Last Train to Mordor: The Strong - Explicit
A prelude novella to Fear and Loathing in the Kuiper Belt: Gen X Science Fiction
In this prelude to Fear and Loathing in the Kuiper Belt, Anja Petrovic, a genetically enhanced soldier of the Pax Columbia and her small team are on Charon, providing security during the evacuation of the Pluto system. Her employer, Andranic Clément, seems more interested in exploiting the refugees than getting them to safety. Petrovic has explicit orders from the Columbian military command not to hinder Clément’s activities.
This chapter contains an explicit sex scene.
They ate in silence. Sugar attempted light conversation but got no response. Petrovic imagined Mikey, Sugar and Tar watching from the safety of the suite when the Link module departed and the refugees, thirst stoking their panic, looked for other ways out. They hadn’t all tried to get onto the Mordor train platform, but enough did that the crush of bodies prevented those at the front of the wave from retreating in response to the ultrasound pulses from Petrovic’s exoskeleton.
Petrovic increased the strength of the pulses and instantly regretted it. The more powerful waves of ultrasound sent the front rank of desperate refugees into convulsions. Most fell to the ground and were trampled by those behind them.
There was no way to close off the tube to the train platform. Petrovic stood in the entrance to the tunnel. Her armored form nearly filled the entrance to the tube, but not quite. Manx stood behind her, ready to bludgeon anyone who got past Petrovic with a stun baton.
She broke arms, legs and ribs of the fragile Plutonians who tried to squeeze past her or pass between her legs. She didn’t mean to. She was just trying to push them back into the Grand Atrium, but they were like sticks of uncooked spaghetti. There was no way Clément could have gotten any more privileged passengers through this crowd and onto the train. She sent a message to Clément telling him to tell the train to depart. There was no reason for it to remain in the station.
Maintain your position, was the only response he sent. The train sat stationary at the platform until its scheduled departure time. A pressure change let her know that the last train to Mordor had left the station. She’d never been to the end of the tube she was guarding. She never saw the train.
After it was gone, she told Manx to let the people through the tube and onto the platform. There was nothing for them there. She didn’t know how the two of them were going to get into the hotel at the end of their shift without letting in a flood of refugees, but by then another Link module had arrived, and the crowd flowed back to the Link terminal.
Sugar and Manx drank through dinner. Anja and Mikey drank water. One of Sugar’s failed attempts at conversation involved the quality of the liquor behind the suite’s bar. Compared to Manx, Sugar drank moderately. But only in comparison to Manx. By the time their plates were empty, she was slurring her words.
Sugar started to gather the dishes from the table.
“Don’t bother,” Petrovic said. “Housekeeping will get that.”
Manx pushed back from the table and staggered in the direction of the oversized hot tub, nearly falling over as he struggled out of his pajama bottoms. Expensive vodka flowed out of the dropped bottle and onto the plush carpet.
“Good night,” Mikey said and disappeared into his private room, closing the doors behind him.
Sugar approached Anja while she was still seated at the table. Sugar had showered and changed into hotel pajamas like the ones Manx was wearing. Unlike Manx, Sugar wore both the bottoms and the pajama top. Anja had put on a silk robe for dinner. That was for Mikey’s sake. She would have preferred to be naked. She liked her big muscular body, and she liked to be looked at, but she knew it made Mikey uncomfortable, so she covered up.
Sugar positioned herself on Anja’s lap. Unlike last time, Sugar straddled Anja. She placed her fingertips at the base of Anja’s throat and traced the collar bone out to Anja’s right shoulder, gently pushing back the robe and exposing a good deal of skin. Anja glanced over to see if Manx was watching. He was in the tub, his back to the room.
Anja liked being observed and examined, but without Manx watching and responding, Sugar’s touch did nothing for her.
“How did you get this scar?” Sugar asked, her fingers taking in the texture of a large white scar between Anja’s neck and right shoulder.
“Fire axe,” Anja said. “My collar bone is made of titanium. I could have the scar removed, but I like it. It’s a reminder.”
“Of what?”
“Of my vulnerability,” Anja said.
“I like that,” Sugar said. Anja sensed Sugar’s breathing start to pick up.
“Hey, I know how I look,” Anja said. “But I really am into men. Manx stayed up most of the night drinking last night. I think he’s going to pass out soon, but I really suggest that you fuck him. Seal the deal while you can.”
Sugar pouted, and Anja realized that Sugar was drunker than she let on. Anja considered giving Sugar what she wanted until Sugar said, “But I’m your bonus.”
That brought Clément to mind. Anger drove out any glimmer of arousal. Anja stood up, setting Sugar on her feet.
“I have to do something,” Anja said. “If Manx gets out of hand, go to my room. The control collar won’t let him go in there. Don’t let him fall asleep in the tub. If he does, just pull him out of the water and leave him on the tiles. Don’t let him lie on his back.”
“I ran a bar,” Sugar said. “I know what to do with passed out drunks.”
***
Anja stood in the hallway, her ear pressed to the door of a suite. She heard voices inside and knocked. She wanted to strip off the robe and be standing naked for whomever opened the door, but she really needed to talk to these people, so she resisted the impulse.
A woman answered the door. She was not as tall or as large as Petrovic, but she had a powerful build. The woman’s eyes and nose identified her as Mongol. She was dressed in the same silk pajamas that Sugar wore.
“What is it?” the woman said in mildly accented Pax.
“I’m looking for Batu Twelve,” Anja said. “Is he here?”
“What is your business?” the woman asked.
“No business,” Anja said. “I thought he might want to fuck.”
The woman’s stern expression broke. She laughed and opened the door wider, turning to announce Anja’s arrival. The suite was nearly identical to her own, but the Mongol mercenaries had pushed the couches and lounge chairs against the wall and arranged large flat cushions around a low table. The table was covered with plates, glasses and bottles. Three men lounged around that low table. She recognized one as Batu Twelve.
Now, Anja felt like she was on safer ground. She let her robe slip to the floor. Her gaze flicked from face to face, reading their reactions. Even if they disapproved, this moment of exposure and uncertainty quickened her pulse and would be worth the weight of their disapproval.
The men looked from her to one another with stony expressions, then Batu smiled and the other two men laughed. Anja turned to look at the woman, who shook her head in what Anja guessed was amazement. Anja made her way over to Batu and set her slate down on the table. She had it configured to translate between Pax and standard Mongolian.
She settled down behind Batu, reached around him and ran her hands over his torso. He was hard and muscular. Columbian men worked hard to keep their waists trim. Batu had a round belly, but it was firm.
“My name is Anja,” she said loud enough for everyone to hear. “You can be rough with me. Command me.”
A voice from her slate translated her words. She kissed Batu’s neck from behind and pressed her breasts into his back. Batu turned his body and got up on his knees. He took hold of the back of Anja’s neck in an iron grip. His strength exhilarated her.
“Tell me what to do.”
The woman spoke up. “Pinch your nipples.”
Anja looked over at the woman. “Yes, ma’am. Like this?” Anja pulled at her own nipples and pinched them vigorously. They were already erect, but they stiffened further. She moaned but kept her eyes open, watching the woman’s expression.
“Lick his nipples,” the woman commanded.
Anja leaned into the big Mongol and licked his right nipple, keeping her eyes on the woman. She moved to his left nipple and looked up at Batu.
“Bite him,” the woman commanded, and Anja brought her teeth together on Batu’s left nipple. She didn’t draw blood, but she bit hard, and Batu gasped. The other two men laughed. Batu released his grip on the back of her neck and wrapped it around Anja’s throat. She did not resist.
“Play with yourself,” the woman said.
Anja slid her middle finger between the lips of her labia. She moved her finger to make as much noise as she could, to let everyone know how wet she was.
Batu was squeezing her throat and her vision started to darken around the edges. She shifted her focus to her clitoris. She tried to moan, but she couldn’t catch her breath. Her vision continued to contract into darkness. The woman said something in her own language, and Batu released his grip on Anja’s neck. He pushed her down onto her back. He put force behind the push, but she impacted gently with the floor cushions in the miniscule gravity.
She looked up at Batu, ready to comply with any instruction, but she really hoped he was about to fuck her. That’s what she needed. She enjoyed submitting to authority as long as she got fucked.
“Hands and knees,” the woman said. Anja complied and rejoiced when she felt Batu’s hands on her hips. He entered her, and she got what she came for. She played with her clitoris and kept herself at the threshold of orgasm until she felt Batu spasm, and then she pushed herself over the edge and came with him.
She hoped the other two men would each take a turn, but they didn’t. That was okay. Batu was enough. She lay sprawled on her stomach for a moment. She would love to let herself drift off to sleep and wake up naked among strangers, but she needed information. She also knew she should check in on Sugar. She pushed herself up.
“Thank you,” she said. “I needed that.” Her slate followed up with a translation. To the woman, she said, “That was good. I like a stern woman. Are you in command?”
“No,” the woman said. She pointed at one of the men. “Monkh Erdene is senior among us, but we obey Clément.”
“What do you make of Clément?” Anja said.
“We will not speak ill of our employer,” the woman said.
“But you’ve got nothing good to say about him?”
“We will not speak ill of our employer,” the woman repeated.
“Gotcha,” Anja said. “What’s your name?”
The woman said something that had too many syllables and no familiar elements for Anja to grab onto.
“I’m sorry,” Anja said. “One more time.”
The woman leaned across the table and picked up Anja’s slate. She held it to her mouth and repeated her name slowly. She passed the slate to Anja, who read the transcribed name.
Erdenechimeg. Anja read it aloud and watched the woman’s facial expression to see how she did. Not good. She tried again. The woman shrugged.
“Can I call you Meg?“ Anja asked.
“Erd is better,“ the woman said.
“Okay,” Anja said. “Erd, and…” She looked at the man Erd identified as their leader. “Monk?”
The man said something which the slate translated as, “Close enough.”
“Batu, I’ve met,” Anja said. “And…”
“Gerel,” the third man said. He lifted his glass to Anja. Batu started to pour a cup of whatever it was they were drinking.
“Sorry,” Anja said. “None for me. I don’t drink alcohol.”
Erd laughed at that. The other three followed her example when the slate translated Anja’s words.
“Are all Columbian women like you?” Erd asked.
“We’ve all got strong sex drives,” Anja said. “Something about what the Nixians did to our genes, but I’ve got it worse than most. Plus, I started early.”
“How early?” Erd said.
“I don’t know. I don’t remember my first time. Or I don’t remember which time was my first. I don’t ever remember being a virgin,” Anja said.
“Did a man take you as a child?” Erd asked.
“Several men,” Anja said. “Women too, and plenty of kids my age and older. I was the one who initiated it. Usually. Maybe a man got me started. I respond most strongly to men. But I really don’t remember.”
The Mongols all looked very serious.
“In the Khanate, it is a crime to use children that way,” Erd said.
“Here too,” Anja said. “In the Pax, I mean. But it still happens, obviously. Sorry. I didn’t mean to bring down the mood.”
Monkh Erdene, the senior member of their team, spoke. Anja watched his eyes while she waited for the translation. “You did not just come here for sex.”
“That’s true,” Anja said. “Clément tells you more about the mission than he tells us. He keeps my team in the dark and shocks us with how he treats these people. I thought we were here to run an orderly evacuation, but Clément only seems to care about scamming and extorting people.”
The Mongols said nothing, even after the translation came through. Erd moved over and sat next to Anja. She put her mouth to Anja’s ear and whispered, “He could be listening.”
Monkh Erdene spoke again. The slate translated. “These willow ghost people are not human. Their ancestors were human. They could have constructed rotating habitats. Nobody made them live on balls of rock and ice without proper gravity. Now they need to move, but they are too weak to live in proper human spaces. Nobody wants them. They deserve no consideration.”
Erd whispered in Anja’s ear, “He speaks for Clément to hear, but this is our true belief.”
Monkh Erdene continued, “The willow ghosts with the technical skills to make themselves useful elsewhere are gone, as are those with political power. All that remain are useless. Now we focus on transporting the strong. Clément will use the fear of being left behind to take their money, but in the end, there is a place for anyone who can stand in full gravity.”
“Where?” Petrovic said. “Not on Galtz, that’s for sure.”
“Nix,” Monkh Erdene said. Anja didn’t need the translator to understand that.
“But the Nixians are bugging out. That’s what started this whole panic,” Anja said.
Monkh Erdene spoke again, and Anja’s slate translated, “The Nixians have use for all strong people. There will be a place for them.”
Anja nodded. “Okay. Thanks for the information and for the hospitality. If we can do this again, I’m all yours. If you see me in uniform, keep it professional.”
***
Everything was quiet back in her suite. Tar was still asleep on the couch. Losada’s door was closed. Manx’s door was open. Anja looked inside and saw Manx and Sugar asleep in his bed.
“Good,” she said to herself, and went to bed.