Chapter Twenty One: Some Minor Flux
Silently, Emma cursed herself as she reviewed the security log.
It had been three hours since she had transported The Beast on to the station.
He had complied in every request and produced appropriate explanations for anything she asked of him.
He was insufferably pleased with the stations technology and his chance to examine it. So much so that Emma considered the possibility that she had brought a drug user to the station.
And then it happened. Beast was working with his hands over his head, wearing the station's magnetic restraint system, which she had sent to the planet, and he reset a minor, yet vital, power system.
And the restraints opened and fell from his body.
"Oh, dear." Emma had heard him say.
"What is it?" She asked, coming from the next room.
"Nothing." He had replied "Short of the most brilliant power distribution network I've ever seen."
And she had ignored it. Ignored him. And later when she saw the flaw in the security log, and she went to check, he had the restraint system back in place. She was determined to discover what he had been up to, and so she calibrated the stations equipment to reveal what she felt was surely some form of foul treachery.
And she saw him, looking in shock and horror at the falling restraints. Saw him scooping them up, and reactivating the power circuit, then reattaching them where they belonged.
She watched him breathe a sigh of relief, after expressing his mock awe to her, about the power distribution system.
And suddenly, she saw how very sexy Hank was. How broad his chest was, the thickness of his neck and shoulders, and his intelligent, deep-set eyes. She remembered how decadent it was to lay back and loose herself in a thick fur rug.
She shook, subtly, with a realization. Something had changed. She had never found decency to be attractive before. What was this about?
She turned toward her reflection in the monitors to her right, and she saw something unexpected.
It was not her face. It was the face of a green, humanoid lizard. It hissed when their eyes met and she heard a loud pop from behind her. She turned, shaken, and was hit in the face with a bright flash of light.
"What has hank done now?" A part of her mind wondered.
But she couldn't hear him moving around the next room anymore. So she went to look.
The panels he had been working behind had been replaced. The slew of gadgets and gizmo's he had brought with him were totally absent. The station looked untouched.
"Jubilee?" Emma called softly, edging through the next floor of the station. It looked unused and uninhabited. What was going on?
Emma climbed the metal stairs back to the next level and wandered towards the small galley kitchen. And in doing so she found herself crossing the exact time and space she had witnessed herself in through the stations equipment, just one week before.
She froze when she felt his three fingered hand slip around her waist from behind. She closed her eyes as she felt his familiar velvet kisses on her neck. And she began to melt as he casually stroked her calf with the spade of his tail.
"I've brought you your favorite coo-kies, my sweet one." His breath was warm and close. It felt like the only heat in the whole of space. He placed the small china plate on the metal table before her and wrapped his now free hand around to meet the other.
"What," She was faltering, smiling and throwing her head back, running her fingers through his thick hair. "What is the current probability quotient?" She asked Kurt.
"1-7-2-4-6 to 1" The computer replied.
Emma knew what this meant. The station was answering her voice commands. She was the Keeper.
"Come to bed Emma. You can play more God tomorrow."
Her breath caught in her throat. "Yes." She said. "Of course." She realized. "Pleasure. . ."
"Before pleasure." He cooed their mantra softly.
"No one we've approached can af-ford a miracle right now." His skin was warm and taught over his frame, just as she remembered. "Give them time my queen." He massaged her hips with his thick three fingered hands.
"I love you Kurt." She smiled, looking deep in to his golden orbed eyes.
He looked to her left hand. "It is why you married me." His little pointed teeth betrayed his true contentment and joy.
"Yes." She said, as though he had just asked her. "I love you that much." She smiled.
"Computer." She said at last. "Reset probability quotient to 2-4-6-0-1." She caressed his face one last time with her fingertips. "To 1." She concluded.
And another bright flash filled the room, and she was alone.
"Rest now." She said softly. "My, sweet, Kurt."
"Did you say something?" Beast poked his head around the corner.
"Yes." She recovered gracefully. "Did you just reset the probability quotient?" She eyed him.
"I attached a field meter to monitor the input strength. It might have caused a minor flux." Beast looked concerned.
"Oh, alright." Emma smiled at him, genuinely. "That explains it." She said although it really didn't. "Get back to work." She said almost playfully.
He bobbed his head appreciatively, saluted her with a ratchet handle and disappeared back in to the next room.
Emma slipped back to her bedroom and braced herself. She kneeled down in front of the small metal table next to her bed. She slipped the drawer open and took out the fine, white, silk scarf. She cradled it gingerly.
She breathed slowly, shallowly, and unfolded it.
There was nothing inside. The probability token had been activated and was now gone.
Emma wiped her eyes with the scarf and put it away. It was the first gift Kurt had ever given to her and she would cherish it in private moments for the rest of her life. But her old life was written in the fires of hell itself, and this, her new life, was destined to be written in the stars.
Emma composed herself and found a peaceful space within.
She returned her attention to the monitors. The recording of Beast was replaying. He looked so shocked and dismayed at the restraints failure that, after a few replays, she actually laughed at him.
She felt clean and pure in a way she had never known as she went to check on Jubilee, passing through the junction where Hank had accidentally disconnected the restraint system. She looked up at the junction point and discovered that Hank had welded a bar across the access port to prevent anyone else from tampering with the restraint's power supply.
And, upon this realization, she felt a deep and sensual attraction to Dr. Hank McCoy. Thoughts of broad shoulders and deep shag fur between her fingers filled her mind.
She turned and cast her eyes down the hall, to where he was idly studying the readouts on half a dozen machines and gauges.
He saw her and smiled.
She nodded and stepped away, out of sight, and exhaled an excited breath. Those shorts of his keep NO secrets! She actually giggled, covered her mouth, and went scurrying off to find Jubilee. And he is a Doctor. . .
