Purity (Pure and Tainted) (14 page)

“Ethics, huh?”
Loki sniffed. “There’s nothing
ethical about cloning in the first place. It’s an abomination against the
Goddess to copy one of her creatures instead of procreating in order to make
more beings the way she intended. And don’t start in on how disgusting and vile
sexual procreation is, missy.” He pointed a finger at K. “What’s
truly
repulsive is pumping five hundred
identical babies, all with the same fucked-up DNA, out of an artificial womb.”

“I said nothing.” K glared at him. “But since you opened the
subject, I find your ways of reproduction repugnant and wrong.”

“Okay, kids—break it up.” Boone held out a hand to each of them.
“Getting back to the subject, the guidelines for cloning—which most
worlds in the Prometheus System follow—were laid down at the Covran Convention
of 2299.
Basically it states that you can mix DNA however you want, as
long as everything you’re mixing is
human
.
Unfortunately Abrahams had other ideas. ”

“He used animal DNA.” Loki nodded at the now dark viewscreen. “Miss
Meow there is only a whisker away from purring for a bowl of cream—literally.”

Boone sighed. “Yeah, it looks like that.”

“I don’t like her,” K said abruptly.

“Well, of course you don’t, sweetie,” Loki snapped. “You’re a
Purist—you don’t like
anybody.
”

“I don’t like the way she talks. Or the way she was looking at
you,” K said to Boone, ignoring Loki’s jibe. “She looked predatory…hungry.”

“Well not many folks make the trip all the way out to Minotaur,”
Loki said, raising an eyebrow. “If this Abrahams character is so interested in
genetic manipulation maybe they’re looking for fresh breeding stock. Wouldn’t
it be interesting if
that
was the
price for getting the hyperdrive fixed? What do you think, Boone—would she ask
you to scratch her behind the ears…or lower?”

“That’s enough of your filthy talk,” K flared before Boone could
answer. “Boone wouldn’t participate in any such exchange.”

“On the contrary, sweetheart, I happen to know that Boone would do
just about
anything
to get his little
sister back, including kidnapping your boney, frigid ass and hauling you
halfway across the solar system.”

“
Loki, that
is
enough.”
Boone made his voice a muted roar and had the satisfaction
of seeing the pilot jump.

“
Excuse me
, Mr.
Sensitive,” Loki muttered. “I was only stating the obvious.”

“Well, don’t. Just take us down and try to make it through the
damned landing sequence without saying anything insulting or inflammatory.”

“Yes,
sir.
Whatever you say,
boss.”
Loki sketched an overly elaborate salute before turning back to the ship’s
controls. “If you two wouldn’t mind leaving, I’d like to concentrate. It’s hard
to fly when the entire flight control stinks of Purity.”

“Fine.
Come on.” Boone grabbed K’s arm
and steered her away before she could say something in retaliation—or maybe go
for Loki’s throat which seemed more likely given the murderous gleam in her
black-on-black eyes.

They went back to his quarters in silence but when they got there,
K turned to face him. “You wouldn’t really do that, would you?” she demanded as
Boone sorted through his locker, looking for any remaining dress shirts that
hadn’t been turned into makeshift dresses. He had a few that he knew of that
were miniaturized but he hated to go to the trouble of resizing them.

“Do what?” He was distracted, wondering if he could wear the dark
red shirt with his black tie—what had K done with his black tie
anyway?

“Do what Loki said. Have…have sexual intercourse with that…that
cat mechanic thing.”

Boone stopped rummaging and looked up, studying her. It was
obvious she was trying to be calm and collected but he could see the tension
leaking through her poorly constructed façade. “Why? Would it bother you if I
did?”

“Of
course
it would.” K’s
hands were clenched into fists at her sides. “I couldn’t bear to have you touch
her.”

“You couldn’t, hmm?” Boone raised an eyebrow at her, now
completely intrigued. “Feeling a little jealous there, K?”

Her cheeks went pink.
“Of course not.
Envy and jealousy are not emotions I would ever allow myself to indulge in.”

“Oh, of
course
not.”
Boone went back to digging through his clothes. “So if you’re not
jealous, it shouldn’t bother you if Ilesca wants to get a DNA sample from me
the old fashioned way.”

“It
does
bother me
though.”

“And why is that?”

“I…you…” She seemed to be groping for the right words. “Just think
of all the contagion you might get from her. And then you would pass it on to
me when you touched me again.” K’s cheeks went even pinker. “I couldn’t bear
it—the idea of your hands all over her like that.”

“Oh you couldn’t, huh?” Boone frowned. “Well I hate to tell you, K,
but what Loki said back there is pretty much right. I
would
do just about anything to get my sister back. Not that having
sex with a woman that has longer whiskers than mine gets my engine revving but
if I had to…” He shrugged.

K looked as upset as he had ever seen her. “I can’t believe this.
Can’t believe you’d be willing to debase yourself in such a way.”

“Look, darlin’, I’m sorry but I just don’t see sexual contact as
the horrible, iniquitous crime you seem to think it is. Anyway…” He clapped her
on the shoulder. “It’s probably a moot point. Given Ilesca’s interest in my
credentials, I’d say she’s more interested in my PhD than my penis.”

K still looked upset. “I don’t like this at all. Why can’t we just
skip this planet and continue straight on to Eros?”

“Because without a fully functioning
hyperdrive we wouldn’t get there in time for Loki to find another touch-partner.
And since Mom is celibate, you’re
Miss Touch-Me-Not when it comes to sex, and I sure as hell am not gay, we have
to find him
someone
, preferably
another Erian, to complete his cycle with.”

“Who cares about his cycle?” K demanded.

Boone raised an eyebrow. “Well, you should for one. Your Erian DNA
ensures that you’re going to be going through the same thing he is sooner or
later.”

She looked suddenly pale. “You mean you think I’ll have to…have
to…
No
.” She shook her head. “I refuse
to believe that.”

“I’m afraid you’re going to have to face it sooner or later, K.
I’ve studied your DNA and it’s even more Erian than Loki’s.
Which
means that eventually you’re going to have the urges all Erians do.
”

“I won’t.” Her voice trembled. “I’ll never do…do
that.
No matter what.”

“Well, not for awhile, we hope anyway.” Boone sighed. He was going
to have to resize something to wear planetside after all. He popped open the
tiny storage compartment to one side of the locker and began picking through
the tiny, doll sized clothes. Loki had thought buying a miniturizer was an
unnecessary expense but it had allowed him to pack much more in the limited
area of the Erian ship, as well as bring some equipment he might otherwise have
had to leave back on Colossus. Of course, he didn’t have room on board ship to
resize all of it but in a pinch he could probably work something out.

“I still say we should just go on to Eros,” K said stubbornly,
breaking his train of thought.

Boone frowned. “So you’d rather go to Eros than face ‘Miss Meow’
as Loki called her? I thought the entire planet was decadent and depraved.”

“It is but I don’t like her,” K said stubbornly. “I don’t trust
her. I was trained to judge the enemy in a split second and something about that
Ilesca is
wrong
.”

“Yeah, she’s got whiskers and most likely a tail.” Boone grinned.
“Unfortunately, she’s also got what we need so we’re going to have to deal.
Cheer up, darlin’—we’ll be out of here before you know it.”

K gave him a dark look. “I pray to Purity you’re right but I doubt
it, Boone. I really doubt it.”

Chapter Nine

K scanned the landing platform, feeling naked. Her unprotected
skin itched for her suit and her fingers twitched as though reaching for the
triggers of her gauntlets. But she had no weapon—not so much as a sharp stick.
Boone and Loki were armed of course—Boone with a pulse pistol that looked more
like a cannon since it was sized to fit his big hand and Loki with his
gogi
dagger. K, however, had nothing.

Seeing the weapon strapped to the Erian’s waist reminded her that
just a few solar weeks ago she’d tried to use it to purge herself. He was
within reach now and her hands were unrestrained—a fact that Loki was
not
happy with but Boone had insisted
on. K wasn’t thinking of purging herself now, however. Now the only reason she
wanted the weapon was to have something to defend
herself
with. She didn’t like being dependant on others to protect her, not even Boone
who she was beginning to trust despite herself.

Because of her misgivings about Ilesca, K had asked for a weapon and
Boone had promised to take it into consideration. He’d gone to talk to Loki
about it but on that point the Erian had absolutely balked. “You’re letting her
come with us planetside—fine,” he’d spat at Boone. “You want to keep an eye on
her, I understand that. But if you give her a weapon—if you let her have so
much as a fucking rusty butter knife from Earth-that-was—then I am
not
going with you. She’s a trained
killer and we’re her targets. You’d be stupid to forget that Boone.”

“K is an honorable person,” Boone had argued in a low voice.
“She’s promised not to try and kill anyone until she gets her suit back.”

“And you believe her? Goddess, Boone, please tell me you’re not
that stupid. Look, you don’t know the Purists, not like I do. I was their prisoner—I’ve
seen what they’re capable of.”

“I know you had a rough time in their labs,” Boone had said
softly, putting a hand on the other man’s shoulder. “But I need you to trust me
on this, Loki.”

“Why, so you can get us both killed? Face the facts, Boone—you’re
starting to have feelings for this girl and it’s getting in the way of your
better judgment.”

“What? You’re crazy,” Boone had protested but was there a glimmer
of doubt in his light-on-white eyes? K, who had been watching from her hiding
place behind the bulkhead, wondered.

“I’m not crazy—you are. You’re the one falling for a Goddess
damned
Paladin
. I see the way you
look at her, the way you touch her—”

“I touch her because I have to—because she’ll die if I don’t. Now
if you know a better way, feel free to share it right now.” Boone’s voice was
low and dangerous. “In fact, I’ll bet you
do
know a better way. You know a hell of a lot you’re not telling.”

“I’ve told you all you need to know. I’m sorry I told you that
much.” And Loki had spun on his heel and marched away, leaving Boone to mutter
something under his breath that K couldn’t quite catch. She’d been too busy
wondering about what she’d heard to worry about Loki’s parting invective
anyway.

Could it be true that Boone had some kind of emotion for her?
Maybe the same kind that
Six
, the pilot on her old
purge squad had appeared to have? K had felt nothing for
Six
except maybe a very cold kind of revulsion when he’d tried to touch her. But
with Boone…she shook her head. With Boone things were all mixed up. He was the
enemy—he’d ambushed her, killed her squad, and contaminated her beyond hope of
cleansing or redemption.
And yet…

“Hey K, you okay?” Boone’s soft question pulled her back to the
present.

“Fine,” she said shortly. Pushing the disturbing thoughts out of
her head, she began wishing for a weapon again.
I still have my hand-to-hand combat training to fall back on,
she
reminded herself. But without her skinsuit that would mean
touching
whoever she was fighting. Just the thought of that—of
touching anyone besides Boone—made her stomach roll until she wanted to heave.
She would do it if she had to but…
Please
Purity, let it not come to that. Please, I can’t—

The large bronze door at the far end of the landing platform slid
smoothly open, interrupting her silent prayer. Standing there, as though posing
for a vid
shot,
was Ilesca. It was early morning on
the half of Minotaur they’d landed on and the cat-woman appeared absolutely
radiant, outlined by the golden glow of interior lights behind her.

“Welcome visitors.” Her soft, purring voice put K’s nerves on edge
and the way the cat-woman was scanning Boone didn’t do anything to quiet them.

“Ilesca.
Nice to meet you
in person.”
Boone stepped forward and put out a hand but the cat-woman
ignored it. She flowed smoothly forward, moving in a way that was more
animalistic than human, until she was right in front of him. Then, standing on
her tip-toes to reach him, she placed her hands on his shoulders and rubbed her
cheek against his.

“That is our greeting here,” she murmured, just loud enough for K to
hear. “And I am more than glad to give it to you and welcome you to
Jamesville.”

Loki uttered a short laugh. “Nice. And is there a Johnsville and
an Abrahamsville too?”

Ilesca studied the Erian with wide, unblinking eyes. “Johnstown is the next
township over—why do you ask?”

Loki smirked. “No reason. It’s just that anyone who names a town
after themselves doesn’t seem to be overburdened with modesty.”

“My father founded this settlement—he carved it out of the wilderness
with his own two hands. Why should he not be proud?”

Loki opened his mouth but Boone cut in smoothly. “No reason at
all. It appears to be something to be proud of—what we can see of it, that is.”
He smiled down at Ilesca who was still standing much too close—at least in K’s
opinion. The cat-woman’s large, disgustingly protuberant breasts were pressed
against his chest, her long red nails rested lightly on his shoulders as she
looked up into his eyes.

K had a sudden, intense urge to walk over and rip the woman’s hands
from Boone’s body, spin her around, and push her down to the ground. Then she
would grind that pointed, cat-like face into the dirty tarmac of the landing
platform until she begged for mercy. She doubted if Ilesca would retain her seductive
little smile after
that.

The urge was so strong that K was actually taking a step toward
them, her hands raised, when a thought stopped her cold.
Is this what Boone meant when he asked if I was jealous?
It was
hard to believe—she’d denied the emotion out of hand when he’d accused her but
then, she’d never felt it before so it was easy to deny. But this feeling, this
desire to do violence because she saw another female’s hands on what K considered
to be
her
property was new. It even
superseded her dread of touching someone besides Boone without her suit. Could
it be that she was jealous after all?
Ridiculous,
she told herself uneasily.
I just
don’t want any of her contamination to rub off on me the next time Boone and I
touch.

“Well, maybe we ought to get going,” Boone said, smiling uneasily
down at Ilesca who was still all over him.

“Maybe we should. I know my father is most eager to meet you.”
With one last full body rub she finally released him. “Walk this way if you
please,” she said, turning to lead them back to the open doorway.

“Honey, if I could walk
that
way
I’d own my own brothel,” Loki
muttered, sotto voce. The cat-woman’s full hips swayed from side to side like a
pendulum with each tiny, mincing step she took.

“Shut up.” Boone nudged him and looked back at K. “Coming?”

“Of course.”
She strode forward, wincing as the
purple leather boots Loki had grudgingly allowed her to borrow pinched her
toes. No one else’s shoes had fit her and she didn’t have any of her own—she
hadn’t needed any with her skinsuit. Boone had promised to get her new clothing
and shoes on Minotaur—he’d claimed it was the least he could do. K just hoped
he did it soon. She felt undressed in his voluminous dress shirts, even when
they were cinched at the waist.

This was the first time she’d seen him wear one of the shirts
himself since he was usually dressed in the soft synthi-cotton upper body
garments he called t-shirts. K had to admit he filled the dress shirt out much
better than she ever could. The smooth black fabric of the one he was currently
wearing was stretched across his back, emphasizing the width of his shoulders.
It was tucked into his low-slung black leather flight pants. He had a very muscular
ass,
she noted and then wondered why she would notice
such a thing at all. After all, the black skinsuits she and her fellow Paladins
had worn were much more formfitting than Boone’s present outfit and she’d never
taken note of any of
their
bodies.
But somehow Boone’s large form drew her eyes.

Stop
being ridiculous.
The cat-woman is the one to keep
an eye on.
K
kept her gaze fixed firmly on Ilesca’s
rounded hips as they passed through the wide doorway and into the well lit
interior.

Inside the large space they found themselves in, everything seemed
to be made of dull, battered metal. The area was sparsely furnished with
benches that looked as though they could withstand a great deal of mistreatment
and almost nothing else. The floor was made of some reddish-brown stone and
highly polished, enough that K could look down and see a dim reflection of
herself
as they walked.

“I’ll take you directly to Father’s lab,” Ilesca was saying to
Boone—she seemed content to ignore Loki and K completely and focus on him. “He
has it right in the same building as the port so he can get supplies more quickly.
And of course, it’s a good thing to be close to an escape vehicle at all
times.”

“Oh? And why is that?” Boone wanted to know.

Ilesca batted her long eyelashes at him and twitched her whiskers.
“In case of a saurian attack, of course.
The new electro-shock
perimeter we’ve set up recently helps deter them, as do the scent repellants,
but we do still have one or two get through now and then. They can be
most…persistent.” She stopped in front of a bronze door banded with iron and
turned to face them again. “
Which is why Father’s lab is
underground.
”

Boone raised his eyebrows. “Isn’t being located by the landing
port protection enough? Can’t you just take off in your ship if a saurian
breaks into your compound?”

“Escape from the planet’s surface is a last resort. But even if we
do
have to leave, Father can’t have a
deranged beast running amok in his delicate equipment.” She pressed a series of
buttons to one side of the door and there was a soft clicking sound as the
auto-lock disengaged. “After you, Doctor Boone,” she purred.

Boone eyed the narrow dark passageway that was revealed when the
door slid to one side with what K thought looked like trepidation. It truly was
a small space, especially for someone as large as him. He would have to bend
almost double to even get down the stairs.

“Our most abject apologies for the size of the corridor,” Ilesca
murmured. “I promise that once down the stairs, the space opens up.”

Boone shrugged. “Not a problem. It’s a good thing I’m not
claustrophobic though.” He ducked to go through the doorway but K stopped him
with a tug on the back of his shirt.

“Wait. Let me go first.”

“Why?” He turned, frowning at her and she knew he was thinking
that she wasn’t even armed.

“I’m smaller—I can maneuver more easily.” K gave him a level
stare. “Let me go first, Boone.”

Ilesca appeared to notice her for the first time.
“How charming.
Is this creature your bodyguard? She doesn’t
appear to be armed—how does she defend you?”

“Who are
you
calling a
creature?” K gave the cat-woman a cold look. She was taller than Ilesca which
helped.

Ilesca stared back just as coolly, apparently unfazed by their
height difference. “What’s wrong with your eyes?”

“I am a fourth level Paladin which means that armed or not, I am
perfectly able to protect Boone, especially if you’re leading him into a trap.”

“Ladies, please.” Boone put out a hand to stop them. “There’s no
need for hostility.”

“Not
yet
anyway.” K kept
her eyes on Ilesca. “Lead the way and we’ll follow.”

“As you wish,
bodyguard
.”
The cat-woman’s full lips twisted into a superior smile that K wanted to wipe
off her face with a fist. Then she nodded and led the way down the narrow stone
steps.

“Why’d you stop them?” K heard Loki whisper as they made their way
down. “For a minute I thought we were going to get to see a cat
fight—literally.”

“Shut up, Loki,” Boone growled. K could feel his breath at the
back of her neck—he really was too large for such a small passage. The
sensation was oddly comforting but she took care not to let it relax her too
much. She needed to keep alert in case there really
was
a trap at the bottom of the stairs. Despite the fact that they
were simply on Minotaur to get the ship fixed, she couldn’t shake the feeling
that there was something wrong here—
very
wrong.