Only Human (Chapter 6)
#7 of Only Human- Archived
This is abit of a short chapter folks. But, I covered everything I needed to cover, and really didn't want to just randomly jump ahead in the middle of the chapter.
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Tiera returned to her apartment to find Nathan going over the logs from Freedom 7 again. "Something bothering you about those?" she asked, stripping out of her uniform and tossing it aside.
"A little." He shrugged. "Mainly it just keeps the mind off other things."
Tiera nodded, searching for something to say, but coming up blank.
"Tiera, I was wondering." Nathan said, breaking the silence. "Is there any way to get down to Earth's surface?"
"Mrf. Well, yeah." Tiera nodded. "Why would you want to though? We send teams down to gather resources, but they don't stay down there very long. We lose a lot of men to the virus and creatures."
"Just want to consider my options." Nathan said, shaking his head. Tiera could tell he had something on his mind, but decided not to press the matter. "Speaking of transports, ours leaves the day after tomorrow. Do you need to pack anything?"
"All my belongings are still in my duffle." Nathan said with a shrug. "Other than the notebook, and some clothes.. Which reminds me, where does one do laundry?"
"Eh, just throw it in my pile over there." Tiera said, "It usually vanishes once a week and comes back cleaned and pressed the next day."
Nathan nodded, paying more attention to the screen than anything. "You want to come take a look at this? Tell me if I'm just going insane."
"Sure." Tiera said, coming up behind him to look at the screen.
Date: 10/27/2531
Location: Unknown.
Status: Attempting to correct course...
Fuel levels dangerous.
Life support systems failing.
Unable to wake crew for manual correction.
31 crew members deceased.
1 crew member living.
Support will fail in 876 days.
Date: 10/28/2531
Location: Alpha Centauri
Status: Course corrected. Unknown anomaly detected. Scanning...
Fuel levels dangerous.
Life support systems failing.
Unable to wake crew for manual correction.
31 crew members deceased.
1 crew member living.
Support will fail in 875 days.
Date: 06/17/2532
Location: 120,000 Kilometers from Pluto.
Status: Course plotted
Fuel levels normal.
Life support systems online.
31 crew members deceased.
1 crew member living.
Support will fail in Error- Support system modified. Details unknown, recommend restoring crew.
Error, unable to restore crew.
Tiera looked at it for a moment, "Okay... miraculously get refueled and repaired."
"The last entry before the gap is the one with the anomaly." Nathan said. "Now, what I'm trying to figure out is how, in 8 months, we got from Alpha Centauri to our solar system. Not to mention the refueling, repairs of the life support system. And I'm not sure what happened to the Cryo pods."
"Aliens." Tiera gave a stupid grin.
Nathan shook his head, "That's actually the most probable answer... I think I've finally gone off the deep end here. There has to be some rational explanation for this. Even if there were aliens out there, why did we not find them before? Why did they pick up and repair my ship? How did they send me back so fast? And why the hell did they delete the bloody logs?"
"Did you check the sensor records for that time?" Tiera asked. "Maybe the anomaly will give you some clue."
"Tried it, no records." Nathan said. "I've looked for anything in the logs that might give an indication of what happened. Not a damned thing."
"Maybe it's divine intervention." Tiera said, flopping in to her mound of blankets.
"There is no god." Nathan sighed.
"That's the way most of us feel, too." Tiera nodded. "The idea of a god is usually focused around ones creation, why they were created. Well, we know who created us and why. Frankly, we have no desire to worship humans."
Nathan chuckled, "Good call." He shook his head with a sigh. "I'm going to sleep. Maybe it'll all make sense when I wake up. Good ni-"
When he was close enough, Tiera grabbed Nathan by the arm and pulled him down with her. "You're going to catch your death if you stay out there in the cold." She said.
Nathan hesitated for a moment, then smiled. "You're right, it's a lot warmer here. ... As long as you don't mind?"
Tiera shook her head and smiled, "I can't be responsible for the last living human dieing because he got too cold on my couch." She pulled him closer and tugged a blanket until it covered them.
Nathan closed his eyes, chuckling. "Noble sacrifice for you to make." He shifted in her arms making himself comfortable before drifting to sleep.
Tiera laid there awake a while longer. Her mind, and hands, wandering some as she listened to Nathan's breathing. _Finally meet a human. Living breathing human. From the 21st century no less, and I can't even take action.
He is rather fragile right now though. Trying to take in too many changes at once. The last thing he needs is me throwing myself at him like a cheap whore. But the affection might serve as a distraction, to help keep him sane.
On the other hand, to him.. I'm something very different. He'd probably be scared if I showed that kind of affection. And in all likelihood, he'd not return it. I am an animal to him.._
She continued to debate with herself, until she finally drifted to sleep, enjoying at least this moment in time she had.
* * *
Nathan awoke in the middle of the night, it took him a moment to realize exactly where he was. He felt Tiera's warm body pressed close to him, it was then that he realized that she really was a woman, not an animal on two legs.
She didn't have quite the same body as most women. Less curves, more muscle. More breasts, but Nathan determined that to be a good thing. As he thought of her body pressed so close to his, he felt his trousers growing tighter, he realized too that one of her hands had come to rest against his crotch.
He stroked the fur on her arm softly, his mind going places he knew it shouldn't. His body making it known that it had been 450 years since he'd been with a woman, ignoring of course the logic that he'd only been awake for about a month of that.
He wanted to wake her, to tell her what she did to him. But he couldn't. Best let sleeping dogs lie. He thought to himself, and he immediately scolded himself for it. _I shouldn't think about her like that. She's no more an animal than I am.
How am I to tell her what she does to me, when even I don't know how she makes me feel? And besides I'm just a human. She'd probably laugh. Even if not, where would that put me? Doing her like I did Trish?
No, worse. I already know how this is going to end. I can't do that to her._
He closed his eyes, pushing the perverted thoughts from his mind, instead he thought of Earth, and all the people he left behind. Wondering how his children had turned out, wondering if Trish had found someone new. Wondering why he ever signed up for the Deep Space program.
When he finally drifted back in to sleep, there were tears running down his face.
* * *
Kilin sat at his desk, the lights dimmed, scrolling through the roster of available enlisted, trying to find a suitable assistant. He had narrowed it down to feline or canine females already. Part of him wanted to get the wolf bitch from his own station, Tiera. But he knew she wouldn't stand for it, besides which, she was probably going to have to die soon.
His com screen clicked on, the image was poorly lit, but he recognized the face immediately. "Good evening, Doctor." He said respectfully, though he'd have rather seen a human ass.
"Kilin, you look so pleased to see me." The Doctor hissed, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "I call with good news for you though."
Kilin's claws reflexively extended, never trusting good news from The Doctor. "I'm listening." He said considering his words for a moment.
"Darkmoon has .. overstepped his bounds, and is in need of a 'demotion'." The Doctor said. "And I believe you are just the man to do it."
Kilin smiled, "You wish me to remove the mouse from his post?"
"Yes Kilin," The Doctor said, "I want you to make him suffer pain, I want you to take his dignity. I want him humiliated, begging for death."
"As you command, Doctor." Kilin could scarcely believe his stroke of luck. "Doctor, a question, if I may?"
"Yes?"
"I presume you have heard of the human issue aboard?" Kilin asked, and continued when The Doctor nodded. "I received orders from the admiral that he was to be taken alive. But he never discussed a way to do it. Is he still needed alive if the admiral is to be deposed?"
"Yes, he is." The Doctor hissed. "This is why Darkmoon is to be removed, in fact. He went behind my back and hired an assassin. Let me worry about the capture of the human, for now."
Kilin nodded. "Yes Doctor."
"I will send a private cruiser to pick you up." The Doctor said, just before the screen went black.
For a moment Kilin considered his options. Then he activated his com, calling down to the crew barracks. "Mayhem, in my office."
Mayhem was one of his best. She was a rugged panther, not the most attractive of females, and far too dominating for Kilin's taste. But she was an exceptional fighter. She had lost her arm in a fight on Earth's surface, but it had since been replaced with cybernetics. She would be perfect for the task, and he knew she didn't report to anyone but him.
It took about 10 minutes for Mayhem to reach Kilin's office. She was naked, and Kilin could tell by her scent he had interrupted something. "This had better be important Kilin." She growled.
"I have a job for you, one that I think you will particularly enjoy." Kilin said, "No one can know it was an order, though."
"Mm, one day I am going to cash in all the favors you owe me." Mayhem smiled.
"I don't know if I should look forward to it, or flee in terror." Kilin chuckled. "I know you've heard there's a human on board. I want that problem remedied."
"Why not do it yourself?" Mayhem asked, taunting him. "Afraid the little human might hurt you."
"No, I don't want to anger powers greater than me. Whereas you can easily claim self defense." Kilin said with an evil grin. "After all, that human did try to rape you, didn't he?"
Mayhem shook her head at first, and then realized what he was saying, "Oh yes. It was so horrible. I didn't know what to do, all I could do was fight back.. I didn't mean to kill him."
Kilin smiled, "And that, is why I need you. One other thing, the bitch he's with, Tiera. If you can avoid it, don't hurt her too bad. I'm going to find an excuse to arrest her... I want the last moments of her life t be spent under me, screaming for mercy."
Mayhem grinned, "Watch it Kilin. You're turning me on."
"Well, I'm guessing you have some loose ends back in your apartment." Kilin said.
"Nope, all tied up." Mayhem purred. "But that poor wolf is so worked up, and he can't do anything about it."
"Well, then get to him." Kilin said, "Just make sure the human is dealt with soon."
"Yes, sir." Mayhem said before heading out of his office.
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So ends chapter 6. Dun dun duuuuun.
What will happen in 7? Will Nathan tell Tiera that she makes him all hot and bothered? Will Tiera be able to keep herself off of Nathan? Or will they both be killed by Mayhem? Tune in next time! >.>