Touching Ice

  The pod shot them away from the shuttle, the force suddenly sucking her tightly against Ice, obviously designed to do that to hold the occupant in place. The loud pod engines hummed as they burned strongly to send the capsule flying into space and away from the shuttle. Minutes passed before the engines suddenly died and an eerie silence settled around her, only broken by their breathing.

  The gravity stabilized so she could move again as she lifted her head and stared into the utter darkness around her. It was pitch black, no lights were on the control panel above her any longer and she wondered if they were just going to remain trapped in space until they ran out of oxygen or until someone located the capsule. She really hoped that a cyborg ship was on its way, not sure if the council had a chance to make anyone aware of their predicament.

  “Emergency life capsule activated.” A female computer voice startled Megan. “I am currently triangulating our location and will make exact calculations to set a course to Earth. I will send distress signals for pickup of any Earth vessels we may come into contact with as soon as we are within transmission range of one. I currently am not showing any on radar.”

  “Delay that order,” Megan gasped. The last thing they needed was to be piloted to Earth or to have the computer hail Earth ships to come pick them up. They’d rescue them all right but then turn Ice over to Earth Government.

  “Unable to accept command. What is the abort code for auto programming?”

  “Oh shit,” Megan hissed. “Emergency response.” She knew the universal code to take command of a computer.

  “I am in emergency response mode.”

  “Abort auto programming.”

  “Unable to comply without authorization. I will dose you if you do not comply with auto procedure. The capsule is fully functional, my diagnostics read no damage and oxygen levels are acceptable.”

  We’re in a world of shit, Megan though. The computer could dose them, which boiled down to the computer having the ability to release a gas with the oxygen it pumped in for her to breathe that would knock out an unruly, panicked passenger. Usually a captain of a pod would literally dose a freaked-out person with a shot but since it was a single capsule totally controlled by the onboard computer, gas made sense.

  “I am calm,” she lied.

  “Understood. Location mapped.” The computer paused. “We are nine days from Earth. I am setting course.”

  “Did your sensors read an extra passenger?” She hoped to confuse the computer and stall it. “Lights please.”

  A dim light filled the capsule interior, barely bright enough for Megan to get a good look at her surroundings. Above her were some controls but she didn’t see the panel for the computer. She twisted her head and caught sight of it down by her feet. It had to be the access and she needed to get to it. She doubted she could hack the computer to take control of it but it was all she could think to do.

  It had to be at her feet. She ground her teeth in frustration and tried to turn around. She realized quickly that she couldn’t flip around. She wiggled and rolled over to face the top of the lid with her back against Ice’s limp body. She attempted to sit up but she couldn’t do more than lift up two feet before the lid blocked her. The heavy pants she wore hampered her movements.

  “Two life forms confirmed,” the computer stated. “That is against life-capsule specifications.”

  Megan immediately became awash with relief. “Perhaps you should run a complete analysis on possible ways to conserve resources to make sure both life forms survive the trip to Earth. I suggest you check with your manual.”

  “Running scenarios.”

  Megan wondered if she had minutes or hours before the computer stopped looping its programming, searching for a solution. She needed to figure out a way to make her body small enough to squeeze into a ball. She reached down, unfastened her pants, and shoved them down, kicking at the legs until they slid from her ankles, freeing her completely.

  She took a deep breath, blew it out, and pulled her knees high up into her chest. She rolled onto her side, keeping in a tight formation, and tucked her head up, spreading her knees slightly to make room. She reached out with one arm, gripped a handful of Ice’s pants, and started to pull. Her body moved, her ass rubbing against one side of the container while the back of her head pressed against the other side. She pulled harder, tucking her body tighter together. A slow inch at a time, she turned until she got her back clear of the side.

  She had made it. She stretched her legs out, careful not to kick Ice in the face, and rolled onto her stomach. She reached up, grabbed Ice’s leather-covered ankles, and pulled herself toward them and the panel just inches from the soles of his boots.

  “Assessment made,” the computer stated.

  Megan wanted to curse. She’d hoped to confuse the computer for a while. “What is the conclusion?” Her fingernails explored the panel, trying to pry it off.

  “I am adjusting oxygen levels to low. Passengers may experience lightheadedness if they move around but they will not suffocate. There is no reason to fear immediate death. I will cut food and liquid rations in half. Passengers may experience hunger but each passenger will be permitted to have one nutrient bar every twelve hours and two ounces of liquid. It will be the bare minimum to sustain life.”

  The panel popped off and Megan stared inside, squinting at what she had to deal with. She mouthed a silent curse, studying the mass of wires and circuit boards. “I’m reading an open panel.”

  “Yes, you are. One popped off. I’ll put it back on,” Megan lied.

  She inched closer and read the tops of the integrated circuits. Each were labeled clearly with numbers but that didn’t do her much good. Her expertise was in programming, not hardware, and she really doubted the computer would give her instructions on how to disable the navigational system or take the engines offline, if it were even possible to from that panel. Then again, she could give it a try.

  “Computer, what kind of navigational system are you running? I’m worried about your accuracy.”

  “Unable to share that classified information.”

  “If you conserve energy by routing it to life support instead of navigation, will that increase power to life support?”

  “Affirmative.”

  Hope soared in Megan. “On that basis, I am ordering you not to start engines and route all power to life support. Is it in your directive to override standard procedure to avoid risking human life?”

  “Affirmative.”

  I’ve got you now, Megan thought. “I am ordering you to route all power to life support and keep the engines off.”

  The computer hesitated. “Is a human injured? According to my estimation it is possible to do both if I lower oxygen levels.”

  “I’m injured,” Megan lied. “I need full oxygen levels. I’m having trouble breathing.”

  The low sound of a fan hummed to life and Megan relaxed, setting the panel back in place. The computer had responded to her commands. She’d found a loophole in its programming.

  “Reserving all excess energy for life support. Navigational systems powered down, engines powered down. Scanning for possible rescue vessels and will emit a distress signal when one comes within range.”

  “Thank you.” Megan closed her eyes and lowered her face, resting it on Ice’s leather-clad lower leg. Her tense body relaxed. That was close and I got lucky, she thought.

  Time passed as Megan lay there. Ice remained unconscious but it was a blessing. She knew she needed to move, needed to twist her body up and turn around again so she and Ice were facing the same way, but she admitted that she’d been through an ordeal. She worried that the Markus Models might be able to come after the life capsules. She also hoped that if a ship did find them, it belonged to cyborgs.

  Ice twitched and softly groaned. Alarm rushed through Megan. She pushed up and twisted her head, watching him lift an arm, bump her foot, and then he touched his face.

  “What the”

  ??
?It’s all right,” Megan said quickly. “I’m with you and don’t move.”

  The big body under her tensed, his muscles tightening, and she lifted up higher, bumping her head on the top of the lid, but watched as Ice lifted his head. She couldn’t miss the stark, pale expression on his face as he realized where they were.

  “I’m with you. Don’t move, okay? It’s tight in here and if you struggle you’re going to hurt me.”

  His eyes were wide, alarmed, and the fear he experienced couldn’t be denied as he locked gazes with her. His mouth opened and a soft moan came out. A new expression gripped his features, twisted them, and she knew panic when she saw it.

  “Ice, listen to me. It’s all right. I’m here, I’m with you, and we’re really okay. Take a deep breath. There is plenty of air.”

  “What happened?” His tone deepened into a raspy, harsh sound before he started to pant. “How did I get in this thing?” His hands moved and he gripped her calves, his hold painful. “Megan, what did you do?”

  “Coal did it actually. He hit you and knocked you out. He put you inside the capsule and I didn’t want you to wake up alone so here I am.” She forced a smile.

  He stared at her, horrified. Megan bit her lip and tried to think of anything to say to calm him. She couldn’t even promise him that rescue from his people would come soon.

  “I’m with you and we’re together. Just listen to my voice, okay?”

  His fingers moved, rubbed her legs, and he dropped his head back as he closed his eyes tightly. “I need to get out of here.” His breathing increased and his legs under her shifted, one heel digging into the soft floor.

  She didn’t see an emergency kit as she turned her head to search for one. The capsule didn’t seem to contain one so the thought of knocking Ice out was a useless one. She needed to distract him and fast, before he totally lost it. She could tell he was about to with the way he shifted again, softly moaned, and his hands trembled where he gripped her legs.

  She needed to turn around, get nose to nose with him, perhaps cup his face, make him stare into her eyes and get control of him. “Ice, I’m going to turn around, okay? You need to let go of my legs so I can curl into a ball again and wiggle enough to twist back to you.”

  He shook his head, his hold on her legs tightening instead of loosening. “I need to get out of here.”

  Shit, he is about to have a full-blown panic attack. He wouldn’t release her so she bent her knees, spread her legs until she straddled his waist, and then wiggled back a little, hoping to force him to release her. The movement only changed his hold on her so her knees ended up under his armpits, his arms hooking just under her knees on her lower legs, and he turned his face into her skin, breathing hard against it.

  She pushed up, getting on her hands and knees, her back brushing the top of the interior, and looked down. She hovered over his lap and couldn’t figure out how to twist with him gripping her.

  “Ice, you need to let me go so I can turn around to face you.”

  “I need to get out of here.”

  “Damn it, Ice.” Frustration swelled inside her. “You’re a big, warrior cyborg. You were willing to take on Markus Models without batting an eyelash but now you’re being a baby about a little room issue?”

  “I know it’s unreasonable,” he whispered. “It’s not logical. It’s…” He paused. “I’m not fighting. I want to hit something. I want to kick my way out. I am resisting the urge. Just talk to me.”

  Megan tilted her head, his lap drawing her attention, and her eyebrows rose. She couldn’t miss the thick, long bulge trapped under his leather pants in an upward angle toward his waist. She surmised his fear had his blood surging throughout his body. An idea struck her.

  “I’m going to distract you, Ice. Okay? I’m going to relax you.”

  “Talk to me.”

  “Do you know what I called you before I knew your name?”

  “What?”

  “Tall, gray, and sexy.” She braced one hand, balancing her upper weight on it, and lifted the other, reaching for the fasteners of his pants. “I would lie in my bunk and fantasize about touching every inch of you. I wanted to know if you were as muscular as you looked on screen, run my fingernails down your back, and know what it would be like to have you inside me.”

  “What are you doing?” He sounded only slightly calmer and less panicked.

  She opened his pants, shoving at them with one hand, and freed enough of his cock to gain access to most of it. The thick shaft was hard and sprang up as soon as she moved the leather out of the way.

  “Megan? What”

  “Close your eyes for me. We’re on your bed on the Rally.”

  She licked her lips and bent forward, her hand gripping his shaft. Ice hissed in surprise as Megan ran her tongue over the crown of his cock, licking him, and swirling a circle around the edge where crown met shaft.

  “This isn’t going to work.” He softly groaned. “Your mouth is so hot.”

  “We’re on your bed—imagine us there—and I’m going to do all kinds of wonderful things to you. Just relax and allow me to take care of you.” She licked him again. “Just focus on me, on this.”

  Ice’s breathing changed and his hips lifted a little. One arm released her leg and his hand wiggled between them to his hip and he shoved his pants lower. Megan smiled when more of his cock was freed and wrapped her mouth around Ice, sucking slowly on his aroused flesh.

  “Megan.” He groaned her name softly. “That feels so good. It’s working.”

  She moaned, knowing he would feel slight vibrations from it. He hardened even more as she slowly moved up and down on him, turning her head at different angles, and then rose up until just the tip of his cock rested against her lower lip. She circled her tongue over it again.

  His arm moved, releasing her other leg and his hands were suddenly shoving her shirt up her body so the bottom of it bunched on her lower back. His hands gripped her inner thighs and slid upward. He caressed her skin as she continued to slowly tease and taunt him. When his cock hardened so tightly that she knew he was about to come, she stopped sucking on him. Megan released him with her mouth.

  “Help me turn around.”

  He hesitated and then his hold on her eased. “How? Why the hell did you lie opposite me?”

  “I didn’t start out this way. I’ll explain it all to you later.” When we’re out of this mess, if we survive, she thought. “I have an idea. Spread your legs wide apart so they are against each side and then bend them up once I’m totally between your thighs.”

  He shifted his legs, spreading them, and Megan crawled forward a little. She had more space this way and curled into a ball, shifting onto her side, and wiggled until she turned around. She smiled and looked up at Ice as she got back on her hands and knees and started to move up his body until she had her hands next to his waist. He was totally fixed on her now, his focus changed from fear to getting off. Her plan had worked. Horny, seriously turned-on males, be they human or cyborg, had that in common.

  “Close your legs now.”

  They shifted so her legs moved to the outside of his. She crawled up more, until she ended up face to face with him. She smiled and braced her weight on her bent knees and one hand then, reaching behind her, she gripped Ice’s cock. She wiggled back, holding him in place and got him into position. She slowly sank down on his cock, moaning at the wonderful feel of how wet she was for him and how her body accepted him. She released her hold on his shaft and settled on him until he was fully seated inside her snug pussy.

  “Perfect technique to alleviate my fear.” He still appeared a little pale but the fearful, panicked look was gone from his features. “Just keep me occupied. If anyone can do that, it is you.”

  She chuckled. “I thought so. Now comes the best part.” She lifted up then slammed down hard and fast.

  Pleasure shot through her entire body at the fast motion and the way his thick, hard shaft rubbed her in all the best places. Nerv
e endings shot signals directly to her brain and she moaned Ice’s name.

  His hands gripped her hips and he lifted her easily before pulling her down on him fast. Megan threw her head back and lightly bumped the lid of the life capsule, reminding her that she needed to stay bent forward, no room to totally sit up on him in the confined space. She gripped the curve of his shoulders so she was stretched out above him.

  “Slow,” she urged. “We have time.”

  His eyes widened in a look of panic and Megan wanted to curse for reminding him with her thoughtless words that they were stuck out in dead space. She rolled her hips, her fingernails raked his skin, and she stared into his beautiful eyes. Distract him quickly, she ordered herself.

  “I’ve been thinking.” She rolled her hips again, teasing him, and keeping the sexual tension high. “If we’re a family unit we should probably have a child at some point.”

  Ice’s entire body tensed and he gripped her hips, locking her on top of him so she couldn’t move. His head lifted and he frowned. The fear melted out of his gaze to be replaced by something akin to shock.

  “A child?”

  She nodded. “Not right off but I’m no longer opposed. You want one, whether you are willing to admit it or not. I saw your pain and longing when you talked about the ones on Garden that you created. As long as you swear you’ll never leave me or divorce me, well, I’d be happy to have one with you. My biggest objection is because of my past.”

  His mouth hung open and he didn’t say a word. Megan figured she’d stunned him speechless. He wasn’t thinking about where they were, that was for sure. She licked her lips and tried to move on him but he kept her in place with his big, strong hands that gripped her hips.

  “It’s something for you to think about.”

  “You want me to do that now?” His eyebrows shot up.

  “Sure.”

  “Megan.” He frowned, causing grooves to appear at his mouth. “My DNA is considered overused and I’m no longer valued on Garden.”

  She slid down on him, going nose to nose with him until their breaths mingled. “I happen to think your DNA is priceless and a child with you would be the best gift ever when we’re ready to have one. I love you, Ice. I never want to be without you and I’d be honored to give you little Ice babies.”