Authors note -
Hey peeps, just an upfront warning on this one because I'm all about that transparency.
This is the first chapter is the series that features a LEVEL BLACK sex scene which is reserved for outright weird fetishes and potentially offensive content. In this instance, we're going weird. Its fully warning'd up and has the details as you approach. Feel free to skip if you hate the sound of it but otherwise, I'd advise giving it a look, I've had surprisingly good feedback. I don't want to be spoilery but I also don't want to ambush readers with stuff they might find repulsive. Gotta find the balance. Anyway, enjoy!
*
"Twenty minutes ago, every Node and Slave on the station seized up and collapsed. Every single one of them experienced the exact same phenomenon." Moltezz was pacing back and forth within the softly dimmed meeting room, with a stern expression to match her stern, strong voice. Her shoulders were unusually tense. Sat around the heavy, round table, Leech, Ink, Cherry, Plum and Bubblegum all watched her closely. Every face held a different expression; some were wearing their thoughts clearly, others, not quite so much.
"Plasia screamed inside their heads." Moltezz continued. "She begged for help. While I have an increasing number of questions regarding this... interaction, the only one that really matters is this; do we respond?"
Currently situated on the uppermost deck of Barru X, the Controllers had ordered every Mark and Node off the floor, leaving the six of them alone. Surrounded by comfy, if undersized chairs, they had a clear view of the surrounding stars through the thick pains of glass surrounding them, all of which felt like just a hand's reach away to Moltezz.
"I.. think we should help her." Plum spoke up softly, rubbing her hands against her thighs. "I know that most of us here have never even met her but... more Controllers are better than less. And it'd be nice to have more of us about."
"Pfft! Leave her!" Ink's lip curled into a snarl as she instantly snapped back. "She was given our gift, and she squandered it. She should be strong enough to look after herself. If she can't, she's already a liability." The monstrous Controller's vision was glued to Moltezz, although she seemed unfazed by Ink's intense glare and was staring thoughtfully out at the stars. Upon hearing her words however, Moltezz's stare instantly snapped to Ink, the fury captured perfectly in her twisting face.
As quickly as her temper rose, it fell, and with a brief flicker of visible confusion, her anger was quenched. She cleared her throat gently.
"...Harsh, Ink. But understandable. What about the rest of you?"
"Never thought I'd agree with the big-ass tentacle creep, but I kinda do." Cherry said. Immediately, she felt both Bubblegum and Plum smack her back in protest. "What? I do! Plasia should be fending for herself!"
Bubblegum's usually happy-go-lucky demeanour had slipped dramatically off of her face, and she shook her head in disgust at Cherry's comment.
"Cherry! Asshole! If we don't look after our own, who will?! Controllers should stick together!"
"I'm surprised you didn't respond to the 'creep' comment, Ink." Moltezz mused, listening as the Trio bickered amongst themselves.
"Why would I care what a second-hand weakling thinks of me?" Ink smirked, flicking her dreadlocks dismissively.
"EXCUSE ME?!" Cherry stood from her chair, furious. "Who the fuck you calling a weakling?!"
"Enough." Moltezz snapped her fingers, and the two settled down immediately without protest, however Cherry continued to shoot daggers at Ink from across the table.
"So, Plum and Bubblegum both vote to assist her..." Her gaze rested on Leech, who was deep in thought, gently biting on her fingernails and staring off into space. "You're being unusually quiet, Leech. Share your thoughts."
"I know where she is. Down to the sector."
"You do...?"
"She's in DA territory. I KNEW those fuckers had a hand in it." Leech growled, her hands curling into fists.
"The DA?" Plum repeated in surprise. "Haven't we spent the last few weeks working out how to avoid DA territory?"
"Indeed, we have." Moltezz murmured thoughtfully, her eyes focused on the teal-green alien, trying to read her every moment, every blink, every shift of her feet and flick of her wrists. "Continue, Leech."
"Well... I'm not sure exactly how she did it, but it looks like Plasia was able to break through the restrictions and physical limits, into the hierclasty. We shouldn't have ever been able to hear her, or reach her; the Nodes certainly can't now, she's too far away. When Plasia sent her message, it had pin-point accurate direction encoded within it but not distance. So, every Node, in their own unique placement, felt a pull towards the same point, but from minutely different directions. I just... trawled through the sensory data of enough Nodes until each line intersected at a certain point; that's where Plasia is. I'm still figuring out this sensory sharing and decoding stuff, but it is bloody accurate."
"That is... impressive. But you still have not answered what I asked you." Moltezz frowned. "Although, I suppose it does answer for you, if you're thinking about where she is."
Leech clicked her tongue and stood sharply from her seat, pushing it back with a screech.