Author's Note: Hello again, readers! All still alive out there? That's good...
Anyway, here's the next instalment of Amy, Captured! I'm glad that the cliffhanger from the last chapter seemed to go over so well. Because of that, I was able to post two chapters within a few days of each other. Woo!
Special thanks goes to Isabel for her editing, and to Allyourbase for some truly excellent advice and suggestions. Thanks to the both of you!
Comments, votes and feedback are always appreciated. I hope you enjoy the chapter!
*
The shuttle landed lightly upon the rear landing pad, Mara practically leaping out while they were still in midair. Sander had once heard her remark that her entire life had been one long search for pleasure in all forms; taking this as true, it was hardly surprising that she was excited to be here. The Trine were renowned across the galaxy for their... unique abilities, and there wasn't a living being alive that hadn't harboured some secret thought about visiting with them, provided that they weren't asexual.
The sea air was still and light, seemingly achieving a relaxing ambience without moving
at all
. The sunlight engulfed them all as soon as they were off the shuttle, creating interesting geometric patterns through the clouds. The pristine sea made it seem as though they were floating on the surface of a colossal mirror.
There was a member of the Nirvana staff there to greet them when they landed. She was a Trine-form, still in the early stages of her life-cycle. All three humans gave a sharp intake of breath; there was something about the alien that was so... alluring.
Trine-forms were humanoid, and this one was typical of the species, meaning that she was entirely unlike anything that Sander, Mara or Amy had ever seen before. Her basic shape was that of a perfectly formed, athletic woman, with several factors hinting at her nonhuman origin. First, her hair was a shimmering, light pink. Her skin was pale almost to the point of translucence, a milky white colour that seemed luminous in the bright sunlight. Her eyes were a deep green, and they came to settle on each of the visitors in turn, regarding them with a speculative gaze that brimmed with energy and eagerness. She was slightly shorter than the three humans, but this was to be expected. As her life-cycle continued she would grow taller, and in later forms travel even further from her humanoid roots. But it was in this shape that the Trine-forms had found their niche in an expansive galaxy, when they discovered that their unique psychic talents had unexpected results on certain species' nervous systems.
'Hello, visitors!' The Trine-form said brightly. 'I am Lysithea, and I shall be your guide for the duration of your stay at Nirvana.'
'Yo,' Mara grinned, raising a hand in greeting. Lysithea nodded in return, then quickly turned to regard Sander.
'I take it that you and your girlfriend-'
'Ha!' Amy cut in.
'-will be the ones partaking of our services today?' Lysithea finished, making a sterling effort not to notice the interruption.
'Sure, the two of us will be partaking,' Mara said smoothly, gesturing to Sander and herself. 'As will our slave. She'll be getting the special deal.'
'Aww...' Amy whined, as the situation turned against her.
'This is unusual, visitors,' Lysithea's head tilted slightly. 'We do not get many requests to service slaves.'
'I'm not a-' Amy began to protest. The collar activated, shutting her mouth for her with a highly frustrated growl.
'Well, lucky for you we're super rich and willing to spread it around,' Mara smiled.
'
We?
' Sander hissed incredulously.
'Very well,' Lysithea smiled. 'Please, follow me.'
Lysithea led them around the edge of the building. There was a distinctly tropical feel about the deck, as though everything within a certain radius was pineapple flavoured. Sander stretched in the warm embrace of Theros' sun and looked out over the purgatorial water. It was slightly eerie, but undeniably relaxing.
'Check out that view, wow,' Sander grinned. 'Aren't you afraid of getting walk-ins here?'
'Not an issue,' Lysithea said over her shoulder. 'Nirvana changes position daily to avoid being located by the public. The sea is large, and we are protected by what law there is on Theros. We are highly valued here.'
'I can imagine...'
'Oh yes,' Lysithea smiled like an angel, teeth-sharper than the typical human variety- glinted in the sunlight. 'Now, if you would just wait here for a moment, I shall prepare a private room for your use.'
Lysithea disappeared into the interior of Nirvana, leaving the three visitors to look out over the sea. Amy edged away from Sander and Mara, still being careful to remain in their sight. Mara leaned over the railing, gazing out over the crystal clear vista.
'So,
will
we be partaking of Nirvana together?' Sander joined her, glancing sidelong at the blonde.
'Yes,' Mara drew out the word. She knew what was coming. Sander was nothing if not persistent.
'So, what if-'
'I know where you're going with this, Sander, so you need to hear this. We would probably be a disastrous couple, you know that?'
'All my personal relationships are disastrous,' Sander reminded her.
'Look at the two of us; we're beyond the pale,' Mara laughed. 'We're goddamn insane, Sander! Look at what we're doing!' She gestured to Amy, 'Do you think we could ever be forgiven for this?'
'No, definitely not,' Sander answered quickly, as though he had the answer chambered up and ready to go at a moment's notice.
'Then is it worth it?'
Sander was silent for a long time. He gazed out over the endless ocean, deep in thought. When he finally answered, it was quiet, yet firm.
'I have nothing else.'
Mara pointed at him, eyes liquid and hard to read, 'You just hold onto that thought, Hackett. In the end, you don't have anything but me and your tool over there,' Again she gestured to Amy. 'Once again, let's not test the waters while we're distracted by other things.'
Sander opened his mouth to say something, but Lysithea chose that moment to reappear and usher her guests into a private room overlooking the water. The room was large and dimly lit, and the moment Sander crossed the threshold he shivered.
'Whoa... That doesn't feel good. Ugh...' He swayed on the spot, gritting his teeth.
Mara stuck out her tongue and gagged, eyes screwed shut, 'What the fuck is...'
Amy felt it too, like every cell in her body had suddenly expanded. Every sensation, from the soles of her feet pressing against her shoes to the movement of air over her skin seemed unbearably magnified. She understood why Mara had retched; she could feel the back of her tongue pressing against the roof of her mouth in excruciating detail.
'This room is enclosed in a Neurological Amplification Field,' Lysithea explained evenly. 'What you are experiencing is the magnification of your body's physical sensations. You will adjust to it soon, and the nausea will pass.'
'Honestly? I would fucking hope so!' Mara said unsteadily.
'Just ride it out, Mara...' Sander groaned.
The trio steadied themselves against any available surface to suffer through the sickness. They had become aware of every tiny movement, every little, long-ignored sensation; Sander could actually
feel
the blood pumping through his veins.
Slowly, the sensations receded, becoming mere background noise once more. Sander still had the sensation that he was floating, and his awareness of his physical body was still amazingly acute, but it was no longer unpleasant. He stood on his own two feet again, marvelling at his newfound ability to feel every crack and depression of the interior of his shoes. Around him, Amy and Mara were doing much the same, moving slowly to experiment with their new sensitivity.
'There you are!' Lysithea nodded approvingly. 'Better already, yes?'
'This is so weird...' Amy said unsteadily, waving a hand in front of her face and feeling the air currents rendered in incredible detail.
'I kind of like it,' Mara said, grinning and feeling each and every muscle in her face move.
'I am glad,' Lysithea said. 'But we should continue to the next step. Are we all aware of how this process works?'
'I am,' Sander nodded, and then gestured to Amy and Mara. 'I doubt that they are.'
'It's true,' Mara nodded sagely. 'I don't have much book learning.'
Lysithea merely smiled inscrutably and gently placed her palm on Sander's forehead; in the throes of Neurological Amplification, he was surprised to learn that her skin was rough, almost like a shark's, and very warm.
'You will learn,' Lysithea glanced at Mara before closing her eyes.
Sander's eyes screwed shut and he shuddered as Lysithea went to work. He felt a humming inside his mind, like an inner radio being tuned. This sound quickly faded away, replaced by a soft tinkling noise that itself faded away to silence. He felt strange, as though something new had been introduced to his mental processes.
'We are connected,' Lysithea said quietly. She tilted her head, just slightly, 'You
are
a complex man, aren't you? So angry, and sad, all at the same time. And above it all, you are terribly lonely.'
