MARSA1-Part A Mar-Sa The Ultra-Girl Book One/Part One The Girl of Tungsten Steel by Jim Robert Bader August 21, 1997 (First Copyrights Only) 00000000 000 000 000 vvvvvv 000 000 VVVVVVVVVVVV 000 000 VVVVVVVVV 000 000 VVVVVVV 000 000 VVVVV 000 000 VVV 000 000 V 000 000000000 MAR-SA, THE ULTRA-GIRL By Jim Robert Bader (First Copyrights Only) Book One. The Girl of Tungsten Steel Chapter Eight. Interlude "Thank you for responding this quickly, my esteemed colleagues," Jon-Hul remarked as his fellow Councilors joined him in his private office, "I know that you both have busy schedules to attend, so I will be brief, as always, regarding this matter." "You mean Dar-Kem's proposal?" replied Ken-De, an aging member of the High Council who held the position of Chief Minister of Human Resources, "Quite a bit to digest in one sitting. Do you believe that outlandish fable he used to promote his proposal?" "Not a very likely scenario, I agree," observed Councilor Ri-Char, the vocal Minster of Resource Management, "Like one of those antique cultural files that they still disseminate in the Indoctrination feeds to pre-adolescents. I always doubted the merits of propaganda that strays entirely off the track of verifiable historical archives." "Like it or not, Ironstar and She-La are a part of those archives," Jon-Hul replied, "And there is frequent mention of Kar-Tor's name in those selfsame histories. In fact, someone of that name has always been somewhere on the registry, often associated with secondary identity codes that may well be false fronts for a single individual lacking the good graces to die in the way of all nature." He looked meaningfully at his fellow Councilors, and they in turn glanced just as significantly at their surroundings, which caused Jon-Hul to smile ever-so slightly. "I assure you, we are not being monitored," he informed them both, "I take full advantage of my position to secure this space even against Commander Kas-Par's formidable security apparatus. You may both speak freely and be assured what is said here will never be repeated." "Then I will say what is on my mind," Ken-De glowered sullenly, "Dark-Kem is a dangerously unbalanced representative of his sad clique of retrograde thinkers. Imagine wasting valuable resources just to create a device that can span the gulf between stars so that he can maintain ideological purity with a dead and decrepit past. If this Teleporter is feasible, then I say we should use it to restore the vitality and prestige of Ninjarma." "I would concur with that," said Ri-Char, "Having such technology would give us an inestimable advantage over the other domes of this hemisphere, and it could help us to unite the continent for the first time in hundreds of cycles. Ninjarma could regain its preeminence as the leading center of technology, as it was in the days before the rise of the High Council. All of our material and resource needs could be answered, and if it means a renewal of war with the other Domes, then we will be in a much better position to meet such a challenge." "You are assuming that the Keepers world even permit us to retain sole monopoly of the Teleporter," Jon-Hul reasonably pointed out, "They have always seen to it that a balance of arms is maintained, which is why no one Citadel dominates the others and why we lack the unity we would need to band against them." "Granted," Ken-De replied, "And it would be just like them to insure the other Domes knew full well what we were about. Dar-Kem has insisted that we include the Inner Circle of most of the regional powers so that we can all pool our technology for this one-shot transfer device. His proposal does make partial sense as no one Dome by itself has the complete material or energy allotment that would be required for a device of this complexity or nature." "I would never trust such an alliance as he is proposing," Ri-Char said dismissively, "To give up such an advantage by sharing it with others..." "Could work to our advantage after all," Jon-Hul concluded for him with a very pleasant expression. Both men looked at him alertly, then Ken-De said, "Explain this." "We have a long, historical list of grievances with our rivals among the other Domes of this Continent, to say nothing of those of the South and Eastern Territories," Jon-Hul said matter-of-factly, "One thing that does unite us all, however, is that we all chafe under the rulership of the Keepers and their cronies among us. We all are well aware that their misrule has cost us dearly, and if matters are not soon corrected we could all face mass extinction within two or three more lifetimes. Sooner or later we will exhaust our resources and be unable to sustain our present populations, even with thousands of Probe Droids scouring our solar system to plunder every available trace element that they can collectively harvest. Sooner or later the situation will become so grave that we will be forced to engage in an all-out struggle for every last scrap of raw material we have left in our stores, a struggle-you can both be assured-from which there can be no logical victors." "We follow you," Ri-Char replied, "What are you proposing?" "That we move carefully," Jon-Hul replied, "And with circumspection. The Keepers must never suspect that we intend to wrest control of this new device from their grasp, and with it we could well find the means of breaking their hold over us forever. Kar-Tor knew this and that is why Dar-Kem and his brethren fear his accomplishment so greatly." "Use this device to overthrow the Keepers?" Ken-De replied, "Subversive thinking, but I can see how that might earn us some alliances. If the Keepers find out about this..." "Steps will be taken to insure that no word ever reaches their hearing," Jon-Hul assured, "For now we must limit the number of those who know of this plan to a reasonable few. In time we can expand our circle of collaborators to include those in favorable positions of authority who might best be able to carry out our plans. To this end I have invited one other to attend this discussion." "Someone else?" Ri-Char asked suspiciously, "You are certain he can be trusted?" "No more than any of us," Jon-Hul replied, "But his integrity is well known, and by every right he should be included, if only to give his advice on how best to proceed without raising suspicions." He nodded to one end of the room, and a hidden panel opened there. In stepped a man wearing the dark uniform colors of the Security Forces, but this man needed no uniform to be instantly identifiable. In fact one glance at his face was enough to make the other two Councilors tense noticeably, as if fearing that they had signed their own death warrants. "At ease, gentlemen," Commander Kas-Par said levelly, "I am not on duty, I am only here as an advisor." "And who else can insure that word of this meeting does not receive undue notice?' Jon-Hul replied with a smile, "Now, this is what I would suggest we say in our communiqué with the High Council of Palmansu..." "Well, here we are, Marsha," Phoebe said as she opened the door to her second- story apartment, "Home sweet home. It's not too much, but Katie and I manage to live in reasonable comfort. Feel free to check out the bathroom...um, that is assuming, you need to go potty." "I understand the reference," Mar-Sa replied, looking around at the spacious accommodations that greeted her casual inspection, "You and your friend live alone in this place?" "Ah, yeah, more or less," Phoebe replied, reacting in a somewhat surprisingly evasive manner, as though Mar-Sa had unintentionally trespassed on a sensitive subject, "Actually Katie owns the lease, but I pay my share of the rent and utilities, so its sort-of fifty-fifty. Katie's a Software Management Consultant, so she makes a lot more than I do as a secretary, but I kind of earn my keep in...other ways." "Such as?" Mar-Sa asked, intrigued in spite of her wanting to observe her new friend's desire for privacy. Once more than inexplicable laugh, partly nervous, somewhat evasive, "You really don't know a lot about the way things work on our world, Marsha. Katie and me...we have a sort-of domestic relationship. That is to say...we're a lot more than just friends. Do you understand what I'm saying?" "No," Mar-Sa replied, "I am afraid all of this is very new to me. This...room...it is like something a Councilor might command for his office, and there are other rooms attached to this one?" "Yeah," Phoebe nervously chuckled, "Bath, Bed and Kitchen. I'll show you the rest later, but right now I think you'd better sit down. You're looking pretty unsteady." "Thank you," Mar-Sa replied as she found an upholstered couch and sat down on it, only to hear the springs and wooden frame creak under her weight. "Jesus!" Phoebe stared at her, round-eyed, "Just how much do you weigh?" "Ninety-seven drapnas," Mar-Sa replied, then smiled awkwardly as she mentally converted the figure in her head and said, "About three hundred and seven-nine pounds by your estimation..." "Three hundred...?" Phoebe gasped, "What are you, made of lead or something?" "Oh no," Mar-Sa quickly assured, "My elemental composition is almost exactly identical to your own, but my...bone and muscular density is much greater. I am used to living under twice the gravitonic conditions of your world, which has conditioned me to possess a structural frame capable of supporting ten times the kinetic stress factors that you experience on a daily basis..." "Twice the gravity, huh?" Phoebe replied, whistling slightly, "You must feel like you're walking on an air mattress or something. Excuse me for being impressed, but it's not every day I have an alien up to my pad." "Well, then we are even," Mar-Sa said just as nervously, "It is not every day that I am a guest in an alien residence." "Was that a joke?" Phoebe suddenly grinned, then sobered, "Sorry, I'm not making fun of you or anything. It's just so...weird, you being here and all..." "I believe that I fully understand you," Mar-Sa avowed, "Weird is the term that I would have employed for my experiences since arriving on your world." "Guess that makes us even," Phoebe grinned, "Tell you what, just sit there and I'll go fetch us something to snack on. You think you'd like a Soda? No, scratch that...it'll probable take you some time to get used to carbonated beverages. I'll fetch one of Katie's fruit juices, I'm sure she won't kill me." "Kill you?" Mar-Sa started. "Just a figure of speech," Phoebe chuckled, already heading for the adjacent room, "Don't take everything so literally. Our language is full of stuff that doesn't mean exactly what it sounds like." "So I am discovering," Mar-Sa replied, thinking privately to herself that this was a considerable understatement. In point of fact, everything about this situation was so far removed from anything that she had ever considered normal that she was finding it difficult to maintain a semblance of calm, especially as this was her first real opportunity to relax and reflect on the day and everything that had transpired. Her sudden exile, her near escape from capture, the discovery of her new abilities, and meeting a friend with whom she had instantly formed a bond...it all was too much to fully comprehend at once. She needed to meditate in solitude, to regain her equilibrium, some sense of renewed identity as opposed to the alien thoughts that had continued to intrude upon her thought processes. New concepts had been bombarding her conscious mind, leaving her in a disoriented and bewildered state as events just seemed to happen to her without any control on her part. What was an Apprentice Engineer doing on a world like this, so far removed from anything familiar? If Kar-Tor had only taken the time to explain things to her, to give her a chance to mentally prepare... Phoebe returned with the promised beverage, which came in a strange metallic container that had an even stranger pull-top on one end, which Phoebe demonstrated by opening, then offering the can to Mar-Sa before taking one very like it and popping it for herself. "Hope you like Peach Banana Berry," Phoebe said as if by way of apology, "Some of the alternatives are even harder to swallow." Mar-Sa held the can up to her nostrils, finding her acute sense of smell was more pleasantly assaulted this time by a very strange yet wholesome aroma unlike anything she could ever remember. She brought the opening up to her lips and took an experimental sip, then almost fell back in her seat at the delicious flavor that greeted her palate. She took a deeper swallow of this fluid, finding the nectar unbelievably sweet, a far cry from the nearly flavorless liquids that she had consumed since emerging from her incubation cubicle. "You like it?" Phoebe asked, seeming to relax as though expecting a less favorable answer. "Yes," Mar-Sa gasped as she drew breath, all but draining the can with her next few swallows, "This is very good...what is it?" "Like I told you," Phoebe smiled, "It's fruit juice." "This was made from fruit?" Mar-Sa said wonderingly, "How was it processed for storage yet able to retain such a wonderful flavor?" "I'm afraid you'll have to ask somebody else on that one," Phoebe chuckled, "All I know is it's supposed to be good for you, or better than what I'm having anyway..." Mar-Sa glanced at the beverage that Phoebe was holding and asked, "What are you drinking?" "Just a Coke," Phoebe replied, wincing slightly, "Not exactly the best thing to have on an empty stomach, but I've got this serious Caffeine addiction from all the coffee I drink..." "Coffee?" Mar-Sa mind suddenly filled with the image of a bitter-tasting hot liquid that nonetheless had a very appealing quality about it. "Never mind," Phoebe chuckled again, "Katie's more a Tea drinker anyway. Say, if you're hungry, why don't I treat you to some real Earth food?" "I assume that there is no other kind about?" Mar-Sa asked with a smile of her own. "Damn, you are getting a sense of humor!" Phoebe grinned, "No problem, though, this one I'm sure you'll love. It's called Pizza, and it's just the thing for curing an appetite. I'm sure I can afford home delivery with cash on hand, because these guys aren't wild about credit..." Thirty terrestrial minutes later and there came a knocking on their door that caused Mar-Sa to jump, but Phoebe just chuckled again and waved her to continue sitting. She waved a green slip of paper at the young man who she greeted at the door, then accepted a pair of almost flat boxes from him and said, "Keep the change, sport." Then she promptly closed the door on him before he could get a very good look at Mar-Sa. Before Phoebe could open the boxes Mar-Sa sat upright as she caught a disturbingly familiar scent that had to have lodged in her mind from her borrowed memories, because there had never been anything like it that she knew of on Wolframa. When the boxes were opened to reveal a pair of flat, crusted disks upon which every conceivable confection had been added, some part of her mind suddenly leaped for joy and she experienced a feeling that was indescribable. She wasted no time at all in discovering the fine art of eating food with her fingers and was very soon on the way to total satiation. Phoebe's eyes started almost from their sockets at the speed with which Mar-Sa gobbled her portion down, while Phoebe seemed to barely have the appetite for a mere third of her pizza. When Mar-Sa asked if she could share that part, Phoebe had urged her to indulge herself completely, and with a relish new to her experience the exiled Wolframan ate without her usual restraint. Very soon she was licking her gloved hands of the residue of sauce and juice, feeling guilty at being such a pig (whatever that was, and she preferred not to inquire too closely), but somehow Phoebe seemed more amused than offended by her behavior. "Guess they don't feed you that well back home, huh?" her new friend inquired. "Nothing like that," Mar-Sa sighed happily, wondering if she were going to be ill at the speed with which she had eaten, "Thank you so much, I don't know how I can make this up to you. You've done so much for me already..." "Hey, nothing to it," Phoebe said, then in a more serious tone she added, "You're worth it." "I am?" Mar-Sa looked at her, aware once again of the strange regard in Phoebe's expression. "Sure," Phoebe replied, "I mean, even without all the stuff that you can do and everything else, you're a special kind of person, Marsha. I mean, you've suffered through a lot, and it's the least that I can do for you your first day on our planet." "You are a very kind person, Phoebe," Mar-Sa replied, "I do not think everyone on your world would be this generous with a stranger." "Maybe," Phoebe sniffed in amusement, "And maybe I just like being around you. I mean, things seem to happen with about you, and there's hardly been a dull moment in between." Mar-Sa's expression fell, "But I have put you in danger, and your own government will be after you for helping me. You were almost hurt several times, and if I...if I had hurt you, even accidentally..." "Hey, I'm not blaming you for any of that!" Phoebe protested. "I know," Mar-Sa said, and suddenly the weight of it all came crashing down on her, and in a tired voice she said, "But if I had not met you today...I don't know what would have become of me. I am alone...I have always been alone, but you...you are the first real friend that I have ever had..." "Hey, take it easy," Phoebe said, coming around to sit beside Mar-Sa, hesitating only a moment before putting her arm around the larger woman's shoulder, "You're safe here, at least for now. Those guys chasing you won' t be able to find us right away, so you can relax...at least a little." "But...you don't understand," Mar-Sa said with an inward tremble, "I hurt that man deliberately...I could have killed him! I wanted to hurt him...because I could see in his mind that he was going to hurt you, and that made me feel so...angry..." "That's natural enough," Phoebe said, "At least it proves you're human." "Is it human to want these things?" Mar-Sa wondered, "I have never felt that way before...or have ever been in a position where I could do anything about it. Always before when I am threatened...I feel so afraid, so helpless...but now...I don't think that I need to be afraid of anyone so much as I am about myself. These powers...they magnify everything. With just a thought I could throw this small table across the room...even granted that my power level feels about half what it was before with your sun went over the planetary horizon." In point of fact, she did feel much weaker than before, even granted that half power was still more than a thousand times anything considered normal on either of their worlds. Mar-Sa did not add that she considered Phoebe to be one of those things that she was afraid of damaging, aware of how light the Earth girl's molecular structure was compared to anything with which Mar-Sa was accustomed. "Could doesn't mean you would, Marsha," Phoebe said firmly, voicing a confidence that Mar-Sa could not share, "You could have hurt him a lot worse, but you didn't. He was going to hurt us because of some crazy mix-up in his love-life, remember?" "I know," Mar-Sa looked away, "His thoughts were very ugly, and I heard him project the word Freak. I was a freak to him, a monster..." "What does he know?" Phoebe said derisively, "He's not used to seeing a mere girl pick up the front end of a truck and threaten to squash him. I know I'd do a lot worse to creeps like that if I had your kind of power." "You do not want this burden," Mar-Sa shuddered for real, "It is such...a difficult thing... not to break anything, or hurt anyone by accident. I couldn't stand doing that to you..." "Hey," Phoebe hugged her more forcefully this time, "Let me worry about that, okay? You just need time to get used to having this much capacity. At least now you can have time to learn how to develop more control, and I'll help you in every way I can. So will Katie whenever she gets back from her travels." Mar-Sa was about to say something about this mysterious companion with whom Phoebe shared residence when something brushed against her leg, causing her to look down with a start to see a strange four legged creature with black fur and yellow-green eyes that made the most curious sound as it looked up at them with what could only be termed a hopeful expression. Phoebe brightened up at once, "Lucifer! There you are, my little boy, I've been so worried about you..." Mar-Sa blinked, watching as Phoebe reached down to scoop the animal up into her lap, where she began petting along the sides of its cheek and body, eliciting a quite affectionate-sounding thrumming noise in response as the animal suffered itself to be so treated. "Lucifer?" she asked, wondering at the conflicting images conjured up in her mind at such a reference. Phoebe looked up at her with an impish grin, "He's my pet, a House Cat, and he must have been sleeping when we came in or else he'd have been here sooner, begging for attention and food like the greedy little thing you are, aren't you, my precious..." "A House Cat," Mar-Sa felt something in her mind form a connection and she at once got the reference, "Felis Domestica, similar in basic anatomical structure to an animal on my world. You mean...you are allowed to keep domesticated animals for pets in your living residence?" "That's right," Phoebe said as she rubbed her face against the fur of the animal, then sneezed, "Damned allergies. Always been a cat lover in spite of the fact their fur gives me hairballs. Cheaper than either a dog or a husband and not as difficult to housetrain. Here, see if he likes you." "I...?" Mar-Sa gasped as Phoebe picked up the animal and placed him on her lap. Lucifer just sat expectantly for a moment, looking up at her as if to fully appreciate her scent, then Mar-Sa tentatively reached out and stroked under the animals chin, an act which came surprisingly natural, and once again Lucifer began to make that peculiar thrumming noise that was actually rather soothing. In spite of everything, Mar-Sa found herself smiling. "You see?" Phoebe smiled reassuringly, "He likes you. Animals have more sense than most people I know, and they have a way of cheering us up whenever things get too hairy. I guess you never had a pet of your own when you were a little girl, huh?" "No," Mar-Sa said sadly, "They would not have been permitted. The only animals that survive these days are kept in biospheric habitats for study and preservation. Animals such as this...are bred for us in Bioresearch..." She faltered as she sensed Phoebe's reaction, and saw a similar expression on her features. "That's terrible, Marsha," Phoebe said with a shake of her head that only partially concealed the very real anger she was feeling, "The place you come from sounds so awful. That they would do that to animals, let alone people..." "It is...strange," Mar-Sa remarked, "I have always felt that there was much about my...society that made so little sense to me, but until now I have never had anything to compare it with. Kar-Tor described Ninjarma to me as it had been in the days before the rise of the High Council, but they always sounded like...like stories he told to counter official propaganda. Now that I have seen what life is like on your world...I can't imagine ever going back there." "Then don't, Marsha," Phoebe said emphatically, "This is your home now. You're on Earth, and you can have political asylum..." "Assuming that the governments of your world would even recognize my claim, let alone believe in my point of origin," Mar-Sa sadly noted, but she smiled none the less, "I suppose it is academic anyway. I have no way of returning, and with Kar-Tor dead there would be no one else who even knows of my continued existence. I guess I will have to try and make the best of matters." "That's the spirit," Phoebe grinned that infectious grin that Mar-Sa was coming to so identify with this spirited Earth girl, "In the meantime you'd better have that bath. It should soothe your nerves and help you to better adjust to everything you've been through. After you've rested we'll talk some more, maybe figure out some way you can fit in like a regular Earth Woman." "I would like that very much," Mar-Sa replied, more amazed now than frightened at just how much the presence of her new friend was helping her to cope with the situation. Phoebe was an amazing person who seemed as boundless with energy and enthusiasm as she was heedless of risk and danger. It was as if she actually believed that any obstacle could be overcome with enough positive momentum, and she almost made Mar-Sa believe that the formidable hurdles yet to be faced could somehow be managed with a little time and patience. In the meantime she realized that other requirements beside thirst and hunger needed to be tended to. She had been on the run nearly a full day and had not relieved herself of accumulated stores of waste matter and effluents. She asked Phoebe, as politely as she could manage, to show her to the facilities, and with a few coy directions Phoebe introduced her to the Terran equivalent of indoor plumbing. The Toilet was surprisingly similar to such units as were still in use on Wolframa, and the basic mechanism was simplicity itself. The one difference, she realized with an almost guilty start, was that the discarded fluid and mass were not being shuttled to a reclamation facility for reprocessing and reuse; they were just being dumped into the ocean after undergoing a perfunctory filtration process. Such wastefulness conflicted with a lifetime of training in the need for conservation and was further evidence of the staggering abundance of raw materials that were to be found upon this planet. To think that people would so casually throw away the basic substances of life without even using them as fertilizer in agricultural hydroponics... Then there was the bath itself, which Phoebe had taken the liberty of starting for her. Mar-Sa found it a strange concept, to immerse herself in perfectly good drinkable water-let alone consider the experience as "soothing'--a concept even more wasteful and extravagant than the Terran idea of waste disposal. She was far more accustomed to sonic showers, but doubted any such thing existed on this world-or that her acute hearing would have allowed her to endure such an experience! The bathtub was another matter, entirely too small in appearance for Mar-Sa to fit in snugly. Once she had flushed the toilet and cleaned herself off with the thin paper roll material that had been provided, she considered the bath with a very dubious expression. Still, she did feel an urge to cleanse herself, and had been aware of a profuse oily smell to her skin when she had removed her undergarments and set them to one side. If this was all that could be offered to her as a means of restoring personal hygiene, then she would have to make the best of matters, even if it meant squeezing herself into such an inadequate container. Then the thought came to her that there was another option. Her borrowed memories once again supplied the details, and she found the little lever over the faucet head that converted the bath into a shower. She smiled at this discovery, but promptly jumped back with a start as the water that dashed down on her from above proved too cold for her liking. Well, that too was easily adjusted. She turned the handle until the water became warmer, then smiled again as the sensation of water splashing over her skin proved incredibly delightful. She kept it on warm while she made similar discoveries of the use of shampoo and bar soap, all the while the water accumulated about her ankles and gradually reached the bottoms of her calves while she cleaned herself of oily deposits, dirt and sweat, becoming momentarily oblivious to her surroundings. Such a reminder inevitably came, however, when Phoebe stepped into the bathroom and reacted with a startled, "Jesus! Somebody turn up the steam in here?" "Ah...yes," Mar-Sa said from behind the curtain, "That was me." Phoebe threw back the curtain and reacted with a profound look of dismay and astonishment, thrusting a hand at the water, then promptly yanking it back with a curse. "Ow!" she said in between more colorful dialogue, "That's hot! How can you stand it like that without being scalded?" "I...I didn't know," Mar-Sa said sheepishly, "Was this too much?" "Sure, if you've got a hide like an elephant," Phoebe said, calming down as she caught sight of Mar-Sa's naked body, where it could be seen amid all the steam. She took a moment before she said anything again, then gasped, "I guess it's all right for you, though. Must take a lot to warm you up..." "I suppose it is my denser molecular structure," Mar-Sa said, almost apologetically, "This actually feels pleasant to me, but if I have upset you in any way..." "Oh no!" Phoebe quickly reassured her, "I'm not upset or anything...just...sorry, didn't mean to stare...I just wanted to tell you that I've found a robe you might be able to fit into, so you won't have to climb back into your costume..." "Costume?" Mar-Sa wondered. "Your...things..." Phoebe glanced to the side at the folded pile that constituted Mar-Sa's entire list of physical possessions, and on impulse she lifted the cape and said, "What's this stuff made of anyway? Must be awfully tough, I don't see a tear anyplace, not even a threat loose." "You wouldn't find any," Mar-Sa replied as she stopped the running water, then reached for a towel set in a nearby holder, "Chain Molecules are of one continuous fabrication, and they do not tear when they stretch. I am not familiar with the actual PSI resistance factor, but they can withstand a great deal more punishment than my outer robes, which I lost on arrival." "Outer robes?" Phoebe asked as she watched Mar-Sa begin to towel down her hair, then her body. "Ah..." Mar-Sa hesitated, "Yes. These are actually what I wear underneath my actual clothing. The outer robes were meant to be recycled on a routine basis, but the underwear is made to last a very long time. My people are very concerned with maters of personal hygiene, and we are not permitted to excrete hair and dermal tissues everywhere we travel, thus reducing the amount of waste material we give off in our environs..." "Jeez," Phoebe winced, "Your people don't exactly permit you to even breathe deep without permission! I'm sorry if I don't understand all that but...let me get this straight: this is your underwear? You mean to say you've been running around in fancy Lingerie ever since you got here?" "Uh, yes," Mar-Sa said awkwardly as she stepped out of the shower and began to dry herself off with one of the towels hanging from a nearby rack, "Except for the cape." Phoebe started to chuckle, then stopped herself and said, "I'm sorry, didn't mean to make you uncomfortable and all that. It's just...this really does take some getting used to! No problem, though, I've already got something a lot more comfortable for you to slip into. Try this on." She handed Mar-Sa the folded pile of fabric that she had brought with her, and once unfolded Mar-Sa found them to be of a length of fabric unlike anything she had ever previously encountered. It was soft to the touch yet had good tensile strength, and while it was a bit narrow about the shoulders, she found that she could fit her frame into this with some assistance by Phoebe. The robe closed by means of a sash, which Phoebe again secured, tying it in a surprisingly formal knot. "There," Phoebe smiled, looking Mar-Sa up and down approvingly, "That's better. Not as much fun as seeing you naked, but it'll do..." "Excuse me?" Mar-Sa wondered once again about the odd way Phoebe had phrased that comment. In fact, there were a lot of things about Phoebe's general attitude that she found somehow disturbing. "Ah, never mind," Phoebe glanced away, "Didn't mean to intrude, just...betrayed by my baser reflexes..." "Reflexes?" Mar-Sa repeated with increasing confusion. "You don't really understand, do you," Phoebe looked at her again, then sighed, "Not your fault, really. I'm sorry I...I'll wait until you're ready." "Ready for what?" Mar-Sa sincerely wanted to know. "Nothing," Phoebe said, and quickly hastened out of the room, leaving Mar-Sa to wonder if she had said or done anything to offend the slender Earth woman. She was almost certain that she was missing something very significant in their exchanges, but lacked a sufficient experiential basis from which to form even the most tentative hypothesis. Even her borrowed memories could offer little in the way of personal insight. Mar-Sa finished toweling down her hair, then began reflecting on what little she knew about Earth society and culture. Men and women freely interacted here, and considered it natural to do so. They must have adapted to a myriad of rules and social customs to overcome the inevitable friction that might result from such continuous close contact, rules that would take a very long time for Mar-Sa to comprehend, let alone adopt. It would be rushing things considerably if she made any presumptions at this point regarding Phoebe's unusual behavior, so better to take things one step at a time and hope that she had not committed some unpardonable gaff or unintentional insult. She left the bathroom somewhat self-consciously, leaving behind her belongings, which needed to be cleaned in any event. Phoebe was sitting upon the large mattress-covered bed and had a very pensive expression on her face. She looked up at Mar-Sa and smiled a little, then patted the space next to her as if to indicate that Mar-Sa should sit down beside her. Mar-Sa considered what her weight might do on such an evidently light-frame construction and opted instead to sit on the floor in front of Phoebe. They were almost at eye level this way, and Mar-Sa could tell just by looking at her friend's expression that there was something important that needed discussion. Her heightened awareness made her further aware that it was in the manner of a confession. "I've thought about something important that goes with creating a new identity for you, Marsha," Phoebe began, clearly choosing a subject other than the one that most immediately concerned her, "Last names. You need one if you're going to get a license and some fake ID. I know a guy who can make you up a whole new identity that'll pass close inspection, but he's got to put something on the card that includes family or group title. You wouldn't happen to have a family name, would you?" "Mar is my family name," Mar-Sa replied, "Sa is my given designation. My father was Mar-Tan, my mother was Mar-Ta..." "Right," Phoebe slowly nodded, "But that won't do here, and it takes more than one syllable to draw as little attention as possible while we figure out our next step. It'll be no problem if you use your first name, Marsha, like I've been calling you all day..." "Really?" Mar-Sa smiled at that, "I thought it might just be a glitch in translation." Phoebe laughed at that, "Better watch out, you're definitely developing a sense of humor. But seriously, I think you need to come up with a really good last name so no one will think anything weird about you. You can fake your appearance when you have to, so no sweat on that score...not that there's anything wrong with your appearance, mind you! What I mean is...like my last name, Winters..." "Why is your family named for a season that denotes cold weather conditions?" Mar-Sa asked in curious reflection. "Who knows," Phoebe chuckled again, "My ancestors were mostly Nordic, but I've got a Jewish Grandmother named Miriam living in New York who was a Holocaust survivor..." "Holocaust?" something about the word conjured up images in her mind that Mar-Sa found disturbing. "Uh, yeah, that's another long story," Phoebe waved the point away dismissively, "I'm just descended from some WASP immigrants who came from all over. Grandmother married an Irish Catholic guy who helped her to settle, but that's on my mother's side of the family. My father was a lay Minister in the Presbyterian church, and I think I was a big disappointment to him. I came out west to get my bearings, moved to 'Frisco several years back and met Katie, who's Jewish but not Orthodox. We...hit it off, and we've been together now for over six years..." "You are very fond of your room mate," Mar-Sa observed, "I notice when you speak of her you have many pleasant memories. I...have tried not to pry, but I find it difficult not to be fascinated." "Well..." Phoebe said with a long pause, "That's...kind of what I was getting around to. You see...Katie and me...we're close, but we're not exclusive. That is, I mean...um...how should I put this? We're...more than just roommates...we're domestic. Do you understand what that means?" "No," Mar-Sa replied, "Why is it important?" Phoebe let out a deep sigh and collapsed back on the bed, "I give up! You really can't understand, can you? You don't even have sex on your world outside of purposes of procreation!" "I'm afraid not," Mar-Sa agreed, then something in the back of her mind went click again, and she looked up in surprise, "Sexual intercourse? But...?" "You mean with a girl?" Phoebe smiled, "I'm Bisexual, Marsha...I like guys and girls. I've dated a lot of men, even had sex with a few, but there's never been anything significant with any of them. With Katie, though...she was my first either way. With Katie...it's always been like magic..." "Bi-sexual?" Mar-Sa blinked twice this time, "You mean...you have sex with your room mate?" "I've shocked you, haven't I?" Phoebe asked with a sigh, her expression betraying real anxiety, as if afraid of immanent rejection. "Surprised is more appropriate," Mar-Sa said, considering her own feelings on the matter and finding it as difficult a concept to get around as personal freedom, "I do not know what you truly mean...I have never experienced intercourse with...either gender. I was designated a breeder, but my rating was so low that I did not expect to be selected for many more cycles." "It's not about making babies," Phoebe said, "Sex for pleasure may be a hard concept to grasp at the moment, Mar-Sa, but most of us here on this world take it for granted that we can make love to anyone we want, even if there are a few bigots out there who'd rather get in your face and tell you how to live your life..." "Like Hugh?" Mar-Sa suddenly remembered the words he had used so angrily, and the forceful venom with which he had projected his loathing. "Yeah, good example," Phoebe nodded, brushing her blond hair out of her eyes as she sat up again, "Guys like that feel threatened by a woman with a mind of her own and they blame us for everything negative in society, as if we could actually mess up the world any worse than it already is." "I understand the concept of the scapegoat," Mar-Sa replied, "Our leaders always project our shortages and resource problems on the other domed citadels that dot our world. Kar-Tor...informed me of the real reason why we seem to deplete resources as fast as we can harvest the raw materials from our native system. The reality is that all domes have a common linkage, a central High Committee that determines the allocation of resources and deliberately manufactures shortages to provoke periodic conflict." "You mean...they deliberately play you guys off one another?" Phoebe asked. "Divide and conquer," Mar-Sa replied, now understanding a term that had existed in the back of her mind since she first began to compare her world with this one, "I never fully understood or appreciated all that Kar-Tor was trying to teach me. I thought he was just involving me in his own personal quarrel with Ninjarma's High Council, and all the while he was actually trying to help me understand. I never really gave him the chance...and now he's dead..." For the second time in the day she felt tears well up in her eyes as memories of Kar-Tor resurfaced, of her time studying under him, listening to his patient lectures, the tests he would run to see if she retained full comprehension of the vast amount of information that he insisted on downloading into her mind through direct memory implants. His gentle, mocking tone, his laughter, the way he could sardonically summarize centuries of oppression and misrule by the High Councils as if it were a game being played between himself and a mysterious group he would only refer to as the Keepers... It was too much, on top of everything else, and she began to cry in earnest, bereft of everything familiar, cast adrift on a world where everything was so different, and having to cope with abilities and emotions unlike anything with which she had ever had to experience in a life too short for understanding. Phoebe slid off the bed and was at her side at once, lending her shoulder as she had done several times in that day and saying, "Easy, Marsha, don't cry. I know it's been real hard on you, but things will be better. Just wait and see." "Thank you," Mar-Sa turned, finding her face now inches away from Phoebe, marveling at those pale blue eyes that stared back at her with sympathy and longing, "For everything. You've given me so much already..." Phoebe's expression fell, and it took a moment for her to look up again before she said, "It...hasn't all been altruism, Marsha. The fact is...well...I like you. A lot." She pulled away somewhat and looked away before continuing, "You gotta understand...over six years ago I...got into some problems and ran away from my home, and then there was Katie coming to my rescue, taking me in and helping me adjust to a whole different kind of life from what I was used to. She helped me out, just like I've been helping you, only she knew a lot more about what she was doing than I do. She gave me a place to call home, and I...feel I owe her for that. For a lot of things, but mostly for showing me how to live life the way I wanted. I love her, Marsha...I wouldn't want to hurt her. We say we have an open relationship, but...now... with you...I'd like to find out just how open it could be." "You mean...you desire me?" Mar-Sa asked, feeling as if many things were starting to fall into place with a clarity of which she had never before dreamed. "Desire you?" Phoebe smiled an awkward kind of smile as she turned back to regard Mar-Sa, "What's not to desire? You're beautiful, Marsha...absolutely stunning! Who couldn't desire you? You're like a goddess, better than any of those airbrushed Mannequins in one of Katie's magazine collection." "A Goddess?" Mar-Sa reflected, eliciting yet more memories that did not quite fit her referential system, "No, I am hardly that..." "Sure you are," Phoebe turned to her with complete openness, "You're strong, nearly invulnerable, you can even fly, for Chrissakes! And the way you healed those soldiers..." "After I injured them with my carelessness," Mar-Sa bitterly amended. "Would you stop harping on your faults?" Phoebe chided, "And don't interrupt me when I'm praising you! I'm completely serious about this, Marsha! You're...you're everything that anybody with any sense could ever desire, while I'm just a mousy little nobody from the sticks..." "Now who is being critical?" Mar-Sa asked with a sad little smile, "I am flattered that you think so highly of me, Phoebe, but I'm only considered average on my world..." "You?" Phoebe snorted in disbelief, "Average?" "Believe it or not," Mar-Sa continued to smile, then slowly her expression sobered, "I'm not just flattered that you think this way about me, Phoebe...I'm touched beyond words. I've never even had a friend before you, and I certainly have never had one who professed to like me...in a certain way. But...do you think that you can actually care about me the way you do for Katie? I feel such intense emotional bonds there..." "I think I already feel that way about you," Phoebe said, "I've spent the whole day with you, Marsha, and I think I've got a pretty good handle on the kind of person you are. You're kind, considerate, honest and just about every good adjective in the book. I've been watching you all day...and I can't help but feel...a certain way around you. You turn me on like no guy I ever met, and I wish I could make you understand the way I feel..." "But I do feel...something, Phoebe," Mar-Sa said, now more aware than ever what was the true nature of those strange empathic feelings that she had experienced around Phoebe. Such intense physical desire was utterly unknown to her before now, but to her considerable surprise she found her own body beginning to react favorably, and with a wonder she stared at Phoebe and felt a bond begin to form anew as more and more her awareness of Phoebe became increasingly intense. "You do?" Phoebe asked, as if sensing the same strange heightened awareness. "I do," Mar-Sa replied, aware that they were moving physically closer together and wondering with a strange hushed sense of anticipation just what was to follow. At the last instant Phoebe hesitated, then said, "I...can't do this. You're not really ready. You don't know what I want from you, and you're...you're a virgin, for Chrissakes!" "Is that bad?" Mar-Sa wondered. "No," Phoebe said, still hesitating, "In fact, it's kind of nice. I've never had a virgin before... at least, not one like you. Um...how old are you anyway?" "Twenty-seven cycles," Mar-Sa replied, then mentally converted the figure, "Nineteen years, five months, eight days by your count." "So a year for you is like..." Phoebe asked. "Two hundred sixty-seven Earth days," Mar-Sa replied, "Our world is closer to its sun in order to receive more energy from the lower output of a medium-sized Red Giant..." "Over the age of consent then," Phoebe smiled, "Good, I hate cradle robbing," and then she brought her mouth up to Mar-Sa's lips and began gently making intimate contact. The kiss-as Mar-Sa was later to realize what it was-felt wonderful, invigorating. Phoebe pressed ahead with bolder energy as Mar-Sa felt herself respond with incredulous enthusiasm, her mouth working in response to Phoebe's encouragement as though the act itself were second nature. Phoebe gradually broke contact, pulling away slightly so that she could open her eyes and look questioningly at Mar-Sa, who had opened her own eyes, barely aware of having closed them in the first place. With a nervous smile now more readable than ever she asked, "How was that for a first attempt?" "That..." Mar-Sa breathed, realizing that she wanted much more than just one kiss, but she pulled away with a start and said, "I can't...I don't dare! I'm too strong, I might lose control and hurt you..." "Let me worry about that," Phoebe sniffed, then smiled that wonderful smile again and said, "Marsha, do you trust me?" "Yes," Mar-Sa replied instinctively. "Then let me teach you how to have pleasure without doing any damage to the furniture," Phoebe moved away and said, "Lay down on the bed and let me show you." "All right," Mar-Sa agreed, getting slowly up before throwing herself down on the spring mattress, which bounced once with a groan of protest. Phoebe's smile became one of open lust as she positioned herself at the end of the bed where Mar-Sa's legs were spread out, savoring the view before climbing onto the bed and straddling Mar-Sa. "Just let me do all the work this time out," Phoebe smiled, "Keep your hands spread out and hold on for dear life, because this is gonna be one heck of a ride, Marsha." She then parted Mar-Sa's robe, undoing the sash to expose the front part of her body. Phoebe bent down and began to kiss Mar-Sa once more, only now beginning at shoulder level and slowly working her way down. Almost from the instant of contact Mar-Sa found her hands gripping the sheets as the pleasurable waves that began to mount in her caused her back to arch as Phoebe worked a gentle trail down to the level of her breasts, hands moving in concert to slide down to the space between Mar-Sa's legs, where they discovered the thick wiry mound that covered her exposed genitalia. Long before those fingers found their way there, however, an uncontrollable gyration of nerves caused Mar-Sa to arch up and down, bucking on the bed as she momentarily lost control over her whole body. Phoebe was thrown completely off the bed, but Mar-Sa was helpless to do anything for several intense moments as waves of pleasure traveled throughout the length of her body. By the time she had expended the full measure of these sensations she was breathing deeply, perspiring freely and had the sense of something wonderful in the afterglow of her first successful climax. "Wow," Phoebe said admiringly, adding a few other colorful adjectives that were more profane in content, "Never had anybody react like that before! That was...something else..." "I don't know what it was," Mar-Sa gasped, "But I like it!" "So I gather," Phoebe grinned, "Want me to start all over again? I'll go real slow this time, and let you adjust to each phase of the program." "Yes please!" Mar-Sa urged, aware now that she had bunched the sheets up under herself with all of her thrashing, "Show me how to do that for you! I want to know everything about this...sexual stimulation. I love the way it makes me feel when you touch me...I...love you, Phoebe." The other woman caught her breath, then said, "Do you mean that?" "I...guess I do," Mar-Sa slowly smiled, "I never understood the word before today. It's like Freedom and happiness...things I am starting to become aware of, and maybe in time I'll come to regard them as naturally as you do...but I do believe that I love you." "Marsha," Phoebe was almost breathless for several long moments, then she smiled again and said, "We'll start all over, and this time I promise I'll be gentle." "I know you will be," Mar-Sa said reassuringly, laying back with her robe completely open as Phoebe again straddled her, running a finger up between Mar- Sa's legs and coming away with a glistening moistness, which same she sampled with her tongue before pronouncing, "Delicious. I can't wait to have more of you. You're really going to enjoy this!" "I know that I will," Mar-Sa smiled, "I think I'm going to be very happy here after all, with you as my teacher." "Count on it," Phoebe purred, almost sounding like the cat as she slowly bent down and went to work on Mar-Sa's golden body... (First Copyrights Only) (First Eleven Chapters) -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- If you wish to check out my other works, Please check out my Fanfiction webpage at: http://s11.sexshare.com/~jbader/jimbader.html All related chapters of this series can be found there along with my other works.