Three Square Meals Ch. 072

He shared a glance with Alyssa, then said, "Actually, before we go and have breakfast, can we go up to the Bridge? There's something I'd like to try."

Irillith focused on him again, and replied warily, "What did you have in mind?"

"A spirit-walk into the Cyber-Realm," he replied, and was sure he heard a faint, excited squeak with his sharp ears.

"Are you still trying to keep me distracted until Tashana wakes up?" Irillith asked him quietly, her shoulders tense as her eyes darted longingly towards the door from their quarters.

He nodded, openly admitting his plan, and replied, "Yes, but I've actually been meaning to do this for a little while. Why not kill two birds with one stone?"

Alyssa leaned in and put her arm around Irillith as she said, "Faye's keeping a close eye on your sister. She'll let us know the moment anything changes."

The Maliri girl relaxed slightly as she leaned into the hug, then sighed as she said, "I still have no idea what I'm going to say to her."

"Just be honest with her," John suggested, stroking her blue arm in a tender, supportive gesture. "I'm sure you'll be able to work things out."

Irillith's beautiful features twisted up into a grimace as she said sarcastically, "Hi Tashana! Sorry I subjected you to thirteen years of brutal rape and torture. I've had my mind rewritten by a Progenitor so I'm not a horrible bitch any more. Let's be friends?"

With a laugh, Alyssa grinned as she said, "That'd get her attention at least." Squeezing the troubled girl's shoulder, she then added supportively, "I'll be there to help. If I can think of anything useful to say, I'll pass it on telepathically."

John smiled at the kind blonde, before ducking his head so he could look into Irillith's downcast violet eyes, and said, "I don't think you can prepare for this conversation in advance. Trust me when I tell you that it's obvious you aren't the same person any more. Just talking to Tashana will make that quite clear to her."

Giving him a dejected nod, although she was still far from convinced, Irillith climbed off the bed, and said with a heavy sigh, "Let's go say hi to Faye. You were right, a distraction sounds like a really good idea at the moment."

John and Alyssa nodded to her, and then walked into the wardrobe to get dressed. They were quiet as they pulled on their clothes, both thinking about various things, although equally concerned about the Maliri girl. Since they'd first met Irillith, she'd undergone a radical personality shift after John helped heal her mind of all the mental trauma she'd suffered, simply by trying to exist in the warped Maliri society. Alyssa glanced at John as she read his mind, and nodded her agreement. Hopefully the changes in Irillith would be just as apparent to Tashana too.

Even though they dressed quickly, Irillith was still waiting for them outside her room, wearing one of the long, flowing dresses that she favoured. She smiled wanly in greeting, then fell into step beside them as they walked down the corridor to the grav-tube. John slipped his arm around her, and she leaned against him as they entered the blue glow of the anti-gravity field.

One look at the purple girl waiting for them up on the Command Deck brought a smile to John's face as he followed Irillith and Alyssa over to the station on the right. She smiled and waved at him brightly, but he could see the nervous tension in her big luminous eyes, her entire face radiating eager anticipation. Faye's wings quivered with excitement as she flitted down to join them from the Command Podium, and she was barely able to keep still as John and Alyssa sat cross-legged on the floor by Irillith's IntOps station.

The Maliri girl sat in her chair, then spun it around to look down at her prospective passengers, noting the huge difference in mood between the two of them immediately. The blonde matriarch was sitting there alert and focused, awaiting her first trip into the Cyber-Realm with a great deal of excitement. By contrast, although this had been John's idea, she could see his nervous apprehension in the worried creases on his brow.

Leaning down low in her chair, she kissed him soundly on the lips, and said soothingly, "Don't worry, I'll take good care of you."

He gave her a nervous laugh, and said, "It's not that, I'm just worried how long I'll be able to last in there. I don't want to disappoint Faye."

Irillith was touched by his concern for her digital friend, and she reached down to run her slender blue fingers through his hair. "We'll just focus on letting you meet her this trip, then we can take things from there if you don't find it too much of a strain," she told him, giving him a reassuring smile.

"Alright, let's do this," John said, looking up into her beautiful violet eyes. He paused for a second, then added, "What do we do exactly? Just Spirit-walk?"

Irillith nodded, and replied, "Exactly. We'll meet in the astral plane, and I'll guide you from there."

Taking a deep breath, John closed his eyes, and focused his willpower on peeling his ethereal form away from his body. He'd done this a number of times now, and although his technique was improving, separating his consciousness from his physical form proved to be just as much a strain as usual.

After tugging hard, his spirit-form finally pulled away, and he staggered forward into the Astral plane, where a girl swathed in a blazingly bright aura was waiting with open arms. He blinked at her in surprise, thinking the radiant girl was Athena for a moment, but the impish sparkling grin this ethereal woman gave him was all Alyssa.

"This is wild!" she gasped with excitement, hugging him tight, and kissing him passionately. When she pulled back, her eyes blazed as she added, "Do you think we can fuck on the Astral plane?!"

He chuckled, and replied, "I'm not sure we'll have time for that."

She laughed, and said with a teasing grin, "I forgot you have stamina issues here."

Before he could respond to her playful comment, Irillith suddenly materialised beside them, and she winced as she looked their way. "Can you turn the brightness down a bit, Alyssa? It hurts my eyes just to look at you," she asked, with a pained expression on her translucent face.

"Oh, right! Sorry," Alyssa apologised, closing her eyes and concentrating for a moment. Her radiance dimmed considerably, making it much easier to see her beautiful features.

Irillith gave her a grateful smile, and said, "Thanks, that's much better. I can look at you without squinting now."

"So what do we do next?" John asked, looking around him at their surroundings. They were still on the Bridge of the Invictus, but everything was hazy and indistinct, just as the Astral Plane had appeared to him down in their bedroom.

We just follow the data lines into the console," Irillith said patiently, pointing at the flowing streams of information and then arcing her arm down towards the IntOps station before her.

Alyssa twisted on the spot, looking around in vain, and she frowned in confusion while murmuring, "What line is that exactly?"

Irillith blinked in surprise, then had a sheepish smile on her face as she replied, "Sorry, I just assumed you'd be able to see everything in the Astral Plane. I was able to see psychic representations of data flows even before I stepped foot in the digital network. That's why I kept seeing all those flickering lights."

Alyssa glided over to their guide, and ran her hand over Irillith's Spirit-form tummy, and said, "At least until John gave you a bit of TLC and fixed all that." Irillith smiled at her and nodded.

John walked over to join them, and said pointedly, "We can relive old times later, the clock's ticking."

"Over here," Irillith said, beckoning them closer to the console. She reached out with her hands to clasp each of theirs and added, "Just relax, and let me guide you through this."

With one last nervous nod from John, Irillith poured her consciousness into the open data port on the console, drawing her friends' spirit forms with her. The room seemed to swirl violently for John, and the dead weight on his back seemed to get exponentially heavier as he was sucked in after his guide. It felt like being dragged down into a bottomless wormhole, and the pull from Irillith warred with the colossal drag factor holding him back. He did his best to concentrate, and fought back the feelings of disorientation and alarm as he spun onwards at breakneck speed.

Then just like that the nauseating spinning was over, and he reeled as his environment changed dramatically. Getting his bearings now, he focused on his immediate surroundings, concentrating on the silvery platform on which he was standing. What had seemed to be an empty platform at first suddenly began to fill with tall obelisks, standing in row after row on the silvery floor, the platform reminding him of a circuit board with a multitude of silver inlays etched on its surface. There were dozens of the glowing monoliths in every directions, and he reached out a tentative hand to touch one, his fingers brushing through the opaque surface. As he did so, a flood of information filled his mind, and he jerked his hand back in surprise.

"They're just data archives," Irillith explained with a smile. "The information I've stored on my IntOps Station has been filed away into these repositories."

Nodding his understanding, he looked out beyond the silvery platform, and saw arcing paths stretching away from them for what seemed like a vast distance, his sense of scale horribly compromised. Glancing to either side he could only see a black shroud of nothingness, without any features to provide any sense of perspective. When he turned to look behind him, he saw the slowly rotating portal which marked the entrance to the Cyber-Realm - or exit depending on your point of view.

His silvery astral cord snaked away behind him, undulating hypnotically as it reached into the portal. There wasn't much give in the ethereal cable, and every so often it tugged at him violently, as though frantically trying to reunite him with his body. One such pull nearly yanked him off his feet, and he clung to Irillith in a desperate attempt to hold on. Alyssa grasped his arm, and he shivered at her electric touch as she siphoned psychic energy to him over their bond in a thrilling burst.

The sudden influx of power helped him fight against that inexorable slide, and he hauled the cable back defiantly, regaining his balance as he did so. "Thanks, that helped a lot," he said to her with a grateful smile.

"Better make the most of it. I just gave you a big chunk of our energy to keep you stable," she said, relaxing again after the exertion of transferring so much eldritch power to him.

Able to look around now without worrying that he was about to get snapped back into his body at any moment, John gaped as he took in the rest of the Cyber-Realm for the first time. Floating overhead was a golden mezzanine area that was alive with movement, strange female forms gliding around with sure-footed confidence as they maintained their vigilant watch. He could see what looked like reinforced ramparts up there too, providing additional protection to the moving figures.

Far away in the distance the data lines stretched away into the blackness, and actually appeared to be connected to other platforms. As he adjusted to this new and wider perspective, he realised there was a veritable maze of platforms all linked together in one huge web. Gliding ponderously up above those distant platforms was what appeared to be a huge fortified tower, running parallel to the upper level. The tower was festooned with all sorts of weapon barrels and looked decidedly ominous as it performed its patrols.

Gesturing with his hand at the upper levels and beyond, he blurted out, "This place is incredible! What is all this?"

Irillith smiled at him, and explained, "The platforms all represent server nodes around the Invictus' digital network." Glancing upwards, she continued, "The security overlay is new, and the defensive towers were inspired by the defences built into the Nexus server. Faye and I built all that on our journey to the Unclaimed Wastes."

John looked around in confusion, and asked, "Where is she? I thought she'd be here."

As he said that, he suddenly spotted a flash of purple, hiding amongst the glowing data archives. It appeared that Faye had been watching them ever since their arrival. She peeked at him wide-eyed around a data archive, but seemed almost hesitant to come any closer.

"Faye!" John exclaimed happily, and opened his arms invitingly.

Biting her lip, she suddenly ran towards him and flung herself into his arms, hugging him fiercely. "I can't believe you're finally here!" she gasped, staring at him with her huge luminescent eyes.

He laughed as he wrapped her in a warm, but careful embrace, while trying not to crush the delicate wings sprouting from between her shoulder blades. "It's so great to be able to touch you at last! I owe you a few hundred hugs!" he replied with a big grin.

She giggled in delight, then nuzzled into him, trembling in his arms as she responded with delight to the overwhelming surge of sensory data. Her eyelids fluttered as she tried to respond, and when her custom programs had stopped their processing surge, she gazed at him in wonder as she said, "This is better than I even dreamed!"

Alyssa shared a playful look with Irillith, and she strolled up to join them, brushing her fingers along Faye's left arm drawing a gasp from the purple girl, just as the Maliri did to Faye's right. "She's one of your girls, John. Why don't you greet her properly now you two can touch?" she asked him with a coy smile.

John glanced her way in surprise, then looked down at Faye with a grin. She froze, and her eyes somehow got even bigger as he leaned in and gave her a chaste kiss on the lips, just as they'd pretended to do when she woke him in the morning. The digital girl had physical presence here in the Cyber-Realm and his lips tingled as they pressed against hers, with Faye letting out a strangled squeak of shock.

Alyssa nudged him with an elbow, and said disapprovingly, "That was rubbish. She's a hot, sexy girl, not your grandmother!" She frowned as she looked across at Irillith, and asked, "I thought you said you were teaching Faye how to kiss?"

Irillith laughed, and replied, "I think the poor girl's a bit overwhelmed at the moment."

John smiled flirtatiously at Faye, then dipped her backwards in his arms, kissing her more passionately this time. She was rigid at first, as her electronic synapses were flooded with a tsunami of delicious new sensory data, but she quickly responded, and kissed him back, moaning with excitement as she did so.

"Yeah, that's more like it!" Alyssa cheered, with Irillith smiling affectionately at the deliriously happy AI.

John's astral cord suddenly snapped taut, and tugged hard, jarring him from the electron-searing kiss he was giving Faye. He growled with frustration and tried to fight back, but the pull was too strong. Alyssa darted in to catch Faye as he was yanked backwards, and sucked straight through the portal to be slammed into his body. He slumped over, lying in a dazed heap on the grey Titanium decking of the Bridge. Being forcibly ejected from the Cyber-Realm was a far more violent rejection than being dumped out of the Astral Plane, and his chest heaved as he struggled to regain his breath and control the debilitating vertigo.

Alyssa sighed as she helped Faye stand up, and said, "Sorry about that, sexy. It was just starting to get good, too. He's going to have to do something about his Progenitor-half soon."

Faye stared at the portal, and let out a faint sigh that sounded full of longing. "That was so amazing..." she breathed wistfully. "I wish he could have stayed longer."

Alyssa slipped her arm around Faye's waist and squeezed her comfortingly. The petite sprite's body felt quite different to the luscious, Amazonian figures that the rest of the girls shared, and the blonde matriarch turned to study the purple girl with interest. "Actually, the party doesn't have to end there," she purred seductively.

"What do you mean?" Faye asked, turning to look at Alyssa with her purple eyes as wide as saucers.

Alyssa gave her a sultry smile as she replied, "Well, it looks like you've got kissing down after all. Why don't we move on to the advanced class?"

Faye darted a look at Irillith in confusion, and asked, "What's the advanced class?"

Irillith smiled at her in amusement, and knowing her lusty matriarch well, she replied, "I'm sure it'll be lots of fun."

"Absolutely," Alyssa agreed, brushing her fingers across Faye's pert breasts, and drawing a startled squeak from the stunned digital girl. She leaned in and kissed her lightly on the cheek before whispering, "I've never screwed anyone on a Spirit-walk before, I've also never got it on with an AI, and I definitely haven't fucked a fairy. That's three firsts in one; we can't pass that up."

"You w-want to...?!" Faye stammered, gaping at her in disbelief.

Nodding eagerly, Alyssa replied, "I've seen you watching all of us in bed. I know you really want John, but us girls have a great time together as well, right Irillith?"

Irillith had been concentrating on the edge of the platform, her hands making a series of gestures as she shaped the Cyber-Realm by thought alone. As she worked to create a tiny subnet adjoining the platform, she replied distractedly, "It's nearly as much fun as being with John." She glanced at Faye over her shoulder, and smiled as she added, "Besides, it's only polite. After all, Alyssa was John's girlfriend first, and she does share him with the rest of us."

Alyssa glanced curiously at whatever it was that had Irillith so distracted, then smiled when she saw another room, complete with a comfortable looking bed. Turning back to Faye, she caressed her purple cheek in a tender gesture as she asked, "What do you say? Fancy being a proper part of the crew?"

Faye nodded slowly while biting her full lower lip with excitement, and sounding eager she replied, "Okay!"

"Good girl," Alyssa replied, taking the purple sprite's hand, and leading her to the other room. Glancing at Irillith as she passed by, she winked at her as she added, "Want to join us?"

Shaking her head, Irillith said, "I'm not really in the mood at the moment. Too much on my mind."

Giving her a sympathetic smile, Alyssa said, "I understand. Maybe you should head back out and be with John? You can leave me with Faye, I'm sure she'll look after me." She suddenly froze, and whirling to look at the purple girl she added breathlessly, "Wait a minute! There's twelve of you isn't there?!"

Faye smiled as she nodded, and replied, "Yes, that's right! I'm Primary, but I have eleven additional avatars I can run at any one time."

"Bring them all!" Alyssa exclaimed in delight. "The more the merrier!"

Irillith smirked at the excited gleam in the blonde's eyes, and she chuckled as more of Faye's avatars raced to the platform, eagerly abandoning their tasks as they ran to join Alyssa in the bedroom. She took one last glance at Alyssa before stepping through the portal, watching with amusement as she climbed gracefully onto the bed, then beckoned the gaggle of purple sprites after her with a flirtatious come-hither gesture of her finger.

The swirling portal enveloped Irillith then, and she stepped out of the Cyber-Realm with practiced ease, no longer discomfited by the sudden change in surroundings. She glanced at John, and saw him starting to topple over onto the floor, the strange time dilation effect of the Astral Plane meaning that only a split-second had passed in real-time despite it seeming much longer in the Cyber-Realm. With a look of concern on her lovely azure face, she reunited with her body, opening her violet eyes a moment later.