Switch: Alien Invasion/Violence&S*x-Chapter 139: Tina and Leslie also meet the aliens

Leslie steps up to the black seeming wall and hesitates for only a moment before stepping through. I barely hear a sigh of relief from her as I smile at the other women.

Seeing Tina standing there, I ask, "Will you be all right here for a bit?"

No, bring her as well, one of the aliens sends to me at the same time Tina nods that she will be fine.

"Umm, never mind," I say, feeling foolish. "I guess they want you too." Holding out my hand to her, she takes it and gives it a gentle squeeze.

Turning to walk into the blackness, I end up bumping into the slim backside of Leslie. My eyes adjust quickly as I murmur an apology, then lead Tina around her. Tina gasps as she steps into what must seem like impenetrable darkness.

"Come with me, please, Leslie," I say, stepping a little harder than necessary as I start walking so she can follow the sound.

"You can see in this?" Tina asks, fear evident in her tone.

"Yes," I answer simply.

A hundred clever responses flash through my mind, most of them designed to unsettle Leslie, but I hold them back. This is not the time.

I have to admit that I marvel at how confidently Leslie follows my footsteps, even around corners. When I stop outside of a doorway, she stops as well, and then continues when I do.

face.

After a few doorways, I begin to feel like a heel. As arrogant as Leslie is, she might end up being an ally, and we truly could use her intellect.

"When we arrive in their room," I tell the two women, "it will be marginally brighter, though it will seem brilliant to your eyes for a moment. They will not hurt you, so please stay calm."

Tina nods seriously, taking my words to heart. Leslie just sniffs disdainfully, though I notice her shoulders tense slightly.

I open the last hatch and walk into the dimly lit room with the two aliens. My kids are not in evidence, and I assume they are resting in the adjoining room.

Leslie is the first to speak. "You really like nudity, do you not?"

Of course, Harana is in her light suit, and Vage is completely nude so that she can breastfeed. I choose not to dignify the question with a response.

"I hope you do not plan on me strutting around here like some animal in heat," she adds, watching carefully for my reaction.

I am about to snap at her, but then I see the look in her eyes. She is testing me, probing for weakness.

"Animal in heat?" Tina nearly screams. "I will show you an animal. What? Let me go, Nick. I am going to show this—"

She cuts off as she looks at me.

Pulling her back to me, I whisper, "You are acting the way she wants you to. She is testing us."

"I do not—" she begins to argue, but I cut her off with a quick kiss, moaning softly against her lips. I cannot think of anything else to do, and I reason that it will show Leslie she is not getting to me.

When I break off the kiss, Tina is slightly breathless. She tries to glare at me, but it never quite reaches her eyes, and despite everything, I cannot help the small smile that touches my face.

"Girls, this is Harana and her older sister, Vage," I inform them, indicating each alien in turn. "This is Vage’s ship you’re a guest on."

When I mention "guest," I see Leslie flinch. Thus far, she has been a very rude guest. Both women study the aliens for a moment, their eyes adjusting to the soft blue glow of the chamber, and then flinch when Vage speaks.

"Be at ease." Her dual toned voice sounds melodic as usual, layered and resonant, as if two harmonized notes share the same breath.

"Interesting," Leslie murmurs, and I can barely hear her. She continues under her breath, and I catch snippets of "vocal cords" and "language dynamics," as though she is already dissecting the biology and acoustics behind Vage’s speech.

Harana stands and walks over to Tina and me with fluid, effortless grace, and Tina grips my arm tightly. I can feel the tension in her fingers, the way she presses close to me as if proximity alone can shield her from what she does not understand. "Do you want her to have the nanites as well?" Harana asks mentally.

"What’s going on?" Tina’s voice betrays her fear, though she tries to mask it with a steady tone.

Turning to the blonde woman, I carefully explain the question and what it means. I describe the microscopic machines, their healing properties, and the permanent connection they create. I do not rush. If she is going to make this choice, she deserves to understand it fully.

"It will hurt?" she asks quietly.

I nod and wait, watching her swallow.

"But I will be able to communicate with you at any time, no matter where you are?" I nod again.

"No more worrying about whether you are alive or dead?" This time I smile as I nod, trying to reassure her.

"Can you control us through these miniature robots?" Leslie asks sharply, and I realize she has been listening to every word with intense focus.

I almost tell her she was not offered them, but I stop myself and answer evenly. "They are strictly communication and healing tools. No control is possible through them. They respond to damage and to intentional signaling. Nothing more."

"I want them," Leslie states, as if she is claiming a scholarship rather than volunteering for agony.

I feel Tina stiffen against me and know she is strengthening her resolve. She refuses to be seen as weak in front of Leslie. Pride is a powerful force.

"I will take them too," the busty woman says, lifting her chin slightly.

"Applicators have been prepared, but our children are in the other room. You will need to go to a different area to use them," Vage says calmly.

I nod to Vage and then take the two applicators that materialize in my hands. They are small, smooth devices, almost harmless looking. It is difficult to believe something so compact can unleash so much pain.

Taking Tina’s hand, I head out, knowing Leslie will follow. I lead them both to a room a few doors down, somehow sensing this chamber will work for what we need. The walls here are bare and curved, seamless like the rest of the ship. I command the lights to brighten slightly so they can see each other clearly, and then I face the two women seriously.

"This is going to be more painful than anything you have ever experienced before," I say slowly. "It will feel like your body is being torn apart from the inside. It will not last forever, but it will not feel short."

Leslie scoffs and grabs the small device from my hand. She examines it for a moment, turning it over as if searching for hidden mechanisms, then presses it against her abdomen and activates it without another word.

For half a second, nothing happens.

Then her body locks.

I can tell she is trying to hide the pain, her jaw tightening, her shoulders stiffening, but no amount of willpower can hold back the torrent of torment that crashes through her. Her knees buckle. A strangled sound escapes her throat before it builds into a full scream.

"Oh, God!" Tina exclaims as Leslie’s cries fill the room. The sound is raw and animalistic, stripped of pride and arrogance. Tina goes completely pale, her fingers digging into my arm hard enough to hurt.

"You do not have to do this," I tell her gently. "I will not think any less of you. You have already proven your strength."

She glances at the writhing form of Leslie, whose nails scrape uselessly against the smooth floor. Her entire body trembles violently. Tina shudders but then locks her hazel eyes on mine.

"We will always be connected?" she asks again, needing the certainty.

"Yes," I answer firmly.

She steadies her breathing and turns back to watch. We both stand there as Leslie screams until her voice becomes hoarse. I recognize the shift when the nanites begin repairing her vocal cords. The sound smooths out even as the pain continues, but by then she is entering the final phase. The spasms lessen. Her breathing turns ragged rather than frantic.

After several long minutes, the torment fades from her eyes. She lies there panting, sweat plastering her hair to her forehead.

"And you went through that?" she asks hoarsely, something like reluctant respect in her voice. Then she looks at Tina, still pressed against me. "And she has already recovered?"

"No," Tina replies coolly. Leslie smirks for a fraction of a second until Tina continues, "I was having too much fun watching your torment."

Leslie’s eyes narrow, but she does not respond.

Trying to prevent another verbal clash, I speak quickly. "Head out that door and follow the arrows that appear for you. They will guide you back to the others."

She pushes herself to her feet, still shaky but clearly functional. I open the door for her since she does not yet know how to command the ship. Without another word, she steps into the corridor and disappears.

The room suddenly feels quieter.

"I am scared," Tina admits softly.

"You do not have to do this," I remind her again.