Page 19 of Golden Darkness

Janessa had no idea why that sound was working on her, but a very primitive part of her was delighted. It relaxed, and she slumped into his arms.

Lieutenant Arnthuan sighed. “Her consciousness fully returned. She had kept a barrier between herself and the outside world. The barrier fell when she saw the stars, and years of pain rushed in on her.”

The other crewmembers’ eyes widened in understanding.

Janessa started shaking, and tears coursed down her cheeks. Kethen held her and crooned to her softly as emotions spun through her.

He picked her up and carried her out of the bridge and into an observation room that looked out at the stars.

He whispered, “Your world is that way right now. And decades of travel in that direction is the station where I was activated.”

“So, you really are not... born?”

“Oh, no. All Hmrain are different. The designers were trying to figure out which pattern is most successful.”

She took in the fact that he was rocking her gently and his lips pressed to the top of her head.

“So, why do you want me? There are better Terrans out there. I wasn’t supposed to be able to be a suitable energy source. They tortured me into suitability.”

He squeezed her. “I know, and if you like, I can tear the doctor to pieces while you watch.”

The thoughts of the physician leaning over her while the mandibles thrashed in glee, venom gleaming at the pointed tips. She shivered. “I would like that. I don’t know how long they had me, but it felt like pain to panic and then pain again.”

“When did the fog in your mind activate?”

“The day I heard that my world was ending. The rest is just a blur.” She muttered, “I can see it, but I couldn’t feel it.”

“Do you remember our coming together?”

She blushed. “I can see it, like a dream, and remember how I think I was feeling at the time.”

“A good dream or a bad dream?”

“A scary, fun dream,” she muttered.

“I am glad. The scary is to be expected. I am not what you would think of as a lover.”

“Well, there were some websites that—” She looked at his curious expression. “Nevermind.”

He grinned and then leaned in for a kiss. She touched his jaw and then slid her fingers through his hair. She remembered the sensation, but now, she tasted him. How could he taste like male and strawberries? The male part in question was underneath both sides of her ass. The strawberry taste gave her flashbacks, and a horrified blush covered her cheeks.

He lifted his head. “Which memory troubles you?”

“I drank... you.”

“Yes.”

“Lots of you.”

“Yes.” He was amused.

“Why?”

“Well, first, they deactivated my dispenser so that only clothing and materials could be created. No food. So, I made the canisters, and I filled them. You responded remarkably well, so we continued with that for a few days, and then I used my bite to pass along the nanites, and they used the fluid to start repairing you.”

“How did that happen?”

He explained about the fluid, sugars and proteins, and the teeny tiny robots that lived in his blood and saliva that were currently sprucing up her body, reviving her cells and making her into a mate for a Hmrain. They had a design that they followed, and they were changing her body to match his, and the more material he gave her, the faster it happened.