Gina's log. Things have only gotten stranger. I'm still on the run, now an illegal immigrant on Mars, where I'm effectively stranded and penniless. I've finally met X's creators... I think. They're some kind of Darpa-level scientists working in a secret lab, fugitives themselves. I was told I can ask them what organization they're on the run from, but I'm honestly a bit scared to. That sort of thing is way beyond me. I've also met Captain Miller at last. She says that she isn't the creator, that she's a smuggler who brought the scientists here. 'Here' is a sex toy workshop in the middle of nowhere. Yes, the scientists gave up building weapons to build sex toys. Even stranger, the captain looks just like me. Or, since she's older, I guess I look just like her. I'm starting to feel like Alice in wonderland. This is sure not where I thought my life would lead me.
Captain Miller reloaded her vape, then opened the door to the lab, a procedure, Gina noted, that required both punching in a code on a keypad and inserting her finger into a biometric scanner that sampled her DNA, temperature and heart rate. Both scientists looked up as the door hissed open.
"Hello, Captain," they both said at the same time.
"Good evening," she replied.
Gina hovered just behind the captain's left and tried not to stare. She couldn't look either of them in the eye. Not only had she just watched them both having sex right in front of her, but she knew that they weren't wearing anything under their lab coats. This was a fact impossible to ignoreβwhile the woman had buttoned hers closed again, the man had not. He seemed completely unconcerned that he was standing there with his penis in full view of the entire room. Gina, red-faced and trying to look anywhere but directly at him, found herself in wonderment once again at the male body. How could something so small and wrinkly, barely visible in the remarkably thick nest of black hair, grow into something so much bigger and a lot more fun?
"You've had your evening exercise, I see."
"We've been testing a new gel," the man declared excitedly.
"Oh?"
"It instantly warms on contact with skin to a temperature currently varying between 0.2 and 0.6 degrees warmer than coreβrectal measure. It's lubricity is slightly greater than typical vaginal secretion (estimated) but it has excellent viscosity retention."
"It takes 30-60 minutes to be absorbed by the body," the woman added, "...not counting the presence of semen."
Gina's mind boggled. The presence of...? Rectal core temperature? She couldn't even conceive of measuring something like that scientifically. 30-60... wouldn't it feel weird having something so greasy inside you for so long?
"It feels good," the woman added, as if reading Gina's mind.
The tech hadn't even realized she'd been making a face.
"It tastes like cherry," the man chipped in.
"They do so get into their work," the captain commented.
"It also contains nanos trackable to a distance of approximately 1000 metres, and easily detectable for up to 48 hours," the man interjected.
Captain Miller quickly cleared her throat. "Ahem, that's not why we're here, actually," she said, looking at Gina out of the corner of her eye.
The twins approached, making Gina work harder to avoid staring at the penis bouncing closer and closer to her.
"It would seem that XTC 2... it's good to see you, 2..."
"It's good to see you, too," the droid parroted.
"...has made a choice," the captain informed them, gesturing toward Gina.
"Oh?" they both said at once.
The man immediately pulled some kind of pen out of his pocket, took Gina's hand and pressed it to her finger. There was a sharp pain as it stabbed her.
"Ow!" she cried, but before she could even register that he'd drawn blood, he turned and walked briskly away, vanishing through another door. As she sucked her finger, she shot an accusing glance at the woman, who didn't seem the slightest bit perturbed, and had begun entering information into her tablet.
"What is your name, please?" she asked.
"Gina," the tech replied. She was uncomfortable yet, giving out her last name, and was starting to wonder just what kind of bizarre circus she'd walked into.
"This is Leah. That was Lucas," Captain Miller commented. "They're our resident geniuses. Gina rescued XTC 2 from the wreck of La Petite Mort. She's named him simply X. Isn't that adorable? He seems to like it."
"I thought it was called Le Petit Mort?" Gina interrupted, glad for something to take her mind off Leah's staring at her and tapping data into her tablet.
"Well," the captain sighed, "never send a droid to arrange the paperwork... at least, not unless you've installed language software first. If nothing else, it makes it harder to find. Made it harder," she corrected herself. "I miss that ship. It was beautiful. I'll have it renamed when I have it repaired. Something completely new, of course."
Before anyone could say anything else, another droid came into the room and stepped to the captain's side. He looked identical to X before she'd given him RealSkin. Gina noticed right away, though, that he didn't move identically. His posture was straighter, stiffer, and he tended to tilt his head slightly as though regarding his surroundings with an air of detached interest. Even when he moved his hands, there was a certain... precise crispness to the movements, as opposed to the fluidity of X's. It made her realize just how accustomed she'd grown to X.
"It's been done, as ordered captain," he told her, earning a pleased smile.
"This is XTC 1," she said, gesturing to the droid. "His name is William. Usually, I just call him Number One... unless I'm cross with him; then I call him evil-minded bugger." She chuckled, despite Gina not getting the joke. "On occasion, I've been known to call him Big Willy... but I won't tell you why."
Gina was pretty sure she already knew why, and continued to stare with a deer-in-the-headlights expression. She felt more than a little overwhelmed.
"It must surely have been a long, difficult journey," Captain Miller said, smiling at Gina. "Why don't I have William prepare you a room and a shower? A little relaxation is in order. Some food, perhaps a nap afterwards? I have some business to take care of, but do make yourself at home." She led Gina back out of the room. Behind her, the scientists were smiling.
"I don't want to put you to any trouble," Gina insisted, though inwardly she was excited at the prospect of a shower.
"Nonsense, dear," the captain said with a dismissive wave, "after bringing X home, it's the least I can do. Take as long as you like."
"If you're sure it's okay."
"Number One, make it so," the captain commanded, with a grin.