?You?re wearing green. This is the CORE, nobody wears green. Are you
visiting or moving up?? Steve asked, a dimple in his cheek appearing as he gave a wink.
Alex felt foolish for forgetting to change into her new uniform, realizing she was sticking out like a sore thumb. Her checks
blushed with embarrassment and, suddenly, she felt like an hors d?oeuvre that was being offered to everyone in the REC room.
?Moving up.... don?t you mean down?? Gesturing with her right index finger, Alex corrected him as she pointed downwards.
?Listen doll, if you?re here it?s a promotion. We only get the cream at the CORE, if you know what I mean,? Steve implied as
he smiled and moved in closer. Alex understood the signs. Steve was suggesting a sexual exchange as he touched her
downward pointing finger with his thumb tip as he whispered, ?can I buy you another drink??
Alex looked into his brown eyes and then at his smile. She smiled back. Just as he leaned in closer, she said, ?No.? She watched
his eyes dull and his disappointment dissolve his grin. She wanted to tell him to go back to his corner and leave her alone, he was
too inebriated to comprehend anything other then sex. It was pointless to continue this conversation and she decided to move to
the other end of the bar.
?No? But, doll?I would make you feel really good and it won?t cost you any leisure credits.? Steve muttered as he looked up and
waggled his eyebrows.
Alex, now totally bored with the conversation, turned to look to where he was motioning. What was it with these young guys?
Was she nothing more than fresh meat? Was Steve just a REC room shark? She considered giving him another assessment but
dismissed the idea.
Across the REC room, directly in front of the juice-bar were the Halo-Pleasure Pods. A long line snaked around the juice-bar as
workers waited. Alex stepped back, picked up her drink and started to walk away; she didn?t feel like being preyed upon by one
of the local bottom feeders.
?Hey! Dolls just don?t leave when the conversation is getting interesting,? Steve slurred.
Alex glanced back sharply and said with a straight face, ?This is it? This is your pickup line?? She smirked and shook her head.
Steve put his hand on her shoulder and said, ?Don?t get angry doll...?
Alex interrupted, ?STOP calling me doll. I said no and I mean no.? She shoved his hand off her shoulder and marched across the
room. What a jerk, she thought. If this was the best the CORE had to offer, she would be literally living in the Halo-Rooms.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
2245 MONDAY
05.19.3515 Corneas
The ICC door slid open and Alex stepped into the room for her first shift. She was greeted by a petite officer. ?Hi, I'm Mary.
Tom asked me to bring you up to speed on our systems.? Mary pointed to the terminal chairs that sat empty.
?Are you it?? Alex asked.
?Oh no. Jerry will be arriving shortly, he had a dental appointment,? Mary smiled as she shrugged her shoulders.
Mary had a pretty grin framed by artificially red colored lips. She was slender waisted; and weighed maybe all of 98 pounds.
Four feet eleven inches clad in an orange servicepersons uniform, she... had short-cropped black hair and deep green eyes,
reminding Alex of a Terra-Siberian horizon on a summer?s day. A freckled nose topped off a cream colored complexion.
Alex stared into Mary?s penetrating emerald eyes and felt the immediate sexual energy. Nervously, she scanned the room looking
for a safe haven to rest her eyes from this very attractive young woman. Alex guessed she was about twenty plus years old.
Then, almost unconsciously, Alex glanced at Mary. She felt a knot forming in her stomach as she clenched her fist to steady her
hands. She turned away quickly not wanting Mary to see her hesitation or the perspiration forming on her brow.
Alex imagined she felt Mary?s eyes trace her body as she walked to the main terminals. She could almost feel the weight of them
dragging her back like an elastic band ready to snap. The thought of Mary wanting her sexually was stimulating as her heartbeat
and breathing increased. Mary walked beside Alex as they circled the Core room. Alex stopped directly in front of the main
screen suspended above the center console.
Mary came to stand beside her, giving Alex a prompt smile. There was a moment that she and Alex made eye contact and Alex
stood frozen like a deer caught in the high beams of an airflow vehicle traveling down the Intergalactic Interstate. What seemed
like an eternity was but a brief moment, suddenly lost when Mary started speaking.
Mary spoke softy, her demeanor was pleasant yet professional, lacking any ascertainable clue that she felt the same. Alex?s
fantasy quickly dissolved like a stimulant capsule in a malted cherry fruit drink. Alex discretely wiped the perspiration from her
palms as Mary continued to explain the system, its protocols and procedures. But the whole time she imagined the two of them
in the corner, with Mary on her knees.
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