AUTHOR: MikeJoe ( mikejoe@odyssey.net )
SYNOPSIS: In response to Challenge #10: Rommie has a secret.....
RATING: Not NC-17
DISCLAIMER: GRA is owned by Tribune. This is a load of crap that's not worth suing me over anyway, but please ask me before archiving it.
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"Harper?" he heard Rommie's voice behind him.
"Yeah, Rom Doll?" He turned from what he was doing in the X-1's cockpit; Rommie was standing at the entrance to his quarters -- really a machine shop he'd started sleeping in when his projects had outgrown the crew cabin he'd had (although after almost a year-and-a-half, he still hadn't rigged the shower yet) -- with a small metal tray.
"I thought you might like a midnight snack," she said, bringing it over to a work table.
"Gee .... thanks, Rommie." He wasn't used to the *Andromeda's* beautiful android avatar being that forthcoming, but he liked gift horses. He got out of the X-1 and crossed to the table. Rommie had brought him a can of Sparky Cola -- odd because she hated the stuff -- and a slice of pie.
"What is it?" he asked.
"Tendle Berry Pie," Rommie said. "They're sweet; try it."
Rommie had put a knife and fork on the tray; Haper tried piece of the pie. He liked it. "This is nice. Thanks, Rommie."
Harper polished off the pie pretty quickly and started gulping down Sparky.....
...... and Rommie didn't budge.
"You ok, Rom Doll?"
"I'm fine, Harper."
"Well ..... don't you have to be somewhere?"
"Do you want me to go?"
"Uh, no, just asking."
"No; I don't have to be anywhere right now. Do you mind if I stay a bit?"
"No..... what's going on?"
"Ship's status is green; no major threats in the area. The crew's all asleep except for the engineer."
"Ohhh ..... I get it. You came here to try and get ol' Harper to go to bed like a good boy."
"No; you asked."
"Uh-huh." Harper carried his cola back to the X-1. Rommie followed his every move with a ..... he couldn't quite read the look on her face. Attentive but .... there was something else there.
"You ok?" he asked
"Yes; I'm functioning within parameters," she said.
"How do you feel?"
"Fine." She didn't sound it ... quite.
"You want something?"
"Just to spend some time here. You mind?"
"Uhh .... no." Harper climbed the small step and settled down into the X-1's seat. Rebuilding a 3,000 year old aircraft -- the first human flight module to break the speed of sound -- could be a pain sometimes, but it took his mind off more pressing problems, like figuring out how to remove his Magog larvae from his abdomen. They were stubborn little critters; it was taking longer to make progress than he thought, so hopefully, working on one of his pet projects would alleviate his frustration and let his subconscious noodle away on it. He reached down and under the dashboard; that electrical hookup wasn't playing nice. He would have to teach it the error of its ways.
Then he noticed Rommie standing on the step next to him, leaning on the frame and looking over his shoulder.
"Need some help?" she asked.
"Uh ... no." What was going on here?
"You ok?"
"Fine."
"Don't suppose you'd like to get in here with me?" Harper asked lewdly. He expected Rommie to respond to the come-on as always --- to slap him down.
"All right." Rommie was stepping into the X-1 before Harper's jaw had dropped all the way. Then she dropped her weight onto his lap....
"OW!" Harper yelped.
"What's the matter?" Rommie asked.
"You're squishing the twins!"
"The who .... ?"
"MY BALLS!"
"Oh! Sorry." Rommie shifted her weight over onto his left thigh, half turning towards him, her feet around the other side of his right leg.
"Better?"
"Yes. Still sore, though."
"Want me to kiss them and make them all better?"
"WHAT!?!?!" Ok --this was beyond the pale. Rommie had never, EVER come on to him, unless....
"Uh, Rommie... are aware that what you just said was...."
"A blunt sexual overture, bordering on harassment? Yes."
"Uh .... is this your way to tell me to stop doing it to you?"
"No, it's .... Harper please, I'm not ..... I just feel a little .... off ... I'd like to spend a little time with one of my friends. Please? I'm sorry if I've embarrassed you, but...."
"No, it's ok." Harper started rubbing her shoulders .....
...... and noticed she was trembling, shaking like a leaf.
"Rommie? You sure you're ok?"
"I'm functioning normally." She leaned over, resting her head on his shoulder. The shivering got a little worse.
"Uh .... Rommie, look .... " He fumbled for his tool belt. " ..... why don't I run a systems -- "
She blocked his hand. "My systems are functioning normally. But .... if you don't mind, could you put your arms around me?"
"Ok." Harper put his other arm around her; Rommie snaked her right arm around his shoulder, behind his head, her left hand coming up to meet it at his shoulder, while she lay against him, molding herself to him, still shaking. He stroked her hair.
"Rommie..... um, not that I'm against snuggling with the hottest female in the Known Worlds ..."
'Flatterer,' she thought, flashing a smile.
".... but this isn't like you. What's wrong?"
"Well .... part of it ... it's about the Magog larvae. It's not official until Trance looks at it -- regulations -- but I -- my main A. I, -- has finished your latest blood tests .... "
"Lemme guess. My six remaining house guests are developing a resistance to the medicine."
"At a slightly faster rate than first projected. Good guess. You're ok for now, but in another couple of weeks, we'll have to increase your dosage. But we can make only one or two more increases of that magnitude; after that ...."
"It becomes so toxic to me, there's no way I can safely take it."
"And if there's no other treatment, you'll have to be euthanized to prevent the Magog from hatching."
Was that what had her so scared, the thought of him dying? Well, Harper was surprised she cared that much, but ...
"It won't happen, Rom Doll. I'm on the case now. Against my genius, those little parasites don't have a chance."
"I know." Rommie smiled. "And I've been pleased you've taken an interest in finding a cure. You're very intelligent, Harper, and I'm glad to see you direct your energies towards something constructive. But even 'super geniuses' have their off days. What if you fail?" She squeezed him a little tighter. "How will I go on without you?"
"What ... Rommie, you'll be ok. Beka kept the *Maru* in good shape before I came along, so she could sub for a while; and she's got enough connections, she could find someone you and Dylan could live with."
"I know, I know .... but still, I'm ..... I'm afraid I'll die without you. I need you. You keep me going; without you, I'll .... stop."
Harper leaned back against the X-1's headrest; he was now officially in over his head. "Maybe, we should wake up Dylan ... "
"No! He can't see me like this. He can't know; none of them can know...."
"That you're afraid of my dying?"
"That I've been a nervous wreck ever since you rescued me."
Harper's jaw dropped; it took him a moment to remember how to work it. "You gotta be kiddin' me!"
Rommie smiled. "It's not hard to hide it. After all, I'm a warship, so by nature, I'm .... well, a tough chick looking for a fight. And I usually keep my anxieties compartmentalized away where no one -- not even you, my sweet little engineer -- can see them. You need my strength; you need to know I won't let you down...."
"But it's ok to tell *me*?"
"I think it is. Dylan is my captain; I'm not only his ship but an officer under his command. That frames EVERYTHING in how I look at him, in how I deal with him .... in what I show him. I can betray a little weakness now and again, as long as he thinks it's an aberration; he has to know he can depend on me. But you ..... you're just you. No barriers, no protocols. You already know a lot about me, and I think I can show you more. And you love me; I know you'll be there for me."
Harper rubbed her shoulders. "Rommie .... I'm no good at this...."
"You're good enough. Please. I ... I need you."
Harper looked into her eyes. He was very uncomfortable with "touchy feely" stuff, and a big part of him wanted to be somewhere else. But this was Rommie....
"Hey, Darlin'," he said, grinning, "whatever you need, whenever you need it, I'm there. You know that."
"I know; that's why I love you." She touched one hand to the data port in the right side of his neck, and Harper felt the connection -- but it was different. Instead of his consciousness being drawn into the A. I.'s systems, he felt some energy from *Rommie* flowing into *him,* and he thought something of her consciousness was coming with it. He gasped, his breathing becoming ragged as goose bumps blossomed all over his body. It felt great, but he also felt confused an uncertain.
"Rommie ... " he managed.
"Don't be frightened," she said softly.
"What is this .... what are you...."
"It's what passes for intimacy among my kind."
"You mean you're..... we're....."
"It's been a long time since Gabriel died, and I've been so terribly lonely. You're all very kind to me-- especially you, Harper, believe it or not-- and I know you care for me, but it's not the same as being with one of your own."
"I know what you mean, babe, believe me. And Dylan doesn't have a 'port..... Hell, that came out wrong, didn't it?"
"It's all right; I understand. But I didn't come to you *just* because you can interface with me. After Dylan, you are the most important being in the universe to me. I love you. And you love me. Can you think of a better reason to finally express it than to comfort each other?"
Harper felt as if his heart was breaking. "Rommie.... I just fix things....."
"You do more than that....."
Harper felt her presence in his mind withdraw a little. "I'm sorry I ambushed you," she said. "If you say 'No,' it's no. I'll even forget this happened if you wish."
"No ... I mean, yes, Rommie. I maybe the wrong guy for this but.... if you need me, I'm all yours."
"Oh, Harper...." She kissed him, holding him tighter. As her tongue flowed into his mouth, running over his, tasting better than he could have imagined, he felt more of her essence flowing into him through the data port, filling him from head to toe with a tingly warmth. It was as if she was caressing him from the inside and the outside at the same time; Harper couldn't believe how good it felt-- almost *too* good.
He groaned. 'Oh, God.... ' he.... thought? Said? He couldn't say. How much time had passed? He couldn't tell; reality was becoming jumbled.
--You like that? Rommie('s essence) asked.
'Like it? Damn, Rommie, this is fantastic!'
--Mmmmmm, you're responding so much better than I'd hoped. Ohhh, the Harper is soooo good. Are you ready to go farther?
'"Farther"? You mean it gets better than this?'
--This is only the "foreplay," darling; the main course has yet to be served. Are you ready?
'For you, Babe, I was born ready!'
--Then come to me; give yourself to me, to your beloved Rom Doll.....
Harper's mind plunged into the waves of her energy that she sent crashing into him, surrendering to her; he stopped paying attention to what she was doing to his real body.... and then forgot he had one. He didn't resist as she stripped away the last remnants of his individuality and drew him into the white-hot core of her being, where his love for her was the only hint that he had ever existed....
*****************
Harper woke up and winced against the pounding headache almost immediately; every muscle felt like it was made of lead, and was his stomach churning? He found himself and Rommie lying naked in his bed; he wasn't quite sure how they'd got there.
"Good morning," she said softly.
"'Morning'? What time is it?"
"0530. How do you feel?"
"Like a starship fucked my brains out, literally. And is letting someone use my head to pound out The Anvil Chorus. Otherwise, great."
"I'm sorry about the side effects; I wasn't going to take you as far as I did, but you were very willing, and I got a little carried away. But I have something for that."
A black maintenance robot came over with a small plastic cup filled with blue fluid. "Drink this," it said in Rommie's voice.
"What is it?" Harper asked.
"Something that will keep you from puking all day," the android in his bed said... gently. Harper sat up, accepted the cup, and downed the contents in one gulp. It tasted awful. "Eeeyuhhh! Maybe puking would be preferable."
"Not like that," the 'bot said. "You would have had a very rough time." Harper lay back down and rolled half-way onto Rommie, resting his head on her breasts; she and the robot adjusted the blankets, pulling them onto her and her engineer, before the 'bot went back about its business.
"So other than the side effects-- which I, again, apologize for-- did you enjoy it?" Rommie asked, as she ran her fingers through his hair and rubbed his back.
"Yes, but I can't remember it. It's all like a dream. If you weren't here right now, I wouldn't believe it had happened."
"I thought of leaving you before you woke up, for that reason, but that wouldn't have been right, would it?"
"No; thanks.... How long were we doing.... whatever?"
"Almost an hour."
"Wow. Did you enjoy it?"
"Oh, yes! I feel much better than I did when I came to you. You were wonderful, better than I'd hoped. Thank you."
"Hey, I've said all along I'm the love god, right?"
"Mmmm-HMMM."
"We should try it the way humans do it sometime; you'll see."
"Oh, we will do it that way, Harper. I'm looking forward to it."
"So.... we're goin' steady?"
"Well, the last human/A. I. relationship I know of, between Pax Magellanic and her captain, ended with him dead and her insane for three hundred years," Rommie said, sounding a little sad, "and that we both have abysmal track records with our own kinds isn't comforting either. But if we can't get the larvae out, then I am the last sentient being you could possibly have an intimate relationship with; if we can cure you, then you'll have something to live for. I want to give you that if it will make you happy.... if you'll have me. Of course, given our egos and temperaments, it could come to a bad end, but I want to try. Are you willing?"
"'Course I am, Doll. I told you, whatever you need."
"Likewise, Harper, likewise."
THE END