Chapter 18 - You and Zoraida Try the Good Stuff...

You step back from the machine. Between the headache and the hard on, you aren't getting anywhere. It might be good to check on Zoraida, and double check on the things you've remembered thus far. Especially The Cube. That's pretty big. You turn away from the Assessment Machine and run a thumb over your ring.

"Locate: Zoraida." You hold your hand up, palm toward the ceiling. The ring projects a silver spindle of light into your palm. It expands into a wireframe image of the Golden Dancer, and you see a gold ring. That's you. You also see a gold dot, in the hall just outside? You look up to see the door half open. You take the few steps to reach it and open it the rest of the way. Zoraida is there, her head low as her hands work under the fold of her clothes. One hand squeezes and pulls at gleaming breast, the other is down her skirt, and making slick wet noises.

She's sitting there, against the wall, her eyes lidded as she gasps with every plunge and pinch she inflicts on herself. Her hips buck against her hands as she pushes deeper and you watch as the clothing from sight the source of every slicking squirting digit spelunking. 

If your cock wasn't tenting your pants before, it was now; and if you hadn't been quite so aroused from all the memories you'd remembered, you might have just coughed and woken her out of her trance. Instead you pull your pants down just enough for your cock to spring loose. You step into the hallway and place yourself right in front of Zoraida, who is so gone she hasn't even noticed you yet.

You pump your cock in your hand as she continues to masturbate in front of you, and you lean forward, bracing a hand against the wall above her head while the other continues to pump and stroke your throbbing dick right in front of her face. How long was she going to miss your dick right in front off her? 

Zoraida pinches her nipples with a sudden tweak, and she inhales through her nose sharply, and your scent fills her nostrils. Her eyes fly wide open, and she sees your cock, just in front of her nose, thick and angry and ready to burst. "Sol! I'm sor-" She doesn't get any further. You grab the back of her head and push in. Her open mouth offers do resistance and her sudden moans rumble around your cock.

You push further, until the back of Zoraida's head is pressed against some of the wall padding. Damn that stuff was convenient, but the hot interior of Zoriada's throat is more pressing at the moment. She sucks hard against your shaft as you pump in and out. The wet sucking of her lips echoing in the halls, along with the wet slicking of her fingering digits. You thrust hard and your balls slap, heavy and full, against her chin. 

She shudders with each thud of your cock against the back of her throat. Her eyes are wide and she smiles as she takes the hand that had been playing with her breasts and reaches around your hips to pull you close. You oblige and thrust all the way until your balls are on her chin, her lips are at the base of your cock, and her nose is full of your sweat and scent.

Her eyes roll back as your dick bulges, but doesn't cum just yet. Her cheeks go taught as she sucks at the shaft filling her mouth, and thick runnels of honey start pooling between her feet as she furiously finger fucks herself beneath you. You start to pull back, but her grip tightens and she swallows hard, massaging your cock with the muscles of her throat. 

You gasp, and grip the wall above her head and look down at her, meeting her golden gaze as she stares up with love and devotion in her eyes. All the tangled memories and headaches temporarily forgotten, as you get lost in that gaze, and cum.

And boy, do you fucking come.

You go up onto your toes when the first shot of white hot seed shoots down your shaft and into Zoraida's throat. There's a muffled cry that tickles your dick, as again and again your dick widens and pulses and cums down into Zoraida's belly. You cum even as your feel something wet and sticky splash on your bare feet. You're still cumming, when the hand holding your ass leaves it to join its fellow in fucking Zoraida's honey dripping snatch. Your balls feel happily drained when you finally pull back, and get a look at your handy work.

Zoraida's face is a glazed mess, cum drips from her lips and her eyes are glazed from bliss, if not a want of oxygen. She smiles at you as her tongue shivers and struggles to lap at the cum at the edges of her lips. You smile and pull up your pants, then take a seat on the floor across from her while she regains her senses.

A few minutes later, Zoraida's recomposed herself, after a quick trip to the shower gives her a chance to clean up. While you to catch your breath, you consider the layout of the ship. This deck also houses the infirmary, and part of the shuttle berths. You stare down the hall, remembering yourself sweeping through the corridors of an Imperial Battlecarrier, wearing that black armor, lesser officers and enlisted stopping to salute. Then again as you in a much more casual attire, through the boulevards of open ports, surrounded by smiles, laughter and song. Zoraida returns, fresh, and you smile at her.

"So what's the plan So-hup!" she hiccups and there's a soft pop of something wet from her mouth. She covers her mouth, swallows and looks aside. Then she coughs, once, and gestures for you to speak.

"Um, well. I've remembered a few more of the crew, during the tests."

"Oh?" She pouts, curious, as if she hadn't been watching you. "Which crew members?"

"Tina, Olivera, and Doctor Tomoe." You list them off. "The memories were... vivid." You admit, your face warm.

"I could tell," She also admits, her own face bright. "So how's your tests going?" She asks. You relay the results of your strength score and she frowns. "That's... not good. Your muscles should be much more developed, given your training. It might be a side effect of the cold sleep." You put some pieces together.

"If IVORI had detected the incoming ship," You imagine two species, one broad shouldered and stoney in facial features, the other almost like living trees with glowing sap pulsing like veins. "The Tavus-Raluk ship." You remember, "If it had detected it, could it have accelerated my thawing?"

"It might have calculated that we'd fall into a patrol path. But the ship's sensors wouldn't have been strong enough to give that much time."

"Would it have been that bad if we'd been caught by them?"

"You," Zoraida pauses, "WE were in the Empire for a long time: my whole life and most of yours." She starts, then pauses. There's a weight behind her words, and the look in her eyes says a lot. You leave the topic alone and try and shift to something lighter.

"Well, according to the Doc, she left something called 'the Good stuff' in the Infirmary-Hey, what?" You step back as Zoraida brightens up, at 'Good stuff' the light was back in her eyes, and at 'Infirmary', she was pulling you by the hand down the hall. Your attempts to get her to explain were meant with a simple, reply.

"You'll see!" She promises and leads you into a bright white room. It's not blindingly bright, but the walls are spotless and around you lay sealed cabinets full of medical equipment. You know they're full because the signs of frustrated and failed intrusion is everywhere.

The Grey Marketers weren't very good at picking locks, it seems. Still it seemed like they were only trying on locks that didn't have security blast boxes. "Okay, now where would she have hidden it." Zoraida taps a foot, looking around with more familiarity than you can muster. Then you see it, from the way you stand. This is where you shared a piece of yourself with Zoraida.

The thought warms you deeply as you place your hand on the same medical bed that you'd been sitting on when she'd shared herself with you. Warm, gold, arms wrap around your waist from behind, and heavy breasts squish up against your back, as Zoraida rests her chin on your shoulder and whispers into your ear. 

"Didn't I promise? Always." She kisses at the base of your neck and you smile while your hands find their place over her's completing the embrace. "Now help me find the stuff, we don't have long if you want to sober up afterwards and finish the machine."

"Sober up?" You chuckle. "Try the sink." You point out the polished metal spouts and basin set in the counter. She skips over and opens up the sink easily, before getting on her knees and poking her head into dark sink.  That left her ass up in the air, bouncing and shaking and jiggling as the cheeks were held in check by only a narrow skirt.

"Where are you staring?" Zoraida's voice echoes in a sing song as she clatters around with something, and the tones of a key pad can be heard.

"At your ass." You shrug, and she laughs. Then there's a thunk and she cheers. "So what is 'The Good stuff?" You ask as she pulls out a metal keg, easily Eight Liters or more. There's a symbol on the side and your head reels with that memory block headache.

You look away before you can register the symbol's shape in your mind, beyond the discomfort caused by the block.

"Sol?" Zoraida bobs into view, the keg held tight against her, and the symbol covered up. "Are you okay? I felt that one." You nod.

"That symbol. It's important, isn't it, to my past?" She nods at your question. "Important enough they wanted to block it out, specifically. Great."

"Don't worry, it's only on one side of the keg." She smiles and leads the way out. You turn the lights off in the infirmary. The two of you arrive and she sets up the keg on the bar, covering the symbol with a towel. There's a built in tap for the keg, and she pops it. The soft susurrus of froth and liquid filled the two short glasses with a bright teal fluid that foams as it bubbles in the glasses. She twists the tab closed and puts the two glasses on the bar, one in front of each of you, and smiles.

You reach for the drink but Zoriada puts her hand between you and the glass. "A word of warning, Love." She smiles. "You used to knock these back like they were water. But as you are now?" She winks. 

"I trust you." You say without a doubt, and as she boggles at you.  You sweep your hand beneath hers and take the drink. "Bottoms up" You smile and throw back the drink in one go.

The foam bubbles like the sea and washes over your tongue with a fire that rises up through your nostrils and into your brain, and it hasn't even gotten to your throat yet. You feel it go down like a waterfall crashing down and waking you up. Damn that's the best part of the day, right there!

"Wow."  Zoraida smiles as she tips her own glass back and with a roll of her hips savors the taste and the feeling. "I'm gonna cook up some quick snacks or the next round is gonna hit us dry." She refills the glasses before she pulls out some sealed food packs to cook up quick. You look at the empty glass and smile.

"Not bad, son!" A woman's voice laughs as you hiccup. You're sitting in a softer seat. There's laughter and music all around you. "Another one!" The woman calls for the woman at the bar to pour more of the teal liquid. "To my boy, back home!" You pick up the glass and throw it back.

"Whoa!" Zoraida holds up a hand and bring the glass back down. Your eyes sting with tears and you shudder as you curl over. "Sol?"

"I.... I don't.... who was that?" You ask, but you feel you already know. "Snacks?" You ask, as she places a plate of hot breaded bird meat in front of you. You grab some and dip it in a thick sauce and start to chow down. Its easy food and it goes down hot. Zoraida takes her second shot and pours out two more glasses. She doesn't set your glass within reach until you've clean the plate of all the meat.

You wipe your face with a napkin as you reach for the third drink. You hold it up, and wait for Zoraida to have her's ready too. You think you understand now. This drink, it came from your homeworld. More than that it was special even for your planet. You take the next drink slowly, letting the flavor flow over your tongue and savoring it rather than just swallowing it in one gulp.

That same feeling of being carried on the ocean is there. But instead of the smell of salt and the tides you smell rich vineyards, ripe and full of berries begging to be plucked.

Your small, smaller than the bushes as you carry a basket in both hands, full of bright red and blue berries. You rush in between the rows, quick foot steps behind you as laughter and friendly chatter can be heard all around you. You scoot past tall legs that end in combat boots, and feel your hair get ruffled as you pass. 

You hold up the basket and present your pickings to one of the three women kneeling by a dry and brown bush. The woman who turns to face you has a serious look, as she examines black splotches on the bare bush. However when she turns to face you, she's smiling. You can tell. You know it. But you can't see it. You can't remember her face.

They took her face from you.

"Well done, Sol!" She praises you.

Tears stream down your eyes as you set the glass down. There's cheese on crackers in place of the bird meat and you pick one up and start munching down. Zoraida is quiet but her hand is on your shoulder. You curl your arm up to rest your hand on hers as you steady yourself.

"I think one more is the most we should try, for now." She says, and you nod. Besides, you were going to have to finish that exam, right? Right. You reach out and take the glass and bring it to your lips. "I'm here." Zoraida has her hand on your shoulder, and the two of you tip your glasses back.

Gunshots and artillery can be heard in the distance. You watch as men, women, and children march up the loading ramp of Golden Dancer, carrying all that's left of their lives. They aren't many, but they're all that's left. You walk down the edge of the ramp and close the distance on a woman in armor, burnt and battle pocked. She's speaking with two men in equally seasoned armor. They're older, grey haired, but standing tall in her presence. 

"Mom," You call out, and she doesn't turn. "Mom, we won't be able to come back." You pull on her shoulder to make her face you. Her helmet is already back on, the cold metal stares you down. "Zoraida's saying the Empire almost has their Interdictors back online. Please. Come with us."

"You know I can't."

"I know."

"And you didn't ask me to go before; because you didn't want to hear me say that."

"I know."

"The Empire is far from invincible, my Son. They have stretched themselves thin to reach us here. That we were able to save so many, that you were able to save so many, is proof of that. We have friends, my son. Gather your strength, and when you are ready, Return."

You set the glass down and close your eyes.

What will you do?