The Saffron Malformation (60 page)

             
Rain woke to honking horns and shouts of excitement from the front of the van.  Through the windshield she could see dusk had settled on the world, carrying it slowly down into night.

             
“What’s going on?” Rain asked half asleep, propping herself up on one elbow while she wiped at her face with the opposite hand, as if sleep was a cobweb she could brush away.

             
“We’re here,” Leone replied.  Rain sat up strait, feeling a subtle ping in her side but it was barely a ghost of the pain she’d have felt even a few days ago, and Arnie stirred beside her.

             
Quey had started the honking after he hung up with Ryla.  He’d given her a call, letting her know that in a few kilometers they’d be pulling off the road and starting the five kilometer trek to where she was nestled on the hill by the river.

             
“I will open the door,” she replied.  “But you’ll have to be quick.”

             
Quey was about to ask what she meant when he saw the compound in the distance.  There was a city of Once Men a good kilometer and a half up river from the building.  “How long have they been lurking?” he asked, staring out at them.

             
“Since you left,” she replied simply.  They don’t come close anymore.  It’s been months since they violated a defense gate protocol.”

             
Quey nodded slowly, “Reckon they learned that’s not a healthy course to be set on, violating the defense thing-a-ma-jiggers.  “See you inside,” he said and tapped the screen.

             
“She seems fun,” Reggie said, smiling a bit.

             
Quey pointed at him, “Remember what I said.”

             
The big man threw up his hands, “Don’t worry, I’ll be nice.”

             
“It’s for your own good, truth be told.”

             
“And you’re sure this is a good place to be?”

             
Quey looked over at him and replied matter of factly, “Oh yeah, it’s fine.”

             
Looking out at the building slowly growing larger beyond his windshield he recalled with sudden clarity his own apprehensions regarding the girl when first they’d met.  As Reggie’s question rang through his mind a second time he recalled the way she nearly left him out to die.

             
‘But she hadn’t,’ he reminded himself.  How much of that was sympathy, however, and how much her own desire to keep away from what she called, ‘your cities.’  Had she not let him in it would have been her job to chauffer Geo around the continent.

             
He shook the thought as he saw the Once Men beginning to scramble to life—the time for second guessing was past.  In their city of tents and carts near the water’s edge the Once Men were pointing and grunting.  He watched them, gray hairless animals made mad by the planet’s condition and for a moment he pondered how easily it could happen.  He recalled how close he’d come, near a year past in this very spot, to joining them and the fear that came with that memory twisted his guts.

             
He turned the truck right and looped around the building but his mind dwelled on dark thoughts.  Not just those involving Once Men, but the planet as a whole and more over Blue Moon.  He thought also of his mother and father and the life he might have had if it weren’t for the greed of the already wealthy.  The knot in his gut gave way to a sudden and short burst of rage.  It subsided quickly, however, or perhaps it merely focused because suddenly he couldn’t wait to see what answers the data he’d collected held.

             
The massive door around the back of the compound stood open with Bowserbot to one side and Mechaganon to the other.  They rolled into the garage where Quey saw Botler waiting for them.  He rather liked that particular robot, he admitted to himself, but then wasn’t that its function?

             
They stepped from the vehicles stiff from the road and caked in grime.

             
“Welcome Quey and frienddds!” Botler said enthusiastically.  “I am Botler and if you’ll follow me, rooms have been prepared.”  The bot took a moment to analyze them and ran their condition through his set of logic gates, a process taking far less than a second.  “Hot showers are also avvvailable,” he added.

             
The promise of hot water and fresh sheets brought about a sudden boost in morale that erupted from the group in sounds of relief as Botler rolled toward the elevator.  “Next stop,” he announced as the doors opened and the group piled in, “penthouse.”  They stood close and rode the elevator up in silence.

             
When the doors opened Quey saw the extravagantly painted walls of Ryla’s home.  Botler rolled from the elevator and led them into the main room where the couch sat in the midst of the star and sky painted walls and ceiling.  Quey had told them a bit about Ryla and her robots and though he’d mentioned her painting the group still gazed at the walls in awe.

             
“Unbelievable,” Rain said.  “Did she really do this?”

             
“Far as I know,” Quey answered.

             
“Where is she?” Amber asked.

             
“Maybe she’s not fully charged yet,” Reggie answered with a chuckle.  Quey shot him a look.  “It was just a joke,” the big man insisted.

             
“Right and it’s the sort that’ll get us in a heap of cross feelings.”

             
“So,” Natalie began hesitantly, “It’ll act like us?”

             
Quey sighed.  “No.  But
she
has feelings and they seem sensitive.  Just treat her like you would anyone else taking you in.”

             
“And try not to call her it,” Rain added before stepping to Botler.  “Excuse me… Robot?” she asked, uncertainly.

             
“Botler’s the name, and to serve is my function,” he replied happily.

             
Quey chuckled as Rain continued.  “Right, sorry.  Where is Ryla?”

             
Botler thought for a split and replied, “Irrelevant, this information does not assist your primary function.”

             
Rain peered at him queerly and asked, “And what is my primary function?”

             
“Guest!” Botler informed her and began to roll away again.  “Quey your room is right where you left it and may I say how glad I am you’re back.  Since you left things have been so boring.”  The bot rolled to face the rest of them and said, “Others, you may find a place down this corridor and there is one room across from Quey down that corridor,” he finished, gesturing like a flight attendant.  “Fresh clothing and towels are available.  Pleeease, make yourselves at home,” he told them then rolled away down the hall Quey knew led to Ryla’s room.

             
“This place sort of gives me the creeps,” Amber said softly.

             
Reggie agreed.

             
Natalie was rubbing her arms as she asked, “And why is it so cold?”

             
“You sure this was a good idea?” Arnie asked Quey quietly.

             
Truth was, he wasn’t but it was too late for that now so he just assured them.  “It’s fine.  Look, I told you as much about her as I could to prepare you.  Yes, she is a little exocentric but also remember she’s harmless.  I was here for days and nothin’ happened to me.”

             
“I like it,” Leone said with a shrug.  Eyes went to him as he looked up and around at the paintings on the walls and ceiling.  “Anyone who can do all this,” he said, “Can’t be bad.”

             
Rain threw an arm around his shoulder and gave him a squeeze.  “He’s right, besides we haven’t even met the girl.”

             
“Must admit that’s a bit of what I find unsettling,” Reggie said in his deep voice, keeping it as low as he could manage.  “You want us to treat her like anyone else taking us in but who brings people into their home and doesn’t even bother to meet them first?”

             
“I don’t know about the rest of you,” Rachel announced, “But I’m just glad to be off the road and I do recall hearing something about a hot shower and fresh clothes and beyond that, Jimmy cracked corn because I don’t care.”  Rachel started toward the hallway the robot had said Quey’s room was down and added, “If this Ryla gets it in her head to kill us all, I intend to be clean when she does it.”

             
A dull chuckle of agreement passed between them and they went off to find their rooms.  Quey went to the room he’d been in last time and Rachel took up residence across from him.  “Line to the bathroom on this side’s going to be shorter,” she said as she claimed the room.  No one argued.  Being pregnant had its perks.

             
There were four rooms in the corridor opposite Quey and Rachel’s that were easily divided.  Rain and Arnie took a room, Reggie had another, one went to Natalie and Amber and the last to Leone.

             
“It’s not fair he gets his own room and I have to share with my stinky mom,” Amber protested playfully, though there was a hint of truth in it.  She just wanted to close a door and be alone for a while.

             
“You know Natalie, you could share my room if you like,” Reggie offered with a teasing smile that she returned.

             
“Oh, could I?” she asked.  “And I suppose you’d be a complete gentleman.”

             
“Well, I’d be gentle,” he replied.

             
Everyone laughed except for Amber who groaned and said, “Nevermind, you guys are gross.”

             
“Why don’t you have your shower first,” Rain offered, giving the girls grimy hair a ruffle.

             
“And I’ll find you something fresh to put on after,” Natalie added.

             
The girl wanted to stay upset but the prospect of being clean, not just sponged off on the side of the road but actually clean, was too appealing.  She smiled and agreed, “Alright,” then hurried off to the bathroom.

             
The water was hot and sprayed with enough force to knock the grime from her pores.  The shower had been stocked with fine soaps and body scrubs and shampoos scented with all sorts of fragrance.  Amber took her time with a salt scrub that stripped the filth from her and sent it swirling down the drain by her feet.  Her mother brought her fresh clothes and a towel and as she dried herself she grinned.  Nothing in her life had felt as good against her skin as that towel or the clothes she slipped into afterword.  It was a simple long sleeve shirt and some jeans, slightly too big for her but they were clean, not just the least filthy thing in her bag.  She stood in the bathroom for a spell just feeling fresh and unsoiled.

             
She took so long that Leone finally used the bathroom across the way, going after Natalie but before Quey.  Quey’d spent years with the grime of the road on his skin and a few more minutes wouldn’t kill him.

             
After Amber finally emerged, so clean she almost glistened, Reggie, who promised to be quick and was, took his turn.  After him Rain and Arnie allowed Natalie to go because they promised to take a long time and they did.  They cleaned each other with soap first and then Arnie began to clean her again, this time with his lips and tongue.  He spent a long time on the flesh between her strong thighs and she enjoyed it but she wasn’t the sort to be brought across the finish line by such means.  Some, probably most women could, but she liked the feel of a man inside her.  When she took Arnie's cock in her hand she felt him throbbing so she dropped before him and took him in her mouth.  Usually after a bit of that he’d be ready to go and they’d have sex but it had been a while and so she continued until she heard him groan, “Please don’t stop.”

             
If he was going to be of any use to her in bed he’d have need of a bit of release now, she decided, so she closed her eyes and massaged his cock with her tongue, suckling until he was solid and then finally popped.  It was his first orgasm in weeks and it filled her mouth quickly.  She wasn’t fond of that part, but it was brief and at least they were in the shower where she could easily spit it down the drain.

             
She stood under the spray of the shower with her head tilted up and her mouth open.  She swilled water and spat.  Arnie’s hands were on her, caressing her newly cleaned skin.  He pressed against her back, gripping her small breasts and kissing her neck just behind and below her ear, just how she liked.  She could feel him against her, his freshly discharged prick already working itself up again as his fingers found their way between her legs.  She let him arouse her in the shower but for the rest they had to move to the bedroom because she was too short for them to do anything standing up.  They passed from the bath to their room, a swift blur of wrapped towels and damp flesh, and closed the door.