(Sixteen)

Henry sat comfortably on the bathroom floor, reading one of the books that had been in the storage room, his back against the bathtub. The book was a manual on Siskan technology and he was perusing the section that dealt with the engines Fallen had downstairs. He was using Fallen's small translator so he could read it. He slid the small rod across the words and the translator read them off in English into a small earpiece he was wearing. He found the book fascinating, it was chock full of information and he was hoping he would be able to give a hand in the repairs. Anything to get them home. He looked up when heard a small noise. He saw Kimble and smiled.

Kimble sat across from him, still up against the vanity. He was nodding off and trying to fight it. Henry watched as Kimble lost his battle and slowly slumped over onto his side. Immediately, the scientist in Beast clicked into full gear and he began writing notes on an invisible mental notepad. Item number one) This Siskan hologram requires sleep. This was an intriguing idea. If this creature was composed of gel and hardware, why would a sleep cycle even be necessary?

Beast looked up to the viewing screen. Seth was laying back in his chair, out cold as well. Hmm, so we sleep if we are out of the system or not. Or is this just a representation of a shut down cycle, a conservation of power if the program itself wasn't being used?

Henry looked back at Kimble and had to resist the urge to reach out and touch him. He wanted to explore this marvelous creation, to feel him and test his reality. Of course his sense of propriety wouldn't allow such a thing, it was rude, but he would dearly love to get Kimble under one of the Shi'ar examining machines he had in his lab. He knew something of artificial intelligence, but had never seen anything like Kimble and Seth. As chief science officer, he was in charge of the Danger Room back home and the holograms used within it. They were solid and realistic as was Kimble, but they did as they were programmed to, they did not possess the independence and reasoning skills this one did. He couldn't help but wonder if that was as far as the differences went. He doubted they had even begun to scratch the surface of what this marvelous creation was capable of.

Kimble snuffled softly and began to snore. His hands twitched and he giggled softly.

Item number two) This Siskan hologram...dreams? Now this was interesting indeed. Henry knew that only sentient things dreamed. A pure computer program as he knew it did not. This only reinforced the idea that was developing inside of him - Kimble was real and very much alive. He might not have started out that way, but he was surely that way now.

Kimble moaned softly, shivering. He curled up a little and a hand strayed down between his legs. He whispered in soft Siskan and shivered again, this time from arousal, no doubt. Item number three) This Siskan hologram has sexual fantasies? Henry shook his head, a small smile teasing his large mouth. He thought it was hilarious actually. Was this 'gram so real, it mimicked the sleep cycle of a normal human male?

Henry took a closer look at the book he was reading. He checked the index and found that this text did in fact touch on Siskan holograms, but he wasn't sure to what degree. He took his attention away from the snoozing pilot and skipped ahead, more curious now about the machine in front of him than the engine downstairs.

(break)

Kimble sat on the floor, his back against the cabinets of the vanity. He felt drained, weak. He didn't understand the sensation, he had been touching Fallen all this time so he had taken in plenty of Ristle. His eyes were so heavy. He tried to fight it, but it was a losing battle. He closed them just for a moment and before he knew it, was fast asleep. He startled awake a few minutes later, a noise had awakened him. He realized it was just himself snoring and he thought it was funny and laughed a little. Guess he did snore kind of loud after all.

"What's so funny?" Fallen asked from the makeshift bed beside him. They were alone in the room. Henry must have left. The door was closed.

"Nuthin'," he answered, smiling. "You should be sleepin'."

"Come over here."

He crawled over to her, laying out flat on the floor. The tiles felt smooth and wonderful against the bare skin of his belly. He was acutely aware of everything around him, especially her. His face was over hers and he looked down at her with eyes full of relief. He was glad she was feeling better.

She kissed him. "Take my pain, Kimble," she whispered, stroking his long, dangling ponytail. "Make love to me and take my pain."

The phrase sent a shocking blast of arousal right through him, stealing his breath. He began instantly to tremble with excitement but tried to choke it back. Now that it had finally come to this, he realized he simply loved Seth too much to betray him this way. If he did this, Seth would be devastated. "Don' thinks I kin do that no more since I got broke," he offered as an excuse.

"You know you can. Do this for me, please." She kissed him more insistently and rolled, pulling him on top of her. He saw she was naked under the blankets and his trembling grew worse.

"Fallen, wait -!"

She trapped him against her telekinetically and he couldn't escape no matter how hard he struggled. She was amazingly strong in spite of her sickness and he couldn't break free. He groaned aloud as she squeezed a hand down between his legs, feeling the hardness of him that had sprung instantly to life. It was simply more than his three years of pent up sexual frustration could bear. She managed to magically undo his pants and then she was touching his bare skin, flooding his most sensitive area with heat. Any shred of resistance he had was gone and he was kissing her madly and running his hands all through her marvelous white hair. He wanted her badly and he wanted her now, consequences be damned.

She laughed and released her mental restraints, it was clear they were no longer necessary. "You're so easy," she teased.

Kimble had been wanting this a long time. He was designed for sensual pleasure, for making love, yet for years he'd been shelved or forced to work doing something else. Now with the hologram fully restored, his original programming had kicked in full throttle. He was painfully aware of all of the warm bodies around him and he couldn't help but think of how nice it would be to interact with them the way his creator had intended. It was worse with Fallen because she was his Mistress, the one he loved best. She was so close to him and he had to touch her to power up. It was growing harder and harder to be around her without being used. She was so close it was maddening.

He cried out again as she wrapped her legs around his waist, pulling him even closer. He kissed her passionately, inwardly thrilled by the idea that she had actually chosen him above all others, including Seth. In the three years that he had been aware of her presence, he had never known her to take a man for her own pleasure. There was Valentin, but Kimble knew he didn't really count. He couldn't make sense of an equation that had Valentin and the word pleasure together, it just wasn't possible.

Fallen reached down and tried to slide his pants off. Having crooked cat legs was a hassle. Kimble tried to help her, but his pants kept getting snagged around his ankles. Like everything else, Kimble thought his squirming was funny and he laughed. They made a game out of it, writhing and twisting playfully around one another in a maddening tease. He was helplessly excited, feeling her naked against him, her skin so warm and soft.

Kimble was so wound up at the thought of her he feared he would go off before he could perform the desired task. He distracted himself by going through his large supply of data files. The Siskans were a peaceful race who took their pleasures very seriously. Their artificially intelligent Courtesans were known far and wide for their ability to please. Kimble had a large number of detailed files on sexual techniques from which to chose from. The fact that Fallen was telekinetic and could levitate only added to his current options.

Fallen laughed and ran her fingers through his hair. The sound of her voice sent shivers through his whole body. Kimble took into consideration her frail condition. He selected one of his favorite files - one he had dreamed of often, but never dared to hope he'd ever get the chance to use again - and maneuvered himself to get ready. He was about to thank her for this wonderful opportunity when his world exploded in a violent outburst of red hot pain.

Kimble had been hauled to his knees by his hair, interrupted from his pleasure by someone less than gentle. This again! He felt a blast of rage but then froze in terror as an ice cold blade came against his throat. He looked up at his attacker and gave a startled cry. He could see the man was a Clansman by his dress and by the long blonde ponytail that dangled down, but the face of this man was a broken mess, something not even close to real. Instead of a normal face, this man wore a shiny mask, a distorted image of a human face in a shattered mirror, unrecognizable but still familiar to Kimble in some strange way. He should know who this was, but couldn't place him. Even so, he knew it well enough to be terrified of it.

"Hey, kid. Remember me, huh? Heh, jus' lettin' ya know I'm still around...jus' in case ya fergot," the monster growled down to him with a laugh. The voice was eerily similar to his own, it had the same garbled drawl, but it was deeper with a more pronounced growl, like gravel tumbling down a mountainside.

Kimble started to scream in fear of his life, but it was cut off as his worst fear was realized and his neck was cut open. Bright red blood gushed out of him in a geyser, spraying Fallen. She rubbed it over herself, laughing. From above he heard the sound of his own laughter.