Xeno High

Tetra woke to the sound of yelling and gunfire. Saadra, one of her Colony sisters, was shaking her awake. She blinked groggily as the other Sha'dee hauled her to her feet.

"What's going on?" She asked, staring about. Everyone else was already up and half-dressed, scurrying about to push barricades up against the windows and retrieve Kalashs* and shotguns from hiding places in the walls and floor. "Mercs?!"

"No, no, not Mercs, Niners." Saadra explained, grabbing a rifle and chest rig from a nearby brother. "If it was Mercs we'd be dead already."

"Kodo bastards." Tetra snarled, pulling on her coverall as Saadra strapped on the chest rig and slapped a magazine of 9mm slugs into the old gun. The Niners were a local gang, composed mostly of Kodo and Aikra who made their living jacking cars and selling narcotics and blackmarket weapons to other Xenos. They weren't particularly fond of the Sha'dee, who were generally wealthier than them by virtue of being higher on the Conglomerate totem pole. On top of which, Sha'dee colonies were very insular and clannish, preferring to do business internally or with other colonies, which hurt the Niners' profit margins when Sha'dee took over more territory. Probing attacks like this were not uncommon; the Niners would drive by and shoot up the outside of a building until they were driven off. They didn't dare land and try to get inside: fighting Sha'dee in close quarters was a losing proposition for anyone other than armored Humans.

*["Kalash" is a slang term for junky, outdated automatic railguns of the type typically sold on the streets. The exact origin of the term is unknown to most people in the 28th Century, but likely comes from the fact that the majority of Kalash-style rifles in circulation are relics from Earth's 2nd Space Race, built by an ancient nation known as "Russia" using the surplus receivers and furniture of even older chemical cartridge rifles known as Kalashnikovs.]

"Get to safety, we'll deal with it!" Saadra ordered, pointing to the door as she slapped the solenoid lever to chamber a round.

"No! I want to help!" Tetra insisted, looking around for a free rifle. Saadra had run over and braced herself against the thick concrete wall beside one of the windows. Before she could reply, they heard the roar of a turbine and Tetra reflexively dropped to the ground as a torrent of bullets careened through the window and tore apart the far wall, sending splinters flying. One of her brothers took a round in the shoulder and toppled over, swearing and clutching his wound. Saadra and the others roared in anger and started firing out the windows. Tetra clapped her hands over her ears and winced at the thunderous crackling of the railguns. Two others had grabbed the injured male and were dragging him out of the room, and she noticed that his rifle had been left behind. She crawled over and picked it up. It was heavier than she had expected, and slightly too large, clearly designed for a Human.

Tetra scooted over to the nearest vacant window, crouching over and wincing as bullets and chips of concrete flew over her head. She tentatively raised her head, peeking over the windowsill and ducked back down immediately as a shower of bullets slammed into the sill. There were three vehicles, two souped-up sedans and a van, zooming in and out of their field of view with Kodos firing out the windows.

"TETRA! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" Saadra shouted over the chaos, ejecting her spent magazine and cramming in a new one.

"HELPING!" Tetra yelled back, indignantly. There was a break in the enemy fire, and she took the opportunity to pop up and brace her rifle against the window. She had never fired a gun before, but she had a general idea of how it was supposed to work. The van came in for another pass, and Tetra placed the reticule where she figured the driver would be, then pulled the trigger.

She had not expected the recoil. The gun fired off a burst and slammed into her shoulder, causing her to jerk the trigger again inadvertently and the cycle to repeat, canting the gun violently upward and spattering the ceiling with bulletholes. She staggered backward and dropped the rifle, and was about to reach for it again when something smashed into her left arm and sent her spinning to the ground. White-hot searing pain shot through her arm and she clutched it as tears welled in her eyes. When she lifted her hand away, it was slick with blood. She stared at it and started to whimper and hyperventilate. She grabbed the wound again and curled up in a ball, her mind racing with panic. It hurt so much, making her entire arm throb. She thought she heard someone screaming her name, but everything was becoming hazy and muffled as she went into shock.

Strong hands grabbed her by the shoulders and dragged her across the rubble-strewn floor. She was pulled out the door and down the hall, deeper into the complex where more concrete walls protected them from the enemy fire. Her panic started to fade and her vision and hearing became sharper, revealing a concerned Saadra shaking her and staring into her eyes.

"Tetra! Tetra! Come on, snap out of it!" Her Colony-sister's voice cut through the haze. "You're OK, you're OK, it's just a graze!"

Tetra looked groggily down at her arm and started to panic again at the sight of blood spreading across her coverall. Saadra slapped her lightly on the cheek, bringing her back.

"You're gonna be fine! Hold still!" The older female grabbed Tetra's arm and lifted it up so the wound was above her heart, applying steady pressure to slow the blood loss. Another Sha'dee skidded to a halt next to them and dropped a first aid kit on the floor, popping it open and pulling out a field dressing. Tetra looked away and clenched her teeth as he applied the dressing and wrapped a bandage tightly around it. It stung at first, but the pain started to subside as the topical anesthetic in the dressing worked its magic. Her breathing slowed and she began to calm down.

"What the hell did you think you were doing!?" Saadra scolded, crossing her arms and glaring at Tetra. Tetra scowled and looked down, swallowing dryly.

"Helping..." She muttered, not wanting to meet Saadra's eyes.

"We had it under control! You're not a fighter, Tet', you should have left it to us!" Saadra sighed with worried exasperation. "Stay here. Don't move!"

Tetra laid back against the wall and continued to stare at the floor, nursing her arm. The others scrambled out of the passageway and back towards the sounds of battle. After a few minutes she heard an explosion, and the gunfire started to slacken, then petered out entirely. She waited a while longer until she felt her strength begin to come back to her, and got to her feet. Her head swum for a moment until she got her bearings, then staggered back into the sleeping room. It was a huge mess, with bits of wall paneling and chunks of concrete strewn everywhere. There were pools of drying blood on the floor where she and others had fallen. She felt bile rise in her throat as her eyes fell on two bodies laid flat out under sheets, and turned away, blinking back tears. She sensed Saadra's signature coming up behind her, and stepped back into the other girl's embrace.

"You alright?" Saadra asked, gently. Tetra nodded, her ears drooping.

"Who was it?" She asked, voice breaking slightly.

"Kelder and Hessa. It was quick, they didn't suffer."

"Did you get the bastards?" Tetra choked, fighting the urge to cry.

"The little cars got away, but we shot down the van." Saadra whispered sadly, rocking her gently to and fro in her arms. "The others got shot up pretty good, they won't be back for a while."

"Assholes!" Tetra sobbed, screwing her eyes shut and balling her hands into fists.

"Easy there, little one. It's alright." The older Sha'dee comforted her, nuzzling her face against Tetra's cheek. Tetra swallowed, and wiped her eyes.

"What time is it?" She asked.

"It's like six thirty."

"Shit... I need to go to work..."

"Are you sure? You gonna be alright?"

"Yeah. You said it's just a flesh wound, right? I can't afford to lose my job..."

"Alright. Do you want me to walk you to the monorail?"

"N-no. I'll be fine."

"OK." Saadra released her, and helped clean Tetra's face up with the hem of her top. They pressed their foreheads together for a moment, then Tetra steeled herself and left the room. She made her way to the platform where Ed had dropped her off the night before, found her bag, then made a run for the monorail platform. She was just in time to catch it, sliding her passcard and finding a seat within eyeshot of the P-Sec on duty. It felt odd, seeking out an armed Human for safety, but after the events of the morning she'd take Humans over the chance of running into a Niner.

***

She made it to the school on time, and tried to avoid thinking about the attack, burying herself in her work. Her arm began to hurt about halfway through the day as the anesthetic in the compress wore off, but there was no point in complaining. Best case scenario you would be laughed at. More likely, you would be sent home and lose a day's pay. She worked through the pain, keeping an eye out for Ed. She finally bumped into him a few minutes after lunch. Her heart skipped a beat and she wanted to embrace him, but she forced herself not to react in public. As she passed him, her augreal system pinged, asking her if she wanted to accept a secure chat line. She didn't have to think about it, accepting immediately. A smile crept across his face as they went their separate ways, and her system started receiving messages.

Ed902

>hey

TET44

>hey

Ed902

>good morning

>last night was amazing

TET44

>you thought so?

>me too

>I'm a little sore :P

Ed902

>I'm sorry

TET44

>nonono

>it's a good thing

> <3

Ed902

>lel

>I'm glad

>hey

>you doing anything after work?

>I wanna show you something

She grinned at the message, and replied immediately.

TET44

>no im free

>meet same place as before?

Ed902

>yeah sure

>see you soon

TET44

>awesome

>i cant wait! <3

Ed902

> :) <3

Tetra closed the window and set to work with a spring in her step. The hours flew by, and it seemed like no time at all before she was out and waiting behind the labs. It was a warm day, and she had rolled up the sleeves of her coverall, covering the bandage. Ed's skidbox swung into the lot, and she rushed over to hop in. They hugged across the center console and he kissed her on the cheek.

"How was your day?" He asked with a smile. She grinned back.

"Alright. It's a living I guess." Tetra shrugged. "I'm just glad it's over."

"Damn you're cute! Sorry, I can't help it. The way you grin with that one little fang poking out..."

Tetra flushed a deep purplish-red and kissed him again.

"Thanks! You're sweet."

"I think you're gonna like this. Buckle in, I'm gonna haul ass." Ed advised with a smile.

She busied herself strapping into the harness as he lifted the car off the ground and started ascending. Once he reached the altitude for high-speed flight he punched the accelerator. The little vehicle took off like a rocket, hurtling across the cityscape with turbines screaming. The plane they were on was mostly empty, and he didn't bother keeping to the lines. Ed fished around in his pocket and pulled out a cigarette tin, which he tossed to her. She opened it, and grinned as she found six tightly rolled joints tucked in one side. She pulled one out and held it with the business end towards Ed.

"Hey Eddy, I need a hand." She grinned slyly as he rolled his eyes at the pun and clicked his thumb to conjure a flame. She took a few quick puffs to get it lit, then leaned back into the seat and drew a long pull, exhaling slowly.

"Ohhhhh yeah... I needed that." She coughed, passing the smoldering tube to Ed.

"I bet." He chuckled, pulling on the 'j and swinging along the border of the Human Quarter towards the outskirts of the city.

They soared over the border wall, and Ed floored the accelerator, the G-forces slamming them back into their seats. Human cities tended to suck the life out of the land they sat on, leaving a wasteland of garbage and pollution around the outskirts. They passed over the trash heaps, and desert gave way to plains of swaying purple grass. Ed dove low and swept over the fields at high speed, leaving a trail of blow-over grass behind them. Tetra chirped happily, beaming from ear to ear as the high spread through her. They flew over a cliff, Ed skillfully manipulating the vertical control to keep them descending at a comfortable angle. He took them along a river that wound through the valley as the rocks turned to more grass and trees.

They reached the opening of the valley, and Ed slowed down, following an outcropping along the edge until he found a flat shelf poking out from the side of the rock face. He set the vehicle down on the plateau, lowering the skids and unlocking the doors. They hopped out and stretched, Tetra dropping the roach and crushing it under the tip of her boot. Ed did something with his augreal system to pop the storage compartment where the hood would have been on a landcar. He pulled out a pair of compression sacks and tossed one to Tetra, reaching back in to grab a hardcase. Tetra gazed out over the edge of their ledge, drinking in the beauty around them. The city was nowhere to be seen, with nothing but plains of purple grass and broad, lazy river as far as the eye could see. Ed led her back into a small cave along the wall. It was cool and shady inside, only a few meters deep. There was a pile of roaches and crushed beer cans next to the entrance. Ed had clearly been here before.

"This is my little hideout." He said, as though sensing her thoughts. "Whadda ya think?"

"It's really pretty out here! I can see the open sky! And there's growing things everywhere!" Tetra gushed, gazing around in wonder. She smiled as she drank in the pale tan rocks covered with creeping vines, the scrub trees clinging to the cliff face, the pure white clouds and clear blue sky.

"I'm glad you like it! I like to come out here sometimes, it's all clean and peaceful. Not like the city." Ed chuckled warmly, setting his load down and walking up to throw an arm over her shoulder. She purred and nestled against his side, laying her head on his chest as he squeezed her shoulder. She had missed his warmth.

"Feels more alive..." She noted with a purr, watching Ed light another joint.

"Yeah. Reminds me of home. I don't like the city. Everything's all dead and filthy. It's depressing. Especially when you take the augreal glasses off and see the world how it really is."

"I meant to ask you about that!" Tetra chirped as her Human boy passed her the joint and clicked the release on his compression sack. It contained a sleeping bag, which he spread out on the cool rock floor. "Why do you wear glasses? I figured you'd have implants like most Humans, especially with the other cybernetics you have..."

"I like to be able to take them off." He explained, grabbing the sack he had passed her and unrolling a second sleeping bag. "Augreal's cool and all, but most Humans just live in it 24/7. All they see is the illusion, they don't bother looking at the real world with their own eyes."

"Can't you just turn it off though?" She asked, passing the joint back and helping him zip the bags together to form one big one.

"Yeah, but how do you know it's really off? I like the glasses because when I take them off, I know what I'm seeing is the real world, as it is. No illusions." He elaborated, snapping open the hard case and pulling out a tall vaporizer.

"Hmm. Never thought about it like that..." Tetra mused, as Ed set the vaporizer down just behind the head of the sleeping bags and connected the hoses.

"Here, try my glasses. See the augreal Humans see." Ed offered the eyewear to her.

They didn't quite fit on her head, and she had to hold them at an awkward angle, but it worked. She peered around in surprise. The cave, the valley, the fields... All had been plastered with advertisements and social media windows. She pulled the glasses away and blinked.

"Holy shit. That's what Humans see all the time?"

"Yeah. That's why I don't have retinal implants."

"Makes sense..."

Ed lay down on the sleeping bags and stared up at the ceiling of the cave, blowing lazy smoke rings that floated up through the still air and drifted between stalactites. Tetra lay down next to him and snuggled in close, burrowing herself into his warm body. She nestled her head against his shoulder and chest, and started to purr.

He beamed at her, and held the smoldering joint up to her mouth. She grinned and accepted, curling her lips around the paper tube and pulling until she tasted the harsh flavor of the crutch. She spit it out and exhaled, then leaned in to kiss him. She loved this Human act, as new as it was to her. He seemed to enjoy it too, smiling uncontrollably at her and wrapping her up in his arms.

"I love your heat..." Tetra purred, running a pair of delicate red fingers along his cheek. He laughed, and pressed her closer, enveloping her little form.

Ed ran his hand over her slender shoulder, grasping her upper arm. She cried out in pain as his fingers dug inadvertently into her wound. He flinched, and stared at her in concern.

"You OK? Did I hurt you?"

"n-no, it wasn't you..." She looked away in embarrassment and shook her head.

He gently unrolled her sleeve, revealing the hole in her coverall and the bandage underneath. Ed pushed the sleeve all the way up her arm and inspected the dressing.

"What happened? Who did this to you?" He asked, sounding upset and angry.

"It's just a scratch. It's nothing." Tetra frowned and swallowed, not wanting to talk about it.

He gently probed the skin around the bandage, being careful not to hurt her. His thumbs brushed across some scratches and stippling, and his concerned look intensified.

"This stippling is from ablated metal off a railslug. Someone shot you! I-is this my fault?"

"No! No, it's nothing to do with you. I promise. Just gang stuff."

"What gang? Where do they live?"

"Please... Don't get involved. There's nothing you can do. I don't want you to be part of that side of my life..."

He seemed troubled, but relented, pressing her head against his chest and rocking her gently in his arms. She let thoughts of her injury and the events surrounding it melt out of her head, dissolved in the pleasure of being close to Ed as she resumed her purring.

"Ed..." She crooned, stroking his chest and working her tail under the covers so she could wrap it around their legs. "I wanna be with you again..."

"You mean like, make love?" He asked tentatively, trying (unsuccessfully) to hide his excitement.

"Is that what Humans call it?" She chirped. "That's so sweet!"

"You think so? I always thought it sounded kinda dumb."

"No! It's adorable!"

"You're adorable."

"Awwwwwwww... You're so kind..." She purred, grinding herself against him. She could feel the hot bulge in his pants pressing into her groin, causing her to tremble and grow even wetter, her thick lubricant dripping down her legs. She wanted him inside of her so bad it hurt, her tight little tunnel pulsing and aching with need. "Can we do it though? I've been thinking about it all day..."

"Yeah! Of course! Actually... I-i wanted to ask you but I wasn't sure that was OK..." He looked sheepish, blushing slightly.

"Don't be silly!" She chirped, blushing and leaning in to nuzzle her face into his cheek. "If you're my boyfriend, that's like a mate, right? So I'm yours! You can take me whenever you want, as long as you're gentle!"

"Really? That's... I don't know what to say... Thanks!" Ed stammered, face flushed and eyes beaming.