’t asked.
“Alright.” Rommie replied. “Tyr, Beka,” she said, her voice echoing into Beka’s room. “Harper wants to see something different.”
“Rommie!” Harper cried out, and then panicked when his voice echoed into Beka’s quarters.
“Harper!” Beka and Tyr exclaimed in unison. Tyr brushed Beka aside and they sat up, covering themselves with the bed sheets and looking around the room. They looked to the side as a third figure entered and climbed onto the bed. It was Rommie’s avatar, dressed in the same leather cat suit she was wearing in VR. Beka said something to her, but Harper couldn’t hear it, Rommie had blocked out the audio. Rommie replied, and at the same time she whispered to Harper in VR:
“Well, you wanted different,” she said cheekily, reaching down to stroke Harper’s groin with a leather gloved hand.
Whatever it was Rommie had said in Beka’s room, Tyr protested. Then he flinched in pain as he felt a jolt inside of him. Beka looked up at the ceiling, searching for the camera, and then Rommie moved in front of her, pulled the blanket she was holding up to one side, pushed her gently down, and mounted her.
“Phwoah!” Harper gasped, having difficulty believing what he was seeing but enjoying it anyway. “Rommie!”
“I’m busy, Harper,” she replied as her avatar set to work on Captain Valentine’s zones. Tyr got up to leave and then seized up again, paralysed with pleasure. When it ceased he looked up at the ceiling suspiciously, pulled a blanket over his waist, and reluctantly set to work touching himself as he watched.
“Tyr, why do you have to be told to enjoy this?” Harper exclaimed without taking his eyes off the sight of Rommie and Beka making out.
“He just likes being told what to do,” Rommie replied, gripping Harper’s hard on even harder and picking up the pace. Harper felt himself about to peak, and then Rommie stopped altogether. The view disappeared, and he could see her in VR again. She reached down with her other hand, put both hands around his member and smiled.
“Get ready…”
Harper lurched and then stiffened as Rommie sent surges of electricity into his nerves. It stung at first but the pain very quickly turned into an overwhelming pleasure as it sent him over the top. He found himself back in the pilot’s seat of the Maru, sweaty, exhausted and wet. The jack sticking out of his data port had burnt out, and he pulled it out and got up to go to his quarters and get some rest.
Beka screamed with pleasure as Rommie finished up with her as well. Rommie sat up and took her hand away from Beka’s groin and removed the soiled glove. Beka just lay there, overwhelmed. Rommie turned to Tyr, who was lying on the other side of the bed. He pulled his busy hand out from under the blanket and shrugged.
“Once again, I haven’t finished.”
“Must be that superior Nietzschean stamina,” Rommie said cheerfully. “Would you like me to finish you off as well?” she added in a more seductive tone.
“That won’t be necessary, but thank you for the offer,” he replied sarcastically as the Perseid Renaissance started to pipe in through the speakers again.
“I still have to punish you for trying to get those nanobots out,” Rommie said as they climbed out of the bed, leaving Beka to her sleep.
“Don’t you think we’ve had enough decadence for one day?” Tyr protested. “Leave something to look forward to tomorrow.”
“You can look forward to it,” Rommie said as she left the room, taking Tyr’s leather pants with her.
Harper lay on his bed, reflecting on what just took place.
“Hey Rom Doll,” he said as he heard her walk in.
“You look lost in thought,” she said, sitting on the edge of the bed.
“I was just thinking how this is going to affect everyone,” he said. “Tyr’s been behaving like a boy scout recently, it’s just weird.”
“And now you know why,” Rommie said.
“Yeah, and I also know why Beka’s been cooperating,” he added. “So I was wondering where Dylan stands in all of this. Does he even know?”
Rommie smiled at him, and then the smile turned into a grin, which made Harper feel a little uncomfortable.
“Wouldn’t you like to know,” Rommie replied as she got up and left. “Sleep tight Harper.” She said as the doors closed behind her and the lights went out.
Harper thought about it for a minute. He stared up at the ceiling for a while, and then stood up, reaching up at the ceiling, running his fingers along the seams of the panels looking for a camera.
“Harper, I said go to sleep!” Rommie ordered over the speakers.
Harper lay back down, took one last look at the ceiling,
pulled his blanket over his head and went to sleep.