e-volv

Prologue

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Prologue

Year 3013

Evolv Industries

Cryo-Sleep Lab Sector B

"Hey there sleepy head wake up!" Caterina said right in my ear.

I open my eyes to see Caterina standing over me. She was smiling and grinning like a Cheshire cat. I playfully swatted at her as I slowly awakened and became aware of my surroundings. She easily ducked away. Her laugh tinkled lightly through the lab.

In the background, I could hear Lance, at his desk furiously typing on his keyboard. At least this time when I woke up, I had been dressed. I was not sure for how long I had been in sleep state, but I knew, if I was awake, I had a new assignment waiting for me.

"Sorry your nap was so short this time. Just three months. We brought you down because we need you to go to Metropolis Prime." Lance said from behind his console.

Down? That means they stored me in the Atmosphere Hub. Guess they thought they were not going to need me for a while.

"Hello to you too Lance." I said in a snarky voice before puking. Cryo-Sleep was a bear on my stomach and worse when you came back from the Hub. Cryo-Sleep kept us looking youthful and was more cost effective than the expenses and unknowns that could occur in normal everyday life. I was fine with it now, because it is all I have known since they acquired me at age 12 from the orphanage. The Atmosphere Hub was shaped to look like, and it was partially, a Satellite. No one except assets, handlers and Evolv Core Members knew what it really was. On the ground Evolv Industries was just a high end temp service.

The first time was scary, and I was plagued by dreams I could not escape. I was not able to be put in the field right away until they fixed the issue and made sure that I was totally mentally stable.

Now there is never any memory, no dreaming. There is nothing.

"We only have 12 days to get you ready." Caterina chimed in, tapping her clear tablet screen, after I stopped vomiting. "Let's get you cleaned up, some food in you and get you on the treadmill." Ever the absolute professional, Caterina did not waste time or words. The science came first, everything else second.

Lance rolled over on a stool with a bunch of medical equipment. Always looking for a way to lighten up the situation, he snapped the exam gloves loudly making Caterina jump slightly. He gently grasped my chin and shined a pen light into my eyes. He followed up with checking my ears and then did a cursory look in my mouth. He ran the thumb of his gloved hand along my bicuspids and canines. Weird but, I did not think much of it. Maybe I was grinding my teeth or clenching my jaws in sleep. He made a note.

Lance finished taking my vitals and hooked me up to the last two tubes leading to the monitors as I stepped on the treadmill and started walking.

"How am I looking?" I asked after 30 minutes of going nowhere.

"Fine, you're doing fine" he said as he chomped on a burger.

"Everything looks really good" he reassured me with a mouthful of meat and bun. Seeing that I was eyeing his burger, he licked he fingers loudly. And gave me a huge playful smile.

‘Asshole’ I thought.

My stomach rumbled angrily at me as my sustenance today would comprise solely of vegetarian soup and apple sauce.

After what seemed like an endless array of tests, they drew blood and then gave me a series of vaccines.

“How was your sleep? Any dreams?” Caterina asked as she prepped the needle for yet another shot.”

I shook my head no.

"And these last few are some special enhancers for your skin and hair so you will be at your sexy best and will help enhance your already great traits like your memory. You will retain vital bits of information quickly; a side effect is that your sense of smell and hearing may also become keener. That way you can gather any juicy corporate secrets." Cat teased. "Which means way we will always have a leg up and be two steps ahead of the Zyon Tech trash. Oops, I mean Temps." Caterina corrected herself, as we all snickered. There has always been a bit of a rivalry between the two companies.

The last vaccine was a bright shade of blue and I swear it felt like I could feel it travel through me. I shivered. It was not so much as painful, just an odd feeling running through my entire body. She looked back at Lance and nodded.

"Ok, so that's the last of the injections." Caterina said "Tomorrow you should be able to tolerate some solids and by day 5 feel like you can eat a steak."

In the background Lance was still torturing me with eye rolls and lip-smacking, like that burger was the best thing ever. I turned my attention away from his immature antics.

As I watched Cat dispense the needles, empty jars and her gloves, I regarded Lance, not turning my head towards him but looking at him out of the side of my eye.

“Lance, did you forget what I do for this company?” I directed my question towards Lance. He did not answer but stopped teasing me.

"What time will I be briefed?" I asked.

Caterina looked to Lance. He just shrugged. "They haven't told me yet."

A short series of beeps sounded as the intercom was remotely accessed.

"Good afternoon sector B." A male's voice came through the comm followed by a holographic image of a middle age man in a dark blue suit. A Core Member.

"There will be no standard briefing ahead of time as is the usual custom. We are trying something a little different. Your assignment is to assimilate into the city, make your own friends and we will reveal your target when it is time. We are still doing recon and though we need someone on the ground, it is not pressing that you make contact right away.”

The Core Member turned so that his hologram was directly facing me.

“This is an incredibly special operation and we think you are the best fit for this assignment. You will be assigned to work at Unadyne. You will start as an entry level Temp and learn everything from the ground up. Oh and no serious relationships. We need you...available. You will have a small apartment in Lower Metropolis Prime. 15 minutes away from Upper Metropolis Prime...unless there is traffic. You will not need your own vehicle. Stay in the city. This is a long assignment. Do not go into the countryside, as we may have work for you there later. We have been informed that people are coming up from there to try to steal data and resell it in the countryside. They have a distinctive accent. Don’t …Uh…dispatch any of them unless you have to. We are monitoring the situation. Just make sure you remember if you have seen any of them and report it back to us. Have you chosen a name for your 11th assignment?"

This was the fun part.

"Hmmmm." I looked back at my cocoon, as I called my Cryo-Sleep pod, to see the last letter etched. It was J. I just needed to make up a name that started with the letter K.

Got it. "Kelissa Hill. 'K' for short. Like the letter, not the name." I stated proudly.

The hologram man turned to look at Cat.

"We expect Miss Hill on the ground in Lower Metropolis Prime by the end of the week. Have all the vaccines been administered? They had a nasty bug in the area, and we do not want to lose an asset. Caterina make sure she is properly inoculated and up to speed." The male in the suit addressed Caterina.

"Yes" replied Caterina "I just gave her the last of them."

"Lance, make sure you are monitoring her for any anomalies before releasing her. That vaccine is relatively new. I expect your initial reanimate report in my inbox by this afternoon. " The man in the blue suit said firmly. The hologram man turned to look toward where I was now standing.

"Well, good luck Miss Hill. I have no doubt that you will be successful in this assignment as you have been with all of the others." Three beeps sounded as the hologram disappeared before I could respond.

Lance came around with a tiny syringe. He sprayed a cold spray to help numb the area. "This may sting just a bit. Hold out your wrist."

He injected a small pellet in between the two tendons on my wrist. Then returned to his monitors, typed in some information. A little light on the pellet changed from red to green.

"Tracker to send us your vitals and locations. All businesses in the city who use Temps have bio readers installed. This way we can track you, make sure you are healthy and download micro bits of data that the pellet collects for us. It’s also how you will be paid" He explained as he came back and put a piece of gauze over the entry point.

He was correct. It hurt like hell for about an hour.

The rest of the time was spent exercising, learning a little about their work life culture and I practiced typing. I hated typing. It also meant that I would be sitting and must work extra hard to stay in shape. While it was strange to not get any information on my target, I did not question The Core. They always seemed to know exactly what they were doing. They prepared me well for each assignment. Only about half required termination. The other half was more subtle persuasion, obtaining information, locating high value digital information and protection detail. In those assignments I set the dominoes up and another member of the team did the knocking down. Usually without knowing who it was. It was neat and efficient.

They also warned me and educated me about wide-os. They were basically data and identity thieves. Metropolis Prime was a digital wonderland, far out pacing the rest of the world's cities in technology. 1000 years ago, most plagued the world from countries like Nigeria and China, now they come from Glasgow.

11 days later, after an awfully long, train ride, I was turning the key to my apartment in Lower Metropolis Prime.

For the first time ever, I had no real objective, except to live a regular life.

This should be interesting.

©Venis Nytes

Song inspiration:

Who are You – Svrcina

White Flag - Bishop Briggs

Chapter 1

First Encounters

VCO (visual contact only)

Outside Unadyne at EOS. (end of shift).

Standard 3-day package delivery. WFFI (wait for further instructions)

Kelissa

That's all the message stated 3 days ago. I was given a picture and a first name only. He was a handsome man, deep bronze skin, with unusual greenish looking eyes. He looked familiar but I could not seem to place him. I was instructed not to do any research as they needed the initial contact to be organic. I usually get a complete file, including all the mundane things people do not pay attention to. And to do an eye candy drive by? Just make sure he sees me in a crowd of 100's of people. My my. The agency was really trying something new.

I made eye contact with him 3 evenings ago as we passed on the street. The smell of his cologne wafted through the damp air and clung inside my nostrils like invisible tentacles reaching between us. Caterina was right, my sense of smell had improved drastically. He was not alone. He had a small security detail a few feet behind him, giving him the impression of freedom.

I could hear his heart speed up just slightly in that brief encounter and I knew he was hooked. I kept walking, slightly faster, taking the decision away from him, to pursue me into the rush of the after-work crowd coming out of the epicenter of glass and steel in downtown Metropolis Prime.

2 days later, I found myself in the same coffee spot as him and flashed him a smile that was intriguing and shy.

Okay, who am I kidding, I placed myself at the same coffee house he frequented regularly. I heard his security guy ask if he was going and in a clipped tone asked if he thought it was a good idea. In an equally clipped response, my target answered "Yes” to both.

He was standing by the creamer bar. He looked up as I entered the shop, the owner had an old fashion bell attached to the door that rang upon entrance and exits. It was rumored that his ancestors had that bell in their family for many generations and passed it down to anyone in the family who became a successful shop owner. I took a few moments to look around the shop and enjoy the quaint and thoughtful touches the owner used throughout the place.

On the back wall above the menu was a menagerie of photos dating back to the 1800s. The shop had a homey feel and was a place where the nostalgia was so thick you could cut it with a knife. He had a chalk font on the digital menu screens that made it look like handwritten menus. They made a show of handwriting your names on the cups, even though they just swiped the chips in our bracelets or the ever more popular body implants and the order and information was etched onto a reusable label.

The pastries were made to be decadent, reminiscent of how they did things almost 1000 years ago. It was popular because it was not the adopted style of healthy food that most of the planet had learned to eat over the last 3 centuries. Depending on your health status most people were only allowed to visit the shop once every 14 days. If you had money, regardless of your health you could go weekly or even a few times a week.

Noel

I loved coming to this shop and could barely wait each weekend to indulge in the delicious sweets, artisanal breads, and craft coffees. He had come here a lot with his family before the virus took them. Continuing to frequent this shop was one of the few irrational acts of grief that he allowed himself.

I had just gotten my drink when I looked up and saw the beautiful girl from a few days ago enter the coffee shop. I watched her look around the shop, admiring the nostalgia it offered. Most people came in because it was trendy and never really appreciated the purpose of the shop.

‘What a coincidence?’ I thought as I brought the cup to my mouth, but the words never quite made it to my lips as I sipped scalding coffee and burnt my tongue and throat.

“Shit! That’s hot!” I exclaimed in that man whisper things guys do.

My security guy Cole, made a move to come over to me.

I slightly shook my head no and continued to anxiously wait for my pastries.

I sent a frown over to Cole as I thought

‘What did Cole think he was going to do? Shove ice down my throat to save me from some hot coffee? Jesus, they are taking this security thing a bit far.’

I chanced another quick look at her after I picked up my pastry.

Kelissa

I winced in pain, why did that happen? I should not be feeling his pain. It was probably sympathy pain. Did I leave the connection open? As I reached to touch my throat, the heat from fiery liquid caught me unaware on my hand. At that precise moment, this idiot I was making my way past, jostled his cup, sloshing hot coffee on my hand. Did he do that on purpose?

"Ow! Dammit!" I yelled, startling several customers. My training kicked in and I quickly turned and grabbed the guy by the throat. After hearing several gasps, I quickly let go and pulled him in close like we were buddies. The idiot apologized and immediately started handing me napkins.

“Dude I like my coffee in a cup, I am not a savage!” I said jokingly, and lightly cuffed his ear, garnering a few snickers throughout the shop. My hand hurt like hell.

"I am sooo sorry" he said "are you ok? Do you need some ice?" he asked in a sincere voice. He turned to the machine behind him and gathered a few pieces of ice in a cup then wrapped them in a napkin and handed the makeshift ice pack to me. I gingerly pressed it to my hand. He cleared his throat and reached up to rub his throat. Yep, buddy, that was going to leave a bruise. A flash of gold on his finger glinted from a stray sunbeam filtering in the window.

“You didn’t have to choke me.” He said somewhere between incredulity and shock.

“Sorry. Bad habit, I’ve been taking self-defense courses. On the upside, my trainer would be proud of me.” I made up on the spot. Batting my eyes then cradling my singed hand like a damsel in distress.

Taking the napkins, he offered, I shook my head NO to his offer of more ice. I continued dabbing at my singed flesh and attempted to continue my journey past him over to the baked goods counter.

"Hey....Uh...Maybe I can make it up to you. Let me buy you a cuppa." He visibly winced. I cocked my head and stared at him.

Wait, was that Scottish or Irish dialect.

I could not remember as it had been a long while since I heard it. What was he doing in Metropolis Prime? Their island was still marvelously intact and open. Enhanced by tech in a cohesive, yet very minimal way. The had lots of greenspace. It was mostly untouched by the fast pace of technology like it was here in Metropolis Prime, a living breathing nerdopolis, a tech paradise. His voice broke through my thoughts.

"Just write your number on one of those napkins, I will send you the coins..." He tried halfheartedly trailing off with a nervous laugh.

Did that shit really work on people, I wondered. I turned on him like a barracuda smelling fresh blood in the water, pinned him with the most evil stare I could muster. I saw the wedding ring. That was my in.

"How about I write my number down and you have your wife call me" I said. Then in a harsh whisper, only he could hear, I looked him directly in the eye and said "Eachy peachy?" sneering wickedly. His eyes opened wide as he realized I was on to him. He apologized and made a hasty retreat toward the other side of the shop.

The idiot was no Eeijit, he was a wide-o, a scammer, from somewhere in Glasgow, looking to steal info and resell it. I had to remember to send the info back to Evolv later.

People were still stupid and opportunistic. Crime was exceedingly rare here, almost nonexistent, but it persisted, like a weed that came back no matter how many times you pulled it. I should have written down a number that had a virus embedded in it but sometimes non-wealths could not afford or get access to any tech at all. They were at the mercy of stolen tech from people like him. Either way, I would probably have to deal with him later. Right now, I had a meeting with my target and a pastry. Technically, this meeting was for me, not the agency.

I had just made it to the pastry counter as my name was called. I grabbed my crème filled pastry and green tea and was turning around to find a seat.

That’s when I heard him. He laughed at something his security guy said as he stood up not far from me. A throaty chuckle that was masculine and sexy. A little scratchy due to his slightly raw vocal cords. Our eyes met as he made his way over to me like we knew each other all along and asked me if I was alright from my coffee house would be stalker. A few feet away the wide-o, seeing us together, looked momentarily surprised, then decided it was not worth the effort and left.

"Hi, I'm Noel" he introduced and sat in a chair just vacated by a patron who had one too many donuts.

“Hello.” I responded and looked past him trying to locate a seat.

He immediately stood back up. "It's a little warm still" Up close I could see his green eyes had shades of hazel and gold. I was slightly mesmerized. It almost felt like time slowed down as I looked into his eyes.

We looked at each other for a split second and both laughed. The sting from the coffee burn momentarily forgotten.

"It’s crowded, want to share a booth?" He asked.

I looked around again and he was right. It was getting crowded.

"Uh…” I paused and looked around again. Then met his eyes. “Ok, Sure," I said and followed him towards the back of the shop.

“Your hand ok?” He asked as we walked towards the booth.

“It hurts, but I will be ok” I answered honestly.

Noel quickly secured us a booth in the back. We talked for a bit over coffee, tea and luscious creme filled pastries. Neither of us in a hurry to go anywhere.

“Do you come here often?” Noel asked

“No actually,” I paused dramatically “I usually do that in the privacy of my home.”

Noel’s eyes widened at the brazen statement, so I quickly added, it was the first time visiting the shop, in case he was easily offended. I could not hold back the laughter at the look on his face.

A genuine chuckle escaped his lips, so between chuckles, I continued to explain.

“One of the Zyon Techs brought some into work and I asked him where he got them. Plus, the logo was clearly printed on the box. Easy enough to look up.” I finished taking a small bite of pastry.

"I assume you are a Temp?" Noel asked at some point in the conversation.

"I'm not old enough to be a Top, Noel. Yes, I am a temp. You are looking at one of Evolv’s finest." I said in a teasing voice.

He laughed. ‘Yes you are fine’ he thought.

"I assume you are not a Top, since you are sitting with me in Lower Met Prime. Let me guess… maybe a corporate spy perhaps?" I asked jokingly.

He laughed again.

"No nothing that intriguing. I'm a creative, but I work in specialty sciences. Very tedious, boring stuff, but important work." Noel said

So tedious and boring, you have a security detail, and my employer has an interest in you. I thought to myself.

Out loud, I said, "Oh, well as long as you like what you are doing and know it’s for a good cause, then it’s probably fascinating to you....and saying its boring is your way of saying you really don't want to talk about it because you think it will be too technical for me to understand. And I thank you for sparing me from a potential snooze fest."

He chuckled. “You have a crazy sense of humor.”

I smiled back at him. “I do my best but won’t be quitting my day job any time soon!”

As we ate and talked, a light rain started to fall outside of the shop. Pinging off the windows in a calming staccato. I looked out the window almost wistfully. A memory of his face just at the edge of my brain, gone before I could fully grasp it.

A scientist of some sort, so this is probably some sensitive information retrieval. Maybe they want him dead for some reason. Maybe, I am sitting across from a biological terrorist. I do not get that vibe from him though. He seems like he cares deeply, not in a fanatical way. He seems nice. What have you been up to Mister Noel?

"What's wrong?" I heard it as if far away then realized Noel was speaking to me. I looked up and saw he was smiling at me. He was attractive. Too bad really.

"Hmm? Oh.. nothing" I managed, bringing my thoughts back to the present moment

“I was just listening. I like the way rain sounds"

‘God, I'd like to kiss her in the rain. Lick the drops off her neck... whoa buddy you don't even know her name. What is wrong with me?

You are a naughty one. I thought to myself. His thoughts played like flashes from a soft porn movie in my mind.

Well, that is an interesting thought and the visuals were stunning.

Hey reader! You should really see this.

I was surprised at how easily I could read him. But then again, he was relaxed. He was not full of adrenaline, fearing for his life. This new way of doing business might, work. Again, shame.

My body clenched unexpectedly, and my nipples became visibly taut beneath my thin t-shirt as I replayed his thoughts. I bit my lip and closed my eyes to keep from letting a moan of primal need escape. It had been a while. I had not gotten close to anyone since I arrived due to some unexpected issues, the virus still a bit of a threat and just the business of living and exploring in a new place.

I looked at him shamelessly over the rim of my teacup as the owner came by and refilled his cup of coffee. Noel politely thanked him.

“The pleasure is all mine.” The owner said.

‘Since when did shop owners do refills? Who are you Noel?’ I wondered

Noel wondered what was going on in her pretty little mind as she closed her eyes. Surely the tea was not that good. He wondered if she found him as attractive as he thought she was.

"Are you sure you are ok?" He said to break the silence "You know you haven't told me your name yet"

"Yes, sorry. My hand is still a little tender. And oh yes, I know. I apologize, but you never asked me my name." I said softly, opening my eyes and looking him directly in the eye.

"Sooo...would you like me to guess?" Noel asked

"No, I just don't offer information not asked to complete strangers or people I have just met. Single girl walking has to be careful." I said after a moment with a smile and took a sip of my quickly cooling green tea.

With a sexy smile Noel played along, "So sunshine, what's your name?"

"My name is Kelissa, but I go simply by 'K'. " I responded playfully.

"Well you won't be finding that on any mug; and I can't remember the last time anyone thought I was... cute." He responded

"How about if I call you Lissa? I like the way that sounds and you look like a Lissa.'' He pursed his lips to blow on his coffee which was now very much room temperature. Nervous motion.

‘I look like a Lissa? With or without clothes on?’ I wondered

"Lissa? Lissa?" I repeated to see how it sounded coming out of my mouth. "Let me ask you a question. So you are just going to give me a random name after I told you my name?" I stated, flatly.

“I can’t tell if you are genuinely upset or just yanking my chain.” He said truthfully.

"No one has ever asked to call me that before. Besides Noel, if I were yanking said...chain...You would definitely know." I answered smartly

Our eyes met across the table briefly in a heated stare off. No one said a word. I finally spoke first.

I guess it will be ok." I replied. Now make him feel special...." But only you can call me that; since I think we may become very good friends. In public though please call me K or Kelissa."

Noel arched his eyebrow, catching my hint there may be some private time.

“I would like it if we were friends. Real friends are so few and far between.” Noel said

In reality, that's because it has never been my name. I choose a different name using a different letter of the alphabet each time. This is the longest assignment I have ever had and the longest I have kept a name. Maybe that is why his little nickname for me felt... right.

He smiled. Happy he was making a true connection with a woman who wasn’t trying to bed him for his reputation or money. He said my name in his mind several times to make sure he remembered it. He wondered how he had never seen her before. ‘Well you can’t see what you aren’t really looking for.’ He reminded himself.

Now let's have a little fun.

"Can I ask you a question Noel? Actually, it's more like a little fantasy of mine." He nodded as he took a big bite of his cruller stuffed with strawberry jam and whipped cream.

I lower my head, not meeting his eyes. I look out the window at the rain. My voice is sultry.

"I have this fantasy of being in the rain, held up by a lover, whose face I can never quite see. He does the most delicious things to my body. Have you ever kissed someone in the rain like they were the only person in the world? Traced raindrops down the side of a woman's neck with your tongue, tasting the salty desire on her skin one raindrop at a time? Kissed her through her soaking wet shirt. Have you made love to anyone in the rain? You probably think it's dumb..." I said trailing off, not finishing the thought.

I stopped abruptly. Looking up. His face! Oh! this is fun!

Noel was looking at me like a deer caught in headlights. The cruller filled his mouth and the top of his throat, threatening to cut off his breathing soon if he did not swallow. He coughed, recovered, and swallowed. Tears formed in the corners of his eyes, which he blinked away quickly. I heard his heart speed up slightly then thud in surprise. His pulse quickened. Blood rushed to his lower region causing an involuntary twitch and he adjusted slightly in the bench seat across from me. He was glad he was sitting down.

"Funny you should say that...I was just thinking about something like that. Are you reading my mind, or do great minds think alike?" he asked, subconsciously dipping his head. ‘Or asking me to fulfill that fantasy for you?’ he thought

“The last one.” I said, knowing he would assume I meant we thought alike.

"But no. No I have not. How’s that for honesty?" he said, a little heat showing in his face as he considered possible partners with which he would have liked to do just that. One stuck out prominently then was followed by an intense wave of sadness.

Wow, I thought, his go to would be to lie. And the fact that he asked if I was reading his mind almost tripped me up but I quickly remembered, people always casually said that. I am pretty sure, he never met an empath like me. Hell, I am still getting used to it. I had to blink several times to avoid tearing up. Wow, he was carrying some big-time sadness.

"That's a loaded question for someone you just met, don't you think?" He asked, trying not to stare blatantly at my chest.

"I wanted to see if you would answer an uncomfortable question honestly before deciding if we could be friends. But Noel, I met you two days ago. Well not, officially, met you in a conventional way, but we made eye contact. Don't you remember?" I asked innocently leaning forward so my chest rested on the table.

Of course, he remembered. He had such a visually erotic dream the night he first saw me that he unknowingly got both of us off.

"Uh..." He started; his eyes drawn to my chest like magnets to the north pole

"I don't know. Oh, wait, yes. We passed each other on the street near Unadyne" He said to my boobs. “Is that where you work?”

“Yes, I take them with me to work 5 days a week….” I said sarcastically.

"Noel" I snapped my fingers loudly to get him to look up and break the trance he was in thinking about my boobs.

His head snapped up and he immediately looked ashamed.

‘Dammit she caught me looking at her lady bits.’ He thought with a bit of embarrassment. ’Pull yourself together. You have women constantly throwing themselves at you and you can’t keep your eyes above her neck.” He admonished himself.

Never one to disappoint, I rolled my eyes in fake disgust and announced I should be going. After all, I set him up to fail.

He looked remiss and his brain went into overdrive trying to figure out how he could meet up with me again.

"Lissa, If you are not busy tomorrow, I have this thing. For charity, but afterward we could meet here for a cup of coffee, if you are free." Noel said out loud

‘Please, say yes.’ is what he was thinking.

"I'll see. What time were you thinking?" I asked.

"About 9:30 or 10:00pm if that is not too late...I mean if you are allowed out at that time of night." he added with a little more bravado than he needed.

"I am not on anyone's clock and as you have unabashedly noticed, I am an adult. Young, but an adult none the less. I am not Cinderella, so I don't have a curfew." I answered

"Noel, sorry about the earlier conversation, sometimes I don't have a filter. I was a bit inappropriate. I just felt like we could speak freely. You oddly, make me feel," I paused searching for the immediate right word "comfortable."

"You can speak freely around me. But maybe reserve that kind of talk until after we decide if we will be friends... or something else. Either way, it's cool." He wanted to apologize about getting caught looking at her chest but thought it better to just leave it alone. To be honest he was a bit turned on by the little dirty talk.

"It's cool? How old are you?” I asked with a smile.

“Older than you obviously, but young enough to say,’ it’s cool’ without a care in the world.” Noel responded

‘Humph, he actually seems to have morals and a sense of humor. What a waste.’ I thought.

He stood up and opened his arms for a friendly parting hug.

"Comfortable enough for a goodbye hug, new friend?" He asked

"Sure." As I walked into his open embrace.

“Lissa…” He whispered softly in my ear

Then something strange happened.

I felt really weird suddenly. My gums had a small but persistent ache on both sides of my mouth, and I could now actually hear his pulse, like the sound of a baby's heart in the womb.

It seemed to be beckoning me.

Taunting me.

I was starting to feel a flush through my body and a little lightheaded. Maybe I stood up too quickly. I leaned into his body for a moment, just to steady myself...and ok, total truth balls... Partly savoring the hardness of his male form and giving him the quick benefit of my soft firm one. Inhaling the essence of him into me. His scent... woodsy, masculine, mine. I felt like I would remember it anywhere. Wait, did I just say ‘Mine?’

This close to his chest between the sound of his heart and his pulse, it was deafening in my ears. My eyes seemed to blur for a second and my stomach knotted as if I had not eaten anything. An almost overwhelming need of him took me by surprise. I wanted to throw him down on the table and .... Jesus! What the heck was I thinking.

I breathed through the moment and it seemed to lessen.

‘Use your training’ I reminded myself. Another few deep breaths, and I seemed to get back under control, ready to roll through another bout of whatever the heck was happening now.

‘Oh man does he feel good. But what the hell is going on with me?’ I thought

‘Oh God,’ he groaned inwardly, smelling my hair and squeezing me tight against him. ‘Maybe I can miss that thing tomorrow night.’ he thought wistfully.

Breaking from his embrace I smiled and told him I would meet him right out front, weather permitting. He politely kissed the air near my cheek. Our eyes met for a moment and then we parted ways. Me making a bit of a hasty retreat. Outside just past the shop, I stopped for a moment, bent over and put my hands on my knees and took a few more deep breaths.

“What was that?”

©Venis Nytes

Chapter 2

I See You

As I stepped outside of the coffee shop the last of the rain had tapered off and moved on. With a few deep breaths and a moment to get some distance from Noel, I could barely hear his pulse any longer. The intense nausea and pounding of his pulse and heart beating, decreased significantly.

The fresh rain slicked street reflected the busy cars and pedestrians with HD quality. But my reflection seemed a bit dim. I know that sounds stupid, and I know it sounds dramatic, but it does seem to be a little dimmer. Like some light within me is flickering out or possibly missing. Does each death, each life I take, take a piece of me with it? With this in the back of my mind I headed uptown to my apartment. After some clear trial and error and some determined thought, I managed to figure out how to turn down the noise of all the jumbled thoughts in my head along with the ones from the passersby. I'm still trying to figure out how to do some things. I wish I would have been able to do that in the coffee shop. Some of these people are really messed up.

Tomorrow. I must make it through tomorrow, and I can leave this place. I am so relieved I found him so quickly. To be honest, I don’t hate it here, it’s just been weird being out in the world for so long. The changes I am experiencing are just odd. Maybe this happens to people slowly over time and because I am only out for short spells maybe everything is trying to get caught up? I could not even convince myself of that crazy theory.

Tomorrow. I have to make it through tomorrow, and I can leave this place. Well, I technically have three days to do whatever it is the agency wants. I really hope it is just information retrieval. Not sure why they are being so sketchy so close to the deadline. I will kill him if that’s the job but maybe I can enjoy some adult activities with him first.

Just a few more days. Just a few more days. Just a few more days.

I just kept saying it like a mantra in my head as I made my way home.

Cole

Cole exited the shop a few moments after Kelissa left and watched her walk down the street until she was lost in the Saturday morning crowd of shoppers. He pulled the car around for Mr. Peterson, but his mind was on the young woman who had captured his boss’ attention. They had both witnessed her quick reaction to the guy trying to scam her info. Noel was immediately impressed. Cole was weary until she explained the self-defense course. He was surprised that his boss approached her first. Something Noel never does. If anything, he is constantly fending off women’s advances. She must be something special or maybe it has just been so long that his guard is slipping. He had never seen Noel laugh so genuinely in the past two years since he lost his wife and child. Then he hugged her. It was all I could do not to rush over and snatch him away from her, but he initiated every move, so I stayed planted on the stool I was sitting on and gave him his space. She did not seem desperate or needy, nor did she seem starstruck. She seemed cautious. She actually broke off the embrace right after he smelled her hair. Totally rookie move boss! He really has been out of the game too long.

Cole hoped for both their sakes it was the former. He would hate to put a bullet in the back of her head. He had looked her up as soon as her name was called and when she revealed that she was a temp with Evolv he knew she would be chipped and easy to track. Her chip registered her at a local gym a few blocks away 1-4 times a week. True to her word, they offered self-defense classes. There was nothing out of the ordinary, not even a parking citation, but now he understood why, when he saw her walking. His nephew Lance worked there. Lance was his favorite nephew. He would ask him if he knew her next time he came into town. Lance basically lived at the agency. He probably had a crush on some girl up there.

His brother Collin, Lance’s father, was in the city when the outbreak started. Unfortunately, both he and his wife, Lance’s mother, were taken by the virus. Cole also lost both of his parents, but they were much older and had a slew of health issues, so their deaths albeit sad, were a bit of a blessing in disguise. Cole missed Collin. Collin helped him start the security agency. Cole’s sister, Charlotte, was a free spirit and had moved to the island as soon as she was old enough to get out of the house. She married a local and had two children. She rarely came to Metropolis Prime as a whole and totally avoided Upper Metropolis Prime like the plague. She said she did not want to live a life constantly monitored and was tired of the snobby classism that permeated every facet of life in Metropolis Prime. It was a shame because she was a wiz when it came to anything tech. She taught school on the island. She would sometimes shop in Lower Metropolis Prime and they would get together for lunch. He still had not seen the last child she had.

Cole never married but had been in a long-term relationship when the virus hit. He had planned on getting around to marrying her someday, but he was busy building his company and she was a top assist. They had both grown up in Upper Metropolis Prime accustomed to the finer lifestyle being a resident there afforded. Unfortunately, after a long fight with the virus, she finally succumbed. Cole donated her DNA to help find a cure and her cells were used to create the first rudimentary vaccine. It had a low level of success, but the experience bonded Cole and Noel. He was still an employee, but they had developed a sort of friendship in the process.

Cole threw all his energy into being the best protector of the Savior of Metropolis Prime. He was not going to let anything happen to Noel Peterson on his watch. He ran his own successful security company and when he got the call from the Council of the Tops, the offer they made him for just one man, well let’s just say, they made sure he would not refuse. His company had done some previous work for the scientist, so the transition was an easy one. His best friend easily took over the day to day operations of his security company, reporting to Cole weekly. Cole frequently used men and woman from his company when extra bodies for detail were needed. These were people he knew and trusted. It helped that Noel Peterson was genuinely a good person. A good portion of their clients were douchebags with more money than common sense. Noel was better than this city deserved. If he had to choose one person to give his life for. It would be Noel Peterson.

Noel exited the shop and Cole opened the door for him. Noel handed him a bag and smiled. “For later.” He said with a smile as he sat in the back seat.

“Thanks,” Cole said as he took the bag, closed the door, and rounded the car to start the drive back to Upper Metropolis Prime. “It’s good to have friends in high places” he thought, giving the bag an appreciative look.

Cole looked back at Noel through the rear-view mirror. Noel was actually smiling. He looked happy for the first time in, forever.

Noel looked up in time to catch him staring.

“What Cole? Shouldn’t you be keeping your eyes on the road?” Noel said

“Sir you know this is a self-driving car and I am only here for added security.” Cole reminded him. “It’s just odd to see you smile genuinely. I wasn’t sure you remembered how.” He said with a hint of laughter.

“I smile, I smile all the time. What the hell are you talking about?” Noel said, mildly irritated.

“Not like this you don’t” Cole insisted

Noel rolled his eyes and pushed the button to close the partition. He wanted to think about the beautiful young lady without Cole’s observations and scrutiny.

Cole chuckled at having got under Noel’s skin just a little.

Back at Evolv Industries

Lance intercepted the search on Kelissa. He tapped into the coffee shop cameras where her chip pinged her and watched and listened. He was surprised to see his Uncle was the one doing the inquiry. Luckily Kelissa was a professional and kept a low-profile lifestyle, so he did not have to change any information.

Why was his uncle looking her up? He never approached her. He didn’t make any contact with her. After a few minutes of scrolling through the footage before Kelissa arrived, he noticed that he entered the shop with …. oh wow. His uncle’s high-end detail was Noel Peterson?! No way! That dude was famous. He could barely believe his uncle was working for him. Maybe he would introduce them the next time they met for lunch. He scrolled forward and saw when Kelissa grabbed a man by the throat, but quickly let him go.

‘Weird,’ Lance thought and increased the audio but could not make out what she whispered to him. Was it even English? He then saw that Noel approached her and they spent about an hour talking in a back booth. She was probably chatting him up good.

Lance was not exactly sure what Kelissa’s assignment was in Metro Prime, but it obviously came with some awesome benefits if she was having pastries with Noel Peterson. He was even more impressed when he hugged her. The camera experienced a brief interruption like it had a tiny power surge while they hugged then corrected itself. Time for him to get out of the system before someone recognized he was accessing the camera. Wait did he just smell her hair? Dude…rookie move!

Lance logged out of the camera system and waited for the update on the guy she fast choked. In the meantime, he had plenty of other agents to keep him busy, especially one who seems to be avoiding being found.

Caterina entered the room just as Lance brought up satellite images over New Africa.

A quick glance at his screen and she asked, “Any luck?”

“Nada,” Lance answered, focusing on the monitor. He sat back and rubbed his eyes before looking at Caterina. She was beautiful and it was hard keeping their feelings in check while at work. She must have felt his eyes on her because she turned slightly and gave him a wink before settling behind her monitor.

“Keep looking, I am sure you will find him. We need to get this shut down quickly and quietly. No one has ever escaped on my babe’s watch.” She stated confidently.

‘And that,... Mr. Peterson is how you snag an intelligent beautiful woman,” Lance thought with a smug confidence as he put his feet up on the desk and his hands behind his head.

Just then, he got a ping on his screen. Facial Recognition match. Lance immediately sat up and zoomed in. “Got you fucker!”

Kelissa

Before I knew it I was home. I scarcely remember the 7 blocks I trekked home. My brain must have been on autopilot because the other option was scary. Here I am once more turning the key to my apartment.

Home.

At least I hope, I walked home like a normal person. Sometimes I ended up places unexpectedly. I know it sounds cool, but in all reality, it is fucking terrifying. I have no idea why this is happening to me or how to control it. I know I am changing. Becoming something...more. Something else? I still look and feel human. Maybe it is evolution. Probably from being in space for 3 months, maybe the radiation out there is doing something to my cells. I can’t quite wrap my head around that explanation either.

I have taken everything in stride so far. But the popping up in random places is scary. The first time it happened I had to walk 13 blocks to get back home. I was in my apartment watching television and a jewelry store advert came on and the next thing I knew, I was standing inside the store. The saleswoman looked up and apologized for not seeing me come in. If I had not been so freaked out, I might have laughed at the accuracy of her statement. I just acted like I was browsing and quickly made my way out of the door and walked home.

Most of the changes have been to my benefit.

My hair has gotten shinier, longer, and thicker. I now have an incredible rack and have a few abs in my already tight flat waistline. Thanks to working out at the gym a few times a week. My ass was already incredible so you can't improve upon perfection. I am stronger. My mind can do some incredible things. My hearing and sense of smell are off the charts just like Cat said. But Cat never lies. Especially when it comes to science. Science always comes first with Caterina.

I started hearing voices about a year ago, and thought I was going crazy until I realized it was other people’s thoughts. Learning how to turn the noise off in my head has been hit or miss. I don't have to wear glasses anymore and I seem to rarely get tired unless ..well... unless I have an amazing earth shattering orgasm... which has just recently become a very nice development, discovered during a shared dream by my target and resulted in a frenzied self-pleasure session. I mean, I still sleep like a normal person. It's just that I have more stamina and only need a few hours of sleep as opposed to the regular 8-10 hours most people need.

I can make connections with people and sometimes I see them, into them... like the very essence of who they are, hear what they are thinking and see what they are doing. These things started happening a little at a time and by the time I would get used to it, figure out how to manage or control it, another thing would start happening. It’s strange, scary, and wonderful.

I feel a bit like a butterfly waking up after a long sleep. There are some downsides. They have a habit of showing up unexpectedly. But let’s not discuss those right now. I need a shower.

Stripping off my clothes I walked into the bathroom and turned on the hot water in the shower. I brushed my teeth as the room quickly filled with steam and then I stepped in the glass enclosure. The water felt so good on my skin. I soaped up the loofah and lathered my body from head to toe, spending a little extra time on my chest, rubbing big soapy circles. I closed my eyes.

“I wonder what Noel is doing” I thought and just like that I could see him clear as if I was right there with him. This was cool.

I could see him in my mind. He had just gotten home. He checked his mail, put his keys in the bowl by the front door and then too starting undressing and headed up the stairs to the master bedroom bath to the shower. His place seemed empty, not even a pet. I guess he was a minimalist. I could tell from the little I could see around him that he had excellent taste. As he turned on the water, his mind drifted back to the girl in the coffee shop. I did not want to lose the connection, so I tried to stay focused on him.

Yes, He's thinking about me.

I did a little happy dance in the shower and momentarily lost the connection. I concentrated and found the connection back to him.

'Who are you?" he said out loud as he dropped his boxers and took a piss.

He got in the lukewarm shower and grabbed the shampoo to wash his hair. The sudden change in temperature made me shiver. I brought my mind back to my own space and continued soaping my body watching the trail of suds and bubbles travel down my abdomen to my center and drip to the shower floor.

Not able or wanting to stop myself.

I reached out and peeked at Noel and was pleased to see that every naked inch of him was scrumptious. He was muscular and toned everywhere with bronze skin and green eyes flecked with hazel and gold that I could stare into forever. He was using the opportunity to conjure up the kissing in the rain fantasy and soon his body hardened.

I smiled and pushed a little deeper within, touching his mind, so I could feel what he was feeling. My hands soon found themselves between my legs and my center began clenching in response to his long strokes. I rubbed the loofah over my breasts and pushed a finger inside. I swirled my finger and was making similar motions to Noel as he stroked himself. The beat of water from the shower enhanced his already sensitive skin.

Noel's muscles tightened as his fantasy of kissing Lissa in the rain ultimately ended with her riding him while he held her up and she breathlessly crooned his name. Then he saw her look at him. Her eyes were luminous, filled with passion and lust and he was undone. He shouted out coarsely. Noel leaned against the shower wall spent.

I looked up and saw Noel's eyes looking back at me and in that moment, I too was overcome by the strength of the moment. Unable to help myself, I called his name over and over. My knees trembled and became weak, causing me to sink down on shaky knees to the shower floor, lost in the extraordinary afterglow and heat.

A small burst of energy radiating from her temporarily lit up the whole room then made the lights flicker before coming back on. She did not notice with her eyes shut tightly lingering in the last moments of her orgasm.

The last few days I have been experiencing a small aching in my gums which of course showed up now to shut things down. It seemed to be getting worse and pulled me reluctantly out of my reverie.

Re showering, I finally turned off the water, exited the stall and grabbed a towel off the rack to dry my thoroughly warmed skin. I brushed my teeth quickly and bypassed flossing as a heavy sleep was quickly winning a war I did not know I was fighting.

Tying the towel around myself I walked into my bedroom, headed straight to bed. Not bothering to get under the covers. In sated exhaustion, I fell across the king-sized bed and was asleep before I realized it.

That night I dreamed I was in flames and a sleeping wolf lay just out of range of my screams.

©Venis Nytes

a snippet of chapter 3

(I have to save something to publish!)

Chapter 3

Downsides

The sound of sirens and horns blaring drag me awake from a deep sleep. I know I was dreaming but all I can remember is something on fire and a dog, I think. The usual Saturday morning sounds of the metropolis I am now calling home are more effective than an alarm clock. Bright sunlight streamed into my bedroom. I covered my head with a pillow to block out the sun and the happiness that beautiful days bring.

The window. I mumble to myself under the pillow.

I left the window open to the balcony. Crap, I do not want to get up yet. Why can't I just think it shut or wave my hand.

‘I have all these neat new abilities. I should be able to do something like close a window right?’

I am not tired, just sated. I do not have any pressing issues right now. Not many things better than Saturday morning in bed. Except maybe a little company. This bed is super comfy. Besides, I am still feeling the lingering effects of last night. I don’t recall feeling such ecstasy before. And this is without him physically touching me. Man…if we ever…I will probably combust. I thought, smiling and hugging my pillow.

Noel is definitely yummy. I should probably stop thinking about him.

Something tells me I am going to have to kill him or someone he loves.

I half-heartedly flick my wrist outward. Nothing.

Yeah like that's gonna work. I think to myself.

I flip my wrist down and think ‘down’ simultaneously and the window bangs shut startling me out of the bed. I stand there staring at the now-closed window with my mouth open.

Ok Saturday morning, you have my full attention

As if it were in awe too, my towel slips to the floor and I am now naked. Naked and intrigued.

Stepping over the towel on the floor, I walk over to the window and it is indeed shut.

Shut, but not locked. I know I should be celebrating the fact that I closed the window with just my thoughts and a flick of my wrist, but I am a chronic overachiever…at least I try to be.

I concentrate on the locks, flicking my wrist this way and that, up and down.

Nothing. I frown. Then an idea pokes its suggestion into my head. Something I saw in an old movie.

Finally, I blow on it.

What?! You ever watched 5th Element? It might have worked, and you would have been impressed! ....

Okay, so...No.... that did not work either.

I tried to visualize myself locking the window. The latch started to inch forward but it was difficult. It felt heavy; like lifting a weight. Beads of sweat were forming on my lip and temples from the effort I was exerting.

‘Just a little more and I will have it.’ I grunted through clenched teeth. “Almost there.”

The lock rewarded me by moving incrementally forward.

'Lissa’ Noel thought.

My body reacted to hearing him call my name. Involuntarily contracting. I must still be connected to him.

"What the hell!?'' I said in exasperation

My concentration was broken; the latch returned to its original position with a smug click. I blinked to refocus. Feeling slightly deflated and sweaty, I looked up from the latch and out the window. I meet my neighbor's eyes as he is standing in his window eating a bowl of cereal with a stupid grin on his face. To my dismay and my neighbor's pleasure, I look down. I remember that I am still naked. Naked, sweaty, and a little peeved. We continue staring at each other. I roll my eyes at him and reward him with a bird and a smile.

Manually flipping the latches on the window with a bit of an attitude, I snatch the curtains closed and head once again to the bathroom. On my way in I swipe at the sweat on my lip. A flash of red catches my eye as I drop my hand down.

‘Now what?’ I think as I flip on the light and look in the mirror.

‘Humph,’

My freaking nose is bleeding. Not bad, but a little trickle. Hope I did not break something I am going to need later.

Back in the shower, the hot water soothes me, and the glass enclosure is shrouded in steam. I close my eyes and rinse my face in the stream of hot water.

‘Noel’ I think happily to myself.

Then... I smell him.

His body wash. The male muskiness that is uniquely his own.

The water seems to have gotten colder. I open my eyes. I blink.

No, No..... This isn't right!

I look around in a panic.

I see him.

No, not in my mind.

I am not in my shower.

I'm in his.

Oh my God! I am in his shower!

*****further down in the chapter*****

Not sure if you are keeping track...downside.

©Venis Nytes