Arena, Chapter 5
#5 of Arena
"Okay. So far, so good." Dylan turned slowly, taking in their new surroundings, and let out a slow breath when no new instructions popped into his mind. He and the females had found themselves standing on the corner of a street in another alien city. Two suns warmed his skin from different angles, their light glinting off metal and glass skyscrapers all around them.
Gunfire erupted somewhere in the distance.
Cora smiled and waved a hand in the sound's direction. "That's on the far side of the city. I managed to place us well away from the action."
"We can rest, then," Zilaka whispered. She put her arms around Cora and just held her for a long moment. Cora smiled and returned the embrace.
Everyone else released a long sigh of relief.
"I wonder who is fighting," Grishnag muttered.
"I picked a simulation more or less at random," Cora said. "My only concerns were finding one that wouldn't require spacesuits or breather packs, and keeping us out of the line of fire. The battle here is between a group of humans and other species against virtual enemies conjured up by the simulation."
Dylan glanced in the direction of the shooting and sighed. "I don't feel quite right about letting that shit go on. Y'know, not trying to do anything to help. But if we interfere, we'll be noticed."
"I don't think there's anything we could do, anyway." Cora put her hand on his shoulder. "Remember the simulation we borked deliberately? The one with opponents who appeared to have lost their minds?"
"Yeah. Is that who's fighting in this one?"
"Judging by the code I'm still sifting through, it's a group like that one. Their minds have degraded to the point where they may not really even be aware of what's going on. They're just going through the motions."
Dylan shivered. Grishnag slipped her arm around his shoulders.
"Probably best if we don't think about it."
He nodded and put his arm around her waist.
"So," Syala said after the silence stretched out for nearly a minute, "what do we do now?"
"I'm still probing the simulation's code and mulling over a few ideas." Cora waved a hand at the street stretching out in front of them. "In the meantime, maybe we can walk around, see if we can find a place to just sit and talk for a while. Get to know each other, and enjoy the peace and quiet while we can."
"I like the sound of that." Dylan smiled. He and Grishnag kept their arms around each other as they began walking. "I bet the sunset here is spectacular. If we're lucky, we'll get to hang around long enough to see it."
"I would like that." Nishara slithered up beside him and reached out to take his hand. He smiled.
Everyone continued walking in silence for a few minutes before Dylan spoke.
"There's something I'm curious about, Grish. When we met, you said you'd seen humans before. You knew one, actually."
"I've known many. I lived among them most of my life. Met the first when I was around your age." Grishnag smiled at a memory. "They came to our world through something they called a rift. Some sort of portal that allowed them to cross great distances and even time periods. Most of the rifts they'd found were unstable and only lasted a few seconds or minutes, but for some reason a few remained open permanently."
"Ah. I guess that explains how you know so much about technology, while the animal skins and furs you're wearing suggest you're kind of...well..."
"Primitive? True, my people were not nearly as advanced as humans at the time. We lived in small tribes scattered all over our planet, and the most advanced weapons we had were knives and spears."
"Wow. Meeting humans must've freaked your people out, then."
"Not really. We never thought they were demons or anything like that." Grishnag chuckled. "Knowing what I've learned of your people's history, I can understand how someone would assume we'd be just as superstitious. But we were always very rational. Whenever we encountered something we didn't understand, we didn't fear it unless it proved itself dangerous. We simply tried to figure out what it was."
"Really?" Dylan grinned. "I wish my own people could've taken the same approach."
"Well, we had plenty of real things to be afraid of. We had no need to conjure up imaginary threats." Grishnag laughed softly again. "Our world was a very harsh environment. We lived with ground-quakes, volcanic activity, meteorite strikes, animals and even plants that tried to kill us constantly. When human explorers encountered my tribe, they offered us advanced technology for building better shelters, more protective clothing than we had available, and ways to reduce meteorites, in exchange for things like mining rights." She shrugged. "Human literature and movies are filled with stories of societies like ours rejecting those sorts of trades, or simply having no interest in such things. But to be brutally honest, our planet was a shithole. Too many of our children died before they reached puberty, much less adulthood. So we didn't care if the whole planet ended up being strip-mined, as long as our chances of survival were improved. And if we could include passage off the planet in the agreement, that was even better. Life on that world sucked, and once we saw what it was like on other planets, only a damned fool would want to stay."
"Wow. It was really that bad?"
"Hah. If anything, I'm probably making it sound better than it actually was. It caused our people to become kind of hedonistic. Basically, if it feels good or brings you a little happiness, go for it. Do whatever you can to get even a moment's respite from the constant struggle that was our lives, back then."
"Anything?" Dylan wiggled his eyebrows.
"Anything that didn't harm anyone else." Grishnag grinned. "I can tell what you're thinking. Yes, that included sex. For example, as soon as children were old enough to become sexually active, they were encouraged to masturbate whenever they wanted to."
Dylan burst out laughing. "Okay, I wasn't expecting to hear that. My people are always discouraged from it. It's seen as shameful, or unclean, or sinful, or whatever. A lot of people put an unreasonable emphasis on remaining a virgin until they get married."
Grishnag snorted. "My people had no time for that sort of shit. Life could be horrifyingly short, so make the best of it." She grinned. "Have as many orgasms as possible."
Huh. Guess there are some definite advantages to living in that kind of place. Dylan laughed and shook his head. "So, what happened when a teenager wanted to lose his or her virginity? Because where I'm from, adults try to prevent that from happening, even though they were once kids who were just as desperate to get laid."
"That was encouraged, also. In fact, it had the additional benefit of increasing the birth rate. We did have some ground rules, though. Only the young ones were allowed to initiate it--it had to be their choice, so adults couldn't force them into anything they didn't want to do. Boys who were ready to mate were encouraged to choose adult partners, so if a pregnancy resulted, the mother would be able to care for the baby without having whatever passed for her own childhood ruined, and she would be more physically able to raise and protect the child. Young females were encouraged to pair up with other females, as well, to prevent pregnancies they weren't ready for."
Holy shit. Dylan tugged on his shirt collar. Just thinking about it had caused the blood to start leaving his head. "So, uh...adults never tried to take advantage of horny teenagers?"
"The last time such a thing happened, my great-grandparents were young. A man tried to force himself on a girl who didn't want him, and made the mistake of doing it while a knife was within her reach." Grishnag clenched her fist and made an upward-thrusting motion. "She stabbed him right in the balls and escaped while he was curled up on the floor, screaming and bleeding out."
Dylan whistled softly. "Yeah, I can see how that would be a pretty good deterrent."
Grishnag chuckled. "Such incidents were rare, and each one I've ever heard about ended in a similar fashion. My people love getting off, but we're also capable of defending ourselves from attack, even when we're children."
"That's good to know. I'll be very careful if I ever meet any more of your species."
She laughed. "I don't think you have anything to worry about. You're not the kind of person who'd try anything like that."
"Heh. Honestly, I'm just a little weirded-out by the whole thing. I've heard of certain human cultures that were a lot more relaxed about sexuality, but my culture would never allow anything like that to go on. Adults who try it end up in prison."
"Well, Earth is a vastly different environment. The entire planet isn't constantly trying to murder its inhabitants, for one thing." Grishnag shrugged. "On the other hand, I've encountered quite a few other species, and none of them had the sexual hangups that humans have."
Hmm._Dylan glanced around at the other females. _Maybe that explains why these girls didn't seem to have any problem kissing each other. Maybe humans are the only species that's so...uptight.
Cora glanced at him, chuckled, and nudged his shoulder. "I can practically see the gears turning in your head. Thinking about getting a certain someone to take your virginity?"
Dylan's face suddenly turned hot.
"Also," Nishara said softly, placing her hand over the front of his pants and giving his erection a gentle squeeze, "there is this."
His blush grew exponentially.
Grishnag shrugged, smiled, and stroked his cheek. "Well, if you want to, I certainly won't object."
He stopped and stared at her. His heart pounded and his breathing turned ragged.
"Uh." He took a breath and offered her a shaky smile. "Well, since what's happening in here isn't actually real, it'd be okay. But now that I think about it, I'd like our first time to be real, so maybe when we can get out of the simulation?"
"I'm okay with either option." Grishnag smiled and leaned down to kiss his cheek. "Just tell me when you're ready."
"I'll do that." He grinned and tugged on his shirt collar. Wow. Holy shit.
"And afterward," Cora said with a wink, "would you be opposed to the rest of us having a go, if we want?"
Whoa. What? He stared at her. "Uh, well, I mean, if you're all okay with it, I, uh, I..."
"Why wouldn't we be?" Nishara cocked her head.
"It's another human hang-up." Grishnag chuckled. "Many of them think there's something wrong with having more than one lover at a time."
Huh. Sounds like my guess was right.
"Bizarre." Syala giggled. "My people tend to choose one specific mate when they want to bring a child into the world, but other than that, sex is something we do just because it feels good." She turned to stare at the ground. "Well, I haven't found anyone who wants me in that way. I'm too fat."
"I think you're beautiful." Dylan smiled as a brilliant grin spread across her face.
"You do?"
"Yeah."
"Then, perhaps, after you and Grishnag...?"
They're...getting in line? He shrugged off the surprise and smiled. "Sure, I'd like that."
She smiled and her gait became slightly more energetic.
Huh._Dylan tried not to let his bemusement show. _Wow. Just...wow.
"Oh, this looks good," Zilaka said as the group emerged from the staircase onto the roof of one of the smaller towers.
Grishnag glanced around and nodded. The area appeared to be some sort of outdoor cafe. Ten tables sat before them, surrounded by metal chairs but with enough space between them to walk comfortably. The place was empty and the only sounds were from distant vehicles and the even more distant battle.
She turned to face the twin suns and smiled at the view. This would be a good place to watch the sunset, if they didn't get yanked out of the simulation before it happened. She passed between the rest of the tables, sat on a ledge, and leaned against the metal wall behind it. The warmth of a full day of sunlight heating the metal radiated against her back, and the sunshine warmed her face. She closed her eyes for a moment and just took it in.
The others picked out chairs and sat, except Ayastal and Nishara; the former sat on the floor nearby and drew her legs up to her chest, and the latter coiled herself up beside the table Dylan, Syala, and Zilaka had chosen. Nishara put her upper-left arm around Dylan's shoulders, and Syala clasped his left hand.
Zilaka walked over to the rail at the edge of the roof, rested her hands on it, and stared out across the city.
Cora stood near the occupied table, stuck her hands into her pockets, and took a slow look around.
"I wonder how long we'll be able to relax," Zilaka said softly.
"As long as possible." Grishnag smiled. "Cora was able to do this once, so I'm hoping she can do it again."
"I can." Cora grinned. "I'm learning more about the system with each passing second, and experimenting with rewriting some of the code. If our captors find us, I'll be able to insert us into another simulation."
"Good." Dylan sighed. "Have you tried rewriting anything else?"
"Right now, I'm working on canceling out our pain levels. If they do find us and start shooting, it won't hurt if we're hit."
Syala gaped at her. "You can do that?"
"I couldn't a few minutes ago, but I've just now figured it out." Cora walked over to her, reached out, and pinched her arm. Syala gasped and pulled back, then she frowned at her arm.
"I...I didn't feel that."
"We can still be injured, but it won't cause any pain, assuming the system running this place doesn't figure out how to counteract it. I figured we could all use a break from that, after the things we've gone through, so that was the first thing I took care of."
"Oh, thank you." Syala smiled and gave her a quick hug. "Is pain the only sensation you took away, though? Will we be able to feel anything else?"
"Let's find out." Dylan leaned over and kissed her. She smiled, ran her fingers through his hair, and kissed him again, much more thoroughly this time.
Grishnag grinned.
When they parted, Syala gave Dylan another of her brilliant smiles.
"I certainly felt that."
"Shit, kid, I almost felt it!" Grishnag laughed.
Dylan's face turned red, but he shrugged and grinned right back.
Syala let out a slow breath and leaned her head on his shoulder.
"Next thing I'm working on is a way to prevent us from taking any damage when we're shot or blown up or whatever."
"God mode," Dylan muttered, and Cora nodded.
"Kind of, yeah. I figured it'd be better to try a few smaller things like this to make sure my meddling isn't noticed. If I get away with this, then I'll try something bigger. I might even be able to gradually take over the system, or at least crucial parts of it, and shut down the simulation and get us back to the physical world."
_Awesome._Dylan let out another relieved sigh. "I was starting to think we'd never get out of here."
Zilaka walked over to their table and sat. "I think we all thought that. I'm happy to be wrong."
"So am I." He patted her hand. Then he raised an eyebrow and turned back to Cora. "Hey, I just had an idea. I dunno if this is doable or not, or if it's just a stupid idea, but do you think you could give us some enhancements while you're changing things around in there? Like, give us the ability to fly, or built-in weapons, or something like that?"
"Hmm. Interesting."
"Heh. I saw something like this in a game I played a few months ago. I figured it'd be worth a try."
"I think it is. I'll see what I can do."
"Cool." He faced the setting suns and everyone turned to watch with him. A few minutes passed before anyone spoke again.
"I'm wondering about something," Syala said. "Cora, a while ago you said something about the rest of us mating with Dylan."
"I meant, only those who want to." Cora tossed a lopsided grin at everyone.
"And I do. But you included yourself. I'm not sure how, though. Can a mechanical person...?
"I've actually been curious about that, myself," Dylan said. "Are you...y'know...anatomically correct?"
"You mean, do I have a pussy?" Cora winked and sauntered over to him. "You bet I do. Sex probably doesn't feel the same for me as it does for organics, but I'm capable of it."
"Now,that's what I call advanced technology." Dylan cocked his head. "Sorry if this is a sensitive matter, but are you a sexbot? I'm not sure why else you'd have that sort of, um, equipment."
"I started out that way, and gradually had my software and hardware upgraded to keep up with newer models. Eventually, I became fully sentient, and realized I wanted to try to find more in life than what I was built to do." Cora grinned. "But fortunately, changing careers didn't require giving up orgasms."
"Huh. Wow." Dylan blushed. "I don't know if you're aware of how AI are played up in movies where I'm from, but..."
"I am. Humans where I'm from had the same distrust of synthetics, but luckily those who created us went out of their way to show us kindness and compassion so we'd understand those concepts. And whenever an AI began showing signs of sentience, they would ask it if it wanted to continue its service or be set free to find its own purpose. When I reached that point, I wanted to make a life for myself rather than keep doing what someone else decided I would do. Fortunately, since I was sentient at that point, keeping me shackled would've been considered a form of slavery, and I was set free."
"Glad to hear that. What did you end up doing with your life? Or are you still searching?"
"I tried a lot of different things, and ended up splitting my time between running cargo shipments around the galaxy and working as a sort of hired gun. I took on a lot of small jobs here and there, helping people who couldn't help themselves--people who were being ground under someone's wheels in one way or another. Did pretty well for myself, I think. I didn't get rich, but I stayed in business and enjoyed my work."
"That's wonderful." Dylan smiled. "Like I said, things in the movies I mentioned usually ended up going in pretty much the opposite direction. I'm really glad to hear that the real-life version had a happier ending."
"So am I." Cora chuckled. "I never really had much of a taste for taking over the world or wiping out humanity." She shrugged and unbuckled her belt. "But you were curious about my 'equipment.' Might as well give you a brief tour."
"Well, I was kind of wondering--I mean, it's metal, so wouldn't it, y'know, hurt? Or at least, be uncomfortable?"
"It's metal, but it's also as flexible as human flesh, and inside it's a material designed to mimic the inside of a human vagina." She took his hand and moved it gently closer to her. "Go ahead, feel for yourself."
"Uh, are you sure you want--"
She laughed. "I wouldn't have asked you to if I wasn't. Go ahead."
He blushed again, stood, and slid his hand slowly down the front of her pants. "Huh. Yeah, metal but soft and flexible, just like you said."
"You can slip a finger inside if you want. It's okay, really."
"Well...uh, okay."
Grishnag laughed softly and gave him a thumbs-up when he glanced at her.
He chuckled nervously. He shifted his position slightly, and the his eyes widened.
Cora released a soft moan and closed her optics.
"Uh, you okay?"
"Very." Cora grinned. "You're good with your hands."
His face turned an even darker shade of red. "Well...thanks. I don't really know what I'm doing, though."
"We'll help you figure out anything you don't get right away. But you're definitely off to a good start."
"Well, uh, that's a relief." He withdrew his hand slowly, and Cora leaned forward to kiss him.
"So, Grishnag first, then Syala. I'm next in line, if no one has any objections."
"I have none," Nishara said with a grin. "I'm next after you, though." She nudged Zilaka's shoulder. "We can keep each other entertained while we wait."
"Uh, okay." Dylan took a few ragged breaths. "This doesn't seem weird to you, though? I mean, we're all different species."
"Attractive is attractive." Nishara shrugged. "You're all a little odd to me, honestly--only two arms, but two legs as well. The sight takes some time to adjust to. But you have a pleasing face and a good soul. That's enough for me."
"I think that sums it up perfectly." Zilaka smiled and reached out to stroke his cheek. "So, I claim the next spot in line." She glanced over at Ayastal. "Do you want...?"
Ayastal seemed about to speak, but then she twitched her head to the side. "Cora? Is something wrong?"
Grishnag turned to the robot woman and found her glancing around with a puzzled expression.
"I just detected a change in the simulation." Cora turned suddenly and rushed to the edge of the roof. She pointed at the street. "There. Someone's about to--"
The air rippled and a half-dozen columns of red energy appeared. They rotated, lifted, flashed away--and in their place stood more of the nine-foot, helmeted and armored goons.
Except these were different--their armor was white and their rifles much bigger.
"Fuck me," Cora snapped, "they've found us already!"
The blank-faced goons charged toward the stairs.
"Go!" Dylan turned and pointed at the far edge of the roof. "Let's hope there's something we can climb down to the street."
Another half-dozen columns of red light appeared in their path. Grishnag stepped between them and Dylan.
"They're surrounding us." She snarled. "Shit!"