Chapter 3 - "And I was just getting used to this place..." (argh)
Perhaps sleeping with a woman in your arms in the greatest of all sex might be like that with a man, except you're in his arms. Still, the thoughts of being with a man hadn't occurred to her. In fact, Jerri never thought a whole lot about men after Eva left her.
To hear the near-shrieking cries of your infant child in the early morning was annoying, regardless of the coupling. It was unfortunate for Jerri that she was awake. She dearly wanted to snuggle with Eva until six, six-thirty, or seven, but no, Evie just had to start wailing at four in the morning.
"Jerri, could you get that?" mumbled Eva.
"You should get it," said Jerri. "You're the mother."
"You're also a mother."
"Convenient for you to call me that... when you're snoring."
Right then, Eva fell back asleep, snoring just as Jerri had said.
"Damn it."
Jerri crawled out of the bed to put on the panties, bra, and t-shirt that was on the floor, and then slouched her way to the family room to pick up the wailing Evie. She shook her up and down a bit, rocked her, held her upside down, and even attempted to burp her. Then she changed her diaper, which initially quieted her, but Evie soon wailed afterwards.
Hungry perhaps. With Evie in one arm, she headed over to the kitchen to search the fridge. No baby formula. There was none in Eva's bag. How the hell did they run out?
"Now what am I going to do?"
Then a brilliant compact fluorescent light bulb flashed inside Jerri's head, indicating, figuratively speaking, that she had an idea. So she took off her shirt...
Evie wailed even louder than ever, and it was loud that Eva woke up one hour later annoyed. Putting on her underwear and bra, she headed out to the source of the cries and found a pathetic scene in which Jerri was about to cry in sheer frustration.
"What are you doing?" Eva asked.
The topless Jerri had Evie cradled in her arms, and she was trying to get her to drink through her lactating nipple. Evie simply refused, even when Jerri tried to force her.
"What's it look like?" exclaimed Jerri. She turned back to the infant and cried out, "Suck it girl! Suck it! Suck it! Suck it! Suck it! Suck it! Suck it! Suck it! Suck it! God, I spent almost an hour trying get milk from my tit and you won't drink?"
"With that kind of face, you'll never make her drink from you."
"I thought babies will drink anything."
"They won't drink when they're irritated, and especially when the milk is not from their mother."
"I'm her mother," Jerri whined.
"Just give her to me."
Eva folded her bra upward just so her left breast spilled over the edge, and then a grumbling Jerri gave Evie to her. With her nipple exposed, Eva held her daughter to it, and Evie immediately began drinking.
"Both the mother and the child needs to be in the right mood," said Eva.
"And you're an expert in this?"
"I've studied."
"And I'm still lactating. After all that effort!"
"I suppose we can't let it go to waste."
Eva sat down and immediate puts her mouth onto Jerri's lactating nipple to drink with serene pleasure. Jerri was taken aback, but she was frozen by this strange moment and strange act.
"Hey, this doesn't seem right," she said. "Yet it feels so... pleasant... and arousing..."
Pleasant and arousing. Jerri simply allowed herself bask into this, with her lover drinking her milk, while their daughter drank milk from her birthmother. Jerri imagined there being a direct line from her milk sac running through Eva and into her nipple. She wondered if this would continue on in their lives. Who knows? This might be one way to feed Evie.
With Evie fully fed, Eva and Jerri rested a bit until they got dressed and headed out begin their normal lives as a family. First off, they sent off an application to get married in the most discrete way possible at a courthouse. Then they went to the mall to apply for a smart credit card, which Jerri was always reluctant to do since her personal philosophy in life was never to owe anything to anybody. Plus, she had deep privacy fears of credit card companies looking into or rather creating a credit report, and that she might not get one. Surprisingly, it was easy for her to get one due to her obvious reputation.
"Don't worry about it!" smiled the pretty female credit counselor. "Your record is fresh and if you choose to, you can ban our company from looking into your personal transactions at other financial institutions."
"Are you sure about that?" Jerri asked.
"I think I'll handle all your money problems," announced Eva. "After all, I will be your new wife as of today."
The counselor choked loudly on her gulp. She couldn't take in what she had just heard.
"Wait, she's your new wife?" she asked.
"Oh yeah," said Jerri.
"Oh. Oh. Oh. That's... good. Um, oh, hey! The card's ready! Here you go!"
"Thanks."
"Good luck!"
Both Jerri and Eva received their own smart credit card--a shiny plastic flat object with a reader chip containing some of their combined DNA on it. As they left the mall, it seemed that they left the counselor at a confused daze. The possibly, others might have overhead that Jerri was getting married; so it was obvious they were whispers behind their backs.
Jerri and her family went back to the diner Floralia, where Eva apologized for her conduct, but the waitresses and the managers also apologized for egging Jerri into such a sexual act. Then after Eva announced that she was getting married to Jerri, the whole restaurant was sent into a loud near-uniform gasp. In no time, the news spread to the media, and it was now being reported on the news channels on the diner's flat-panel televisions.
It was an eerily quite morning as Jerri, Eva, and Evie had a peaceful breakfast that was to be eventually paid through their new smart credit card. The other waitresses and their patrons could not concentrate on their eating, and tried to steal some glances at the new and happy family. Eventually, police officer Aureal Zanzì dropped by as usual for a late breakfast and to see her girlfriend Camille. Upon seeing Jerri, she readily approached her and her family, and was then offered to sit next to them.
"Oh, sure why not," smiled Aureal.
"I'm sure you know her from yesterday," said Jerri, "this is Aureal, a friend of mine and girlfriend of Camille. Aureal, this is Eva, my new wife, and here's Evie, my new daughter."
"It's pleasure to meet you two."
"Likewise," smiled Eva. "Say, you haven't arrested Jerri for..."
"This is city is a little more liberal than everywhere else in the world, although it wouldn't have made the difference."
"But one notable difference is that we don't tolerate crime lords," said Camille as she passed by.
"Thus, all our prostitutes and escorts are covered by our country's health care policy and are, in a sense, employed by them. We just don't do Lolita, gore, and snuff fetishes."
"Speaking of which, the president and the first lady might have heard about Jerri's 'retirement'."
"You did the president and the first lady?" asked Eva.
"Just once," said Jerri. "Just once."
"If news were to spread real fast, then they should arrive five, four, three, two..."
There was a crash just outside the diner at the street. An expensive black limousine plowed into the rear end of the sports coupe. Jean Owens, a stressed-out media producer, who had just taken over her elder sister's empire, stepped out of her damaged coupe and yelled out:
"My car! You're going to pay for that bitch!"
The bitch in question dashed out of her limo and pushed Jean aside. The woman was blonde, blue-eyed, and rich to boot. She ran with a frantic pace inside the diner and fell to her knees before Jerri.
"Say it isn't so!" she wept. "Say it isn't so!"
"Hey Lapis," said Jerri.
"I'm Sapphire."
"Sorry."
"Is this the President of Pacific Mariner?"
"I get that a lot," smiled Sapphire. "I'm actually the first lady."
"Then the President should arrive in..." said Aureal.
Suddenly, there was another crash, and this time it came from the air--a sleek small airship to be exact, and it had just crushed Jean's coupe. The female President, blonde and blue eyed like her wife, except with a different hairstyle and professionally dressed, fell out of the passenger hatch of her airship and ran into the diner. She pushed her wife away and fell to knees before Jerri. Eventually, the black-suited female secret service agents surrounded her and the entire restaurant as well.
"Say it isn't so!" Lapis wept. "Say it isn't so!"
"I was here first bitch!" Sapphire snapped.
"Don't you dare talk to me after what you did to my secretary."
"What I did? What about what you did? You're the one who got licked by her."
"That's because you were shagging the vice president!"
"You weren't around because you were shagging President of Siberia!"
"Actually," Aureal whispered to Eva, "the President and the First Lady are madly in love with each other."
"Then why do they cheat on each other so much?" Eva asked.
"To build up tension for the end of the month where they have the hottest sex of their lives--on live TV."
"I was there in the shooting," said Jerri, "and between them as well."
"Builds up public morale, don't you think?"
"What kind of country is this?" Eva asked.
"The best there is."
"Madam President," said Jerri. "First Lady--meet my daughter, Evie."
"Oh how cute!" giggled Lapis and her wife.
Their anger disappeared as they each took turns holding the giggling Evie and making noises at her. Then they realized if there was a daughter, then there was a mother, and thus her significant other. They each turned their heads and faced Aureal.
"I'm not her wife," said Aureal. "She is."
"Hello," said Eva.
Lapis and Sapphire bent over low and scrutinized the young Indian woman with narrow eyes.
"How old are you?" asked Sapphire.
"Twenty-two," replied Eva. "About to turn twenty-three soon."
"Slightly older than Jerri," said Lapis.
"Yet she looks younger than her," said Sapphire.
"It's the height thing."
"She could be deceptive."
"I don't need to take that crock from you two," growled Eva. "Even if you are President and First Lady!"
"Calm down honey," said Jerri. "There are agents around."
"But they won't do anything when you're around."
"True, true."
"Oh, say Jerri," said Lapis, "I heard you were looking for a job. Perhaps you can work as my aide. What do you say?"
"Are you kidding me?" cried Sapphire. "She should work discreetly in my tech company."
"Like hell. She'd be with you most of time."
"Oh, it's not like you have the same idea."
"Heh-heh," said the cosmopolitan Middle Eastern woman. "You're putting her to waste."
"What do you mean Miss Zahida Eldrige?"
"With a body like hers, Jerri must be a model for my new line of lingerie."
"Zahida, you must put into interest of Jerri's new wife," said Tina Gainsberg, the president of an expensive brand name dresses. "Jerri is not meant for such smut. To think that you're Middle Eastern? Has all modesty have been lost there?"
"Just because we're Muslim doesn't mean we have to adhere to sacred laws--which is a moot point since there are few men left there. In a reversal of roles, they're the ones that have to be covered from head to toe."
The entire diner, as it turned out, was filled with powerful women of many corporations or countries. The place soon degenerated into a shouting match on what company Jerri would work for, regardless of her lack of education and work experience.
"See what I mean?" Jerri said to Eva.
"You had sex with the entire city?" asked Eva.
"More like half."
"How on Earth would that be possible?"
"Two words: group lesbian sex."
"That's three words."
"It's two words in certain countries."
"Jerri," said Aureal, "we might have to do something. It's starting to get rowdy."
"You're right," said Jerri.
Jerri got up on the table and banged her glass with her fork.
"Quiet everyone, quiet everyone," she said. Everyone quieted down.
"Now, I know all of you want me to be nearby, but you should put aside your lust for me and think of what I really can offer you--besides sex and my tomboyish looks of course. So..."
In a near-daze, Jean stumbled into the dinner and pushed herself between President Lapis and her wife Sapphire.
"Oh, hey Jean-chan," said Jerri. "What's up?"
"Jerri," Jean wept. "My car..."
"Miss Owens!" snapped Sapphire. "Be quiet and wait until she finishes her speech!"
"But my car! My Aston Martin!"
That gave Jerri an idea.
"From now on," she said, "I'll be working with Jean Owens of Starlight Nexus Records!"
"Huh?" said Jean.
The entire diner gasped in horror. Almost immeditaely the television went into a late-breaking news story that Jerri was going to work with Jean Owens.
It was a wise decision. Jerri knew Jean well after dating pop star Lola Troy for one day. Jean Owens was probably one of the very few monogamous women in the entire country and quite possibly the entire world. She claims to be straight, even though she was married to Leslie Beatrix Annette for "personal" reasons. Of course, Jean and Leslie were very madly in love each other since their marriage many years ago. Oddly enough, Leslie also claimed to be straight, and hated the fact everyone called her Les B. Ann. Perhaps their similar character was what brought together in love and lust.
Thus for the next couple of days, Jerri worked in Starlight Nexus Records in the archive department mostly doing logging. Even though she worked in the background, it didn't discourage the other agents and music artists from flocking in. Stressed out by exponentially growing profits, Jean Owens was very tempted to fire Jerri, but Jerri pleaded to her to ride it out. Jean gave in. At least she managed to get a new and rare Aston Martin, but even that was not enough to ease her stress.
The work was stressful on Jerri as well. Constantly, she was getting looks by the clients and the other coworkers, but fortunately they all restrained from asking her to perform some service. She commuted through mass transit, and she was still getting looks. She knew that all of them were asking in their heads, "Say it isn't so?" They still could not believe she was now settling down.
"It was just that time," Jerri said.
It wasn't as bad as she thought. She learned quite a lot of things, and discovered music that was made during and before the Eugenesis Period. She listened carefully on what was going on politically and socially speaking. Unfortunately, they were mostly pop songs used as reference. Furthermore, even though she knew English very well, she couldn't decipher through the old accents.
On the day after landing her job, Jerri and Eva was married without much of a ceremony in the courthouse, but they could not keep the press and Jerri's fans out of their affair. Reluctantly, they agreed for a party back at the Floralia Diner where Jerri's fans celebrated with both joy and sadness.
With Jerri settling down, she and Eva began planning for not just their future, but for their daughter as well. Besides the discussion of moving to a better residence, Evie's health, and Evie's education, there was the primary concern of concealing the secret of her genesis. It must not be known that Jerri impregnated Eva and begot Jerri. Fortunately, their friends at Big Sally's Machine Shop were trustworthy. Jerri wanted to keep the secret to protect the city, the country, and most importantly her many friends.
The passion between Jerri and Eva had subsided to make way for the upbringing of the high-maintenance Evie. Yet they even found times where they made passionate love, especially on Saturdays or whenever Eva was feeling really horny.
It had now been two weeks. For the first time Jerri felt relaxed, though she still felt a little nostalgic of her being a servicer. Yet there was this nagging feeling that she was being watched by someone. At times she called home and checked if Eva and Evie were doing all right. She even enlisted the help of officer Aureal.
"I feel you," Aureal said to her. "We do have confirmed sightings of a mysterious woman, but she's quick to escape our sights. If she does anything, you have my word that we'll intercept her."
Still, it was not enough to ease Jerri. So she hurried off from work and came home. She found Eva sitting on the couch with Evie. Tea and biscuits was prepared, and Eva was happily humming a one of the tunes Jerri brought home from the company music archives.
"It's a really nice song," said Eva. "They should really re-release it."
"Is that so?" Jerri asked. "So what are you so happy about?"
"I'm pregnant."
"Really?"
Eva held out the pregnancy tester and the included chart indicated that she was.
"Jeez woman, stop making babies!" Jerri cried.
"Doesn't that responsibility fall on you?" asked Eva.
"But last Sunday you got horny, and you couldn't keep your hands off me."
"Only because you played that song you brought from work."
Jerri slumped onto the couch, and Evie crawled to her arms. "Jeez, I don't think I could keep up being the breadwinner."
"Then we just have to make some sacrifices."
"Let see that tester."
Eva handed the white plastic strip to Jerri.
"What does these symbols mean?"
"Oh this?" asked Eva. "It means I have twins."
"You're kidding me!"
"Even though twins detection is only 80% accurate, the manual says that we should see a doctor for an ultrasound."
"I don't think we can do that."
"We have to. And I don't want to have to call for help from Big Sally and her girls. You know that they're not doctors."
"All right fine. Let me look through the black book for anyone who I could trust."
Eva expected the black book to be paperback-sized, but she was shocked to see that it was large as a phonebook.
"It has photos," said Jerri.
"Uh-huh," said Eva. "Erotic ones I might add."
"Evie won't notice."
She flipped to the section labeled doctors, which was surprisingly sparse. Jerri had a phobia of doctors, for they could put her sleep and have their way with her. It wasn't because of perceived rape. Jerri didn't want to give out freebies.
"Wait a minute," she said. "Of course!"
Jerri flipped further back to the nurses section, which was larger. She ran her finger down the list of names until she found the one she could trust. Picking up the phone she dialed the number hoping the nurse she met was still available.
"Hello," said Jerri. "Is this Marie Anderson?"
"Jerri is that you?" said the voice on the other line.
"It's me! So how are you doing?"
"Fine." Marie coughed.
"Say, you're still in the practice, are you?"
"Of course I am."
"Good! Say, can you fit me in for an ultrasound for my wife?"
"I can. But it sounds like you want me to do it alone."
"Yeah. I just don't trust doctors."
"Not Emerald Rogers?"
"Not even her. Say, are you two still..."
"I'll sneak you early morning tomorrow. Go through the back door of the office. We're still at the same place."
"Thanks."
Though the next day was a normal work day, Jerri managed to get herself up accompany Eva and Evie to the Rogers Ultrasound Clinic, which haven't really seen much in the manner of heavy business, but nonetheless the older doctor, the young nurse Marie Anderson, and two other nurses managed to keep it afloat during tough times.
Jerri and her family were let in through the back. They headed down to the ultrasound room where Evie began mounting herself on the bed slab. Jerri was sitting nearby feeding Evie with baby formula.
"Now if you'll please relax," said Marie.
Eva could not get her eyes off the bruise surrounding Marie's left eye.
"Ma'am," said Eva. Are you all right?"
"What are you talking about?" asked Marie.
"Marie, you have a big bruise on your right eye," said Jerri.
"Yeah, I got punched by a woman dissatisfied that her child was a girl when she was guaranteed a boy. I called the police on her because she threatened to abort it."
"Hrm," grunted Jerri, not fully believing it.
Marie ran the technologically advanced wireless scope across Eva's exposed tummy, and almost immediately the three-dimensional computer image of the developing twin fetuses were displayed on the large monitor.
"Twins," said Marie. "Congratulations. But unfortunately, they're both girls."
"I don't mind," said Eva.
"I guess I should be looking at the bright side more often. Anyway, I need to perform a couple more tests to make sure you'll have safe birth and if your children will live healthy lives. It might be necessary to perform a caesarian operation."
"Test on girl," said Jerri.
They all went to another room where Eva sat before highly advanced lost technology that Marie knew only how to operate partially, but even her aptitude was enough to run all the necessary tests. As it went on, Jerri wandered about the clinic cooing Evie, although most of its was unsuccessful.
"You really want your mommy, don't you?" asked Jerri.
She heard a car pull up. Jerri looked past the hallway and saw the older yet amiable Doctor Emerald Rogers fumbling through her keys to open the door.
"The doctor's here," noted Jerri.
"Shit!" yelled Marie. "You all have to get out of here!"
"I knew it," said Eva as she began getting dressed back up. "We're doing something illegal."
"I don't think it's that, but we have to heed her advice anyway," said Jerri.
Jerri handed Evie to Eva and the three of them went out through the back. During that time, Marie had made print outs of the results and handed it to them.
"It's gobblygook," said Jerri.
"It's all good," huffed Marie, "but I can explain it to you over the phone if you call me tonight."
"MARIE!" yelled Emerald. "WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU?"
Without saying goodbye, Marie shut the door before Jerri and Eva's faces and hurried down the hallway. Jerri tugged Eva away as they heard further yelling from the doctor. Then they heard a slap right as they made it to the street.
"That doctor must be harsh to her nurses," said Evie.
Jerri sighed. "She is."
They went home where Eva prepared a more complete breakfast for the family instead of a small meal before their appointment at the clinic. Then she stayed at home taking care of Evie and watching television while Jerri headed off to her job at Starlight Nexus Records.
She got home in time for dinner, and although the sun wasn't fully down, Eva pressed the issue on calling up Marie to interpret the results of the printout.
"I'd like you to call after we put away the dishes," she said.
"Could still be too soon, but okay," replied Jerri.
Thus, Jerri called at around seven-thirty at night, but there was no answer on either Marie's work, home, or cellular phones.
"Call a couple of hours later," said Eva as she and Evie tried to read through the printouts.
"Sure."
Two hours later, Jerri called again. No answer.
"I guess she must be busy," said Jerri.
"You said the ultrasound clinic doesn't get a lot of business, yet manages to stay afloat," said Eva as she carried a sleeping Evie to the crib.
"Busy with other things in her personal life."
"I see. Do you think we can ask your friends?"
"I'll admit that we shouldn't because they're not exactly doctors, despite one of them having a stint in nursing school. Besides, I'm feeling a bit paranoid about that woman who is following me."
"So I heard. Who could she be?"
"Private investigator perhaps? There are a lot of powerful women who could be looking for me."
"Maybe it's that time..."
Eva walked up to Jerri and wrapped her arms around her.
"I guess you're right," said Jerri. "We'll pack up quick first thing tomorrow, but we have to make so it looks like we're just going for an evening walk. I don't want the others to find out about our flight."
Jerri sighed. "I was just getting used to this wonderful country."
On the very next morning, Jerri called her employer Jean and gave her a somewhat lame or perhaps misunderstood excuse for her upcoming absence of work, to which the producer herself had accepted by surprise.
"Okay then," said Jean. "I hope your wife gets better with her outbreak of, um, butt herpes."
"Thanks a lot Jean," said Jerri. "You don't know much it means to her to remain by her side."
"Sure. Just makes sure to clean each seat before you sit on it or don't sit on anything."
"Righty-o."
They hung up. Jerri then turned around and saw a fuming Eva.
"Butt herpes?" Eva asked with a raised eyebrow.
"The line had lots of static, so she misunderstood me."
"Right..."
"Anyway, are you and Evie all set?"
"We're packed light enough to go for a walk. Although the bullets..."
"We'll need them all. Trust me."
"And transportation?"
"Sally and her gang are giving us their buggy. We just have to go there as if it was a normal day."
"How are we getting out? This country may be prosperous, but it is very watchful."
"Sally said that they'll have the stealth plating installed right when we pick it up. Then we drive out through the most secured places at back roads?"
"But why?"
"I'm sure if we come in contact with security, we could convince them in person of our intentions. They will surely let us go through."
"You wouldn't happen to know the border security through sex, haven't you?"
"I don't exactly have a good memory of all the women I have sex with. Only the worst and best stick out, and I really would like to forget the worst."
"Just remember that you will not use sex to get through when we're left with no other options."
"I know, but I'd rather not have to resort to killing them."
Eva held her large purse tighter against her chest.
"Let's try not to run into anyone, okay?" she said.
They put Evie in the wheeled carriage and walked out of their apartment, and locked the door as if it was normal. They had breakfast as usual at Floralia Diner and said hello to their friends such as Camille and Aureal.
"Eh?" gasped Camille. "You're not going to work?"
"My wife is feeling a bit... lonesome," said Jerri. "So I decided to take the day off and spend time with the family."
"Really, what's the problem?" asked Officer Aureal.
"I felt a little lonely without Jerri," said Eva.
"I see then."
They left after announcing that they would be going to the park. Aureal was trailing them as usual as protection. Just as her shift changed was when Jerri and her family made a break for it.
They took the taxi to the somewhat a far walking-distance from the warehouse district where Big Sally's Machine Shop was located. The streets were mostly deserted as they walked leisurely towards their secondary location.
"I'm still on edge," whispered Eva.
"Feeling watched?" asked Jerri.
"We're on the run obviously."
"I guess being in that state makes you feel like that. Anyway, try not to arouse any suspicion. Just walk normal. We're just going over to see some friends."
Right before they approached the corner of a traffic light intersection at the corner of a building, a woman suddenly appeared before them. She was dressed normally, but she looked quite pale. There was the same bruise on her right eye, and now a bandage had appeared on her left cheek. She rose after catching her breath and looked at Jerri and Eva with desperate eyes.
"Marie?" Jerri asked.
"My God," said Eva. "Are you all right?"
Suddenly, Marie sprung towards them and knocked the carriage over. Eva screamed, and then she saw that Marie had grabbed a now-waling Evie from the cart. She ran away with the infant hostage that she held at bay with compact revolver pistol to the head.
"Don't move!" Marie cried. "Just listen to me--I just want you two to come with me."
Eva didn't listen, as she drew out her Beretta pistol and fired a precise shot that grazed Marie's left ear.
"SET HER DOWN NOW," commanded a furious Eva, "OR I'LL FUCKING KILL YOU!"
Marie was thrown into a panic. Instead of heeding Eva's commands, she turned tail and ran.
"COME BACK!"
Jerri grabbed Eva's arm before she could fire another shot.
"She has our child!" Jerri shouted. Letting her go, Jerri ran after Marie with Eva following behind closely. They followed Marie into an alleyway, and finally into a small warehouse building. It was dark inside, perfect for Jerri to get struck by a walking staff. She was tripped and struck in the stomach. The green staff then exerted a blade from its end before Jerri's neck.
"Jerri!" Eva yelled.
"Put down the gun," said a familiar voice.
The doors behind Eva were shut, and the overhead lights flickered on. Eva complied as both Jerri and Evie were held hostage, and two women, one of whom was an Amazon named Jan and other a normal female named June, appeared before her sides to take the pistol away and frisk her. They happened to be the other nurses who worked at the Rogers ultrasound clinic, and the one holding staff and masterminding this scene was the Doctor herself standing in front of her white sedan.
Marie flinched as her left ear continued bleeding, but she held fast onto Evie who continued wailing.
"Marie, did you betray us?" asked Jerri.
"I'm sorry!" Marie cried. "I tried to hide the data from Emerald, but she found out!"
"Hush," said Emerald. She stooped over rubbed her face against Jerri's.
"Nice to see you again doctor," said Jerri.
"Nice to see you too."
"What do you want from us?" asked Eva.
"Parthenogenesis is quite uncommon among human species," said Emerald, "and it only occurs when a woman senses inevitable genetic isolation in a heavily isolated location. Of course, such a thing only works in the short term in anticipation of a new genetic material that would be delivered upon by a male mate. In a sense, we have been continuing this hackneyed parthenogenesis for generations ever since the fall of the Eugenesis Period. And lo, what lands at our doorstep in our humble technological country that might be the key to saving humanity itself--or rather, beginning a new era of humanity.
"They thought I was mad for believing full well to the so-called scientific heresy of Professor Zoya Adamantite, that if provoked, two women would be able to mate and produce a child of unique genetic heritage. But the country of Bay-Haven in the northeast betrayed them and had allowed the armies of the Congregational Corporation and the Nataraja Agriculture to destroy all of her facilities and killing everyone in the 7th Vermont Special District. Though I was a member, I happened to be out when it happened. I tried to replicate her experiments only to meet with complete failure, including Marie right here."
"Marie is..."
"A created human, something of a homunculus but blessed with my ova and DNA. She is something like my daughter-clone, but not quite so since her DNA patterns are arranged differently. Unfortunately, she is sterile, and she couldn't even seed me no matter how many times I mated with her. Then again, she is a terrible lover."
"Please forgive me!" Marie bowed.
"You're useless."
"I'm sorry!"
"Stop apologizing. That is what I hate about you; clinging on to me like some piece of unwanted trash that I can't seem to get rid of. I'm surprised you haven't ran away from me after all the abuses I put you through."
"But I can't live without you! Don't send me away!"
"I'll dispose of you when I'm successfully impregnated by Misses Jerri Adams. Then I'll run numerous tests on her to determine the secret of your 'seeding' ability, and once I find the secret we'll finally have the power to control the world!"
"I'm not a 'thing' Emerald," said Jerri.
"Are you not interested in saving humanity? You must be shared with every woman in the world! I'm sure you'll sleep with your wife again once she has given birth."
"There is a reason why I rejected you when you approached me. I thought there was hope in you when you walked away from it coolly. Now I realize that you're just a sad and frustrated woman who just can't be proud of her one and only success. Incest, lesbianism, whatever; Marie will always be in love with you."
"What can a created human know about love?"
"More than you, and you know nothing of it."
"Silence!"
Emerald scraped the blade across the Jerri's neck, but she didn't cut deep. Still, the scar on the surface of the skin was red and bled slowly.
"Many of my friends and lovers had died Vermont Special District," wept Emerald. "To turn my back on their work they poured their lives into would be an unforgivable insult. It has to continue on, no matter what!"
She took a deep breath and sighed. "No matter. You don't have to participate Jerri. Your daughter will suffice."
"Leave Evie out of this!" Jerri screamed.
She grabbed hold of Emerald's weapon staff and then wrestled onto her on the car. In the confusion, Eva broke free from her two nurse captors and grabbed her gun. She dashed away avoiding their gunshots, while she fired back. The Amazon and the regular woman were shot in the stomach, but it wasn't life threatening. It was, however, enough to disable them.
All the while as Jerri and Emerald dueled with fists and a staff respectively, Marie still stood confused on what to do. Then Eva moved towards her with her gun pointed at her head.
"Just put my daughter down," said Eva.
"Marie!" Emerald yelled as she blocked two of Jerri's kicks. "Hold onto to that child and don't let her go no matter what!"
"You don't have to obey everything she says!" Jerri yelled to Marie as she dodged another swipe of the weapon staff.
"I command you to obey me or else!"
"Do you really want to live the rest of your life under constant abuse?"
Marie wailed. She then set Evie top of the car.
"You bitch!" Emerald screamed.
"Good," said Eva. "Now just step aside."
"No," said Marie.
With her revolver in both her hands, she aimed it at Eva with cold preciseness.
"You'll have to get through me," said Marie.
"Don't do this," said Eva. "I'm a better shot than you, and I won't hesitate to kill you for the sake of my daughter."
"You underestimate me. I am a created human, and I have senses sharper than yours."
"But why do you do this?"
"It is true that she abuses me, but it was Professor who gave birth to me and took care of me. In return, I have given her all my love and loyalty. I love her more than anything in this world, including myself. You must understand that I will do anything for her."
"You poor woman."
Jerri and Emerald continue fighting, while Evie wailed less intermittently. For Eva and Marie, the world around them seemed quiet and still as their palms sweated in the gripping of their pistols.
Bang. Eva's shoulder was grazed. Marie, however, wasn't so lucky. She was shot at least three times: two at her left shoulder, and one in her left forearm. The gun fell from her hands as her arms fell limp. Though in pain, she did not yell from its effects. Instead, she stepped forward still obeying Emerald's wishes in an effort to hinder Eva's retrieval of her infant daughter.
"I'll still fight you with my teeth," said Marie.
"Then I have no choice," Eva said as she pressed the pistol's barrel upon Marie's forehead.
Suddenly, the upper levels windows crashed, and in came a helmeted and goggled female rider on a mono-bike landing on the narrow catwalk. She rode along with it until she launched herself towards the car. She rolled off the roof the vehicle, narrowly missing Evie. She leapt off her vehicle, and then the mono-bike transformed into an assault weapon apparatus attached to her back and her right arm.
"Hands off her you knave!" cried the rider.
"No!" Marie screamed. She dashed away from Eva as she absorbed the enhanced punch of the rider meant for Emerald, thereby breaking her back in the processes. Emerald fell backward, and Marie collapsed into her bosom still alive but badly damaged and unable to move her lower body.
"Oh dear," said the rider.
"Please," Marie coughed. "Leave Emerald alone."
"Marie," said Emerald. "You're hurt."
The doctor flipped Marie so she could look into her eyes.
"It's all for you Emerald," wept Marie.
Emerald hugged Marie and rubbed her face into her hair.
"You're strong, but you're an idiot as always," said Emerald.
Eva finally retrieved Evie, whom she quickly quieted down. Jerri dusted herself and turned towards the rider who reverted her power-enhancer apparatus into her mono-bike.
"Hey you look familiar," said Jerri. "You're that stalker!"
Eva aimed the gun at the rider, who then took off her helmet and her goggles to reveal her head-length silken black bangs and light brown skin. She turned around and revealed her Hispanic eyes back to Eva.
"It's been a while Lady Eva Nataraja," she smiled.
"It's you," gasped Eva. "Mona Runner. What are you doing here?"
"I wanted to warn you subtly, but you three were having the time of your lives. But I can no longer wait after days of watching. We have to get out of this city and fast."
"How come?"
"Head outside and I'll show you."
The warehouse door was opened, and Mona moved her bike on foot outside with Jerri and Eva following her. They walked around the many buildings of the warehouse district until they reached a street that ran west to east. Facing eastward, Mona showed them the spectacle everyone else who was outside was looking at. Though they were blotches or dots, everyone knew that they were the airship armadas of the Congregational Corporation and Nataraja Agriculture, two very powerful entities of the entire shattered world. They have arrived.
Deviant Hearts Archive | Back to main index