Shadow Seed 1: The Misbegotten (35 page)

“But why, Uncle, they are lethal?” she begged to understand.

Estefan wagged the same finger at her.  “Only if the person carrying one goes against the Spider’s programming.”

“What does this ‘spider-thing’ do exactly?” asked Vincent, his large frame seemed
to hunch with confusion.

Jacob spoke before Jacqueline could, which illicited a frown from her.  No one was supposed to know about the Spiders except a few teams at ExTech and the Keeper himself.  But, Jacob was, after all, Estefan’s Chief of Security, so he had his ways
, she assumed.  It still did little to make her happy, knowing her organization was more porous than she’d envisioned a few seconds earlier.  It was something she would
have
to remedy.

“…Spider-Swarm is a measure of security, a fail-safe
, if you will,” Jacob was explaining.  “It is programmed to monitor its’ hosts behavior along a given set of parameters.  These parameters or rules, whatever you want to call them, are ironclad and can’t be overridden, except by the one holding the Programming Key.  You can all assume it will be the Keeper who will be holding this particular one.  The rules can be broad if… say someone is holding someone prisoner or narrow if the intention is to hide a specific item of information.

“Now, should the host intend or think or act against these parameters, the Spider will kill.”  There were a few sharp intakes of breath, but Jacob continued.  “A signal will pass from the Programming Key, which is really no more than a microchip installed into finger sensor, and… well, it will activate the Spider.  A tendril of electricity will pass along the copper filaments, setting off the Diatainium charges, which will destroy the skull of the host – and everything in it.”

“Why would you do this to your wives and ask the same of us?” Jacqueline asked once more, her voice strained enough to garner a warning look from her father, Johan.  She glanced from her father to her uncle abject fear beginning to seep into her face.

“Because,” began Estefan more intense than any of them anticipated, “I need to make certain, beyond any doubt, the information I’m about to reveal her today is never repeated outside of this room to anyone without the proper clearance. 
That’
s why!”

The silence following was profound, even the low-level hum of the Medical-bot’s Grav-sensors diminished as it came to a stop next to the Keeper.

They were exchanging nervous looks once again.  Estefan was under duress, even the youngest among them could sense it.

“Believe me, this is a necessary precaution, otherwise, I would never ask you to endure carrying a Spider-Swarm attached to your skulls.  But, I must say this, before we continue.  The choice to do this is yours.  After all, we are family.

“Yet, I must say this as well.  Those of you who refuse this procedure will resign from your current post at once, and relinquish all security clearance and affiliation with the Aegis Synod… for all time.”  Estefan gazed at the floor.  “This includes contact with the rest of us, which means you will never see any of your children again.

“They belong to the Synod.  They are mine.”  He trailed off, shaking his head, sick with himself for having to say something as harsh and final to the people he loved, but he had no choice.  Knowledge of the Shadow Spark was too precious.  It had to be contained at all costs.

“What?  How can you do this, Estefan?  How can you blackmail us like this?  How can you threaten us with our own children!?!” scolded Jolene vehemently, her hand inadvertently covering her abdomen, protecting the potential fetuses she hoped would be thriving there soon.

Estefan shared a long, tired stare with his brother, one
of the persons, amongst these tables, he’d known the longest.  Only Katie he’d known longer.  An unspoken nod passed between them.

“It is necessary, and, until you’ve submitted to the procedure, that is all I can say.”  He walked around the table to stand before his mortified sister-in-law.  Her eyes bore into him as he approached, but Estefan didn’t look away.  “I am sorry, Jollie.”  Before she could answer
, he kissed her softly on the forehead.  “It doesn’t change the fact that I love you all dearly, but my hand had been forced by circumstances beyond my control…”

She closed her eyes and acknowledged she understood as Johan came up behind her, griping her shoulders, reassuring her, hoping to make her calm.

Estefan stepped back from them.  “So, who will accept the procedure?”  He didn’t have to say the other half of the question, because it hung about them like a poisonous cloud of gas, but the air did, in fact, seem to clear when Jolene stepped forward.

“I will.”

The others followed suit within moments and for the next hour the Medical-bot was quite busy.  When the last of them had their Spider-swarm installed, Estefan asked them all to retake their seats and told them of the Shadow Spark, and their planning began in earnest.

For the next fifteen hours, those of the Gathering labored and schemed, but decisions were made and, in the end, the Aegis Synod and the High Command were of a single mind – the Shadow Spark must be protected, and only they could manage to do so properly.

Then, they scattered across the Sixteen Worlds.

There was much to do.

~~~~~~~~~~~~♦~~~~~~~~~~~~

(Summer – 2018)

Sickness

[With too much on his mind, he decides to clear his head with the dug-up fossils of the past.  Almost eagerly, he activates the program and loses himself.   It is a welcomed relief to have the weight of Sixteen Worlds lift from his shoulders.]

I
awoke in a panic, the vestiges of a dream flittering away the moment the sun shone into my room.  I was on my back with Katie sleeping almost completely on top of me.  Only her right leg was on the bed.  The rest of her was draped over me like a blanket.  She was a warm, breathing blanket that had drooled on my chest.  She was still in deep sleep, and she still
very
nude and
very
exposed just as I was.  The bravado I had felt the night before vanished.  I searched frantically the Loft for any sign that anyone else other than Katie and myself had been up there.  I needed to clear my head, and fast.

The Loft
appeared unchanged.

I turned my head to look at the digital clock on the nightstand opposite the one where I charged my cell phone.  I was relieved to see the display read 5:54 am.  Exhaling with one long release of air, I ran my fingers through Katie matted and tangled hair, knowing only my father would be up this early.  He would be in his usual rush to get out of the house by 6:15 and wouldn’t have the time to come up
to the third floor and snoop around.  The rest of the family would only now be awakening.  My mother was usually set to get up next, but that wasn’t from a few more minutes.  So, for the time being, Katie and I were, most likely, not going to be disturbed.

“Katie?” I whispered at the top of her head, thinking it prudent to get clean up just in case.  I was of a mind to wake her up slowly and gently.  There was no need to wake her up with a start.  “Kat, my love, it’s time that we got up
.” I tried for a second time when she didn’t respond the first time.

She stirred, blurting out something unintelligible, though her eyes remained closed.

I reached down and patted her on the butt, then gave it a nice fat pinch, my hand squeezing the entire cheek from hip to butthole.  “Kat?  Katie, wake-up, Babydoll, we have to get cleaned up before someone comes in and sees that you and I have been real bad… Kat, do you hear me?”  I fell silent when I felt her stiffen atop me, fairly certain she was about to stretch, staying still as wakefulness slowly seeped into her.  She merely arched her back instead, pushing her ass into my palm, and let out a long groan.  She placed a hand on my chest and pushed herself up from me, her eyes finding mine through the spill of her hair.

“Hi,” I said when expression returned to her face as she bit her lower lip, blinking rapidly at me.   My fingers played idly with the firm meat of her ass.

She rested on one elbow, wiping at her eyes, clearing the debris that had gathered overnight.

“How you feeling?” I asked when she had finished.

She half-laughed, half-sighed, a small smile crept at the corner of her lips.  “How do think, goof-ball, tired and sore.  I think a little bruised, but very, very satisfied.”

I nodded through slitted eyes, the sun was becoming bright.

“You really gave it to me last night, Eff.  I don’t think I’ve had sex with that much intensity over such a long period of time before.  You were magnificent, even better than I imagined – .”  She stopped and gave me an impetuous peck on the lips.  She pulled back speculatively, and then seemed to reconsider.  She came forward once more with a deep, passionate kiss that instantly put a fire in my chest and made my cock come to life.  Only when the blood began to fill it, a series of sharp pains rifled through my entire scrotum that made me yowl and break from the heat of her.   My hand moved over to cup my abused nutsack.  Hours later, I was still drained!

Jesus Chris, had I
pumped two todays worth of cum into her as well?

“What’s wrong?” she asked her brow furling, because I had ended our kiss so abruptly.

“It’s my cock, cuz, it’s still in recovery mode I guess,” I explained.  She laughed as I went on.  “It wasn’t just me screwing last night, it was you to.  And, because you were so damned good, I think I emptied everything I had into you.  Now, it’s sort of painful with any blood flow down there.”

“So, I guess, we both kinda beat each other up, huh?”

“Yup,” I replied, giving her another quick kiss.  Then I rolled over and off the bed.  “You wanna go first, while I clean up this place a bit?”

“Sure,” she answered squirming off the bed, but came up to me and gave me a full frontal hug, her body melting into mine.  It felt so good, I felt the innards in my lower abdomen begin to cramp again, but breathed through it and
hugged her back, my hand running up down her body as she did the same.  “I want to do it over and over again, Estefan.  Every night, if we can, for as long as we can,” she murmured at my chest.

“We will, Ka
t, whatever you want, whenever you want,” I concurred, stroking the back of head now.

“Promise?” she asked meekly.

“I promise.”  There was no need to hesitate.  I wanted her more than I wanted any other girl outside of Ramona.  I knew it was just the beginning.  I knew from the moment we crossed that line and committed a real sexual act, we would start down a road that would enrich and expand our relationship.  It would be filled so much desire and sweet love, it would draw us like moths to the flame.  Whether or not we’d be burned, on that morning, we just didn’t care.

…The hope was not to get burned in any way.  It would have to be a secret,
silent love for all of time.  And yet, after that night, I don’t think either of us minded the restrictions.  We wanted each other too much.  Consummated love had conquered all.

“Good, because I’m going to hold you to that,” she said finally, breaking my train of thought.  She gave me one last firm embrace, and then moved away.  She strode toward her side of the room, where she had yet to sleep, but where her clothes were stored in the spare dresser my mother had placed over there for her.

I stared after her, watching the flex and bounce of her naked ass, thoroughly enjoying myself until my groin spasmed on me again.  I had to remind myself, for the time being, I would have to keep my mind on things less arousing or risk a sprained dick or something like that.  I glanced around the room and saw my shorts on the ground where Katie had thrown them the night before.  I snatched them up, putting them on when I saw Katie’s top a few feet away.  I side-stepped toward them and bent down to collect it when a sudden, sharp pain lanced from my right temple, behind both eyes, to the left side of my head.

I remember, I had yelped in pain and staggered for a moment, disoriented by it and almost
fell to the floor.  I was over-balanced, leaning too far forward.  I caught the edge of my desk before I fell, though, managing to pull myself upright, feeling a wave nausea washed over me. 
What the fuck
, I thought,
was there something else in the weed that Jacob bought yesterday?
  Why I thought that, I have no idea.  It really didn’t make much sense since the marijuana for the most part was out of my system.  Fucking Katie with such gusto had burned most of the high from me by the time I had fallen asleep.

I leaned back against the desk, taking a few deep breaths with my cousin’s top in one of my hands.  I heard Katie go into the bathroom.  I tried to get a grip on whatever it was I was experiencing.  I arched my neck back and then to each side loosening it, controlling my heart rate and slowing my pulse.  The pain had passed, but there was still a dull ache behind my eyes, but it was manageable.  I came away from the desk and went about cleaning up the room, grateful that we had left the windows open.  The Loft didn’t smell of hot, sweaty sex.  It smelled of summer instead, the dry mustiness of leaves just beginning to crack and curl under the anvil of the sun.  There was something else, something that I couldn’t quite identify, but knew it was there.  I heard the toilet flush and, a second later, the shower turned on.  I remembered thinking was a good thing, good that Katie was washing herself, cleaning herself, letting the dried vestiges of our bodies fall down into the drain, into the pipes…

It hit me then, overwhelming nausea, so strong, I nearly doubled over with it.  My face flushed as my stomach seemed to twist like a pretzel and all I could think about was…
toilet!  Got to get to the toilet!
  My eyes filled with tears as I involuntarily retched, a violent convulse.  If hadn’t brought my hand up to my mouth, I would’ve vomited all over the carpet.  I strode toward the bathroom, stumbling every other step, bowling into anything that wouldn’t get out of my way.  Outraged, with I had a huge glob of puke in my mouth, already seeping through my lips and into my hand, I hit the bathroom door without bothering to turn the knob.  Somehow I found the clarity of mind to thank god that Katie hadn’t closed it properly.  It flung wide before my shoulder and hit the wall with a resounding crash.

Katie screamed.  Her eyes were wide, wild.  The steam from the hot water had yet to cloud the glass of the shower.  She was still visible, trying to cover herself, not knowing it was me who had barged in on her.

I ignored her and bowled my way directly to the toilet.  If had been one step further away, I wouldn’t have made it in time.  My guts clenched horrendously, for a second time, and everything within me, exploded from my mouth, splashing just about every square inch of the toilet bowl.  I fell onto my knees, my vomit slickened hand slipping on the lip of the porcelain.  I almost went headlong into my own mess.  I caught myself with my other arm, by literally hugging the under portion of the toilet, arresting my momentum.  Then another convulsion wracked me.  I regurgitated with such force, it felt as if my throat was shredding before the onslaught.  I heard someone crying out in pain, whimpering and mewling like a baby, not realizing it was me making those pathetic sounds.  I tried to peer through my bleary eyes, but couldn’t.

“Oh fuck, what is happening?” I moaned, feeling the room spin.  The horrible, half-digested stench from the contents of my stomach made me retch again.  My throat screamed in agony as even more filth spilled from me.  I felt cold, wet hands on my back - frightened, furtive hands pulling me into a more upright position as I threw up yet again.

“It’s ok, my love, I have you.  I am here.  It’s ok,” said a voice.

I was filled with gratitude that Katie was at my side, though at the time, I had no means with which to thank her.  I tried to look at her, but my head howled at even the slightest movement.  So, I was forced to keep my head where
it was, staring into the abyss that was the toilet.

“Don’t worry, baby, I am here,” she kept saying over and over, though her voice cracked now and again as the fear consuming her
, manifesting itself through her unsteady speech.

It was nearly a minute later, before the nausea passed
.  By then, I had completely emptied my stomach and was dry-heaving.  Occasionally, yellowish bile spurt forth, but with only the most violent contractions.  I sat back on my haunches, while Katie left me for a few seconds.  Then she returned with a glass of water and a damp towel.

“Babe, swish some of this in your mouth, but don
’t swallow it, just spit it into the toilet.  I’m gonna clean you up ok?”  I nodded and took the glass, my head lolling, realizing, in her haste, she hadn’t bothered to find a towel.  She was wiping my face and neck, then my befouled hand, stark naked.

Katie, I can see your pussy…

“N-naked,” I gurgled, my throat on fire.  I swilled the water in my mouth, then spit it out just as Katie flushed the rest of the corruption down the drain. 

She smiled at me.  “Yes, Eff, I’m naked, nice of you to notice.”  She glanced around, then hopped twice, extending her foot and closed the door with it
.  She leaned toward the towel rack and pulled a large bath towel from one of the rungs and wrapped it over her shoulders.  “Just in case someone comes in, it’ll look like I attended you with this wrapped around me instead of with my tits and ass hanging out.”

“An-and pu-pussy, too, can’t forget the kitty-kat,” I croaked with as much of a smile as I could muster.

She play slapped me on the arm.  “Come on, you horn-dog, let’s get you washed up, so you can get that awful taste out of your mouth.” She helped me to me feet.  I, with her assistance, stepped unsteadily toward the sink.  “Just brush your teeth and wash your face, for now, when everyone leaves you and I will get in the shower together, so I can help you, ok?”

“Sounds like a plan,” I consented and did exactly as she had suggested.  I stumbled my way back to my bed when I had finished and lay down heavily.  I could hear her moving around in the bathroom and few minutes later she came out with the towel still encircling her body, a market bag full of toilet paper, knotted shut at the top, holding her nose as she walked toward the door, holding her nose.  She opened the door and placed it on the top stair
.  She spun on the balls of her feet, letting the door close behind her.  She strode to where I had dropped the top she had worn “to bed”.  She quickly put it on, buttoning it up the front.  She trotted back to the other side of the room and retrieved the matching bottoms.  She had discarded them when she’d been smoking out, letting the cool breeze waft up her vagina, waiting for me to awaken so she could jump my bones.