So much to my relief and pleasant surprise, I awake. Still alive, but I'm not sure I'm in one piece. Scrambling to my feet, and happy to discover those are still in the right place, I look around. I'm standing in a booth similar to the EMU distributor, but this one has a huge lamp overhead. It's kind of like the warming lights they use at fast food places, but this one's about ten times the size.
"Ooo-ou-ou-oh!" I hear Monkey quietly chirping to himself, and peer over to find him messing with a panel next to a smooth black door.
Grumbling, I check if all my faculties are still attached, making sure everything is in the right place before I wring this primate's neck for nearly killing me! But before I can pounce him, he hits a big-red button that makes the sleek door slide open and disappear into the wall. An ominous fog leaks into the room, obscuring our view. I sidle up with Monkey and cautiously peer out of the door. It's hard to see anything with all the moon-dust in the air, but the base doesn't look like it's been operating for some time. The atmosphere scrubbers are offline. But still, it's an absolute sight to behold.
Behind the thin veil of dust in the air, the environment itself is smooth and designed in a modular fashion. Apparently we've arrived in some sort of teleportation bay. Stepping out, I can see the room is built in an arc with transmitter booths built into the walls and a platform at its center. It's similar to the one Murasaki-sensei was using, but this one was an elongated control panel with a multitude of different buttons. I have to all but yank Monkey off the ground as he flies towards it intent on mashing every button and switch there is. One experimental mishap is enough for me today, and I'm not keen on accidentally teleporting something in that we have no business teleporting.
It's somewhat of a hard temptation for me to resist as well as we press on into the long, sleek corridor that looks sterile beyond the thick layer of moon particles in the air. There are all types of holographic screens that pop up along the hall as we walk. Some look to be reports on the station's status, while others are ads or news-reports from Earth. It's then that we cross a huge, reinforced window that gives us a bay view of the space looming outside. Monkey and I press our noses onto the glass, marveling at the view of the gray moon horizon and the field of stars that takes up the sky. In the distance, a blue-green marble looms and I realize that that is Earth. I snap my fingers once it really hits me:
~ I'm actually on the moon! ~
I have to pinch myself to make sure I'm not dreaming, and Monkey mimics my movements, pinching me again for good measure. It's a sobering moment, and I take a minute to gander outside before I hear a chime in my ear.
"Pretty, isn't it?" a familiar voice drifts from the Bluetooth.
"Doc?" I ask, pressing the bud harder into my ear to hear her better.
"Yup! Did I forget to mention this is also a communicator? Anyway, I'll need you to plug me into the command center. I'll be able to get a clearer reading of the layout of the base from there. The control room should be right over engineering. You can get there by going through the commons." Doc is all business. I guess hearing my voice is enough to assure her that I've made it there in one piece, and she's already off to laying down my next set of orders.
"Ooo! Ooo!" Monkey hops and points down a branching hall. A holo-sign appears on the wall and reads 'Commons'. I'm guessing that's where we're headed.
"Right, on my way," I say back, then there's nothing but radio silence after that.
I follow the hall down, weirded out by the stark quietness in the air. There's no sound at all, no one walking around or chatting casually. Everything is just dead. It makes me approach the Commons doors with a bit of apprehension, and I stand back as the double-wide portal slides apart revealing a white room with furniture designed and crafted with polished symmetry. The feng-shui in the room is very efficient, and again, sterile, with chairs and appliances built right into the walls and lights that illuminate the room from the floor. It's a sizable chamber, too. Almost built like a mess-hall.
Apparently, we can get through to engineering from here and then up a floor to the control room. Monkey and I begin making our way across, although Monkey takes his sweet time poking at the appliances. I watch him stick his head into one, only to have a banana materialized from a small alcove next to it.
I'm just about to step over to see if this thing can replicate a pizza when the doors I cross by suddenly start to slide open letting a thick cloud of moon dust roll into the air. With more dust choking up the space, I can barely make out a silhouette standing behind it in the doorway. It's barely humanoid with a bulbous looking head and great wide shoulders. Its arms are elongated but it has an alluring pair of hips. My mind instantly recalls the cartoony vicious-looking alien with the blaster that was in Murasaki's presentation and my heart flies into my throat.
Taken by surprise, Monkey and I let out a scream and jump into each other's arms, peering at the invader slowly encroaching. They look tall and menacing as they loom towards us. Monkey and I glance at each other, both searching the other's eyes for a plan. I spread my feet apart and raise my balled fists, taking up a stance. I was expecting my loyal pet to do the same, but of course, while I chose to fight, "EEEEEK!" Monkey left my ass and ran for cover.
"Geez, thanks for the backup, coward!"
It was too late to turn back now as I rushed the figure, tackling it around its center mass and pushed it towards the ground with all the strength in my body. ~ It's an alien! It's totally a freaky alien and it's going to lay eggs in my brains, or worse!! ~ It's the only thought in my head as this thing puts up a wild fight of its own. I hold my own and refuse to relent, and I hold on for dear life and grasp wherever I can find a good handhold on the thing.
But I couldn't help but notice the creature is soft and squishy...and pleasantly smooth in areas... My hands run over pleasing slopes, pausing at the cusp of what I feel is a fleshy hill. There's a surprising whimper from the creature, and I squeeze that pliable mound again and again. Another surprised whimper. The tone of its moan is feminine, and I feel a warmth naturally bloom within me. I can't help but notice the flirty floral scent wafting from the being, and I'm nearly compelled to sigh wistfully at the aroma and the texture of what's under me. That is until I feel a sharp pain in my jaw when the being rears back and socks me in the face with what feels like a solid fist!
Our struggle resumes and we're evenly matched at first, but I keep losing my focus as my hands run over more areas that are increasingly humanoid-like. The dip in its waist, the flair of its hips, long slender legs entangled with mine… I don't know if I'm fighting for survival or just for pure pleasure now. I'm entrapped in the curves tensing against my more rigid form. I lose my focus for another moment and find myself pinned and straddled by a perfect pair of thighs. On instinct, I squirm to get out from the bottom, but it's clear that I'm not getting loose.
Instead, I reach up and grab the thing around its head and yank it down on top of me, flipping my body weight on top of it and pinning it's lither form against the floor, shackling its limbs in together at the wrist with one hand while my other arm straps around the chest of the creature to halt its struggle. ~ Great, now what? ~The enemy was under control, but what was I supposed to do with a pissed-off alien?
With the struggling over, the dust finally settles enough in the room for me to get a good look at what I've just put under arrest.
On closer examination, I recognize a similar looking EMU suit. One that resembles mine, but it is a different color entirely and there are armored bits to it around the head, neck, arms, spine, and legs. Not very much on the chest, where my hand is currently perched---right over that squishy part again. My fingers are tense as I'm processing what's happening before finally realizing what this is, and my jaw drops as I freeze over with revelation.
~ Wait...is this a, oh Lordy... ~ I'm not even able to finish that thought as I'm aggressively thrown off. The "thing" that is obviously a person raises from the ground with a growl in their tone. They press some button on the side of their helm which collapses the armor of their suit into the railing that ran along the spine. It's like something straight out of a sci-fi flick, and I begin to wonder if my suit can do something similar.
That thought is immediately held as the helmet is peeled away to reveal the face of a smoking brunette. Her long flowing mahogany tresses pour down the arch of her back like satin chocolate. It's been pulled up into a ponytail, out of the way of her bright green eyes. They're angled slightly and sharp as she stares down at me angrily. The vein protruding from her forehead tells me she's pissed, but damn is she beautiful. Those ample lips of hers are drawn into a pout, and her refined brows knit lightly together, reminding me of Chanel with how neat and groomed they are. Her suit fades from an orange to a blue as it reverts back into its original state. It fits her like a second skin too, and my eyes are drawn down the breakneck curves of her body. I can't even speak. I'm so smitten at a glance.
Monkey finally peeks out of his hiding spot, peering over at the woman as hard as I am. She grows impatient and sucks her teeth at us. "I'm Captain Astrea Star of the EPF, who the hell are you two, and what are you doing here?" She barks at us, and my mind is a hot mess.
~ Goddess! Step on me, pretty space lady...No- Bad! Focus! ~ But it's too late, and I can't help pouring on the charm! "Wow, she said you had a heavenly body, but baby, you are out of this world!" As if on reflex she instantly plowed her fist into my gut. Captain Star is a hell of a lot stronger than she looks, and I crumple at the impact of her punch. "Okay, maybe I deserved that one..."
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