“He created the Gen-tubes so that anyone could become any creature they wanted. Once he gave them his gifts, he handed out quests to further his own ends and give those with nothing, a reason to live.”

  Alric stepped closer with understanding eyes. “There are reports on him all the time, but they leave out a lot of details. He is only known as a terrorist and creator of the mythic rebellion.”

  Jenna gave Alric a hard stare. “In exchange for new bodies, all mythics must follow the Master’s directives.”

  “And if they don’t follow his directives?” Alric wasn’t sure he wanted to the answer.

  Jenna’s wicked smirk returned, “They either become Adventurers, NPCs, or quest goals. You don’t want to be on the bad side of a quest goal. They usually end up dead, or worse.”

  “This is insane! How can people live like this?” Alric said with a frustrated edge.

  Jenna’s features softened. “How can people play in virtual worlds, earning credits and moving up in towers for a chance at a better life? One not promised to them.”

  Alric’s lips parted, but no sound came out. He couldn’t deny her point. Objectively, their entire world view was built on gaming to distract the populace from the world ending. The government said they were trying to find ways to clean up the atmosphere and the oceans, but little was actually said on how. The promise of flying off to start again on Mars dominated the feeds for two hours out of the day. Alric felt it numerous times, the dangling of something new and shiny to distract everyone from their current problems. Even he was caught in a situation he couldn’t change, because he was no one.

  Jenna kept his gaze, watching a war of thoughts crawl along the young man’s eyes. “Let’s hurry in so we can wipe your implant. Evening into night time here can get pretty rowdy.”

  Alric hesitated before he nodded. The pair stepped beyond the gate and into the old-fashioned street. Women and men called out to the pair, some lifting clawed hands and others waving with a raised wing. Despite the toxic air, a strange perfume drifted along and Alric found the tension in his shoulders subsiding.

  Jenna stared ahead as they walked. When they reached a six-story structure, Alric turned and looked at the windows. Mythic women pranced, danced and beckoned with clawed hands to the tall young man. Lips were licked and small holo images filled the front while a sign glowed “The Lucky Dragon” in green neon.

  “How well do you know the person doing the wipe,” Alric asked.

  “Long enough to know she does a great job,” Jenna said and took to the steps.

  The pair made their way through the front door while mythics across the street called out, promising a good time.

  Inside, Alric drank in the comfortable décor. Red and gold patterns covered the walls along the upper half while wood paneling covered the lower half. Ancient chandeliers hung from chains connecting to dark wood beams. Low light gleamed off crystals. Along the walls, lanterns hung. An old wood staircase led up from the foray and large rounded entrances lay to the left and right to large rooms filled with couches, chairs, and small bars.

  From the room on the right, a woman stepped through in a tight green dress. Slits ran along the dress from the hip down. The dress was the tamest part as Alric stared at the woman’s oval eyes with a serpent slit for a pupil. The eyes glowed a hypnotic emerald green. Her face was pale except for green scales running down the sides of her face, along her neck and over her bare shoulders. Forearms to hands and knees to bare feet were covered in scales. A thin tail snaked behind her as she approached. She gave Alric the once over, a wide smile forming.

  “What do we have here? A new client?” the lizard woman grinned with sharp teeth.

  “Madam Zory, this is a friend who is in need of your technical services,” Jenna said plainly.

  Madam Zory gave Alric the once over again, “We here at the Lucky Dragon try to fulfill everyone’s needs.”

  “I hope you can help with this one,” Alric shrugged, unsure if they were speaking in code or not.

  Madam Zory turned and pointed an open hand to one of the rooms. “Please, follow me so we can be a little more comfortable.”

  Alric and Jenna stepped through the entrance to a side room. Jenna made her way to a chair while Alric sat on a couch. Madam Zory snapped her fingers as she entered. From behind a door, a woman dressed in a pink, frilly dress stepped out with a tray in her hands. Two drinks stood on the tray as she approached, Alric lost to her appearance. Red horns rose up from her forehead. Pink-ish red skin glowed along her face and every exposed part of her arms and legs. A deep cleavage caught the young man’s attention as she bent forward to offer a drink.

  Alric noticed her blank expression as she didn’t make eye contact. The young man took a drink and sipped it before the demoness turned and offered to Jenna. A pink tail with a pointed end snaked from under the short, frilly dress. Jenna took the other drink and sipped it.

  “Thank you, Lulu. Please wait by the stairs and help clients as they show up,” Madam Zory instructed before she took a seat in a lavish chair opposite Alric and Jenna.

  “There are scrambling devices throughout the establishment so what happens here stays private. We can talk freely.”

  Alric was about to speak when Jenna cut him off.

  “My friend here requires his guardian implant to be wiped, at least the last several hours.”

  Madam’s Zory’s kind, inviting expression took on a focused edge. “Was it activated?”

  Jenna and Alric nodded.

  “Have sentries been dispatched to find you?”

  “They have and were taken down by myself and a band of orcs in the area,” Jenna said.

  Madam Zory spoke as she turned her attention to Alric, “They will send a larger force in the coming hours. They must interface with your implant to download the events. We have to wipe those files and replace them with others. The fee for my services can be expensive.”

  Alric nodded as he thought back to his account. He had a large amount of credits from many Grid War missions. He barely spent much due to his simple lifestyle and felt he could confidently pay for it.

  Madam Zory stood up and crossed the small distance. Lifting a hand to the back of her neck, fingers pulled a thin cable and stretched it around. Her other hand reached down to Alric’s neck as he sat. Fingers found his port and she slipped her cable in.

  A connection was immediately established and they both appeared in a virtual white room. Alric glanced around, knowing private connections can be made to conduct business without saying a word in reality.

  2D screens hovered before Alric as Madam Zory stepped closer. A screen lit up with a credit amount for services. Alric did blink a few times, seeing that it was more expensive than he thought it would be. Lifting a virtual hand, he tabbed at the accept screen. Credits funneled from his account into the Madam’s account.

  “Thank you, Alric,” Madam Zory said before she leaned in and kissed him.

  The pair opened their eyes in reality, Zory pulling her cable from Alric and letting it slip back into her neck.

  “Transaction complete. Let’s see about clearing your mind of all this stress,” Madam Zory said with a seductive hiss.

  Jenna and Alric were to their feet as the Madam moved across the room to a bookcase built into the wall. A slender, scaled hand reached up and tapped a few book binds. A lock slid behind the case and it opened. The Madam took hold and opened it wider, beckoning the pair in.

  Alric gulped as Jenna led the way. First thoughts swirled of being killed and harvested for organs. He couldn’t explain the rationale behind it, but it was recurring, a nightmare within his current nightmare. Madam Zory mentioned a larger force of sentries might be coming for him and he needed the information out of his head.

  The bookcase closed behind them and all three stepped along the short tunnel. The Madam took point and when they reached the end of the hall, she took hold of the doorknob and twisted it.

  The door opened to a small room with medium lighting. Alric looked it over and it reminded him of Dr. Neon’s office. It had a reclined chair in the middle and a shelf to one side of the room filled with cables and equipment. A stool stood off to the side. The walls were red. Alric looked down and saw no drain; a small sigh of relief falling from his lips.

  “Have a seat and we can get started,” Madam Zory said as she pulled out a module and a roll of cable.

  Alric sat down on the reclined chair, his thoughts a storming hive of bees. The nightmare of the last two hours was almost over and he could return to his tower and never step foot on the street level again.

  A cable attached to the port in his neck. Jenna sat on the stool by the chair, her purple eyes scanning Alric as he flexed his fingers and tried to relax.

  “Your implants are integrated into your nervous system and brain. I will have to operate while you’re awake. There should be no pain, but I need you to keep talking so I can tell if I strayed into an area I shouldn’t be in,” Madam Zory stated.

  “How many times have you performed wipes?” Alric couldn’t help but ask.

  The Madam smiled behind Alric, “Enough to know what I’m doing, I think.”

  Alric’s brow went up as he turned his head to try and look at the Madam.

  “You have nothing to worry about,” Madam Zory giggled. “Let me clean away those dirty images and fill your mind with new ones.”

  Tension strangled Alric before electrical impulses cascaded into his mind. The tension bled away and a calm fell over his entire body. Alric thought the pulses felt like fingers in his brain, massaging parts and caressing others. It was not completely odd and in a small way, it helped him relax.

  “Please, talk,” the Madam said as she closed her eyes, a new cable in her neck.

  “I don’t know what to talk about,” Alric said plainly.

  Jenna leaned in a little closer, her eyes glowing under her dark hood, “Tell me about Lana?”

  “Why are you so interested in my girlfriend,” Alric said in a calm whisper.

  “I’m not interested in her,” Jenna’s gaze fell to Alric’s neck.

  Alric swam through the pulses, a sudden realization tapping his mind. “Lana is my love. I barely know you.”

  Jenna stared at him for a long moment before she reached into her cloak and pulled out his cellphone. Alric’s eyes widened a hair as he tried to lift a hand to snatch it from her, but found his body not responding.

  The rogue tapped at the screen and touched the holo display. “The room’s location is scrambled so they won’t find us here,” Jenna said as she held up the phone.

  A holo image appeared as the phone was calling. The ringing vibrated as Alric stared, his body not under his control. Anger and fear washed over him as the ringing stopped and a holo image of Lana appeared.

  “Alric? Where have you been? I was notified sentries were looking for you!”

  The young man stared, drinking in Lana’s long brown hair and large eyes. She gave off an air of sweetness even as concern touched her gaze.

  “I’m on street level. I wanted to take in some of the sights before coming home,” Alric lied.

  “I’m so worried,” Lana said as she clutched her hands to her chest. “They said you witnessed a crime and want to bring you back to the tower. Where are you now?”

  Jenna stared as Alric gave a half-hearted smile.

  “It’s all a misunderstanding. I’ll be home in a few hours,” Alric said in a soothing tone.

  Lana’s lip wrinkled, as if fighting back tears. “You have to come home now! I can’t bear to be without you any longer. Talk to the sentries and return to my arms! I need you with me.”

  Alric’s eyes darkened. “Lana, listen to me, it’s important you don’t say anything to anyone. I will be back home in a few hours. I just need to clear my head. Can you do that for me?”

  Tears streamed down from the corners of Lana’s big eyes, “I can’t. I have to tell them about this phone call. They have to know where you are so they can bring you home.”

  “Lana, I’ll be home. I just need you stay quiet until I get there,” Alric said with a pleading edge.

  Lana leaned closer, tears streaming down her cheeks, “I want you home!”

  “Lana,” Alric sighed.

  Lana’s tears stopped and her eyes took on a different glow. Her face now a serious mask, stared into Alric’s soul as she spoke.

  “Alric Vine, you are to report to the Blue Sky Tower for your protection. Indicate your location or you may receive charges of…” the image went dead.

  Alric stared, his mind a puddle of pulses.

  Jenna took hold of the cellphone with both hands and broke it in two. Dumping them in a nearby waste unit, it flared before a puff of smoke rose up.

  Alric turned his gaze to Jenna, “Why?”

  Jenna’s gaze took an understanding but strong edge. “You’re not the only one living a lie. Millions of citizens live their lies daily. They surround themselves with pretty things and distractions to appear normal. I understand it because I lived like that as well.”

  “So, you wanted to drag my life out and stomp on it? Lots of citizens have androids for lovers.”

  Jenna’s expression saddened. “No. I had to be sure about your life. I need something from you and time is not our friend.”

  “I don’t understand any of this. Why do you need me? Why are you assassinating people? Why do you care enough to help me hide my crime?”

  Alric felt tendrils of regret and shame as his life spun out of control. He never admitted out loud about Lana, content to live a peaceful life. She was so real at times, he often forgot she was a robot in human-like skin. The moments of tenderness and peace was enough to calm his soul and he didn’t care that it wasn’t real. It was his life in a large tower stabbing into the sky.

  Jenna stood up. Purple eyes gazed down on Alric as he lay helpless. Madam Zory continued to work, her eyes staring off at nothing. The air shifted and took on a warm edge.

  Alric didn’t blink as Jenna shrugged off her cloak and let it pool to the floor. Cloak gone, Alric could see her sensual curves under a layer of leather. The outfit was tight, adhering to her fit body. Gaze drifting down, a hint of silver gleamed between her legs. A zipper took up the apex between leather clad thighs.

  “If I explained, I doubt you would believe me,” Jenna said as she stepped closer and placed her hand on his chest.

  “After today, I don’t believe anything anymore,” Alric said with sad resignation.

  Jenna ran her hand along Alric’s chest before stopping at his stomach. Pulling away, she took hold of her top and unhooked something from under her arms. Leather fell away as her creamy bare breasts defied gravity. Small, dark nipples pointed outward as Jenna kept her half-closed gaze on Alric.

  Alric looked up, trying not to stare at her chest. He admired her long, dark purple hair tied back in a ponytail. Her beauty was striking, not a mark on her flawless skin. He couldn’t wrap his mind around her keeping such beauty when he saw her fight. She was quick and agile, but even she took a strike to the head from an orc and it barely fazed her.

  “Even in the darkest moments, there can be some warmth and hope,” Jenna whispered as she slid her hand over his body.

  Alric’s gaze fell to her breasts again as they bobbed to her small movements. Gloves off, she threw them on her cloak before she took hold of his belt. Alric’s arms twitched but he still found it difficult to move. His belt came undone and his zipper was pulled down to the base. Light touches sent shockwaves through Alric, unable to hide his wanting desire. Member filling with blood, he felt like dog laying in the sun, laid bare before the world.

  Jenna reached down, fingers slipping into his underwear and pulling out his throbbing member. Knees bending, she slipped down until she was on her knees by the side of the chair. Fingers curled around the veiny shaft and she slowly stroked Alric, turning her purple eyes to him.

  “Consider this a reward for attempting to save my life,” Jenna said with a small smile.

  Alric simply watched as Jenna turned to his erect member and leaned over. Lips wrapped around the tip and gently suckled while her hand made long, slow strokes. Alric let out a hiss of pleasure, his former anxiety draining away as bliss played on sensitive nerves. Movement returned slightly and he found his hand reaching for her firm breasts two inches away. Squeezing, his manhood hardened like steel.

  Jenna slowly suckled, tongue running along his head, snaking against every contour. The throbbing thickness pulsed against her lips before her head sank down, taking one inch and then another.

  The room warmed further as Madam Zory continued her work. Alric watched as the rogue bobbed her head slowly. Jenna’s tongue ran along the side and pressed it to the roof of her mouth, making the sensations tighter. Alric could barely understand what was happening, but nature took its course, needs taking root. Hips moved under their own power, pushing his cock deeper into her mouth while he squeezed. A moan vibrated along her throat as his head touched the back of her throat. Alric’s finger swirled at her nipple and pink touched Jenna’s cheeks. Eyes closing, she quickened the tempo, just enough to drown out her low moans. Wet sounds rose up in the small room as the rogue let her teeth graze the base of his cock.

  “You need to keep talking,” Madam Zory said with a faraway voice.

  “I…don’t know why…you’re doing this,” Alric said between gritted teeth as Jenna continued her masterful work.

  A touch of pre-come touched Jenna’s tongue. She licked it deep into her throat before pulling her mouth away. The rogue stood up and stared down at Alric’s member. A pale hand drifted to her crotch and she pulled down the zipper between leather covered thighs.

  Alric turned his gaze, seeing pink lips among small curls of hair. Jenna’s womanhood bloomed, wetness gleaming in the dim light. Eyes holding a seductive glare, she climbed onto the reclined chair, pressing her womanhood to the shaft of his thick spear.

 

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