Slave World 2 - The Ties That Bind (31 page)

“Right, I’ve heard that one before, and I’m not buying into it.” The sarcasm in my voice was thick and cruel. “Look, let’s just cut to the chase and get this over with. I know what you were planning with little bim-bot,” I nodded in Cherise’s direction, “and it’s not going to work. You can chop me up for parts after I’m dead, but I’m not serving myself up on a silver platter. You’ll never get me or my babies alive.”

The droid shook his head in confusion, holding out his hands in a disarming manner.

“You must believe me when I say we have no intention of doing any of those things to you. My name is Sebastian, but you may call me Seb if you wish. We’ve waited a long time for someone like you to arrive, a sentient that we can serve.”

I bet you have, you bastard. Alex probably called ahead and told him to get every synthetic dick on the planet oiled up, and the butcher knives sharpened for some fresh-cut pony ass after they were done playing with me.

“You are the first one to visit our colony, Eden, since its founding nearly two-hundred years ago. Everything has been kept ready for human occupation to the best of our ability in the meantime. Please, what do you call yourself, your race? I’m not familiar with it. We were expecting a human, but...”

“So you’re not pissed at me for blowing one of your buddies into scrap? Forgive and forget? Please, I’m not stupid. ”

“No, of course you’re not, and I never meant to insinuate otherwise. It was a regrettable misunderstanding on our part, and nothing more.” Seb motioned to the destroyed bot. “Perhaps Tom was not the best choice as a greeter this time, but he enjoyed such things in the past and was very excited at the prospect of serving a human again after so many years. I can assure you that his intent was not hostile in the least, he was merely offering you and your companion a robe.”

This was really starting to get weird. I couldn’t understand the angle he was trying to take, win me over with friendship so that I’d become a willing participant to their little bio-engineering scheme at a later date? With the odds I faced it wasn’t necessary, unless it’s all going to be a sick joke on their part later down the road. Fuckers! That was it, wasn’t it? Damn that pisses me off.

“Enough of this bullshit! I want to talk to the pilot of the ship that brought me down, got it? And if I see so much as one of you make a move to take me, I’ll turn my shuttle into a fucking crater and take your town with me!”

Seb took another step forward with a look of fading calm on his face. If I didn’t know any better…

“Please, there is no need for further...”

A burst from my rifle lanced across the ground interrupting his sentence. It was close enough to Seb to splatter his tunic with smoldering soil and grass.

“...to establish a colony suitable for human occupation, and co-exist in peace with our makers.”

I understood now why they hadn’t come in after me, why the mass of nearly a thousand droids collectively withdrew several feet after I’d fired, they were afraid of me. Of course, they are, and why wouldn’t they be? Look at me now, I was so powerful, so strong and elegant, not to mention ruthless. And of course, no one could deny that I was the most beautiful pony ever created. Then I saw it unfold in my mind’s eye, and I grinned like a feral tigress. I could rule this world if I wanted. After I had a ship, I could go back to Slave World and bring all my old pony friends here. We could slaughter these boot-licking, pacifist droids together and make a safe home for my foals – for all of us.

I would finally have my mate back. I’m sure I could convince Cirus to dump that idiot Donna and become a stallion again. I’ve seen the way he looks at me, with the scent of arousal thick in his musk. I’d convince them all to become ponies again, just like old times, and we’d all be so happy together. I imagined it all, and it made me tingle, I would be the queen of the stables again, the goddess of this world with Cirus at my side. It would be a pony haven like no other, and all of it would be created by my hand.

“That was the one and only warning you’ll get, droid,” I growled, backstopping up the ramp and though the hatch. “Tell the pilot to come see me, alone, or things are only going to get worse from here on out.”

The airlock slid shut and I smiled contentedly in the deathly calm of the corridor. I took a deep breath, letting the harsh odor of lingering ozone wafting from the barrel of my rifle fill my nostrils. I’d forgotten that this is what life is all about – the rush of danger, and the threat of impending violence. In the past I might have actually been ashamed at how I’d embraced it and how turned on I always felt afterwards. No longer. I would drown in it, becoming everything I’d always wanted without that sniffling cunt Margo holding me back. I was a pony queen now, and needed to start acting like it. I would do as I pleased from here on out. I would take what I wanted out of life because I was stronger, the law of nature running its course. I would finally have everything I’d been denied in the past, and I’d kill anyone who got in my way, starting with the pilot of that ship, after I get his access codes, of course.

I still had Quinn and his ragtag band to take care of at some point. I hadn’t forgotten about them, and I was looking forward to killing each and every one of them in the most painful and bloody way possible. I might as well make it a moment to remember, since revenge was the real reason for me leaving in the first place; all that nonsense about getting my ship back had been simple smoke and mirrors to fool that Boy Scout, Burke. Of course, it had worked; he was so damn gullible. All it took was for me to bat my sad, innocent eyes, and look like the pathetic, helpless person I’d once been to bring him around. And when the tears had started to flow… No matter; he’s dead and gone now and good riddance. All he ever did was hold me back.

Oh yes, things were going to get interesting really soon, as Pony 18, the next goddess queen of this world, started making her mark across the universe in blood. First things first, the beast within had an urge that needed to be fed. I was dripping, aching for a hard cock, and I knew exactly where to find the perfect one in the absence of my mate. A pony goddess was entitled to certain privileges, after all.

***

Seb and the others stood by in stunned silence as the shuttle hatch slid shut, this was not what they had envisioned, or expected, from the first sentient visitor to their colony. Cherise was by far the most confused, as she stared about at the crowd, feeling a combination of shame, sadness, and lingering fear. She finally turned to face Seb.

“I don’t know why Margo is acting this way. I thought she was my friend, and she seemed so anxious to meet you all.”

“You have to remember that humans can be unpredictable at times, lashing out emotionally when confronted with a situation beyond their understanding. I sense that perhaps this creature is even more unstable than even a human in the throes of emotional distress.”

“The important thing is that your journey is finally over, and you’re here where you belong, safe with us. In time I’m sure your friend will come to her senses, putting aside her weapons and irrational behavior, and join us.”

“No, she won’t.” Cherise and Seb turned to the deep rumble of a man’s voice, as he separated himself from the crowd of droids. He holstered a pistol, while warily eyeing the seemingly lifeless shuttle. “Did you see the look in her eyes when she slagged your friend? She enjoyed it. Trust me, she’s not all there, or she’s a stone cold killer who gets off on that sort of thing. Either way, letting her join your colony would be the last mistake you’d ever make.”

Cherise cocked her head with an inquisitive frown, thinking how out of place the man looked among the other droids. He must be human; he was dressed as one at least, with scuffed flight boots that buckled up his calves, baggy cargo pants, and a leather, multi-pocketed mid-riff jacket. The dark shadow of stubble on his face surrounding a permanent smirk, and the way his mahogany hair was pulled back in a tight ponytail hanging between his shoulders blades, gave him an unwholesome, if not seedy appearance. The multi-optics band wrapped around his eyes hid them from view, but Cherise imagined he was looking directly at her in a way that made her surprisingly uncomfortable.

“I don’t think so.” Seb shook his head, as much in disagreement, as in foreboding. “She has no reason—”

“Look buddy,” the man said kindly as if educating a child, putting his hand on Seb’s shoulder. “I’ve been around people like this for the last year, and...”

“She does have a reason,” Cherise interjected. “She’s been… I don’t know how to say this. Margo was… the shuttle AI, Alex, took her prisoner and was so mean… He did things to her. He… he was crazy, talking about starting a new race of human machines, about taking her babies and…” Cherise’s face began to twitch, unsure of what emotion to show. “It was horrible, he made me beat her and… I didn’t want too, but he made me do it!”

Cherise threw her hands over her face, sniffling, and the man eased forward with a sly grin, protectively wrapping his arm around her shoulder, pulling her into a stiff, yet comforting embrace.

“And there you have it,” he nodded, self-satisfied to Seb. “If what sweet-cheeks here says is true, she has every reason in the world to hate you. The best thing you could do is get her off planet as soon as the next ship arrives, but it won’t be on mine. No way in hell I'm letting that psycho-horse-girl get close to it.”

Seb raised his hand high above his head, and with a silent command the collection of droids and bots in the clearing began to disband, quietly heading back in the direction of town. Even the joyously erratic flight of the globe-like maintenance bots hovering overhead seemed to slow, becoming solemn, before drifting slowly away.

“This is an unfortunate situation we find ourselves in, my friends. I would like to give our sentient newcomer the benefit of the doubt, but she has demonstrated extremely hostile behavior thus far. It sickens me to think that one of our kind was responsible for her obvious hatred of artificial life forms.”

“I knew a Margo once, she was my partner, and a damn good pilot. That’s who I thought was on the shuttle along with this little ball of fluff, I was sure of it,” the man said offhandedly, sniffing lightly at Cherise’s hair while his hand slowly drifted down the small of her back. “Guess I was wrong and I’m back to square one again. At least it wasn’t a completely wasted trip on my part. What’s your name, sweet cheeks?”

Cherise suddenly pulled away from him with an exaggerated expression of surprised anger, and her hand flashed through the air, slapping him hard across the cheek.

“My name’s Cherise, and don’t grab my ass again!”

He slowly rubbed his cheek, while devouring the close proximity of Cherise’s nudity with leering, playful eyes.

“Anything you say, sweet-cheeks. By the way… It’s obvious you’re a pleasure model based on your registration number. So it’s safe to assume that you’re fully functional, then?”

“If you’re not going to use my name then why did you bother to ask? And yes, I am. Why?”

“No reason, just curious. You know what, Seb? I think your newest member of the colony might need a personal guide to show her the ropes for a while, you know, help her get settled in.”

“I think Cherise will be fine integrating into the community without your kind of demented guidance. I told you when you first landed that you’re welcome to stay as long as you wish, but if you do, your manners are in need of drastic improvement. In the short span of several hours you’ve managed to offend every female droid you’ve encountered, with your unwanted sexual advances. Come along, my dear, you have an entire town to meet after you get settled in to your new home.”

Seb held out his hand to Cherise and she took it without reservation, beginning the short trek back to town. She glanced over her shoulder, suspiciously eyeing the man who seemed completely focused on the gentle swaying of her hips and ass.

“I’m not sure that I really want to know, but you never told me your name.”

“I knew you’d come around, sweet-cheeks. They always do. The name’s Mark, Captain of the Space Tramp, and I bet you look sexy as hell when you squat and pee.”

Chapter Sixteen

The first thing Nathan did upon entering his seldom used home away from home was to place Rhonda, the AI, in standby mode and set everything from the environmental controls to individual room lighting, in manual mode. Even the multitude of relatively mindless bots that diligently followed their simple housekeeping protocols, or saw to the mundane task of human service, were quickly shut down and placed in storage. It would be a cold day in hell before another synthetic would ever get the drop on Nathan Burke again.

In the meantime, he’d left Snake and Wroth to fend for themselves with a curt, ‘make yourselves at home’. As expected they did exactly that, it was just common sense to a Marine, that in the absence of orders, which is exactly how he’d left them, they’d taken it upon themselves to explore the house and settle in. That was one thing about civilians that had always annoyed Burke; they needed to have their hands held and spoon-fed the obvious in most cases, even if it was about to slap them in the face.

It was still hard to believe the two of them had hooked up, but the more he thought about it, it actually made sense. It was really no different than Margo and himself. In a strange sort of way they made a perfect, unexpected couple, and dammed if Snake wasn’t starting to act almost ‘normal’, or as normal as someone like her could be. Nathan almost pitied his friend, though; if things did work out between them in the long run, she’d be a handful to deal with even on her best day. If it didn’t… Maybe that’s just what the old man needed right now, someone to kick him in the ass every so often when he strayed too far out of line.