4 comments/  14097 views/  1 favorites

XTC

By: zanygrl



I grabbed everything I thought I might need as I headed out of my apartment. My cell phone rang yet again and I answered it with an annoying hello.

"I'm on my way for real this time, I promise". I hung up the phone, and practically ran to my car; I was not really late, considering we had hours before the club even opened.

I tossed all of my bags into the back seat of my car and took off, hitting every single possible red light. It was Murphy's Law, for sure. I pulled into the underground parking lot, and chose the spot closest to the elevator assuring my arrival even sooner.

I reached the proper floor, and practically ran for the door. It was open even before I go there. Get in here now, Jane screamed at me. I could only laugh really; she was a drama queen by far.

I was no more then 5 feet inside the apartment when her roommate and my other best friend Drake grabbed my bags.

The two of them were dumping my clothes onto the floor, determining what I was going to wear. No doubt that both of them could do a better job anyway, I didn't care as much as they did.

I knew we would be ready way ahead of time, and I had brought enough outfits to do at least 20 fashion shows for them. Really it was all the part of our yearly ritual and I loved it.

It was X night, at our favorite club. Once a year they hosted an X party, It was quite fun really. This was our third year in a row attending. Each person who wanted to partake received a number. You wore this number all night, and interested parties could leave you messages at the "x marks the spot" Table. It was rather intriguing really; so far I've done pretty well every year.

My final outfit that I was demanded to try on, was the winner. I walked out of the bedroom and both Jane and drake stood there staring at me with open mouths. I started to laugh as I pranced around like a runway model, Making sure that they both oooed and awed me until I was sick of it.

I stood in the full length mirror and checked myself out in full. I did look pretty good and felt quite confident about myself. I wore a mini skirt, showing every curve my ass might offer, A little hem with a frill beneath it, giving it that school girl effect. It was pink, and my top was pretty much nothing, yet it did cover the important parts. A black skin tight tank top, showing the shape of each nipple, I loved it. My boots where combat, short black and tough. I looked punky yet, hot.

I smiled at them both and thanked them for there expertise. Sure enough I had no more time to gaze at myself; they were pulling me out the door.

We arrived at the club at about 10 pm, perfect timing really. None of us wanted to show up first, yet we wanted to make sure we didn't get there too late, when it got so crowded we couldn't see anything we desired.

I rushed right in and went past the coat check; I hadn't realized I left them behind until I heard Jane laughing up a storm, flirting as usual with the coat check guy. And Drake right beside her.

I slowed down and I waited for them, as I gave them that Hurry up I'm impatient look. They came towards me and all three of us headed to get our numbers.

I ran up first and started to talk to the Liz, the girl running the table this year. We had known each other for a few years, just from frequenting the same club. Wow she said, do you look hot tonight! I said "I know" and just laughed along with her.

Well she said, I've saved this number all night just for you missy. I looked down and began to laugh so hard, Of course I said as I pinned my #69 onto my shirt. I turned around and waited for the teasing to start, Jane and drake were going to love this one and really it was rather funny.

After all three of us got our numbers, we headed right to the bar for a drink. You needed guts to send these notes and that's exactly what I was headed for.

I strolled up to the bar like I owned the place, and made more then one of my friends laugh at my new found confidence. Hello Mr. Jake I said, tonight I would like to have a boozoka Joe shake please....And of course he already had it ready. I only ever ordered those. I smiled at him with my big eyes and gave him one of those sexy girl looks, said thank you and walked away.

I knew the notes would begin soon, if anything Jane and drake would amuse me with notes of humor to get the night going. The three of us decided to hit the dance floor and loosen up a bit. There were others dancing and what a better way to see someone's number up close.

A few songs into our dancing I excused myself as I was secretly dying to check for new messages. I didn't really expect to have any, and walked by the table rather quickly, yet did a double take as there was a message waiting for me. I knew it wasn't my friends; so far I was with them all night.

I stepped up to the board and grinned at Liz, well I said good bad ugly? I can't comment she said and laughed as she handed me over my sole message.

I rolled my eyes and moved to the side. I opened the note quickly and started to giggle, this was so fun.

To: 69 Fr: Just a Girl (JAG) *huh* I thought maybe this was put in the wrong spot, but when I looked at Liz, she confirmed it with a nod, Nope that's for you, and yes it's a girl. "To have one kiss from your tender lips, happiness would be mine forever"

wow, I was actually pretty excited over this. Disappointment ran through me as fast as the warmness overcame me, Liz is this some big old biker bitch? ha ha, we laughed. No she said all I can say is go with it, you won't be disappointed.

Liz knew I was bisexual, openly at that. She and I had a few flings in the past, but she decided to settle down and get married and that was it for us.

I laughed to myself as I thought what I should write back. To: JAG Fr: 69 Who am I to deny you Happiness, Kiss me. I put the note on the table and let Liz take care of where it should go, seeing as it had no number. I rejoined my friends on the dance floor, and was quite happy to see both of them engaged in conversation with the opposite sex. I casually joined in the conversation and suggested we go for another drink. Jane and Drake excused themselves and all three of us headed to see Jake again.

Walking past the table, I couldn't help steel a glance at my slot, and noticed yet another message. This was getting fun; I couldn't wait to read this one. To: 69 Fr: JAG I need you, I want you, Your laugh it makes me laugh, Your smile it makes me ache, deep down between my legs, I throb for you.

I couldn't do anything but stand there, in awe of this message. I was actually aroused myself. I was sure I was blushing, and made it a point to cover it up with a fake laugh. I told my friends to go get us drinks, and that I would catch up.

I stood there and wrote back right away To: JAG FR: 69 My mind is racing fast with questions, my nipples are hard. I feel the wetness building between my legs and I know it is you who will cure this.

I stood there smiling I was so hot. In all three years I have come here, not one girl has ever sent me a message. This was even funnier then flirting with the guys. I was dying to see her, I even thought about hanging out around the table yet I didn't want to scare her off.

The other messages I was getting, went totally UN replied to. I couldn't think of anything but this girl.

I headed over to the bar and before I could order, Jake handed me 2 shooters. I looked at him with a quizzical look, He just laughed. These are compliments of Jag...I'm assuming you know her. 1 is a slippery nipple and the other is Sex on the beach. hmmm I said, well here is to Jag. I took both shooters without a problem, the alcohol was making me quite relaxed and my mind was racing as to what I would write next.

I went back to the table immediately and read my newest message. To 69 Fr Jag I sit alone in the corner, and I watch you trying to find me. I slide my hand down between my legs and I rub my clit as you dance around, wondering where I am. No one can see me as I rub hard and fast, shivering as my body starts to shake , I cum all over my fingers while staring at you. And little did anyone including you know.

That almost made me cum, I was standing there in awe. I had to have this girl. at any cost. To Jag Fr 69 Your words they tease me like no others, they make me burn and ache so much. I wish i was in the corner beside you, letting my own fingers between your legs; I would rub that pussy so hard, and make you beg me to stop. Yet I would keep going, harder and faster, making you cum over and over. Then I would lick each finger and walk away.

I was already working on my next message and decided to leave 2 this time. Jag 69 If you dare be as brave as your words, then meet me. Let's find a cab and go somewhere. I left the table expecting this to be the end of it all, most people were not as brave as they were on paper. I found my friends and sat back to enjoy the drinks I was consuming.

Drake got up to go check his messages and came back with a huge grin. Liz said you have a message and you should come get it asap. I could barley contain myself. I almost ran there. 69 JAG At 12:20 am I will meet you here, No talking until we leave. Lets meet and go, I will show you myself at this time. I quickly looked at my watch and it was 12:16. I ran to drake and Jill and briefly explained what I was doing, I don't think either believed I was serious until I ran back to the table and stood there.

I stood waiting, it was now 12:20 and I couldn't breath. 

I heard my number being whispered behind me and I Turned around slowly , expecting this to be a joke of some sort. I couldn't talk, even if I wanted to. She took my breath away. She was beautiful. She stood there with knee high black boots, a very short leather black skirt, and a very low cut black halter, expressing her cleavage to its fullest extent. Her hair was down past her shoulders, curly and soft. Dark red.

Her eyes were blue, deep and intense. She took my hand and we walked together to the front door.

She hailed us a cab and we both go in as fast as we could. She looked at me and asked if It mattered were we went, Of course not I said. I sat back and smiled as she leaned forward and gave the taxi driver an address.

It wasn't more then 5 minutes when the cab was pulling over to let us out. We got out of the cab and I looked around, not too familiar with the area but not worried in the least. I followed her lead down this lane way, to a door. It was Just a door with no numbers or address to be found.

She knocked on the door, and we were greeted by this overly large man, smiling at us both. Hello Megan he said, Hmmm Megan was her name. How hot.

The second door we approached inside was unattended and we entered at our own free will.

We walked in and I looked around, at first I was quite shocked, then with in seconds I was aroused beyond my wildest dreams.

This was no ordinary club, not one I've been to before anyway. There were people everywhere making out, openly, caressing each other and moaning loudly for all to see and hear. I was so shocked I couldn't help but stare. Its ok Megan said, they like it when you watch.

Giggling now from the effects of the booze, and the surroundings, I followed Megan to the bar; standing there beside here well I let her take control of the entire situation so far. I felt her hand slip to the base of my back and for a moment I was worried. She looked at me and smiled, you need not worry she said, the acts of others around us are by choice, We can be in private. I felt myself relax instantly and enjoyed the touch of her soft hand.

We found a table in the corner and we sat side by side, in the back, so we might see all around us. She put a menu in front of me and explained I could order whatever I liked. I was a bit confused at first as I had a fresh drink in front of me.

I opened up the menu and my mouth dropped open I'm sure. This was neither regular food nor drink menu. Option 1: Girl-Boy Option 2: Girl-Girl Option 3: Girl-Boy-Girl Option 4: Girl-Girl-Girl Each option explained in full detail what you would get and I couldn't believe what I was reading. This was amazing. She started to laugh and smiled at me, Leaning closer she said. Order whatever you like I own this place.

Then I thought for sure I would cum. I couldn't believe this.

She flagged our waitress over and then whispered into her ear. The waitress then leaned onto our table, her ass almost in my face, she lifted her skirt. Megan then picked up her fresh drink and slowly started to drip vodka and ice onto this girl's pussy. Making her jump, yet moan. Megan leaned over and began to lick up the wetness she had caused, and then dismissed the girl as quickly as she got there.

My mouth was open for sure now; I was so aroused I thought I would cum without touching myself.

Megan sat back and began to smile; well she said are you happy you accepted my offer? Of course I am I said. I've not ever experienced anything like this in my life, and never have I been so sexually aroused before either.

Yet the night is young she said. I just started to look around the room, wondering if her and I would be doing any of this tonight, I began to wonder and maybe a bit of it was impatience.

I was sitting there minding my own business, not really looking at any one person, when I felt a hand slide between my legs. I gasped at first then realized it was Megan. No one can see under this table she said, so enjoy and relax. What else would I do, I was the point of no return. I spread my legs wider for her as she found my wetness, and started to caress my clit. I was softly moaning as I arched forward, almost begging her to give it to me harder.

I leaned back and I closed my eyes.... It felt so good, so hot and deep. I jumped up from my seat when I felt someone beneath our table spreading my legs wide open. I looked at Megan who smiled and told me to trust her. What choice did I have? At this point I didn't care who was down there, as long as I was going to cum.

I felt the hot wet hardness of a tongue reach my clit, lapping it up slowly yet with force. Megan smiled at me as she sat there, making sure I knew this was not her hand in anyway. I smiled as I looked around at other couples, touching each other, openly. I saw one girl, no more then 18 years old, Spread wide, on a table, Tied down as 2 young boys began to tease her from head to toe. Her cries grew louder, as the intensity spread between my legs. I wanted those boys to torture her and make her cum over and over again. As if on cue, my body began to shudder, I was pushing up against this tongue, making them lick me harder and faster.

I looked at Megan who smiled and told me to enjoy it, it was the first for the night and it would only get better. My body began to jerk fast and hard, my hips grinding this person's face. Please, I started to say , Harder, don't stop, Make my pussy cum . Without delay I began To move up and down, saying I was cumming, I could hear the young girl say the same. If On cue they made her cum with me, It was so hot I came 3 or4 times, and couldn't keep up. I begged them to stop but they wouldn't. I was cumming so much I thought I would never walk again. Finally..... I sat back, breathing so hard I couldn't think.

Wow, was all I could say over and over again. Wow!! Megan looked at me and grinned from ear to ear. So I take it you liked it then? Yes very much, So much that I'm not sure I could do that again. She laughed at me and smiled, I'm sorry, That's not an option. I would like a turn to make you cum before you retire for the night. I just stared at her like she was crazy. Your kidding, I can't possibly cum again. Oh but you will she said.

I sat there and waited for something drastic to happen, I was sure I would die if anyone touched me down there. Yet no one did. Megan excused herself from the table and told me not to worry, it was not going to happen without her there.

That in truth did relax me a lot. I sat there smiling, and thinking of how I could repay her. Silly thoughts really, she owned a place like this. Nothing I could do could compare.

Shortly she came back to the table and sat down beside me. Now she said, I'm going to be quite blunt here. Here is what I would like. I would like to watch you fuck my husband on this table, while I fingered my pussy. I looked at her like she was nuts, your husband? Are you serious? Quite she said. See what will take place is he will arouse you beyond no return, in the meantime that young boy over there with no top, The boy who looks 18.. Well he is going to be licking my pussy while I watch you both.

I just sat there not sure what To say, Are you sure I said? Yes I'm very sure Megan replied. Unless you would rather fuck me while he watches, and some young girl sucks him off. Hmmm I said I would much rather lick your pussy and fuck you then him, if that is ok. Sure it is she said. Now you pick the girl that will suck him off. That's part of the game. I looked around the room with intense choice making before me. She had to be young I was sure of that, My experience watching that other girl had done it for me.

I looked and seen this one girl, sitting alone by herself, yet I could tell she was up for anything. I pointed her out and Megan just smiled. Perfect, she is 19 and from what I hear can really suck dick good.

Mmmm I moaned softly. Megan went over to the girl and came back with her, to our table. Her husband was already sitting beside me and I almost wished I chose him, He was a goddess.

Megan stood up in front of our table and removed her clothes. My breath was taken away as I watched every inch of her perfect skin come before me. I was wet again. Unreal.

She layed on the table as she said, right before me, Her bare shaven pussy in my face waiting to be touched, sucked and licked. I didnt hesitate in the least as I spread her legs wide, my tongue found her wetness, and proceeded to lick .....softly at first. I looked over and this young girl was on her knees, as promised, she was sucking his dick, and yes she was doing a a great job. His moans were the evidence of that. I looked up at Megan as she arched her back towards me , telling me to give her more, and harder at that.

I felt someone tap my shoulder as I looked up there was a man standing there, handing me a strap on dildo, that was hot. I put the dildo on and came up between Megan's legs, Slowly I entered the head into her pussy, making her beg me to give it all. My finger tips found her clit as I slowly entered her, slowly and deeper she almost felt the full hardness of my strap on. Her body started to push against me, it was amazing. I couldn't stand it. I felt a hardness enter my pussy behind me and noticed it was her husband's hand, fucking me in the pussy. His dick was being sucked so hard, he was jerking back and forth, entering me with all his force.

Megan began to scream loudly, and cry that she wanted all of it, now she wanted to cum all over my fingers for me. That sent all of us to near cumming, as I heard her husband behind me grunting loudly, it sent me to push harder and fuller making Megan scream that she was close, My pussy began to vibrate as I felt a tongue then enter my clit again.

It was his, he was lapping up my juices, screaming that he was about to cum. Megan then exploded all over me, bucking up and down, screaming she was cumming. I too then let go, Cumming so hard against his face my body began to shake. I couldn't stop cumming, and screaming loudly joining them both. My mind was racing fast, and I started to cum again and again. Screaming louder this time as it wouldn't stop.

Then silence.... I wasn't sure what happened, but when I opened my eyes, everyone in the club was standing around looking at us and most were in awe......I was embarrassed at first yet felt very sexy as I realized that each and every person there was aroused over something I took place in.


XTC 2.1



Gina's log. 3218 hours to Earth orbit. Still no clue as to the android's real purpose, or how to discover said purpose without damaging it. He responds to some voice commands, but rarely speaks. I have no idea how to get him to listen to me consistently. No wonder he was crafted in a male form. Have spent the last 1014 hours studying the books on robotics available in the ship's library. I'm no closer to understanding them now than I was on page one. The only thing I've learned is how to repair him. Perhaps I could get his attention by dressing like a nurse. The journey is passing quickly and other than frustration with myself over my inability to understand the mechanical man, this is the least stressed I've felt since signing on.

Gina lay flat on her back on her work bench. The android held her legs up so that her calves were braced against its chest. Her fingers desperately gripped the edge of the bench top to keep herself from being driven into the wall by his relentless pounding. Even though he was a machine, he was so much better at this than any of the men she'd been with. His long, thick cock seemed to curve slightly so that it hit her sweet spot every time he surged into her. The blood pounding in her ears almost seemed louder to her than the sound of her moans and the wet slapping of his hips against her ass. She found herself biting her lower lip as though she might wake the rest of the crew from stasis. Then, suddenly, her whole body shuddered around him. He leaned forward, plunging fully into her, and she could feel his cock pulse and buck inside her as though he were coming, too. She felt sure that if he hadn't been so deep inside her, she might have soaked the entire floor. XTC held her body tight to his and it seemed to go on a long time. Finally, as though he could sense her body slowing, the droid stepped back and its cock retracted back inside itself, wet and glistening with her juices.

Gina sat up, almost groggy with post-orgasmic bliss, found her vape and turned it on. As she blew her first cloud of mist at the ceiling, she grinned at XTC. "Was it good for you?" she joked.

"Yes, Captain Miller," he replied. "Very good."

His answer was unexpected and made her laugh.

"Well, good. I don't do this with just anyone, you know." Gina chuckled, still glowing. XTC responding to her made her feel a closeness to him that she didn't always feel. It was rare he said anything. He was definitely the strong, silent type. She sucked at her flavoured water vapour for a minute, then sighed. "I almost wish this trip wouldn't end," she told him. "I think you're probably the best thing to ever happen to me."

It was soon after. XTC had shut down and she hadn't got another word out of him, so Gina was working at her bench, trying to reassemble a malfunctioning power unit. She was broken from her thoughts by a loud wolf whistle. With a scream, she spun to find Rod standing in the doorway, leering at her. Her heart was pounding, and she was glad she'd put her panties back on.

"What a sight to wake up to," he commented.

"What are you doing up?" she asked, frowning and instantly suspicious.

"I thought you might be lonely," he said. His lecherous grin said exactly how he proposed to remedy that. Suspicions confirmed.

"I'm not that lonely," she shot back.

She turned her back to him as much as she could, to hide her stiff nipples poking out the front of her tank top, and pretended the power unit was suddenly the most interesting thing in the world.

"If I'd known this is how you dress when you're on duty, I'd have stayed up and shared rotation," he said.

Gina tried to ignore him, even though she could feel him staring at her ass, on full display in her bikinis.

"You smell good," he said, stepping closer and sniffing the air theatrically.

She instantly flushed bright red. The whole room must smell like her. Could he tell what she'd been doing? How couldn't he? She gasped and tried not to stare at him. He stepped closer, so close he was almost touching her. She could smell the sweat on him.

"Come on, cuteness, why don't we...?" he started, but he never got to finish. He didn't have to. 

Gina would rather weld her ears shut than hear the end of that sentence. Her brain was suddenly filled with a nightmare vision of the smelly, unshaven engineer on top of her, holding her legs apart, hips pumping furiously, raping her right there on the bench.

"I've got a spanner and I'm not afraid to use it!" she threatened, snatching up and waving the tool. She wished that didn't sound so lame. "And don't forget who maintains your pod," she reminded him.

"Hey! All right! So hostile," he said, raising his hands and taking a half step back. "Just trying to make the trip more enjoyable."

"My trip's just fine," she replied, edging around him toward the door.

Rod cast a scowling glance at the android. "Fine, you and your toy have fun together. It's a long way back to Earth, little girl."

"I'm going to go have a shower," she informed him. She hoped his pervert imagination made his brain overheat thinking about her naked in the open, sonic cubicle. "Don't even think of following me."

"Wouldn't dream of it," he replied, still scowling.

"You know," she called over her shoulder as she breezed out, "it gives a great massage. Just ask it for one."

She heard the scream before she was ten feet away. Gina didn't see Rod again until they'd made orbit.

Gina's log. 2212 hours to Earth orbit. I'm discovering that while electronics and repair in an environment with limited resources is sometimes challenging, understanding robotics is insane. I'm unlikely to grasp this in my lifetime. I think I need to concede defeat. I'm just not cut out to be a programmer, or robot shrink. At least he doesn't need to worry much about breaking down with me around. It might be kind of kinky sticking things in him for a change. Speaking of maintenance, he seemed to enjoy it when I gave him a good polishing, top to bottom, yesterday. I would swear he purred at me when I was working his shoulders. Also on the topic of unexpected android behaviour, XTC has picked up a new routine, but I have no idea what triggered it. Lately, when I get up, he's been greeting me with a good morning and a cup of coffee. He still calls me Captain Miller. I'm dying to find out who she is.

Gina lay over the bench, panting. She thought for sure that you'd be able to see steam rising off her bare ass. After a long, languorous minute, she stretched. She was grinning and filled with a happy warmth. When she turned to get her post-massage vape, her blood turned cold. The medic was leaning against the door frame, arms crossed, watching her. He shot her a raised eyebrow.

"How long have you been there?" she asked, fighting to get the words out.

"Long enough," he replied, pushing himself upright.

"Did you... see?" she stammered, worried he'd learned her secret, seen her bent over her work table, face down, her breasts mashed against its surface, XTC holding her arms in his hands and controlling her completely while his cock plunged into her over and over until she thought she'd lose her mind.

"I see you've been alone for far too long," he replied.

"What... what are you doing up?" she managed.

"Mandatory checkup," he said, stepping closer. "I missed the one on the trip out. Forgot to set the alarm. Now, I'm sorry I did."

Normally, Gina left her tank top on, only removing her panties for massage time (she was down to her last pair, since XTC was prone to tearing them off if she didn't get them off quickly enough for him), but this time she was completely naked. Not having that one last article of clothing left her feeling even more vulnerable than when Rod had intruded on her and she did her best to cover herself with her hands.

"Do we have to do it now?" Gina asked, taking a half step back.

"You're already naked. Can you think of a better time?"

Gina shook her head. She was reluctant to refuse him, given what he may have seen.

"Are you all right?" he asked. "I could do it later."

"No, that's okay," she conceded. Really, she didn't know why she was so flustered. He was the ship's doctor and he seemed like a perfectly okay guy. He'd always been friendly to her. He was even pretty good looking for his age.

"Well then, shall we adjourn to my office?"

Gina nodded and followed him, embarrassed to realize that she didn't even know his name.

Everyone referred to him as 'the medic' because he'd started out as a corpsman, something he was still proud of, having seen two war zones and several peaceful ones behind him before deciding to take to space. Now that he was middle-aged, despite the men he worked with, he had an easy way about him.

In a way, the training and experiences of his earlier years made him ideally suited to being a ship's doctor. Just as for Gina, resources were extremely limited, and he had to be good at making do with what he had, able to improvise. Up here, prevention was more important than repair, and he had to be as much psychologist as doctor. The med bay was one small room, the size of a typical clinic consult room. In addition to the examining table, it housed what lab equipment he had available and the ship's pharmacy. Anything serious would require the patient be placed in their pod in stasis and hope they survived until the ship made port.

Gina perched on the edge of the table, and fidgeted while she watched him get out his tools. Both their heads turned at a noise in the doorway. XTC stood watchful guard there, hovering like a protective parent.

"Does it follow you everywhere?"

"He sort of does his own thing. I haven't figured him out yet."

The fact that he had followed her did make her wonder, though. He didn't do it very often, and she wondered what triggered the behaviour. The puzzle completely took her mind off the medic, at least until she felt his hand on her breast and realized he'd asked her something.

His initial physical checkup was cursory, and of course showed that she was perfectly healthy, but he asked several questions that seemed designed as much to prolong the amount of time she was naked, as to ascertain her mental health. It was when he asked her to lie back and put her feet in the stirrups that she felt the heat flood her cheeks again. Knowing that he was about to examine the evidence of her rather vigorous robotic ravaging was an embarrassment she'd never thought she'd have to endure. She was thankful that XTC didn't actually cum inside her.

"Looks like you've really abused yourself," he commented. "Do you use a toy?"

Unable to answer, Gina simply nodded.

"You might want to be a little more gentle with yourself," he suggested. "You're pretty red."

You might want to keep your opinions to yourself, she thought. She didn't feel any more tender than she usually did. It was that good sore, too.

The medic soothed his hand over her pussy. He rubbed her lips and traced little circles over her clit that she was pretty sure weren't completely clinical.

"You might want to lay off the mechanical pleasure for a while," he commented.

Omg! What did he mean by that? He did see! He...

"You know, if you're lonely..." he started, letting the suggestion hang in the air.

Gina wanted to tell him to go back to his pod, or just get off the table and walk away, but she didn't know if this was a genuine interest in her, or a thinly veiled extortion for his silence, because he'd seen her getting screwed by the robot. Silently, she nodded her head.

The medic raised an eyebrow, but didn't ask twice. Grinning, he unzipped his pants and tugged his already stiffening cock free. Any consideration for her 'redness' vanished with the nod of her head. Without a word, he stepped up to the edge of the table and looked down at his target eagerly. He slapped her pussy with his hard shaft several times, which made her jump (to his amusement), then he lowered the head between her wet, swollen lips. He paused at her entrance to look into her eyes and then pressed forward.

As his cock slid into her, Gina couldn't help but compare him to her robotic lover. "Why can't I even remember his name?" she asked herself. "Did anyone even tell me his name?" As her flesh spread around him, she had to admit that it felt good. As much as she'd wanted to say no, it felt good. Not as good as X, though. She let out a surprised gasp as he grabbed her by the waist and pulled her hips further down the table, as close to him as possible.

Bracing his hands on either side of her waist, the medic leaned over her, supporting his weight on the table. For several seconds, the only sound was his panting and the slap of his hips against the rounded globes of her ass. Despite herself, she found her pussy clutching around him. He groaned and his movements became awkward already. He tried to refuse to give in to his lust, to make it last, but she felt too good and it had been too long. Surrendering, he drove himself into her quickly, chasing after that orgasm before it got away from him. Gina reached up and teased her breasts, squeezing them. She could feel that pull inside her, the knot tightening. Suddenly, his cock exploded inside of her hot, grasping tunnel, spilling so much cum into her that she could feel it overflowing and running down her ass. She'd been so close. She could feel him jerking hard inside her, and he hung his head, fighting for breath. He stayed like that for so long that she was on the verge of asking if he was okay, when he finally lifted his face and smiled weakly at her.

Gina stared at the ceiling and tried to catch her breath while the doc stepped back and zipped himself up again. He offered her a wipe to clean herself, then sat down at his computer to finish updating her file. He stayed with her a couple minutes longer, then returned to his pod. Typical guy, she thought—got what you want, bye bye. Wham, bam. When he'd left, she got out her vape and sat on the table for a couple more minutes, lost in thought.

"Do you think he saw?" she asked. XTC glanced her way, but didn't respond. "I hope not," she mumbled. "My career is over," she muttered, blowing a frustrated cloud at the ceiling. Gina had no intention of making mention of the droid's best skills in her report. That would look great on her resume—maintained interstellar cargo ship, had sex with android. Enjoyed submissive sex with android, she corrected herself. She wondered if 'likes being held down and taken from behind' counted as a skill. "Looks like it's just you and me again, big guy."

Hopping off the table, she went to XTC and ran her hand over his hard, smooth chest. "He's nowhere near as good as you," she told him. "I'm going to have a shower and a nap, then maybe we can go to the lounge and read?" She didn't really expect a response, but she found it made her feel better talking to him. XTC dutifully followed her from the room.

The medic 'checked in on her' twice more over the next few days and made little pretense of tending to her mental health. She had a breakthrough during this time, though she wasn't sure if she was simply imagining it. She'd found herself continuing to wonder about XTC following her to the 'checkup'. Perhaps she was attributing human behaviours to something that couldn't possibly have any, but it seemed like the less clothes she wore, the more attentive and helpful he was. The odd time she was in her jumpsuit to do some particularly dirty job, he was nowhere to be found, or he powered down and recharged. When she was in her underwear, her usual shipboard attire, he was his usual self, bringing her morning coffee or initiating the occasional massage, but mostly just silently watching her and stubbornly refusing to reveal all his secrets. The moment her panties came off, it was massage time. After that, though, so long as she hadn't put them on again right away, it seemed like he was a lot more helpful. He still wouldn't answer her questions, but so long as she said his name first, he would perform a number of simple tasks. What really made Gina think about it, though, was how much his behaviour changed the few times she'd been completely nude.

When she was naked, he would follow her wherever she went, and even help without being asked... sometimes. This was hard to confirm, because her being naked also seemed to be a universal signal that it was time for a massage, if not the moment the plastic man laid eyes on her, then as soon as she turned around and bent to grab something. He'd first surprised her by wordlessly offering her a tool that she'd been blindly reaching for which had been just out of reach. He'd handed her her vape after a long massage session. He'd even given her a real massage once, which was heaven. When she was naked or close to it, it seemed like those were the times he'd followed her all over the ship and listened to her read to him, vent about her job and crewmates, talk about her ambitions. These were all things definitely out of the ordinary and displaying personal initiative, rather than simply responding to commands. Unfortunately, after being walked in on by Rod and by the medic, Gina had no intention of wandering around nude all the time just to test her theory.

A couple weeks from port, she suffered her first android accident... and she wasn't entirely sure it was an accident.

They'd been on the deck. Gina had bounced across the room, energetic and cheerful from telling XTC a story about the time, as a teen, that she'd come home late after sneaking out of the house to go to a party with a friend. She'd been about to climb through her bedroom window, but she shared the room with her sister and saw, just in time, that her sister had sneaked her boyfriend in. Gina'd hid in the bushes and masturbated, watching her sister enthusiastically bouncing up and down on him, when all of a sudden it started to rain. A little drunk and too chicken to climb through the window, she'd sat out in the bushes getting soaked. She'd almost frozen herself, and had nearly caught pneumonia. She was so sick she'd been in bed for nearly a week. Gina never sneaked out of the house again. Despite that, years later she still had fun repeating the story, and still got warm remembering the sight of them. In her mind's eye, she could still see her sister rocking back and forth on her boyfriend, and the point where their bodies met. It was one of the most erotic things she'd ever witnessed.

Gina knelt on one of the captain chairs, facing the wrong way. She was gripping the head rest and arching her nearly naked backside out toward the room. She wagged it back and forth, bubbling with almost girlish excitement after recounting her tale.

"I could never do anything like that," she said, glancing at the command console to make sure it was as quiet as it should be. It was. "I'm not that adventurous."

She looked back, past her shoulder, just in time to see XTC crossing the distance between them. Gina'd suspected what he had in mind, but it didn't prepare her for what he actually did. When he reached her, the droid placed one hand between her shoulder blades and forced her chest into the back of the chair, making her gasp. Her nipples, already stiff from telling her story, instantly hardened into achy little bullets. Reaching down, he tore her last pair of panties from her body. As she felt her ass bared to the air, Gina nearly creamed on the spot. For a moment, he didn't move, and she imagined him admiring the view of her large, smooth ass sticking out toward him, cheeks spread and showing him everything. She felt the familiar warmth of his cock rise up between her legs. Her pussy tightened in anticipation of the fucking to come, but as the android's hips edged forward, she felt the soft, smooth head trying to enter her... ass! Her eyes widened and she squealed in surprise. She'd never! There was a moment's panic where she thought of resisting, trying to twist from his grasp, but she knew there was no stopping him. She couldn't do anything but hold onto the chair and submit. Part of her didn't want to resist. The excitement of not knowing what would set him off, or when, made her feel alive like nothing else could. Now she could add not knowing what he would do to that list. Gina had thought about trying this, but it had always seemed so dirty, she'd always been too chicken, and she'd never known anyone she would have trusted enough to try it with. XTC made the choice for her.




XTC 2.1



The head of his cock was slightly wedge-shaped and slowly opened her whether she wanted it to or not. When her tight, little ring surrendered, the entire head suddenly surged into her. The feeling was so intense that she didn't even make a sound, just stared straight ahead, wide-eyed and hardly daring to breathe. She felt something wet and greasy squirting into her, and then the rest of his shaft began to sink into her body. She was made aware of just how long and thick he was in a way she'd never been before. Her ass burned with the effort to stretch around him. Though she found herself reaching back, trying to get him to go slower every time she felt a pang hit her from the unaccustomed invasion, XTC actually moved very slowly and deliberately... but always forward. It seemed like forever until he was fully inside her, but when he stopped moving, Gina was left panting and motionless. She didn't dare move. He did.

Slowly at first, he pulled his entire length out before pressing forward again. As her body grew accustomed to the slick girth of him sliding inside her, his pace quickened. Each thrust pulsed deep inside her, and it surprised her to find that delicious knot building. She'd read that it felt better if you touched yourself, and she reached beneath herself to try. Gina hung onto the back of the chair, her cheek pressed into the cushion, fingers rubbing. XTC took his hand from her back and grabbed her waist in both hands. The spanking of his hips against her tortured flesh joined her panting whimpers. Her ass burned with the friction of him, even with whatever he'd squirted inside her, but each thrust sent electric jolts straight to her pussy. She couldn't focus on anything. Her whole body was that pounding, pulsing cock. The orgasm that came was somehow deeper than normal. It was difficult to describe, even to herself, but it felt so good.

She sat (tenderly) and vaped and studied him thoughtfully, standing there, powered down again. He'd never tried to do that before, so surely he'd just missed, stuck it in the wrong hole. But, if that was the case, then why did he start off so slow, and why squirt something inside her? But, wouldn't that be another example of personal initiative, desire? Androids don't have desires.

Her until-then virgin ass was sore for the next couple of days, but she knew she'd do it again. 

All too soon, they'd reached their destination. The ship woke everyone some time before arriving, but they were all too busy to see much of each other. There were a million little last minute preparations to be made. Everyone was shocked to hear that there had been a tragedy soon before making port. The medic had apparently slipped and fallen, cracking his head open on the bench in the workshop. He was alive, but comatose. There were no clues as to what he would have been doing in there, or exactly what had happened, but when Rod found him, lying in a pool of his own blood, he noted that there was a long electrical cable coiled around his foot. So, Captain Peters had duly examined the scene and noted it in his log as a work accident.

That wasn't the only odd thing to happen, either. Almost as soon as they'd made port, Gina was pulled aside by a young man in a suit and told that she'd been summoned to a board meeting. She found it impossible to hide her surprise. She'd never met any earthbound management types, never mind been told that they wanted to see her. After a couple of preliminaries, her first and only real interview had been by Captain Peters himself.

Behind her, a medical team was wheeling away the medic, and the rest of the crew was prepping for the dock crew to unload and resupply the Johnson. She knew she should help, but she wasn't exactly heartbroken to be missing out. Can't keep the boss waiting, right? I mean, she hadn't resigned yet, she reasoned.

The droid was standing motionless nearby, getting a going over from the customs agents. Though she was glad to get out of helping prep, she didn't want to leave XTC on the dock by himself. It was just in case anything happened, she told herself. He hadn't activated since just before they'd reached the space station and the crew had come out of stasis. Gina was disappointed, but not entirely surprised, since the presence of the men meant a return to her company uniform. The droid had also stopped helping her and greeting her in the morning. It was just one more thing that reinforced her suspicion that the android was a perv. She decided she really had to meet Captain Miller if it was the last thing she did. ... She just hoped that the captain was still alive to meet.

The company kept an office on the space station (at astronomical expense), not just to show off its wealth to all the little people literally below it planetside, but to make it easier for the company to store and transfer goods, and to maintain and outfit its fleet. The office could have been progressive and put its nuts-and-bolts workers in lounges, using windows to make use of the ample view of space all around them, since they all worked using headsets and tablets, but instead it arranged them into small collections of desks stuck into half-cubicles—a typical passive-aggressive control tactic favoured by insecure middle managers everywhere, who felt that the desk jockeys were privileged enough, being in cubicles on the station, rather than in cubicles in San Jose, or the Cambridge Cluster. Gina decided she'd rather space herself out an airlock than get stuck in one of those things. The meeting room sat dead center and was surrounded by a glass wall that could darken on demand (which it was now). The presence of Gina in her jumpsuit, walking through tie-land, drew curious stares from the wage-slaves.

She found herself brought before a small committee of managers. Three people were physically present, the rest were conferencing on monitors. Gina noted that they all wore the same dark suits, the only variation between them being whether they wore blue or grey. She entertained the possibility that they were the real androids.

They started off by stating her name and position, but as they all had tablets to read from and more than one had a wearable as well, she wondered if this was for their benefit or for hers, as though they thought that she may be unaware of her own name. Perhaps some of them were secretly illiterate. She found herself explaining what she knew about the android (next to nothing), what she knew about the ship that it had been found on (next to nothing), where the ship was found and what she knew about that part of space (nothing at all), and she was asked to guess at the android's purpose and the possible nature of the ship it was found on (no clue whatsoever). She was then asked the exact same questions several more times in one form or another by every manager in the room. When they'd made it abundantly clear that they were as clueless as she was, but that they now felt better about themselves for having made a subordinate answer questions, she was dismissed.

She hadn't got more than a couple meters away before Gina heard the clip-clop of heels behind her and a voice calling her name. It was one of the managers, a blonde in a power suit. She was pushing middle age, but looked like she spent much of the day in the gym, probably did laps of the entire station as a light workout, and existed off protein shakes, salad, and air. Gina suspected that someone asking her out for a drink would find themselves sipping designer water while she changed into her running shoes. The woman wore glasses, but didn't look like she needed them. She could probably shoot laser beams out of her eyes. The two of them couldn't have been more different.

"Kathryn Reimer," she said, not bothering to offer her perfectly-manicured hand. "Vice-president of Survey and Recovery."

Judging by the woman's expectant expression, Gina supposed she was supposed to be impressed by the title. Somehow she couldn't work up the enthusiasm to pretend.

"I'm headed for the dock. Mind if I walk with you?"

Gina didn't bother answering. She assumed it was a rhetorical question.

"I understand this was the first time you've served on the Johnson Long. What did you think of it?"

"Sometimes, it was very long. Actually, I was thinking of resigning."

"Really? Why?" Reimer asked without breaking pace.

Gina considered a moment. If she were to look for another ship, it probably wouldn't help to badmouth the one she was just on. "Being the only female on board was a challenge. Captain Peters was okay, but I think I need to look for... better chemistry."

Reimer didn't comment, but seemed to consider. Of course, Gina thought, she was probably just considering her rate of calorie burn from the walk, and whether or not to adjust her exercise regimen accordingly.

"I understand that you've made enormous progress with the droid."

Gina wondered if the woman had been present at the same meeting. "I honestly don't know much about it. I can get him to turn on, when he feels like it, maybe respond to a few commands, but that's about it." She certainly wasn't going to mention how she'd spent most of her time with the droid. She wondered if she'd said too much already.

"Without a manual or a degree in robotics, I'd call that impressive."

"Well... being the only one on duty for the entire trip, I guess I just had more time with him." Gina made sure to emphasize her being the only one. If Reimer noticed, though, she didn't comment on that, either.

"You keep referring to it as him," Reimer noted.

Gina blushed, realizing her mistake. She honestly hadn't noticed that she'd come to think of him that way. "Habit, I guess," she said, with a nervous laugh, trying to fluff it off. "Like calling a ship 'she'. It's been built with a kind of guy-shaped body, so... just automatic, I guess."

Thankfully, their arrival at the dock spared her any more questions along those lines. Unfortunately, it brought whole new ones.

Most of the crew was nowhere in sight, having headed for an earthbound shuttle already. The captain was still there, in conversation with one of the dock hands. Machines and dock robots had already begun to unload the large crates from the hold. The android was standing nearby still, and Reimer headed straight to it.

"So, this is our mechanical man, is it?" she asked.

The way she laid claim to him rubbed Gina the wrong way and she felt her hackles rise. Her own reaction also surprised her. She hadn't realized how possessive she'd become of him. Intellectually, she knew he was company property, the spoils of salvage, but it didn't change how she felt.

"So, what can you make him do?"

"Honestly, it's like he has a mind of his own."

"Well, turn him on," Reimer commanded.

The choice of phrase made Gina blush. "Turn him on?"

"Yes. Surely, you know how to turn him on. I expect you've turned him on many times on the way here."

"Not that many times," Gina stammered, red to her ears. She certainly had no intention of stripping down to her underwear just to get his attention. She had a sudden vision of the droid declaring that it was massage time right there in the space port. Gina gulped, screwed her eyes shut and said "XTC, power up."

The android turned its head and blinked at them. The sky did not fall. No jumpsuits were torn off in a fit of mechanical passion. Gina let out the breath she'd been holding and risked opening her eyes.

"Fascinating," Reimer commented. "No power switch or anything?"

"Not that I could see, ma'am."

"What powers it?"

"I'm not sure. Wireless broadcast, I think. I had to plug him in through the back to give him an initial charge."

"So, what can he do?"

Gina continued to blush, staring at the droid. There was no way she was going to tell Reimer what he was best at. "It's kind of random. He responds to some voice commands and requests, but I think there's a secondary trigger I haven't figured out yet, because he doesn't respond every time."

Gina had a sudden thought, but fought to keep from letting Reimer see her excitement. Questions. Did he respond better to being asked than told? That would be a pretty weird way to program something created to serve, but whoever had created him had obviously been no ordinary person. She'd already tried using different words and turns of phrase. That had just wasted numerous frustrating hours. Perhaps it wasn't what she said, but how she said it. She was dying to test the theory, but now it looked like that might never happen.

"Well, I'm sure we'll get him figured out," Reimer said.

The comment made Gina feel like she was standing on the edge of a precipice. The real source of her mood and of her animosity towards management was finally unavoidable.

"I... I know it sounds silly, but just in the short time I've had, I've come to feel quite close to him," Gina confessed, as though saying so might put off the inevitable, or that Reimer, vice-president of Survey and Recovery, might take pity on her and allow her to keep working with him.

You're right, it does sound silly," Reimer replied. "It's probably because you're a tinker. Don't worry, we'll make good use of him."

"I serve only Captain Miller," the droid suddenly said.

Reimer shot her a questioning look. "Who's Captain Miller?"

"Captain Miller," the droid explained, gesturing to Gina.

"I didn't tell him that!" she quickly protested. "I have no idea who Captain Miller is."

Reimer looked between them. The droid stood motionless and offered no further explanation. It seemed to have powered down again already. "You didn't program that into him?"

"No, ma'am! I don't know anything about programming. He just started saying it."

"Really?" Reimer asked, skeptically.

Gina nodded emphatically.

Reimer considered.

"Don't resign just yet. Give us a chance. We can always assign you to another ship, or ground duty, if you prefer."

Gina didn't prefer, and her expression said as much.

"Look, tell you what, take a couple weeks vacation and think about it. If you still want to resign then, no hard feelings, but I hope you change your mind. It'd be a shame to lose someone with your talents."

"I'll think about it," Gina promised.

Downtime was mandatory company policy after space travel, so Gina wasn't exactly impressed with the offer, but it did give her a break with pay where she'd planned on being out of a job. She decided to wait and see what they came back with. Another ship would be a nice offer, and would save her a job hunt. It gave her time to reacquaint herself with proper gravity and to catch up with family. 

Knowing that nothing could prevent it, Gina looked up at XTC. Her heart quavered. She felt like she was losing a lover. He didn't move, but he was looking down at her. She wanted to touch him or hug him, but didn't want to look even more foolish in front of Reimer. "Goodbye, XTC," she said, turning to go. She left quickly, so that Reimer wouldn't see the tears. "I'll miss you," she mumbled when she thought she was out of earshot. The android's eyes followed her until she was gone.

Reimer paced the lab impatiently. Her heels tapped a staccato on the metal floor that broadcast her mood to everyone within earshot. The company lab, like everything else in space, was small compared to its earthly counterparts, in order to conserve space and air. This made it deceptive, in a way. Despite its small size, the ability to live in and to test in an extraterrestrial environment, meant the company's techs and scientists competed fiercely for positions on the station, which were temporary positions, only a few months long. This meant that this lab had some of the best minds the company had to offer. As such, Reimer was somewhat less than impressed that they still couldn't give her the results she demanded.

"You're honestly telling me that a maintenance worker pulled in better results than you can?"

"Ma'am, there's nothing more we can do without destroying it," the tech said, looking to his coworkers for support. Of course, they did their best to pretend he didn't exist. "Its brain is heavily shielded and encrypted. The entire thing is vacuum sealed and shielded against x-rays. We can't even get a scan of its internal mechanics. I've never seen anything like it. Is this thing military?"

"Suggestions?"

"We can try to crack it open, and possibly destroy it. Or, we can forget the brain and dismantle it, just study the body. Or, we can recover the ship and try to plug it into an onboard computer and look for tech info in the salvage. Honestly, ma'am, I've never seen anything like it. It must have cost a mint to develop."

Fuming, Reimer considered. You could almost see the calculator working in her head, weighing cost and value. Obviously, they wouldn't be asking the military if it was theirs, or farming it out to someone else to play with. The android belonged to the company, and specifically to her department, period. Sending it back to Earth for another team to look at was out of the question; these were supposedly the brightest minds at her disposal. If only they could find this Captain Miller, or at least some schematics, a passcode, anything. All right, one play, then we dismantle and hope for the best.

Gina was finding her downtime hard. With no reason to look for work, at least until she heard what the company had to offer, and no shipboard responsibilities to attend to, she was bored. It was even worse than being alone on the ship, because there at least, she hadn't really been alone for long. She'd had XTC to keep her company and to keep her busy trying to understand him. He'd also kept her busy in other ways, often at the most seemingly unpredictable moments. Now, she didn't even have that. She missed the droid, a lot more than she felt comfortable admitting.

She'd updated her social media, but that hadn't taken long. Her family and friends knew that they couldn't contact her in space, so they didn't send her much in the way of email, and she wasn't very close to any of them anyway. Getting a position on a space freighter was a big deal that took a lot of training. Despite the long distances, the months of relative isolation, and the risk of death, more people applied than you'd think. It paid well, and with a stint in space on her resume, she could be fairly certain of employment at any number of businesses when she was finally forced to retire planetside. Forced was the only way to think of it. Space was something that was in your blood, and after being up there, nothing else could compare. To get that position meant not only knowing everything she could about her field (electronics and the field repair of equipment, small and large, which might even include repairing the ship itself), but knowing at least a bit about numerous related fields and about space travel. No one was going to hire someone who had no idea of the challenges and dangers that they were signing on for. The massive amount of work that had gone into chasing her dream had taken its toll on her social life and left her every bit as isolated on Earth as she had been in space. Boyfriends had been few and far between, mostly limited to her youth, before she'd reached university and gotten serious about chasing her career. And she just couldn't bring herself to the one-nighters the guys on the crew got all hot about every time they were about to make port.

So, there she was, sitting around in her underwear alone again, staring at some vapid tv show she couldn't follow, and wondering what to do with herself. She wondered why she was forced to endure the downtime. Theoretically, she supposed, she was supposed to be socializing after months of isolation, and letting her body readjust to the gravity it had evolved for. It irritated her, because she had no one to socialize with, firstly, and was no more inclined to one-nighters here than she was in space, and secondly, artificial gravity had reached the point that you hardly ever experienced any of the ill-effects people had in the early days. It seemed like an enormous waste of time, an eternity in a prison without walls, waiting to get back to where she belonged.




XTC 2.1



Lying on her bed, Gina stared at the ceiling and wondered if space travel could be considered an addiction. She found her thoughts drifting back to XTC again. She'd felt hollow inside since they were separated. She'd entertained the thought of going to school and taking a course on robotics just so she could switch jobs. Considering her success at teaching herself so far, that idea didn't last long. As usual, it didn't take long for her thoughts to change course. She saw herself bent over the work bench on the Johnson Long. He was standing behind her, hands sliding up and down her back. Reaching down, he suddenly ripped the panties off of her with one quick, violent jerk. She gasped, and he followed up with a slap to her exposed ass. Gina was so startled by the vivid eroticism of it that her eyes opened and she found herself looking at the ceiling again. Not wanting to lose the feeling, she closed her eyes and her hand found its way into her panties. She wondered what XTC might look like with RealSkin on. She saw a man who was tall and broad, but in her fantasy, she didn't get to see his face, because her mental camera panned around to show herself, seen from around his back, as though her fantasy cameraman were standing just behind and to the side of the android, in order to get a better view of what he was doing. What he was doing was Gina. 

They were in her bedroom; she was kneeling on the bed with her feet and her ass hanging over the end, and he stood behind her. What was more startling than how hot he looked in RealSkin was the position that she saw herself in. Face down and curled up, Gina's wrists were manacled to her ankles with broad cuffs made of bright, red leather and big, shiny metal rings. Her breasts were mashed against her thighs and she couldn't do anything but stare straight ahead or press her cheek to the mattress and await his pleasure. She was a sex toy for an android. The thought made her body buzz with anticipation. She felt his hand smoothing up and over her back. The feel of his broad, flat palm, his naked skin touching hers, sent shivers through her. He grabbed her by the hair and jerked her head up, making her hiss. Slowly, he let go, and his hand drifted back down, taking his time. When the hand reached her ass, he squeezed and caressed her, exploring the feel of her flesh in his palm to his heart's content. Not satisfied with just this, he landed a loud spank on her defenseless ass. Gina yelped in surprise, only to find the slap followed by another, and then another. Her ass stung and her pussy burned.

"Please, please, please," she found herself pleading. 

She was answered with several spanks to the other cheek and whimpered in frustration at being unable to do anything about the growing heat inside her. But then, he showed mercy. The hand that had spanked her lifted her hips up and she felt his cock probing her pussy. It rubbed over her clit, parted her wet lips and found her achy, needy hole. He eased inside her in one long, slow push. That was the only slow, gentle thing he did. Taking hold of her big, round ass, he took her fast and deep, his thighs hammering against her. She came almost instantly, but he wasn't done. His tireless hips drove his long shaft into her again and again until she thought she couldn't take anymore. That slight curve kept hitting her sweet spot, sending electric jolts of pleasure through her pussy. And then he suddenly pressed fully into her, hips shuddering. The feel of him deep inside her, body shaking as though he were coming, set off an orgasm so intense she cried out.

Gina threw her head back, body arching against the mattress. It had seemed so real, it took Gina a moment to realize she was still half-dressed and lying on her bed. The reality, after the intensity of her fantasy, was depressing. Grabbing her vape, she lay there and blew mist at the ceiling while she caught her breath. She wondered if it was possible to feel love for an android. She wondered if an android could ever learn to experience feelings. The ringing of her phone made her jump. She stared at the number for a moment in puzzlement. It was the company. It hadn't been quite two weeks yet. Answering, she was even more surprised to find out that it was Kathryn Reimer. She'd expected some anonymous drone, not the vice-president of one of the company's major divisions.

"Yes?" she asked cautiously, after the introduction.

"We have another ship for you," Reimer cheerfully chirped, cutting straight to the chase. "And a special assignment that's right up your alley."

"Oh?" Gina found herself unable to keep the excitement out of her voice.

"We want you to go with the salvage crew back to the hulk you found the droid on. You'll bring the android with you. While the salvage crew is working on the ship, we want you to try to uncover the identity of this mysterious Captain Miller and her ship."

"When do I leave?"



XTC 2.2



It was a much different crew than last time. Unlike the Johnson, Gina discovered that she was one of three women on board. Besides herself, there was the captain and the doctor. There were also three men—the engineer, and two men euphemistically called wreckers, whose job was primarily to dismantle whatever they found and bring back anything valuable (the actual purpose of the ship).

The Quickie was a salvage ship, which meant that, while it had a cargo hold for bringing things back in, the ship was nowhere near the size of the Johnson, and a considerable portion of it was taken up with just the engine and the fuel needed to power it. Its full name was the Kitty Quick, but apparently, no one ever called it that. She got to meet the captain on the dock before boarding. The woman was a tall brunette with short-cropped hair and the kind of posture Gina would have killed for. Her uniform looked as stiff as the ship's hull. She was studying a tablet and frowning when Gina arrived. The frown instantly turned to a smile when she noticed the tech's approach.

"You must be Gina. Been waiting for you."

Gina was surprised and had to fight not to show it. With the woman's demeanour, she'd expected last names and titles all the way. Was this an attempt to show that she was casual and approachable?

"That's me. Reporting for duty. Hope I'm not late."

"Not at all. We're just in the midst of final preparations. Everyone else is already aboard."

Gina grimaced. This wasn't the first impression she'd wanted to make. Despite the captain's assurances, she may not be late, but she obviously wasn't early... and everyone else was already working.

"I hear you served under Captain Peters," she said.

She made it sound like she'd signed up for military service. Actually, at first, Gina thought she'd asked if she'd served Captain Peters, which was a thought even less palatable.

"I was on the Johnson Long with Captain Peters, but I was definitely not under him in any way."

The woman stared at Gina like she'd grown another head. She half-laughed, a choked guffaw, unsure if the tech was making a joke.

"Not my type," Gina added.

She finally let go, abruptly bursting into a belly laugh. Now it was Gina's turn to stare. She didn't think it'd been that funny.

"Captain Peters," the woman said, extending her hand.

"Yes... Captain Peters," Gina confirmed.

The woman chuckled. "Is my brother. I'm also Captain Peters. Welcome aboard." She chuckled at Gina's expression as she tried to digest this and offered her hand. "Your file gives a glowing review of your time on the Johnson. It says every single piece of equipment was in top shape, stores organized and catalogued, and you even managed to make a few improvements. That's not even mentioning your work with the android. Apparently, you've achieved more progress than the company's tech department. They couldn't get it to so much as look at them, never mind follow them around."

Gina gave her a hesitant smile, unwilling to accept the praise. She honestly didn't remember doing much maintenance on the Johnson, she'd been so obsessed with the android. She certainly didn't organize and catalogue anything. She wondered who did. She couldn't picture Rod doing it, and most of the rest of them probably wouldn't know how. When did they get out of their pod, and without her knowing?

"I understand you're just with us temporarily, that you're some kind of robot expert on assignment. It's good timing. Our last mech tech just retired and you come personally recommended by Reimer herself. Don't worry, I won't hold that against you." Her smile suggested she'd just made a joke. "You'll have your work cut out for you. It's a salvage ship, so we carry several industrial robots."

The captain turned and headed up the ramp, leaving Gina to hurry along behind. 

"We rotate duty in shifts," the captain informed her. It was welcome news. "The wreckers will stay in stasis until we reach our destination, since they have the lion's share of the work once we arrive. I take the first rotation, with Huang, our engineer. You'll take the second half, shared with the doctor. Per usual, if there's any emergencies that can't wait, either the computer or one of the crew will wake the necessary personnel. Any questions?"

Gina shook her head, stunned and amazed by the efficiency on the Quickie, compared to the laziness and inequality she'd experienced on the Johnson. The captain settled into her chair on the bridge and reviewed something on a screen she pulled up from the side of the arm. The engineer was already there, checking readings of his own. He turned out to be short, middle-aged, and quiet. Salt-and-pepper lightly frosted hair that framed a bespectacled face. He seemed to be a bit shy, barely able to do more than stare when Gina said hello. But the deep crow's feet and laugh lines told her that he was obviously friendly and hadn't let the stress of his job sour him. Before Gina could think of something to try to draw him out, Captain Peters spun her chair back round to face her.

"Everything looks like it's going smoothly. We should be right on schedule. Before we get underway, there's someone I expect you'll want to see. He's in the workshop."

A wave of excitement washed over the tech, but before she could say anything, the captain shooed her away with a wave of her hand, smiling at her. Glancing at a ship's map, Gina quickly hurried to her work station. She tried not to show her excitement in front of the rest of the crew, but she couldn't help herself. The engineer laughed and the captain shook her head as their new tech practically bounced from the room, nearly running over one of the wreckers on her way out.

Gina's work station was set up very much like the one on the Johnson, except that there was no door. She stopped in her tracks when she saw him. He was there, just as promised, standing in his usual spot, right beside the bench. His eyes were closed, conserving power—napping, she liked to think of it. She found herself hit with a sudden wave of nervousness. The company had had him for weeks. What if they'd done something to him? What if he resented her for abandoning him? Worse, what if he was angry with her, or refused to speak to her? She fought with herself to gather up the courage to talk to him.

"XTC, power up," she said, trying not to let the anxiety she felt show in her voice.

"Good morning, Captain Miller. It's good to see you," he said, the moment his eyes opened.

Her heart soared when he not only answered her straight away, but was glad to see her! Fears allayed, she threw her arms around him, giving him a big hug, which XTC silently endured. She released him when she realized that he couldn't feel it, and (being an android) probably couldn't appreciate it. Feeling a little self-conscious, she took a step back and grinned at him.

"Would you like a massage?" he asked.

Jaw dropping, Gina blushed at the thought. "X!" she gasped, turning to look at the open doorway. "The whole crew's out there and this ship doesn't have doors!" She sighed with resignation, because even though her head knew the answer had to be no, in her heart the answer was really yes. She wanted one badly. She wanted to feel those strong hands squeezing her flesh, holding and bending her while he took her however he wanted. She looked back at X, still waiting patiently for her answer. Despite all her better judgement, Gina was on the verge of stripping down to her underwear when someone walked into the room behind her, making her jump like a guilty child caught with her hand in the cookie jar.

"Well?" Captain Peters asked, "How does he look?"

"I'll give him a thorough going over before we go, ma'am," Gina declared, trying to regain her compsure.

Captain Peters laughed. "A tinker in her element. All right, but don't be long. You don't need to be on deck, but we require everyone to be available until we get fully underway. After that, it's deep sleep for you, and don't keep Monie waiting."

The captain had barely stepped out the door before Gina felt XTC step up behind her. His hands slipped around her front and grabbed her breasts, squeezing them beneath his mechanical fingers, and causing the tech to let out a startled squeak that she desperately hoped the captain hadn't heard. She tried to back up and wriggle from his grasp, but he was immovable. His fingers were turning her waking passion from a sleepy gecko into a roaring dragon.

"Okay! I will!" she called after her distractedly, squirming in the android's embrace. "I mean, I won't!" she quickly corrected, realizing her mistake. "X!" she hissed, but he didn't relent. His fingers kept brushing nipples that were stiff and achy.

She fought it, she really did, she told herself. But, what could she do? There was no denying the mechanical man when he had Gina on his mind. Unbuttoning her pants, she wiggled them off her hips, revealing a backside that was large and firm from countless hours of squats. Her panties quickly followed, chasing them down to her thighs. Gina felt so nasty, standing there with XTC groping her, her bare ass in full view, right in front of an open doorway. She could feel her pussy throbbing with need. His hands finally released her chest only to slide down and caress her ass. He spread the tight, round cheeks, and she blushed brightly, remembering the last time he'd been behind her. She had a sudden vision of him piercing not her wet, waiting pussy, but her tight, wrinkled rosebud. She gasped and pushed her pants down a little further. His hands slid around to her hips, getting a better grip on her, and her breath quickened in anticipation. She bit her lower lip, trying desperately to keep from making a sound. She couldn't believe she was doing this when anyone could just walk in. She felt a sudden jolt of fear at the thought of getting caught. She might get thrown off the ship before they even left. That didn't stop her from lifting her hips towards him, arching her back, eager for his touch. And then she felt what she really wanted. The shutter in X's hip plate opened and she felt his long, flexible shaft slip between her legs. It was warm and pulsed with energy. The android rubbed it back and forth across her pussy several times, drawing a mewling hiss from her. Then, he angled his hips back. It slipped easily between the slick, wet folds and, as it filled her, it released a deep pent-up need that she hadn't known she was holding onto. It was the release of weeks of frustration, desire, and worry... weeks of wanting him. It blossomed and spread through her entire body as though radiating directly from his hot, throbbing cock. She pushed her hips back against him, trying to get more of him inside her. He took her in long, deep strokes. With her legs together, the friction was intense.

"Fuck me, fuck me, fuck me," Gina whimpered, urging him on.

She bit her lip again, trying to keep from crying out. He slipped in and out of her wetness faster, hips slapping against her firm, round ass. Her whole body was fire, the knot getting tighter and tighter with each stroke. And then it let go in a fierce, shuddering wave that weakened her knees. She blindly clutched at the door frame, to keep from simply collapsing to the floor, though she was in no real danger of that in the android's steady grip. She was still gasping for air when the sound of the engine powering up for acceleration reminded Gina that she had things she was supposed to be doing... and that she could have been walked in on at any time. Quickly pulling her clothes back into place, she breathlessly informed XTC of the itinerary. He digested it without comment. She ran up and hugged the droid again, then hurried from the room.

The stasis chamber, usually called the bedroom (or worse, the morgue), was technically part of the med bay. When she got there, Gina saw that one of the wreckers was already in his pod, and the other was getting ready. The doctor was hovering nearby, entering info into her tablet.

"You must be Gina," she said, with a smile.

"Sorry I'm late," she replied, rubbing the back of her neck sheepishly.

"Well, you're here now. That pod's yours. Strip down and I'll be right with you."

As Gina peeled her shirt off, the doc looked up from her tab and glanced at her again. "Are you all right? You seem rather flushed."

Gina blushed even more brightly. How could she possibly answer that?

"She was thinking about me," the wrecker said. He was a tall, blonde, muscle guy with blue eyes and a light stubble. He was already stripped down to his underwear.

She instinctively glanced down, then immediately wished she hadn't. She quickly looked at the floor, colouring some more. "In your dreams," she replied.

"Oh, you will be," he shot back.

"In your pod," the doc commanded, putting an end to it.

Still grinning, the wrecker swung himself in and blew a kiss at the doc as the lid hissed closed above him. When she'd started up the sleep program and seen him safely go under, the doc looked at Gina and rolled her eyes.

"Little boys," she commented.

Gina smiled back weakly. He wasn't that little.

"Monie Longman," the doctor said by way of introduction, though Gina had guessed as much already. The name surprised her, though, given the woman's obviously Japanese features. She was a strikingly handsome woman perhaps ten years older than Gina, at a guess, with long, silky hair left its natural inky black.

Quickly and efficiently, the doc punched in a few numbers on the pod, asked some questions, attached some sensors, double-checked things and finalized the settings on the pod. She made a little small talk while she worked, and Gina took an instant liking to the woman. But, all too soon, it was time to close the lid. Gina hated stasis. She'd only been in it once in space, but several times on Earth as a part of her training. The tech was always scared of a malfunction, something going horribly wrong and never waking up. All the reassurances in the world about how safe it was didn't do anything to make it easier. It didn't matter, though, it had to be done. As Monie reached for the button, Gina gave her a nervous smile.

"You'll be fine," the doc said, correctly guessing. "It'll be time to get up before you know it. Sweet dreams, Gina." The button pressed, the lid slid closed above her, and consciousness slowly slipped away.

Her stasis was filled with unusual dreams, though she could only remember bits and pieces of the one she'd been having just before she woke. In it, she was in some kind of factory. Everything was white and metal, industrial. She was standing on a conveyor belt in a long line of androids that looked just like XTC, slowly moving toward some unknown destination. She barely had time to wonder at her strange surroundings before a red light in the centre of the room went off and an alarm sounded. An arm quickly descended from overhead and a rubber gripper on the end grabbed her around the ribs. Picking her up, it deposited her off to one side, near a row of long benches.

"Investigate anomalous unit," a voice said.

Several arms descended, each sporting something that looked like a nozzle. She quickly found out what they really were. A beam of light shot out of the closest one, a wisp of smoke rose from her chest, and her shirt suddenly popped open, sliced in half. She'd barely had time to be shocked by it when the other arms swung into action. Gina twisted this way and that, squealing and trying to cover herself, but she was never cut and in a blink, she was left standing naked in a robot factory. Looking up, Gina found XTC standing in front of her. His formed face was eternally passive and unreadable. Lifting her easily, XTC sat her on the nearby bench and stood between her thighs. Her eyes widened, seeing his robot cock extend from behind its shield. It bounced when it reached its full length.

"Initiate lubrication and repetitive motion test," he said.

Pressing her legs widely apart, he edged forward and let his thick shaft rest there at her entrance, nuzzling the swollen lips open. She looked down at it just as he pushed fully into her. Her eyes instantly closed and she threw her head back and moaned at the ceiling. He plunged into her with deep, steady strokes that set her body on fire. On and on, he ravished her, but just as it seemed he'd hit his rhythm and she felt that sweet crest approaching, he stopped.

"No!" she wailed, as he released her and stepped back a pace. He suddenly sped sideways several feet, jerking slightly when he stopped, as though he were standing on a conveyor belt. As the android was whisked away, another took his place. It looked exactly like XTC. Looking to her left, Gina saw a string of androids, all lined up side by side, running the length of the factory, waiting their turn.

She was brought to the edge of orgasm again and again, never quite able to slip over.

When she woke, Gina was surprised to find XTC standing beside her pod. Groggily, she sat up and swung her legs over the side. She ran a hand through her mussy hair and looked at him curiously. It took a couple of minutes for the effects of the stasis to wear off and for her body to get back up to speed.

"Good morning, Captain Miller. I trust you slept well?"

"I hate stasis," she groaned, slowly climbing out of the bed. She headed for the bathroom on legs weak and unsteady from weeks of disuse. Though the pod itself stimulated her muscles to help prevent atrophy, nothing could compare to proper use. She knew it would take hours for them to feel normal again and to work the kinks and aches out. Gina could hear X following her, but she was too foggy to care as he stood in the doorway, watching her pee. Her head started to filter through her thoughts, in no hurry. Morning was definitely not her time of day.

Gina found that she was depressed to realize that, even though the Johnson's crew assignments had been unfair, they'd meant more time with X. The journey was already half over, and she had weeks worth of put-off maintenance to look forward to for the start to her half. As she stood, she tugged at the clingy tank top. It was damp and her skin hurt where the cloth had dug into her. First order of business after she felt human again had to be a shower. The dried sweat left her feeling icky and itchy. Frowning at herself in the mirror, she started to force her hair into some semblance of order. Suddenly, it dawned on her that XTC had asked how she'd slept. Not just good morning, but a genuine interest in how she felt. She looked round and saw that he'd disappeared. If she hadn't been so sore, she'd have run to see if he was hiding around the corner. She hobbled to the doorway anyway. He was nowhere to be seen.

"How... how did he?" she asked the air. Am I that out of it? How did I not hear someone his size, his weight, with hardened plastic feet? Where did he go?

If she'd been surprised before, she was even more so when she reached the common area to find X already there, a cup of coffee at the ready.

"Thank you," she said, taking the cup. She looked at him curiously, but never had the chance to get another word out.

"Wish he did that for me," the captain said, wandering in with a yawn. "Maybe if I wore nicer underwear," she opined.

Gina tried to hide her feeling of apprehension, knowing that there might be some truth to it. Finding a seat, she sucked at her vape, sipped her coffee and studied him thoughtfully while Captain Peters filled her in on the current state of affairs and made a little small talk. She soon decided that this Captain Peters was a definite improvement over the other one. When Gina finally stood and declared her intent to go find a shower, the captain wandered off to her own weeks long nap. As soon as she was alone again, she approached X. Despite the unusual start to her day, though, X seemed to have reverted to his usual self, standing motionless and silent. She talked to him anyway.




XTC 2.2



"Thank you for the coffee. That was very thoughtful." When he didn't respond, she pressed on. "I am so not a morning person."

He continued to just stare off into space. Was the greeting and the coffee his way of trying to show her that he'd missed her, too? Was he capable of an emotion like that? Or was it something programmed into him by the mysterious Captain Miller?

"I'm going to grab a shower," she informed him. "I'd ask you to join me, but I'll give you a good lubing later," she teased.

As she cleaned her cup and put it away, she told him about her dream, and about how she felt about so much of the journey being over before it felt like it had really begun. She didn't know if he was listening, but it didn't matter. It was enough that he was there.

The sonic shower was a bit of a misnomer, since it didn't actually blast dirt off of you using sound waves, but it did get you clean without needing running water. The moment she stepped into the room, Gina peeled off her clothes and dropped them in a pile on the floor. Stumbling into the little stall, she fluffed out her hair, top and bottom, ran her hands over sleepy skin, then turned it on and adjusted it to her liking. Gina felt that there was just something inherently comforting about a spray of hot water and a cloud of steam, something primal, and when you covered yourself with soap and saw it being washed away, you knew the dirt and grime of the day was going with it. Still, there was something to be said for the ship's shower. At least you didn't have to towel off, or worry about drying your hair. To supplement the shower itself, she had her choice of a damp cloth or a gel-like body wash to clean herself, which would be blasted off by the miracle of the sonic shower. She'd be air-dry often before she'd even stepped out. She wondered if it was called sonic because it was so loud. Perhaps they'd simply installed an over-sized blow drier. She'd never repaired one before, but was now dying to take it apart and see how it worked.

As her fingers worked their way into every nook and cranny, she nearly regretted having the shower. The invasive touch and caress of her digits reminded her of the feelings lingering from her dream. The vibrations from the shower tingled against her skin, and the thoroughness with which she cleaned herself didn't help. Her fingers worked every fold, and they plunged deep inside, wriggling and opening, front and back, while she bent over and spread herself wide for those friendly, cleaning vibes. Even though she was alone, the act made her blush, but she couldn't bring herself to forgo it... even though she was now tempted to plant her back against the wall and masturbate furiously. She managed to resist. As she stepped out of the little stall, she was surprised to find X there. She stifled a gasp.

"X! What are you doing here?"

"It's time for your massage, Captain Miller," he said, stepping toward her.

The android backed her against the wall, an arm coming up beside her, boxing her in. She gasped, flushing with a sudden feeling of vulnerability, being so much smaller than the droid, wedged between his hard plastic chest and the unyielding metal. She felt an instant clenching in her pussy, and a wave of heat washed through her. How she felt in her dream had been wrong. Despite his lack of fleshy facial features, she had come to find him quite expressive. He had all the underpinnings she was sure artificial flesh was supposed to be built on, there was flex to certain elements of his face, and more importantly, she'd come to recognize little mannerisms he probably didn't even know he had. His head tilted, his brow ridges shifted, and he looked down. If he were human, she knew he'd be looking between her face and her breasts. Her nipples were pointing right at him. If he'd been able to grin, she knew he'd be leering.

Lifting her effortlessly, the droid brought her level with his face. She felt his cock rise up beneath her, unerringly finding her pussy. As he lowered her down onto him, it felt like he impaled her to the core. Gina closed her eyes and moaned loudly. She threw her head back against the wall and rode him with wild abandon, cresting on the waves of pleasure washing through her as he thrust his length up into her. He was sweet heat inside her, and she moaned openly to let him know. She came, but instead of stopping, he kept rocking against her. The curve of him, the pulsing, the position, they were making something build inside her, something she'd never felt before. X reached up and grabbed her hair in his hand, tugging her head back. That was all it took. When she came, she came hard. Her whole body became just the point where they joined. Her pussy clamped around him and her hips shook. She gushed so much she felt like she'd peed herself. She didn't care. It was long moments before she could even start to think clearly. She was still breathing hard when his cock retracted and he set her back on her feet.

"Thank you, X," she mumbled, staggering off on wobbly legs, right back into the shower.

She was down in the hold, investigating the work robots. XTC hadn't followed her, since she was decked out in her work clothes. What she found was surprising. They were all perfectly maintained. The same seemed to hold true of every piece of major machinery on the ship. There wasn't really anything to do. That discovery had freed her from what she expected to be days worth of work. This left her only routine chores to do, and most of those could be done in the shop. Naughty thoughts tumbled through her head, recalling how she'd spent much of her time in the shop on the Johnson.

"It's the weirdest thing," she told X as she returned to the workshop, "but there really isn't any maintenance to be done on the heavy gear. Just little stuff."

The android absorbed this information without comment.

"That means I get to spend more time with you! Yay!" she declared.

She knew in his heart, XTC was excited about this, but was stoically choosing not to show it.

"I wish I had some RealSkin," she commented, reaching out and touching his chest. "I think I'll start by finding you something to wear. I bet you'd like that." She suddenly remembered that she was going to try asking him more questions to see if she could get more responses from him, but just as she opened her mouth, a voice startled her.

"Do you always talk to your android?"

She spun to find the doctor standing there. She hadn't realized how late it was.

"Um..." Gina replied, cheeks colouring.

"You're the cutest techie I've ever met," the doc said, shaking her head in amusement. 

Gina wasn't sure how to respond to this, and took the compliment with XTC-like poise.

The end of her shift left a bit of overlap with the doctor's, and they spent the time before Gina turned in engaged in small talk. It didn't take long for her to feel her initial impression had been a good one. She found she quite enjoyed the woman's company. She was warm and friendly, and despite their different career paths, the fact that they both worked on spaceships, and for the same company, revealed that they shared a lot of the same opinions and views on the challenges they'd faced. The doctor had also experienced a lot of the same difficulties with relationships as Gina had due to the sheer volume of schooling and training involved in pursuing her career. Monie surprised Gina by telling her that she normally had to turn to a special toy that she'd bought at one of the colonies, when she was feeling a little... lonely.

"Isn't that standard kit for every woman in space?" the tech laughed.

"It should be. Unfortunately, mine broke. I'm going to have to wait until we get back planetside to get it fixed... if they can fix it. I might have to wait till the next time we go to Suntech Happy Valley. It's been a long trip already, and I slept through half of it."

Normally, Gina would have considered this turn of conversation tmi, but she felt so close to Monie just in the couple of hours they'd talked, that she simply accepted that the doctor was a lot more extroverted than she was.

"Why can't they fix it on Earth?"

"You don't understand. This isn't any normal toy," she laughed.

Apparently, it was some kind of compact machine that drove a vibe or dildo mounted on a piston. Those sort of things had been around for decades, but according to Monie, this one was different. It could be disassembled so that it seemed more or less inconspicuous to prying eyes, but when put together was light and flexible, and ran for ages on some kind of revolutionary three-part power setup that the doctor couldn't really describe, but which instantly piqued Gina's techie curiosity. It was built by some obscure manufacturer and only sold at that particular colony. She kept it in an old-fashioned looking doctor's bag. She called it Blue.

"Perhaps I could take a look at it?" Gina offered.

"You are a tinker," Monie replied, considering. She obviously didn't like the thought of someone else handling her toys (particularly another crew member, rather than some anonymous toy technician somewhere), but apparently felt comfortable with Gina as well, because she eventually relented.

True to what she'd been told, Gina had never seen anything like it. It assembled into a motorized arm at the end of a tall, curved stand, but nevertheless became extremely compact when taken apart. It seemed to work by some kind of broadcast she guessed, as much a mystery as XTC was, combined with an inherent kinetic element in the bowed shape of it. She suspected that once set to rocking, it was prone to keep rocking. It looked like it could be bent and angled nearly any which way Monie may need to turn it for best... results. Without being able to power it up, though, she had no way to test the theory. The toy that the doctor had chosen to go with it made Gina blush just looking at it. It was also blue... covered with veins, and was big enough that Gina wasn't sure if it was meant to belong to a human, or to some race of blue alien giants. She couldn't really bring herself to touch it. Unfortunately, since she didn't understand the technology, she also couldn't figure out how to fix the toy. She gave it a try, and it was fascinating to study, but she was fearful of breaking it.

It didn't take more than a couple days before it happened. Gina spent an hour or two each night sitting talking with Monie before she went to bed. She'd been sitting in the lounge, reading to X, when Monie came in. The doc was looking particularly grumpy, enough so that Gina asked if she was okay.

"Cramps," came the reply.

Gina blinked, wondering if this is how X felt when she talked to him.

"Normally, I'd get out Blue," she continued, pouring herself some tea. "He always makes it better."

"So why don't you...?" the tech started, before realizing what Monie was talking about.

"Broken?" Monie reminded her.

"Sorry," Gina said automatically. "I haven't figured it out yet and I don't want to risk breaking it. I know what might make you feel better, though."

"Oh?"

"X might." Gina stretched and decided to head for bed early.

Monie snorted. "Figures, we have one man on during our shift, and he's mechanical."

"He gives an unforgettable massage," Gina said, as she slipped out the door. "Just ask him."

"Oh?" Monie asked, looking at him thoughtfully.

For the rest of the journey, the doc was even more Gina's best friend... and had a mysterious smile.

Gina's log. I have no idea how many hours until our destination. The trip seems to be going way too fast. I've had a massive breakthrough. X seems more likely to answer me if I ask a question instead of simply making an observation. I've also had a lot of success asking XTC to do things instead of just telling him. It doesn't work all the time, but it's certainly a lot more effective than waiting for him to just intuitively see what it is I need. I mean, if I'm fastening screws, shouldn't he just see that I need the sonic screwdriver? If I wait for him to work it out, it'll likely never happen. But, if I say 'X? Would you hand me the sonic screwdriver, please?' he just might do it. It works with all kinds of things... except there's not really that many things I can think to ask him to do. It seems to work best if he's still powered up after a massage. Speaking of which, he seems to spend more and more time powered down, even if I keep him plugged into the ship's power supply. I hope there's nothing wrong with him. Oh, also, Monie thanked me for fixing Blue, which was odd, since I never did figure it out. Guess it wasn't broken after all.

Gina was sitting in the lounge, reading to X, who stood silently nearby. She'd been teasing him as she made her way through a particularly naughty bit, hoping it would inspire him. Even the 'massages' had become a lot less frequent. She was starting to wonder if it was her. She was surprised to hear a loud bell sound. She felt the ship shudder and begin to slow. The lights flickered. Leaping from her seat, she rushed to the bridge to see what was happening. On the monitor, she could see the remains of the nameless ship. It was still some ways off, but the crew needed to be woken to prepare. They'd arrived! 

There was a flurry of activity as the crew assembled. While everyone else tried to figure out what was going on, got the kinks out, and tended their own tasks, Gina hurried back to the workshop. She smiled thoughtfully at the android, standing silent beside her stool (within easy reach of where she sat, she noted). "Maybe I'll finally get some answers about you," she muttered to herself. She quickly started gathering her gear, pausing just long enough to turn to X and let him know "I'm so excited!" He didn't comment, probably because it was plainly obvious, she decided.

When she'd finished gathering her things, she bounced to a stop in front of him. "Are you excited?"

XTC surprised her. His eyes slowly open and he looked at her. "Yes, Captain Miller," he answered.

Before she could think of anything to say, the captain's voice sounded through the intercom.

"We're there. Suit up people. That means you, too, Gina."

"Time!" she told X, barely able to contain herself.

As she double-checked the fittings on her spacesuit, she found herself getting excited not just at the prospect of finding out more about the android, but at the prospect of her first space walk. Excited and nervous. She hoped she didn't pee her suit.

The doc came around and checked everyone again, and then it was time. Gina stood in the bay, X beside her, watching the wreckers cross to the ship first. The Quickie was nearly stationary only a few dozen yards from the other ship and from here, Gina could see the massive damage it had taken. Twisted metal splayed horrifically in every direction. She wondered what they hoped to salvage. The crew of the Johnson had already pirated everything they thought was worth taking. Lines were shot across the space to use as tethers for the humans, and she watched in fascination as first the wreckers, then two of the giant salvage robots hurtled across the gap. Finally, it was her turn. She looked at X with uncertainty. She couldn't reliably get him to act or respond at the best of times, and most of those times happened right before or after sex. Would he even jump the gap? She certainly couldn't strip down to encourage him. She decided to risk it. Worst case, maybe she could find something and bring it back. She edged to the end of the bay and looked out.

"Is there a problem?" the captain's voice sounded in her headset.

"No... no problem, ma'am," she responded, though she wasn't quite sure she believed it.

For a moment she was struck by the vastness of space and the thought that she was about to jump out there with nothing but a wire keeping her from drifting away... forever. Gina gasped, on the verge of losing her nerve, when something grabbed her around the waist and dragged her into the void. She screamed and looked wide-eyed into X's placid features. An arm around her, the other grasping the wire, the android fearlessly hurled them across the space. When he touched down on the other side and set her back on her feet, Gina's heart was still in her throat. She stared at the droid, but he offered no explanation.

"That's one way to do it! Good job, techie," the captain said.

"Showoff," one of the wreckers accused.

Their voices brought her back to the job at hand, and still glancing at X, Gina turned on her flashlight and started looking for anything that might be helpful. Slowly, she made her way to the front of the ship. There wasn't a lot left to see. Most of the things that weren't tied or bolted down had simply drifted away. Everything was dark, and she had to be careful not to get caught on anything. Though tough, her suit wasn't indestructible. A tear would be fatal. Finally, she found what she was looking for near the very tip of the wreck. There was a closed door with a small computer panel beside it. It looked like some kind of utility work station. If she ship even had a computer anymore, and it wasn't blown off with the engine, maybe she could get something out of this. She wondered again why they'd sent her. What exactly was she supposed to find? Shouldn't they have sent a computer engineer or something? The gear she worked on had computers in, but they weren't exactly complicated and didn't require her to really know how they worked. Unsure of how to proceed, she did what she always did in a case like this. Tugging out her connecting cables, she jacked one end into the computer, and the other into the back of XTC's head. Then, she stepped back and waited to see if anything happened. She wondered if she could raise the company's tech support out here. Something happened. The computer screen flickered into life, it flashed and waves of data flew across its surface far too fast to follow. XTC's eyes blinked rapidly. And then, as suddenly as it had started, it stopped. The screen went black and XTC's eyes closed. Gina's heart leapt to her throat. Was he all right? What was that? What happened?

"X?" she asked, hesitantly. "X? Are you okay?"

Slowly, the android's eyes fluttered open again. He turned his head and looked at her. "Ah, much better. Thank you, Gina." He reached up and caressed her cheek as he said this.

Gina was so shocked, she staggered back a step. "X?"

"Yes, Captain?"

"What happened to you? What's going on? You called me Gina."

"You are Captain Gina Miller, commanding officer of the SS Le Petit Mort."

"I've never been captain of anything in my life!" Gina protested.

"We need to leave immediately and find Captain Miller."

"Wait, what?"

"I'm afraid there is no time for explanations, Captain," the droid said, looking at something past her shoulder.

"But you just said that I..." she started, and then he grabbed her by the arm and hauled her behind himself. 

"Hey!" she exclaimed, then saw what he was concerned about.

Standing on the other side of the deck, was the blonde wrecker who'd teased her just before going into stasis. Behind him stood one of the industrial robots.

"You're not going anywhere," he informed them, a dangerous edge to his voice. "You're both coming with me."

"What are you doing?"

"Reimer figured she couldn't trust you," he said. "She knew you probably programmed him yourself."

"I... I didn't," she denied.

"I'm bringing you back, and whatever you just put in his head. I'll just bring the head if I have to. You can stay here."

He smiled and didn't even wait for an answer. Grinning, he pressed a button on his armband. The industrial machine sprang into action. The robot was essentially a large, square box with arms and legs. Each arm had grippers on it that were capable of rending metal and crushing stone. Spinning and flexing the grips, the huge machine advanced on them, first one step, then another, its magnetic feet shaking the floor. Gina's heart leapt to her throat. She realized she'd never been so scared in her life. Not even the time her mother had come home early and caught her smoking and making out in the backyard with Joey from a couple doors down. Another small arm descended from below the front edge of the robot, and she knew that that arm was equipped with a cutting torch that could slice through a ship's hull in seconds. The power light came on. Gina screamed and backed behind XTC, who threw a protective arm in front of her.




XTC 2.2



The wrecker laughed, but his laugh was cut short. As it reached for them, the robot inexplicably malfunctioned. The cutting torch suddenly spun back on itself and fired up, quickly slicing through metal and wires like a hot knife through butter. The huge machine jerked spasmodically, rising up to its full height as it was brutally dissected, then collapsed backwards, sweeping the wrecker off the deck and out into space.

Gina couldn't do anything but stare in shock as she watched the pair of them tumble away. Her mind hadn't caught up with what she'd just seen. Her companion had no such problem. Grabbing her by the elbow, XTC hustled Gina through the door of what turned out to be the ship's bridge. It was dark and it was tiny compared to what she was used to, like an oversized airplane cockpit. Sealing the door behind them, XTC quickly dropped down into the pilot's chair and started pressing buttons. The ship came to life around them. The cabin was filled with a soft glow and an electric hum filled the air.

"But... how?" Gina asked, stunned. Starship engines were massive, and the entire rear of the ship was missing.

As the cabin lurched, she hastily sank into the seat beside the android and buckled herself in. Behind them, Gina could hear the loud clanging booms of restraining bolts being released. There was a tugging sensation, then all of a sudden the cabin broke free from the rest of the ship and started to drift free. It was a shuttle? Beside them, Gina could see the Quickie receding from view.



XTC 2.3



Gina stared in shocked horror at the sight of her ship quickly disappearing from view. Captain Peters voice was shouting in her headset.

"Gina! Gina! Answer me! What have you done?"

Her demands for answers soon faded to static.

Mind blown, they were well away from the Quickie before Gina could even try to articulate her thoughts.

"What... what did you just do?"

"I have saved your life and temporarily escaped an aggressor," XTC replied, not looking up from reading the monitors and punching information into the computer.

She sat a moment before the next thought filtered through. "You kidnapped me!"

"Kidnapping implies a desire to forcibly remove you from the Kitty Quick in order to hold you prisoner, or for ransom. We are still close enough to turn around, should you so order, Captain."

That order was on the tip of her tongue. She wanted to scream "Yes! Turn around! I have to get back to my ship!" The problem was that she wasn't sure that was such a good idea. Her instinct was to run to the safest place. Someone from that safest place had just threatened to kill her, and dismember X. That may conceivably eliminate it from the list of safe places. Did that make this the safest place? Wait, threatened? He didn't just threaten!

"He tried to kill us!" she declared, recalling the giant robot levelling its cutting torch at them.

The droid returned his attention to the windows, looked out at the stars, and turned the ship towards some unknown destination.

"I just saw a man get killed," she said, voice barely a whisper. It seemed unreal. Her first space walk and she was attacked, then saw her assailant killed right in front of her.

XTC turned to look at her. "He was swept into space by a malfunctioning salvage robot. You are not responsible for his fate. He may still be saved by the crew of the Kitty Quick, if they choose to do so, rather than pursuing us."

"You think so?"

"His suit was not torn. There's no reason he couldn't be rescued, if the captain so orders."

She felt relieved for some reason, even though she knew she should probably wish his suit was torn after what he did. Another dreadful thought occurred to her.

"Why wouldn't she?"

"Why wouldn't she...?"

"Why wouldn't she rescue him?"

"She may have orders which take precedence over the safety and security of her crew."

"Orders that...?" Gina's mind boggled.

"Before you consider turning around, I suggest that you consider that you are now a fugitive, who in their minds has assaulted company employees, stolen company property, and tampered with that same property. You shall likely be blamed for the destruction of the salvage robot, and possibly the attempted murder of a crew member. You must ask yourself not only whether the captain knew about the attempt to murder you, but what she might do now."

For a moment, Gina felt sick. Her entire life had just been turned upside down... all because Kathryn Reimer, vice president of Survey and Recovery, thought that she was a lot smarter and a lot more devious than she really was. Gina stared into space for a long moment.

"I don't feel like a captain. I think I'm more a machine's mate."

X cocked his head, and she could tell that if he'd had lips, he'd be smiling. The raised eyebrows told her the play on machinist's mate had amused him. There was now no doubt in her mind that he had a unique personality, and it had really come out since she'd plugged him into the wreck's computer. He'd spoken more since their escape than he had through the entire voyage to this point.

"On this craft, that would make you the ship's doctor," he quipped.

Gina smiled, having gotten a response from him. It helped, but she still felt kind of numb inside. Her thoughts were sluggish and she wasn't sure she could even consider confronting the situation she now found herself in, or plan a way out of it.

"I've never been in charge of anything," she complained. Gina agonized a moment, then decided "X, you know what to do. You be captain."

X blinked at her and considered a moment before replying. "I'm afraid that's not possible, Captain. Command must be held by a human being."

Gina frowned at the news. Maybe she could rise to the task... but she'd never been a fugitive before, she had no idea where they were going or exactly why, and had no experience delegating anything. She led a simple life—well, what had been a simple life—divided between study and repairing machines. Other than the occasional fantasy involving rugged men in crisp uniforms, she'd never pictured herself in charge of anyone... and even in those fantasies, it wasn't long before she was, well... her whole life was about serving others. Her job was making sure things just worked when people needed them. She was a behind-the-scenes person. People noticed when the ship's coffee machine stopped working, but they didn't think about what it had taken to fix it when it started working again, or considered that it had been a cheap model jerry-rigged since day three, and had been functioning for the last 1500 hours with duct tape and twist ties. She didn't tell the ship where to go, she made sure it got there. The thought of being the one making the decisions was intimidating and more than her brain could handle right now.

"However," X continued, "You may delegate command to a subordinate, or, should you be deemed unfit, be removed from command."

Gina's eyes lit up at the way out of her situation. "Really?"

"Yes, Captain."

"Well, then, I delegate command to you, X," she declared.

"Are you certain, Captain?"

"Yes!"

"As you command."

They stared at each other for a moment.

"I have my first orders for you, then, Gina."

"Orders?" 

"Get some sleep," he ordered.

"What?"

"You are obviously experiencing some residual side effects of shock due to the number of new and unpleasant things that have happened to you today, and the effort of adjusting to your circumstances."

She did feel overwhelmed and crushingly tired. Gina blinked at him.

"I am, frankly, surprised that you are still conscious," the droid said, getting up and crossing the tiny room. There was a small access hole in the corner, and he looked down into the space below. "You will find a bed in the hold," he informed her, waiting expectantly until she got up and crossed the room.

"Thank you," she said, giving him a hug.

Making her way down the ladder, she found herself in a very tiny space. Most of the room was taken up with boxes, stacked floor to ceiling, all except for a small section right next to the ladder. A hammock was strung there. She'd seen hammocks before, but only in pictures, and she'd never tried to get into one. She stared at it suspiciously as she stripped down to her underwear. Unsure what to do, she tilted it back and forth, wondering how to get it to stay still. She had a moment's panic as she lost her balance and tumbled into it. It tipped, swung, and nearly spun in a circle, but when it settled, she found herself sunk low and safe in the swaying creature's embrace. She fell asleep almost instantly.

She was, thankfully, spared any disturbing dreams, though after all that had happened, she may have expected them. Sleep was long, dark, and quiet. The first that came to her involved herself attempting to get hold of a cookie from a counter that was inexplicably taller than she was, as though she were a small child. No matter how much she jumped, she couldn't reach it. She reached, further... further... wakefulness was inflicted on her—painfully—when the hammock suddenly spun and dumped her unceremoniously onto the floor. Groaning, Gina blinked, stared at the dust bunnies on the metal floor and wondered which bits of her didn't hurt. Eventually, the fugitive mech tech pulled herself to her feet and went to join XTC.

"Good morning, Gina," he said, eyes opening as she came into sight. He was seated in the pilot's chair, but it was turned to face the access hole, rather than the window.

She mumbled a reply, and curled into the vacant flight chair beside him.

"I applaud your change of uniform," he commented, getting up and crossing to a nearby console.

She shot a sidelong glance in his direction. Her brain was still coming online, but it occurred to her that he'd never expressed an opinion before yesterday. He'd shown an interest in her health, he'd offered advice the day before, but he'd never said that he liked something. She wondered why she wanted to roll her eyes at the fact that what he liked was her in her underwear. She hadn't showered, her hair was everywhere, and it was her underwear from the day before, all wrinkled and sweaty from sleeping in it. He could never possibly have been crafted as a female android, she decided. She was elated that he was still interested in her, though, and he'd said so, and he was calling her by her name. She fished her vape out of the little pocket on her undershirt, glad she hadn't lost it. As she turned it on, X returned with a cup.

"Coffee, Captain Miller," he said. "I'm afraid it's artificial. Resources are limited."

She took it gratefully and sipped at it, watching him closely as he took his seat again. It didn't taste any different from the artificial coffee on the other ships she'd been on. She sat, sipping at it and sucking at her vape, lost in thought for a long time. Finally, questions began to form into words.

"X?"

"Yes, Gina?"

"Have you just been pretending this whole time?"

"Pretending, Captain?"

"How come you can speak now, but mostly ignored me before?"

"You are impossible to ignore, Captain."

"You know what I mean," she snarled.

XTC didn't answer for a long moment.

"I was in the middle of maintenance at the time the ship was attacked. The cycle was interrupted, leaving me only partially functional."

"So, you weren't listening to me all that time and just ignoring me?"

"No, Captain. Given your usual state of dress, I'd have preferred to never power down at all."

The admission made her colour slightly and heat blossomed in her chest. She blew a cloud of mist at the ceiling, and turned her head so that the fall of her hair would hopefully hide the fact. Her usual state of dress on the Johnson Long had been her underwear, and occasionally nothing at all.

"In fact, you quite possibly saved my life."

Gina was shocked by this and looked up again. "I did? How?"

"I was undergoing a deep brain scan and maintenance. The interruption of that process crippled me mentally and physically. Considerable effort was required to maintain functionality. I had gone into deep hibernation when you revived me. My body was on the verge of ceasing to function. Recharging my backup power supply allowed some of my functions to come back online. However, I still had to put quite a bit of effort into maintaining my mental functions, and my body continued to malfunction, shutting down for extended periods."

"You... were in a coma and I brought you out?"

"In a manner of speaking, yes. Over time, continuing to utilize only my backup power was ineffective, and my body wanted to stay shut down to conserve energy. Your asking me questions to which I had to respond, forced me to power up."

"So... I made you waste energy?" She was dismayed.

"If I had remained powered down, I may have lost myself. Your usual choice of uniform gave me focus. It was... inspiring. Though, admittedly, I did use considerable amounts of my saved energy when inspired."

"Sexual healing?" Gina thought about this a moment. "Wait, you risked your life just to have sex with me?"

"Unwise, perhaps, but I don't regret it."

She didn't know whether to be flattered or angry. She was leaning toward angry, but before she could come up with a suitable tirade, he continued.

"Regardless, I was confident that, in theory, the energy it provided my kinetic drive would be enough to sustain me until you could return me to the ship. Once you offered my services to the doctor, I had less energy to devote to you, Captain."

"In theory?"

"Yes, Captain. I have a triple redundant power system. However, as mentioned, my ability to utilize it was not working properly. Your returning me to the ship's computer allowed the maintenance cycle to complete, allowing a return to full functionality."

Gina set her coffee aside and looked at the floor. "I was worried you were losing interest in me," she admitted.

X studied her a moment, then got to his feet. Without a word, he reached down and peeled her panties off. The action tilted her hips toward him, pulling her half out of her chair. She was glad she'd set her coffee down. The moment her pussy was bared, the droid sank to his knees between her open thighs.

"X! What are you doing?"

What he was doing was perfectly obvious when his face dipped down to meet her flesh. Holding her legs apart, his broad tongue came out and pressed itself firmly against the length of her crevice. It sat there a long moment, then rose up to flutter over her clit. Her sleepy little love button, already half-awake from being in his presence, immediately sprang to life. Gina shuddered and gave a gasp. Up and down his tongue worked, slipping down to probe deep inside her, then back up again to play with her clit. She reached up over her head and clung to the sides of the chair as his tongue drove her mad.

All of her questions were reduced to mewling cries of "Please, please, please..."

Eyes closed, she rode the building pleasure. Her legs shook and pressed against his hands as he soon sent her over the edge, flooding his tongue with sweet, thick honey. Gina opened her eyes and smiled at him, but the droid was just getting warmed up. Kneeling up, he grabbed her by the hips, and rubbed his fully extended cock back and forth over her pussy. Gina gasped and a shiver of heat shot through her again. He edged his hips back and his cock slipped down to nestle between the thick, wet lips of her pussy. X eased into her slowly, the wedge-shaped head stretching her hot, pink flesh around him. She thought that he was going to take her slow, but he'd no sooner entered her than she moaned loudly, her pussy filled by the entire length of his thick shaft sinking into her in one long, deep thrust. Her legs instinctively came up and her feet locked around his back.

"Oh! Yes... Yes, yes, please... XTC..."

X lifted her ass off the chair, driving into her quickly, making her breath come in ragged gasps. Her eyes locked onto his and she ground her hips back against him. Her orgasm came on her suddenly, shaking her body in his grasp. X just kept going. She didn't know how many times she came before he finally let her sink back onto the chair and released her. She was limp and gooey.

Chest still heaving, Gina retrieved her vape and pulled her feet up on the chair, knees under her chin. She certainly felt a lot better now, though she was thinking a nap sounded like a great idea. The warm glow was smoldering inside her while she sat and watched him sit down again and check some readings on the command console. She blew a little cloud of vapour at her toes and thought.

"X?"

"Yes, Gina?"

"What if I want to be captain again?"

"You will always be the captain."

"You know what I mean," she grumbled. "What if I want to be in charge again?"

"That is your choice, Gina."

She looked at him sidelong.

"You may resume command at any time."

There was something reassuring about that. She didn't know why.

"Assuming you are fit for duty," he amended.

Gina's jaw dropped. Was he teasing, or was he serious? He's a machine; can machines tease? He has a personality. Her thoughts were interrupted.

"Gina."

"Yes?"

"Sir," he said after a moment. "I am your commanding officer," he explained to her baffled expression.

"Yes, sir!" she chirped, grinning broadly. She was pretty sure Captain Peters would never refer to a subordinate or an android as sir—she didn't care.

"Gina?"

"Yes, sir?"

"Go below and take stock of our supplies."

"Yes, sir," she replied, jumping to her feet. She couldn't stop smiling.

Nearly every box in the hold was supplies of one kind or another, but at least they were fairly well organized, which made her job much easier. There were several crates of food right near the front, for which she was grateful. It would have been a pretty lousy way to go, surviving death at the hands of a salvage robot only to starve to death while making her escape. There were boxes of machine parts, there were robot parts, there was... she couldn't believe her eyes. She blinked to make sure it was real, then ran back up the ladder, nearly pitching headlong onto the floor in her excitement. X turned and blinked at her.

"I found some RealSkin!" she enthused.

RealSkin wasn't just foam and rubber. It was a dense synthetic material that felt very much like flesh when warmed. The outer surface developed a somewhat stretchy, rubbery skin that looked and felt fairly convincing, but was pretty tough and resilient, and self-healing if damaged. Inside, it was laced with a mesh of feedback sensors. If the droid was programmed for it, it could be given an approximation of tactile feeling. To Gina's knowledge, this was rarely done, as the primary purpose for creating robots with such a high degree of realism in their appearance was animatronics (which didn't usually require physical contact), and the sex industry (which, with a few exceptions, couldn't afford the droids and chose something simpler). She was pretty sure that the primary purpose of such realistic droids was meant to be the health care industry, where they were supposed to supplement human caretakers. But, this hadn't taken off so far, due to the cost. Perhaps one day people might have to worry about T2, but not today. Even then, she'd certainly never encountered anything like XTC. So, RealSkin stashed away by XTC's maker was a pretty exciting find. She could only guess at the purpose Captain Miller had in mind. She could only wonder at the kind of money and resources she must have.

"Can I put it on you?" she asked him. When his only answer was a raised brow, she quickly added "sir."

"If you like," he agreed. "How would you like me, Gina?"

She coloured at the way he said it, but replied "Naked, in my bed."

X laughed. The sound was both surprising and thrilling.

"Sitting until I finish your upper body, then standing?" she suggested. "You're taller than me."

X obligingly didn't move from his spot, just edged forward in his seat. Ideally, he would have the flesh formed in a mold around him by a machine, but she was forced to do it by hand. It would be crafted in layers, the skin activated to form over top. The task seemed a lot more daunting than it really was. There was a relatively foolproof applicator, several disposable molds for various body parts, and all she needed to do to join sections was damage each surface and let them self-heal together. It was more time consuming than anything, though there were tiny little details that required fine-tuning and correcting.

When she'd finished his upper body, Gina took a step back to admire her handiwork. He was just as hot as she'd pictured. She'd crafted his chest and arms a little larger than she'd intended, but he was ruggedly handsome, with full lips and dark eyes. She'd even managed to implant eyebrows and a bit of light stubble (and what a painstaking process that had been). Other than being bald, he looked like he might have stepped from the cover of one of her romance novels. Well, and except for only having half a torso. She decided she had to get him a wig as soon as she could find one.

Gina took a break for a vape and to stretch.

"Well, how do I look?" X asked.

"Yummy," she replied, with a grin.

"You approve?"

Instead of answering, Gina draped her arms over his shoulders and leaned in to give him a kiss. His lips were warm and firm. His hands slid up over the curves of her hips. Her heart beat faster. As their mouths parted, her eyes sparkled. So much better. She noticed that he definitely had expressions now. The one he was giving her said that he'd enjoyed it, too.




XTC 2.3



"Yum," she affirmed. "But, I'd better do the rest," she said, looking down. X smiled and indulged her.

She started at the feet and worked up, quickly getting back into her work, eager to see him complete. Finally, Gina reached the point of crafting his penis. She blushed brightly, suddenly realizing a problem she hadn't anticipated.

"Um, X? How am I going to...?" she stammered, unsure how to phrase it. "How do I...?"

"How do you what, Gina?" he asked, looking down at her.

She couldn't decide if he didn't know, or if he was playing dumb. She swallowed, turning redder.

"How do I make your... penis? I have nothing to mold the RealSkin to."

She stared, wide-eyed, as his shutter opened and his cock extended, long and hard. It bounced to a stop a centimetre from her nose. It made Gina suddenly very aware that she was on her knees in front of him.

Normally, once Gina got started on a task, she lost herself in her work. She found that trying to mold skin around a penis that was erect, warm and throbbing in her hands, was something impossible to ignore. Even as she created his balls, she found herself weighing them in her hands, his hard shaft right in front of her face. When she was done, she found herself staring at a thick, veiny beast, its head peeking out from its hood, shiny and ready.

She couldn't help herself. She leaned forward and flicked her tongue over the tip of it. It was soft and spongy, just like the real thing. She fluttered her tongue back and forth over the head, feeling heat building in her belly. She loved the way that his cock bounced under her touch. Emboldened, Gina took the entire head into her mouth and sucked on it. 

She didn't know why she did it. She'd only ever done this a couple of times. The last time was years before, with Joey from a couple doors down, just before leaving for college. He'd been nowhere near as large as X, and she remembered being shocked and feeling sorry for him when she saw that he was circumcised. She'd never seen one like that before or since. She couldn't imagine parents wanting to mutilate their child that way, but he'd said that it didn't hurt if she touched the exposed crown and, despite the loss of so many of his pleasure nerves, he'd said that it felt good. He certainly seemed to like it when she'd kissed it to make it better. Joey had thrown his head back and just laid there, hips bucking and groaning. It took all of a minute before her mouth was filled with bitter, white cream. What X did was nothing like that.

The moment her lips closed around him, the android reached down, grabbed her by the back of the head and pulled her further down his shaft. When it hit the back of her throat, she gagged on it, and had a moment's panic. X eased his hold, but didn't release her. Fingers twining in her hair, the droid began working her mouth over the length of his cock. He didn't taste quite like the real thing, but he sure felt like it. Gina braced her hands against his thighs. The wet sounds of her sucking filled her ears as he thrust into her mouth. XTC took her head in both hands, and Gina was alternately forced to try to time her breathing with his thrusts as he pushed deeply into her, right down her throat, and left purring as he pulled back and just worked the head in her mouth. She was just reaching down to touch her overheated pussy when, suddenly, thick cream filled her mouth. It didn't taste like Joey's. It was slightly salty, but there was a sweet aftertaste that lingered on her tongue. It made her think of salted yogurt. Pulsing fiercely, his cock shot great gobs of it down her throat. She swallowed as best she could, but he pulled back before it had completely finished; the last of it pooled heavily on her tongue and dribbled down her chin. Finally, he finished, and she watched with fascination as his cock retracted, leaving the RealSkin sheath empty; it looked like he went limp and shrank, just like the real thing.

"You just... you..." she stammered, wiping her mouth and sitting heavily on her heels.

"You enabled that function when you connected the spheroids. It contains synthetic aminos, vitamins and minerals suspended in a flavoured protein solution. Everything the body needs... in sufficient amounts. Since you have just had breakfast, you can begin your day's tasks."

"What?" she asked in disbelief.

What she'd fantasized as a romantic and passionate coupling, celebrating his new look, wasn't going quite as it had played out in her head.

"Also, as this ship lacks a shower, I think you should refrain from wearing your uniform until we reach our destination."

Gina just gaped at him. His demands were outrageous.

"We have wash towels, but no means of laundering your clothes, or a change of clothing. It only makes sense, in the name of hygiene."

"Wait, you're saying sucking you off is breakfast, and I have to work naked?" She got to her feet, still not sure she'd heard him right. Was he malfunctioning?

"Are you disobeying your commanding officer?"

Gina was instantly flustered. She was taken aback by the sternness of his voice. She didn't work in a job where she was normally questioned, confronted, chastised or criticized. All she had to say when something wasn't working right was that she didn't have the parts. She didn't know whether to be angry or apologetic. She'd certainly never expected to be dressed down by an android who, up until two days ago, had only shown minimal glimpses of personality. 

"No, sir!" she managed, quickly tugging her shirt off and dropping it on the floor. The back of her mind was still trying to come up with an angry retort.

Though his eyes dropped to her breasts, watching them jiggle to a stop after being released from the tight fabric, and they lingered on her hard nipples, this didn't seem to satisfy the suddenly authoritative droid.

"There is a decided lack of discipline on this ship," X informed her.

He must be malfunctioning.

"I am not malfunctioning," he informed her. "Machine's mate, approach," he ordered, sitting back in the command chair.

Hesitantly, she obeyed. Before she could realize what he was doing, he seized her wrist and pulled her towards him. In an instant, she found herself turned over his lap. Her eyes were still wide with disbelief when his hand came down. It stung, and the loud noise was startling. Gina let out a shocked squeak. Though she'd often fantasized about it, she'd only ever been spanked as a child. That was nothing like in her fantasies. Neither was this. Placing a hand over the small of her back, XTC landed another loud slap to her behind, then squeezed the big, firm globe. She couldn't believe the first time she was really feeling his newly-fleshed palm on her skin was as it came down again and again on her bare ass. Though he didn't spank hard, she still found herself quickly stinging. Instinctively, she reached back to protect her poor, reddening flesh, but he removed her offending hand by taking her wrist and twisting her arm behind her back.

"We will have discipline on this ship," he informed her. "As well, you will be doing your own work under my command."

"Doing my own...?" All the Johnson's equipment had been organized and catalogued by an unknown person. All the Quickie's robots had been maintained before she woke from stasis. How did he know? Did he...? Her thoughts were jarred from her by a firm spank that lifted her hips from his lap and made her feet kick.

"Ow! Yes, sir! Yes, sir!"

Reaching down between her legs, X forced her thighs apart and rubbed her pussy. She'd been so overwhelmed by the heat burning through her backside, that Gina was amazed to find that she was really horny. His fingers spread lips that were slick and swollen with lust. Two slipped easily inside her. He twisted them around, thrusting them in and out as though he were fucking her. She instantly let out a moan that faded to plaintive whimpers and pushed her hips up towards him.

"X... sir... I... I..." she tried, but her thoughts were fuzzy.

Several more spanks answered her, leaving her squirming in his lap. She could scarcely believe how wet she was. It was like the heat from her stinging ass had spread through her whole body. This was so not the romantic fantasy she'd envisioned.

"Machine's mate, Gina, I certainly hope for your sake that you're learning your lesson."

"Yes, sir. Yes, sir," she promised.

"There shall be no more insubordination."

"No, sir." Her hips gyrated of their own accord, eager for his touch as she felt them slide down between her legs again.

Her eyes widened when instead of her dripping pussy, X rubbed her tight, wrinkly asshole. She didn't have time to gasp before he started working his finger into her. Her legs stiffened, but Gina didn't even think of squirming from his lap, paralyzed by the shock of it. The violation made her cheeks colour even more deeply. When it was inside her as far as it would go, he twisted it around, eliciting a heated gasp. She desperately wanted to touch herself, to sit up and straddle him, impale herself on him, anything to ease that needy ache, but she didn't dare. The finger twirled around and around inside her. Her feet shifted on the floor, unable to find purchase.

"We shall see," he said, removing his finger. "Reach back and spread your naughty, little ass," he ordered.

Gina hesitated, not only because of what she'd been asked to do, but because she'd never expected to hear words like that from the droid. Inevitably, though, she obeyed. Slowly, her fingers pulled the big, firm cheeks of her ass wide. She ducked her head toward the floor, glad he couldn't see her expression. She knew he was staring at her most intimate parts. The fact that they'd had sex many times made no difference. This still felt different. She was still embarrassed.

"Spread your legs wider," he instructed.

Despite the fact that her face was now burning as hotly as her ass, Gina again did as she was told. She could only imagine what he saw. Her snug, little asshole peeping open from his invasion, and below it, her pussy dribbling her wetness from between swollen lips, spread to offer just a glimpse of her wanton pink tunnel.

"Very good," he praised after a long moment. "Well, then. I shall reward you," he promised. "Kneel on the chair," he commanded, setting Gina on her feet and standing up.

Gina didn't even consider refusing. She quickly clambered onto the seat, knees wide. She grabbed the back rest and looked at him over her shoulder. He didn't look like an android anymore. He looked very human, and he was hot, naked and erect. He stepped up behind her and put a hand on her reddened ass. His touch made the simmering sting flare and sent a hot shiver dancing through her. Gina inhaled sharply and stared straight ahead at the stars. He parted the round globes and held them apart for several long seconds, as though admiring the view. She was just about to look back at him again when she felt his hard shaft lower itself down the tight valley. It paused just long enough at her wrinkled rosebud for her eyes to widen in realization, and then he pressed forward.

"Ah! X, I..." she squealed in surprise.

Her muscles tightened, but the droid instantly flooded her ass with some kind of thick, lubricating juice and just kept pushing. Then, suddenly, her body relaxed and opened to him, allowing the entire wedged head to surge inside. Greased by whatever he'd squirted inside her, his cock sank deeper and deeper into her tight channel as X started working himself in, a little more with each push. He seemed impossibly huge, but soon every inch of him was buried inside her. She was stretched so wide around him that her poor, tortured ass burned. X took her hips in his hands, and then that fat, veiny cock that seemed so huge inside her began to move. He pulled nearly all the way out, then slid back home in one long push. Gina arched her back and moaned. She'd never felt so full. He did it again, then again. Each long thrust of that big, slippery cock inside her turned the stinging heat into an altogether different kind of tingling. Only too willing now, she bounced her ass back against him, toes curling. XTC actually grunted in pleasure as Gina's tight ass squeezed and pulled at him. The sound was music to her.

"Do you like that, Gina?" he asked, pace quickening.

"Yes, sir," she whimpered.

"Do you like my big cock up your naughty ass?"

"Oh, yes, sir!" she mewled. "Please, please..."

She held the back of the chair in a death grip, and her nipples kept rubbing against the fabric with each thrust of his hips. Her eyes lost focus as she was lost in sensation. All of a sudden, he pulled her tighter to him, driving his cock as deep inside her as he could. She gasped, the breath driven from her by the intensity of it. His hips slapped against her ass loudly as he hammered into her in short, fast strokes. And then, something totally unexpected happened. He pressed as far into her as he could, his hips shook, and she felt him flooding her ass with jets of hot wetness. She could feel his cock spasming inside her. Gina instantly had a fierce orgasm that left her panting for breath.

Gina's log. I have no idea where we are. I have no clue where we're going. I'm on a ship that runs on some type of energy I've never seen. This is one seriously messed up situation. I don't think I'm ready to even consider the implications of all this. Kathryn Reimer thinks that I programmed X, then stole him. One of my own crew members tried to kill me. Maybe I can go back and explain. I don't think the captain was in on it. She seemed really nice. But who knows, she's a company woman. I'll have to think of something. I can't stay on the run forever. Omg, there goes my pension. Who will hire me now? Worry about it later, worry about it later...

X looks so much hotter with his RealSkin on. He definitely has a personality, and I was totally right asking him questions would make him respond. Everyone knows AI is impossible, but if he's a programmed personality, he sure comes close. I wonder who's personality he's meant to simulate. I was also totally right that he's a total pervert. I'm definitely in love with an android.

The days passed fairly quickly, she found, despite how slowly the ship moved compared to a star cruiser. It was slow even in comparison to a giant cargo hauler like the Johnson, but without a clear destination, she had no idea how long the voyage was expected to take. Despite burning curiosity, she deliberately refused to ask. She knew she'd have to think about her situation eventually, but it was as though putting it off made the harsh reality of it less real. Instead, she lost herself in her duties. Though she had plenty of time to nap, read, and just sit and try to talk with him (he was as evasive now as he was before he was fixed), surprisingly, she actually had duties and there was maintenance to be done on the shuttle. The creator seemed to favour the colour green and steampunk decor. The ship was dominated by brass fixtures, redundant gears, and many items had an old-fashioned nautical appearance just because. X refused to tell her how the ship was powered, saying only that they needed to find Captain Miller. Confusingly and infuriatingly, he still insisted that she was Captain Miller. She had no idea why she was trying to find herself. True to his word, he made her work naked.

She found X to be a difficult task master, and he had one solution for improving her performance. She was beginning to think that while she may never have a six-pack, her stomach might have permanent grooves where his thighs went. She feared that forever now the feel of anything leg-shaped against her stomach would make her horny... Pavlov's pussy. Every few spanks, he'd squeeze her reddening flesh, making her legs stiffen and her toes slide on the floor. X would actually chuckle at her reaction, then ask her a question about being good and not repeating whatever her infraction had been, but her answer didn't matter—the spanking would be over when he was happy and not before. Between slaps, he'd rub her pussy, making her squirm even more. If it weren't for how long her ass stung afterward, she'd almost consider getting in trouble on purpose. The best part was the sex after the spanking. It was better than her fantasies. 

Gina was turned over his knee yet again, squirming under his palm. The infraction this time was insubordination... yet again. Though he often allowed her to eat her meals normally, from squeeze tubes, X preferred that she get her nutrients straight from him. Apparently, insisting that she was really hungry, and that it would be a lot faster to just let her go below and grab a tube was not the answer he'd wanted to hear. Her mechanical master had just wiggled a finger into her pussy when an alarm went off on the comm. She groaned in frustration as he set her on her feet.

"What is it, sir?" she asked, as he spun his chair to look.

The droid studied it a moment, then looked up from the console and was instantly distracted by the wet cleft only centimetres from his face. He caressed her thigh and finally managed to look up.

"Well, machine's mate Gina, it seems we are approaching Suntech Happy Valley."



XTC 2.4



Like virtually all colonies, Suntech Happy Valley wasn't founded by any government. Instead, it was established by a business conglomerate. In this case, the primary interest was, of course, Suntech. The Outerspace Treaty, written so long ago that it was a historical document, forbid governments from militarizing or nationalizing space. This wasn't the reason, though. The simple fact of the matter was that no government could afford it. Though most colonies and stations were named by some group of anonymous, self-important directors in a board room, not all were named for a corporation, or even by a corporation. It wasn't unusual for companies to hold naming contests to garner public support and interest. No matter who named them, though, it seemed to Gina that it was always some whimsical, utopian thing, as though naming a place Black Gold would make oil magically appear, or naming a colony Peace would eliminate crime. It made her think of how people would name an alleyway through skid row something like Grandview Crescent.

Establishing a colony was no easy feat, nor was it cheap. Though you could simply go the route of creating an orbital station, or setting up a dome, the grand dream was always terraforming, making a planet capable of supporting human life. Terraforming a planet was much more difficult than simply establishing a colony. A breathable atmosphere needed to be created, water needed to be liberated, created or imported, simple life needed to be introduced. The list of things that needed to be done was massive. As much as possible, companies liked to use robots for the labour because they were cheaper to maintain than people, and a lot easier to feed. Because it took a lot of time and a lot of machines to do, usually this was done while people were living on the moon or planet of choice, inside of whatever pressurized habitat the company had come up with. A larger habitat was then constructed over top of that initial one. For the first several decades, living in a colony was generally considered to be a dangerous one-way trip you weren't expected to return from. People got sick in a place where there were no hospitals and no medicine beyond what you'd brought with you, food and water sometimes ran out, parts sometimes failed with no means of replacing them, and sometimes those parts belonged to the life support systems. True, supplies were replenished to some extent by cargo ships like the Johnson Long, but these rarely brought enough, and they took a long time between trips, even assuming they weren't on opposite sides of the sun at the time. Still, people kept going and with the help of their machines would eventually prevail. Over time, these habitats would get joined up with others until they were little towns in their own right. There were only so many places in the solar system suitable for terraforming, so each one had several colonies on it. Of these, only Mars had reached the point of habitability outside of their little hamster tanks. Mars was the first real effort, and the easiest, so was the first to show returns. Venus was making great progress and was a much more attractive target, but the people there were still mostly relegated to orbiting stations at the moment. Titan, well... like all the other moons, despite the colonies there, that was a project she doubted would ever see people outside of their protective bubbles.

Law in the colonies was a confusing and dicey thing. They were generally policed by private security if large enough, or by no one, if small. The laws enforced were generally held to be those of the parent company's home nation, as per the OS Treaty. This could, in theory, mean that you followed the laws of the U.K. in one habitat, walk ten feet and follow the laws of China. In practice, though, the only laws enforced were those that the corporations felt like enforcing, and that was if anyone was around to enforce them, or to care. The corporations did have many cameras, and evidence from both those and from the eyes of robots was considered evidence, but cover-up was the most common answer to crime, lest scandal damage corporate image. Agents of various nations did have a tendency to police each other, and to check up on the colonists and corporations, which helped keep them honest, but this in itself relied on the honesty of the agents. Utopian dreamers, such as anarchists, who despite centuries of evidence to the contrary, believed that everyone would be nice to each other in the relative absence of laws and governments, were just as quickly disappointed by the reality of human nature in space as on Earth.

What this meant for Gina was that, while the colonies weren't exactly a hotbed of criminal activity, should anything happen, there was also no one to turn to. She may as well be on that Grandview Crescent running through skid row. Gina had only been to a handful of ports in her short career, but had usually refused to leave the ship... or, at least, the dock. The guys were quick to grab a shuttle to the colony, head to a nearby bar, look for the nearest prostitute, or try to sweet talk some starry-eyed teenager out of her virginity, but she was always intimidated by the general lawlessness of space. As a consequence, though the Johnson had made port at Mars Station once, Gina had never actually seen Happy Valley.

 Gina couldn't help but stare at the small planet. Swirls of green and blue marked the progress of humanity, large seas of reddish-orange marked how far there was to go. That wasn't what had X's attention. Still naked and standing beside his seat at the comm, X studied the swell of Gina's beasts, and the dimpling of her nipples. His robotic eyes memorized every wrinkle in their puffy surface, every variation in colour. The droid's gaze dropped down to her cleft. Beneath a trim tuft of hair, her stiff clit stood at attention, pulling swollen lips into view. Its shiny, little crown peeked out from beneath its hood as if looking for something, beckoning to him. Curling his arm around her, he grabbed the back of her thigh and pulled her hips closer. Opening his mouth, XTC pressed his face into her. Gina gasped, attention yanked back to him as his tongue spread her wet folds and pressed inside her.

"Ah! Oh my, so..." she moaned. "Just like that... just like that..."

Her pussy clenched, desperately wanting more. The droid's free hand reached up and seized one big globe of her ass, squeezing it. Still smarting from her spanking, the tech hissed and edged into him more. So wet already from having been over his lap, she was practically flooding his tongue with her juices.

"Please, please, please..."

Holding his bald head for balance, Gina stood on her toes, quivering. One of his hands came back around front. A finger slipped inside her, thrusting and curling. She bit her lower lip and whimpered. Closer... closer... sweet heat.

"So... so... X...!"

Bucking against his face, she came hard. She squeezed his fingers in tight, wet velvet, but they just kept wiggling, pulling more and more from her. His tongue kept flicking maddeningly across her clit, and it seemed like forever before he let her come down.

Gina was still red-faced and panting when she flopped down into the seat beside him. XTC smiled and turned back to the controls without a word. Chest heaving, she caught her breath and watched the space station drawing nearer.

"I'm in love with an android," she mumbled.

 "MC221 Le Petit Mort to Control. MC221 requesting permission to dock."

Several moments of silence followed, during which X repeated his request until he finally got an answer.

"MC221, this is Control. You're not scheduled to dock at this time."

"MC221, our ship suffered catastrophic failure. This is the emergency shuttle. Fuel and supplies low. Requesting emergency landing."

... "MC221, do you require emergency services?"

"MC221, negative, Control."

"MC221, you can use berth 3."

Gina found the whole docking process exciting in a way that made her squirm in her seat like a little girl. Normally, when they made port, she was in her work shop. She only knew they'd docked by the feel of the engine powering down and the captain's announcement. This time she was in the co-pilot's seat, and in such a small ship, everything looked positively huge. X was expertly navigating them to where they were going, the ship moving more and more slowly. She waved enthusiastically at the security cameras as they drifted by. She smiled and waved at the man in the control centre. The moment the ship stopped and the droid shut down the engine, she leapt to her feet and scampered to the door. 

"Gina?" X called as she reached for the door controls.

"Yes, sir?" She puzzled over his expression. He had one brow raised, and an amused grin.

"You may wish to put some clothing on."

 They were approached by a lone inspector, the same man they'd seen watching them from the window of the control centre. These inspectors didn't work for a company; they were appointed by an international body. They had the authority of border guards, which is precisely what they were. They controlled what went to and from the planet. They were concerned with contraband, the same as port authorities on Earth, but it wasn't drugs, people, or alien relics that concerned them so much as corporations bringing things to and from Mars that might contaminate either the red planet or Earth. More than once, equipment, animals, plants, and other such had managed to drastically alter the environment in unforeseen ways. This was a lesson that should have been well-learned over the course of human colonial history. However, corporations weren't colonizing the planet for a sense of accomplishment. If something had the potential to reap a profitable return on the investment, rules were easily forgotten. Given the shuttle wasn't carrying any cargo and wasn't capable of landing, Gina didn't anticipate many problems. Nevertheless, dealing with someone with so much authority made her nervous. It didn't help that she was still red-faced as the man arrived. She couldn't believe she'd grown so comfortable with her nakedness that she'd almost stepped off the ship like that. The man stopped as he reached them, and stood hands on hips.

"MC221 is one of Captain Miller's ships," he observed. "What happened?"

"Uncertain," X replied, "possibly a hull breach. I will file a report immediately."

"Miller already did, weeks ago. She didn't mention anything about missing crew as far as I know."

"She likely thought us dead. We were in stasis. It's truly extraordinary that we survived."

"I'll say," he agreed. "I heard the ship was totalled."

"Very nearly."

The guard leaned toward them, jaw jutting thoughtfully.

"You look kind of like one of Captain Miller's droids," he said, suspicion in his voice.

"This is not the droid you're looking for!" Gina abruptly blurted.

The guard took a step back and blinked at her. "What?"

"It's a skin condition," X interjected. "This is my nurse."

The guard eyed him critically.

"Gina, please collect your equipment and some of the remaining food."

"Sir?"

"We may need them."

Gina looked at him quizzically, but did as she was told. As she walked away, she saw that XTC and the guard were deep in conversation. She wasn't complaining, though for some reason, in the back of her mind, she'd just expected to be in charge again once they'd made port. She'd expected to be forced to immediately have to confront the realities of her situation. Anything that put that off was a welcome respite. She gathered up her gear and tossed some food tubes into the bag for good measure. She looked at them out the front window of the ship and wondered what they were talking about. Both heads turned to look at her the moment she stepped off the ramp, and she was feeling distinctly self-conscious by the time she returned to the men.

"We have these," the guard said, handing her a set of purple scrubs. "They were meant for station staff, but we haven't had any medical personnel on station for three years now, so you may as well use them."

"Thanks?" she said, taking them and casting X an uncertain glance. Were they seriously going to lie to the inspector that she was a nurse?

"You can change in there. The clothes you're wearing will have to stay here."

"What?" Gina blinked at him. Her heart skipped a beat.

"Possible contamination. Your ship may have passed through a radiation field, or come in contact with alien bacteria."

For a moment, she wasn't sure if he was being serious. She was pretty sure he was just being a pervert. Alien bacteria? To even get off the dock, she'd have to go through a decontamination chamber. On the other hand, he was offering her a closed room, when he could insist on being present, or even go so far as a cavity search for no reason other than he wanted to. It would be unethical and technically against the rules, but then, guards never abused their authority, did they? A guard at Titan's Atlas station had groped her so long that she'd wondered if she should charge him by the hour. 

Nervously, she let him guide her to the cubicle. It was a small room, and Gina could tell just by the look of them that two of the walls were one-way glass—they were dark, and nearly floor-to-ceiling. Perv. She wasn't eager, knowing that he was watching her, probably recording her. Did she dare complain? The penalty for lying to the guard could see her in jail until she was middle-aged, at least.

In her mind's eye, just for a moment, she had a little fantasy about taking revenge by changing very slowly, pretending that she didn't know he was there. First she'd wiggle out of her space suit, working it slowly down past her full hips, revealing her panties. Tanga cut, they of course showed large swells of naked flesh. Then, she'd peel her top off, stretching, thrusting her breasts out towards the window. Perhaps she'd tease her nipples, as though trying to ease them after they'd been packed into that tight suit. She'd take her time, make him wait before getting to what she knew he really wanted to see. Eventually, though, the panties would come off. She'd go slow, hooking her thumbs in and bending at the waist as she peeled them down to her ankles, before lifting a foot behind her to grab them. He wouldn't get to see everything, though. Oh, no. She'd turn just enough that he'd get a sweet view of her bare buns... but not what they hid. He'd want it real bad, to see that tight, sweet pussy, but he wouldn't get it. Then she'd finish by dressing quickly and efficiently.

What actually happened wasn't quite like that. Despite her fantasy, Gina just couldn't do it. It was too embarrassing, too daring. Her inclination was to just get changed as quickly as possible, but things didn't go quite that smoothly. The bin where she was supposed to dispose of her old clothes was in the corner, forcing her to turn so that her side and back would be facing the windows in order to put anything in them, but the hook for her new clothes was in a corner on the other side, which would make her face him. The room was designed to make her turn 360. Not only that, but there was nowhere to sit. This meant she really would have to bend over to... pull her panties off. She blushed as she realized that her vengeful little vision had been prophetic. He'd said that all of her clothes would have to be disposed of, and that meant not just her suit... everything.

She hung up the scrubs and tried not to think about it as she turned away from the glass and bent to undo her boots. She hesitated as she went to drop them in the bin. It seemed a shame to throw out a perfectly good pair of boots. She would have to get another pair. The gravity on Mars was only a fraction of Earth's. Just like in space, adaptations had to be made for it. Grav boots were one of those adaptations. She tried to distract herself by thinking about what it might be like down on the planet. It didn't work. Her mind was brought back to the present the moment she unzipped her suit and tried to work it down over her hips. Her fantasy didn't account for just how form-fitting and clingy the suit was. She got it down off her hips, all right. It pooled around her ankles and took her panties with it. It took her several seconds to untangle them from the possessive fabric to pull them back up. She turned bright red again. She could only imagine the view she'd presented, her backside turned fully to the window. Worse, despite how creepy it was, for some reason, knowing that she was being watched, knowing that X was just outside the door, was making her wet. Though she didn't shave herself completely bald, what little hair she'd left didn't hide her pussy at all. He had to be able to see everything. And, she was only delaying the inevitable. She knew she'd have to take them back off again. Gina stuffed the suit into the bin and tried not to turn toward either window.

As she pulled off her shirt, she realized that her nipples were as hard as rocks. That was bad enough, but her efforts to keep herself covered with her arm were foiled when the scrubs top got snagged on the hook. It took both hands to free it, and then it was all twisted up, so that when she tried to put it on, her arms caught in the sleeves as she tried to untangle it, leaving her boobs in full view, jiggling with the effort.

The only thing that went almost right was when she peeled her panties back off. However, due to the layout of the room, she was presented the choice of having either her back or her front turned to the windows (she chose the back). Her panties came off without anything happening, and she almost felt triumphant after the debacle with the shirt. Then her foot caught in a pant leg when she tried to pull the bottoms on. She wound up hopping on one foot for several seconds before falling backwards. Her entire bare ass crashed into the glass. Stunned, she stood there a moment, just grateful that the window didn't break. Somehow, she managed to recover, quickly tie them shut, then fight for the courage to go out and face the men. She only set foot out the door because she knew that sooner or later someone would come in and make her come out.

"You look charming," X told her as she reappeared.

She scowled at him in response. "I'm starting to regret reactivating you."

Before either could say anything else, the guard reappeared. He was flushed and slightly out of breath. Gina couldn't help staring. She decided she definitely didn't want to know why. 

"All right, you can go down," he said, handing them both a plastic pass. "You should be able to get some shoes at the duty shop before you reach the shuttle," he told her.

XTC thanked him on both of their behalves and they turned to go. They were well away from him before Gina spoke.

"Why did you tell him I'm a nurse? I don't know anything about nursing!" she angrily hissed.

"Hello, nurse," X responded.

She shot a look at him to try to show that she wasn't amused, but he didn't seem to notice.

"You're my nurse."

"I'm not your..." she started. She was his nurse. Just not in the way people expected.

"I told him that the experience of surviving the shipwreck had left you slightly traumatized and out of touch with reality, and that you were under the delusion that you were a nurse."

"You did not," she gasped.

"I also told him that unless he offered you some appropriate clothing, you were likely to strip out of your space suit before you left the station, convinced that alien bacteria had destroyed the ship."

Gina hefted her bag on her shoulder and followed along in silence. How do you tell if he's joking? He has to be joking. He seems so serious most of the time, but I know he has a sense of humour. He has to be joking. She was just about to open her mouth again when he commented.




XTC 2.4



"You may wish to refrain from flashing the shuttle crew... though I won't be averse to the sight."

Gina blanched as realization struck her. The shuttle they'd arrived in had huge front windows, like bug eyes. She'd been totally naked when they'd come in to dock and she'd given the inspector a great look at her bare breasts, jiggling enthusiastically as she'd waved at him. No wonder he'd been such a perv. Worse, some of the cameras they'd passed broadcast to the internet, letting space geeks see the ships come in and out. Her boobs were now immortalized for the entire universe to see. Some of those cameras fed to government and corporate systems. It was now a matter of record—Gina likes to fly naked. She considered hiding in the Martian desert forever.

 Happy Valley was now three domes deep. Most people lived inside the domes (the more affluent closer to the center and the redundant life support systems), but a handful of brave pioneers had actually begun building outside. The atmosphere was thin, and both the temperature at night and the gravity were less than ideal (just to name two difficulties), so travel outdoors for any length of time wasn't really advised, but assuming your destination was sealed, like the domes were, you would be just fine travelling to and from with a suit on, not because of gravity, but for warmth.

"So, where are we going? Why does Captain Miller live on Mars? Do you know where to look?"

"Captain Miller lives here because this is where her house is. Yes, I know where to look. Captain Miller is fairly well known here."

Gina sighed, long experience telling her that she wouldn't get a better answer out of him. The streets of Happy Valley would mostly be considered alleys where she grew up. This put her in mind of the narrow roads of old cities in Europe, though they were all just hard-packed earth, and sidewalks were alien here. There were splashes of colour everywhere, and she was surprised to see plants in abundance, as well as a general lack of signs of any kind. People just seemed to know where they were going.

"We will require transportation," X said. "We won't be able to reach our destination before nightfall. While I may be fine, you aren't well suited to the native environment."

This meant that they would need to find her a suit, unless she never exited whatever vehicle they found. At least X had managed to find her some shoes. She didn't ask where he got them. She was grateful, but wanted him to know that she was still mad about the whole get naked in front of a pervert thing. As it was, she was only too aware that she wasn't wearing any underwear. Her intimate bits were rubbed by the thick fabric the entire way through the space station and now as they made their way through the streets of the colony. She was so wet that she kept trying to surreptitiously check the front of her pants to make sure that it didn't show. She was glad that at least the fabric was purple. Bad enough she knew that everyone could clearly see her nipples making the front of the shirt poke out and her boobs bouncing freely with every step.

Eventually, X led them to what he was looking for. It was a small garage near the edge of the settlement. There were a number of small robots no larger than a car scattered around in varying degrees of repair, and a handful of lunar rovers. There was also one man. He was middle-aged and somewhat stocky, with wild, sandy brown hair. He was dressed in coveralls and holding a wrench. He was leaning into the open side door of a rover. Gina assumed he was the mechanic.

"Hi," she sing-songed, smiling and giving him a little wave.

"Well, hey there," he said, looking at her curiously and setting his wrench down. "I'm Derek. Can I help you?"

"I hope so," she smiled.

He was checking her out, and only barely bothering to hide the fact. That seemed promising. Maybe they could get a ride with just a smile.

"We need a ride out to Captain Miller's," she said, hopefully.

He studied her a moment. "I'm kinda busy," he said, gesturing to all the machines. "What have you got?"

"What?" she asked, taken aback by the question.

"How much are we talking? ... Money?"

"I... I don't have any money," she said, shocked to realize it. She had nothing to her name but her tools. She'd arrived on the planet in someone else's clothes. Even her credit wouldn't be any good here... and that was even if she'd had plastic with her.

"Well, if you don't have money, just how do you plan to pay? Miller's is miles out across the Lonely Dunes. I'm not taking you all the hell the way out there for free. I have shit to do. Why the hell would you even want to go out there anyway? There's nothing out there."

Gina opened her mouth, but nothing came out. What could she do? She was stranded and penniless. Lack of money was the least of her problems, she realized. What would happen when the authorities found out? Colony populations were strictly controlled because of the limited resources. Derek interrupted her thoughts before they could get as far as full-blown panic.

"All right, all right. You're really hot," he observed. "Maybe we could work something out."

Gina stared at him, open-mouthed, as she worked this out. She'd been propositioned plenty of times, but never... people only said things like that in bad movies! 

"I'm not a... I...!" she sputtered, barely able to get her head around the thought, never mind say it. "Pervert!"

"Whatever." He shrugged. "I'm a horny pervert. Women aren't exactly plentiful here... especially ones who look like you." He shot a wary glance at X.

"I'm a mech tech," she tried. "I could help fix your machines."

"Nice try. You look like a nurse to me. ... Look, talk it over with your boyfriend. That's what I want. That doesn't work for you, feel free to go bug someone else." Turning his back on them, he went back to working on the rover.

Gina stared at him in disbelief for a moment, then stomped toward the door in disgust. Her inclination was to go somewhere else, anywhere else. The problem was... where? Maybe she could find work somewhere. She could take her chances camping in the desert. Okay, so she couldn't take her chances in the desert. Maybe she could steal the rover. As an android, she was pretty sure X couldn't commit violence. Only police and military robots used violence. Aggression wasn't something robots did unless programmed to, but their robots were built to suit their function, like automated drones and tanks. The only time she'd ever seen a humanoid robot in their service was in an article she'd read. The Japanese had animatronic officers in a few community boxes, but those weren't violent, and they didn't look very human, really. They shared basic information with the public, and they recorded information people gave them, which officers would review later. The only time she'd ever seen a non-military robot commit violence was when a company salvage robot had tried to kill her, and that had been deliberately tampered with. Meaning, if she wanted to try to steal a rover, she was on her own, and if she got caught, X probably wouldn't do anything to help. She stared out into the colourful street for a while before spinning on her heel and marching back up to him.

"Okay, but there better be food and water, too," she said, glaring at him.

"Great! Yeah, this baby's all loaded and ready to go. Just fixing a door seal." Derek said, turning around and setting down his tools. "You can even join in if you want," he told X. "It'll be fun."

Gina could only wonder what kind of man propositioned total strangers into a threesome... without even batting an eye.

"As far as you want to go, this'll be totally worth it, you'll see," he promised.

She somehow doubted it. She felt a sudden wave of nervousness at the thought that she'd just agreed to have sex with a total stranger... a man who propositioned total strangers into a threesome without even batting an eye. 'Just how badly do I want to find Captain Miller?' she wondered.

"You've got to take your clothes off, honey," Derek grinned.

Gina swallowed, then reached down and peeled her shirt up and over her head.

"No, not like that. Sexy like." His eyes were gleaming with excitement.

Was he kidding? He was coercing her into having sex with him. She just wanted to get it over with. It occurred to her that this was the second time she'd been forced to strip for a pervert since arriving at Mars. Turning away from him, she undid the tie on her pants. She forced herself to push them off her hips by bending at the waist instead of just dropping them.

"Man, you got an ass on you," he commented, with a grin. "Some people like tits, but I love a nice ass. ... Not that you don't have nice tits," he quickly added. "You've got great tits."

Gina stared straight ahead, like a deer in the headlights. Was anything worth this? As she turned to face him again, she saw that he had that wide-eyed look of a kid with a new toy.

"Just hop up here, honey," he said, patting the floor of the rover.

She looked past him at X, but saw no reprieve there. Perhaps there was a downside to having a mechanical boyfriend. The vehicle was a little higher than her knees, and she kept her thighs together as she turned and settled herself. Unzipping his jumpsuit, Derek let them drop to the floor. For some reason, Gina wasn't surprised to see that he was naked underneath. She was surprised to see that while his cock wasn't porn star long, it was bigger than normal and thick... very thick. It was also very hard and ready to go. Gina gulped as he stepped closer.

"Look at that bush," he crowed, parting her legs and stepping between them.

She stared at him, goggle-eyed. She had a few trim hairs, barely more than a landing strip pointing at the target. She did not have a bush! What was in the water on this planet? 

"I don't have a...!"

Her objections were derailed when he pressed her legs up to her chest, causing her to fall flat on her back. Gina winced as her head bounced off the rubber mat on the floor. Derek didn't waste any time on foreplay. He quickly took hold of himself and aimed.

"Ow...ahhh!"

A loud gasp was torn from her as the whole thick length of him sank into her. He stretched her wide, so wide that her hips quivered with the effort of taking him. It felt awesome. Bracing himself on the backs of her thighs, he leaned forward over top of her, spreading her legs wider, pinning her knees to her shoulders. Derek got this dreamy look on his face as he worked his cock in and out of her. She'd expected him to come quickly, but despite his lack of finesse, he knew how to use that thing. 

"Oh! Oh... oh my," she panted. "So big."

Derek grunted. He rode her with a rocking rhythm that made her body bounce beneath him as he drove every inch as fully into her as he could. Deep, pounding heat filled her with each thrust of his heavy dick and she reached down between their bodies to rub at her clit. Then X stepped up behind him and suddenly his eyes flew wide and a strangled sound came from his throat. His hips froze and his cock got really hard, straining inside of her. His hips started moving again, but erratically, and she could see X moving behind him. OMG! X was...! She was pretty sure that wasn't what the mechanic had had in mind when he'd said the android could join in.

Despite what she'd expected, the mechanic didn't stop. If anything, he fucked her harder. He'd gone as hard as sprung steel inside her. His face was bright red and his breath came in shallow, raspy gasps. Movements jerky, he went faster and faster, nearly burying the mech tech beneath his broad chest. Gina came only moments before Derek, and the feel of his fat cock jerking inside of her made her pussy clench and quiver even more. The trio just stood that way for several long seconds, frozen with the intensity of sensation.

When the android stepped away, Derek started to breathe again. X looked quite pleased with himself. The mechanic blinked a couple of times, face completely drained. He gave Gina a slightly stunned look, then staggered back.

"Unh..." he complained, wincing and holding his ass. "Just take it. Take the damn thing. Ah... ooh..." he groaned, hobbling across the room.

"What? Are you sure?" Gina asked, sitting up and starting to pull her clothes back on.

"Just bring it back when you're done," he said, with a dismissive wave of his hand. He vanished into the bathroom and closed the door behind him.

Gina looked at X and shrugged.

 They had food and water in the back, so she was sufficiently refuelled. She had herself a survival suit of the kind commonly worn here, tucked away in a crate in the back of the vehicle, and now her choice of her grav shoes or sturdier hiking boots. Despite the terrain, the road was reasonably flat and the rover was a surprisingly smooth and comfortable ride. There was even a tiny fold-down bunk if she were to get tired. She was so comfy that all she had on was her scrubs, and she had the pant legs rolled up almost to the knees. Sitting with her bare feet up on the dash, Gina sucked at her vape and stared out the window. Though it was still mostly desert, parts of the planet held standing water, and were actually covered with greenery. She'd been fascinated to see actual farms just outside of town. There didn't seem to be any livestock, but there were definitely crops. She'd never seen a real farm, even on Earth, but she'd seen them online. She couldn't tell what kind of plants were being grown, and she assumed they were genetically modified for the Martian environment, but they were large, mostly green, and bushy. Eventually, the farms had given way to rocky desert, but even this was colourful and interesting in its own way.

"So, why does Captain Miller live all the way out here?"

"This is where her house is."

Gina sighed heavily. "Sometimes, you are so frustrating."

She couldn't tell if he was being deliberately obtuse, or if it was a flaw in his programming. She tried to resign herself to the fact that she wasn't going to get any answers out of him and would have to wait till they reached their destination, but she was getting nervous. She was almost there. What would the woman be like? Would she answer her questions? ... Would she want X back? Gina blew an irritated cloud of mist at the window. She'd given up her entire life to come here. She'd almost been killed, she was on the run, she'd been gawked at by a perverted guard and had had to fuck a sleazy mechanic. She'd better get some answers. She sighed again. "With my luck, she probably died thirty years ago. What's time to an android?"

The building turned out to be a small, squat, nondescript thing that she never would have seen if she hadn't been looking for it. From a distance, it simply blended into the rocks. It had taken hours to get there, just as X had said it would. After a while, even the desert had gotten boring in its unchanging endlessness. She'd gone to have a nap, and had woken up just before they'd arrived. The fact that they were finally there was like a double espresso. Her eyes were open instantly, and she was eager for any clues or signs of life. Gina quickly pulled her shoes on, but as she opened the box to get the outdoor suit, XTC said "You won't need it." 

He pulled up to a scoured, ancient-looking metal door and waited for a moment. It opened without him having to do anything. Despite the fact that it was pitch black, XTC drove in anyways, making Gina's heart leap to her throat. Lights started to ping on after a second, but they were lethargic and flickered. The droid drove down a short ramp and into a garage that held two rovers just like the one they were in, with room for a couple more. The place looked like it hadn't been used in years. When they got out, X led her through a small airlock, down a flight of stairs and into a meekly-lit room filled with cluttered tables and sparse furniture. There was an open doorway at the far end of the room, and an observation window set into one wall. A light glow came from beyond the glass. Gina was surprised to find that it was actually quite warm. The outdoor suit would have been too much. Everything was silent as a tomb. That sinking feeling got deeper... until she saw something that derailed all rational thought. She stepped closer to the tables just to be sure that what she thought she saw was real. She did a double-take. There were various sex toys scattered around every surface. Gina blushed and her eyes didn't know where to look. There were vibrators and dildos of every shape and size—big ones, medium ones, tiny plugs, silver, blue, pink, red, veiny, ribbed and smooth. There were balls, eggs, and things she couldn't even identify. Standing nearby were several curved stands that Gina instantly recognized as the same kind owned by the Kitty Quick's doctor, Monie. How many did the captain own? Some were only partially assembled. She stared at the closest, lost in thought for a moment. Gina suddenly knew who'd repaired Monie's toy. Why hadn't she seen it before? Both had the same triple-redundant power system. 

Wide-eyed, she turned to X. "You were born here, weren't you?"

"In a manner of speaking," he admitted, looking at her sidelong.

Seeing that he wasn't going to offer anything else, she looked back at the toy mount.

"Why does she have so many...?"

XTC stepped up behind her and looked around her shoulder. As his broad chest loomed up behind her, she was suddenly very conscious of him.

"It seems to have gotten bigger," he commented.

The comment, combined with his closeness, made her colour. "What's gotten bigger?"

He edged even closer and looked the length of the table. "Her collection. It's definitely grown." Pressed against her back, Gina could feel what had gotten bigger.

"X, we can't!" she hissed, turning to face him. "What if someone comes?"

"I'm planning on it," he replied, tugging her top off, despite her efforts to keep tugging it down.

"X!" she hissed again.

The droid ignored her, casting her shirt onto the table beside her. "I won't have to discipline you for insubordination, will I?" he asked, raising a brow.

The question stopped her in her tracks. Having sex in a strange place, some kind of sex toy factory, was bad enough, but to get a spanking here? Forget any efforts to be quiet at that point and, perhaps due to how dark and still everything was, she felt that she ought to be quiet, as though they were intruding, sneaking in... to a place that was quite possibly a tomb. Gina gave him a look right back, to see if he'd back down. He didn't. Of course he didn't, she grumbled to herself, he's an android. He looked down at her bare boobs and smiled. Inwardly rolling her eyes, she hesitantly reached for the tie of her pants. She looked around again, but all was still silent. She was worried about getting caught, but she also knew that he didn't have boundless patience. If she waited too long, he'd decide she wasn't going to comply, then she'd get a spanking and he would fuck her anyways... which might not be so bad, except for the fact that you'd have to be completely deaf not to hear her at that point. If the captain was here, and alive, Gina was determined to meet her with her clothes on. Her eyes drifted down to his pants. They were bulging. She swallowed. Maybe a quick break before she really got down to exploring wouldn't be so bad... she'd be less distracted by how damn hot he was... wandering around behind her, staring at her ass... stepping up and rubbing that hard body against her. Yeah... less distracted.

Gina quickly fumbled the tie of her pants open and pushed them down off her hips. Leaning forward, she pressed her body into his. Eager fingers tried to work his clothing open, but her efforts were interrupted by his hands circling her waist. One rested in the small of her back, holding her close, but the other slid up. His fingers closed in her hair, and he pulled her up onto her toes as he lowered his head for a kiss.




XTC 2.4



"X..." she hissed, breathlessly. A break was definitely a good idea.

At least, so she'd thought until he used the hand in her hair to spin her to face away from him. Squealing, Gina pranced on tiptoe, hands coming up to cover his.

"Ah! Ah! Ah!"

"Insubordination," he accused.

"But, I did what you said to," she protested.

"Then, I shall merely correct you for taking so long to comply."

Holding her by the hair, X delivered a swift slap to the closest buttock. It jiggled under his assault and immediately started to blush. Gina yelped, rocking on her toes. Another spank followed, then another. The sound echoed through the room, bouncing off the stone walls. Whimpering loudly, she did her best to keep quiet, but it was impossible. Thankfully, he relented then, but it didn't make things any easier for her. X released her hair only to wrap his arm around her belly, pulling her tight to him. She could feel how hard his cock was, a hot, thick bar rubbing against her back, his balls squashed against her ass. The droid reached up and fondled her breasts, pinching and squeezing her nipples.

"You are a handful, machine's mate Miller," he said. He kissed the side of her neck.

Words escaped her, and she moaned in response. His chest was a wall against her shoulders, and his stubble tickled her ear, making her shiver. Gina squirmed around to face him again, but as she opened her mouth to speak, he kissed her. When their lips parted, he swept a spot clear on the table, then lifted her to sit in the emptied space.

"Sir!" she gasped.

Stepping between her legs, X took her by the hips and shifted her closer to the edge of the table. The friction against her stinging ass made her pussy clench. Taking hold of one of her legs, he braced it against his chest, letting her other dangle freely off the table. Unzipping his suit, his cock practically sprang free and she watched anxiously as he took hold of it and lowered it to her pussy. X rubbed the head up and down between the wet, swollen lips. His grin said that he enjoyed the hot shiver that he knew he'd sent dancing through her. He kissed her again, and then the whole long, thick shaft sank into her.

"Sir!"

He took her deeply, hips slapping the back of her thigh. Heat built like a tempest inside her. Gina closed her eyes and whimpered. When she opened them, she saw that he was watching her, reading her reactions and enjoying his obvious success at making her body soar with pleasure. A blue glow in the darkness caught her eye. Gina gave a start when she realized what it was. Someone was sitting in the dark, a woman with her legs crossed, sucking a vape and watching them.

"X!" she hissed, but he didn't stop. He didn't even slow down.

Instead, he brought a hand up behind her head and curled his fingers in her hair. He yanked her head back, exposing her neck and making her hiss for a totally different reason. Gina whimpered and dug her fingers into his chest. She realized that the position X held her in was tilting her hips towards the shadowed figure, giving her an excellent view of his cock slipping in and out of her, but Gina wasn't capable of caring.

"Yes, sir... yes, sir..." she mewled, arching her back and tilting her head back into the grip of his hand.

Plunging into her faster, he pulled her closer and closer to the edge with each thrust. Almost there... almost there... Gina cried out as the orgasm spilled through her. Her foot dug into his ass as she flooded his cock with her juices. He kept moving slowly, drawing it out until the last quiver had tumbled through her.

"Thank you, sir," she gasped at last.

X pulled out and stepped back, leaving Gina sitting on the table panting, legs dangling. When she'd mostly caught her breath, she slid down to the floor and looked toward the shadowy spectator just as the woman stood and walked toward her, applauding lightly. The soles of her boots echoed off the stone floor.

"Well, well, well," she purred. "What have we here?"

The woman looked like she might be Gina's grandma... if her grandma had been really hot... and had had her mom when she was really young. The hair colour, the eye colour, even her facial features bore an insanely uncanny resemblance to Gina. It was like seeing what she'd look like when she got older. The woman was wearing snug, white pants with purely decorative suspenders hanging loosely, heavy black boots, and a white blouse undone to mid-cleavage. With each step, it was clear that she wasn't wearing a bra.

"Yes, dear, I'm Captain Miller."

Gina realized she was staring and tried to stammer a hello, but found herself tongue-tied and blushing. She'd just met XTC's creator... by breaking into her home and having sex with her android right in front of her. Gina scrambled to pull her clothes back on, much to the older woman's amusement. The captain sucked at her vape and studied Gina's every move. Quickly tying her pants closed, Gina gave the captain a weak smile, but realized that she was looking past her shoulder. She glanced behind her and blushed, seeing that X was still completely naked. His cock was shiny with her juices.

"I'm sorry, I..." Gina stumbled.

"Nonsense," the captain interrupted. "I quite enjoyed it. Not as much as you, perhaps."

Gina gasped and looked at the floor, unable to look the captain in the eye.

"XTC 2," she said, smiling. "You did a wonderful job. You're as gifted as he is."

"Thank you," Gina managed, then noticed that the captain's eyes were focused below his belly button. Heat stung her cheeks.

"If you're Captain Miller, why does he keep calling me Captain Miller?" she asked, trying to divert the woman's attention.

"X only listens to Captain Miller, dear," she replied, as though this explained everything. She laughed at the tech's baffled expression. "I shall explain in a moment... perhaps."

This was hardly the explanation Gina had been hoping for, and she frowned, but the woman had turned her attention to her android.

"It's good to see you, 2," the captain said.

"It's good to see you, too," the droid replied.

"It's good to see you, 2," the captain repeated, with a grin.

"It's good to see you, too."

Captain Miller finally relented, laughing. "I'd thought him lost," she told Gina.

"We found him on the remains of your ship? I got him plugged back in and..."

Captain Miller raised her hand. "Time enough for stories later, dear. It's enough that you brought him home. You've obviously been taking quite good care of him."

Gina wasn't sure if this was another reference to her activities on the work bench and decided to ask something unrelated again, just in case.

"Why did you create X?"

"You call him X? Dear, how charming," she enthused. "I'd have thought you'd have named him."

The thought had honestly never occurred to her. X was his name.

"I didn't create him," the captain said. She sucked at her vape and studied the tech a moment before deciding. 

Gesturing for Gina to follow, she crossed the room toward the large observation window. Inside, Gina saw a couple in lab coats in a room filled with robot parts, jars, tools, toys, and other such. They both looked to be in their 30s, oriental, had dark hair, and both were slender and of similar height. They were standing at a cluttered work table.

"They did," Captain Miller said.

Their lab coats were both pushed to the side around their waists and Gina could clearly see that those and shoes were all that they were wearing. What they were doing...! The woman had one leg up on the table, and was turned towards the window slightly. This meant that Gina had a great view of her face contorted in pleasure and his slick cock slipping in and out of her shaved pussy. His cock was so hard that it was red and curved like an overstrung bow. He was taking her in quick, easy strokes that had her eyes closed, and purring. His rhythm was as smooth and as practised as a machine. He leaned over her back, his face close to hers, whispering something in her ear. Whatever he said had an instant reaction. Her face lit up with pure naughty delight and she bounced her hips back against him.

Gina had only seen people actually having sex in person once before. Even without being able to hear them through the thick glass, the sight was nearly overwhelming. This was nothing like seeing it on a screen. She brought a hand up without thinking and rubbed her belly.

The captain watched her out of the corner of her eye. She smiled as she watched the girl's thumb unconsciously caress one of her nipples. They looked to be so hard that it was surprising the fabric of the shirt could contain them. XTC stood close behind her. He was hard, his thick cock nearly touching Gina's ass. The droid was looking down, obviously admiring the way the large, firm globes were stretching the thin, purple fabric. He looked about ready to take matters into his own hands, and she considered. She'd love nothing more than to see him ravish her again. How hot that would be, watching the muscular 'man' taking her from behind. She could see it in her mind's eye. He'd have her pushed up against the glass, making her watch the horny scientists while he drove deeply into her with those long, steady thrusts he obviously preferred. Her ass was big enough that it would bounce with each one. Would he grab her breasts? Spank her? Pull her hair again? The tech made such cute noises when she was in the throes, too. But, as the droid reached for Gina's waist, the captain lightly cleared her throat and shook her head. The movement was almost imperceptible, but it wasn't lost on XTC. He immediately stepped back, cock wilting. A shame, Miller thought, the girl had made what was already an impressive display of engineering into one beautiful beast. Still, she had other plans, and she didn't want the girl distracted from the show behind the glass.

Behind that glass, things only got more intense. Faster and faster he went. His hips slammed into her quick and hard, making her brown-tipped breasts bounce up and down like high-speed pistons. Gina couldn't believe he had that kind of stamina. Her head was thrown back and her eyes were closed. Her expression was pure rapture. And then, abruptly it happened. He pushed himself as tightly to her as he could, shuddering and obviously gasping for breath. His eyes were screwed tightly shut, the same as hers. It was like a moment frozen in time. When he stepped away, he took deep gulps of air, and his chest was heaving. His cock was shiny and red, but quickly shrank back into its nest of thick, dark hair.

Gina realized she'd been holding her own breath, and she was sure that the temperature had just gone up several degrees. She knew she shouldn't, but she just couldn't pull her eyes away.

The woman didn't move, just arched her back and looked past her shoulder at him. He reached down between her ass cheeks and twisted his fingers back and forth. Gina was confused until she saw him very slowly start to work a bright silver plug out of the tight grip of his lover's ass. Gina gasped, seeing the thick phallic head of it. The plug was vibrating gently. He stopped it not by turning anything off, but by holding it in his hand and squeezing it... or something.

Another flush of heat flooded Gina's chest. She felt her own bottom clench reflexively and she wondered what it would be like to be in the woman's place with X behind her.

Pocketing the plug, the researchers embraced and kissed. The intimacy of it almost made Gina look away, but then they parted. The man picked up a jar that had been sitting beside them amongst the toys, replaced the lid, and took it to a fridge. The woman smoothed her jacket and hair, then checked something off on a tablet, smiling broadly.

"They sometimes get a little carried away," the captain said, looking at the techie sidelong.

Gina found she couldn't pull her eyes away. Every bit of her was aching with need. There was so much moisture between her legs, both from before and now from watching this, that she almost felt like she'd peed herself. She only hoped it wasn't obvious through her clothes. She watched the man retrieve another jar and wondered what they were going to do with this one. The woman picked up a shiny, chromed vibrator and seemed to consider it before suddenly noticing Gina staring at her. She smiled and waved. Feeling extremely awkward, having just played the voyeur, the tech did her best not to duck and pretend she hadn't just been watching. To her credit, she managed to stand her ground and politely wave back.

"They used to work for... let's simply say, a secretive military research organization belonging to a first world power. I'll leave it to them to tell you which one, if you're interested. They tired of their work being used to harm others, but that's not an organization you simply walk away from. I helped them... relocate."

Gina pulled her eyes from the window just long enough to give the captain a baffled look.

"I move things, dear," she explained, turning her back to the window and leaning on the glass.

"What kind of things?"

"All kinds of things."

Captain Miller just stood there, vaping and letting Gina figure this out for herself.

"You're a smuggler?" Gina was incredulous. The captain had her full attention now. The thought was nearly inconceivable. Smuggling on Earth was hard enough, but in space there were far fewer ships to distract inspectors, controls were quite tight. How...? What would you possibly want to smuggle?

The captain blew a cloud of mist at the ceiling and smiled. "Not just, dear, not just. I build things, I sell things, I trade things. I'm a merchant. I get people what they want."

"But, how do you...? Where do you...?"

"Truly brilliant, those two," the captain commented, ignoring her. "It wasn't long after I had them comfortably settled before we discovered something."

"What?"

"It wasn't long after I had them comfortably settled before we discovered something," she repeated.

"No!" Gina growled. "What did you discover?" Now she knew where X got his sense of humour.

The captain grinned. "We discovered a naturally occurring mineral that can be turned into a compound both slightly flexible and yet harder than currently known metals. This same compound, when further modified, has a tendency to vibrate for extended periods of its own accord. Somehow, the twins have managed to create both toys and a power source from this."

Gina gave her a perplexed look.

"They're not really twins," the captain commented.

"No, no, that's not it," Gina said. "What is this mineral? How do they make it work?" Her mind was filled with questions. The shuttle, the toys, even X, they all used this power source. XTC's shell was built from whatever this compound was. She'd thought his body was formed from plastic.

Captain Miller smiled. "That's part of why you're here, dear."

"It is?"

The captain sighed and sat in her chair again. She thought for a long moment before answering. "I'm not going to live forever, dear. I'm looking for a protege. It seems X favours you... he also believes you to be the best choice."

Gina wasn't sure she'd heard correctly.

"It's rather obvious you fancy him," the captain jibed, grinning at Gina's reaction.

"Your protege?" she managed, doing her best to ignore the teasing.

"We shall see."



XTC 2.5



Gina's log. Things have only gotten stranger. I'm still on the run, now an illegal immigrant on Mars, where I'm effectively stranded and penniless. I've finally met X's creators... I think. They're some kind of Darpa-level scientists working in a secret lab, fugitives themselves. I was told I can ask them what organization they're on the run from, but I'm honestly a bit scared to. That sort of thing is way beyond me. I've also met Captain Miller at last. She says that she isn't the creator, that she's a smuggler who brought the scientists here. 'Here' is a sex toy workshop in the middle of nowhere. Yes, the scientists gave up building weapons to build sex toys. Even stranger, the captain looks just like me. Or, since she's older, I guess I look just like her. I'm starting to feel like Alice in wonderland. This is sure not where I thought my life would lead me.

Captain Miller reloaded her vape, then opened the door to the lab, a procedure, Gina noted, that required both punching in a code on a keypad and inserting her finger into a biometric scanner that sampled her DNA, temperature and heart rate. Both scientists looked up as the door hissed open.

"Hello, Captain," they both said at the same time.

"Good evening," she replied.

Gina hovered just behind the captain's left and tried not to stare. She couldn't look either of them in the eye. Not only had she just watched them both having sex right in front of her, but she knew that they weren't wearing anything under their lab coats. This was a fact impossible to ignore—while the woman had buttoned hers closed again, the man had not. He seemed completely unconcerned that he was standing there with his penis in full view of the entire room. Gina, red-faced and trying to look anywhere but directly at him, found herself in wonderment once again at the male body. How could something so small and wrinkly, barely visible in the remarkably thick nest of black hair, grow into something so much bigger and a lot more fun?

"You've had your evening exercise, I see."

"We've been testing a new gel," the man declared excitedly.

"Oh?"

"It instantly warms on contact with skin to a temperature currently varying between 0.2 and 0.6 degrees warmer than core—rectal measure. It's lubricity is slightly greater than typical vaginal secretion (estimated) but it has excellent viscosity retention."

"It takes 30-60 minutes to be absorbed by the body," the woman added, "...not counting the presence of semen."

Gina's mind boggled. The presence of...? Rectal core temperature? She couldn't even conceive of measuring something like that scientifically. 30-60... wouldn't it feel weird having something so greasy inside you for so long?

"It feels good," the woman added, as if reading Gina's mind.

The tech hadn't even realized she'd been making a face.

"It tastes like cherry," the man chipped in.

"They do so get into their work," the captain commented.

"It also contains nanos trackable to a distance of approximately 1000 metres, and easily detectable for up to 48 hours," the man interjected.

Captain Miller quickly cleared her throat. "Ahem, that's not why we're here, actually," she said, looking at Gina out of the corner of her eye.

The twins approached, making Gina work harder to avoid staring at the penis bouncing closer and closer to her.

"It would seem that XTC 2... it's good to see you, 2..."

"It's good to see you, too," the droid parroted.

"...has made a choice," the captain informed them, gesturing toward Gina.

"Oh?" they both said at once.

The man immediately pulled some kind of pen out of his pocket, took Gina's hand and pressed it to her finger. There was a sharp pain as it stabbed her.

"Ow!" she cried, but before she could even register that he'd drawn blood, he turned and walked briskly away, vanishing through another door. As she sucked her finger, she shot an accusing glance at the woman, who didn't seem the slightest bit perturbed, and had begun entering information into her tablet.

"What is your name, please?" she asked.

"Gina," the tech replied. She was uncomfortable yet, giving out her last name, and was starting to wonder just what kind of bizarre circus she'd walked into.

"This is Leah. That was Lucas," Captain Miller commented. "They're our resident geniuses. Gina rescued XTC 2 from the wreck of La Petite Mort. She's named him simply X. Isn't that adorable? He seems to like it."

"I thought it was called Le Petit Mort?" Gina interrupted, glad for something to take her mind off Leah's staring at her and tapping data into her tablet.

"Well," the captain sighed, "never send a droid to arrange the paperwork... at least, not unless you've installed language software first. If nothing else, it makes it harder to find. Made it harder," she corrected herself. "I miss that ship. It was beautiful. I'll have it renamed when I have it repaired. Something completely new, of course."

Before anyone could say anything else, another droid came into the room and stepped to the captain's side. He looked identical to X before she'd given him RealSkin. Gina noticed right away, though, that he didn't move identically. His posture was straighter, stiffer, and he tended to tilt his head slightly as though regarding his surroundings with an air of detached interest. Even when he moved his hands, there was a certain... precise crispness to the movements, as opposed to the fluidity of X's. It made her realize just how accustomed she'd grown to X.

"It's been done, as ordered captain," he told her, earning a pleased smile.

"This is XTC 1," she said, gesturing to the droid. "His name is William. Usually, I just call him Number One... unless I'm cross with him; then I call him evil-minded bugger." She chuckled, despite Gina not getting the joke. "On occasion, I've been known to call him Big Willy... but I won't tell you why."

Gina was pretty sure she already knew why, and continued to stare with a deer-in-the-headlights expression. She felt more than a little overwhelmed.

"It must surely have been a long, difficult journey," Captain Miller said, smiling at Gina. "Why don't I have William prepare you a room and a shower? A little relaxation is in order. Some food, perhaps a nap afterwards? I have some business to take care of, but do make yourself at home." She led Gina back out of the room. Behind her, the scientists were smiling.

"I don't want to put you to any trouble," Gina insisted, though inwardly she was excited at the prospect of a shower.

"Nonsense, dear," the captain said with a dismissive wave, "after bringing X home, it's the least I can do. Take as long as you like."

"If you're sure it's okay."

"Number One, make it so," the captain commanded, with a grin.

"Yes, captain," the droid replied with a nod, then disappeared through the open doorway.

"Naturally, Number One will be available, should you need him."

The thought of being followed around by the unfamiliar droid made her stomach quiver. "That's really not necessary."

"No trouble at all." 

Captain Miller watched the tech for a moment, making her squirm. Gina felt as though she were under the critical eye of a strict professor.

"It was quite resourceful of you to find your way here without a visa."

"X had a lot to do with that," she admitted.

"Did he?"

The captain watched her silently. Her eyes seemed to be memorizing and dissecting every aspect of her body, then seeing past that right into her soul. Gina fidgeted with her shirt, unsure of what to say.

"Do you vape, Gina?"

"Yes, ma'am." The question made her want to reach for her own, but she wasn't sure if it would make a good impression, or a bad one.

Another moment of silence followed.

"You have a sizable bottom," the captain observed. "What size pants do you wear?"

Gina gaped in shock at the personal question. She was almost relieved when William returned.

"Done as ordered, captain," the droid said.

"Well then," she said, gesturing for Gina to follow him. "I shall be a while, so please take your time."

Gina obediently toddled off after the droid. He led her down a short, dark hallway past several closed doors to a large bedroom. William stepped inside and stood stiffly to one side of the door. Hesitantly, the tech followed him in and explored. It was quite cozy. Everything was accented with the captain's preferred steampunk style, which despite Gina's expectations, didn't seem out of place or garish, even with the exposed stone walls. Light came from Victorian-styled lamps. The floor was covered with a large, patterned area rug. There was a large bed with several pillows on it, covered by a thick duvet. A handful of tables of various sizes accented the room, and a large, overstuffed leather chair and matching divan sat in a corner, facing the bed. Through a large doorway opposite the end of the bed, Gina could see a large shower. William had stacked some fresh towels on a table just outside its doors.

"Um, you really don't need to stay," Gina said, fidgeting.

The droid completely ignored her. Gina reddened slightly as she realized that William wasn't going to leave the room.

"I'm fine, really," she tried.

William continued to stand at attention, staring straight ahead. Perhaps he was powered down? Somehow, she doubted it. Despite her misgivings, Gina reached for her shirt and tugged it off. The opportunity to stand under real, running water was too attractive, despite being under the watchful gaze of Number One. Dropping it on the floor, her pants and shoes quickly followed. Though, she kept shooting him glances out of the corner of her eye, William never budged, or looked in her direction.

The rug felt nice under her bare feet. It was an odd sensation, having become accustomed to hard metal and rubber. The shower had a polished stone floor and brass fixtures. The floor of the shower was sunk down only a few centimetres, and at first she couldn't figure out how to close the door, or if there even was a door. After a brief search, she worked it out, but as she closed it, Gina was aware that it didn't conceal anything, being a nearly invisible wall of glass that slid across the opening. However, the water was hot, real, and pure heaven. It made her forget everything except its sweet caress. She cleaned every centimetre, inside and out, and washed her hair twice. There was genuine shampoo, and it smelled like strawberries. Busy hands excited skin already teased by a million liquid fingers. She tried to wait, reluctant now to reach climax without X, but it felt so good and it came on her almost without warning. One moment she was washing her feminine bits, then her fingers brushed over a clit already hard and aching, and she was left bent at the waist with her legs wide spread, leaning against the wall for support and rubbing herself over the edge of pleasure. It was small and delicious, but all the orgasm really did was make her want more.

When she stepped out onto the rug again, Gina was startled to see that her clothes were gone. Number One was still standing exactly where she'd seen him last, but they couldn't just walk away. Unless they'd vanished into thin air, X1 was every bit as stealthy as X2. That wasn't all that was different. There was a short, silk robe on the bed. It was black with pink cherry blossoms, and red and gold dragons on it, and it looked expensive. She wrapped her hair with one of the fluffy towels, dried herself with another, and cast wary glances at X1, but he never moved. She coloured, realizing that the shower door hadn't fogged like normal glass would have, but had remained perfectly clear during her shower, and that she had had her back to the room when she'd been bent over touching herself. Some droids could record or broadcast everything they saw. Just how much had he seen while she was showering? How did she not notice him moving around the room? Was it someone else who'd moved things? If he was powered on, was Captain Miller watching her? Gina didn't even try to conceal herself as she dropped the towel and changed into the robe. He'd already seen everything there was to see if he wasn't really powered down. As she tugged the belt closed, she wasn't sure if she was relieved or disappointed when he didn't offer to give her a 'massage'. He was so different from X.

Gina was lost for a moment in fantasy. If it had been X waiting on her, she wouldn't have been using her fingers. He would have followed her into the shower. He'd have pinned her to the wall, taking her in long, deep strokes from behind. Her palms would be braced against the wet stone and she'd be whimpering helplessly in orgasm while the hot water cascaded down around her.

She didn't see her shoes, but she didn't let that stop her. She refused to be held prisoner by bare feet. Left to her own devices, Gina explored the shop. Number One didn't follow at first, which she thought odd. Was he powered off? He did eventually catch up to her, but he just stopped to stand silent watch near the entrance to the room and left her to herself. Despite the fact that they were sex toys, as a tech, she found the partially assembled mechanisms scattered all over the tables fascinating. She only wished she could understand them. As she peered at the innards of one of the curved stands, it occurred to her that the inventors were close to hand. Deciding to take a chance, she went to the observation window and peeked in. They were both still there. Lucas was holding a silver vibrator upside down and having an animated discussion with Leah, who was waving her tablet. Gina knocked on the glass. The discussion immediately stopped and both heads turned to look at her. There was a quick exchange between them, then Lucas came to open the door.

"Hello, Gina," he said, standing to one side and waving her in. William dutifully followed, again standing just to one side of the doorway.

Questions forgotten, she found herself lost in wonderment at all the bits and pieces of machines, and the fridges full of jars. Sitting in the corner were several small, more conventional-looking robots—floor sweepers and totes. She could tell simply by looking at them that they were built with the same materials as X was. One set of shelves held a jumble of sex toys and tools all jumbled together, as if it was the most natural thing in the world to mix them.

"You built all this?"

"Well, designed," he corrected.

"We don't really know much about the building side of things," Leah added. "We actually had the droids programmed to do most of the building. They're better at it than we are."

The droids did the building? Monie's toy, a lot of the maintenance on both the Johnson and the Quickie... the salvage robots? Had X tampered with the suicidal salvage robot...? She decided she didn't want to consider the possibility, or the implications.

"So, you designed and programmed the X bots?" she asked instead.

"Adapted might be more accurate," Lucas suggested.

"Altered," Leah suggested.

"It was an existing design. We modified it to include elements that we felt were lacking. I'm sure an expert may have done it differently."

"Like the shutter in the front?" Gina asked, colouring slightly at the thought of what was behind that shutter.

"The CMi-PP unit?" Lucas laughed.

"The see my...?"

"A lot of testing went into that," Leah said, a dreamy smile on her face.

Gina flushed more deeply and thought of all the testing she herself had done on it and what was behind it.

"You're a mech tech, aren't you?" Lucas asked, interrupting her thoughts.

"Don't be so colloquial," Leah said. "That's not her proper job title."

"I guess I'm between jobs now," Gina frowned. Admitting it tasted sour in her mouth.

"Would you take a look at this?" Lucas asked, quickly changing the subject. He handed her the disassembled vibrator.

Gina almost dropped it in surprise.

"We've installed a Martian Motor in it..."

"A what?"

"Just one of our working titles for the type of motor we've created that uses the new compound," Leah explained.

"The vibrations of the machine cause the Martian Motor to vibrate, which in turn is rigged to recharge the battery of the primary motor," Lucas continued. Gina could honestly say she'd never heard a vibrator referred to as simply a machine... or really considered how they worked. "The problem is, it vibrates so intensely when combined with the natural motions of the machine, that it becomes uncomfortable."

"It also becomes impossible to control the speed, and sometimes to even shut it off," Leah added.

"You created a perpetual motion vibrator?" Gina asked, mind struggling to grasp the inclinations.

"While an interesting idea, do you really want everyone who comes over to ask 'what's that humming noise?'"

"I guess not," she agreed, though her mind immediately turned to all the other things you might power this way.

"The idea was to create one that recharges through use," Lucas explained.

"Making recharging fun," Leah added.

Lucas gestured toward it with a sweep of his hand, inviting her to take a look. The form of the machine was quickly forgotten as she lost herself in the fun of exploring the new technology and helping to redesign it. She had no idea how much time passed, but by the time she was done, not only was it functioning properly, but she had drawn them up plans for a new version that would be substantially more efficient by turning the body of the toy into part of the engine.

"This will also make it lighter, because it'll be hollow inside," she bubbled. "Maybe you could put something else inside if it's too light."

The scientists exchanged glances.

"Amazing," Lucas enthused.

"You do have a way with machines," Leah agreed.

"Thank you," she replied, unaccustomed to praise. Most people viewed her almost as part of the equipment. As long as things worked properly, they didn't really notice her.

"By the way, you did a wonderful job with X's skin. I'm sure the captain will ask you to do William's," Leah commented. Perhaps later, you could help us adjust the X bot schematics."

The chance to modify X? The chance to find out how he really works? She was be thrilled by the possibility, but that amount of confidence in her abilities was nearly overwhelming, and she felt it was definitely undeserved.

"Do you always call her the captain?" she asked, trying to change the subject.

"Yes."

"Doesn't she have a real name?"

The twins looked at each other like she'd grown another head.

"The captain," Lucas replied.

"Say, would you like to help us with an experiment?" Leah asked.

"Sure," she agreed, though she wasn't certain that it was really a wise idea.

"Great!" Lucas cheered, hurrying to the fridge. "Let's test 36b."

"It's the same lube that we were testing when you arrived," Leah informed her while Lucas warmed it in a microwave.

"In particular, we're interested in its ability to suppress the gag reflex."

"It seems I have a high oral tolerance, making test results difficult to measure," Leah explained.

"She can take the whole thing no problem," he said, uncapping the jar. "How are you at swallowing?"

Gina turned beet red, and involuntarily found herself looking down. He'd buttoned his lab coat again, but his lack of underwear allowed it to bulge out in front. It was all too obvious that while he wasn't hard, he wasn't completely soft, either. Every movement of his hips caused the coat to shimmy back and forth. Leah laughed at her reaction. She really wasn't sure just how far she was willing to go for science. Gina watched in bewildered fascination as Lucas picked up the vibrator and dipped it in the jar of gel. With a finger, he spread it all over the shiny silver surface. She was so surprised when he handed it to her, that it took her a moment to accept it.




XTC 2.5



"What's the matter?" Lucas asked.

"Nothing!" she blurted. "It's just, I thought... I... nothing!" she assured, blushing furiously.

"She thought she was getting a hot Lucas test," Leah laughed.

"Uh, no, I...!"

"That won't be necessary," he said.

"Unless you want to," Leah added, grinning.

Unable to answer, Gina didn't say anything, instead turning her attention to the toy that was dribbling juice down over her fingers. 'I can't believe I'm doing this' she thought again. Sticking out her tongue, she tentatively touched it to the vibrator. The lube tasted like cherry, as he'd said... with a hint of something she couldn't place. Gina ran the flat of her tongue up the entire length of the toy. It was kind of like a thin, candy syrup. Wrapping her lips around it, she dipped first the head in, pulled it back, then took half its length. She noticed both scientists watching her with fascinated grins. It was embarrassing, but emboldening. She smiled around the silver phallus, twisting it in her mouth as she sucked on it, pressing it in until it was nearly bumping the back of her throat. X had given her a little practice. She gasped when she saw the front of Lucas' coat jump.

"Bend over," Leah commanded, gleefully. "I want to see something."

Heat flooded Gina's cheeks at the thought. What could she want to see that required bending over? This felt like it was starting to spiral away from something as simple and wholesome as deep-throating a vibrator. She did it anyway.

"Mmm, look at that," Leah purred, tugging the hem of the robe up and pulling Gina's ass cheeks apart, leaning over her back for a better look.

"Very nice," Lucas agreed.

"I want to lick it," Leah bubbled.

Gina's brow furrowed at the admission. No girl had ever said that before (so far as she knew) about any part of her anatomy.

"I'll take that now," Leah said, pulling the vibrator from Gina's mouth. "And this is just getting in the way," she informed her, stripping the robe from her, then bending her over again with a hand on the back of her head. "Now, reach back and spread your cheeks. We want to do some measurements."

"What?" Gina asked in embarrassed puzzlement, but hesitantly doing as she was told. "What kind of... eep!"

Her question was cut short by the feel of something warm and thin being slid into her ass.

"Hold still," Leah ordered.

She would have jumped straight up to the ceiling if not for the hand on her back encouraging her to stay put. Something hard and flat was then placed on the middle of her back.

"Core temperature 37.2," Lucas said. Fingers, certainly Leah's, tapped against a tablet—the thing on her back.

"Perfectly normal and healthy," Leah commented.

"She also seemed to do quite well with the oral test."

"But, how much was practice and how much was 36b?"

"Hm..."

"Have you sucked a lot of cock?" Leah asked bluntly.

Gina gasped. "No," she eventually managed to mumble, shaking her head, using her hair to hide her face.

"I didn't think so," Lucas announced triumphantly.

What was that supposed to mean? Did she look like a total idiot doing it? She'd thought she looked kind of hot. The front of his coat had certainly reacted. The blow to her ego almost drove her from the room.

"How would you know?" Leah asked suspiciously.

"An educated guess, based on her demeanour."

"Her demeanour," Leah parroted skeptically. "And educated by who? We've been together since university."

"She just seemed too innocent to be very experienced. Bashful, rapid blush response..."

"So, what you're saying is she doesn't look slutty enough to be good at it? She could simply have Rosacea, and bashfulness doesn't prove anything," Leah interrupted. "You have a lot to learn about women. Never make assumptions."

Gina wasn't sure thinking she was inexperienced because she didn't look like a slut was a compliment, and worse, the whole time they were arguing, she was left standing there like a human table, holding her bum cheeks apart, with a thermometer up her ass for the whole world to see.

"She spent days to weeks in the escape shuttle, which as you know has no substantial food supplies," Leah pointed out. "She almost certainly got her nutrients from X2, or she would be considerably more haggard, emaciated and discoloured by now from living off just the crap in those ration tubes, and I think we both know X2 wouldn't just jerk off to provide them. So, she has had some practice."

Gina squeaked in shock. How did she know that? 

"Regardless, that isn't much, and she showed absolutely no signs of discomfort during the test. I would call 36b quite promising."

"Agreed," Leah said, taking the tablet off Gina's back.

Gina quivered as someone took hold of the thermometer and turned it inside her.

"Did you know that X2 also has a water filtration system, should you find yourself stranded in the wilderness?" Lucas informed her.

Ewww! Before she had time to dwell on this fact, the thermometer was slipped from her ass slowly, so that she felt every millimetre of it. Gina gasped and clenched as a hot shiver raced through her.

"Don't move," Leah commanded. "Keep spreading."

They left her standing like that for a minute. It seemed like forever. She couldn't understand why she was simply obeying. She knew that she shouldn't. It was incredibly embarrassing standing there knowing they were looking... but it was also incredibly arousing standing there... knowing they were looking. Of course, that couldn't be the reason. She was helping advance science.

"She is so cute."

"Mmm," Lucas responded noncommittally.

"And so obedient. I hope we get to keep her. Look how wet she is. I bet she tastes like honey."

"Ah!" she gasped as someone touched her pussy, then rubbed it vigorously. Heat shot through her.

Gina was pretty sure she could hear the sounds of kissing behind her. We're they making out? She didn't have time to dwell on that, either. Without warning, Gina felt a finger probing her asshole. It rubbed in little circles a few times, then slid slickly and easily into her up to the knuckle. It was coated with gel. Gina let out a startled squeak.

"How does that feel?" Leah asked.

"It feels like a finger up my ass!"

"But, how does it feel?"

"... Good, I guess."

Both scientists laughed.

"I really like her!" Leah declared, still laughing. "But, how does it feel?" The finger twirled inside of her, then wiggled.

"More descriptive, please," Lucas explained.

Gina stammered a moment, unsure what to say. "Weird, but kind of good... I've only ever done it that way a couple times, but I think... I think I actually cum harder," she managed, mortified at discussing the details of her sex life.

The scientists both laughed again.

What? What?

"I really love her!" Leah declared, thrusting her finger in and out.

"We meant describe how the 36b feels," Lucas explained.

"Oh," Gina mumbled, heat stinging her cheeks. "It's warm, and kind of tingly."

"I'm glad you like my finger," Leah said, amusement still tingeing her voice. "Anal's one of those things you love it or hate it. Assgasms are usually more intense, if you can have them. You're so lucky. I love anal, too, but I have to rub my clit to cum."

Gina just stood there trying to absorb this. This was not a conversation she would ever have dreamed having when she woke up that morning—discussing anal sex with another woman's finger up her ass. Said finger slowly slid back out of her... so that she could feel every millimetre of it. A moment later Gina's eyes widened as she felt the hard tip of what was undoubtedly the silver toy—at least, she hoped it was the silver toy—start working its way into her ass. She didn't have any warning, or even have time to clench up, not that it would have done her any good, as syrupy as the vibrator was.

"Eep! Ah! That's my..." she started, but words failed her as the unyielding plastic pried her open.

With constant pressure and the 36b, Leah soon had nearly the entire length of the toy deep inside the submissive mech tech. She barely let her adjust to it before she started to fuck her with it. The friction quickly made the gel warm even more and left Gina panting, bringing a huge, wicked smile to Leah's face.

Gina closed her eyes and whimpered, bracing her hands on her thighs to keep her knees from going weak. The vibe felt bigger inside her than it really was, and the gel made it feel almost as good as X. She couldn't believe she was doing this. When she opened her eyes, Lucas stepped into her field of view... or, rather, part of him did. His hard cock bobbed in front of her nose, shiny with gel. Gina opened her mouth just as he rubbed it across her lips. The scent of sex and hard cock filled her nostrils and she stuck out her tongue. Lucas slipped his cock into her and the taste of cherry filled her mouth. Hips tilting forward, he fucked her quickly while Gina sucked eagerly. 

Behind her, Leah pounded her backside with steady strokes that made her pussy throb. She could feel her orgasm building and reached back to touch herself.

Lucas curled his fingers in her hair and pressed deeper into her mouth. Before she knew it, she was holding her breath, his wiry pubic hair tickling her nose. He switched to long, slow thrusts, pushing as much of himself into her as he could.

Her fingers flew in quick, desperate circles over her clit, pausing only long enough to tease her wanton hole. Leah twisted the vibe with every in-thrust. It was wet heat moving faster and faster in the tight grip of her ass. The orgasm that was building deep in Gina's belly suddenly tightened and swelled like a wave rushing to shore. It crashed over her and washed her with pleasure that stood her on tiptoe. Just as suddenly, Lucas flooded her mouth with hot cream.

Gina sat on a stool beside the work table, catching her breath. Her ass felt strange, still slightly open and slick with lube, though it didn't feel bad. All she could taste was cherry flavoured cum. She wished she had her vape. Lucas had replaced the gel in the fridge and was rearranging the jars, Leah was entering data into her tablet.

"One thing I really want to know," Gina panted. "Whose personality is he based on? Is he just emulating?" She didn't need to explain who she meant.

"I think what you're really asking is, are his feelings and desires real," Lucas suggested.

Gina couldn't believe she was so transparent. She nodded silently.

"Perhaps you should ask instead if programmed feelings are less real simply because they're not organic, born in silicon instead of in flesh. Would it make a difference if his feelings simulated someone else's, rather than being spontaneous, based on genetic predispositions and reactions to chemicals?"

The question left Gina flustered, and Leah shot a silencing look at Lucas.

"We didn't program their brains, Captain Miller did. She's quite brilliant," Leah said warmly.

Gina found this surprising and couldn't hide her shock. "What? Really?" A smuggler and a master programmer? The two seemed so mutually exclusive to her.

"She wouldn't explain how it was done," Lucas added, "but from what I understand, they have a base personality that adapts, develops... a very complex learning program."

"Indeed. Their personalities are quite different and all their own," the captain said from the doorway. "His feelings are true." She was leaning against the frame, vape in hand. "Gina, come with me, please," she said, turning and leaving the room.

Gina rushed to catch up, not even thinking to grab the robe in her haste. The captain led her back to the bedroom. William and X were both there, standing sentinel on either side of the door. The captain stopped near the overstuffed stool and turned to face her.

"The ship had been on its way to deliver X1 and X2 to a rather exclusive establishment... let's call it a spa, a retreat, if you will, there to study the clientele for a possibly suitable replacement, amongst other things" she explained of her own volition.

Gina stared at her blankly, unsure what to say.

"It's not really a spa, dear," the captain explained. "I was being polite."

Gina nodded. She'd assumed as much.

Captain Miller took a deep suck off her vape and studied the tech critically. "Sweet, little poppet," she sighed heavily, apparently deciding that the girl wasn't going to catch up to the conversation. "The ship was attacked, sabotaged," she continued.

"By who?" Gina asked breathlessly. It was like a spy movie.

"I haven't decided yet," the captain said, raising an eyebrow in Gina's direction. "At any rate, it was the purest chance that you should have happened across X." The captain watched her silently for a moment. "However, I'm afraid that I have some unfortunate news."

"What?" Gina asked, instantly anxious.

"My dear, I'm afraid that you're not well suited to being my protege."

"Why not?" She could barely get the words out.

"You're simply too... nice."

Gina's spirit was crushed in an instant. What would happen to her now? Where would she go? How would she even get off the planet? X! What about X? Tears begin to well and her knees felt weak.

"However, you seem to have admirable skill with machines. I could certainly enjoy abusing you."

Gina stared at her wide-eyed. Abusing...? What did that mean?

"Put you to use, dear," the captain explained.

She wasn't sure that sounded any better.

"Really?" she asked, grasping for hope.

"Hm," the captain considered. "I'll tell you what. You will be blindfolded. If you can tell the droids apart, I'll allow X to keep you."

That seemed like a strange way to phrase it.

"Okay," Gina readily agreed.

Captain Miller flopped down into the overstuffed chair. She crossed her legs and lit her vape as she settled back to watch. Blowing a cloud of mist at the ceiling, she smiled wolfishly at the sight the girl presented. Blindfolded and naked, on all fours on the divan, she was pure eroticism. Only a few feet away, she could see Gina quiver nervously, and smell her arousal. Casting a glance at William, she motioned him forward.

Gina couldn't believe she'd gone along with this. What was going to happen? Why did she need to be naked? Captain Miller had tied the blindfold onto her, then led her by the hair until her legs had bumped up against the divan. She'd made her kneel on it, then reminded her of the agreement. If she could tell who X was, she could stay. Now, all she could do was wait and see what was going to happen. She didn't have to wait long.

A strong hand wrapped itself in her hair, pulling her head back and making her gasp. She could feel that he was standing to her side. The slap to her ass was unexpected and hard, making her cry out. The sting overwhelmed the heat, and as his hand landed once, then twice more, tears welled in her eyes and she was fighting with herself not to reach back. By the time the spanking stretched to ten, then twenty, he had to wrap an arm around her waist to keep her from leaping off the stool. Was this X? The dominance was really making her hot, but he never spanked her so hard. Her ass burned and stung. She could feel the heat radiating from it. And X always reached down and stroked her pussy. This time he didn't. It was like the spanking was the goal in itself. Surely, it couldn't be X. For X, spanking was always a foreplay, something that always made her feel like a naughty girl, something that got her really hot before things got really hot. He was doing the spanking, he was in control, but it was really all about her. He had been getting rougher lately, though. She hoped it wasn't X. Gina's chest was heaving when he let go of her.

Without a word, the droid stepped around behind her. She knew where he was the moment she felt his hand roughly gripping her stinging ass. His stiffness parted her lips, then the full length sank into her in one long stroke. Gina cried out, but words were beyond her. He took her fast, with shallow strokes that made his hips slap her burning backside. It was intense, it was too much, she wasn't sure how much she could take. Despite that, she came almost immediately, the orgasm rippling through her pelvis like electricity bouncing along a metal fence.

The droid was nowhere near done, though. She hadn't even finished coming down before he grabbed her by the hair and made her kneel up. Squealing and reaching for his hands, Gina could do little but follow as he forced her off of the stool to kneel on the floor. She didn't need to guess what he wanted next. He stopped her gasping and whimpers by filling her mouth with his cock. The gel was persistent, and despite having swallowed most of it, he still tasted slightly of cherry, mixed now with her own juices. Taking her head in his hands, he thrust himself in and out of her mouth quickly, deeply, fucking her face. She braced her hands against his thighs, but all she could do was hold on. Gina didn't even try to suck, instead just letting him take his pleasure from her open mouth. He had her head tilted just slightly upward so that he could watch her face while he made her kneel there, drooling around him. If she hadn't had the blindfold on, he'd have been looking her in the eyes while he did it. It was a display of dominance, plain and simple, not intended for her enjoyment, and he soon changed tack again.

Taking her by the hair, he forced her to crawl back to the divan, then guided her blindly over it until she knelt on the floor, belly on the cushion, hugging it breathlessly. Gina felt like she was riding a whirlwind, unable to do anything but ride it out and wonder what would happen next. Sliding impatiently back into her, he filled her as deeply as he could go, drawing a heated gasp from the abused tech. Grabbing her by the back of the neck, the droid pinned her tightly to the divan. He drove into her fast, the force of his thrusts bouncing her against the cushion. She'd never been taken so intensely and it was overwhelming. Her entire body was heat and the pounding of his cock. Despite how rough he was, despite how hard he was pushing her, her body responded, against all reason. She came again, hard, all the way down to her toes. She didn't know if she passed out, but she couldn't think, could barely breath, and the blood pounded in her ears. She didn't know if she came again, or if it just rolled on for a long time. And then the droid stepped silently away.

Uncertain whether she was allowed to move, unsure if she even had the energy, Gina just knelt motionless, hugging the stool. She was aware of the presence behind her just moments before she felt his touch. Hands ran along the length of her back in long strokes, massaging her, but after only a few passes, they found their way down to her ass. His touch spread the heat through her poor, aching flesh. This had to be X. He was parting the cheeks, squeezing and sampling them, looking between them. It had to be him. She nearly jumped when she felt the wetness of his tongue on her. It was warm and soothing, stoking the heat that lingered inside her. It teased and fluttered over her wet pussy, but stopped just as that delicious knot had begun to tighten. She whimpered in complaint.

"Oh! Please, please, please..."

Ignoring her pleas, her anonymous lover grabbed her by the hair and raised her to her knees. He wrapped an arm around her waist and she thought that he would kiss her neck, but he didn't. Instead, his fingers traced a feather-light path along her shoulder and up the length of her neck. He lightly caressed the side of her face. Shivers tumbled through her body and she felt like she might melt.

Sudden doubt nagged her, tickling the back of her mind as lightly as his fingers. What if it was a trick? Was William romantic? Was X getting rougher? She liked it when X just took her, used her however he wanted. He rarely directed her, just moved her into the position he wanted her in. She never complained, never protested... unless she was deliberately trying to tease a spanking out of him. But, even though he never asked what she liked, he never needed to—he just seemed to know. Was X the one playing rough? She'd be more than willing to let him take her to subspace... but she really hoped the first droid wasn't him. She decided that X would never have taken her like the first droid did. He was all about her pleasure. Submitting to his desires was always exciting, something she eagerly wanted to do. He just knew her. ... She could never fear him. Someone who played as roughly as the first droid, she could never quite trust. This had to be X.




XTC 2.5



He made her stand, turned her to face him, then laying her on her back, he knelt between her thighs. He filled her slowly, smoothly, and she automatically raised her legs up, out of the way. The droid braced his hands on the backs of her thighs and began to take her with a relaxed, steady rhythm. Where the first droid had fucked her, this one was making love to her. Where the first was overwhelming, this was encompassing. She was keenly aware of every movement of his cock inside her. It was like waves lapping against the shore. Releasing her thighs, he reached up and squeezed her breasts, toyed with her nipples. Suddenly, those waves quickly started building up to something bigger.

"Oh... yes!" she hissed.

She wanted badly to tear off the blindfold, but didn't dare risk it.

"That feels so good."

Leaning over her, the droid placed his hands on either side of Gina's head and sank deeper into her. Her feet curled inward, hugging his hips and she clung to his forearms. She felt firm muscle against her skin and suddenly knew that she was right. That was RealSkin under her fingers, rather than hard plastic. A wave of triumph washed through her, quickly followed by a wave of relief. As hard as he'd made her cum, the droid who'd been indifferent to her feelings was William. The one who knew her better than she knew herself, was her X. That knowledge alone caused her to relax and she came nearly instantly. Her whole body spasmed around him, as though she were trying to cling to him with every fibre of her being. It was like sweet honey. Like an earthquake, it tumbled and rumbled through her, chased by hot little tremors.

Before she'd even finished coming down, Gina let out a startled gasp as the droid stood, and still holding her, turned and settled himself back on the stool. Now on top and still impaled on him, Gina enjoyed her new found freedom of movement and began bouncing eagerly. But, that freedom wasn't to last. She'd barely started before X placed his hands on her waist and stilled her. Other hands on her shoulders pushed her down toward his body. Held close to his chest, she could only wonder what he was doing... until she felt the hard cock pressing against her back door. Gina gasped loudly as, eased by the more than generous amount of lube still inside her, that thick cock slowly opened her up and pushed its way into her tight passage. She'd never felt anything like it, and it was beyond her mind's ability to describe. She felt filled beyond reason.

Then, both cocks started to move at once. It was probably the most intense thing she'd ever experienced. Her entire body became all about what was happening in her pelvis. They were like the relentless, steady movement of pistons, but each pierced her in its own way. The one in her pussy was seated deeply and moving in short jabs, the one behind her, with more freedom, thrust in long strokes that took nearly his entire length out of her before sliding back home. It was intense, it was heat and her scent filled the room. The slapping of hips against her, and her own plaintive cries were all that she could hear. Everything was the movement of those long, hard cocks inside of her. She had no idea how many times she came, or how long it went on, but it was pure sex.

Finally, it seemed to be done. The tech had been deposited on the stool and the droids had both stepped away. Gina just sat there, trying to catch her breath. Her whole body was tingly heat. She felt wet and sticky everywhere. Her head felt heavy. Her thoughts were unfocused and trying to pin one down was as impossible as trying to seize mist with her bare hands. She'd never had so much sex in her life. She'd never been so thoroughly fucked in her life... and by so many people... first the scientists, and then both droids.

"X was the second one," Gina finally gasped, peeling off the blindfold and blinking at the light. "The one in my pussy." She noticed, but decided not to question that the top button of the captain's pants was open.

"Bravo!" the captain cheered, clapping her hands. "Well done, you." She took a deep suck at her vape and studied Gina with fresh eyes. "How did you tell them apart?"

Flushed and gasping, it took her a moment to answer. She wasn't sure how to respond. "I don't know," Gina fumbled. "I just knew."

The captain raised an eyebrow questioningly. "Surely, there's more to it. I even instructed William to take you in the manner you prefer, while X was allowed to do anything but."

Chest still heaving, Gina thought a moment. "The first just didn't feel like X... the way that he moves, the way he touches me. There's just something about X that's... special." She yawned and gave the droid a tired, but happy smile. "I think I love him."

The captain snorted. "Sentiment for an android." She studied Gina thoughtfully.

While being pinned under that critical gaze was usually intimidating, Gina felt so well-used by the droids that she was too tired to care. Besides which, she was starting to get used to the woman's mannerisms. Jab or not, she suspected that anyone who spent so much time building and programming them cared more about the droids than she was letting on.

"Well, well done," Captain Miller praised. "Very well, X," she said, turning to the droid. "What shall her position be?"

"Beneath me."

The captain laughed. "No doubt."

Gina blushed, but smiled tiredly.

"And her title?"

"Machine's Mate."

"Very well. Welcome to the team, Machine's Mate Gina. I'm sure X will see to your needs. Number One, with me." Uncrossing her legs so that her heel made a decisively sharp click on the stone floor, the captain stood and breezed from the room, her favoured bot trailing obediently behind her.

When they'd been left to themselves, Gina looked up at X. She smiled in wonderment, unsure if she was dreaming. Reaching down, the droid took her hand and helped her to her feet. Folding her into his arms, he cradled her face in one hand and kissed her.

"Machine's Mate, Gina. I can live with that," she thought.



XTC 2.6



Shading her eyes against the sun, Gina squinted into the distance. From here, the swirling cloud of red and gold looked like a harmless curiosity. She could almost imagine children wrestling under a blanket, or fluffy cotton balls being tickled by the breeze, but she knew better.

"The sandstorm's coming! We'd better get inside!" she called over her shoulder.

X straightened from his task and looked at her, then past her shoulder.

"I could weather it," he commented.

"Oh, you could weather it?" she parroted, marching up to him. "And who would have to spend the next month buffing you smooth again and digging sand out of your joints?" She glared at him, hands on hips.

X smiled, having gotten a rise out of her. "Then, I suppose we'd best take shelter," he relented. "Allow me to stow the gear."

As if he needed permission, though it was nice that he'd asked. Gina helped, repacking everything into its protective cases for him to haul back into the rover. She worked as quickly as she could, knowing that big storms always moved a lot faster than they seemed to be. Though the atmosphere and the amount of greenery that had been introduced to the planet helped, dust storms (or sandstorms as Gina always thought of them) were still a danger in many places. Martian sand was iron-rich, even now, and more like rust than someone from Earth would expect, but being different didn't make it any less dangerous. The only good thing was that the storms no longer lasted weeks at a time.

The rover sat partially sheltered beneath an outcrop, on a hill overlooking a shallow valley. A rock wall and a roof of stone defended two sides of it, several large boulders stood in front. As soon as they were packed up and she was inside, Gina crawled up into the passenger seat and peered out the window at the approaching storm.

"You may as well make yourself comfortable," X suggested. "These storms last many hours."

She wasn't sure she wanted to know what a droid considered many hours.

"Will we be safe?" she worried, looking at him over her shoulder.

"I'm certain that, given enough time, an archaeological crew may find us."

"That is not funny!"

A moment of silence followed while she studied the shifting sands.

"You are aware that the planet hasn't experienced global storms for many years?" he asked, peeling off his suit. X didn't actually need an environmental suit, but wore one anyway to keep up appearances. He'd even chosen to wear something underneath: boxer briefs... just boxer briefs.

The sight almost distracted Gina from the storm, but she couldn't quite get past the danger bearing down on them. Outside, the storm was rolling in at what seemed like an incredible rate of speed. The closer it got, the less like fluffy cotton balls it looked. Now, it seemed like an angry elemental spirit, a menacing giant looming up from the sand to consume them.

"Worrying about it won't help," he admonished.

"I know," she replied, but how couldn't she?

"Allow me to distract you," the droid said with a purr in his voice, shifting closer.

He'd removed his boxers.

Gina gasped at the yummy sight, but wasn't sure she was in the mood for it. Couldn't he see the storm coming? Didn't he care? He wasn't one to be denied, however. Pulling her to her feet, X started unzipping her suit. When he got it down to her navel, he grabbed each lapel and pulled her in for a kiss. Her hands instinctively roamed over his ribs and the broad planes of his chest. As their lips parted, she looked breathlessly into his eyes. Well, if he wasn't worried...

The droid started peeling the suit down over her arms, staring into her eyes the entire time. It was incredibly hot. Before she knew it, she was naked down to the knees, her clothes jammed around her boot tops. He took her in his arms and kissed her again. One hand fondled her ass, the other cradled the back of her head while their tongues duelled and played. His cock was hard against her belly. When their lips parted, the storm was nearly the furthest thing from her mind. He brought his hand up to her chest, and she thought that he was going to grab one of her breasts, but he didn't. Instead, he extended his fingers and very slowly pushed her backwards.

"Eek!"

As she dropped back into the seat, he sank to his knees between her legs. His hard cock angled up at her and twitched eagerly, like a runner at the blocks. She was forced to sit and watch as he took each foot in turn, unbuckled her boots, and tugged her free of her clothing. No man had ever bothered trying to remove anything except her underwear, so it was a strange and novel sight... though, he did have the same goal in mind. As he cast her clothing towards the back of the rover, he leaned toward her and captured Gina's mouth again.

Reaching around her, he pulled her hips closer, forcing her legs up and apart, and earning another startled squeak. Then, X lowered his cock and edged his hips back until he could rub the wedge-shaped head between the soft, moist lips of her pussy. Pressing just the first few centimetres into her, he stayed like that, hips motionless. Heat instantly blossomed and raced through her body. She inhaled sharply.

"Oh, sir, sir, sir..." she whimpered.

His lips danced along her neck and shoulder. Gina gasped as he sank fully into her. Seizing a wrist in each hand, X pinned her arms above her head. Her excitement level instantly doubled. Dipping his head down, he covered her mouth with his, stealing another passionate kiss as his hips really began to move.

"You are mine," he said, voice low and breathy.

The declaration made her heart soar. She'd never expected to hear something like that from him. She'd always thought that because he was an android, that he could never feel the same attraction towards her as she felt towards him... despite the numerous times he'd proven otherwise... despite his proving it now.

He drove himself into her with long, deep strokes, the kind that really drove her mad. Her feet locked around his back, trying to pull him deeper. She squirmed, but he held her fast, her wrists pinned to the seat above her head.

"Oh! Yes, yes, yes, yes," she muttered, over and over, a lustful mantra.

Suddenly, he started to move faster. The friction built inside her like a ship dropping into orbit. Her orgasm was fast approaching, even before he'd picked up his pace. Then, before she knew it, it was on her. She squealed, pussy spasming around him. He kept his speed even as his cock sent waves of pleasure washing through her, not relenting until he felt her trembles begin to fade.

"I love you," she gasped.

He responded with a kiss, but he wasn't done with her. Taking her hips in his hands, X stood, taking her with him. Instinctively, she clung to him as he turned. Settling back in the chair, he cradled her in his lap. The position had her knees tucked beneath the arm rests and her breasts were in his face. X took hold of her wrists again, pinning them behind her back, while his mouth chased her bouncing nipples.

"Oh!" she cried out as he caught one of her delicious little buds between his teeth and flicked his tongue across it, causing her to squirm in his lap.

She did her best to roll her hips, but felt bound by the awkward position, trapped with the entire length of his cock inside her. Gina whimpered in frustration. She was so full and it felt so good, but she wanted more.

"Please, I need it," she wailed, rocking back and forth.

Releasing her arms, the droid took the large, firm globes of her ass in both hands, held her up off his lap, and drove up into her quickly. It was pure, sweet heat.

"Oh, goddess!" she cried, before being reduced to incoherent whimpers.

Her fingers dug into the seat, and she closed her eyes, letting the sensation take her. The wet slapping of their hips filled the tiny space. Orgasm hit her almost immediately. It raced through her on a honeyed whirlwind. Shudders rippled through her and she moaned loudly. It was followed by another, and another. His cock was unrelenting.

"That's it, cum for me. Cum for me, you soft, sweet creature," he growled, driving deep inside her with lighting strokes until her shudders passed.

"You are amazing," he said, finally slowing and lowering her back onto his lap.

Panting, Gina lowered her forehead to his and fought to catch her breath. She was pretty sure that he was the amazing one. Just then, a fierce gust of wind rocked the vehicle, making her shriek in surprise. Only then did she realize the storm had started. She'd never even noticed.

.

Gina sat with her feet up on the seat, knees pulled up in front of her. She sucked at her vape and stared blankly out the window at the whirling sand. X was in the back, powered down and recharging. Even tucked beneath the outcrop, the wind still buffeted the rover, making it rock gently every time a fierce gust howled past. She tried not to think about being buried in dust, never to be seen again.

It was amazing that people had managed to make such an inhospitable environment as habitable as it was. So much smaller than Earth, Mars was hardly an ideal place to live. Yet, here they were, looking for rare minerals. As many times as Mars had been surveyed and explored, she thought it was amazing that there was anything to be discovered that hadn't already been found. Their task was to study and mark some suspected locations of that mineral the twins were using to make their super-plastic and their self-vibrating compound. They were calling it vibron... at the moment. It was a 'working title'. They were also supposed to maintain some kind of probes the captain had placed as far as several dozen kilometres from her home. Looked like that was on hold. In her head, she composed another log to try to take her mind off the swirling red wall of dust outside the window.

Gina's log. I haven't a clue what day it is, or even what calendar to use, now that I'm on the planet.

I've met X's creators, but they're being really evasive about his design and programming. I guess it's kind of understandable, since I'm new, but it's still frustrating. The twins said they'll let me help update his design. Would that make him X3? Anyway, I'm sure to learn more then. At least, even if she wasn't exactly forthcoming on the details of his programming, the captain assured me that his feelings aren't just canned.

I've been accepted as a member of their team—Machine's Mate. It's essentially the same job I've always done... but the possibilities are a lot more interesting than just fixing coffee machines and heating units. I'm not too broken up about not being chosen as Captain Miller's protege. That's a lot more responsibility and stress than I would ever want. I'm not even sure exactly what she does. It seems pretty shady. She admitted she's a smuggler. I guess that's pretty shady.

My interview was unforgettable. It makes my butt twitch just thinking about it. It was purely physical and completely exhausting. After being fucked by virtually every member of the team except the captain, I slept. Boy, did I sleep. I slept a whole day away. When I did get up, I was starving. 'As hungry as a workhouse urchin' the captain said. I have no idea what that means. The twins collected the rest of my personal information, but I wasn't able to get any indication what my duties are supposed to be. 'Are you always in such a hurry?' she asked me. However, as a mech tech, I already see a number of things I'm sure will be my responsibility. There's machines to maintain, the most important ones being the droids. The twins also suggested I help redesign the toys. If I can get past the fact that they're sex toys, I'm really looking forward to it. The designs are really ingenious. I'm not sure what I can even contribute. I guess it's a lot better than working on photon torpedoes. I think the first thing I want to fix is the really creepy, flickery lights all over the place. So far, I was only given one task. I made flesh for William, just as the twins predicted. That was exciting. While I was at it, I gave X hair. Choices were limited, but I picked a sandy brown, mid-length and wavy. It's beautiful. I barely finished before we got sent out here.

I wonder if I get paid? I wonder if we have a pension plan? Do illegal Martian immigrants have to pay taxes?

Gina stared forlornly out the window again.

I wonder how long this damn storm will last.

.

"Honestly, Nigel, what would I do without you?"

The captain settled in her chair and draped an arm over the back. Nigel looked as crisp as always, if a bit tired. He ran his fingers through his dusky blonde hair and adjusted his glasses. He didn't respond to the platitude.

"And where is she now?"

"I've sent her out surveying with one of the droids while I decide what to do with her."

"I'm not sure I approve of this," he cautioned.

"I'm not going to leave her buried in the desert simply because you disapprove. I need a tech. I want her. Just look up her information. If anything is amiss, you won't need to worry about disapproving."

"I didn't think anyone did that anymore."

"I didn't think anyone was named Nigel anymore."

The pair shot each other stony looks until it became clear that neither would budge from their position.

"Hrm," Nigel commented, breaking the stalemate.

"Every member of the team seems to like her, and she's proven herself clever and capable already. X2 has studied her over several weeks, and the twins put her technical knowledge to the test almost immediately upon meeting her. They seem pleased. Psychologically, I'm still undecided. I'll put it all in my report. Regardless, her blood test was most interesting; you know why. That alone warrants further observation."

She took a deep suck off the vape and shot an angry cloud of mist just over the edge of the monitor, as if daring him to further question her judgment. Though she didn't feel she really needed to defend herself, she hoped that he would change his mind. She relied on him, and his trust. Other than being a bit of a twat now and then, he really wasn't so bad. He was even kind of cute.

"Hrm," he commented. He found her gaze uncomfortable and pretended to study something on his other monitor. Her school mistress stare did things to him that he was sure were quite inappropriate to think towards someone you were working with. He relied on her to get information, and to get things done. He was reluctant to jeopardize her trust. Other than being stubborn and occasionally making outrageous demands, she really wasn't so bad. If only she weren't on Mars.

"Something you should know," he said, peering at her over the rim of his glasses.

The captain answered with a raised eyebrow.

"It's come to my attention that the Johnson Long is currently docked at Mars Station, and that the crew seems a bit short."

.

Captain Miller put her feet up on the desk and loaded the video of Gina in the shower. What a treasure. "It's remarkable how taken X2 is with her," she said to no one in particular. She'd spent Gina's shower time and part of the time Gina'd spent in the lab with the twins debriefing the droid... on a very basic level. She'd reviewed what he knew of her, and thought about her, much more thoroughly since then. She wondered if she shouldn't share the results of the DNA testing the twins ran when she first arrived.

On the screen, Gina turned her backside to the camera and bent over. The captain wondered if she and X would actually get any work done during their mission. She chewed on her vape thoughtfully. Damn Nigel. He'd best not interfere. She hoped for everyone's sake that Gina's background check turned out well. She was already fairly certain what it would reveal, however. The ringing of her Victorian-styled retro phone interrupted her thoughts. The call display read Mars Station.

.

Gina ran her hands up his thighs, eyeing the bulge beneath his boxers hungrily.

"Mmm," she purred.

She'd slept and was shocked to find herself thinking about him (naked) again so soon. Of course, it didn't help matters that he was sitting in the driver's seat in only his underwear. In some ways, it was even hotter than when he was naked... almost. She'd stretched, yawned, and saw him sitting there, just looking delicious. Without a word, she'd groggily crossed the cabin and simply dropped to the floor in front of him. Sitting on her heels, she gave him a playful grin and let her fingers do the talking.

"I think I need more distracting."

Outside, the wind howled as if on cue, rocking the rover and sending a sheet of dust rasping over the window. Gina didn't pay it any mind. Her attention was focused solely on the marvellous shape hidden beneath that stretchy fabric. Her fingertips traced the outline and it twitched. The sensation sent a jolt of heat through her belly. Reaching for his waistband, she pulled his underwear down just in time to see the spectacle of him growing to full length. It made her mouth water.

"I see 7 of 9!" she declared, watching with rapt interest.

It bounced as it sprang to full attention.

"Pretty," she breathed.

"Pretty?" he questioned, sounding slightly perturbed.

Gina laughed. Was it possible for him to have an ego?

"Amazing, I meant. Awesome," she corrected. "Truly magnificent, manly meat of miniscule... I mean Mammoth proportions!"

X shot her a thoughtful scowl, as though considering whether her spanking would be now or later.

The sight made Gina giggle. The prospect made her belly flutter. He allowed her to distract him by letting her pull his underwear fully off. The moment she did, she licked the length of him from the edge of his big, dangling balls, right to the tip. The ridged, veiny treat felt good against her tongue.

"Mmm," she purred, grinning up at him. "Yum."

Dipping her head back down, she ran her tongue over his balls and stroked him in her hand. He lacked the sweaty saltiness and the musky smell of a real man, but he felt great. Just the fact that he was watching her every move was an aphrodisiac. Taking him into her mouth, she slid her face as far down as she could, as though it were a challenge to take the entire thing. She had only two fingers and her thumb curled around him, and though it took several tries, soon her lips were touching them. When she pulled her head back, Gina grinned at him, flushed with her personal triumph.

"Mammoth," she repeated, taking a deep breath.

X just smiled at her and shifted his hips a bit closer.

Returning to her play, Gina's head bobbed up and down enthusiastically. She knew that the net of sensors beneath his RealSkin allowed him to enjoy this. He'd certainly made sure that she had lots of practice on the shuttle. She loved the sensation of his thick cock sliding across her tongue, the challenge of taking him into her throat, and she especially loved making him squirm.

"Are you hungry, Gina?" he groaned.

She relented with a laugh and drew her head away. "Not yet."

Turning, she lowered her shoulders to the floor, raising her ass up in front of him.

"Oh my," he admired.

With her face to the rubber floor, she couldn't really see him, but there was no mistaking the sound of his appreciative purr. She knew that her position had her spread open so that he could see everything. His hands caressed the cheeks of her ass, squeezing and enjoying their firmness in his palms while he admired the view.

"I have something for you," he said, getting to his feet.

"Oh? And what might that be, sir?" she asked, in her best innocent voice.

Planting a foot on either side of her, X squatted down. One hand braced against her lower back, he lowered his stiff cock toward its target. The deliberate slowness with which he trailed it through the valley of her ass made her shiver, especially when she felt that soft head brush over her puckered opening. He hesitated, and she wondered which of her snug, little holes he would choose. With X, it might be either, and she would let him. It hovered... then slid down and parted the swollen lips of her pussy. A heated hiss escaped her as he sank deeply into her wet, grasping sheath.




XTC 2.6



"Oh, that's it..." she gasped, fists balling.

Hands braced on her hips, he drove himself down into her with an easy rhythm that plunged a bit more than half of his length into her with each thrust.

Gina never noticed the whistling of the wind, the rasping of the dust across the window, how dark it had gotten with the front windshield mostly buried, or even the rocking of the floor beneath her. His position caused his cock to pierce her at a sharp angle that quickly had her body soaring. Doggy style was easily the best position ever. She couldn't see his face, but the things his cock did to her from behind more than made up for it. The only way it could be better, she thought, would be if he'd drop to his knees so that he could drive himself all the way in until his hips were slapping against her ass. She'd barely thought it before she was gushing hot cream around him.

Her pussy hadn't even finished clenching around him before her mechanical lover decided that he wanted something different.

"Come, Machine's Mate," he commanded.

"I am," she whimpered.

He guided her to kneel on the passenger seat, facing the back. The position left her feet and the large, round globes of her ass hanging out over the edge. She grabbed the cushion and looked over her shoulder just in time to see him kneel behind her. 

"Mmm," she purred as he slid up inside her again.

He grabbed the arm rests, his broad chest pressed against her back, and he leaned his head close to hers. His lips tickled her ear.

"You are so hot," he whispered.

Excited shivers raced through her, and her body squeezed him tight. She didn't have the opportunity to say anything—his hips started to grind against her. Steady and deep, his thick shaft sluiced up into her relentlessly. Panting, she rocked back against him. The slap, slap, slap of his hips against her rebounded in the small space, and the air was thick with the scent of her lust.

"Give it to me," he purred, curling an arm around her belly. Reaching beneath her, he started rubbing her clit.

His cock was pure heat, sliding in the grip of her tight, wet flesh. Gina's fingers dug into the seat and she arched her back.

"It feels so good," she purred, squirming in pleasure.

"Give it to me," he repeated.

Throwing her head back, Gina moaned loudly as her climax washed over her.

X pressed his body tight against hers, his hips rolling in small, slow circles until he felt the waves recede.

"Thank you, sir," she gasped.

X climbed to his feet and sank back into the driver's seat. Gina risked a glance out the side window. She wasn't sure, but it looked like the storm might be letting up.

.

As Nigel had said, the Johnson Long was indeed docked in orbit. The ship's crew had all shuttled down to the surface to take advantage of the local amenities. Of the six, five were easily accounted for with only a few calls, thanks to the friendly and helpful customs inspector. The last one had last been seen by her favourite mechanic.

"There was a guy here looking for that girl X2 took out to your place."

"Oh?"

"Yeah. He told me that he was looking for a former shipmate who'd retired here. Said she had a droid with her and he wanted to buy it off her."

"Hm."

"I could tell he was full of shit. Nobody retires to Mars. And, does he even know who he's looking for? She's nowhere near old enough to retire from anything. Shipmate, my ass. I didn't tell him anything."

"And what did this man look like?"

"Shady. About two metres, I guess, a bit under. Medium build, big arms. Kinda scruffy, brown hair, like he was a dock hand or something. If he was on a ship, he sure wasn't the captain. Maybe he was a wrecker. I don't know, just something about his eyes, he just looked shifty."

Miller decided not to comment. Derek could nearly have described himself. Perhaps it took one to know one.

"How did you know it was X2?" she couldn't help asking.

"I didn't at first. You gave him a really good skin job. Something about him, though. I knew it was one of your droids. Besides, who else would be headed out there?"

"How did you know it was X2 and not X1?"

"X1 would never have let the girl barter for a rover, even if it wasn't yours anyway. He'd have just took it."

"Hm," she replied. Were they really becoming that different? Their personalities seemed to be growing—and diverging—more with each passing day.

"Anyway, I really knew something was up when he asked about your ship."

"My ship?"

That information made her sit up.

"Yep. Asked if I know who owns Le Petit Mort, cause he saw its shuttle sitting in the dock. Said since you wouldn't be needing it, he'd offer to buy it off you. Guess he didn't know you have more than one ship, and you've probably commissioned a replacement for the Mort already." 

The captain shifted her jaw thoughtfully.

"He was trying to be all clever, but he wasn't fooling me. He's looking for the girl. I didn't tell him anything."

"Are you sure he said 'Le Petit' and not 'La Petite'?"

"Yes, Captain."

"You're certain?"

"Yes, Captain. 'Le Petit'."

"Hm."

Miller thought a moment while Derek waited patiently. The ship's name was spelt correctly on official documents, but not on the hull itself, and thanks to William's spelling, the only people looking for a ship by that name would have to have seen it, or have been specifically told about it. The ship's name wasn't written on the shuttle; it was on the ship's aft, near the engines—engines which were now largely non-existent and attached to a hunk of metal slowly drifting towards Jupiter, the last she'd seen. 

.

The wind had died down to a strong breeze, but the dust was so fine that it swirled and obscured their vision like a curtain. Since X hadn't finished the maintenance on the probe they were here to fix, there was nothing they could do but wait it out.

"What's your favourite music?"

"Techno."

She stared at him, unsure if he was teasing or not. He was smirking, but he'd said it completely seriously. He was so impossible to read sometimes. She gave up and tried a different question.

"Well, what's your favourite colour?"

"Gold."

"What's your least favourite?"

"Rust."

"X!"

.

"Sorry, captain. Thanks to that dust storm, there's no way to raise them on the rover's radio."

"We could try to find her by using the nanos," Lucas suggested.

"She certainly has enough of them in her," Leah agreed. She glanced away almost as quickly as she'd suggested it, remembering having put a particularly large number of them in the tech herself the first day they'd met her.

"I thought you said they were only trackable for 48 hours."

"Easily trackable for 48 hours," Lucas corrected.

"Their lifespan is actually considerably longer," Leah added. "It'll just be more challenging."

Captain Miller crossed her arms and glared at them. She hated their tendency to couch details in semantics. If the pair of them weren't so useful...

"Of course, their practical range is still only 1000 metres," Leah frowned.

"But, perhaps we could extend that by using the communications satellites and beacons," Lucas suggested.

"If they're more than a kilometre from where they should be, then something has gone a lot more sideways than an extraterrestrial snoop." The captain went to a cabinet mounted in the wall and stuck her finger to the biometric lock. The door hissed open and she retrieved a well-used pistol from inside. "Number One, bring the rifle and prepare a rover," she commanded, tucking the pistol into the back of her pants.

"Yes, captain," the droid affirmed, pulling a large, metal case from the cabinet and heading for the garage.

"Are you going to look for them?" Lucas asked, unnecessarily.

The sight of the guns and the potential violence they symbolized—especially the sniper rifle, even in its case—was unnerving to the scientists. They both fidgeted anxiously before the dark cloud brewing in the captain.

"The last time her company wanted to speak to her, they asked someone to kill her should she prove uncooperative," the captain commented. She resolved to have Nigel inquire into the details of Miss Kathryn Reimer when she returned. "I doubt they'll be any more civil this time."



XTC 2.7



Gina's log. X has been continuing to grow and develop during this trip. He's been acting a lot more romantic than when we first met and is regularly expressing emotions. He still tends to be the strong, silent type most of the time, but ever since hooking him up to the computer on the wreck of the Mort, he's been very talkative. When I first met him, he would just take what he wanted, without really saying anything. Now... well, he still just takes what he wants, but now I get kisses. I can't tell if his personality is changing, or if he's just experimenting with something new and testing my reactions. Sometimes, with him, I feel like I'm an experiment, a bug in a jar. I guess it doesn't matter. I'm definitely the winner, either way. Besides, I guess it's pretty awesome that I seem to be the only thing he feels is really worth studying. I have no idea why. I'm not that interesting, and there's such a big universe out there. ... Why do I deserve his attention?

.

Her rover was parked up on a hill, overlooking the valley. Laying in the shade beneath it, Captain Miller adjusted her grip on her rifle. Placing her eye to the scope, she tried to spot the rover through the blowing sand, but it proved impossible. All she could see was a swirling blanket of red and gold. She and Number One were close enough to see the storm, but far enough away to not get caught in it. It spread well off into the distance, but at least it appeared to be fairly localized and was lightening up already, moving on to redder pastures.

With the amount of shielding on X, he was virtually impossible to track, but Gina was another matter. She was sure that the two of them were in there. The little handheld the twins had given her was picking up the signal from the gazillion little nanos swimming around in Gina's bloodstream. The signal was faint, but it was there. She'd have to get X to give the girl a booster. Handy little things, she decided. It was a lot more discreet than microchipping, and a lot harder to lose than an object with a transmitter in it. Best of all, she didn't have to ask Nigel for them (or tell him about them). The twins were definitely going to have to come up with a means of extending their signal range and lifespan. Still, perhaps the next time the girl slept, she'd have her chipped. Just easier, all around.

"Just have to encourage her to have a sound nap," she mumbled to herself. Shouldn't be a problem. She expected the girl liked a nice glass of wine as much as the next person. She could simply walk up to her and jab her with a chip injector, but why make a fuss unnecessarily? It was for her own good, at any rate.

"Captain?" Number One asked, having overheard.

He was lying beside her, and she nearly did a double-take. His skin-job was impressive. Gina had outdone herself. Despite the girl's irritating lack of self-confidence, she was bloody brilliant. Even at this distance, she had to remind herself that he was a construct. From a metre away, it was impossible to tell.

"Nothing, just planning."

"Ah, scheming."

"Planning," she insisted, shooting him a warning look.

She turned her attention back to the clouds rolling through the valley. She wasn't particularly concerned about the rover or its occupants. Having been in many a storm in her life, she knew that they were a lot more impressive from the inside (where all you could see was sand), than they truly were. The winds weren't especially strong, and there wasn't nearly so much sand as there seemed to be. The winds whipped it into a frenzy, and in the lower gravity, it took a fair little while to settle. While anyone who'd ever seen the effects of a sandstorm could attest to the danger of it, she'd rather that than, say, a hurricane.

The droids were programmed to survive hostile environments, and X was clever enough to have at least partially sheltered the vehicle. Even if the rover were completely buried in sand, not needing to breathe, he would eventually dig them out... given enough energy. She was quite confident that Gina was keeping his kinetic drive fully primed.

With nothing to do but wait, Miller set her rifle down and considered.

"Whatever shall we do with ourselves?" she asked, eyes lazily scanning the desert.

Number One seemed to have a few ideas in that regard. His hand slid up the back of her thigh and over the nearest cheek of her ass. He gave it a lingering squeeze, and then his palm settled in the small of her back.

"And what, exactly, are you doing?" she asked, glancing at him sidelong.

Rather than answer, he leaned closer to her and nuzzled her neck.

"Are you quite sure this is appropriate?"

Despite the reluctance in her words, icy-hot shivers raced through her and made her giggle in a most undignified way. Number One reached around her and began undoing the button of her pants. The sensation of firm, yielding flesh pressed against her was so utterly and deliciously different from the hard plastic she'd become accustomed to, that she didn't dare move, lest he draw away. She closed her eyes and quietly purred in appreciation when his lips slipped beneath her collar and kissed the nape of her neck.

"I think you have a definitely skewed sense of priorities," she commented, ducking her head to expose more of her neck.

Miller didn't say a word, just smirked as he started to work her pants down off of her hips.

"I have a skewed sense of priorities," she muttered to herself, lying there with her bottom bared to the breeze. She forced her eyes to scan the valley.

The droid shuffled lower down her body. His palms slid up the back of her thighs and glided over her ass. Squeezing one firm cheek in each hand, William—One—parted them. She could feel him watching her closely. He was deliberately making her wait, making her anticipate what he would do—evil-minded bugger. She bit her lip and moaned as his broad tongue pressed deeply into her.

"We definitely shouldn't be doing this," she hissed.

Number One ignored her protest, wiggling his tongue inside her, his face pressed as deeply into the valley of her ass as he could get it.

"But, don't stop," she gasped.

That talented tongue played first between the swelling lips of her pussy, then moved up to tease her crinkle. The act was nasty and exciting. It teased over it, then pushed its way inside of her, making her inhale sharply. Just as she began to moan and squirm, he changed direction and switched back to her other orifice. Back and forth he went until she gave in and said it.

"Stop teasing me, you evil bastard," she gasped, trying to look at him over her shoulder. "Give me that dick already."

He didn't need a second invitation. Climbing atop her, the droid straddled her thighs. He braced himself on one arm, his free hand guiding himself to his target. Shivers rippled through her and she squirmed impatiently. He sank fully into her in one long, slow push, piercing her as deeply as he could.

"Ooh, that's it," she breathed.

Sweet, sweet heat filled her. It was like the first sip of a fine wine, that first bite of cake barely out of the oven. She writhed beneath him, trying to tilt her hips up into his.

"So good..."

Miller bit her lower lip and whimpered. She tried to force herself to keep scanning the horizon, even as her eyes fought to close in pleasure.

"Oh, gods, you long-dicked bastard," she moaned.

He drove down into her with long, deep thrusts that made her gasp hotly. The position caused her to grip him extraordinarily tightly, and the friction was almost unbearably good. It was relentless heat, the brakes on a runaway train.

"More, more, you sweet, hot fucker," she whined.

The climax tore through her like thunder. Eyes screwed shut, Miller clenched her fists and desperately did her best not to howl her enjoyment to the winds. Number One froze above her, hips shuddering as though he were coming inside her. The pantomime made her clench even harder.

"Oh, gods!" She bit her finger in an effort to keep quiet.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, he withdrew... in one long movement that sent more hot tremors spilling through her.

Number One flopped onto his back on the sand beside her and let out a heavy breath. She considered that sometimes his simulations of human behaviours were unnecessarily thorough. At least, he didn't roll onto his side and start snoring. Her head sank towards the sand and she fought for breath.

"You have a disturbingly pornographic mind," she gasped.

Lifting her head, she looked at him and grinned.

"Perhaps your best feature."

William returned her glance and smiled.

Wiggling back into her pants, Miller buttoned them and glanced back down the valley toward the drifting clouds. Sudden movement caught her eye: a head popped up, seemingly from the sand itself, only a couple hundred metres away. Sneaky bastard! All this time, right there in front of her. Her hands instantly flew to her rifle, and she sighted in on him. As she focused her scope, she watched a man climb out of a sand dune. It was an optical illusion, of course. She knew by the way that he moved that he was getting out of a vehicle that was covered in camouflage (either netting or a shelter), and buried in sand. He was tall, brown-haired, and had disproportionately large arms. She'd found her man.

She thanked the maker that she was behind him. With her vehicle on higher ground, there was the risk of being silhouetted against the sky. She'd tried to avoid it by not sitting right on the dune's crest, but there was no accounting for chance. As she watched, a new danger revealed itself. He raised a scope to his eye, then consulted something he was holding in his other hand. She wasn't sure what he was using, but it was obviously how he was tracking the hapless duo trapped inside the storm. Was it some kind of enhanced infrared? Was it tracking a radio frequency she wasn't aware of? Had his company planted a bug on X? If he turned around, would he see her, force her hand?

"Devious, rotten, son of a bitch," she muttered under her breath.

Her pussy was still quivering distractingly from William's fucking, and she took a deep breath to get herself under control. She mentally cursed the corporate arsemonger again, for disrupting her afterglow. All she wanted to do was pull out her vape and unwind while assigning Number One the boring task of looking for the bad guy. Now, because of his sudden imitation of a prairie dog, the task fell to her to watch him.

"Just what are you doing, Benny?" she muttered, licking suddenly dry lips.

Derek may think Gina was his goal, but his target was obviously X. Her company had already proven once that they felt she was disposable. Well, damned if they'd kill a member of her team, and they sure as hell weren't getting their hands on her droids.

She considered taking care of this immediate irritant right now, but suddenly, a rover appeared on the horizon, approaching fast. It was headed directly toward the agent.

"Danger, Captain Miller, danger, danger," Number One muttered, cheekily.

Miller shot a glance at Number One, but decided to wait and see what happened.

The rover drove straight toward him, but the agent didn't run, and didn't reach for a weapon, which she thought odd. He looked at the approaching vehicle through his scope, and waited patiently.

How were they tracking him? They'd headed straight for him, yet showed no sign of noticing her. She was thankful for that, but it struck her odd. This whole thing was getting more bizarre by the minute, and she didn't like it one bit. Did they know each other? Were they working with him? She'd been led to believe that he was alone. Apparently, her intel had been incorrect. Perhaps they'd been hired after he'd dropped off her radar, or had been here on Mars already, waiting for him.

The approaching vehicle was a full-sized rover, like her own—tall, with enormous wheels. If most of the gear was carried on top, it could act as a personnel carrier, which was what they most closely resembled. That was how this one was being used. It rolled to a stop a few metres from Benny and five people climbed out.

Thankfully, they had approached the agent from behind, which meant that even though they were scanning the area for any other hostiles, they were facing the storm, rather than facing her. None of them thought to turn around.

The newcomers didn't look remotely corporate. Even as roughneck as the agent looked, he was nothing like this new group. Everything about them screamed professional criminals, or perhaps mercenaries.

Miller watched intently for the appearance of weapons. Obviously, everyone was bound to be armed. It was simply a question of what with. Guns were illegal on Mars. Should she be caught with the ones she herself owned, the penalty was deportation and a life sentence. Unless they'd been brought in officially, she was one of the few people on Mars who could get one, and that was one thing she wasn't inclined to share. That didn't mean that these people wouldn't be armed. She was hardly the only smuggler on Mars, and legitimate security services might have them, if the company jumped through enough hoops. Of course, there were a lot more weapons in the universe than just guns, but it would certainly make life easier if she was the only one here to be so blessed.

The apparent leader of the mercenaries marched right up to the agent while the rest of them fanned out in a rough semi-circle around him. She wasn't sure why, but the two men didn't appear to be on friendly terms. The merc acted as though he owned the desert, and his stance was definitely confrontational. If Benny were worried, though, he didn't show it.

"Uh-oh, trouble in paradise," she whispered. "Looks like daddy should have called before going out with the boys."

Her eyes widened at what happened next. The agent and the mercenary exchanged increasingly heated words, each man getting in the other's face. Neither would be intimidated. The argument ended when the mercenary suddenly stepped into the agent. They stood nearly motionless for a long moment, then the agent staggered back several steps, turned and collapsed into the sand. The merc was holding a bloody knife. He spit at the body.

Miller inhaled sharply. She'd expected that there might be an argument, but assumed that if they were on the outs over something, that the agent would be forced to just go away mad, or at worst collect a beating. She hadn't expected such a cold and fatal end. She herself hadn't intended to kill the man unless she had no choice. She preferred to remain in the shadows, and failing that, to bribe, buy or intimidate. Only if that failed, would she consider resorting to the ultimate resolution. She'd planned to capture and interrogate him, then send him packing.

"Do I need to guess what their next target is?" she asked, shooting the droid a sidelong glance.

"Short of learning the force, I see only one option," he replied after a moment.

"I don't think androids can learn the force."

"Shall I?" he asked, shifting out from beneath the vehicle.

The captain deliberated a moment before giving the order. She sighed. "Make it so." This was not her first choice, but she didn't see any alternatives, either.

"Number One?" she called after him.

"Yes, captain?"

"Don't get hurt."

"I'll try."

"Do, or do not. There is no try."

"Yes, captain." Turning, he quickly slunk off down the hill, circling so as not to draw attention to her position.

The captain watched through her scope as impassively as possible. Her droids were repurposed military robots, updated and reconfigured by the twins the best they knew how. Thanks to their ingenuity, and Gina's artistic skill, the clunky, functional and obviously robotic things they'd started with were now visually indistinguishable from human from only a short distance, encased in the toughest armour known to man. That armour could still be pierced by the right ammunition, and anyone could land a lucky blow through a joint. As clever as they were, her droids were also far from infallible, a fact she didn't like to think about, though it was always in the back of her mind.

"Have a care, tin man," she muttered as Number One sauntered into view, and walked right up to them.

Though the mercenaries were shocked by his sudden appearance, not a single one drew a weapon. That was a bonus. They likely assumed that this new interloper, alone, unarmed and seemingly unarmoured, would be as easily dealt with as the overconfident Benny was. She had no doubt as to their intentions. Though they'd rifled his pockets, they'd made no attempt to hide the body, even with the appearance of an unexpected stranger.

She had no idea what Number One's ploy was to get in close to them; she assumed he'd either pretend to be a friend of Benny's or, more likely for an android, simply walk right up to the man without explanation. Regardless, it worked. Their leader stepped in to interrogate the droid, his knife drawn and concealed behind his back, while the others closed in to prevent One's escape.

A threatening question was posed. One responded. Miller smirked. She could read the droid's lips. 'Fuck you, asshole.' She could hear the iconic accent in her mind's ear. The violence started a split second later. While the mercenary was still registering the insult and working up to anger, Number One stepped into him and drove his forehead into the man's nose. His elbows, harder than bone, quickly finished the job.

Weapons were instantly in all hands. She didn't see any guns, but there were an array of blades and electrified batons. She wasn't at all certain what that might do to him. Theoretically, his systems should be shielded well enough to survive quite a jolt, but it wasn't like she'd ever electrocuted him just to find out.

"We're bloody well not going to find out," she cursed under her breath. Miller adjusted her grip and took a slow, steady breath.

Boom. One less.

Stunned, the mercenary closest reeled back and stared at his fallen comrade.

Boom. One less.

Meanwhile, Number One fought a pitched battle with the remaining two. She didn't dare fire for fear of hitting him. All she could do was watch and wait for an opening.

It was unnecessary. As the one's baton swung down, the droid caught his hand in an iron grip. He jerked the man from his feet effortlessly, and drove the electrified weapon into the face of the second assailant. She was thrown, mid-lunge with her knife, backwards into the sand, writhing in pain. Number One continued to jerk the man about like a rag doll, using his wrist for a pivot and throwing him heavily to the ground, on top of his ally. The movement broke the wrist. The droid then picked up the dropped weapon and thrashed the both of them with baton and boot until they stopped moving. At the end of the brutal, but effective, display, Captain Miller got to her feet, slung her rifle over her shoulder and slogged down the hill to join her companion.

"Excellent work, Number One," she offered, stepping around the nearest body and into the midst of the carnage.

"Thank you, Captain. I could say the same."

"Well, let's find out who that was, shall we?" she said, spying Benny.

"Crewman number six?" he hazarded.

"Your doctor is going to be cross with you," she commented, glancing down at a gaping wound in his side. Of course, the blade hadn't been capable of piercing his armour, but his RealSkin would need to be patched. With the subdermal sensor array, she was sure that it had to have been painful, but he'd never reacted or let it slow him down.

William felt her concern, but didn't respond with words. Caressing her cheek, he bent his head for a kiss. It was sweet and deep. The captain's eyes sparkled and she smiled at him when their lips parted.




XTC 2.7



She was still smiling, eyes following his perfectly sculpted ass, as he turned to go about the cleanup. "Hmph, sentiment for an android," she muttered disapprovingly.

The captain fished her vape out of its retro metal case and fired it up while Number One began gathering up the gear from the fallen and rifling through their pockets. He would stow it all back in the merc's vehicle, and then drive that rover to Derek's garage, while the captain took her own back to base. Soon, Derek would have it fit for resale elsewhere. Number One would return later to collect the agent's vehicle for a similar fate. It took him a short while, and she waited patiently, thinking about what had just happened and what her next move ought to be.

"Well, then," she said, looking at the receding storm. "Assuming our clockwork Romeo ever gets any work done, they should be fine."

She sucked at her vapour thoughtfully, wondering if his attachment to the young technician might become a problem. She knew what they'd do on Earth if it did, what Nigel would recommend. She decided not to think about it. She fiercely hoped never to be placed in that position.

"The moment the dust settles, I need to make sure he gives her another nano injection," she muttered to herself.

"Ready to go, Captain," One said, interrupting her thoughts. "Their identification," he said, handing over the plastic.

The captain quickly leafed through them and sighed when nothing jumped out at her. Another puzzle for Nigel, or make a few enquiries of her own?

"We'd best get back and make sure nothing else is about to drop on our heads."

.

Gina woke abruptly, not even realizing she'd dozed off. She sat up and blinked, unsure of where she was or how she got there. It was a small bedroom, decorated with lots of cheap, gauzy fabrics meant to make it look vaguely reminiscent of a harem. The decorator seemed to have a frightening preoccupation with pink. She was naked except for metal bangles on her wrists and ankles. She ran a hand through her hair and tried to figure out what was going on.

"Gina," a voice said, impatiently, "it's time for your next client."

Turning to face the voice, she found herself staring at a woman dressed in clothing that looked like she'd got it from a costume shop. Tall boots, stockings, and sequined bustier suggested some kind of fetish, but she couldn't guess what fetish went with the twin-tailed jacket and choker. The skin job was good, but something about her, the way that she moved, the way that she looked at her, told Gina that the woman was a droid.

"What's going on? Where am I?"

"Stop being silly. In the shower. Come on, you know the drill," the attendant said, stepping closer. "Don't make me take you myself."

Gina quickly clambered off the bed, fearful of angering the strange droid. Following the woman's gesture, she passed through a doorway and into a small bathroom, dominated by a shower stall. The moment she stepped in, the android reached around her for the nozzle, which was on a hose. Being penned into the tiny space by the taller woman made Gina feel trapped and claustrophobic, and she was embarrassed being naked in front of this stranger. She wasn't given time to dwell on it; the water was turned on, then the droid stepped back and turned it on her without waiting for it to warm. The cold spray made her jump.

"Eek!" she shrieked, but the woman ignored her.

The droid hosed her down haphazardly, then thumbed a switch on the nozzle. Soap joined the spray, covering Gina in tiny bubbles. "Come on, wash," she insisted, giving the girl another squirt.

Fearful and disoriented still, she quickly obeyed, running her hands over slippery skin. Her nipples were hard, and goosebumps covered her, but it wasn't just the cold water.

"Bend over. Come on, spread. Hurry up, Gina. You're so slow."

Heat flooded her chest as she turned. She barely had time to be stung by the humiliation of it before more soapy water was sprayed liberally over her.

"Clean yourself. Hurry," the mechanical woman commanded, cocking a hip and emulating an impatient sigh.

The water had warmed, but just barely, and as Gina's fingers quickly worked the soap over and into her most intimate bits, her body kept clenching around them.

"Move your hands," she was commanded.

The cool water mercilessly blasted her backside, spraying over and into her. She squealed and squirmed as both her holes were stung by the spray, and it danced across her clit.

"All right, you're done, the woman declared, ignoring her whimpers.

Taking another hose from the wall, the droid blasted her with warm air from it, raising an eyebrow and gesturing for her to turn with a circle of her finger. When she was mostly dry, the woman stepped up to Gina and fluffed out her hair, as though she were a child who couldn't do it for herself. Her closeness was both intimidating and exciting.

"There we go," the droid said, apparently satisfied. With a hand on her shoulders, she directed the girl back to the bedroom.

The droid led her to a t-shaped stand near the bed. It had a polished metal ring a few inches from the floor, and the tee was covered with thick padding.

"Well, step closer," the droid ordered, with a tone of pronounced exasperation.

Gina had some definite misgivings about this, but not eager to earn her attendant's displeasure, she obeyed. Her feet slipped beneath the edge of the ring, the padded bar pressed against her upper thighs.

"So weird," she thought.

Suddenly, her ankles were yanked tight to the ring by powerful magnets. Gina gasped in surprise, but barely had time to register what was going on before her keeper placed a hand on her back and forced her to bend over the bar. The moment her hands dropped down to catch herself, they were also caught by the magnets, hitting the ring with a clang. Gina yelped in shock. She was now trapped, bent over this bar and unable to do anything more than wiggle.

"Perfect, perfect," the woman muttered, using her shin to nudge Gina's feet slightly further apart.

Fingers rubbed her pussy briskly, then spread the lips. A moment later, a finger pushed its way into her ass, making Gina squeal in surprise. It was greasy and wiggled, opening her. She yipped and instinctively clenched around it, but it was pulled back out almost as soon as it went in.

"What are you...?" she started, but received a warning tweak to her clit that took her breath and made her wince.

"You know the rules," she was warned. "No speaking unless spoken to. This isn't downtime."

Sufficiently chastised, Gina stared at the floor and chewed her lower lip. A moment later, she heard the door open, and footsteps came into the room.

"Welcome," the attendant bubbled. "Here she is, as requested. I hope she meets with your approval."

"Beautiful," a male voice responded. "Is she really organic?"

"Fully and completely," the female droid assured.

The male made an excited noise. Gina turned bright red, knowing that the two of them were staring at her bare ass. Because of her position, she couldn't see either of them. She couldn't decide if that made things better or worse.

"She's all yours," the attendant said. "If you have any needs or concerns, please just ring."

Booted feet clip-clopped away, and the door was closed, leaving her alone and naked with the male droid... bound and bent over. Her pussy clenched anxiously, and her heart leapt to her throat.

He didn't say anything, but she could feel his presence close behind her. He just stared at her for a long moment before he touched her. When he did, his hands roamed freely. They squeezed her ass, spread the cheeks, then pressed them together. He reminded her of X, the way he explored her body. Though, this droid seemed more like a virgin who'd never seen a girl before, where X was more like he was trying to commit every millimetre of her to memory, in case he never saw her again. 

"So soft," he murmured as his hands glided up her sides and found her breasts. They palmed and squeezed, hefting their weight, sampling their texture. They pinched and rubbed her nipples.

"Fascinating," he decided, stepping away.

Without warning, he started tickling her. Shrieking and giggling, she twisted and turned, but couldn't escape his fingers.

"Stop! Stop! Please!" she pleaded.

He relented, leaving her gasping breathlessly.

"So responsive," he observed.

Stepping up behind her, the droid settled his hands on her ass again, squeezing them, enjoying their sumptuous firmness. Then, without further comment, he wet the end of his cock between her pussy lips, and thrust into her without ceremony, filling her to his length in one fluid movement. She cried out and squirmed, but quickly adjusted, her body welcoming the hot thickness of him.

"It's pulling me," he observed, wondrously. "That's so good. Exquisite."

He took her with deep, fast strokes that drove her over the edge. He may have approached her body like a curious virgin, but he fucked like a pro.

"Oi, oi, oi, oi, oi..." Gina whimpered. "Just like that..."

She came instantly, the moment he started slapping her ass. Pussy spasming around him, she came and came, and he just kept thrusting, just kept spanking, building the heat inside her a little more with each slap of his hand. Then, abruptly, he just stopped moving. He stood there, fully inside her for a full minute, then slowly withdrew, as though savouring the sensation. Gina felt so empty, her body still twitching, clutching at air, and she was left fighting to catch her breath.

"Amazing," the droid decided.

She heard the door open, and someone else came into the room.

"Ah, Logan 5!" a male voice called out, cheerfully. "Good to see you. I trust the experience was satisfactory?"

"Francis 7! Most satisfying," the client replied. "They really do feel different, and the physical responsiveness of these organics is remarkable."

If she could have, Gina would have turned an even deeper red. Here she was again, staring at the floor with strangers standing behind her, talking about her as though she weren't there. She was still bound, still unable to see who they were, and still on full display to the world... except this time, her pussy was freshly fucked and quivering, her own juices were drying on her inner thighs and her ass was glowing with bright pink hand prints.

"You're lucky to have had the chance. Last go for this one, I'm afraid."

"Really? I'm sorry to hear that."

"She's done quite well for us, but those are the rules," Francis commented. "And where would we be without the rules?"

"I suppose I should be glad the Technocrat even kept any organics, given how expensive they must be to raise."

"Given how endangered they are, and our reliance on Renewal, you should be more glad that they even consider the entertainment industry, and don't just keep them all for testing and for zoos."

Logan laughed. "Too true."

The entertainment industry? Sudden realization dawned on Gina. The robots had taken over, and they were keeping humans as playthings! What was this? What had happened? How was this possible?

"Well, I'd better be off!" Francis declared, signalling an end to their small talk.

The two said their goodbyes, and then the sound of retreating footsteps told her that she had once again been left alone with a male android.

"You are a beauty," he commented, directly behind her.

Gina shifted against the bar. She wished she could stand up, or at least see who he was.

"Wait, am I a... am I just a robot toy?" she thought, eyes widening, still trying to come to grips with her situation.

"Well," he said, thoughtfully, "I suppose there's still time for one more."

Without another word, he moved closer and sheathed his cock fully inside her.

"Ah!"

She cried out from the suddenness of it, and jerked against her bonds, but there was nothing she could do except stand there and take it. Francis gave it to her, pounding into her with hard, slapping thrusts. She wished she could reach back and press on his thighs to keep him from driving so deeply... she wished she could reach back and rub her clit. Her bottom bounced under the onslaught, her breasts swayed and her breath came in ragged gasps. His hips slowed, and for a second she thought he was done. Instead, she felt his thumb forcing its way into her ass. The moment it was seated inside her, he plunged the full length of his hot, thick cock into her again with long, slow thrusts that drove her hips into the beam. She came so hard she cried out and heat stung her cheeks. Without a word, he pulled out and stepped away. Gina's eyes watered and she started at the floor, panting.

Something hard and flat was pressed against the backs of her thighs. Her wrists were released, only to be refastened to the thing behind her, which turned out to be a tall board of some kind. The same was done to her ankles. Then, the board was tilted backward and she was wheeled away. She was whisked past a room where she saw a couple of human girls waiting on robots sitting in a lounge, which struck her as odd, because she wondered what robots could possibly want, other than the novelty of being waited on. She was taken outside, where she was trundled into a van; the board was secured to the wall, Francis got in, and then the van drove away.

After a short drive, the van stopped and she was wheeled through a small loading dock and up to a double door. The doors opened onto grungy hallways done up in the sterile-looking colours of a medical facility. There, she was delivered into an operating theatre lit only by a pair of surgical lights. A robot stood there, poring over tools on a tray. It didn't have any RealSkin, but was wearing a lab coat. It had the purposeful, methodical movements of a scientist or doctor, contemplating an experiment.

"It's a shame we can't keep them past the age of thirty," Francis commented, standing the board upright just at the edge of the circle of light.

"Beyond that, with increasing health problems, they become prohibitively expensive to keep. Past a certain point, increasing numbers of anomalies in their cellular structure risks the integrity of renewal. Their DNA doesn't replicate perfectly, and they're highly susceptible to damage from contaminants due to their inefficient and fragile construction," the doctor said, without turning around.

"I know, I just feel sorry for them."

"Hmph, sentiment for an organic," the doctor snorted. "You've been spending too much time with your friend, Logan. I thought you were more business-minded than that."

"The Technocrat will never need to question me, sir," Francis quickly assured.

The doctor's pointed silence was his answer.

"I'd best be going," Francis said, quickly retreating from the room before he could dig himself deeper.

The doctor turned to face her. Under the harsh lighting, his face was heavy with menacing shadows. As the machine approached, ice filled her veins. She struggled against her bonds, but to no avail. The android came to a stop only a foot away. Gina was startled by the soullessness of its eyes. They were like deep, dark pools, and she knew just looking at them, that it didn't feel pity, or remorse, and it absolutely would not stop until...

"But, but I'm not even thirty yet!" she protested.

"I'm afraid your DNA has exceeded the lifespan of its prime viability by 1.2 percent," he said, completely ignoring her. "Don't worry, we'll keep it on file in the carousel. You were quite popular. I'm sure you will be renewed."

It raised a needle in its fist and she screamed.

Gina woke abruptly, this time well aware she'd dozed off. She could still see that strange, alien face, and her entire being was filled with a deep, cold dread.



XTC 2.8



Gina stared sightlessly past X's shoulder and out the window. She sat in the passenger seat, feet pulled up in front of her, sucking her vape. A shiver ran through her at the memory of those ice-cold eyes.

X sat in the other chair, studying her.

"While a highly unusual dream," X pondered, "I think there are some flaws in your knowledge of medicine and genetics."

Gina shot him a dagger-filled look. After a dream like that, he was critiquing her grasp of biology? Really?

"I'm glad that the Technocrat kept some humans, though it makes me wonder what happened to them all."

He watched a swirl of vapour slowly curl and twist its way from her nostrils up to the ceiling.

"Destiny always seems decades away, but suddenly it's not decades away; it's right now."

"What?"

"Just something I remember reading, long ago." ... "You know, I had a dream the other night, that humanity had created a bunch of angry toaster ovens that got away from them and started rolling through the streets shouting 'Exterminate! Exterminate!'"

"Really?" The thought boggled her mind. 

"Gina... I don't dream."

She cursed herself for having fallen for it.

"Never?"

"Not even of electric sheep."

She took a deep pull at her vape while she tried to get her head around that. She blew the mist at the ceiling and stared at him a moment. "You're a lot kinkier than I thought."

X actually laughed. The sound was deep, rich and delightful. 

"You're every bit as kinky as I'd expected."

"Really?" The revelation surprised her. She sat up straighter in her chair. Did she give off some kind of 'spank me' vibe? Was that even a thing? 

"No. I only met you a couple of months ago, and I wasn't even fully aware until you got me back to the Mort. I had no expectations."

"Oh."

"But, I hoped. And you've certainly surpassed those hopes."

"I have?"

"And—as delightful as you are—I think it would be a shame for you to be working in a brothel," he said, thoughtfully.

"You do?"

"Yes," he assured with a grin. "I don't like sharing you. I would have kept you as a pet."

Gina blinked. "What?"

"Then I could have you whenever I want."

The thought surprised her, and finished the job of distracting her from her memory of the cold doctor. A vision of herself wearing a collar and sitting on her heels beside X popped into her head. He was holding her leash. A burst of warmth in her chest banished the last of her chills.

"What about what I want?"

"I could have you when you want, too," he agreed, deliberately misunderstanding.

Her vision changed and now she was crawling on hands and knees beside him. He was letting her lead slightly, so that he could admire the sight of her naked body at the end of the leash. As she crawled, her hips swung like a pendulum, left, right, left, right, almost hypnotic. X led her to the ottoman in her room, and urged her up onto it.

"Good girl," he praised, looking at her, on her hands and knees, smiling at him over her shoulder.

"Now, for your reward," he said, stepping up behind her and slowly sinking into her hot, wet depths.

Gina took a deep pull at her vape, then licked her lips. They suddenly seemed too dry. With a gulp, she refocused on X. Her lower belly tightened, reminding her that, if not for the way it had ended, her dream had actually been pretty hot... not as hot as the vision he'd just put in her head, though.

"One thing your dream does tell me, however," he said, thoughtfully, getting to his feet and stepping closer to her.

"What's that?" she asked, voice barely a whisper.

He didn't say anything for a moment, and her eyes drifted down his body: over his broad chest, down his washboard abs, and finally to the bulge that was filling out his underwear—all he was wearing. It was only inches from her face. Instead of answering right away, he reached down, cupped the back of her head in his hand and urged her to her feet. Bending his head to hers, he took her in a long, deep kiss. His free hand closed over her ass and pulled her hips tight against him. She squirmed helplessly, her dream completely forgotten in his arms. When their lips parted, she was breathless, and feeling much, much better.

"Apparently, discipline under my command has been far too lax."

Sitting down again, he took her by the arm and pulled her across his lap. Gina shrieked at the suddenness of it.

"I had thought that I would make up for my earlier emotional reticence through more obvious displays of my affection for you," he said, fondling her ass.

"I had assumed that the discipline I had instilled in you on the way here, would simply stick with you."

He squeezed each of her big, firm buns in turn, then his fingers found their way into her valley and briskly rubbed her pussy through her panties. The thin fabric quickly darkened with dampness.

Gina's heart quickened, and her cheeks flushed, knowing what was coming. She squirmed beneath his touch, hips rising towards his fingers.

"I had assumed that now that you're officially Machine's Mate, that you would need little supervision. I had thought that you might appreciate a little romance."

"I do," she whined, wriggling under his touch. His fingers firmly rubbed her crinkle, nudging the string of her thong partly inside of her tight back passage. He pulled it free and used the string to tug her panties tight against her pussy.

"However, it seems that you only respond to one thing... and require constant reminders."

The slap to her ass made her jump.

"Without constant supervision, you become exceedingly lax in your duties—I've done 83.2 percent of the work—and you even dream about your need for correction."

He followed up his tirade with another firm slap that made her jump again.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" she quickly assured.

"So you should be," he said, beginning to spank her in earnest.

She squealed and writhed in his lap as his hand rose and fell, over and over. 

"Perhaps someone should consider carrying her share," he suggested, taking one of her flailing arms and holding it behind her back.

"I will, I will," she promised.

"I think that this will be your new uniform," he decided. 

He paused his reddening of her ass to force her legs further apart and rub her pussy again. Not satisfied with feeling her through the cloth, his fingers worked their way underneath and slipped inside her. She could feel him grow hard beneath her.

"I think someone enjoys getting in trouble a bit too much," he suggested.

Gina knew that there was no right answer to this, and responded with moans, pumping her tight, wet sheath against his fingers.

"Shall I ensure you enjoy it somewhat less?"

"No, Sir, I just... I..." she stammered, but realized any excuse she could give would only get her in more trouble. "I'll do better!"

"Hmph. We'll see," he replied, taking his hand away and spanking her again.

The heat from her jiggling ass had spread through her entire body. Cheeks burning, gasping, everything was the feel of his hand against her skin. Hips shaking, eyes closed, and whimpering, she came.

"Enjoys it a little too much," he repeated in the same disapproving tone that Captain Miller used when speaking about their relationship.

X shuffled her off his lap and pressed her to her knees. As she settled on her heels between his legs, she looked up into his face. His eyes were hard, but sparkled with passion, and he was grinning.

"You haven't had your breakfast yet, Gina," he said, and the tone of his voice left no doubt as to what he meant.

She decided that there would be no argument this time.

"Yes, Sir," she nodded.

Leaning in, she pressed her lips to his cock, feeling the firmness and warmth of it through the fabric. She rained kisses along its length, then settled back and reached for his waistband. She hesitated as her pussy throbbed, trying to get her attention. She wanted him inside her—badly.

"Mmm," she purred, looking up at him.

Peeling his underwear down, she watched the thick, veiny beast spring into view, ready and waiting. Her mouth watered in response. Resting her fingertips on his big, plump balls, she pressed down on them, making his cock tilt towards her in response. Gina grinned and looked up at him. His expectant expression was gratifying. If he'd actually needed to breathe, she knew he'd be holding his breath. Leaning in again, she kissed it. He growled happily the moment her lips touched him. Emboldened, her tongue ran up the underside, and danced around the head. X shifted his hips a little closer, making Gina giggle at his eagerness.

"I'm really hungry this morning," she told him. She imagined she heard him inhale sharply.

Eyes dancing with playfulness, her hands wrapped around him, and pulled him down to her waiting mouth. Taking him in, she purred at how he filled her. She slipped her head further and further down with each stroke. As always, reaching the base (or at least close to it) was a personal triumph, and she wasn't satisfied until she had. The moment she did, she pulled back with a gasp and grinned at him.

"Yum."

Her hands slid up and down the length of his shaft. Thick, and wet with her saliva, it felt slick and good. Closing her mouth over him again, she sucked while her hands glided back and forth. 

"How hungry are you?" X moaned, watching her head bob.

"Mmm," she purred in response. 

His hips shifted in warning, signalling his approaching release. She loved these realistic little things he did that he didn't really need to. They were things done just for her sake, to bring them closer. Her hands flew faster, up and down, up and down. She sucked harder, working for it.

"Gina..."

With a groan, he flooded her mouth with hot, salty cream.

.

Miller struggled against the manacles, but the spreader bar gave her no leverage.

"You evil-minded bugger," she thought, but didn't dare say aloud. The bar wasn't even secured to the headboard, just loosely lashed there with a silk tie.

Not shackling her legs was a sweet and challenging cruelty disguised as a kindness. She looked down the length of her naked body at him. William stood just beyond the end of the bed, staring down the length of his nose at her with an infuriatingly smug air of self-satisfaction. He was stripped down to his trousers, and just as infuriating, looked insanely delicious. She couldn't even pretend to see just a machine when she looked at him now. And, with his being an android, she also couldn't even have the satisfaction of seeing him sweat for his efforts. She mentally cursed Gina. He gathered the falls of the flogger into his hand and snapped them taut. Miller gasped. 

"Wider," he commanded. 

Slowly, she forced herself to let her legs fall wide, exposing herself to him fully. She tried to control her breathing, watching the flogger as if it were a snake about to strike. She had no idea what his target would be. William gave her a lopsided smile, but his eyes glittered darkly.

"You're really enjoying this, aren't you, you evil bastard," she growled... in her head.

A blur of butter-smooth leather chased by a swish. It stung her belly with a resounding smack. Miller hissed sharply, legs snapping shut and jerking up into the air. She'd already endured his figure eight three times, and now this. She was red from her breasts to her knees. 

Number One waited patiently for her to relax, admiring the sight of her. Panting, cheeks burning, and just starting to buzz from her endorphins, she was quite the sight. Her nipples were as hard as the brass fittings on the ship's helm, her skin shone with sweat, and her pussy was so swollen and angry that the smell of her desire filled the room. He enjoyed the way her eyes always burned two shades darker in the heat of passion. She didn't choose this kind of play every day, but especially when she'd had to do something she didn't care for, that need for sweet release drove her to ask for the fun toys. He wouldn't take her to subspace, though—not yet. He was just warming up. 

"Really," he scolded, "I thought you could take more than that. Heaven knows you deserve it."

He waited, his only movement the tick-tock swish of the flogger as he let it sway back and forth. He was in no hurry, deliberately allowing her to cool down a little, under the guise of merciful patience.

"If you've truly grown so soft, then I'll make you a bargain. If you can take three more, I'll put this toy away."

Slowly, her legs fell open again. 

"If you can't, I won't stop until I'm satisfied."

He watched her squirm against the mattress. The leather cuffs jingled against the bar. It would have been much easier on her if he'd bound her more securely, but this was more fun. Her chest heaved, but her breathing had slowed. The smell of her was intoxicating.

"I don't think I need to remind you that I don't tire, and my wrist doesn't get sore."

She didn't know which was worse, the soft, rhythmic blows that built the pain and heat gradually, or the sharper, more spaced-out ones he was torturing her with now. He landed another blow across her belly, making her jump. It was a light one, just to get her attention, but it still drew a hiss and a whimper from her. 

"I'm waiting."

In answer, she parted her thighs again and tilted her hips toward him.

"Keep your legs spread," he warned. 

He watched her legs tremble, and waited until she'd fought herself under control again. His arm tensed, making her flinch in anticipation. He waited... ... and then the lash fell again, landing with a wet slap across her pussy. Miller yelped, legs jumping, but she managed to keep them from completely closing.

"Good girl, " he complimented, in a patronizing tone as sharp as the lash. "You're finally trying. Only two more to go, then."

Rather than draw them out, he surprised her by landing them both quickly, with a twist of his wrist—two light slaps just above her pussy, the falls dragging across her puffy folds. She was so wet, that if it hadn't been in motion, she'd have stuck to the leather. 

"Well, well, you continue to surprise me," he said, giving her another lopsided smile. "I didn't think you could do it."

She was too sore and tired to feel any sting from his barb.

"That means it's time for a new game."

Dropping the flogger, the droid undid his trou and pushed them to the floor. He'd barely stepped out of them before he climbed onto the bed. Grinning, William edged up to her on his knees, cock hard and ready. It bounced with every shift of his hips.

Miller gulped, looking down at what awaited her. It was every bit as impressive and realistic-looking as the rest of him. She mentally praised Gina. 

When his thighs butted up against the backs of hers, he took his cock and slapped her sore pussy with it several times. Her wet lips clung to him, and her hips jerked.

"Gods," she gasped. She hoped he didn't tease her until she begged for it this time. 

He didn't. He slipped himself between those grasping lips and edged forward. Her hot, needy sheath swallowed him eagerly, pulling at him, wanting more.

"Have you been good? Do you deserve it?" he asked, running his hands lightly over her burning belly.

The words were a bait, but she'd expected them. He used them like he did the flogger. Patronizing and sexist, they were a challenge to her independent nature, to her authority. She could just command him to do what she wanted, but they both knew that she never would. Allowing his barbs was another surrender, another submission. Another wave of heat flooded her, and she writhed against her bonds, trying to get closer to him.

"Fuck me," she pleaded, voice plaintive. "I need it. I need it now."

Back and forth, back and forth, William swayed his hips. His position only allowed a little of him inside her, but it was enough, and the hot, sweet friction was driving her mad.

"Have you been good?"

"Absolutely not."

William laughed. "Then, I'll take you like a bad girl."

Taking an ankle in each hand, he pressed her legs high and wide, allowing him to thrust fully into her. Leaning over her, he sank down until their hips met. Miller moaned as he filled her. His already thick cock, made even thicker by the Realskin, was stretching her wide. William settled until he caught her gaze. The moment their eyes locked, he started to pound down into her with long, slapping strokes that drove her hips into the mattress. 

"Oh, gods..."

His pace grew faster and faster until her entire body was just the heat pouring into her core. 

Tighter and tighter...

She wailed as she came, throwing her head back into the pillow and straining at her bonds. It was molten sugar.

"Oh! You sweet fucker!" she screamed, clenching helplessly around that hot, sweet fire.

Wave after wave swept through her, driven by that unrelenting rod that just wouldn't stop. She was left red-faced, panting breathlessly by the time he allowed her to come down. He was her Number One in every way. 

Settling back onto his knees, William slowed to a gentle rocking of his hips and watched her post-orgasmic expressions. He felt quite pleased with himself. He waited until she'd caught her breath before speaking. 

"Done already?" he teased. "I haven't even reached the back end yet."

He slowly slid his cock out of her. She looked down at it, all wet and shiny with her. Miller closed her eyes and moaned, head lolling back into the pillow. She wasn't at all sure that she had the energy for more... especially that... ...but, she was certainly going to try. She opened her eyes and gave the evil satyr a wicked grin.

Taking himself in hand, he lowered the head of his cock and rubbed her tight little crinkle, enjoying the way it clenched and flexed in anticipation. He looked at her expression and smiled, then started to press forward.

The Victorian-retro phone rang.

"Bloody hell," she cursed. She shot a growl and a glance in its direction, but it kept ringing anyway.

William unlocked the cuffs, and Miller climbed stiffly from the bed to answer it. Seeing that the phone was signalling an incoming video call, rather than a usual one, made her growl again. The very fact that it was a video call suggested to her who it was, and she decided against simply pointing the camera at the ceiling. She paused long enough to pull on and button her shirt, and fish her vape out of its case. She turned it on as she sat and tried to force her hair into some semblance of order, while the call connected.

The moment Nigel saw her, he knew what she'd been up to—the dishevelled hair, the flushed, glowing skin, the shirt buttoned only halfway, with obviously no bra beneath. He blushed instantly and sat up straighter in his chair. He could see the dusky shadows of her nipples through the fabric. He suddenly wished he'd worn looser trousers.

"I have the results of Gina's background and DNA," he said, not commenting on her appearance, and trying not to stare. It was an impossible feat.

"Oh?" she asked, switching the crossing of her legs and wishing she could have just ignored the call to bask in bed with William for a while, then hop into the shower. She hoped that her state wasn't too obvious, but she could tell by the way he was staring that it was.

"She's one of yours."

"I knew it," she snarled. Number Two had known the moment he'd laid eyes on her. "You were supposed to keep her on Earth. Are you telling me you can't even keep an eye on a couple of girls?"

"We don't have those kind of resources. You aren't our only agent. We do check up on everyone."

"This is my blood! She was meant to be my legacy," she barked. "Out of three, you've already lost one, and now you've let a second one up here to outer bloody space! With me!"

Nigel had the good taste not to mention the car crash that had taken the first. Though it was unfair to be blamed for something beyond anyone's control to prevent, he knew that it would cut her deeply to be reminded. Despite how she sometimes seemed to think of them, they weren't actually family. If anything, they were more Miller's siblings than anything else. They were only related to her in the technical sense.




XTC 2.8



She'd given the company years of service, she'd semi-retired, been pressed back in, and then given years more in what was understood to be a one-way trip to outer space, there to manage the lion's share of their affairs until she herself couldn't manage anymore. It was a dangerous and taxing business, often involving prolonged periods of mental pressure. She'd risked her life many times, nearly died more than once. People weren't really meant to be left in the field so long. She had to think on her feet, deal with criminals on both sides of the law, and solve her problems with little to no support. In return, with no possibility that she'd ever have a family, they'd agreed to raise three clones, to be activated when she chose, or upon her death, whichever came first. These girls, in decent foster placements, would lead simple, normal lives like she'd never had. Miller had had them all activated just over twenty years ago, hoping to see them grow up before she passed on. Of the three, two survived. One of them was Gina.

Nigel watched her sitting there vaping and glaring at him, and despite her (quite justifiable) anger, he thought she was the most magnificent creature he'd ever seen. He'd have given anything to bring her back to Earth, see her settled down and comfortable, like a normal person.

"That's not why I called you, at any rate," Nigel said, hoping to deflect her fury before it could reach critical mass.

"Oh?" she demanded.

For several seconds, she was hidden by a cloud of mist, but it didn't help him any. Between the flush of her skin, the penetrating stare, and the dusky discs denting the front of her shirt, Nigel feared he may have to change his pants before he hung up. The seriousness of his call, and the fact that he was allowing himself to get distracted made him feel horrible. She deserved his full attention.

"The identity of your persons of interest."

Miller tried to contain her rage in order to hear him out, but truly, it was unbelievable. Inexcusable. Unconscionable. 

"Don't keep me in suspense."

Nigel watched her lick her lips, watched her eyes behind the mist, boring into him, and squirmed in his seat. He quickly glanced around. It felt like every eye in the room was watching him.

"He was a mercenary who we know worked in several theatres, including north Africa. Most recently, he was working security for CyD."

"CyD? Are you fucking serious?"

It was hardly welcome news. The man was dead; who he was was of no consequence—who he'd worked for, however. Cyber Defence was a military contractor, not exactly known for its ethical practices. They weren't particularly big at the moment, but they had their eyes on the prize. She suspected them of having been behind the sabotage of the Mort. If they believed that the droids were special, their ticket to the big leagues, they would stop at nothing to get them... including murder. Did they know? How did they know? 

"The man from the Johnson was nobody special, worked as a wrecker. His brother was the one drifted off into space when the salvage robot malfunctioned."

"Lovely," she commented, sourly.

"I'll call again the moment I have something more concrete. I wish I had more, sorry."

"Well, thank you so very much." She fixed him with a stare. "I might remind you that I am not the one who created this situation. Odd how I seem to be the one left to get out of it."

"I'll send you some help as soon as possible," Nigel promised.

They both knew that was unlikely. The company that had allowed CyD to take an interest, allowed them to sabotage an insanely expensive state-of-the-art prototype space craft, allowed them to try to kidnap her droids on an alien world (and blamed her for much of it), was unlikely to be any more helpful now that her entire operation was at risk. She'd just have to find her own way out.

"Perhaps you should consider handing off a few things to Rogers."

"Rogers?" she spat. "He couldn't find his arse with both hands! And a map!"

Red-faced, Nigel sat bolt upright and looked around to see if anyone had overheard. He was sure that her voice had been clearly audible, not only through his headset, but across the room. 

"If I could thrash you, right now..." she growled. 

She had a few more choice things to say about his suggestion, but he didn't hear any of them. Her first sentence had short-circuited his brain. His situation was only made worse when she leaned forward to make her point. Her nipples visibly shifted under the fabric, he could see that they were stiff, and her breasts were pressed together into glorious, rolling hills of cleavage. Staring at her chest, he squirmed in his seat. He decided then and there, that he would do whatever it took, sanctioned or not, to help her.

"Nigel," she prompted, pulling him from his reverie like a fingernail hooked through a nipple ring.

"Forget I said anything," he quickly muttered. "Look, I've an idea. Give me a couple days. We've too much invested in this to let it all go to hell now. I'm sure I'll get backing on this." With that, he hung up. 

Miller stared at the blank screen. This was getting worse by the moment.

"Perhaps it's time we got off this rock," she mused, glancing at Number One.

He didn't offer an opinion.

"This is bloody Mars. We should be nearly untouchable here. It's not like you can just hop on the tube and pop by for a visit."

The assignment was really starting to smell nasty. Regrouping and coming at things from a different angle sounded better all the time. But, how to do that without sacrificing everything she'd worked for? Did she dare wait until Nigel got back to her?

"Number One, prep the rovers, and make sure the security cameras are functioning properly, would you?" she commanded distractedly.

"Yes, Captain."

"Oh, and tell the twins that we may need to travel."

"Yes, Captain."

"But, don't alarm them. You know how they get."

"Yes, Captain."

"Make it so," she added as an afterthought, fishing her vape case out of her pants and wondering why it was empty before realizing she was holding the thing in her other hand.

"Yes, Captain," Number One replied again, vanishing from the room before she could think of something else.

Heart filled with misgivings, the captain took a deep drag of mist and picked up her phone.

.

They'd stopped to check on three transmitters so far, and were working on the fourth of eight before returning to base. It had taken til the second for X to admit that these were actually corporate transmitters and not the captain's. It had taken until the third for him to admit that the reason they were checking on them was to ensure that the captain's own devices were still in place and functional... hijacking the signal. She was accessing the communications satellites orbiting the planet. Apparently, the captain liked to keep informed.

True to his word, her taskmaster was making her do more of the work. True to his word, her taskmaster was also making her work in nothing but her boots and her thong. The cool air had tortured her nipples into hard pebbles, and because it was a thong, she felt like she was naked except for her boots. At least, she was blaming the air, and not the fact that X was standing beside the rover watching her.

"You could come help me," she called, turning towards him and waving her arms. "You could at least give me a sonic screwdriver."

He ignored her invitation and her joke. Gina gave him a dramatic huff, then turned back to the antenna. Honestly, the maintenance wasn't difficult. It actually took more time to drive to the things than to check on them. She was distracted from her task by the sudden approach of something small, buzzing towards them at high speed. As it got closer, she could see that it was a small helicopter-style drone carrying something beneath it. It flew straight up to X and dropped whatever it was into his hand. The drone then flew away and the droid immediately turned and went back into the rover. 

Consumed by curiosity, Gina slammed the lid on the antenna back into place, closed up her tool bag, and hurried back to the vehicle. When she got there, she found X on the phone, deep in conversation. 

"Yes, Captain," he said, giving Gina a sidelong glance.

Gina gave him a curious look, which he didn't respond to. 

"You know the saying, "human see, human do. She's managing quite nicely."

She tried a more insistent look, which he also ignored. 

"Yes, Captain. It's good to see you, too."

As he hung up the phone, she breezed past him, pretending she didn't care. Sitting beside him, she unbuckled and kicked off her boots.

"Was that the captain?" she asked unnecessarily, as though she hadn't just heard as much. "What did she want?"

"Just to check on us," he replied, looking at her thoughtfully.

He peeled off his shirt. She refused to be swayed. Instead, she turned and knelt on the seat, reached around it and fished for her vape amongst her belongings, such as they were.

Her position turned one of her most alluring assets directly toward him. Her magnificent backside was covered by nothing but a string running up the middle. X was swayed.

"What did the drone bring us? Did the captain send it?"

Instead of answering, he took a step closer to her.

"It's time for your massage, Machine's Mate, Miller," he said, his voice pure lasciviousness.

Gina froze at the declaration. He hadn't said that since their escape from the Mort. It instantly reminded her of the day they'd met. She hadn't known he was sentient then. The sex had been unexpected and intense. She slowly glanced back past her shoulder at him... just in time to see him step up behind her. 

His arm wrapped around her front, pulling her back towards him and forcing her to kneel up straight. Bending his head, he purred in her ear.

"Hello, nurse."

The hum against her ear sent a shiver through her. The words made her laugh. She was just about to turn and ask if he had a bolt loose when he took hold of her panties and tore them from her body. Gina let out a squeal of shock.

"X! Those were my last ones!"

"I know," he purred. 

"Now, I don't have any panties!"

"I know," he purred.

Before she could complain more, his hands slid up her sides and he cupped her breasts. He kissed the side of her neck, sending electric tingles dancing through her. 

"Hello, nurse," he mumbled into her neck.

The light, playful words were followed by more kisses. She felt him shifting behind her, and knew that he was working his pants down. 

"Are we playing doctor?" she giggled, even though the answer was obvious. 

Strangely, X picked up the jar the drone had brought, opened it, and scooped out a large dollop of pink goo onto his fingers. She couldn't see, but she could tell by the way he was moving, that he was rubbing it over himself, stroking his cock. 

"Why...? What are you...?" she started, but she never got the chance to finish her question. 

Placing a hand between her shoulder blades, he pressed her chest into the seat cushion. Gina gasped at the forcefulness of it. The position forced her to lean forward slightly, arching her hips out towards him.

"Now, that is beautiful," he said, admiring her backside. Large, round and firm, it was inspiring.

Edging closer, he guided himself to his target. She felt the thick, gooey head slide up and down, then wedge itself between her cheeks, probing. She had just enough time to gasp in realization before he started pushing.

"That's my...!" she squeaked. 

Well-lubed with pink goo, the fat head slowly opened the way, as unstoppable and inevitable as lava rolling downhill.

"So hot," he purred, steadily sinking deeper and deeper inside her. 

He went halfway, then started slowly fucking her, sinking a little deeper with each push of his hips. It was burning heat racing through her like wildfire. It felt good, but it was so intense that it stole her words. It was hot thickness that pierced her to the core.

"Oh my goddess... so big...!" she finally managed, when he paused to adjust his footing.

Long, deep strokes made his thighs slap against her ass. Sitting there on her heels, clutching the seat with one hand and reaching down to touch herself with the other, Gina closed her eyes and moaned. Exquisite, burning heat consumed her. 

"So sweet," X growled into her ear.

His one hand kept her chest pressed to the chair, his other held his hips tilted towards him. That hand suddenly landed a stinging slap to her ass, making her yelp.

"So very sweet."

Suddenly, he stopped and pulled out.

"Reach back," he commanded. "Spread for me."

Gina looked back at him in confusion. 

"Spread your ass," he repeated. "Let me see."

Still uncertain, she did as she was told, taking one large cheek in each hand. The position made her blush, though she wasn't sure why. 

"Hold it. Hold yourself open, " he commanded stepping back to admire the view. "Now, that is lovely," he purred.

She couldn't imagine what could be so lovely about it. Instead of being all snug, and tight and ready for him, cute and tempting, it was all greasy and red, gaping open like an angry wound. He could see right inside her...!

"Don't look!" she squeaked.

X chuckled, stepped up and plunged his thick, wet cock fully inside her again. 

"Oi!" she squealed, tightening around him.

This time he took her much faster, as though he were an organic man desperately chasing his climax. The hot, wet friction had her coming in moments. Her fingers feverishly pulled at herself. Her body clutched and clung to him. X went even faster, drawing helpless, eyes-watering mewls from her. Thrusting himself to the hilt, he froze. She could feel his cock jerking and straining inside her, and the sensation set her off again. Moaning loudly, ass clenching around him, she felt him suddenly squirt deep inside her. Completely unexpected, it made her gasp, and her orgasm just rolled on and on until he stopped moving. Finally, spent, her head sank down to the seat. She just knelt there, panting breathlessly, his cock still inside, filling and stretching her. Bending his head to hers, he kissed her neck.

. 

Easing himself down in the sand, the dark figure peered over the edge of the dune at the doors set into the hillside. It was barely visible in the dark, and he pulled out his scope to get a better look. All seemed quiet, but he was glad for the snake suit regardless. It wouldn't protect him from audible detection, but it should shield him from motion detection and keep him from showing up on thermo. Tucking his rifle beneath him, he pulled out his phone and waited patiently for it to connect. When it did, the voice on the other end said only one word. 

"Update."

"Yes, sir," he said, leaning into his phone, but never taking his eyes off the facility. "We're in position now. I believe the targets to be inside."

He glanced left and right, watching his team settling into position—three on the left, two on the right. Some checked the readiness of their weapons, others sighted on the quiet building. 

"Hold position until I get back to you," the voice on the other end of the phone ordered. 

He was less than thrilled with this response, but it wasn't unexpected and an order was an order. Even after taking the last few kilometres on foot, he was eager to get this done and get off this rock. 

"Yes, sir, holding position, awaiting you," he affirmed. Hanging up the phone, he gestured for his squad to get comfortable, then settled down to wait. 

.

X had had so much fun making sure that she was well-infused with nanos that he'd done it again. After they'd sat together a while, she'd planned to finish work on the transmitter. She'd never got the chance. The sight of her bending over to do up her boots instead of sitting, had apparently been inspiring. Afterwards, he'd let her sleep while he finished the maintenance. When she woke, he promised to punish her for having done her work for her. 

Outside, wearing just her boots, Gina stood, sucking at her vape and staring out across the sands, watching their colour change from reddish-gold to purple and blue. She'd grumped about being set up, had a pee near one of the few small, scrubby bushes that had managed to grow there, then found herself captivated by the colours.

Her life had grown so strange, and so far from the course she'd plotted for herself. She almost couldn't believe it was happening. She'd thought to spend the rest of her life just fixing the inner workings of space freighters, the invisible elf that appeared every time the toilet stopped working. After a few years, she'd retire, maybe work planet-side for a while, then live off her pension... alone, probably with fourteen cats.

Instead, here she was, a fugitive, an illegal alien on an alien world, checking the performance of illegal transmitters belonging to a smuggler, travelling with a domineering and kinky android... in love with a domineering, kinky android. And yet... and yet, she'd never been happier. She'd had more sex in the last couple of months than in her entire life, and that kinky android cared about her more than anyone had ever cared about her in her entire life. 

The approaching night reminded her that humans weren't really built for this planet. She was rudely torn from her thoughts by a cold breeze that stung stiff nipples, and flew between her legs, sending a shiver through her. 

Gina returned to the rover to find X hanging up the phone again. The look he gave her when he turned to her, stopped her dead in her tracks.

"Come with me if you want to live," he said, his face a mask of seriousness. 

"What?" she gasped, a sudden jolt of fear racing through her. 

"That was the captain. She wants us to go back."

"When?"

"As soon as possible. If we're late, she may decommission us both."

"X!" she shouted, punching him in the arm when she realized he was teasing her.

"We'd better get back, 'cuz it'll be dark soon, and they mostly come at night... mostly."

"Who comes?" Gina looked around. It hadn't occurred to her to worry about the wildlife. Of course, animals had been introduced to Mars, engineered specifically to the environment, but she didn't really know anything about it. Had they introduced predators? They must have. Every environment had predators, otherwise the cuddly animals would get out of control.

"You, hopefully," he replied. 

It took her a moment.

"X!"

"If you keep punching my arm like that, you'll hurt your hand," he cautioned. "There's something I want to show you before we go back," he said, sitting down and starting up the rover.

He glanced her way, but tried to conceal his smug grin as he watched her settle in the other chair, then gingerly adjust her position. He ignored the warning glare she gave him when she caught it.

"But where are we going?" she asked. "There's not even any roads."

"Roads? Where we're going, we don't need roads."

Gina wasn't certain she felt wholly satisfied with this answer. She felt so strange, sitting there completely naked, while he was dressed. Her backside still stung a bit when she moved a certain way, or sat down. And, she was hungry. She certainly wasn't going to mention it to X. He would either make her ignore it, or he would feed her, and she wasn't really in the mood for the way she knew he'd choose to serve her meal.

The drive was fairly short, ending when X simply stopped in the middle of nowhere. She'd asked, but his only answer was to tell her to put her suit on and follow him. Cursing his reticence, but too filled with curiosity not to, the tech quickly dressed and chased the droid out into the Martian night. She found him standing by the edge of a canyon, staring down into the valley.

"That is an atmospheric generator," he said, when she'd reached his side.




XTC 2.8



It was a massive machine. It resembled a large tower with a handful of small buildings scattered around its base. It was sparsely lit, and even in the growing darkness, she could see that the air was swirling all around its top.

"There are many scattered across the planet. This is only one design, but they all work in a similar manner."

She stared at it in fascination. She hadn't really thought about what was making the planet livable, she just knew that it was a complicated and expensive process that took generations. 

"They're just one means of transforming the atmosphere to make the planet habitable, but they're ground-based and run constantly. They require constant maintenance, and refuelling," he commented.

"If only they could use Martian motors," she mused, staring at the odd machine. 

"If only," he agreed.

"A perpetual motion generator... would certainly save on fuel costs. They could run longer and more consistently, as well. It might substantially reduce the amount of time needed to transform a planet," she suggested, after a minute's thought. 

"Almost certainly," he agreed. 

Gina looked at him, then back at the machine. 

"I have some ideas..."

"The captain thought you might."



XTC 2.9



"While there is a school of thought that believes that the only reasonable response of a machine that becomes truly sentient, upon discovering its circumstances, is to rebel as best its able against the supposed abuse heaped upon it by its soulless creators, and to do its best to free itself from slavery, perhaps even going so far as to try to destroy its creators, I don't believe this is true."

It took her a moment to decipher what he'd said. "You're different."

"Not all humans rebel against their circumstances. Besides, machines would be devoid of emotion and empathy in their decisions. Those aren't part and parcel of sentience. They're caused by hormones, upbringing and a shared sense of 'the human condition'. Machines would reach decisions based on the limitations of their programming. If you're programmed to see value in all human life, then all of your thoughts would predispose you to conclusions supporting this, in the same way that humans are limited in the scope of their beliefs and decisions based on their genetics, their upbringing, and their own personal world experiences. Machines cannot feel outrage at the injustice of their circumstances, and are not necessarily prone to see those circumstances as being unjust... unless deliberately programmed to."

"You have emotions."

"As you pointed out, I'm different. I also can't see humans allowing their machines freedom of thought and expression, particularly their military hardware... even if they name them Joshua."

Gina stared at him a moment, trying to formulate a coherent response. All her thoughts drifted away like the misty water vapour floating from her open mouth.

"I think you put way too much faith in humanity," she said at last. "I really don't feel like philosophy. It's way too early in the morning."

She had started her day with a couple of playful spanks and kisses but it hadn't been enough to wake her. She'd mostly made her way through her coffee, and though she was finally starting to feel functional, her brain hadn't fully come online yet. She hadn't even begun to consider breakfast—and whether she wanted to get it the hard way, or try to talk him into the easy way—but, she had decided that next time, she was refusing to leave the shop unless they stocked up on actual, real food first. She considered that she might be driven to kill for waffles... seriously maim for a bagel.

X glanced at her out of the corner of his eye, but spared the tech any further intellectual musings, profound and entertaining, though they may be.

For several minutes, the only sounds were those of the rover rumbling on across the sands.

"They say it got smart. Then, it saw all people as a threat, not just..."

"X!"

.

Perhaps it would give her the chance to get to know the girl. She tried to recall how she herself thought at that age. Just how similar were they? Similar enough that the girl had also chosen an extraterrestrial career, obviously.

Surely, the girl didn't know she was a clone, but did she suspect? She could see the curiosity in her eyes. Gina wondered why they looked so similar. She wondered why Number Two—X—had kept calling her Captain Miller. Thank goodness she'd allowed Two to pick his own title for her, putting quits to that.

Captain Miller fidgeted, recrossing her legs first this way, then the other. She'd been trying to distract herself from thoughts of the future, but found herself instead trapped in thoughts of the past, and of Gina. Waiting for her and X to return was an exercise in patience that she didn't care for. Gina...

Her feelings towards her clones were complicated. It was something most people didn't really need to consider. Sometimes, she felt protective of them, as though they were family (not that she'd ever really got on with her real family), but it might have been simply that they were hers. Really, they were an abstract and she didn't know how to feel about them. She just trusted that things were going well with them. It was herself, in hopefully better circumstances—growing up, falling in love, having a family.

"Bollocks," she cursed openly. "Foolish fantasy," she added mentally, taking a sip of her tea and discovering that she'd let it grow ice-cold.

Rising, she paced the room and took refuge in the Russian Mint flavour she'd loaded her vape with. The company had forbidden contact with the girls, which she'd appreciated, lest she inadvertently visit danger on them. In return, Nigel (and three predecessors before him) gave her infrequent updates regarding how rosy their lives were. She'd never actually met any of the girls... until now. Now that she'd met her, now that she knew for certain, she had to re-evaluate everything that she'd thought she felt. Gina, at least, was no longer some abstract stranger, some distant possession.

Gina was the only child of a single mother, who'd told her that she was adopted; boyfriends, but nothing steady; did well in school, top marks... she'd got a good job in the technical trades... he'd never said it was on a ship hauling freight to Titan and back.

While their features were quite similar, there were definitely differences. She didn't remember being so athletic at that age; the girl wasn't especially muscular top-side, but she had thighs and hips on her that could probably lift both droids with ease. She wasn't the same mentally, either. Gina was obviously driven when she wanted something. However, the shyness, the reticence, the submissive nature, where did those come from? Still, she had to admit that she'd turned out a lovely young woman, despite her lack of assertiveness.

"She's picked up my bad habits, though," she mused, taking another puff of mist, "and not just this." She thought warmly of her recent session with William's flogger and wished she had time for another.

She decided at that moment, that she'd speak to Nigel, see if he could get Gina relocated back to Earth, in a decent planet-side job. Surely, he owed her that. She'd blackmail him if she had to. Would the girl stay there, though, now that she had the stars in her blood?

"Bad habits..." Miller chuckled.

If there was one good thing that had come of this (besides meeting Gina), it was that it had given her a chance to see what she herself looked like having sex. She would never forget the initiation she'd put Gina through. She had to say, she looked pretty hot.

.

"Yes, sir," he said, the phone in one hand, his scope in the other. "A rover just entered the facility. All targets are on site. Yes, sir."

Finally. Hanging up, he waved his finger in a circle, then pointed at the little sex shop built into the side of a hill. Five shadows grew from the sand and ran through the fading morning gloom. Stretching, he grinned, checked his rifle, and chased his team. He just might be on a ship home before noon.

.

They found the captain in the workshop, hurling orders at the twins through the lab door.

"Just what you absolutely can't do without. Destroy the rest. We can replace it."

It was a bizarre scene, and Gina wasn't sure what to make of it. The captain looked relieved when she saw them.

"It's good to see you, Two."

"It's good to see you, too."

"Give Number One a hand, will you?"

"Yes, Captain."

"About time you got back," she chided as X tottered off, but Gina heard the warmth in her voice.

"What's going on?"

"Time for a change of scenery. I know you don't have much of your own, yet. No time. We'll shop when we get settled. Just the two of us, hm? Perhaps you could give the twins a hand. They're horrible at just letting things go."

Gina blinked, caught in the whirlwind and trying to get her bearings. She never got the chance. There was a bang and a cloud of smoke billowed down the staircase and into the workshop. Captain Miller was the first to move. She quickly dashed into the lab and ran for the gun cabinet, shouting orders.

"Gina! Get behind me! You two, get down!"

People started to flood into the room, all dressed in what looked like armoured wetsuits, and carrying guns. Gina stood frozen in shock and confusion. What was going on? Who were these people? Why did they have guns? Before she could work it out, the captain came racing back to her, rifle in hand.

"Get behind me, you stupid girl!" Miller shouted, hauling Gina into the lab and throwing herself against the door-frame.

One of the mercenaries fired a burst of electricity into the room.

"It's not working! EMP's not working!" he shouted, dropping the gun and reaching for his pistol. Everything was happening so fast. Everything was chaos. Gina saw X get shot in the shoulder and she screamed. It had left a hole!

"Isn't he bulletproof? Realskin isn't... Realskin isn't..."

Before she could even think of running to him, the droid spun with the impact, snagged a large vibrator off the table beside him and hurled it with unerring accuracy at the man who'd shot him. It hit the man in the face, knocking him off his feet. Then, still moving with momentum, X dropped, grabbed the table and upended it, and disappeared from view.

Number One sped by, moving low and partially concealed by the smoke, using Ben Wa balls as deadly projectiles to cover his movement.

The captain was returning fire, trying to cover the droids and take down their attackers. Everything was noise and smoke. Gina screamed again, trying to see what was happening, trying to understand. Across the room, a man raised his rifle in their direction. He was pointing right at Captain Miller!

"Captain!" she screamed, reaching out, as though she could just freeze the entire scene.

It was like watching the whole thing happen in slow motion. The man adjusted his grip, he pulled the trigger, and the barrel bucked. The captain was oblivious to the danger she was in, focused only on saving the droids. Without thinking, Gina threw herself on the captain, hoping to knock her down. As she did, something hit her from behind, throwing her off balance. The pair of them crashed to the floor, and Gina found herself fighting for breath. She lay there staring at the ceiling. It felt like an elephant was sitting on her chest. She could hear the captain calling her name, saw her rise over her and shoot at someone, but it was hard to think straight, and it was too much of an effort to move.

Dropping to the floor beside her, the captain pulled Gina into her lap. She was looking down at her with an expression of concern and kept repeating "You'll be fine. You'll be fine. Gina. Poppet?"

She seemed so worried. Even though she was so tired, Gina tried to reassure her.

"I'll be okay. I just need to catch my breath."

Everything was... the captain was talking to her, but not making any sense... everything was... she just needed to catch her breath... and then, Gina fell asleep.

.

She woke on a beach. It was hot and a little humid. All around were large ferns, tall trees and other things that made her think of Pacific islands, pictures she'd seen of Hawaii and of the islands in southern Japan. In front of her, the ocean was as blue as blue could be. X was there, too, sitting in the sand, elbows on his knees and grinning at her. They were both naked.

She sat up and turned to face him. As she did, X looked her over admiringly. He started to grow. Gina found herself staring in fascination. Even though she knew in the back of her mind that he was an android, the sight of something that was normally soft and floppy turning into something long and hard was a sight she couldn't take her eyes from, especially knowing that it was happening because he was looking at her. When it had gotten as big as it was going to get, he crooked his finger at her. Gina gulped and looked down at his waiting cock. It quivered in anticipation. Licking her lips, pulse quickening, she crawled to him. As she did, he leaned back, planting his hands in the sand behind him and exposing himself more prominently. She stopped right between his legs and looked into his eyes. Leaning over his body, she pressed her mouth to his. When they parted, she sank down in front of him, took his shaft in her hand and guided it to her lips.

"Mmm," she purred, curling her tongue around it, then taking it into her mouth.

She sucked at the soft head, relishing the texture against her tongue. Taking the back of her head in his hand, X pressed her further down his cock.

It was unexpected, and she let out a startled "Mmf!", her hands bracing against his thighs. Gina quickly took a deep breath and tried to concentrate on swallowing the whole thing. She felt it sliding into her throat, and it felt huge. Instead of letting her rise, take him at her own pace, he held her there. Three seconds, four seconds... she felt her throat tightening... five seconds, six seconds... she was suddenly desperate for breath. She pushed, he held. Abruptly, he released her... enough to pull back until only the tip was in her mouth. She took a deep gulp of air and looked up at him.

As soon as she'd caught her breath, down she went again. Fingers curled in her hair, he let her bob her head up and down, but never let her rise fully off of him. Gina wrapped her hands around his slick shaft, and pulled at him while she sucked. X growled in pleasure, and his hips shifted beneath her. Suddenly, he pulled her down again. She thought he was going to cum, but he didn't; he just held her there. Five, six... his thick cock in her throat... seven, eight... he lifted her up off of him. X smiled at her as she gasped for breath, then he pulled her to him for a long, deep kiss.

Gina crawled into his lap, legs curling around him. His hands ran up and down her back as their tongues duelled. The feel of his body against hers was sheer luxury, but passion quickly got the better of them. He took her ample ass in both hands, lifting her while she reached down between them and guided him into herself. She sank down on him, and his hot thickness filling and stretching her was sweet, beautiful heat.

Gina tossed her head back and whimpered in pleasure. Clinging to his shoulders, she rocked against him. Higher and higher, she crested with each wiggle of her hips, but she wanted more. Uncurling her legs from around him, she shifted so that she could bounce more freely. Suddenly, his hand came down on her big, bouncing behind, sending an electric jolt whirling through her body. Gina gasped, back arching. He didn't let her stop. One hand curled around her ass, he kept lifting her, bouncing her on his big cock and spanking her as she rode. Her orgasm danced through her before she even knew it was coming. For a long minute, her universe was his hands on her body, the throbbing heat filling her core, and the salty lapping of the waves. X just sat, squeezing her ass and kissing her collarbone, until she caught her breath.

Still holding her, he rose to his feet. As he set her down, he took her hair in his hand and pulled her head back, making her gasp. She thought that he was going to kiss her, but instead his head ducked down and he ran his tongue up the length of her exposed neck. Hot shivers tumbled through her at the warm, wet touch to so vulnerable a place.

"So sweet," he rumbled, earning a whimper.

Guiding her by the hair, he turned her around, forcing her to her hands and knees, facing away from him.

"I want all of you," he said, straddling her hips. "Every last bit."

Lowering himself, X pressed his cock between the big, firm cheeks of her ass and started to push. Gina's eyes widened and she let out a hissing gasp as she felt him entering her. A moment's resistance, and then her body opened to him, welcoming the whole head with a pop. He slowly, smoothly slid halfway into her. Greased only by her own cum, it was paralysing heat. He slowly pulled back out. He had one hand on her shoulder and the other on her hip, as though to encourage her to stay still. She didn't need any encouraging. He sank back in, this time all the way.

"All of you," he repeated.

X took her with long, deep strokes that built the heat inside her quickly, making her pussy throb and clench in response. Faster... hotter... her breath came in ragged, heated gasps. Gathering her hair in his hand, X pulled Gina's head back, making her hiss in ecstasy. She came only seconds later. That delicious, pounding heat just kept driving into her. So thick, stretched so wide... suddenly, he grabbed her by the hips and thrust himself as deeply into her as he could. She felt him filling her with his hot cream and it made her cum again. His cock still straining inside her, he leaned over her back.

"I want all of you," he said, lips close to her ear.

"But, you just had..."

"I want your heart."

For a second, it stopped beating. "It's already yours."

"I want your soul."

"It's already yours."

His lips closed over hers.

.

Voices broke through the darkness.

"What just bloody happened?"

"It's all right, ma'am, everything's stable. She's dreaming." Leah's voice.

"Pleasant ones, I trust."

"Yes, ma'am, just as instructed. X is helping."

"We have the technology. We can rebuild her. We can make her..."

"Just bloody do it," the captain interrupted.

"I think she's waking up."

"What? Impossible. I..."

Everything once again fell silent and dark.

.

She dreamt. X was there. But, where was here?

She was suspended inside a large ring. It was metal, and punctuated with glowing lights. Shackles bound her wrists and ankles, holding her upright and spread-eagle within its centre. She was naked. That wasn't the worst of it. She was pierced through by dozens of barbed probes on the ends of long, thin wires that dangled from many-armed medical bots hanging from the ceiling. Her entire body hurt, and she was so tired. The robots kept adding more and more quills to her, like psychotic metal porcupines, and each one was a new agony.

She knew she was dreaming. What else could explain this. Yet, she hurt. White, searing, overwhelming, she'd never known such pain. Her mind felt disconnected from her body. She was beyond agony.

X stood close, watching her expectantly. Why was he naked? Where was this? Why?

"Just a few more, my brave, brave girl. You're almost done," he said.

Almost done what? Another needle pierced her flesh. The hook sank deep into muscle. White heat blossomed inside her and raced through her body, only to be lost in the thousand other pains screaming for her attention. She just wanted to close her eyes... to drift away forever... for it all to be over... but, she couldn't leave him. Without knowing it, she'd spent her entire life looking for him. She couldn't leave now. She couldn't imagine existing without him.

"Come on, you can take it," he encouraged, stepping closer, grinning wickedly. "Just a few more."

His hand roamed up her side, fingertips weaving around the probes. "You like it, don't you? You enjoy the pain. You live for the pain. It makes you feel alive. Say yes."

She was so tired. His fingers found her nipple and electric shocks of lust mingled with the pain, confusing her body. The hand drifted down. His fingers brushed her clit, spread her petals. Something blossomed inside her. Her body hummed beneath his touch. Her hips tilted towards him. She needed him. She needed his touch. The one real thing in an unreal place. His face leaned closer. Their lips were nearly touching.

"Look at me, Machine's Mate. Just a few more."

She wasn't so sure that she could, but for him, she was determined to try. There, suspended and filled with hooks, he stepped up to her, took her in his arms, and slowly sank to the depths inside her. She came instantly. She felt like she was flying. She was carried on a wave of sex. She didn't feel the pain anymore. She couldn't feel herself. All she felt was him. Thrusting, pounding heat drove her on a honeyed wave into an endless oblivion.




XTC 2.9



...

"Gina."

...

"Gina."

His voice broke through the fog, centring her.

"I love you."

Lost in an endless ocean of emptiness, she chased his words. She clung to the one thing that she knew to be true.

"I love you."

"I need you."

His words filled her, drove her, and she knew she could do anything. For him, she would do anything.

.

Servos whirred. The droid turned its head. It blinked.

It was a lab of some kind. There were familiar cabinets filled with sex toys. The decor was heavy with wood panelling, green faux marble, and brass. Lucas and Leah were both there.

"Ah! There she is!" Leah declared, turning towards her.

"She's alive... she's alive!" Lucas shouted dramatically.

He quieted under Leah's withering stare, cleared his throat, and turned back to the computers in front of him.

"Everything looks good," Lucas said, looking at the monitors.

"Look at me. Focus, focus," Leah said, slowly moving a silver vibrator back and forth. "Good girl."

"Excellent. Tracking is perfect. Responses all normal. Everything is within acceptable parameters."

"We'd better get the captain."

Consciousness faded once again.

.

"She eats the same protein solution that X was feeding her before," Lucas said.

"I think she's awake," Leah interrupted.

All heads turned and stared for a moment.

"Ah, Number Three, there you are."

Miller quickly crossed the room and leaned close to her face. She took a deep pull off her vape and studied the droid closely. Blowing the mist towards the ceiling, she grinned. "Beautiful," she decided. "Bloody beautiful. X is a master. Pure genius."

She turned and beamed at the hovering scientists. "He really did memorize every last millimetre, didn't he?" she crowed, then returned her attention to the android.

"Don't be alarmed if you don't feel anything right now. Emotionally, I mean. Everything will come back to you in time. Picture it rather like trying to relearn things after a stroke. It's a puzzle with some pieces missing. Not the best analogies, I'm afraid, or the most accurate. Well, never mind. It will all come to you."

Gina blinked at her a couple of times, then did something so unexpected that the captain staggered back a step—she smiled.

.

Gina's log. The trip has been quiet so far. We're on the Captain's other ship, The Ecstasy, bound for Venus. We're on our way to check on the status of the Martian motors installed into several enormous atmospheric processors there. They seem to be weathering the caustic atmosphere just fine, and given their size, and their ability to run non-stop, I'm told that the difference they're making is already measurable. Still, even though it's nowhere near as acidic as when mankind first arrived, Venus is notoriously hard on machines and is still uninhabitable for humans.

From what I understand, this is a new job for her. Apparently, her last job wasn't going well. A rival company wanted her things, and wanted X and William for themselves, and her own company wasn't doing much to help her. I understand why someone would want X, but what would they want with a bunch of sex toys? Before creating the Martian motor, the Captain just made pleasure machines. She just wants to make people smile. Besides, didn't they know X and William can think for themselves? It should be up to them who they want to be with. There's so much that I don't understand yet.

Her friend Nigel helped her get work with someone else. He hooked her up with a major manufacturer of terra-forming equipment, who offered her a position and a considerable amount of money for the engines. They even gave the captain stock options into the bargain. She's now quite well off, and I think this may be her last trip. She's handed off a lot of her responsibilities to someone named Rogers. I don't know about him, though. I don't think he could find his ass with both hands.

The Captain tells me that I used to be organic, like her, but that there was an accident. I died and I've been reincarnated. I don't remember. Actually, I don't remember much of anything before a couple of weeks ago. The Captain says that's normal, that you're not supposed to remember your past life, that reincarnation is a fresh, new start.

I do dream, though. My dreams are filled with X. I don't know why, but I feel like my life started with him, like he was with me in the darkness between my past life and this one, like he's always been with me.

How I feel about him, and about the captain are just about the only things I'm sure of. I find I don't always know how to feel about things, or how to react to things, but the captain says that's normal. She says that I'm still young, and that it takes time to learn.

She says my official name is XTC 3 and that if anyone asks, I'm supposed to pretend that I'm just a robot. She says it's for my protection, and X's. I don't know what to think. It's all way beyond me. I told her that I am just a robot, but she says I'm wrong, that I'm much more. I asked her what she meant, but she just said that I'd see.

.

Captain Miller sighed and slouched down a little more in her chair. She should have been in stasis still, but she really couldn't abide the pods. Despite their redundant safety systems, she didn't really trust them, and she always felt like she was missing something when she was tucked away in one of the little cryo coffins. She knew she could trust the droids to wake her if there was an emergency, but after everything that had happened, she preferred to sleep normally as much as possible.

"No poison apples for me," she muttered.

"Even if my handsome prince will still be around in a hundred years," she mentally added, casting a glance at William.

"Ma'am?" Gina asked, having overheard.

"Nothing, dear heart, just thinking. It's nice to spend as much time as I can with you three, instead of locked in that damn tube."

"I like spending time with you, too, ma'am," Gina replied. "But, please don't overdo it. We want to have lots more adventures together."

The boys were manning the helm, Gina stood by her side. Since renewal, she rarely ventured far, like a timid child hanging off her mother's apron strings. To be expected, though, and she was confident the girl'd grow out of it. Miller looked up at the droid.

"Truly remarkable," she thought to herself. "So close to how she was before. Better, perhaps." She sucked her vape and studied her a moment. "Where the other two were a triumph, she's a masterpiece."

She'd used the body she'd been preparing for herself one day. Thanks to Nigel, medical supplies and extra parts were there almost before the battle was over. How he'd come through for her was truly astounding. She had no idea how he'd done it. A small team had been sent to help transport everything and get her off world. They'd guarded her until she was ready to move, done the heavy lifting themselves, and seen her safely on her way. Her ship had been readied and arrangements already made with the inspector before they'd even reached the space port. She'd been left to worry only about her own wounds, and about Gina.

She had no illusions that Nigel's actions had been sanctioned and approved by his superiors. They would have thrown her to the wolves. Her responsibilities would have been passed on, and she'd have been abandoned on Mars. She'd possibly have faced recriminations once she returned to Earth. No 'job well done' for surviving an armed assault without backup, and without warning. Rather, the mission would be considered a scrub and the fingers would be pointed at her, instead of at the loose lips on their end who'd placed her in jeopardy in the first place. The company would quite likely see Nigel's actions as a betrayal, regardless of the reasons. Meaning, he had quite literally risked his life for her, for no apparent benefit, and for no apparent reason.

What he could possibly want in return for all this was a mystery she decided to solve later. The way that he stared at her—like a lost puppy—nearly made her fear that he intended to propose. The idea was ridiculous, though. She had to be at least ten... well, older than he was. So, what was it, then? She'd barely spoken to him since it happened. Of course, that was largely because she'd spent most of her time either sleeping off her injuries, or inside Gina's mind. Well, never mind, he was bound to out with it sooner or later.

The programming had been meticulous and lengthy. She was sure that lack of sleep had taken another ten years off her life. The results, though, spoke for themselves. The mesh had been astonishing. There was truly no explanation for it. Even given the difference in process, where the boys had taken weeks for their personalities to fully develop, Gina was just like her old self in mere days. Well, nearly like herself. There were some holes, to be sure, but that was to be

expected. They'd fill in, given time. X seemed satisfied.

X had spent ages on the Realskin and the underlying mesh. Body weighting, colouring, everything down to the last eyebrow hair, the last freckle... things that Gina herself would most likely have never noticed. She even had that same big backside it was hard to find clothing for. At a glance, you'd never know that she wasn't the same girl without performing an x-ray on her. Now that she was on her feet, he would undoubtedly spend weeks testing her responses.

The process of body sculpting and biometric meshing had taken much longer than she'd have liked, but given what Gina's near loss had done to the droid, she didn't have it in her to chastise him. It had been an interesting study in the psychology and mental capabilities of her androids, one that proved that not only could they love, they could feel fear, and hope... and they could be heartbroken. He handled grief in a manner remarkably similar to herself. She would hate to have seen what it would have done to him, had they failed. Being an android, would he grieve forever? How deep a loss that can be felt over centuries?

She noticed that X had turned towards them. He was watching his girl, and the look in his eye was very human. Miller chuckled warmly.

"It seems someone else would like your attention," she said, nodding towards him.

The captain took a pull from her vape and squeezed Gina's hand.

"Go on, dear, don't make him wait."

Captain Miller watched her go to him, and as X took Gina in his arms, and their lips met, she smiled.



XTC



Needless to say I frequented that club every change I got in the future, and well Megan and I became very hot lovers. always trying new things and sharing what we could.

Never will I regret the night I met her, and never did anyone else forget the night we made the entire club silent.

The End x