The Virtual Man [The Virtual Reality 1] (Siren Publishing Classic) (27 page)

* * * *

The throbbing of his various wounds caused Derek to think back to the time he had tended Tiana’s leg wound without the benefit of a skin regenerator. Derek was sure that any pain he now felt paled in comparison to what she must have endured during those trying days in their tree-house.

Carefully avoiding any sudden or extreme movements that would aggravate the pain, Derek expertly set the shuttle down on the landing pad.

“Well gorgeous,” he said turning his full attention to her, “welcome back to civilization. Tonight you get to sleep in a real bed. No more outdoorsy roughing it for you.”

The corner of Tiana’s lip lifted in a slight smile.
Hmm, where’s the hoorah
. She didn’t seem as happy as he had figured she would be.

“Derek I have a gift for you,” Tiana said handing him a data-chip, “while you were busy hacking into Arivet’s Space Control’s computer I downloaded a recording from my phone. I caught Tom’s braggadocious ranting confession with my implanted phone. It should serve as irrefutable proof that you are innocent of all the crimes of which you were convicted.”

Cradling the chip that would restore his world, Derek responded. “Tiana, I don’t know what to say. Thank you doesn’t seem to suffice. You totally rock, you know that?”

“Yes I do, don’t I? You’re welcome, although any logical person would have done the same. You saved my life at least four times that I can remember, it’s the least I could do. Speaking of life saving, let’s get you to a medical unit and have you checked out. Operating a skin regenerator is not my specialty.” She acknowledged with a surprising lack of emotion.

“Yes, m’am,” Derek responded as he slid the outside hatch door open and, escorting Tiana, stepped out of the shuttle. The fumes from the many ships coming and going permeated the area, causing him to wonder, i
f we are so civilized and rank so much higher than animals, why is it they breath cleaner air than we do?

* * * *

“I don’t understand why
Nurse Plastic Jugs
had you remove all your clothes.” Tiana huffed referring to the well endowed assistant who had processed Derek into the medical unit.

Tiana surveyed the covering Derek had been asked to change into. “That gown would barely fit a child, much less someone your size.”

“Tiana, she gave me what she had on hand. I’m not worried about it. I just want to get medically cleared and be on our way.”

“Yeah, well, I know something else she’d like to have ‘on hand’.”

Derek grinned at his wife giving her a knowing smile.

“You’re jealous. I like it.”

“I am not jealous, you oaf. I’m just watching out for your dignity. You should be thanking me,” snarled Tiana.

“How’s my little wounded hero?” the nurse inquired as she returned to the room, stepping between Tiana and Derek, facing her patient.

Behind the nurse’s back Derek saw Tiana place her hands on her hips, thrust out her chest and mouth the nurse’s words while wiggling her breasts at him. As she did so, one of the fasteners on her heavily worn blouse broke off exposing the sides of her breasts. Derek was sure that the nurse was saying something as she examined him, but all he could do was stare at the milky white flesh that defined Tiana’s delectable breasts. With any luck, maybe she would expose more of herself before she realized what had happened.

The result was inevitable. Within seconds a raging erection popped out from underneath the industrial sized paper towel the nurse had referred to as a gown.

“Derek,” Tiana, clearly annoyed, snapped him out of his sexual trance, “I am going to run off, get cleaned up and buy some new clothes. Let’s meet back at the shuttle in a couple of hours.”

“Uhm, okay, I’ll see you then,” he agreed, still reeling from the private little show Tiana had unwittingly put on for him. Obviously she had realized her blouse had broken and had decided she best get it replaced. That was okay. Tonight as soon as he found them a hotel room, they would make love on a real bed, unencumbered by gravity.

* * * *

Tiana didn’t know whether to curse or cry. Derek had become hard for the nurse. Was he really this easily aroused by a set of boobs with legs? She had needed to get out of there, and fast. Watching the nurse rub her hands over Derek, scrutinizing his newly formed skin while shoving her genetically enhanced tits at him was bad enough, but his getting a ten gallon hard-on for the bimbo was more than she could handle. She loved him, and yes, damn it, she was jealous.

Not knowing how to handle the situation, Tiana stormed out of the medical unit. Noticing a full service spa a few doors down she stepped inside. The familiar pungency of nail polish and other beauty products welcomed her. She needed some serious pampering, and was going to treat herself.

“How may I help you today?” Tiana was greeted by the monotone voice of a Beauty-Bot.

“Scrub me, buff me, polish me up. I’ve been away from civilization too damn long.”

“Madam, you have come to the right place. I am a Maggie-17 Beauty-Bot. In all of Arivet you will not find another Bot more knowledgeable of our trade. Please allow me to show you to my station.”

Tiana pondered the probabilities that the neural chips for this Beauty-Bot and Darius-20 might have come from the same batch. Never mind. She would wind up giving herself a headache.

Tiana entered Maggie-17’s station, set her options, undressed and laid down on the bathing stand. She felt the warmth of the cleansing sonic waves caressing her body. At the same time, a team of Nano-Bots went to work applying her signature red nail polish on her finger and toe nails. It wasn’t long before she succumbed to sleep.

* * * *

Tiana had been right about
Nurse Plastic Juggs
. Even after Derek had explained to her that he was a happily married man it had taken no little effort on his part to get away from the medical unit without first receiving the more personal ‘hands on’ care she offered.

Armed with the data chip from Tiana, Derek, after having waited for an eternity to hear his case number called, now stood before a Legal-Bot ready to clear his name.

“But, Mr. Hart, I can not take your evidence nor can I file your petition.” The Legal-Bot said after Derek had finished explaining what it was that he needed done.

“Why not? You are a Legal-Bot are you not?”

“Yes, sir, but¾”

“And this is a court of law, is it not?”

“Yes, sir, but¾”

“I’ve just spent over a good portion of my day waiting for my turn to speak with you. Why the heck is it that you can not help me with my case?”

“I mean no disrespect, sir,” the Legal-Bot politely explained, “but you are in the wrong department. Criminal cases, local as well as Gallactic Alliance are handled next door.”

“So what department am I in?”

“This is Relational Disassociations. Unless you are looking to file for divorce from one or more of your spouses, you are in the wrong dep¾”

Derek and the Legal-Bot’s conversation was cut short by a flying glass object that smashed against the wall missing Derek’s head by mere inches, sending glass shards flying all around him and the Legal-Bot.

“You know, for a computer geek genius, you’re pretty fucking stupid!” Derek heard a familiar voice shriek.

* * * *

Tiana wasn’t sure how long she dozed for but she felt clean, refreshed, revitalized and, damn it, beautiful. Looking into a mirror she admired the job the Beauty-Bot had done on her face and body. At the urging of a friend, she had once tried applying makeup manually and the experiment had proven a failure.

Ahh, the beauty of technology.

Looking over at a table in the corner of the room, Tiana spied the outfit she had selected. It would of course, fit perfectly as it had been made to her specific measurements while the nanos had worked their magic.

After slipping into a pearl-white lace bra with matching thong panties, Tiana put on an emerald green thigh length dress that had been matched to the exact shade of her green eyes. Coordinating stiletto heel sandals completed the outfit.

Through the beauty of inter-gallactic banking, providing Maggie-17 with a scan of her retina, Tiana paid for her purchases and headed back to the space port. She was looking forward to seeing Derek. She knew she looked hot and she could make him forget Nurse Plastic Juggs. That assumed, of course, that he had a brain left after she got done with him.

On a whim, Tiana decided to check and see if Derek was already back at the shuttle. She hoped the medical unit had released him. She might not be an expert with a skin regenerator, but they weren’t that hard to operate. Approaching a computer access point she issued a command.

“Computer, locate Derek Hart.”

“Derek Hart is at the Lucius Sanford Memorial Courthouse.”

“Computer, locate the Lucius Sanford Memorial Courthouse relative to my present location.”

A three-dimensional holographic map of the vicinity materialized indicating both the location of the computer access point she was using and the that of the Courthouse. It was just across the street and two blocks down. Maybe she’d surprise him. For some reason the idea of making love with Derek in a public place with the risk of being discovered made her blood hot, her passion rising. Maybe in one of the elevators. Goodness, what had happened to her conservative little self?

“Computer, where in the Courthouse is Derek Hart?”

“Derek Hart is on the twelfth level, East wing, in the Relational Disassociations department.”

Another map materialized showing where the Relational Disassociations department was in relation to the front door of the building.

Tiana’s gut wrenched. Derek was filing for a disassociation? Why else would he be there? It all made sense. Earlier she had given him all the proof he needed to clear his name. He no longer needed to be married to her. Tom had made a fool of her, she thought trying to swallow the lump in her throat, but Derek was different, he had to be.

Tiana hurried across the street and quickly covered the two blocks to the Courthouse. Once inside, finding Derek was easy. He was talking to a Legal-Bot.

Great, an ass-hole and an AI, what a combo.

Straightening her spine, physically and emotionally, Tiana determined she would not be cast aside. She loved Derek and knew in her heart that he loved her. They would work things out even if she had to beat his shit-for-brains in to get him to see how much he loved her.

Derek and the Legal-Bot appeared to be concluding their conversation.

Was it too late? Had he already filed?

Losing her temper, Tiana picked up the first thing she saw, a small vase with some beautifully edged characters all around its middle. Next thing she knew, she had hurled it at Derek. Just then Tiana realized that the if the vase hit its mark, Derek could be seriously injured and panic gripped her.

With relief, she watched as the vase smashed against the wall, raining shards of glass on Derek and the Legal-Bot.

“You know, for a computer geek genius, you’re pretty fucking stupid!” She yelled at Derek.

“Tiana, what are you doing?”

“I’m keeping you from ruining your life, you idiot.” She said as she stood in front of him, breasts heaving, hands on her hips, head cocked to one side and stared him down.

“Oh crap. What now Ms. Control Freak? Exactly how am I ruining my life?” He yelled back at her tossing his hands up in the air in what appeared to be an outward appearance of disbelief.

What’s his problem? He ought to be grateful that I’m here to straighten him out. Doesn’t he realize that he’s wrong and I’m right?

Without so much as a word, Tiana grabbed Derek by the lapels, yanked him down to where they were both at the same eye level and planted a fervent, passionate kiss on him.

Tiana’s mouth pressed hard on Derek’s as her tongue searched him out. She felt him responding to her, tentatively at first, but then turning on her with an amount of desperation equal to her own. The kiss lasted for just a few seconds but it left her knees weak and her womanhood wet and wanting.

“You love me, Derek Hart. I am the best thing that’s ever happened to you and I will not stand by and watch you throw our marriage and your life away. The passion that we share is unique, deep, amazing, totally hot and I will not let you screw it up.”

Derek looked down at her with fire in his eyes. The type of fire, that she couldn’t say.

“What the royal hell are you thinking?” he blurted loudly, moving his hands to his forehead and jerking them down in what appeared to be frustration. “Did one of the cogs in your wee little bitty nano-engineering brain jump its track? Who do you think you are? Do you think you have a galactic monopoly on love?”

Derek placed his hands around the back and sides of Tiana’s head and brought his lips down on hers with a passion and a desperation that easily matched her own. Their tongues dueled each other for supremacy.

“I’m well aware that I love you Tiana Hart.” Pulling away Derek continued his tirade. “I love you with every breath that I take. Without you, my life would be meaningless. You are the one thing in this world that I could never do without. Opening my eyes when I awake in the morning and seeing the sun shining bright through my window and feeling its warmth would be as a cold, dreary, lifeless day without you by my side. My heart beats only so that my body may live for you. Gazing into your beautiful eyes is all the joy I need. The only music that moves me is that of your soft, sexy voice whispering my name. Without you I am nothing but a lifeless body, an empty shell.”

“Damn right you are.” She screamed at Derek smashing her little fist against his chest with all her strength, yet barely managing to wrinkle his shirt. “And what’s more, I love you Derek hart. I love you more than I’ve ever loved anyone in my entire life. I love you with all my heart and soul and I would travel down to the very pits of hell if I had to, to keep you from doing something as stupid as filing for divorce. Planets may shift from their orbits and stars may go supernova, you big oaf, but I will never, ever, stop loving you, so get the hell used to it.”