Chapter 7

The ground team met in the briefing room with Ezi. Zain, Piet, and Vlad remained on the bridge and ran the ship. Normally, they wouldn’t mind missing a briefing, but Ezi was aboard. Zain and Piet were curious about her sexually, nothing more, nothing less. Ezi deep purple skin gleamed in the light and her yellow eyes glowed in dim settings. Vlad mesmerized by the Shavili, he seen videos of them but never met one. Ezi was beautiful than any creature he ever came across. Her deep sensual voice gave off an erotic vibe. He thought about her ever since she came aboard the ship, but the cocky pilot lost his nerve couldn’t approach her. So, he fantasized from afar.

The men weren’t the only ones captivated by their new purple guest. All the crew had their own interest. Lydia and Simona didn’t trust Ezi. Faith never heard of the Shavili until a couple of days ago and wanted to know more about their culture. Ezi desired more information about the pint-sized powerhouse.

The briefing room was smaller than the bridge, but still a good size. It was big enough for eight chairs and a medium size table. The surface of the table was a giant monitor which a person could pull up maps, charts, planets or any information that they wanted to study further and in greater details.

“The Drilli at the base was unexpected,” Lydia said. “We didn’t know if other people were aware of the base.”

“The base was a secret,” Ezi added. “No one in our government was aware of it. It is off the grid.” She looked at Lydia. “How did you get the information?”

“From my supervisor,” Lydia answered. “He didn’t tell me his source. He never tells me that.”

“Maybe there is a leak?” Simona asked.

“I thought about that,” Ezi responded, “but our people were well compensated. No one was ever dismissed from the base. Even the males were well paid. It makes no sense. Shavili’s culture does not have whistleblowers. Maybe we got careless. I have no answer.”

“Why were you locked in the box?” Faith asked. “You said you were valuable. What did you mean by it?”

Ezi stared at Faith. There was a desire on Ezi part. She loved the contrast of Faith’s raven hair and pale white skin. The shavili loved the way Faith’s bright blue eyes sparkled in the light. “I was part of an experiment that went wrong for so many of my sisters.” Her voice became more subdued and serious.

“What were they studying?” Faith asked.

“Bioelectricity,” Ezi explained. “Shavili’s female produced low levels of bioelectricity. We are able to produce a small spark, nothing lethal. One might feel a slight tingling sensation. We usually release it during sexual intercourse. It makes the experience,” she paused before finishing her statement, “astounding.”

“No wonder our male crewmembers are fixated by you,” Lydia said.

“With all due respect, ma’am,” Simona shared. “Even I’m aroused.” She smiled at the Shavili.

Ezi placed her elbows on the table and gazed at Simona. “My people are bisexual by nature.” The Shavili winked at the tactical officer.

Simona blushed. Her body temperature rose and her skin moistened with fresh perspiration. “Maybe we should focus on the mission for now?”

“Of course,” Ezi said. “I didn’t mean to distract you.” She laughed, it also had a sexual vibe. “We installed implants into the body to increase their bio-current to a more lethal level. Average female Shavili produces about one milliampere. With the implants, we should produce about two thousand milliamperes, which would be lethal. All the subjects died during the experiments. They suffered cardiac arrest, internal organ damage, and severe burns. Out of a hundred and fifteen Shavili, only one survived.”

“You,” Faith stated the obvious.

“Correct,” Ezi replied. “My body is still adjusting to the implants. Right now, I must make contact with an individual to deliver a charge. But in time, I should be able to deliver a charge from a short distance.”

“You weaponized your orgasms?” Lydia said.

“It’s not an orgasm,” Ezi described. “We can release it any time. We just prefer to release it during sex.”

“Once you developed this power,” Lydia said. “It could be useful.”

“Can you give us a sample?” Simona asked. “I don’t mean the lethal charge, but more than the standard.”

“I need a volunteer?” Ezi asked.

Lydia smiled. “I have an idea.” She pushed the ship intercom button. “Vlad, I need you to come to the briefing room.”

“On my way,” his voice came in clear over the intercom. The briefing room was only a couple of meters from the bridge. So it didn’t take him long. Zain took over the helm.

“You need me?” Vlad asked as he entered the room. He noticed that Ezi gazed at him with her bright eyes and hypnotic smile.

“I need you, Vlad,” Ezi said in her sultry voice. She walked up to him, took hold of his hands and leaned in closer. Her lips were a mere centimeter from his. “Do you want some pleasure before I bring the pain?”

“What?” Vlad’s eyes widened as he wondered if his earpiece was working. Then, Vlad felt a rush of energy surging through his body. His hair stood up on end. His heart rate became rapid and lost muscle control. A bright and powerful shock sent the pilot flying across the room. His limp, weak body landed on the hard cold floor. Simona rushed over to aid Vlad.

“He’ll be fine,” Ezi said. “No injuries had occurred.”

“Take him to the sickbay,” Lydia said with uneasiness in her voice. “Have Piet take a look at him.” Simona assisted Vlad onto his feet and escorted him to the sickbay.

“That was more than I expected,” Faith said. “What else can you do?”

“I’m working on some modification that could be beneficial,” Ezi answered.

“Good,” Lydia said. “We can use all the help we can get.” She turned on the monitor. “We have another mission and this one can get a little dicey.” Lydia pulled a chart that was deep in Drilli’s space. “We will be going to the Raca System.”

“Why are we going there?” Faith questioned.

“There is a major factory in the section of space,” Lydia said. “We need to take it out.”

“Is the intelligence good?” Ezi asked.

“My intelligence is always good,” Lydia smirked. “You would need a tech expert for this mission.” She waved her hand over the monitor and scrolled the dossiers of the crew. She stopped after finding the right person for the job. “Zain will be perfect.”

“He is the dark skin one?“Ezi asked.

“Yes,” Lydia said. “Humans come in many different shades.”

“He is handsome,” Ezi commented.

“Make sure you don’t electrocute him,” Faith joked. “We need him for this mission.”

“I can’t make any promises, little one,” Ezi laughed.

Faith’s body adjusted to the AMPED, she less anxious, more relaxed. No fist intentions into the ship bulkheads. Since the Raca System was about fifteen light years away, it would take several hours to get there. This gave Faith some downtime, something she wasn’t a fan of, but she was learning. Wearing her favorite outfit, short white tank top, and black shorts, Faith sat on the floor of her room with legs crossed and hands resting on her knees. Eyes closed as her chest heaved with each breath. Mind focused and her emotions in check. A strong sense of calm came over her body. She was in deep meditation and didn’t notice Ezi entering the room.

“You must get a lot of the attention from the males,” Ezi said, “when you dress like this?” Referring to Faith’s outfit.

Faith snapped out of her trance. “Trust me,” she replied, “with you on the ship, no one is paying attention to me.”

Ezi walked behind Faith and placed her hands on Faith’s bare shoulders. “I’m paying attention to you,” she whispered. “I find you fascinating.”

Faith smelled the scent of her Shavili’s guest, a strong, sweet spicy aroma. “You smell amazing.” Her voice sounded weak and soft. “You are fascinated with my story, not me.”

Ezi walked in front of Faith. The Shavili’s hand dragged across Faith’s back. “I don’t even know your story, little one.”

Faith chuckled. “I had a friend that called me ‘little one.’

“A lover?” A bright smile accompanied Ezi’s question.

“No,” Faith responded. “He wasn’t my lover. He was a friend.”

“What was his name?” Ezi stepped closer to Faith.

The Shavili’s aroma continued to tickle Faith’s senses. “Roat-At-Tat,” Faith answered. ”

“My understanding of your culture is quite limited,” Ezi stepped even closer. “But that is a strange name for a human.”

“He was a Drillus.”

“This has peaked my interest,” Ezi said. “I want to know more.” She grabbed Faith’s hand and guided the young woman to the bunk and both sat down. They were only a few centimeters apart. “Tell me your story. Tell me about Roat-At-Tat.” Ezi’s eyes were as vivid as the finest canary diamonds, the Shavili’s glare compelled Faith to share with the purple creature.

“He was my master, but he treated me like a daughter,” Faith started.

“Not a sex slave?” Ezi asked. “Very unusual for a male drillus.

“He wasn’t like other Drilli,” Faith said.

“What made him different?”

“He spoke Terran, which was surprising,” Faith replied. “I later discovered that he also spoke nessian. He was smart, caring and strong.” Faith took a deep breath and let it out. “After the Drilli killed my parents, this big monster walked in the room. He was large and covered in coarse black fur. He had these brown piercing eyes. When I saw him, I just snapped. I jumped on him and started punching and biting him. He found it amusing and laughed. ‘Stop laughing, you monkey,’ I yelled. He took pity on me. ‘I won’t hurt you,’ he said. ‘Liar,’ I yelled back still punching him. He grabbed me and pulled me off of him. I kicked, wiggled and tried my best to escape, but I couldn’t. He said to me, ‘Listen, human. I won’t hurt you, little one. I will let you go. Don’t run away,’ he said. I didn’t listen to him.”

“What happened next?” Ezi asked.

“Once his hands were off of me,” Faith continued. “I took off. I ran out of the room right into another Drillus, but this drillus had other intentions. The drillus grabbed me and the two drilli argued in their native tongue, screaming at each other. Roat-At-Tat snatched me out of the other drillus’s hands and continued their argument. They went back and forward, the other drillus reached for me and his claw tore my outfit. Their screaming and yelling got louder and then the other drillus said something that Roat-At-Tat didn’t like.”

“Do you know what it was?” Ezi asked.

“No,” Faith said. “I didn’t speak drilli back then. Roat-At-Tat stepped closer to the other drilli, grabbed the back of its head and its snout and with a quick turn snapped its neck. The drilli’s body fell to the floor with it twisted dead face looking at me. Roat-At-Tat walked back to me and got on his knees and told me. He would not let anyone hurt me. ‘What is your name, little one?’ he asked. I told him, ‘Faith.’ He picked me up and held me with his massive arm. I was so scared, but in a weird way, I felt safe.”

“Then he raised you as his daughter?” Ezi asked.

“Yes,” Faith answered. “He taught me everything I know.”

Ezi moved in a little closer and wet her lips. “A very compelling story, little one. I assumed you are not like the others?”

Faith started to sweat as her body temperature rose and it had nothing to do with AMPED. “You assumed right. I’m not like most humans.”

“Another story?” Ezi leaned in with interest. “What makes you so special?”

Faith bit her bottom lips and felt a tingling feeling in her stomach. “It’s not a story. It’s a fact. I’m like you.” Faith’s lips curled. “I’m a weapon for my people.”

“Tell me more.” Ezi’s hand rested on Faith’s bare leg.

Faith’s body covered in goosebumps. She liked the feel of Ezi’s hands. “I don’t really understand the science behind AMPED, but it made me stronger and faster than a normal human. I heal faster than a normal human. Combined with my training; I’m a one-person wrecking crew.”

“I’ve seen you in action.” Ezi’s hand moved up Faith’s leg. “You are amazing.”

“Thank you.” Faith’s heart rate increased. She felt the pounding in her chest. Her legs shook. A strange urge came over her. She wanted to kiss Ezi, but it felt like a need. Faith controlled the urges, but Ezi made it easy by talking about Roat-At-Tat.

“What happened to him?” Ezi asked.

“He was murdered.” Faith had a flashback of Roat-At-Tat getting shot multiple times. She saw his body being riddled with rounds and his blood spraying everywhere. She closed her eyes and blocked out the image. “I don’t want to talk about it.”

“I won’t force you to tell me,” Ezi replied.

“Thank you for not pushing me.”

“Little one,” Ezi said. “If I was going to push you, it wasn’t going to be on this.” Ezi’s hand lifted Faith’s chin. The Shavili leaned in and kissed Faith softly on the lips.

Faith felt a strange sensation coursing through her body. It wasn’t a charge. It was something else. It was nervousness, excitement and dangerous all at the same time.

“I will leave you now,” Ezi said in her trademark sultry voice. “But we will talk later.” Ezi walked towards the door.

Before Ezi left the room, Faith’s eyes fixated on the Shavili’s curves. The way Ezi’s hips moved side to side. The tickle returned to Faith’s stomach. She was speechless, puzzled, but more importantly, she felt good.

Lydia slept in her quarters, but she lived in the lab. This was where she spent her downtime. Analyzing data was easy, it was like a second language. She cracked codes and ran algorithms flawlessly, but she was having a problem with the Shavili’s data. It wasn’t designed in a logical way. Most computers and programs were based on Venture’s technology. Ventures were a race of peaceful cyborgs, they made the most advanced efficient computers and programs in the known galaxy. The Shavili’s system was irrational. It would rewrite itself several times at random. Every time, she broke the code, it will reboot itself. Lydia thought that the Shavili’s system was designed by a paranoid delusional genius. Simona walked in and saw Lydia’s fists slamming on the terminal.

“Excuse me, ma’am,” Simona said.

“What?” Lydia snapped back. “Sorry, Simona.” She composed herself. “What can I do for you?”

“Just letting you know that Vlad is back at hundred percent and Piet cleared him for duty.”

“Good, put him back at the helm.”

“Will do, ma’am.” Simona started to walk out of the room, but something told her to stop and turn around. “Is everything alright, ma’am?”

“No,” Lydia replied. “Everything is not alright. I am trying to break a code designed by a lunatic!”

“Walk away from it, ma’am,” Simona advised. “You can review it later.”

“You might be right,” Lydia said. “I could use a break.”

“Ma’am, I have some concerns.”

“About the mission?”

“About our guest.” Simona sat down on one of the workbenches. “She is very suggestive. She could easily get any information wants from the crew. She could knock all of us out and take over the ship.”

“I don’t think she can take Faith out that easily.”

“No, ma’am. I don’t think she could. But I think she is trying to seduce her. And with Faith on her side, we couldn’t stop them.”

“Keep close tabs on Ezi,” Lydia said. “I’ll handle Faith.”

“Will do, ma’am.” Simona walked out of the lab and carried out her duties.

Lydia decided to take Simona’s advice, she turned off her terminal and went to her quarters. The captain’s quarters was bigger than the other crew’s member quarters and it had its own work station, but Lydia wasn’t going to work, but needed to rest to get a fresh outlook. She got undressed and took a much needed shower. When Lydia got out bathroom, she saw Faith sitting on the couch.

“What are you doing here?” a startled Lydia asked as she concealed her body with her robe.

“I wanted to talk to you,” Faith answered.

Lydia took by surprise, but she was happy to see the pixie warrior. It was an opportunity to see if Ezi influenced the young lady. “What do you want to talk about?” She walked over to the couch and sat down. Lydia’s bare leg lightly rubbed against Faith’s. It was still wet from the shower. Lydia knew what she was doing and Faith didn’t mind.

Faith loved the feeling of Lydia’s moist skin. Her blue eyes watched the little droplets falling off Lydia’s hair and rolling down between the blossoms of the doctor. Faith could only imagine what Lydia’s body felt like, but it smelled like fresh strawberries. The aroma brought a smile to Faith lips. “I know you were joking, but could you put me in some kind of stasis?”

“Why would I do that?” Lydia asked.

Faith lowered her head. “Sometimes, it’s too much to deal with.” She looked at Lydia. “The emotions, the feelings, the flashbacks, I don’t want to deal with them. I just want to do the missions, go to sleep and wake up and do another mission.”

“That’s crap,” Lydia answered. “You don’t want to live like that. It’s not normal.”

“You telling me that I’m fucked up!” Faith’s voice was at a volume that Lydia hadn’t heard.

“No!” Lydia snapped back. “You are not fucked up.” She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Her eyes focused back on Faith. She placed her arm around Faith’s shoulder. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to say that you weren’t normal. You had a different experience than the rest of us. Even though you are human, you haven’t been around us. You were isolated from both humans and other Drilli for fifteen years. Roat-At-Tat was your world. You never got a chance to live, never got a chance to grow. You are not a weapon. You are a person with extraordinary abilities, but you are still a person. You have to find pleasures in life that doesn’t involve killing people. You have to find out who you really are Faith. What do you love? What do you hate? You have to experience life. You can’t do that living in stasis.”

“I’m scared,” Faith said.

“You single-handedly killed a Prime,” Lydia added. “You took on a platoon of soldiers without breaking a sweat. You have no fear.”

“That’s combat,” Faith said. “That’s simple. You point and shoot and you hit until they can’t hit back. Feeling and emotions, that’s complicated.” She stood up and paced around the room. “These memories and the emotions that go with it, it’s scary.”

Lydia walked up to Faith and took hold of the young woman’s hands. “Bonding your body to the AMPED was the most dangerous thing you have ever done. But dealing with these changes is your biggest challenge.” Lydia leaned in closer. “You never back away from a challenge.” The two hugged. Lydia still laying down the seeds of trust with her project.

“Thank you,” Faith said after breaking the embrace. “Ezi just trigger something.”

Lydia’s eyes narrowed and she folded her arms across her chest. “Is she making you uncomfortable?”

“Yes,” Faith answered. “But in a good way.”

“We don’t know her and I don’t truly trust her,” Lydia warned. There was a sense of jealousy in her tone, but Faith didn’t pick it up. Faith also didn’t notice that Lydia’s hands tensed up into fists. “You be careful.”

Faith smiled. “I’m always careful,” she said, “but I’m not always safe.”