Once Upon a Time Traveler
By Paula Kaye © 2005
Rated "M" for Adult Situations, Content, and Language and implied psychological violence.
Note: The only character I own is Penn, created by me specifically for this story. All intellectual property, story specific dialogue and other forms of literary constructionare sole property of Paula Kaye © 2005
This story blends a television series, "Seven Days"with the characters from the 20th Century Fox Film, "The League Of Extraordinary Gentlemen"
Once Upon a Time Traveler
Chapter One
"Look at this…", Olga indicated the bio-feedback read outs for the chrononaut who was deep in a REM state down the hallway. Nate glimpsed the console over Olga's shoulder. Although, he couldn't have told you what he was looking at, he was sure the erratic motion of the delicate instruments recording the bio-functionality of the reposed individual down the hallway wasn't good'.
"What could be causing it?", Olga looked to the historian. The feminie form came out of the shadows to view the same information that Nate had looked at without comprehending. However, Mina could sense that there was another presence close by. One that had come for what was his.
The female chrononaut was deep in the thrall of the dream. Penn hesitated to believe what she was seeing. Usually, her dreams were more abstract than this. The man standing some ten paces before her was clothed in the high-mannered style of a Victorian Gentleman. From his silver waistcoat, he pulled a pocket watch, opening and
closing it as if to defray some irritation. He was glaring at her as if she were to blame for some unnamed sin. His dark blue eyes pierced her as they gleamed in giddy contrast to his pale face and ruddy lips.
Absentmindedly fingering his watch fob, he seemed to be making up his mind in some way. Then, he smiled. It wasn't a comforting smile. It was at first grim, then, brightly enthusiastic, and next nearly maniacal. Her heart nearly broke for him. Emotions that she would have never allowed herself the luxury of feeling, much less acting on, flooded in her until she was near tears with want of him.
What the hell is going on? Her mind was at war with her heart, shouting that she needed to move. Run. Now!
Why? If he became rough, she knew she could take him. Probably. Two good torso shots and one to the nose, and she was certain he wouldn't be following her any time soon. Yet, this wasn't a rape scenario. There was something more that he wanted. Needed. From her, it seemed. And, there was something that he was to give to her that she was in need of as well. Yeah. Right. The sarcastic response snorted in her head. Blood? She wondered where the hell Mina was. She'd know how to deal with someone like this! Why didn't he pick on Mina? Why her?
He frowned momentarily, as a single word fluttered into her mind. It was as if he'd whispered directly into her mind! Understanding. Her eyes widened with surprise and alarm. He opened his mouth as if to say something reassuring, but, then, he glowered again, and seemed to think better of speaking the comment. His mouth snapped shut again, and his lips pressed themselves together tightly in an angry purse. He appeared to be upset with himself for some misstep. Why was she so disarmed before him? Why was she allowing this hijacking of her mind? Why was she here'?
She'd been taught to feel' for the energies that she would be working with, during the experimental phase of traveling in the sphere. So much depended on her unclouded ability to comprehend events in as clear a fashion as to be able to pinpoint the time, the place, the longitude, latitude, and star placement above her landing
site. She was also taught to decipher the energy' of any situation she was in. In order to avoid unnecessary confrontations, she was granted access to some of the finest philosophy materials, and extensive training in human
psychology, normal and abnormal. Yet, obviously, no one could have prepared her for this moment! It was organic. Pulsating with a life force of its own, rising to become a synergistic ballet of the two life energies between them. She and he, specifically. No surrogates existed here. They were the two who were supposed to be with' each other. The only two who could understand and appreciate their differences, while allowing the blending with the other while retaining their individuality during whatever the hell this' was.
Apart, they weren't perfect fit in their respective societies. However, together, they fit' perfectly. So, moving unlike any other force in Creation, the Universe had deemed this their way of coming together. In this way could each heal one another of their ills and previous harms, and give their gifts to each other. Gifts that no other being could understand or appreciate.
Funny Universe. And, so the astral plane was where they were to meet. She felt herself floating, her mind floating along with it. Inwardly, she chuckled to herself. The Universe set up an Astral Bootie-Call? However, she was wrong. This was to be no 'casual sex act'.
He moved toward her as she seemed to hang in limbo. As he approached, she could feel his arousal. His desire. The closer he came to her, the greater the physical effect he had on her. Sudden warmth flowed through her. It freed her mind, her spirit and continued on its way until her longings were completely awakened from the self-imposed cryogenic sleep mode. Yes, even in his apparently fevered state, he was handsome. Yet, there was a warning in his eyes. A haunted, hunted fire burned in them, and in so burning in him, set her long repressed emotions
alight easily. Unable and unwilling to run, she trembled with anticipation as he closed in on her.
Carefully, he reached out for her. She made no move to harm him or stop him. She shocked herself that she allowed him to touch her. Words had yet to pass between them, and even so, she was certain he wasn't there to discuss anything. Her breath came in quick, deep spasms of inhale' and exhale' as though she'd taken her morning run.
He stood nearly another foot above her. Gently, he grasped her chin and lifted it to his mouth. His leaned down to meet her lips. With the same insistence as a dehydrated traveler drinks from an oasis, so he drank of her kiss.
He pressed into her as his hands now moved over the flesh of her toned body. Slowly, carefully; and with a touch so light as to cause goose bumps to rise on both of them at the slightest graze he gave of her flesh, he drew his thumbnail up her already shivering spine. The desired effect was achieved. She flinched away from the thumband with an arch of her back, she thrust herself more into his welcoming embrace.
Now, the full arousal he felt for her pressed against her. It throbbed between them as they melted into each other's bodies. His ache now ignited hers with more fury than she thought capable of physically channeling. They took and released breath almost as one, as the kisses became more passionate, more heated and filled with mutual longing. He pulled away momentarily to scan her face. She had shocked him as well. Far from fearing him now, she wanted him. All of him. She welcomed the challenge of his darker side, and gloried in his goodness. His eyes burned into her as she looked up into his face with a question she could not ask.
He heard a low growling chuckle come from him, and prepared for the release of his darker, stronger self' to finally take her through the most challenging aspect of his lust. She blinked once, and then, holding his stunned gaze, her hands began to move towards his hardened -
A loud crash and there was Nate!
"What the hell's going on in there!", Nathan had obviously just kicked open the door and flipped the light switch. He haddrawn his sidearm and was now pointing it inthe general direction of suspicion, (which would have been her wardrobe.).
Penn gasped for breath as she was forcibly thrust into 'reality' once again. Her dark mahogany hair flew wildly about her shoulders as she sat up to regard Nathan and the two security guards behind him with a mixture of irritation and fear.
Nate moved closer to her bed, his nine-millimeter pointed towards the floor. He kept a sharp look-out for anyone trying to hide in the small room.
"What the hell do you think's going on in here?", she glared, trying to catch the breath that her nocturnal admirer was so adept at taking away, "I was trying to sleep!"
"From your read outs you weren't doin' anything close to sleepin'!", looking about him, Nate grimaced wondering where she had stashed the guy that was causing her read outs to go haywire. He didn't want to seem to stand down too soon.
As she clutched her light, standard issue blanket to her, she insisted, "Swear to God, Nate, if you don't get out and take your precious goons with you, I'm gonna kick your ass!"
He sneered, "I'd like to see you try."
The two guards behind him snickered to each other.
"I'm sure you would!", she defiantly threw the covers off of her slim frame, and much to their chagrin, she wasn't nude, as they had hoped. Still, if she had to be wearing anything, this was just as good. A tiny pink spaghetti strap mini tee and pink night shorts were comfortably in place as she sat up glaring at the three men. She huffed angrily out of bed, now shaking with rage. She assumed the invitational martial arts stance. "You ready to get your ass kicked by a girl, big man?"
Sighing, Nate realized that he wasn't going to win. He never won. Poor guy…
As Nate holstered his side arm, he corrected her; once again, indicating the men backing him up, "I'll have you remember these are some of the finest soldiers that the Military has to offer. They pulled Special Duty, and now, they just get to guard your sorry butt, missy!"
"I don't care if they graduated with honors from Clown College… Get Out!", her tremoring body continued to shake violently. A combination of shock and orgasm seemed to continue its progress through her.
Nate turned to the two guards as they hung in the doorway, still craning their necks to catch a glimpse of her around the Head of Security.
"Well, doesn't look like there's anybody else here; back to your posts.", Nate was actually quite disappointed. He'd been trying to get her booted out of the program for some time now. Ever since that other chimp', Parker, took off to who knew where, he'd hoped that the whole "Sphere Project" would be scrapped. No such luck, though.
Talmedge just went out and got another loose nut from the loony bin. This one was supposed to be better', but, how so, Nate just couldn't seem to grasp.
Penn was just starting to calm herself as Nate wordlessly crossed to the doorway. Perhaps for dramatic effect, he turned, and fixed her with a don't make me come back in here' glare. He then stepped over the threshold of her sleeping quarters and closed the door which led to the hallway of her current home'.
Feeling exasperated and exposed, Penn now lurched towards the switch plate on the wall and put out the lights. She quickly slid beneath the covers of her single bed, and pausing for a moment, turned on her bedside lamp.
She too wondered if something' was in the room with her. She looked to the left and then, to the right, and determined that it was all just a dream. Disturbing, yes, but, just' a dream all the same.
In the main systems monitoring booth, Olga turned to Mina who frowned with a combination of puzzlement and worry.
"Well, what do you think?", the doctor asked of the historian in charge of protocol.
Mrs. Harker paused before answering. She didn't wish to give away too much to the physician. There could be serious consequences if she meddled in what was supposed to be the natural flow of events. If things were going the way they had before, she was going to have to prepare her time traveling friend for a most extraordinary adventure.