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Getting defrosted was fucking awful.
Bright light seared straight into her retina. Inescapable. Brain sparks worse than going cold turkey off SSRIs; dead synapses jump-starting back to life. Her chest heaved as her body remembered it needed oxygen. She gasped with a violent desperation, sucking stale air past her frozen blue lips down her raw, dry throat. Her skin screamed in agony, like she’d bathed in acid.
Jecka collapsed out of the pod. The angry boot of time and gravity catching up to her. She caught herself only at the last minute, her forearms slamming into the steel deckplates instead of her head. A tidal wave of nausea followed her down. She puked, emptying the little contents of her stomach out.
Fuck. This must be hell. Eternal punishment for all the times was a colossal a bitch instead of “turning the other cheek” or whatever. If she’d known she was already damned, she would have definitely stolen that gorgeous dress from Terra-Lux. Real organic fibre. She would have looked so hot.
“Get up.”
Men really were the worst. Ignore the asshole. Concentrate on breathing. Inhale through the mouth. Exhale through the nose.
Acidic snot dripped out of her nose as she sucked air. Ugh , gross.
“I said, up!”
She couldn’t. Fuck, fuck this asshole. Her legs were shaking. She wanted to hurl again. The back of her eyes ached even though they were closed. She just wanted to lie down and die on the cold floor of this rotten hellhole.
There was a grunt. The sounds of a scuffle. A sickening crack and then a man screeching in pain. Thudding footsteps. Jecka’s body clenched, knowing somehow before she did what was coming next. A scream that echoed through her nightmares of burning battlefields and pulped corpses where she ran and limped and crawled and could never find her. A scream that ripped her off the floor and onto her feet.
Nicole lay on the floor, unmoving. Her long, dark hair spilt out around her head like a halo.
An asshole enlisted fuck stood over her with his volt-stick clenched in his hand. Behind him, another enlisted stood cradling his hand, fingers bent at unnatural angles. A stupid rookie who hadn’t learned to keep his hands to himself. Both of them wore the standard dark blue jumpsuit and beret uniform of AstroGenesis Group wardens.
The first asshole turned to her, noticing her attention. He raised his volt-stick.
Jecka raised her fists.
The tiny voice screaming that she would end up right next to Nicole drowned under the roaring in her ears and in her chest.
“Enough!”
A new voice. Her eye flicked towards the sound, not letting the asshole out of her sight. An officer strode over to them. The assholes stiffened as he approached.
“How many times has it been drilled into you, private!” The officer paid zero attention to her as he chewed out the injured man. “Do not antagonize the drones!” He turned to the man holding the volt-stick, “And you, expenses for damage to company property comes out of your salary! Do you understand me?”
“Sir, yes Sir!”
The officer shook his head. “Dismissed, get this idiot to medical.”
“Yes, Sir!”
Boots stomped away. Jecka swallowed another wave of nausea and stumbled towards Nicole. As gently as she could manage, she reached down and lifted Nicole’s arm around her neck before lifting her off the deck. Nicole struggled weakly against her.
“Quit it, it’s me you dumb bitch,” she hissed.
Nicole stopped struggling. A slight improvement. Asshole must have had his volt-stick cranked all the way up. Stupid prick.
The rest of her team had already lined up at the exit of the cryo-bay. A pathetic group of dishevelled girls shivering in their underwear. She half walked, half dragged Nicole over to stand last in line behind Karen. Karen didn’t look at them. Her shoulders were trembling and her arms wrapped around herself, which meant she was crying again.
Fuck.
They followed the warden out into corridors of the Hive, their own special slice of hell. It was never far to get to the next stop after getting thawed out. They filled into what passed for a medical bay. Rows of bare metal examination chairs lined the room. Last in meant getting a seat closest to the door. She deposited Nicole into a chair and took the next one for herself. The cold metal bit into her exposed skin, but there was no escaping it. Jecka reached blindly, stretching until her hand brushed against soft skin. She grabbed Nicole’s hand, interlinking their fingers and letting their arms hang between the chairs.
This was actually the fucking worst. Her skin and hair still sticky with cryo fluid, surrounded by sterile metal walls and equipment, waiting for a technician to come and check that half her brain hadn't died while she was a popsicle. Freezing her ass off in a thin sports bra and boyshorts.
Fortunately, this time Jecka didn’t have to wait long for a tech to come over and start hooking her up to the diagnostic terminals behind her. A saline IV into the port on her left arm, another in the one on her stomach. Her heart skipped a beat as she heard the distinctive clack of a centre pin against the port at the base of her skull. Typical man, sticking it in without any warning. The pin slid into place.
Every single nerve in her body fired all at once.
She convulsed in her chair. A spark shot through her spine to her fingers and her toes, cresting through her body like a wave. Her vision blurred. Numb radio static washed through her limbs before sensation returned with dull stabbing pain.
A weak squeeze on her hand helped her relax. Inhale through her mouth. Exhale through her nose. Loosen her death grip on Nicole’s hand.
The cold barrel of a jet injector pressed into her neck and shot a cocktail of whatever new drugs they were trialling into her bloodstream. Time disintegrated as Jecka drifted in and out of her body. She never thought free drugs would be a perk of her job. The only halfway decent thing about getting sold into conscription.
She was supposed to be off at a good college, partying… fucking around with hot guys, hot girls and anyone else pretty enough in between. Getting a degree in… Exoeconomics? Astropolitical Theory? Instead, she was here, majoring in mobile armour tactics and PTSD. All because the administrator wanted to make a quick credit on selling the rights to any teenager in the colony with a high enough neural sync-aptitude to AstroGenesis.
She didn’t even get to say goodbye to her parents.
This was her fifth drop. Fifth out of twenty on her “contract”. Not even a quarter of the way done. More than a lot of conscript pilots lived through. At least she would die young and pretty.
Lucidity returned with the sad taste of nurti-sludge on her tongue. All the protein and vitamins a growing combat pilot could need, made by someone who had their tastebuds burnt off. Jecka blinked and let the straw slip from her mouth. Panic fluttered in her chest until her eyes landed on Nicole, hunched in on herself in the set next to her. Jecka reached for her instinctively before catching herself. Her hand drifted down to the table and she knocked twice on its surface. Nicole didn’t respond.
Lights were on, but nobody was home. Great.
Opposite her, around their circular table, Ari sat with her head resting on Emily’s shoulder. Emily’s dark, sunken eyes stared at the table. Her long honey-blonde hair fell limply around her face. Sitting next to Ari, Karen miserably toyed with the straw in her plasti-flask. All of them, including herself, were now dressed in familiar grey short-sleeved scrubs and sweatpants. Jecka did not remember changing.
Half a dozen other teams huddled around the tables in varying states of alertness. The chatter in the mess-hall was subdued and tense. Her eyes flicked over to the door at the sound of another team being dragged in and dumped at a table. The gravitational pull of dread yanked at her insides.
Kelly dropped into the set next to Jecka with a glum look. “Ugh, no real food, just nutrient-vita shakes. It’s either Starburst Tropica or Berry Blaster. Gross.”
Megan slid into the seat next to Nicole and placed a plasti-flask in front of her.
Jecka wanted to jump out of her seat. She wanted to run as fast and as far as she could. Fuck anyone who got in her way. She would run and run and run and rip open a vent and crawl inside the guts of the ship and scream and scream until she had no voice left.
“How long before we drop?” She asked instead.
“Briefings in two hours. We’ll find out then.” Megan replied.
The table lapsed into uncomfortable silence.
“I heard one of the wardens mention the Advanueis system. We might be above Illiatio.” Karen said, her eyes not leaving her drink.
“How the fuck would you know that?”
Karen looked at Jecka. “The planet’s rich in ore and has constantly been in conflict since triaxium veins were discovered just under a decade ago. It was in our Gal-Pol AP mid-terms. Do you not remember?”
An eternity ago. Jecka did not remember. She was far more preoccupied with remembering the kind of information that would keep her alive.
Don’t bunch up.
Don’t hesitate.
Never, ever, lose track of where Nicole is.
Jecka opened her mouth to let Karen know exactly how stupid of a question that was, but she stopped and closed it again. In a few hours, Karen and Ari would be running recon and feeding them as much information to help keep them all alive as they could gather. In light of that, picking a fight seemed kinda stupid. Did she really want the last thing she might say to her former childhood best friend to be a petty, cutting insult?
Nutri-sludge always tasted like ass, no matter what flavour they came in. She forced herself to take another sip. Berry was the least shittiest, and not eating anything between cryo and a combat drop was a miserable experience. Jecka frowned. Nicole still hadn’t touched the plasti-flask placed in front of her.
At least Megan had learned to keep her mouth shut while they were all still coming down. It’d been a nightmare with her fussing and bossing everyone around. Drink your shakes! Shower and dress! Don’t be late for the briefing at oh-six-fuck-off hours! She’d always been a control freak and somehow the stupid algorithm had decided that meant she was a natural leader. The only real leadership quality she had was how fair she could get her tongue up her ‘superiors’ asshole.
Approaching footsteps interrupted her thoughts. Barefoot, not wardens. Jecka turned to face the intrusion. Three men with freshly shaved heads and cocky smiles swaggered towards their table.
“Hey ladies, no need to be scared now. The Sigma squad has arrived. Why don’t we all get to know each other before the action ? We can take real good care of you planetside and topside.”
God, really? Why couldn’t she just catch a break for five fucking minutes? Of course, they had to be the only table full of girls in the mess. Jecka pushed herself up from the table and took a half step, angling herself into a better position.
The one in front leered at her. No scars, no missing teeth, gym bro body. Yeah, only fresh meat would be stupid enough to try fucking with them. Jecka twisted her face in disgust and glared back. “Ew, no thanks. Why don’t you walk yourselves out the nearest airlock.”
“Aw common, we’re just trying to be nice. Chill out and let us sit with you.” Dipshit one grinned at her. He looked like a child eyeing up someone else’s favourite toy.
A small shuffle of footsteps came from behind her. “I think it’s time for you to leave,” Megan insisted.
Dipshits two and three glanced at each other uncertainly. Obviously, this was not going the way imagined. Dipshit one opened his mouth to say something that would undoubtedly lower the IQ of the room, but Jecka was done with their shit.
“Which part of fuck off didn’t you retards understand?” she snapped, her voice cold and hard.
A frown cracked dipshit number one’s expression. “Fuck you, stuck-up bitches.” He reached out and tried to grab Jecka’s top with his meaty fist.
Predictable and stupid. It took zero effort to move out of his way. A few more like that, maybe a wild swing, and the wardens would be all over his ass.
Nicole’s foot slammed into dipshit one’s guts. He bounced over himself backwards from the impact, letting out an unmanly shriek as he went.
Fuck! Why was she always fucking up her plans!
Dipshits two and three only narrowly escaped a similar fate as Jecka and Megan managed to grab onto Nicole before she could tear into them.
“Nicole, Nicole, looked at me! Nicole!” Jecka desperately urged.
The dark, flat detachment in Nicole’s eyes disappeared. She twisted herself out of their grasp. “Don’t fucking touch me!” Nicole spat, her fists balling at her side.
“What’s going on here?”
God dammit, of course, the wardens weren’t going to look the other way. Luckily, they’d attracted the attention of only one of them, who stood at a cautious distance volt-stick already in hand.
Jecka plastered a bright smile on her face and tucked a lock of stray hair behind her ear. “Oh um, nothing, Sir. We just had a little disagreement with those gentlemen, but it’s all over now.”
The warden glanced over to where the dipshits were doing the first smart thing of worthless lives and dragging their fallen leader off to relative safety. Jecka could see the gears turning in the warden’s head when turned back to them. He wanted to punish them, but the paperwork for doing so right before a combat drop wasn’t worth the effort. He could assign a punishment duty for after the drop, but the chances of it being followed up, or them actually living through it to do the punishment, were low.
“Alright fine, don’t make any more trouble, or you’ll regret it.” The warden glared at them before stomping off.
Ugh, gross.
“Take your girlfriend and go get her head screwed on right before we drop,” Megan sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose and shaking her head.
“Fuck off, Megan.” Jecka glared at her.
Nicole had disappeared. Of course she had. It’s not like she could make Jecka’s life easy for five minutes and think about someone other than her self-absorbed ass. Not at the table. Not in the cafe line. The flick of dark hair striding out the exit of the mess sent Jecka hurrying after her.
She caught up in the corridor outside. ‘So, what the hell was that?’ and ‘bitch you good?’ sat on the back of her tongue like a 120mm auto-cannon round. Jecka was pissed. She felt like shit. The urge to lay into her best friend for her stupid and shitty behavior barely suppressed by her better judgement and the hard-won knowledge that it wouldn’t make her feel better.
Fuming in silence, she followed Nicole through the hive’s maze of grey hallways, locked doors, and watchful eyes. They passed the gym and training sims, empty save for a few roid-ragers getting in last-minute reps. A security camera tracked them as they walked. The cold floor panels bit into her feet, making it even worse. Relief flooded through her when Nicole bumped her ID implant against the door to their assigned dormitory.
The door hissed shut behind them and beeped locked.
“Okay, so-mmph—”
Nicole’s lips crashed into hers. Jecka’s back hit the lockers, rattling the metal doors. The impact knocked a grunt from her chest. Nicole’s tongue pushed into her mouth, hot and sliding against her own. A fraction of extra leverage, pining Jecka against the metal doors. Jecka’s heart crashed in her chest and adrenaline surged in a heady rush. Instinctively she grabbed at Nicole's hands fisted in her shirt.
Sharp objects were contraband. No razor blades. No knives. Nothing that conscripts could use to damage each other and AstroGenesis’s fucking profit margin. Instead, Nicole sliced herself open on all of Jecka’s broken and jagged edges.
God Nicole was so fucking selfish. Reckless. Stubborn. Unbearably hot when she was like this. Jecka could taste Nicole’s desperation in her kiss. Nicole needed her.
And Jecka needed Nicole. A nicotine craving Jecka could never escape. She couldn’t help herself, she would always give Nicole what she wanted.
Jecka bit down, hard.
Nicole’s yelp muffled against her mouth. Her tongue retreated and her grip loosened. It was the only opportunity Jecka needed. She seized Nicole’s wrists, stepped through her stance, and twisted. Already off balance, Nicole tripped hard over her leg. Her fingers fisted in Jecka’s shirt, she pulled her straight down with her.
Their eyes locked as they fell. On Thuna-9CP, they had deployed to capture a refinery built on a beach of the planet’s vast oceans. A stray shot hit the storage tanks, spilling fuel out into the water. After the battle, Jecka watched the burning swell crash into the beach. Churning blue fire dancing in morning sunlight, just like Nicole’s eyes in those small moments when she was really alive. When she was looking at Jecka and really seeing her. She could drown in those beautiful sapphire depths of want.
They crashed into the floor. Nicole’s back hit the ground with a solid thud and grunt of pain.
Jecka landed on top.
They’d barely moved but Jecka’s breaths were already ragged. Her blood burning in her veins. Nicole’s smug glare only made it worse. Fuck, she shouldn’t want this.
Hurting Nicole shouldn’t make her so fucking wet.
They had always spared together. Through basic, and then any chance they had. Training to get a little better. Survive a little longer. Nicole was a wiry, bony bitch. Constantly slipping out of her grapples and holds like a fucking snake. But Jecka was stronger.
And faster.
Her backhand landed with a crack of flesh on flesh. Nicole’s head wrenched sideways at the impact, her check blossoming with an angry red welt. Before she could recover, Jecka dived forward and sunk her teeth into Nicole’s shoulder. The sterile tang of cryo-fluid lingered on her skin, mingled with the musk of her sweat. She breathed it in.
Nicole thrashed under her and let out a pained growl. Jecka fumbled for her arms, trying to pin her. Before she could get a grip on them, Nicole yanked Jecka's shirt up over her face, breaking her grip on Nicole’s flesh.
Fuck, her advantage was completely lost. Blinded, Jecka flailed and tried to pull her shirt all the way off. Nicole bucked her hips up and threw Jecka off her. She rolled on the floor, only just managed to pull her shirt free before she felt her pants being ripped off as well.
Nicole stood over her, holding her pants by the waist. She tossed them aside.
“What the fuck are waiting for then, bitch?” Jecka snarled.
Nicole moved towards her. Jecka kicked, but she swatted it out of the way. Nicole dived between her legs onto her knees. Jecka wrapped her legs around Nicole’s waist and locked them, holding Nicole away from her. Nicole grinned ferally at her and her hand thrust between Jecka’s legs.
Her fingers slid against Jecka’s wetness, palm grinding onto her clit. God, she fucking needed Nicole, right now. She looked so fucking smug too, grinning down at her. Jecka rolled her hips forward, pushing against Nicole’s hand. Tipping her closer to the edge.
Jecka’s moan pitched into a shriek as Nicole thrust into her.
Too many fingers! Her walls stretched, burning and clenching around the sudden intrusion. Bitch! That utter bitch! She fought her ragged, gasping breaths for control, riding through the pain. She was going to get her back for this. Jecka glared up at Nicole.
In return, Nicole pressed her thumb down, massaging Jecka’s clit.
She clenched again, this time with waves of pleasure rolling through. Nicole raised her eyebrows at her. God, fuck, fine. Jecka couldn’t deny what she wanted any longer. She nodded back to her.
Nicole crocked her fingers up and began to fuck onto her g-spot.
Jecka yanked Nicole forwards and grabbed her hair, smashing their lips back together. She let Nicole’s tongue roam back into her mouth and pressed up into it with own, savouring the taste. She felt Nicole’s free hand brush against her breast before coming up and pinching her nipple. Jecka moaned into Nicole’s mouth. Fuck, that bitch knew her so well.
Nicole broke their kiss and her hand slipped off her boob, sliding up her chest and wrapping around her throat. Nicole’s thumb and fingers pinched into her arteries, slowing the flow of blood to her brain.
Fuck, she was so close!
Jecka craned her neck and bit down on Nicole’s wrist as hard as she could. Warm coppery tang dripped through her teeth. Nicole screeched. Her around her neck and her hand in Jecka’s cunt clenched, thrusting harder.
Jecka screamed her orgasm into Nicole’s wrist, the force of it wracked her body and snapping her head back straight into the metal deck plates. Pinpoints of light danced in front of her vision as her hips bucked against Nicole’s slowing fingers.
Nicole slid off her, landing on the floor beside her. Jecka stared up at the fluorescent panels in the ceiling, panting and trying to catch her breath. She wondered how many wardens were jacking off to their little show.
Eventually, she found the strength to roll onto her side. Nicole lay face down, pressed into the cool deckplates. Jecka wrapped her arm around her waist and pulled Nicole’s back into her, spooning against her.
Nicole’s skin was damp and warm against her as Jecka spooned into her back. Her arm nestled into her under-boob and she could feel moisture collecting against it.
Jecka’s arm wrapped around Nicole’s chest as she spooned into her back. She tried not to squeeze her too hard, but the feeling that Nicole might simply crumble apart and slip through her embrace like ashes in the wind gnawed at her heart. Nicole had made living in the colony bearable, as sad as it was to have a bitch that traumatised as her best friend. Now, she was the last frayed thread of normalcy in her nightmare life.
Nicole stirred, fingers played across Jecka’s arm. She gave a squeeze in repose.
“Are you gonna watch my back down there?” Jecka asked.
“Duh, of course I will. You going to watch mine, or will you be too busy staring at my ass?” Nicole grumbled sleepily.
“Yeah, I’ve got you covered. No worries.”
Love you too, Nicole.