Chapter 14
With extreme attention to detail, Kelly carefully began soldering the connections between the wires and Steven's central console, slowly glazing the tip of each cord with the thin liquid metal, firmly gluing the components in back place. He sat up, removing his protective goggles to examine his handy work.
Yeah, just try and pull those bad boys out, he thought, satisfied with what he had done.
He leaned over and reached for a nearby liquor bottle, taking a large gulp of the clear liquid. Slowly, he sat back up, snatching his welder's mask along with the torch from its case, priming the burner.
Better do this quick before the booze hits…
He squinted as he strained to see past the sparks of the blazing torch, meticulously welding a protective layer over the soldered cords. He stood up and typed a few buttons into the charge station the bot was hooked up to, sending power straight to the monitor's main modem. With a quiet hum, Steven's CPU began to reboot, the eye of the robot slowly illuminating once more. The machine rattled slightly before raising itself on the supporting steel beam. Steven's six arms unfolded from the sides, each one stretching and flexing its mechanical digits.
"Man, you seem to get more and more human all time…" Kelly chuckled.
"I learned from the best." the machine replied.
Just then, the door to the room slid open, the Dark Hunter taking a curious step inside. Steven turned and let out what could only be equated with a mechanical growl, his single eye glowing brightly as his six robotic hands twisted into flaring blow torches.
"Stand down, Steven," Kelly ordered, "she won't pull your cords again,"
The young man looked up, glaring at Dark Samus, "Will she?"
The negative looked away, avoiding his sharp gaze.
"Anyway," he continued, looking back to the bot, "I soldered your wires back in place; they ain't coming loose anytime soon."
"Thank you, sir."
"Hey, anything for the best autopilot in the galaxy."
Without another word, Steven retracted into the ceiling, leaving his captain alone with the Dark Hunter.
Kelly lazily spun around in his chair, playing with the liquor bottle in his hands, "You know, I'm not even mad anymore about the fact the you nearly killed us, what I'm more upset about right now is the fact that you just went and deactivated Steven without a second thought. He didn't deserve that, I mean, I know he's just a robot, but Steven's a good guy. He's one of the only true friends I have left, and I know that's sounds weird since I'm talking about a machine, but-"
"What are you drinking?" Dark Samus suddenly asked, eyeing the bottle curiously.
Kelly looked down at the 26 in his hands, "Hmm? Oh, you gotta try it; we drink it back on my planet all the time."
He handed the bottle to the Dark Hunter, who, seemingly curious, quickly took a swig. Upon swallowing the liquor, she immediately began to cough.
"Ugh, what is that?" she said between hacks, "It feels like I just swallowed liquid fire!"
"Reminds me of my first drink…" Kelly laughed.
Dark Samus carefully handed the bottle back, "What is that, exactly?"
"Vodka; quadruple distilled." The young man replied, holding up the bottle so that the light reflected off its surface, "This stuff's getting harder and harder to come by these days… It's quite expensive, but it's worth it."
The dark angel sat down on the floor, leaning back against the charge station, "So…you and your kind drink that and enjoy it?"
"Of course, although, admittedly, it's more of an acquired taste…"
"That does not surprise me…"
Kelly reached over to his left, snatching up another 26 covered with white markings, handing it to the Dark Hunter.
"Here, try this one. You might like it better."
Dark Samus took a cautious gulp, smiling slightly as she set the bottle down, "It's strange…but so sweet. I love it."
"Vanilla vodka; definitely one of my favorites."
"Mm…apparently one of my favorites as well." the Dark Hunter swooned, taking another sip of the liquor.
Kelly got up, stumbling slightly as he went to go sit by the dark angel, all the while taking more shots from the bottle, "Just be careful that you don't drink too much…"
"Aww, why not?" Dark Samus's puppy dog eyes glimmered, "It makes me feel so warm and fuzzy on the inside…"
Is it seriously hitting her already? The young man wondered.
"If you drink too much, you're gonna get drunk, and I'd rather not find out what you're like intoxicated…"
"You never know…I might be fun."
"Yeah, you might be, but you also might not be. Until you actually do it, it's hard to predict."
Dark Samus inched a little closer, "Well let's find out, shall we?"
Without hesitation, she leaned back, taking three considerable gulps of the liquor, coughing a little as she parted for breath. Kelly mirrored her actions, caring little for his own slight drunkenness.
"It's been so long since I've had a drink…" he mused, staring into the half empty bottle.
The dark angel rested her head on his shoulder, gently stroking his bicep, "We should do this more often."
"I know this is probably just the booze talking, but…I agree; it's relaxing. I don't even care anymore that you pulled Steven's cords and almost blew us all up… It's all water under the bridge."
"I'm glad to hear that."
Kelly looked down at the Dark Hunter, wrapping an arm around her, pulling her slightly closer, "You know, I act like I hate you, but I really don't…"
The Dark Hunter looked up with tired eyes, "You don't?"
"Look at you; you're too pretty to hate."
Dark Samus blushed, "You're sweet."
She leaned in, planting a kiss on the young man's cheek, causing him to redden faintly. The negative smiled, gingerly running her fingers through his brushed back hair.
The young man smiled, lazily resting his head on top of hers, "It's been a while since the last time we did anything like this."
"It truly has… I'm sure you must have gotten lonely without me."
"For a while, I was a little lonely, but I got over it. I had a few girlfriends here and there, but I eventually settled for the single life. It's far less of a hassle."
Dizzy, and feeling a little more playful than before, Dark Samus sat up, straddling him, "But where's the fun in that?"
"I know this may sound a little selfish," Kelly replied, his pleading eyes looking her up and down, "but, I like it in that I have more time to myself. Also, with the job that I have, I'm away from home for a good month or two at a time. Those sorts of things tend to mess up relationships."
The dark angel leaned in, whispering into his ear, "Not if your lover is in space."
Gently holding his head in her hands, she pulled him close, kissing him passionately on the lips. She slowly guided his hands down to her voluptuous hips, moaning lustfully as she delighted in his touch. She threw her arms lovingly around him, pulling herself closer, pressing her exquisite curves up against his chest. The zero suit-like outfit encasing her body appeared looser than before, the collar partially stretched open, exposing her pristine flesh.
After a minute or two, she pulled away, "Years later and you're still just as wonderful to kiss."
"Maybe I'm a natural?"
Dark Samus caressed his cheek, "Maybe."
She quickly went in for another go, her heart rate ever on the increase. The two held one another in the dead silence of the room, cherishing each other's presence. Eventually, they made their way out of the repair bay and down the long hallway, stumbling and tripping their way to the captain's quarters. Faltering drunkenly through the dark bedroom door, they gradually made their way towards the bed, falling indolently over one another onto the soft mattress. Dark Samus looked longingly over at the young man, stroking his head adoringly.
"I feel as though my heart is ablaze…" she whispered, shifting closer, still.
"That's probably just the vodka; it tends to do that." Kelly replied, his words slurring ever so slightly.
The dark angel couldn't help but grin. Another kiss followed, and then another. She leaned in, whispering into the young man's ear as she pulled her loosened collar sensually to the side, revealing her tight cleavage, "Let's make this a moment that neither of us will forget."
The two then plunged beneath the covers, emotions running wild, passion taking over.