Fighting Chance (5 page)

“Mahoney!” Jessica’s desperate cry roused her attention.
“Thank God you’re okay!”

Mahoney turned just in time to intercept Jessica’s body
flying into arms. Tears were streaming down the young woman’s face and her body
trembled within Mahoney’s embrace. “Shhh…calm down, now,” Mahoney crooned,
rubbing circles on her friend’s back. “Everything is going to be okay.”

Jessica pulled her head back to stare at her friend
incredulously. “Is it, Mahoney? How can you say that? We’ve been abducted by aliens,
and God only knows where we are in space. How will we get home? Why did they
take us?”

Mahoney stared at her friend in shock. “Wait, how did you
know we were on a space craft?”

Jessica pulled back and began to pace around the room. “It’s
the only explanation that fits. The strange physical appearance of the men, my
altered body, this hi-tech room. Not to mention the talking computer who only
seems to know the words ‘access denied.’ Asshole,” she seethed, glaring up at
the ceiling as she furiously scrubbed her face of tears.

Mahoney felt a new respect blossom for her friend. It had
only taken Jess a matter of minutes to figure out the score, where Mahoney had
required proof before she would even consider the notion of aliens and flying
through space. Jessica had stalked back over to the replicator and was pushing
buttons without a care of the consequences just to see what would happen.

Mahoney shook her head to clear the cobwebs. “Okay, the
first order of business is to make you comfortable and then I will tell you all
I know. And stop pushing those buttons! I’ll show you how it works in a
moment.”

Jessica dropped her hands and nodded her agreement. “Where’s
the bathroom? I’m about to pee all over myself,” her friend asked, crossing her
legs in urgency.

The door panel slid open to reveal the hidden washroom and
Jessica rushed in without hesitation. When Mahoney heard her exhale of relief,
she called out, “There’s no toilet paper. Just sit still and you’ll feel a
warm-“

“Aaaah! What the hell was that?!” her friend squalled from
the other room.

She couldn’t help it. Mahoney laughed until tears ran down
her face. All the tension, stress, and anxiety of the last day, coupled with
the worry she had endured about her friend’s safety, all coalesced into
hysterical laughter as Jessica reappeared with a rattled expression.

“Ha ha ha. Laugh it up, Mahoney,” she grouched, striding
across the room with her lean, pale legs lightly bouncing across the springy
flooring. “Where do I get some clothes so my ass isn’t hanging out in the
breeze?”

“Clothing can be replicated according the user’s
specifications,” the computer answered her question.

Jessica jumped in surprise before she shot an angry look at
the ceiling and shook her fist. “That scares me every single time,” she
complained, her normally sunny disposition continuing to sour.

Mahoney wiped her eyes and sucked in deep breaths in order
to calm herself. “You just have to give it commands. I told him to shut up
unless I said the name ‘Jarvis.’ It seems to work really well.”

Jessica nodded in understanding before calling out, “Hey,
computer! I don’t want to hear from you unless I call you by the name ‘Kitt.’”

“Command accepted,” came the dry reply.

“
Knight Rider
reference. Nice,” Mahoney agreed.
“Let’s go replicate you some clothes.”

Mahoney showed her how to operate the replicator in order to
create whatever she needed. Jessica wasn’t happy with any of the clothing
selections, and called out, “Hey, Kitt! Can you access the Earth internet?”

“Access to the foreign international database is restricted
for Jessica MacGregor and Katsuko Mahoney,” he replied.

She sighed and rolled her eyes. “Of course it is,” she
muttered, thinking hard. A look of concentration came over her face, before she
tried again. “Kitt, I need
you
to access the foreign database and locate
the following: True Religion skinny jeans size 23, Burberry Brit cotton v-neck
tee size small, Victoria’s Secret push-up bra size 36C and matching bikini-cut
underwear in size small, and Converse Chuck sneakers in women’s size 6 ½. Send
the specifications for these items to the replicator, please.”

“Request approved by Commander R’Varsel. Accessing foreign
international database. Item specifications sent to replicator,” Kitt replied.

Mahoney stared at her friend with her jaw dropped. “You clever
little minx! I never even thought of doing that! It took me over half an hour
just to come up with this,” she indicated with a sweep of her hand down her
body.

“It was worth a shot,” Jessica shrugged, and took Mahoney’s
instruction on how to operate the replicator.

When Jessica was fully dressed and they were sitting at the
table while Jess chowed down on a replicated cheeseburger and fries, Mahoney
began to fill her in on all she had learned over the last several hours. With
some help from their annoying computer friend, Mahoney was able to explain
about Commander Mikael R’Varsel, the planet of T’Kala, and the small bits of
information she had been able to glean from her interactions with the commander,
doing her best to gloss over their more physical moments.

Jessica’s eyes were dancing with merriment when she asked,
“So, you have been claimed by the big one with green eyes? Are you his looooove
slave now?”

Mahoney’s face lit up with flushed embarrassment.
“Absolutely not. I am only playing along with him until I find out what his
mission is and where he is taking you.”

That sobered her for a moment, but she giggled again and
exclaimed, “Mahoney is gonna get her some alien
strange
! Just think
about it. If his dick is as big as the rest of him…” she trailed off, eyebrows
waggling.

Mahoney looked everywhere but at her friend. Finally, she
cleared her throat, and admitted, “It is.”

Both women burst out laughing. Mahoney finally caught her
breath and shook her head to clear it. With a deep sigh, she admitted, “I don’t
know how the hell we’re going to get out of this, Jess, but I will not rest
until we are returned home again.”

Jessica nodded in agreement. “I know you will, Mahoney, and
I will do anything I can to help. However, in the meantime, I would say that we
have plenty of time for you to begin my lessons. Even with the commander’s
assurance that we will not be harmed, it would still be good to have a few tricks
up my sleeve.”

Mahoney brightened, her canted eyes smiling. “That’s a great
idea, Jess. There’s no time like the present. We’ll start with some basics
first and work on breaking different holds.”

Jessica popped out of her seat, eager to get started. Both
women stretched and limbered their muscles while Mahoney outlined the moves
they would be working on. For the next hour and a half, she put Jessica through
her paces by initiating different attack holds that were most frequently used
on women and how to effectively break them. Her friend was a determined learner
and refused to move on to the next one until she had practiced each one over
and over again.

They were right in the middle of a lesson with Mahoney
straddling Jessica who was prone on the floor when they both looked up at the
sound of the door opening. Mikael stood there, arms crossed over his wide
chest, and his lips pulled up in an appreciative grin.

“Please,” he addressed them, his pale green eyes crinkling
with mirth, “Don’t stop on my account. I am enjoying the view.”

The women scrambled to their feet and straightened their
clothes. “Men,” Mahoney huffed. “They’re all the same, even the alien ones.”
Stepping to the side, she indicated her friend and made the introductions.
“Commander Mikael R’Varsel, meet Jessica MacGregor, famous actress and my
friend.”

Jessica waved timidly, momentarily cowed by his intimidating
stature. He smiled in a friendly manner and said, “It is a pleasure to meet
you, Jessica. It is my wish for you to be comfortable here and I give you my
word that no harm will come to either of you while under my command.”

Jessica’s eyes narrowed at his words, and she found her
backbone. “You can sprinkle sugar on a turd and call it a candy bar, but that doesn’t
change the facts. The truth of the matter is that we are being held here
against our will, you are our jailer, and we are prisoners. No matter how plush
the accommodations, this is still a cell.”

Mikael’s face darkened at her words, and his words were
stiff when he answered, “It is a shame you feel that way. I was just coming to
offer you both a tour of the ship, but since you feel you are a prisoner, I
will leave you to your cell.”

He started to pivot and leave, but Jessica called, “Wait!
Don’t go, Commander. We would love to have a tour of the ship. Please don’t
leave us cooped up in these rooms with only Kitt as company.”

He shot a confused look to Mahoney and she clarified,
“Jarvis. The annoying computer guy.”

He chuckled, his previous good humor restored, and motioned
them to follow him. “Come, then. Let me show you around my ship.”

They followed him willingly out the door, and Mahoney didn’t
waste the opportunity to ogle Mikael’s firm backside that was so deliciously
outlined by the gray jumpsuit he wore. Her friend, noticing where her eyes were
focused, elbowed her in the ribs with a huge grin and mouthed the words “
Dat
ass, though!”

Their tour wended its way through the living quarters which
took up an entire floor in order to house all the warriors and support crew for
his ship, which he explained was named
The Ax’Sandre
. When Mahoney asked
what kind of name that was, he just mumbled that it had been named by his
father, the previous commander, and refused to elaborate. They continued their
tour by going down in a lift that arrived in another hallway. They stopped in
the communications room where several T’Kalans were moving their fingers over
touchscreen panels as if they were concert pianists playing a piano. One of the
officers was an unusual being that had the women gaping like fish. The woman
appeared to be a human/cat hybrid with silky-looking calico fur, pointed ears
that swung back and forth to pick up sounds, paws that flashed wicked-looking
claws, and a long tail that swished back and forth where it stuck out of the
back of her chair.

“Who is that?” Mahoney asked the commander, just barely
saving herself from saying “what” instead.

Instead of answering directly, he called out, “Officer Felonia,
report.”

The cat woman pressed a few more buttons, then stood
gracefully from her chair. She slunk across the communications room until she
stood in front of the small group, her back rigid and arms at her sides. Her
gaze roamed over the humans, obviously as curious as they were, but she never
broke form until he gave her leave.

“At ease, officer,” he commanded. She immediately dropped
her rigid stance and smiled, flashing small white fangs. “I would like to
introduce you to our… guests. This is Katsuko Mahoney and Jessica MacGregor.”
To the humans, he addressed, “Ladies, this my chief communications officer,
Felonia Tarharra.”

“Pleasure to meet you, ma’am,” Mahoney nodded her head.

Jessica stuck her hand out. “You are so pretty,” she
blurted, then blushed. “I mean, it’s nice to meet you.”

Felonia cocked her head at Jessica’s outstretched hand
before she hesitantly placed her paw in the human’s hand. Her glowing yellow
cat eyes widened when Jessica pumped her paw up and down.

“That’s how we greet new acquaintances in the country I’m
from,” Jessica explained helpfully.

The feline woman grinned, flashing her pointy canines. “I am
also pleased to meet you both. I admit I have been curious since I heard there
were humans on board. I have heard many things and seen pictures, but I have
never met one before. Shall I show you how my people, the Harani, greet each
other?”

Mahoney and Jessica both agreed, so Felonia stepped forward
and placed a paw on each of Jessica’s shoulders. Leaning forward slowly, she
rubbed the side of her whiskered, furry face along each of Jessica’s cheeks. At
Mahoney’s nod of acceptance, the cat woman stepped forward and performed the
same ritual with her.

“That’s actually not that different from how some of the
humans in other countries greet each other, but they do it with a kiss on each
cheek instead,” Mahoney explained. “In my mother’s culture, it is considered
great respect to bow at the waist,” she continued, before executing a deep bow
with her hands braced on her thighs and fingertips touching.

Felonia made a chirping noise and then returned the bow,
obviously pleased with her new friends. With Mikael’s permission, she promised
to seek them out during her time off and spend some time getting to know them.

As they left the room, Jessica whispered to Mahoney, “OMG,
your Japanese cousins would pee down both legs if they could see her.”

“Is it wrong that I want to rub her behind the ears?” she
shot back, only half joking.

Mikael laughed, his chest straining at the cloth of his
jumpsuit. “I wouldn’t suggest it unless you wish to make a sexual pass at her,”
he cautioned with humor in his tone.

The tour continued on and they met many more of the crew and
three new species of aliens, but none of them appealed to their curiosity like
Felonia. He showed them the cafeteria, where many of the big warriors were
eating and shooting obvious looks of appreciation their way. Jessica, well-used
to being the center of attention, smiled and waved like she was on the red
carpet while Mahoney just rolled her eyes. He took them to the bridge, which
was of the most interest to Mahoney, but her hope of escape via hijacking the
ship was dashed when she saw the thousands of lights, touchscreens, and unusual
symbols that took a crew of almost 20 to operate flawlessly. After a few more
stops at offices belonging to the lieutenants and ship secretary general, he
brought the tour to an end outside a large door.

“Our final stop is the room I have most wanted to show you,”
he announced, his icy hot gaze glued to Mahoney.

Her heart began beating a fast tattoo, and heat flushed
through her body. Before she could stop it, the words came tumbling out, “Your
bedroom?”

His nostrils flared and a look of absolute hunger took over
his face. “That is a tour for you and I alone, Katsuko,” he growled with a
promise.

A long, tense moment stretched out between them until
Jessica cleared her throat loudly and reminded them, “Ahem! I’m still here, you
two.”

Mahoney looked away quickly, embarrassment causing a rare
blush to crawl up the tanned skin of her graceful neck.  Mikael couldn’t
suppress the smug grin that transformed his severe expression into roguishly handsome
face with the hint of a dimple in his cheeks.

“I think you will enjoy this as much,” he continued, as if
the moment had never happened. “This is our training room.”