Fortnight In Utopia Day 11

Disclaimer/note: Characters and setting are property of Team Ninja. This fictional story is based on Dead or Alive Xtreme 2. The story features lesbian relationships: and some days (i.e. chapters) also feature violence or offensive language. Please don't read it if you aren't old enough.

-Morning of Day Eleven-

My cell phone buzzed. It was 0610. I uncoiled Hitomi's limbs from around me and she stirred. "You can sleep a little longer, love," I whispered to her. She mumbled something and rolled onto her back.

I went to the living room and started stretching. I felt really good. While I exercised, I considered bringing a sound recorder but decided not to. Lisa had put her trust in us by agreeing to show us her project. Besides, if she didn't want recordings, she probably had electronic interference set up where she was working.

I smelled tea. I heard Hitomi's footsteps. She set a cup on the glass coffee table and sat in a leather armchair. I couldn't see her, but I knew she was drinking her tea and watching me, as was becoming her habit. I finished my light workout and Hitomi held out a fluffy robe to me.

"Not yet, but thanks!" I told her. "I'm going to take a three-minute shower, then I'll be ready. Can you keep my tea warm?"

"Yeah," she said. "How about a kiss?"

I gave her one, short but passionate. Then I went to the shower. When I got out, she went in, telling me my mug was on the stove.

There were many things I planned to do today, so getting up early this morning was good. The tea tasted mellow. I felt energized. Smelling Hitomi's shampoo and hearing her very amusing rendition of "Nightgown of the sullen moon"--her favorite TMBG song--just added to my anticipation of a great day.

After considering, I decided I'd go to the sports shop as soon as it opened and get a suit no one had seen. For now, I'd wear "Peacock."

A pair of soft lips on my neck told me Hitomi was ready to leave. I drank the last of my tea and stood. "Shall we keep our appointment?" I asked my lovely companion.

"Yes, let's," she answered.

No one was about so early; the very air felt sleepy. Hitomi rubbed her eyes cutely at one point, earning a giggle from me.

"What?" she wondered.

"In all the best ways," I told her, "you're still like a young girl."

The jungle is pretty dense, so we were only 10 to 20 meters away from the waterslide before we saw Lisa and Tina waiting for us. Lisa looked calm, but Tina seemed a bit agitated. I didn't understand that at the time, but looking back, I think I do now.

"Do you want a little tour of my parlor?" Lisa asked in a teasing voice. "What you see will change your lives."

Hitomi squeezed my hand.

"Yes, please, lead on," I said.

Lisa opened a plain beige door that I'd figured was access for maintaining the pumps on the giant waterslide. The space inside did indeed house pump machinery, but there was also a lift. It was cleverly disguised--to most people it would look like just another section of floor--but when Lisa hit a remote button, it descended, taking us with it. I glanced up and saw that the "ceiling" was closing over us; the floor would continue to look normal while we were gone.

A tidy, well-appointed, well-lit laboratory awaited us. It smelled like a clinic. The equipment was obviously the best money could buy.

"I figured I could keep this secret for a mere two weeks," Lisa said. "Leifang, you're not to be underestimated! Okay, watch the main screen, you two."

We did. It displayed something microscopic, with color added to make certain elements stand out. "That's an egg, probably mammalian," Hitomi asserted.

"Correct. Watch the fluid, on the left, and the molecules I've highlighted in florescent blue."

We watched. The blue molecules multiplied and they approached the egg in the center. Within a minute, one of the molecules touched the egg's outer membrane. The egg enveloped the blue molecule and repelled the others, which then broke apart. Hitomi and I gasped at the speed of the change. Soon, the blue molecules were gone, but the egg itself was growing. It changed shape as it grew.

It divided.

"This happened in the womb of a chimpanzee 36 hours ago," Lisa informed us as we stared at her in shock.

"What were those molecules?" I asked. My voice was no more than a whisper.

She grinned. "Take a guess."

"RNA."

"Right. Where did they come from, do you suppose?"

"Another chimp?"

"Another female chimp. In a manner analogous to the standard way, this chimp became pregnant with a female chimp's child safely and efficiently."

"How?" I asked.

"Have you got a couple of days to read my notes?" she asked. "I'm afraid it will take at least several hours to tell you the details and they'll probably make more sense if you read them for yourself."

"I'm always hungry for knowledge, but our absences would be noticed. Do you have any other examples of this working?"

"Three generations of guinea pigs," Tina said, looking at Lisa proudly. "They're so cute, too!"

Lisa led us through a wide door and showed us an enclosed habitat. "The first two generations were raised in a microenvironment of their own, but I've put this third generation--a group of 44--in an enclosure with 49 ordinary guinea pigs. The idea was to see if the new could or would compete with the old. So far, the groups have been practically indistinguishable. Comparable strength, intelligence, perception, and neither group is more aggressive than usual. I've also exposed them to mild viruses. There, the all-female group has an edge; they gain immunity faster than normal. Unlike cloning, my system of reproduction increases a population's strength, through diversity."

"There are no drawbacks," Hitomi said, sounding almost giddy.

I didn't believe that: nothing comes without a price. Would Lisa let that statement stand?

"There are a few," the dark-skinned woman admitted. "Besides contraindications, there are some side effects." That was the Lisa I knew; she wouldn't be tempted to claim she'd produced a perfect system, even when invited to do so.

"What are the contraindications?" I asked.

"It's not for anyone more than 45 years of age. Hypertension, history of CVAs, and AIDS or other immune-compromising conditions are also contraindicating factors.

"As for side effects, they're a strange set. Because I haven't tested humans, I'm not 100% sure of all the side effects. Immediately after the procedure, two or three days of nausea, headaches, and/or vertigo. Long-term side effects include increased sexual appetite and increased sexual pleasure; I haven't determined yet if those effects are related. Oh, and apparently, there's no sexual desire for males. Not one of my test subjects has mated the traditional way. Frankly, I'm unsure if traditional reproduction is possible after the procedure."

"'Side effects' indeed," I mused.

"Some of them are positive!" Hitomi said. Lisa, Tina, and I looked at her and she blushed, lowering her eyes. "I mean--well, if you--"

I bailed out Hitomi by interrupting. "--I get the feeling there's one other thing you want to say, Lisa," I told her.

"Just one note of caution: I can't reverse the process. It's one of the hazards of using a virus that exists symbiotically with host DNA."

For the next hour and more, Lisa and Tina led us through the facility, answering the questions we had.

I'm no fool; I realized early that there was one very important question that hadn't been asked. I was afraid I already knew the answer. Lisa needed human subjects. She was unlikely to be a Jekyll or Frankenstein and test herself, but there was a good chance that Tina was such a subject. Hell, there was even a chance that Lisa wanted Hitomi or me to volunteer. It would be awkward if I asked that question.

"How long until you test humans?" Hitomi asked.

I felt like a giant sweat drop appeared on me. I barely kept from groaning aloud. To her credit, Lisa didn't pounce.

"I've been ready," the tall American answered with a wink at me. "That's started. It is nowhere near complete, however."

To forestall Hitomi, I quickly responded. "You'll send me data and footage of the results, I trust?"

"Of course," Lisa said, "as much as the participants are comfortable with me sharing. The terms of participation in this last stage of testing are unusual because the procedure itself is unusual."

"Thank you for showing us such an amazing and important discovery. Hitomi and I won't tell anyone what you've shown us here."

"Thank you for your discretion. I don't need to tell you how much danger we (I, especially) would be in if the rest of the world got wind of these developments. We're talking about reproduction that doesn't involve males. Misogynists will fear that as they've never feared anything. And most governments--and all reactionary sectarians--are misogynist."

Hitomi said, "This is beyond 'amazing!' I feel as though I should ask if you have any other breakthroughs you might want to share with us."

Tina laughed. "You really have no idea yet how much work Lisa has done on this project. I'm surprised she's had enough time to sleep or eat."

The dark woman grinned embarrassedly at the praise. "Speaking of eating, it's almost midday. Are we interested in going to lunch?"

We had consensus on that and after leaving the hidden lab, we went to the poolside grill. We distracted ourselves from what we'd just seen and heard by discussing our recreational activities.

"We've got to play volleyball again," Hitomi was saying. "People are going to think we're made of glass, or that maybe there's some debate about who was really the best team."

"Not that you lack humility," Lisa laughed.

"What I want to know is, will you two meet us at the casino tonight?" Tina asked.

I squeezed Hitomi's hand and she squeezed in return. "Sure, we'll see you there," I replied. "While we're on the subject, I assume one or both of you have won on Christie's slot machine."

Lisa's smile widened. "You ask as one who's won herself."

"We've enjoyed the dance, all right," Tina said.

Hitomi turned her big blue eyes to me. "'The dance?' We don't need to play a slot machine to dance. Tell me what you're talking about, ne?"

Tina spoke immediately, of course. "It's a pole dance, performed by Christie for anyone who wins. It's pretty damn sexy."

That wasn't the way I would have told her, but Hitomi responded with a sheepish smile. "I see. She can shake her ass, huh?"

Something in her tone told me there was more that came to her mind when she thought of the dance. I'd have to ask her, later. In the meantime, Tina was answering. "Yeah, she does a good job with it. I wonder where it was done. It looked like the casino, but I haven't seen that stage-looking room."

"Who knows?" said Lisa. "Let's consider the rest of today. I'm not very interested in playing volleyball, but I wouldn't say no to a race."

"Could we take you up on that in the afternoon?" I asked. "If we can locate Christie and Ayane, we have to challenge them."

"I guess it's time to wish you luck and go our separate ways," Tina said with an unexpected smile.

"Okay, we'll see you soon," Hitomi said.

We began our search for the pair who had defeated us. Hitomi and I had no trouble. After finding Kokoro and Helena in the Jungle, we met Ayane and Christie at Tranquil Beach.

"Is it rematch time already?" Christie asked in her usual uninterested tone.

"One definition of insanity is doing the same thing and expecting a different result." That was Ayane, adding her two cents.

"Less talk, more serve," Hitomi shot back.

The assassins weren't nearly as sharp as they'd been yesterday. It wasn't easy to beat them, but beat them we did.

The truly amazing aspect of our redeeming win was that Ayane didn't get very mad. She huffed a little, folded her arms, and muttered, "It's just a game." Her eyes were playful and her actions were flirtatious. I think it didn't hurt that she had a new swimsuit. It was a skimpy, red, thong-backed one-piece. She and Christie were each wearing one; they called it "Azurite." They both looked really good and knew it. The new suits seemed to mean more, though. They were evidence that the two women had a few things in common.

"You know what cures the pain of a loss? Ice cream," said Ayane.

"If the winners invite you and eat it with you," Christie responded. "If you could pay for it, we'd demand that, too."

Since our opponents were in such good moods, we went with them. (Granted, it's not difficult to talk Hitomi and me into ice cream treats.) I mentioned to Christie that I'd beaten her slot machine. She gave me a wink. Then I asked her where she'd done the dance.

"You must have won just last night," the fair British woman answered. "Don't be impatient. Earn your knowledge."

"So there is more to it," I murmured. She just gave me a reproving smile. She turned her attention back to her ice cream cone then.

I lost track of time, eating and talking. Hitomi must have too, because she suddenly said, "Leifang, it's 1630!"

"Shit!" I shrugged apologetically to Ayane and Christie. "We've got to go."

"See you later," Christie said.

"We want a rematch," Ayane added. "Thank you for playing us so well."

"Tomorrow, if we can," Hitomi said.

We hurried to the pier. Tina and--Kasumi!--were waiting for us. "I doubted you, but here they are," Kasumi said to Tina.

Tina gave us a grimace. "I doubted myself."

With my eyes, I asked her the question.

The blonde understood. "Lisa is working on something," she said simply. "We've only got a few minutes; let's race, ne."

I'd been on this course before. It was challenging. Kasumi was a better competitor than I'd remembered, too. There were a lot of ramps and I did flips over most of them, trying for a big bonus for stunts. I used my turbos as often as I charged them. Kasumi was way too far ahead for me to catch her.

Drenched by the buffeting waves, tired of keeping my grip and my footing, I finally crossed the finish line. Second place! Respectable enough for me: and the bonus was the biggest I had earned in a race. Hitomi finished right after me, looking relieved to be done with the brutal course. Last was Tina, but she was very cheerful. I saw why; her stunt bonus was enormous. She hadn't been racing us at all, really; this was between her and the course and she felt she'd won this round.

The day's outdoor activities over, Hitomi and I returned to our hotel. We ordered room service. Once our meal arrived, we put my newest invention to work. It was a floating platform that had an oscilloscope so it kept itself level. Its laser sensors and tiny fan engines kept it stationary. We put our food and wine on the hexagonal platform and we enjoyed dinner while soaking in the wide whirlpool tub.

We were sharing our dessert (chocolate silk pie) when Hitomi surprised me by taking hold of my waist and lifting me onto her lap. I settled myself against her and she chuckled. "I wish you didn't make me work so hard at seducing you," she teased. She and I fed each other the last of the pie, one slow bite at a time.

Hitomi nipped my neck. "Let me do what I want for now, meine liebe," she murmured. I wanted her badly. I groaned a little as she kissed my ears and my jaw. I leaned back, feeling her soft breasts with their stiff nipples. Her left hand was drifting lower, between my legs--

--The chime sounded. "Damn!" I said quietly.

But Hitomi held me still. She whispered, "That'll wait."

Of course it would...except... "I've got some things I need to give to the delivery girl. Trust me, babe, I don't want to stop you."

"Okay," she sighed. "I have things too, actually. But we will continue where we left off."

"You won't get any arguments from me."

I threw on a yellow bathrobe and dashed to the door. The delivery gal had been about to give up, so she was startled when I appeared. She recovered quickly, though. "There are two articles for you, miss," she said.

"Great," I answered, taking them. "Would you send these for me?"

"Of course."

Hitomi strode to my side, in a light blue robe. "Could you take these as well?" she asked, holding out two packages.

"Of course, Miss Hitomi," the woman said, her expression betraying no surprise and really no reaction at all to Hitomi being in my room. I was impressed with her bearing.

One gift was an X-box 360. Not terribly original, but it might be good for fun after the vacation.

The second gift was from Zack. Inside the small box (or a glorified envelope) was a credit-card-sized piece of gold-colored formica. It read: "Secret Ticket." There was a silhouette of a woman pole-dancing.

"Nan desu ka?" Hitomi said, looking over my shoulder.

I answered, "You ought to win on Christie's slot, tonight. This could very well be an invitation to the place where she performed. Maybe it will even be a live performance."

Her eyebrows rose. "If that's the case, don't enjoy it too much."

As always, her jealousy turned me on. Quick as lightning, I tugged open both our sashes and pulled her to me, rubbing our bare bodies together. "You're my love," I assured her, and I kissed her gently. She kissed me back, feeling delightfully warm and soft. Her hands burrowed under my robe to knead my backside. I tightened my arms, pressing us even more closely together.

"I know you love me. I love you too," the German lady breathed. "Let's go; I want to get back to this room ASAP...and make you squirm when I fuck you so good."

She almost never spoke like that. It always effected me when she did. I could smell her. I could feel her juice on my thighs. I could taste the lust in her kiss. "Good plan," I squeaked, hornier than I could ever remember being.

I had bought Hitomi "Starling" a day or two ago; she wore that and I wore "Peacock." Inside the casino, the place was jumping. Many of the hotel and restaurant staff had been allowed the chance to have a little fun for themselves and they'd taken it. Most of them weren't really modest either.

I saw a pretty--and tipsy--southern Asian coming toward us, with a taller, giggling friend in tow. Their tight microskirts and thin, tied-up blouses made their intentions plain. They were young, attractive, and looking for sex. "Can I ask you a question? Can my girlfriend kiss your girlfriend?" she drawled.

Somehow, I controlled myself and didn't knock out either one of them. However, I did open my mouth to reply. If I'd had the chance, I probably would have said, "It's not STD season yet, is it?" or "Sure, if she doesn't mind getting her head pounded down into her neck."

But instead, I felt Hitomi grip my waist and put her head on my shoulder. "I'm flattered, but we're engaged and very much in love." She made her answer sweetly and succinctly. My heart leapt with pride and happiness. She pulled me with her to the poker tables.

She faced me and I drew her into a kiss. "Baby, I love you," I sighed.

"Thank you. I love you too, very much." We held each other's hands and looked into each other's eyes, only a few cm apart. "Do you mind waiting until tomorrow to use your secret ticket? I'll do all I can to win tonight and if I'm successful, we can go tomorrow."

"Your wish is my command," I said to her.

She grinned evilly. "Nice. I've got some outrageous wishes." Her hands squeezed my ass hard. "I'll find you when I'm done at the slots."

What I wanted to do was go back to the hotel with Hitomi then and there. Instead, I instructed her playfully, "Don't be long. We've got business to resolve."

I went to the poker tables.

My mind wasn't on the game. I lost about 25,000. I'd have an easier time at blackjack, so I drifted over there. Honestly, I couldn't understand it. Normally, I compete so hard I focus without meaning to. Tonight, all I could think of was Hitomi. Distracted as I was, I broke even in half an hour of play.