La Belle Ile En Mere

All characters in sexual situations are 18 or older. Thanks for reading!

"There you are, you sneaky fuck." Ernest surprised himself with the curse word. But these were unusual times, and it seemed his mind's filter was clogged. He charged down the stairway, leaping three steps at a time. The scout pressed itself against the wall, hoping that it was hidden. It wasn't. He slashed his sword, but missed when the awkward creature sprang from the wall and fled down the stairway, its joints moving in all the wrong directions. Ernest's sword dug into the wall, tearing a stretch of aquamarine wallpaper. But he pulled it free, caught his balance, and gave chase.

"Veuillez vous abstenir d'endommager les murs de l'hôtel. Si cela se reproduit, vous serez signalé à la sécurité," Océane said.

"La sécurité?" Ernest spat the words as he descended the stairs. He passed a sign for the thirty-third floor. "I know that word, Océane. You don't... have security anymore. Everybody knows... that the Plaice-Hubbard Act... forbids armed robots outside... the military. And all your... human... security... is dead." Ernest panted as he ran. He was catching up to the scout. He could see the oil-slick sheen on its otherwise pitch-black body. Under the surface of its skin, an eye floated to the back of its head. Ernest could just make out the dangling optic nerve, seemingly unattached to anything. The eye saw him. It fixed its stare right on him. Its pupil dilated as Ernest gained on the creature.

They had just passed the twenty-ninth floor when Ernest's sword bit into the scout's back. It made a strange squealing sound, stumbled, and fell. A few seconds later it exploded like it had been depressurized. Fortunately for Ernest, most of the black goo missed him, covering the wallpaper to his right. The scout disintegrated before him, forming a dark puddle on the stairs filled with bones, sinew, and two now unseeing eyes. "That... is disgusting." Ernest poked at the grisly detritus with the tip of his sword, moving tar-covered bones around. A disembodied brain jiggled when he pushed it. He worked to catch his breath, a deep satisfaction moving through him. "I... got you."

Movement caught Ernest's eye. Another scout leapt off the wall just beyond the switchback and fled down the tower. Ernest was too tired from the first chase to continue. "Yeah... you better run!" He shouted after the thing. "I'm going to destroy every one of you fuckers!"

~~

The night was dangerously close to ending, and George had hardly slept a wink. He waited and waited for Kapnos to show. But she wasn't there. He was just about to give up hope when the door opened. He quickly sat up in bed and straightened his tie. "Nossy, I..." His thoughts trailed off when he saw who it was. "Mom? What are you -?"

"I'm not your mother, George." Kapnos entered the room and offered a tentative smile.

"I... thought I asked you not to be my mom." George frowned.

"You did. But I couldn't be Delores... so." She arched her eyebrows hopefully.

"Well, it's going to go worse if my mom finds herself doing stuff with her son."

"Okay... true..." Kapnos nodded. She closed the door behind her softly. They were right next door to the real Anna Zaal, and she didn't want to wake her. "But since you held your mother's hand, I thought you might want to practice with -"

"I don't understand." George interrupted her. "I don't want you to be my mom, Nossy. I told you that."

"I'm sorry, Georgie." She took a couple of tentative steps toward him. "I wanted to make you happy. And

she

makes you happy. If you feel... um, I feel..." Her shoulders shook as an unexpected storm of emotion overtook her.

George got up. Was she really crying? "What's wrong?" He went over to her. It was so strange being with her as his mom. He wanted to console her with a hug but didn't want to touch her. He settled for patting her shoulder.

"I feel so ugly, George. You saw me as... as... as..." She started to sob. "... as a robot. Can you unsee... that? I want to be... beautiful... to you."

"You're beautiful. And well, my mom is beautiful, too. But she's my mom. I don't want to blur the two of you in my head. I don't want to see her naked." George rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Unless

she

wants to show me."

"I'm not... ugly?" Kapnos got her tears under control.

"Remember, it's your personality I like best." George smiled. "Speaking of which. I have a few questions to ask."

George described the shadow thing in the hall. Kapnos swore it wasn't her. She explained what she looked like in her true form. It was nothing like the shadow creature. He then asked her about French. She smiled. Of course she spoke French. She'd lived in France for centuries. She hadn't thought about offering her skills as a translator, but she was happy to do it. They then spent about twenty minutes peppering Océane with questions. The computer explained that Kapnos was her earliest guest, and the latest guest was quite different. It was causing problems. The latest guest was apparently related to the shadow creature, but they couldn't get more out of Océane, so they moved onto another topic. The comm net was a hardware problem; the hotel's primary and secondary antennae were damaged. Océane also reported that she couldn't control locks anymore because that hadn't been programmed into her current version.

George was about to ask more questions, but Kapnos put a hand on his shoulder. "We're running out of time before your mother wakes. Do you have any more

vital

questions? Otherwise, we should wait until later to talk to Océane."

"Transport! Ask her about transport." George learned that there were two shuttles still docked higher up the tower, but Océane could not tell if they were too damaged to be space-worthy. There was also an executive lifeboat attached to an office on the two-hundredth floor. They would have to access the executive terminal to launch. Océane wasn't allowed to divulge the security features on the executive terminals. George made note of the shuttle locations, said thank you to Océane through his translator, and dismissed the computer.

"Satisfied?" Kapnos smiled at him.

"I feel like I've been starved for information. Now I'm stuffed." He rubbed his belly. "I should ask her about survivors."

"There aren't any more. You're the only ones. That was the first thing I checked after

it

happened." Kapnos moved toward the bathroom. "I can change if you like. Who would you like me to be?"

"Do we have time? Maybe you should go before my mom wakes up." George looked at the door.

Kapnos stopped by the bathroom and looked over at him. Anna didn't have a face that was conducive to puppy-dog eyes, but she tried her best while clasping her gloved hands before her.

"You really want to? We can just wait until tonight." George swiped his hand to check the time. There were less than twenty minutes until wake-up time.

"I just want you to hold me. Just for a few minutes." Kapnos put her hand on the bathroom door. "Please?"

How did he not understand that she needed reassurance?

Sometimes humans still managed to confound her.

"Come here, Nossy. As long as you keep your clothes on, I can hug you as my mom." He opened his arms and laughed when she raced over. She snuggled into him, pressing her large boobs into his stomach. He circled his arms around her and held her tightly, resting his chin on her blond, pinned hair. "I would never think you're ugly."

"Not even in my true state?" She nuzzled her nose into his chest.

"That sounds interesting, actually. Maybe you could show me sometime?" He was getting hard despite himself. He knew it was only a copy, but his body was pressed against the fantastic rolling curves of his mother's spectacular form. He pictured her blowing her fingers and got even harder.

"You're getting excited, I can feel it." Kapnos moved her face off his chest and looked up at him. "Is it me or her that's gotten you so riled up?"

"Both of you." George gazed at her beauty. He lost himself in her gray-blue eyes. "Why does my mom have to be so perfect?"

"She is very pretty, George. But she isn't singular. It's your love for her that you see when you gaze into her eyes." She parted her lips and softened her face, inviting a kiss if he was so inclined. "And since you care for me, too, I imagine that might be added to what you see."

"If I think about it, I

can

see you in there, Nossy. It's so strange." He leaned his face to hers and kissed her on the cheek. "Everything's good between us. And we might have found a way off this hotel thanks to you. You're the best girlfriend ever." He released her. "Now go, before my mom wakes up. She would just flip out if she found you, herself, in my room." He patted her ample butt as she scurried for the door. He sighed. He could have had his mother's body with Nossy if he wanted to. But that wasn't his desire. He craved his mother

wanting

to show him. That was something worth waiting for, even if it never happened.

~~

"When my brother gets back, I'm sure he can get jewelry for both of you, too." Lillian wore the tiara, necklace, and her best dress as she walked down the hall to breakfast. Delores and Edith accompanied her. Lillian walked with a stiff back, her gloved hands barely moving by her hips, as she imagined a princess might walk. "We'll all look so stunning together."

"Right." Edith rolled her eyes. But she had to admit, she was glad to have the company.

"Carlos always said I was his princess." Delores smiled. It was good Lillian had pushed to have these shared meals. It brought some life back into Delores's pallid existence.

"We'll be three sparkling jewels, ladies. All the men in the hotel will watch us pass with their tongues hanging to the floor." Lillian laughed, and the other women joined in. They were making the best of their extended stay at La Belle Île en Mer.

~~

"I'm not sure this is a good idea." Constance watched her husband fiddle with the pistol. "Do you even know how to operate it?"

"You didn't see the look in his eye, beloved. It was murder." Roy pulled out the cartridge and emptied the ammunition into his hand. It was a thin block of heavy metal alloy.

Constance frowned at her husband. "Where do the bullets go?"

"You've been watching too many old movies. Modern firearms can shoot anything metal you put into them. The machine inside shaves a bullet from the material you feed it." He looked up at her and smiled. "The stock ammunition are these rectangles. And if Mr. Zaal tries anything, we'll pump him full of this." He held up the rectangle, his smile broadening.

"I see." Constance's frown deepened. She didn't like what the hotel was doing to her husband. She would have to try and steer him away from his investigation.

Maybe we should move to a different part of the hotel.

~~

"Mom?" George held up her bare finger between them. It glistened with his saliva. "I pruned you again." They were sitting next to each other on the edge of his bed.

Anna sighed. "You sure did." How odd that something so salacious could feel so natural. This was only the second time she'd let him kiss and suck her finger, and she was already getting used to the idea. "Shall we start the day?" She smiled brightly and removed her hand from his grasp. She shook it to give it a quick air dry before putting her glove back on.

"Before we start the day, I was wondering..." George tried to find the words. "Being here with your bare hand is incredibly special. The little blue veins under your skin... drive me crazy. I thought about your hand... a lot last night."

"I bet you did." Anna raised her eyebrows.

"I was wondering... um... do your breasts have similar veins?" He gulped, praying he hadn't gone too far. There had been so little time with Kapnos that he hadn't even told her about what he'd done with his mother, or gotten any plans from her about how to proceed. So, he'd rely on instinct. It hadn't let him down so far.

"Excuse me?" She slapped his shoulder playfully with her unused glove. "I really hope I misheard you."

Bravely, George pushed headlong into the request. "Your boobs, Mom. If I could see them and commit them to memory, I'd never dream about touching another woman." He saw her cross expression. "Until we get home, and I court a woman properly," he added quickly.

"I should have known this would all lead here." She pulled on her glove. "Let me be clear, so this isn't brought up again. What we've done is the result of extenuating circumstances. I'm not some girl from school you're courting. I'm your mother. I will never show you my breasts."

"But... I mean... you showed me your hand. What's the difference?" George's face fell. He was crestfallen. His instincts had let him down.

"How long was my hand bare before you put it in your mouth?" Anna frowned at her son. "Don't you think I know the journey my breasts would travel if I gave into your request?"

"I... but..." He blinked at her. She didn't look angry, but she was stone-faced. Experience had taught him that she'd never change her mind when she dug her heels in. Not even his father could persuade her when her face went stiff as it was at that moment. "I'm sorry... Mom." He looked away.

"Don't feel down, George." She held up her gloved hand and wiggled her fingers. "If you're good with Delores today, you'll have your reward tonight."

"Thanks, Mom," He mumbled.

"Now what was it you had to tell me about Océane?"

George's face brightened a little. He told her he'd made a breakthrough in understanding the computer, but it took time to prepare the translation so he couldn't ask the computer anything at the moment. He then relayed the good news about the transports, the private lifeboat, and the rest of what he'd learned from Océane.

Anna was astounded. Her son never ceased to amaze her. She listened intently, absorbing and digesting every bit of precious information.

~~

"Where do you want to eat today, ladies?" Lillian strode regally along the mirrored hallway with Edith on one side and Delores on the other.

"I'm sick of Aubergine. Maybe we could..." Edith's voice trailed away when she spotted Ernest lumbering toward them. His shoulders were slumped from exhaustion, and he dragged the point of his sword on the carpet, leaving a long, meandering divot behind him. His tie was unknotted, his suit was rumpled, and it had been sprayed with something black and viscous on the right sleeve. "What the...?"

"Dad?" Lillian put a hand to her mouth. "What happened to you?"

"Vermin... I was exterminating vermin, princess." With the hand that wasn't dragging the sword, he waved dismissively to his daughter.

"We don't have any pests at this hotel, Mr. Zaal." Edith cocked her head as she watched him move past them. The man looked haggard and worn thin.

Ernest barked out a short laugh. "You could not be more mistaken." He opened his door and glanced at his daughter. "I'm going to sleep now." He took the

do not disturb

sign and hung it from the outside handle. "I'll see you later." He went into his room and slammed the door.

The women watched his door with wide eyes for several seconds. Finally, Lillian cleared her throat. "He's just messing around." She forced a laugh. "He's always making jokes like that at home. Come along, ladies. Let's enjoy our lunch." She led her friends down the hall, trying very hard to pretend that everything was okay. Lillian prayed her mother would return soon.

~~

"So, we'll check the docks on one-seventy-six and one-eighty-two, and then find the executive offices on two-hundred. We can skip the rest of the search for now. How does that sound?" Anna tried not to picture the short, tan woman naked while bouncing on George's long pole.

No mother should have to fight away such images.

She offered a thin smile over their breakfast table.

"You got all this from Océane? Can I talk to the computer? I need to ask about my husband." Kapnos thought that's what Delores would ask. She put on a brave face as if she was holding back tears.

"The translation process takes time. And I'm not sure I fully understand it." Anna glanced at her son, who was eating an excellent approximation of oatmeal. The waiter ambled up to them, but Anna waved it off.

"Um..." George swallowed his food and nodded. There was a strange tautology of subterfuge running around the table. "I can ask Océane about your husband tonight, when I have some time. We'll be busy climbing and exploring today. With any luck, we'll be off this hotel before tomorrow. But I'll be sure to ask the computer before..." When a shadow slipped into the restaurant, George's blood ran cold. The décor in the room was garish and bright, making it hard for the thing to hide. As he watched, it seemed it didn't care to hide like it had the day before. It didn't seem keen on running away, either. It moved quickly toward their table. "Mom... Nossy... look out!"

Anna's back was to the door, so she only saw the horror on her son's face, and then on Delores's. Before Anna could turn around, something jerked her from her chair. "Ugggghhhh." She hit the floor painfully on her side. Before she knew it, she was sliding across the floor on her belly. Whatever it was dragged her by the ankle toward the door. Her skirts were pulled up toward her head, giving everyone an embarrassing display. But that barely registered. She dug her fingers into the carpeting, but whatever pulled her kept going. "Georgie... help me!"

"Mom!" George was already out of his seat. He looked around for a weapon, seizing a fork from the table. He glanced at the shadow that dragged his mother with strength and determination. He tossed the fork back on the table. He needed something better. "Weapon, Nossy. I need a weapon. Where?"

Kapnos watched the nightmarish spectacle and let out a low, pitiful moan. Centuries spent in that solar system, and she didn't know what that thing was. She shook violently. Her face turned ashen.

"Okay, you can't help." George turned away from Kapnos. His mother was screaming now, halfway to the door. He looked down at the table.

Plates, glasses, forks, spoons, food. Plates!

The plates were made from some sort of glass. He dumped his mother's omelet on the floor and smashed the plate on the edge of the table. It broke roughly along the middle, leaving a sharp, jagged edge.

"S'il vous plaît, monsieur, vous ne devez pas détruire la vaisselle." The waiter raised its arms in alarm.

"He says not to destroy the dinnerware," Kapnos whispered. Her teeth chattered, but she didn't move from her chair. She was paralyzed with terror.

"Please... Georgie... do something!" Anna looked over her shoulder but couldn't see the thing pulling her all that well. She could make out pitch-black skin with a rainbow sheen.

It's the shadow from the day before.

"Coming... Mom!" George ran at the shadow, the plate clutched in his right hand. He caught up to them just before they reached the door. The thing turned its face toward him and hissed. Two eyes floated just below the strange, round surface of its face. The eyes, one brown and one blue, clearly saw him, but they were not attached to anything. It also had an upper and lower jaw, with teeth, all below the surface of its strange skin. The back of the jaw disappeared into its murky head, so he couldn't tell if those bones were attached to anything. When it hissed, the jaw opened wide. Too wide. George stepped around his mother and slashed with the jagged edge of the plate, catching the shadow's face and shoulder.

The creature made an odd glugging sound, like liquid struggling down a clogged drain. It dropped Anna's ankle. Its eyes sunk into its internal murk. It turned, and then exploded black goo from the gashes George had left on it.