The following is a work of fiction created and written by Jim Robert Bader, with ideas and suggestions provided by my good friends, Bill Guiroff and Kate Norcross (the REAL-life Katie). No other persons living or dead are intended to be reflected here (save for purposes of obvious parody and/or social commentary), and any resemblance to other creations of popular fiction are purely coincidental. This property is the work of Jim Robert Bader and is a rough draft copy, to be revised and altered should I one day find a friendly publisher willing to help me out. It is presented here for the express purpose of gaining friendly recognition and/or creative commentary and may not be duplicated or published elsewhere without express permission of the author. Mar-Sa The Ultra-Girl Book One/Part Two The Girl of Tungsten Steel by Jim Robert Bader September 4, 2001 (First Copyrights Only) 00000000 000 000 000 vvvvvvv 000 000VVVVVVVVVVVVVV000 000 VVVVVVVVVV 000 000 VVVVVV 000 000 VVVV 000 000 VV 000 00000000 Mar-Sa, The Ultra-Girl by Jim Robert Bader Book One/Part Two The Girl of Tungsten Steel Chapter Sixteen. Homecoming The flight had been exhausting and the food had been terrible, even by Airline standards, especially since they did not even know how to prepare a decent dish of Sushi, nor even a Jewish Maltza. So the last thing on Kate Cross's mind when she stepped into her apartment was putting up with the antics of her roommate- slash-girlfriend. All that Katie asked of life was a shower and then to bed, preferably with something softer at her side than a hard pillow with a futon under her back. She tossed her heavy bags down on the floor the moment she stepped past the threshold, still faintly surprised that it was morning outside since she was conditioned by now to an entirely different time zone. Eight hours of jet lag were catching up with her rapidly, especially after a month of intensive training under her Sensei. Good thing he was understanding enough to let her slip away once her obligations to the clan had been concluded, but she wondered about a certain phone call that she had received only days ago, informing her that Phoebe had gotten herself into some sort of crazy situation. Ariel had been awfully sparing about the details, vaguely wording things so that it sounded as if Phoebe had held up a bank or something equally distressing. There were times such as this when she wondered why she ever put up with his Limey ass, even if he had the best ass on any man that she had ever slept with. All she knew was that Phoebe needed her again, and as they both had been apart for the better part of a month, Katie was really looking forward to having a hot-blooded reunion. She was mildly surprised to take note of the fact that the apartment was unusually tidy, which was not at all Phoebe's usual pattern. Perhaps the month had taught her how to finally keep house on her own, even with Katie paying all of the bills and seeing to it that her lover was well cared for in her absence. Of course she was certain that Phoebe was at home since she could hear the water running, but when Katie stepped into the bedroom, intending to surprise her in the showers, she had a surprise of her own waiting for her, for there was someone on the bed, laying atop the tousled bedsheets...and she definitely did not look a thing like Phoebe! The fact that Phoebe might be entertaining a friend did not particularly disturb Katie as she had never expected her blonde girlfriend to remain totally monogamous without her. For certain Katie had been spending a part of her nights with her old girlfriend, Yuki, so it was not jealousy per se that prompted Katie to stare at the occupant of HER bed, laying partially face-down with the covers loosely draped over her huge frame, and she was laying in a position that left one in no doubt that she had been engaged in some rather vigorous activities sometime during the movie. What did amaze Katie was the sheer size of the woman in question, to say nothing of her rather unique complexion, looking like a six-plus foot version of the girl from the James Bond movie that she numbered among her favorites. Painted gold skin could not, she reasoned, be a natural complexion, but the fact that the woman was still breathing definitely ruled out the possibility that she was some kind of reclining bronzed statue. Katie stared in stark surprise for several minutes until Phoebe herself stepped out of the showers, toweling herself down as she was saying, "Time to wake up, sleepy head! Heather's picking us up in about an hour so we'd better get ready to---AWK!" she cried as she suddenly noticed who else was standing in the room looking dumbstruck, "Katie?? I mean...I didn't expect...!" "No, I don't imagine that you were," Katie managed to put the ultimate in ironic tones into her voice as she pointed at the occupant on the bed, "Who...or what is that? And if you say Goldilocks I'll spank you..." "Mmm?" the living statue stirred, then a pair of violet eyes glanced over at Katie and she Goddess spoke, "Oh? Phoebe? Is this your roommate, the one I've heard so much about?" "Um...yeah," Phoebe said sheepishly, "That's Katie...my, uh...roommate." Mar-Sa saw a woman of moderate height and build with short, dark curling hair and an understated attractiveness that belied the fact that she was probably in her mid-to-late thirties. She smiled as she took this woman in, sensing a strength and a vigor unusual even for an Earthwoman and said, "Oh, pleased to meet you." Katie stared back at the golden woman on the bed then glared at Phoebe and said, "This better be good..." "Please don't be upset with her, Ms Cross," the Goddess petitioned as she sat up on the bed, and Katie got a better look at just why she seemed to be Phoebe's type for a tumble, "Phoebe's been very good to me for the past few weeks, and if not for her I would never have been able to find myself..." "You're kidding, right?" Katie scowled, "And just who the hell are you anyway?" "Mar-Sa of Ninjarma," the golden woman said as she stepped off the bed and revealed her full height and naked glory, "Recent immigrant to your world and soon to be a published author." Katie just continued to stare before saying, "Huh?" "Haven't you heard of her, Katie?" Phoebe asked, "Mar-Sa is famous! She's been in all the headlines lately!" "Ah...well...I have been kind of...incommunicado lately," Katie admitted, "Sensei didn't exactly let me take breaks to read the newspaper..." "Then you've just missed out on the biggest news story since God talked to Moses," Phoebe grinned, "Show her, Marsha." "Very well," Mar-Sa nodded, turning to Katie with a pleasant smile, "Don't worry, this won't hurt a bit." "What won't hurt a bit?" Katie tensed as she sensed something was about to happen, and---sure enough---the strange golden woman extended a hand in her direction, which prompted Katie to fall into a ready defensive posture, only to find that the stranger did not move...while Katie herself began to become aware of a sense of lightness all around her, "What...?" "Hey, don't worry, Katie," Phoebe assured her, "You're in good hands with Marsha, believe me." "What are you talking about---awk!" Katie glanced down and found herself rising from the floor with her feet dangling more than a foot above the carpet. "It's called Telekinesis," Mar-Sa explained, "And it is but one of my many abilities. I did not want to alarm you but I wanted you to see first hand the reality of my nature." "Marsha's an alien, Katie," Phoebe explained. "What?" Katie asked, feeling more unnerved than was her usual wont, "You mean she doesn't have a green card?" "No," Phoebe pointed at the ceiling, "I mean she's from out there, as in not from Earth, do you get it?" "Please don't be alarmed about me, Ms. Cross," Mar-Sa said as she relaxed her field and allowed the short-haired woman to drift back to the floor, "I've been staying with Phoebe since she helped me elude capture by the government and..." "Wait a second!" Katie waved her hands expressively, "Slow down a minute! You're an Alien? Like...from another planet?" "What was your first clue, Genius?" Phoebe smirked, "Not many like her around, not even in California." "You mind your manners, little girl," Katie said crossly, "Are you telling me that you've had her living in our apartment, hiding out from the government, and IN OUR BED for the past few weeks and you never even thought to call me?" "Ah...actually I did," Phoebe said somewhat sheepishly, "But those Japanese guys you were hanging out with kept telling me to call back at another time. I thought maybe Ariel would tell you after he stopped by and left a message..." "Ariel...knew about this?" Katie said archly, "I knew it...it's a blonde conspiracy! More than one of you is due for a real spanking..." "Er...can we put this off for another time?" Phoebe asked demurely, "Marsha and me...we kind of have this gig we need to get ready for and..." "Gig?" Katie looked from one conspirator to the other, "What gig?" "Heather Holberg is sending a limousine around to pick us up and take us to a private airport," Mar-Sa explained, "We're going to catch a yacht bound for some place called Acapulco and..." "WHAT?" Katie blinked her eyes again, "Heather Holberg? Limo? Acapulco? What the heck is going on here?" "It might...take a while to explain," Mar-Sa replied as she extended a hand, "You see..." All at once Katie seized hold of that hand and twisted it sharply, and before the golden woman knew what was happening she was in the air and flipping over onto her back. A distant table set was shattered into splinters as her heavy body collided with it, but then Mar-Sa found herself unable to get up as the human woman was still holding her by the wrist and twisting her arm at a most uncomfortable angle. "Katie!" Phoebe cried. "Start talking, young lady," Katie growled, "I want to hear everything FROM THE BEGINNING! I leave you in charge of this place, give you credit cards and access to our joint account, and I think I'm entitled to more than a few answers!" "Hey, we'll tell you everything!" Phoebe assured her, "Just...let up on her a bit, will ya?" "Please," Mar-Sa gasped, surprised to actually be feeling pain as she struggled to free herself from the human woman's grip, "I mean you no harm..." "Just the same, I'm not taking any chances," Katie assured her, "You look pretty strong, but everyone with a human body's got the same kinds of weaknesses, so until I do hear something to convince me you're on the level..." "Hey, let her go," Phoebe pleaded, "I'll tell you everything, Katie, just don't hurt her!" "I'm waiting," Katie said firmly, not willing to budge as she sensed that doing so would be a great mistake and would cause her to forfeit a technical advantage. She could feel great power coursing through the veins of the golden woman, and that meant she was potentially very dangerous, and Phoebe's word or no, Katie was not that trusting a person. Five minutes later, though, she released her grip on the other woman and said, "Okay, so I'm convinced. No hard feelings?" "None on my part," Mar-Sa said as she flexed her arm and felt her wounded shoulder heal as she rubbed her other hand over the abused ligaments, "How did you do that? I didn't think anyone human could do what you just did..." "Hey, I've been training in the martial arts almost my entire life," Katie replied, "I know all there is to know about pressure points and body-locks, and as big as you are you're not too big for me to pin to the mattress." "I've been doing that for over three weeks now," Phoebe smiled, "And I never needed to fight her..." "That's partly what's got me worried about you, Phoebe," Katie frowned at her favorite house guest, "You took an alien into our place and you never thought about the risks this would involve? Suppose she was carrying some horrible alien virus that could wipe out half of all life on the planet?" "She did ask me about that," Mar-Sa replied, "And I assured her that the danger of my contaminating you is far less than your contaminating me. In fact, I now have antibodies to virtually all Earth bacteria and diseases, and my powers greatly enhance my natural immunity system. In fact, even if Phoebe did get sick, she now shares a part of my own vitality through the two-way psychic link that we have been forming." "Yeah, and before you ask, we haven't been spending the entire three weeks here in our place, Katie," Phoebe assured her, "In fact, most of the time we've been on the move a lot staying one step ahead of the law, but now that we're about to go on a big photo-shoot, we figured it was safe enough to stop back here for at least one night so we could pick up a few things that we'll need on our vacation." "Vacation?" Katie repeated. "Well...kind of more like a working vacation if you wanna get down to it," Phoebe amended, "You see, Heather Holberg..." "The owner and publisher of Playmate magazine?" Katie's expressive eyes became as round as saucers. "The very same," Phoebe assured her, "You see...Marsha got the bright idea that maybe we could earn some money if she exposed herself in the pages of Playmate magazine, but she also worked out a deal with Heather to get her story published, along with a regular column devoted to the history and science of her homeworld, Wolframa..." "You...want to pose for Playmate...and publish in Cosmos?" Katie eyed the golden woman in amazement. "It seemed like a good way to earn some money," Mar-Sa replied, "And Heather set very generous terms for my services..." "Oh?" Katie seemed to take on a tone that was more relaxed-yet-wary, "How much?" "Would you believe five million dollars up front just for the photo-shoot we'll be doing today?" Phoebe grinned, "And get this...they're gonna pay me about half that to shoot some scenes with Marsha, and Heather assures me they'll be tasteful..." It took a moment of struggle for Katie to get her voice back, "A-A---Seven million dollars??" "To be established in a joint account in both of our names," Mar-Sa replied, "Do you think it might be enough to help us establish ourselves in a safer residence than this townhouse?" "I...I'd guess," Katie had to take a moment before she could continue, "You mean you two have set this all up by yourselves?" "Well, we had to hire some lawyers and agents to do the negotiating bit," Phoebe said, "But it seems legitimate. Of course if you want to look the papers over and tell me if we got a good deal or not, I've got a few copies in the briefcase Heather gave us..." "Yeah, I think I'd better do that," Katie paused to glance at Mar-Sa before looking back at Phoebe and adding, "You have been busy." "Just following your example, Katie," Phoebe grinned, "You know I'd never do anything that you wouldn't do in my place." "And now I am worried," Katie replied, "Show me the papers, I'll just see about this while you two clowns get yourselves ready for...whatever it is you were doing when I showed up." "Hey, wait'll you see the fancy duds that Heather and Cathy picked out for us," Phoebe assured her benefactor and other girlfriend, "You'll flip!" "That's right," Mar-Sa smiled, "Heather had clothes tailored for my size made specifically for me, not that I'll be wearing that much when I...pose..." her cheeks flushed a burnished color of gold, which further caught Katie's attention. "Why do I get the feeling I just stepped into a comic book?" she grumbled aloud, but her interest was now fully piqued and she knew that she had to get to the bottom of this or bust wide open from curiosity, not the least aspect being the prospect of seeing this golden goddess in full action... "You are certain that it is ready?" Dar-Kem asked of Chief Technician Gas-Ton, "The device has been adequately tested?" "Not entirely, your Eminence," Gas-Ton replied, "But from preliminary tests we believe that it will perform adequately. Of course if you allowed us more time to work all of the remaining defects out of the retrieval matrix..." "You've had more than sufficient time to make things ready," Dar-Kem affirmed as he turned to study the device in question, "Impressive, your people are to be given favorable recognition for this achievement. You have managed to reconstruct Kar-Tor's teleportation device in under seventeen rotations. Let us hope that the results are adequate for the mission." "Actually, your Eminence," Gas-Ton remarked, "It was surprisingly easy to rebuild the device once we grasped the fundamental concept behind it. An astonishing amount of hardware escaped destruction in the laboratory fire, almost as though it were meant to be found and duplicated..." "Yes, well, never mind about that," Dar-Kem said dismissively, "The point is...can you send a retrieval droid through the vortex tunnel to this target world in order to capture and return with the rebel, Mar-Sa?" "Well..." Gas-Ton confessed, "We believe that we can send it out without problems, your Eminence, but bringing them back..." "Then it is enough," Dar-Kem declared, "Prepare at once to activate the device and ready the probe for transference. I will convene a small delegation of Council representatives to witness the retrieval process. This will serve as an example for all that the will of the Council can never be defied, no matter the lengths that must be taken to restore public order." "Um...as you say, your Eminence," Gas-Ton averred, swallowing his own doubts over the matter as he hoped against the odds that the device would not blow up or embarrass his Science Team in front of the High Council, in which case he also hoped that it would be a fatal accident for him rather than live to face the displeasure of the Triumvirate, which would make death seem quite pleasant as a contrast... "Well now," Heather remarked as she stood along the pier at the base of the landing leading to her private yacht, "Who is this?" "Good question," Cathy murmured, "Seems to be with Marsha and Phoebe, though...think it could be this near mythical roomie Phoebe's always been going on about?" "I am sure that we are about to find out," Heather said while smiling, then turned her attention to the two blonde women approaching them, sparing the brunette for later introductions, "Phoebe, Marsha, so glad that you could make it..." "Thanks for flying us out here and getting us through customs," Phoebe said, "You must have a lot of clout with the Mexican government if you can just wave us through without passports." "One of the advantages of having extensive ties throughout the world," Heather responded, then politely nodded to the third member of their little group and said, "And you are?" "Katie Cross," the brunette bowed in a curiously Japanese-like manner, "I know about you, of course...who doesn't? So, you're the one who's offered a suitcase full of money to my Phoebe?" "It seemed an equitable business transaction," Heather replied, "I expect to make back at least ten times the amount that I am paying in magazine and video sales, to say nothing of the DVD and PC market..." "So you're Kate Cross, huh?" Cathy mused, "Decided to tag along for the ride?" "Just to make sure these two don't get into any trouble," Katie responded, "It seems I've got a lot of catching up to do over the last few weeks. I always knew Phoebe could get into more trouble than a barrel full of monkeys, but this time she's really outdone herself." "Hey, I was doing all right for myself," Phoebe complained. Heather turned her attention back towards Mar-Sa and said, "How is your disguise holding?" "Adequate," said a very different looking Mar-Sa responded, one who did not appear to be as tall or impressive looking, with normal skin color and a plainer style of dress, "But it was good to be able to relax this while on the plane. It requires far too much concentration." "Hey, I like you better the other way myself," Cathy grinned, "And don't worry, we're all friends here. You can hang out and be yourself and nobody here's gonna mind, and just wait until Luigi gets a look at you." "Luigi?" Katie lifted an eyebrow. "Come on board," Heather urged, "We are ready to depart now that you are here. The staff has been briefed on what to expect so you don't need to worry about the grips and the makeup people, they're all professionals who thoroughly know their business." "Very well," Mar-Sa said, "Lead the way, I find that I am actually eager to get started." "Then right this way, people, but watch the last step," Cathy urged, "Don't want anybody falling overboard on this trip..." "Falling overboard?" Katie asked with a puzzled expression. "She means me," Mar-Sa explained, "I have a severe case of negative buoyancy, so I will refrain from doing any swimming...at least for the present." The party moved onto the yacht, which was luxurious and big enough to qualify as a small ocean liner, but all the while they were being observed at a distance by a pair of binoculars, and by a woman who held them to her eyes murmuring softly, "Looks like they're shipping off at last. Guess this is where things really start to happen, eh, Raphe?" The dark haired man working with the brown haired lady refrained from answering directly, choosing instead to speak into the mike he wore about his collar, "Marlin One to Eagle's nest, the Swan is gliding out onto the pond." "Why do men always have to play these cute word games?" Gabrielle remarked to herself as she lowered her binoculars, "Y'all think you can sweet-talk a girl by playing cool and using cute nick-names?" "Hardly," Raphael replied, readying the motor for the speedboat that they were taking out from the harbor, "But it would be best if we maintain around ten kilometers distance from the target so that they do not sense our presence. We should be able to take readings from this safe vantage and gain the useful data that Magnus says he is after..." "Gee, and here I thought you'd given up your prudish Muslim act and were just looking for an excuse to get me alone with y'all, Sugar," Gabrielle teased. "No way, Effendi," Raphael smiled back, "You are exactly the kind of woman that my parents warned me about, and it would be a grave offence to Allah if I submitted to your temptations." "Flattery'll turn a gal's head, y'know," Gabrielle smiled as she held up her binoculars again, "You ever change your mind about giving into temptation, y'all be sure to give me a holler." "I should fear for my soul's chance of paradise should I do that, Allah forfend," Raphael assured her with a soft chuckle, revving up the engine of their launch before easing away from the pier in pursuit of the larger vessel... "Now then, gentlemen," Dark-Kem remarked, "The moment that we have awaited is finally near at hand. Take a seat and we will witness Council justice being effected. Gas-Ton?" "Yes, your Eminence," the Chief Engineering Technician replied, turning to indicate the hovering meter-wide ball beside him, "This is the unit that we will be sending on the retrieval mission. It is a standard type five extra-planetary Rover-class probe-droid explorer, but it has been modified to turn it into a weapons platform capable of capturing the fugitive with little relative difficulty. It can defend itself if the environment proves to be hazardous, and has enough AI ability to recognize Apprentice Technician Mar-Sa even should she be no longer among the living." "Excellent," Dar-Kem turned to his fellow Councilors, "You see? Everything has been taken into account, and shortly you will learn that the allocation of resources for this unit has been more than adequately justified. Today we make certain that Kar-Tor's attempts to contaminate our culture will arrive at naught..." "It had better work," Jon-Hul responded, "We have already poured the equivalent resources to a small outpost colony. The energy it will take to send the probe alone may drain our reserves dangerously and further exhaust our fuel supply..." "Then believe that it will be more than justified when you watch the retrieval process in action," Dar-Kem turned to the other man not associated directly with the Council, "Kas-Par, have your men stand ready to place the fugitive under arrest when she is returned here." "That's assuming that she makes it back alive," Kas-Par said dubiously, the Security man eyeing the forbidden technology with a curious mix of dread and fascination. "We will know soon enough, Commander," Gas-Ton assured them, "The probe has been outfitted to relay back both visual and audial data, as well as measurements and readings of the planet itself while it conducts its search for the fugitive, Mar-Sa." "What?" Dar-Kem reacted archly, "I did not give authorization for this..." "But we did," Jon-Hul replied, "You must forgive us, Dar-Kem, but we are curious to know why Kar-Tor went to such extremes to defy our will and send his apprentice to this otherworldly body. We have elected to take surveys in order to determine what value it might have in terms of its resources..." "But this is outrageous!" Dar-Kem declared, "It goes against the very principle of what we are attempting to accomplish!" "The Council does not agree with your assessment, Dar-Kem," Che-Ne replied, "We want to know what the source of our potential worries is truly all about, and if this world does possess something of value that Kar-Tor wanted for himself..." "Then we could potentially use probes such as this to mine those resources for ourselves," Has-Tur smiled, "If the cost of transmission is not too prohibitive, it could wind up paying for itself in next to no time." "That is not the purpose of this operation!" Dar-Kem insisted, "The mission is to capture the rebel, not to follow in her example!" "We are not leaving the planet, Dar-Kem," Jon-Hul said slyly, "But if, as our ancestors believe, the act of leaving this world is fatal to our people, then there should be nothing to worry about and the rebel will already be deceased." "Then retrieval will be that much easier," Kas-Par said grimly, turning to Gas- Ton and saying, "Prepare for transmission. We will send the probe through as soon as the contact point is established." "As you say, Commander," the Chief Engineer replied, turning to his own lesser Technicians and saying, "Start the process, energize the transporter. The moment we achieve full activation, send Unit Drone Rove One-Nine Chala through the portal." "Sir," his Chief Assistant Technician acknowledged, then with a hum of machinery the process was finally started... "Pretty snazzy outfit you've got here," Katie remarked, "Lot bigger than most boats in the harbor, almost like a decommissioned cruiser..." "It was my father's favorite pleasure boat, the Ambercastle," Heather replied, "Originally for him it was a major tax shelter, but it has sentimental value for me, and some fond memories from my childhood. Here it will serve as a modeling shoot platform, and here is the genius who will help to realize the ideal set forth by our dear Mar-Sa, Luigi Cozi, my premier photography artiste." "Heather!" declared a barrel-chested, silver-haired and bearded gentleman wearing Bermuda shorts and a Hawaiian-style shirt, a pair of cameras dangling from around his neck like tribal totems of his profession, "You have brought me the model for this shoot? Luigi waits to begin to create the masterpiece you promised!" "Luigi," Heather smiled with genuine affection, "The model is right here...in fact, Mar-Sa, if you would be kind enough to drop the illusion?" "Very well," Mar-Sa replied, closing her eyes and relaxing her by-now well rehearsed mental projection, causing her to stand revealed as her true self wearing specially tailored Earth clothing. Luigi gave out a gasp and stood back in amazement, and for several seconds he could hardly bring himself to speak, but then he started waving his pudgy arms in the air and cried, "Magnifico! She is everything you promised---NO! She is beyond what you described! She is...incredible! Stupendous! Beyond description! You were holding out on me, shame on you, you naughty girl! I thought I raised you better than this..." "Luigi?" Katie said softly, raising her eyebrows, "Luigi...Cozi???" "Yeah, that's the guy all right," Phoebe said as she looked uncertainly at the short-but-burly Italian, realizing that he hardly stood as tall as herself though he definitely carried quite a package around his waistline. "Luigi," Heather smiled, "You know that I would never hold out on you. This is why I asked you to momentarily suspend your usual assignments. As you can see, Mar-Sa here is a unique treasure who must be handled by only the best in your profession." "Yes, yes, yes," the burly man said impatiently, his eyes never leaving Mar-Sa as he looked her up and down the way another man might study a fine work of art, "Tell me, young lady, what are your measurements?" "My what?" Mar-Sa asked. "Your measurements!" he said with emphasis slowly circling around the tall golden woman with intense interest, "Yes, you are a big one, and yet so well proportioned...I must study you at leisure! I cannot wait to get you in front of my lenses, some preliminary shots should help me to judge how best you are to be displayed. Madre dios! You reflect the light so much! This will require special filters to manage the lighting, and positioning of the reflectors to capture you inner beauty..." "He's in his own little world," Cathy smiled, "You guys should feel privileged, you are looking at a true Master at work here." "No doubt," Katie said cautiously, both amused and disturbed at the way the little man was going on about the type of make-up and body washes to use, and the hairstyle that would best be rendered unto the tangled mop of curly metallic wires that fell about the golden woman's shoulders. Mar-Sa was also finding herself at odds as she studied the man who was studying her like she was a laboratory specimen, and with an enthusiasm that was almost as great as that of Kar-Tor. She could sense that me meant well, but there was such a passion and intensity to his scrutiny that she wondered exactly what she had let herself in for. "When we get far enough out at sea we'll begin the preliminary shooting," Heather turned to Phoebe, "That should give our manicurists and stylists time to work you into shape, Phoebe...and you, Ms. Cross...would you like to be a part of this photo-shoot?" "Me?" Katie blinked, "Hey, I'm just along for the ride. I'm strictly an observer on this gig..." "Suit yourself," Cathy smiled, "But you might want to change your mind later. You got a really nice bod, from what I can tell, and you can't pretend to us that you've never even thought about posing for Playmate. Phoebe says you have an almost complete collection." Katie blinked at that then turned and said, "Phoebe..." "Well hey," her blonde roommate shrugged, "I didn't think you'd mind, and they wanted to know how Marsha found out about them." "Well," Katie said grudgingly, "I suppose I could...think about it, as long as it's tasteful." "Hey, if they'll take me then they'll sure take you, Katie," Phoebe grinned, "And posing in the same magazine with Marsha will be such a hoot..." "Posing?" Luigi rounded on her, "Ave, no! When you sit before Luigi you do not merely pose, you project your essence onto the film! You are immortalized for the ages, men and women for generations to come will gaze upon your image and marvel that such a treasure as you could ever have existed..." "Luigi does not lack for Hyperbole," Heather mused, "But what he says is the unvarnished truth. There is not a finer artist in his trade, and you could not be in better hands than him, as I can well attest." "You have posed for him, Heather?" Mar-Sa asked in amazement. "Ms. May of the Millennium," Cathy grinned, "The Boss Lady's no hypocrite, and when she says posing with Luigi is an art she talks from experience." "Luigi was like an uncle to me growing up," Heather revealed, "I watched him work for many years before I was old enough to pose myself. There are some who might find that...questionable...but I have always shared my late father's philosophy that there is nothing more beautiful than the human body, especially a body such as you have to offer, dear Mar-Sa," she added coyly. "Well, no need to stand upon modesty," Luigi declared, "You ladies change into whatever makes you feel comfortable...and you, young woman...you will come sit before Luigi while his assistants give you the makeover!" "The what?" Mar-Sa asked dubiously. "And while you sit we can talk a while and form a profile for your personal column," Heather noted, "After all, people will not just want to look upon you, they'll want to know all about the alien in our midst who comes to us offering a clear display of friendship and your...good intentions." "Right this way," Cathy indicated, "Fiona and her team can't wait to get their hands on you, and you won't believe the sort of miracles they can achieve when they get good and properly inspired. Believe me when I say this, Marsha, you won't even know yourself when they get done helping you prepare for your public unveiling." "Well, all right," Mar-Sa reluctantly agreed, feeling even more like an alien as she started to rethink the wisdom of her present choice of occupations... The probe designated Rover One-Nine Chala manifested in normal space after a transition that momentarily disoriented its highly advanced sensory array. At once the onboard AI set to work reestablishing location orientation guidelines, immediately marking star positions and obtaining planetary grid coordination with its in-built tracking system. It began and concluded an internal diagnostic to insure that all systems were operating within acceptable parameters, then determined the range of variation from previously recorded operating levels. Once all that was concluded---in less than a pica-second---it relayed back through E-Space channels the fact of its safe arrival, only to modify that message a bit by taking notice of the altitude reading between it and the surface of the planetary body far below it's present vectors. Back on Wolframa in the specially created Laboratory complex, one of the technicians reported the deviation between targeted coordinates and the actual position of the probe's arrival. "What is wrong here?" Jon-Hul asked of Gas-Ton, "Why did the probe appear so far away from the planet?" "Um...we do not know just yet, Eminence," Gas-Ton studied the readings at his own monitoring station, "Perhaps there was a flaw in the target coordinating system. After all, given the astronomical distance that has had to be covered, well over a thousand cycles at light speed, and covered in only a few Mikrevs..." "Still quite an impressive achievement," Kas-Par remarked, "A deviation of less than one trillionth of the overall distance. Perhaps the relative motion of our two planetary bodies deviates slightly rather than both remaining stable in distance from one another..." "Yes, that might be it," Gas-Ton hastily nodded, "We neglected to take that into account when we made our settings..." "Never mind all that," Dar-Kem said impatiently, "Adjust for the targeting coordinates when the time comes for retrieval. Have the probe compensate for its altitude and negotiate a smooth reentry, then begin the location process..." "Already begun, your Eminence," Gas-Ton assured them, "Beginning controlled reentry now, already initiating wide-band scanners on target location, seeking out a match for the fugitive's bio-readings..." "And so it begins," Kas-Par murmured, studying the visual display of the oddly blue-and-verdant world revealed by holo-projection for the benefit of the Councilors, and as the Security man looked on he found himself strangely mesmerized, as if setting eyes upon something wondrous and wholly unexpected... "Well, 'Zak," Mark mused to his invisible companion, "Guess it's just you and me again, on the road just like before..." **Subject Mark overstates the obvious,** the probe replied with a hint of faint electronic exasperation, **But for what reason did subject Mark require the necessity of separation from Technician Mar-Sa?** "Something you wouldn't understand, my friend," Mark replied as he hefted his new backpack into a more comfortable position across his back, "Let's just say I was starting to feel like a fifth wheel back there, and it was obvious enough that Marsha was doing just fine without us getting underfoot. And that photo- shoot that she and Phoebe were going on...they sure don't need me around for that..." **Query,** the probe replied, **Is there some reason why subject Mark wishes to avoid accompanying Technician Mar-Sa and subject Phoebe to visual photo recording session? This unit detects noticeable changes in subject's anatomy...** "Lay off already!" Mark snapped, "You're treading on thin ice there now, Buddy. Some things you just don't ask a guy about, and that includes stuff concerning women..." **Ah, this unit comprehends,** the probe decided, **Subject Mark wishes to procreate with Technician Mar-Sa...** "'ZAK!" Mark reacted, "I told you not to go there already!" **This unit would prefer not to,** the probe replied, **The image of a Terran male and a Wolframan breeder together is...not desirable analysis.** "Gee, thanks," Mark sniffed, "Not good enough for her, huh?" **Exactly.** "You didn't have to answer that time," Mark growled sourly, "Besides...she doesn't need me, she's got Phoebe, and there's no way I'm wedging myself between those two. Where they're concerned, three is definitely a crowd..." **This observation is not relevant,** the probe replied, **Multiple pairings and copulation between consenting adults...** "Boy, you really do come from outer space," Mark groused as he glanced back down the road and said, "'Zak, you've been on Earth, what? A month now?" **Twenty-eight Terran days,** the probe replied, **Seventeen hours, thirty-six minutes, twelve seconds...** "Nobody like a time-keeper, 'Zak," Mark sighed, "The point is...you've been here this long and you haven't figured out yet that human behavior ain't entirely logical?" **This unit well comprehends this," the probe replied, "On this subject Mark is qualified as expert...** "Great," Mark rolled his eyes, "I've got a stand-up comedian for a partner, and he's not even human..." **ALARM!** the probe suddenly reacted, **This Unit has just registered a major disruption in the E-Space field. Level nine-point-two reading...this unit detects a second probe...** "WHAT?" Mark said as he whirled around, "Another like you?" **Negative,** the probe replied, **Type Five Rover-Class Prove-Droid, sensor- class Chala, making position at ten-thousand-nine-hundred Parlacs...** "That's...over nineteen thousand miles in Earth terms, right?" Mark rapidly calculated. **Affirmative,** the probe answered, **Rover Droid appeared at position two- point-four-five times planetary diameter above planetary surface, exactly as this unit...** "You mean it came out of warp space outside our atmosphere the same way you did?" Mark asked. **This unit stated this,** the probe noted in an almost testy, impatient manner, **Evidence suggests probe is retrieval unit sent to Terra with the design of locating and obtaining custody of Technician Mar-Sa...** "WHAT?" Mark cried again, "You mean it's after Marsha???" "The High Council has discovered her continuing existence and intends her retrieval," the probe concluded, **This is the logical purpose for Rover Droid's arrival...** "We gotta stop it!" Mark declared, "'Zak, how far are we away from Marsha?" **In Terran units, twelve hundred-thirty-seven miles,** the probe replied. "Not close enough, Damn!" Mark declared, "Well, we've gotta make tracks right away--- Action!" Instants later the probe and companion human were on the move once again, traveling at speeds that made them a blur to the naked eye as the probe guided the way to their mutual objective, both man and machine hoping against hope that they could out-race the other probe-droid, though both separately calculated that the odds were not tremendously in their favor... (Chapters 12-19) (First Copyrights Only) Created and Written by Jim Robert Bader, all rights reserved, characters and situations are purely fictitious and are not based on persons living or dead (with the sole exception of Katie, whose voluntary contributions are deeply appreciated). Mar-Sa, the Ultra-Girl, is the creation of Jim Robert Bader with ideas and suggestions provided by his friends and collaborators, Katie Norcross (the REAL Kate Cross) and Bill Guiroff, with additional ideas and suggestions provided by Ed Dear III, who took a liking to Mark Daniels. All rights reserved; the characters and situations here are fictitious and are not intended to depict persons living and dead (other than Katie that is). This is a rough draft, subject to future alterations if I should find a publisher friendly enough to sponsor this series. Any resemblance to copyrighted or trademarked ideas belonging to other authors is purely coincidental. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- 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.