Alex would have done it himself, but he didn’t want to hurt anyone—well, he didn’t want to hurt anyone any more than he already had. That first boy had deserved it for trying to get grabby.

  “Hold on for just a second!” Gabrielle swiped her hand through the air and summoned something from her D-space.

  What appeared before them hovered in the air, its body extending to almost a full meter in length. It glinted with a metallic sheen, bright and reflective. Dorsal fins and a long tail signified it as a contraption based on aquatic life. There were even gills on either side of its body. A row of sharp teeth flashed dangerously in the light. Alex recognized the creature even though he had never seen one in real life.

  Everyone, including Alex, stared at the thing in horror.

  “Go, Mr. Shark version 2.0!”

  With something that sounded similar to a bark, the giant shark flew toward the boys, who, after taking a moment to comprehend their situation, ran away screaming. Alex watched as they disappeared, the shark nipping at their heels. It wasn’t hard to follow them. Every person the boys came near screamed, turned tail, and ran.

  “Well,” Alex began, “that just happened.”

  “Hey, Alex? What’s that?” Gabrielle asked, pointing at something a little way off.

  “That?” Alex stared at what Gabrielle was pointing at. “That’s just a restroom… though it does look awfully extravagant for a restroom.”

  “Hmm… I don’t need to pee. Let’s walk around some more.”

  “Fine by me.”

  As Gabrielle once again began dragging him off by the hand, Alex smiled. Despite the situation he found himself with his grandfather, and what had happened between him and those boys, he couldn’t find it in himself to complain right then.

  6

  Manāf had spent all night searching for his prey. It was fortunate that his kind could run on little sleep. Their planet’s lunar cycle lasted for 65 hours, so they were used to staying up for 40 to 50 hours at a time.

  It had taken a while, but he’d found his prey. Now all that was left to do was track him down and fight him. That meant traversing the crowds. Since it was so busy, Manāf couldn’t rely on his puppets. They were small and, unfortunately, fragile. If someone stepped on them, they’d break.

  He wore a large cloak that hid his entire body, and the mask he wore underneath his hood kept others from seeing his face, while the shadows cast from the hood hid his multi-fragmented eyes. A few people had stared at him like he was an oddity, but that was about all. No one had bothered him.

  Where are they? He wondered to himself. His puppets had found them somewhere around here, but thanks to the crowd, they appeared to have vanished.

  A threnody of screams directed his attention to something a little way off. He looked around, searching out the source of the screams. As he did, several hundred people burst from around a corner. They were running and screaming their heads off as though something terrifying was chasing them. Manāf had just enough time to feel shock course through him like a sandstorm.

  Then all he felt was the pain of a thousand feet trampling him.

  7

  After leaving behind the chaos caused by Mr. Shark version 2.0, Alex and Gabrielle ended up getting massages. Mars Homespring Resort was well-known for their hot springs. However, they also had numerous massage parlors that were often attached to a hot spring. Many people enjoyed frequenting these parlors to have all their worries massaged away.

  Somehow, they ended up getting a massage in the same room. The customer service rep at the front had assumed they were a couple. Alex couldn’t tell the lady that she was wrong, so he’d gone along with it. Truthfully, it hadn’t even been a big deal until he entered a room wearing nothing but a towel and found Gabrielle already inside.

  Completely naked, he might add.

  As he laid down on his stomach, trying his best not to look at the naked Gabrielle and the way her breasts were no doubt smashed against the table, Alex wondered if it was right of him to feel relieved that they were both being massaged by a woman.

  “Hey, Alex?” Gabrielle said, her voice drowsy, as if she’d fall asleep at any second.

  “Yeah?”

  “I never asked this, but why do you call me ‘Gabby’?”

  Alex needed a moment to think. Had he called her Gabby before? He couldn’t…

  Wait. I do call her Gabby, don’t I?

  He remembered now. It was what he usually called her, though he was barely conscious of doing so.

  Shrugging even though he knew she wouldn’t see it, Alex said, “It’s something of a habit from when I was younger. I used to give everyone that I liked nicknames.” A smile crossed his face as he remembered something. “Selene used to be ‘Sally,’ and Alice was ‘Al.’ They didn’t like those nicknames, though, so I stopped using them. Jasmine doesn’t seem to mind when I call her ‘Jaz’ for some reason.” He paused. “Does it bother you?”

  “Mm mm,” Gabrielle mumbled. “I really like it. It makes me feel closer to—a-ahn!”

  Alex stiffened when Gabrielle moaned. He peeked over at her. The masseuse, a young woman with dark skin and brown eyes, appeared to have become fascinated with Gabrielle’s wings. Knowing how sensitive those wings were thanks to a previous incident, he understood what was happening.

  “Are these real?” asked the masseuse as she massaged and played with the wings.

  “A-ahn! M-my wings! Ah! P-please be careful! They’re really—aaaahhh!—sensitive!”

  Alex’s face became beet red. He tried not to squirm on the table, but it was really hard. Gabrielle’s moaning was like a siren’s call that he couldn’t help but respond to. His lower region was trying to spring up, which was really uncomfortable while lying face down—it actually hurt!

  “Could you please stop touching Gabby’s wings!” Alex practically shouted.

  “S-sorry!”

  The woman took her hands off Gabrielle’s wings, but the damage had already been done. Gabrielle was sweaty and flushed, her breathing heavy, and her back and shoulders were heaving, which allowed him to see how her chest was pushed against the table. For his part, Alex wanted to adjust himself, but he couldn’t because of the lady massaging him.

  This… is going to be a really long massage, Alex thought as his masseuse, clearly already aware of his problem, giggled.

  He buried his face onto the table and groaned.

  8

  “Kekekeke, these two really are gold,” Nicolas said as he typed away on his holocomputer.

  He and Jessica were situated in the massage parlor’s control room, watching Alex and Gabrielle through the viewing screen. While Jessica stood near the door, Nicolas was right in front of the holovid, capturing everything he could of this moment. Acting like an old perv for the sake appearances.

  Yes, all for the sake of appearances.

  It was a good thing he knew the people in this parlor. Well, he knew everyone living in Mars Homespring Resort, but that was beside the point. Thanks to the favor this particular establishment owed him, they allowed him to occasionally view potentially interesting customers.

  Of course, it wasn’t like he was just doing this for his own desire to have some writing material. Definitely not. He merely wanted to make sure his grandson and his grandson’s main squeeze had a good time. Yes, he was just being a good grandparent.

  “What sort of scene are you envisioning right now?” Jessica asked.

  “I thought that would be obvious. A young couple travels to a resort to relax, but during a massage, they’re seduced and taken hostage by a band of female space pirates. They’re held captive against their will and forced to act out the pirates’ lecherous fantasies. However, they bide their time, learning the ways of perversity and seduction to eventually seduce their way out of a life of servitude.”

  They both knew that he wasn’t actually coming up with a scenario based on what was happening on screen. Sure, he was getting some good inspiration, and yes, he would probably use this scenario at some point in time, but their conversation was merely for the sake of keeping up appearances. To keep the person watching them from becoming suspicious, he continued to play the part.

  The security guard eyed him with a disgusted look as he typed away on his holopad. She must have been new there. Nicolas couldn’t remember having ever seen her.

  I think they were being followed, he typed.

  Words appeared on his holoscreen. I think they were, too. I noticed someone wearing a cloak who was in their general vicinity before they went inside.

  Do you know if he’s still there?

  No. Do you want me to check?

  No. We’ll leave it for now. If they show up again, then we’ll know that Alex and Gabrielle are being tailed. I’m counting on you to keep an eye on their surroundings.

  Okay.

  Nicolas continued to pretend like he was typing an idea for his script.

  He was well aware of the trouble that Alex had gotten himself into, that there were numerous people who wanted to claim Gabrielle as their bride. Some of the details were sketchy. His intelligence network hadn’t been able to give him everything, but he knew enough. Alex was protecting this girl from suitors at great risk to himself.

  He was limited in how much he could help. Karen had made it explicit that all alien suitors had to be defeated by Alex’s hand. Even so, Nicolas had no intention of letting his grandson get caught in a trap or go into a fight blind.

  I’m not going to let him take all the risks, Nicolas thought, his eyes narrowed, even as he continued cataloging the events happening between Alex and Gabrielle. He wouldn’t let Alex die like his daughter had, and not just because these two were a gold mine of erotic ideas. Certainly not.

  Really.

  9

  Since Nicolas had a private hot spring at his house, Alex and Gabrielle decided not to use the one at the massage parlor when offered. Instead, they wandered around some more, sampling the cuisine, playing more games, and discussing the intricacies of their latest invention. However, as they talked about the newest issues to have cropped up in their last failed experiment, Alex noticed something out of the corner of his eye.

  “Gabby?”

  “Yes?”

  “Are we being followed?”

  Gabrielle stopped walking. Alex stopped with her. She looked around, the same as Alex had seconds prior, and then stopped when her eyes landed on the window of a shop. There were two people reflected in the window. Their forms were blurry, indistinct, so she didn’t know who they were, but it was clear that they were looking right at her and Alex.

  “I think we are being followed.”

  “I thought so.”

  He and Gabrielle looked at each other.

  “Should we lose them?” she asked.

  He grinned. “What do you think?”

  Beaming, Gabrielle nodded. “We should definitely lose them.”

  “Do you have anything in your D-space that could help create a diversion?”

  “Um, I can use Mr. Copy. Would that work?”

  “Depends on what Mr. Copy is.”

  Swiping her finger through the air, Gabrielle summoned a dozen tiny spheres. They looked like glass balls with a seed inside. Seeing them made Alex think of those old toys that people could buy from machines at convenience stores, the ones that were inside of a plasteel bubble. All of the spheres were perfectly rounded and gleamed a light blue.

  “Here.” Gabrielle handed him several spheres. “These are Mr. Copy.”

  “There’s more than one?”

  “Of course! When you need a distraction, one Mr. Copy just won’t do!”

  In the face of such unparalleled logic, Alex could only nod. “Okay. So, what do I do with these?”

  “Just press that button right there and throw them into the air.”

  Alex had no clue what these things did, though with a name like Mr. Copy, it sounded pretty harmless. He imagined it was some kind of copy technology that mimicked something. With nothing to lose, Alex looked at Gabrielle, nodded, and then they both pressed a small button on top of the spheres and tossed all of them into the air.

  Pop! Pop-pop-pop-pop-pop-pop-pop-pop-pop-pop-pop-pop!

  A sound akin to fireworks rang out. Smoke burst from the spheres, expanding quickly. Then several figures shot out from the smoke, landing on the ground in low crouches before standing to their feet. Alex blinked several times as he came face to face with several other Alexes and Gabrielles.

  Clones?

  “What the—”

  “Okay!” Gabrielle quickly took charge. “Spread out and act as a distraction for our getaway!”

  “OOOOOSSSSSUUUUU!!!” The copies shouted at the same time before they bolted.

  “Come on!” Gabrielle grabbed Alex’s hand and ran into the busy streets beyond.

  10

  “What the hell?!” Nicolas shouted as numerous Alexes and Gabrielles ran away from the scene. “I know that Gabrielle is an alien princess and genius inventor, but this is just ridiculous! What are these things?! Clones?!”

  “Do you think they spotted us and created these as a diversion, thinking we were an enemy?” Jessica asked.

  “I don’t know, but I wouldn’t put that outside of the realm of possibility. Anyway, let’s deal with this situation and catch up to them before something happens.”

  “Agreed.”

  Chaos was already beginning to spread. The Alexes and Gabrielles were running amok all over the place. Women screamed. Men screamed. Children screamed. Everyone was screaming, their expressions one of horror as they unsuccessfully tried to escape.

  “IYAHN!!!!”

  “WHAT IS THIS?!”

  “THEY’RE EVERYWHERE!!”

  “IT’S THE APOCALYPSE! THE APOCALYPSE HAS COME!!!”

  “SAVE ME EERRREEEENNNN!!!”

  As the Alex and Gabrielle clones pounced, Nicolas ceased running and stared.

  “Jessica?”

  “Yes?”

  “Is it just me, or have things gone in a really interesting direction?”

  “… It is not just you, though I don’t know if I would call it ‘interesting.’ More like… ‘erotic.’”

  It was like something straight out of one of his erotic movies. Multiple Alexes and Gabrielles were running around, fondling everything in sight. Men had their pants pulled down and shirts ripped off, ladies had their skirts flipped, and everyone was getting their breasts fondled. One pair of Alex and Gabrielle were even dressed in S&M costumes and performing bondage on a bunch of people who, from their red cheeks and lustful expressions, were enjoying the pair’s attack. It was like an erotic free for all.

  Nicolas, no longer interested in stopping the clones from their perverse assault, cupped his chin and grinned. “Somehow, I like the direction this situation is taking.”

  11

  They eventually found themselves wandering through a park. Sakura trees blossomed on either side, raining petals upon the ground. They tread along the cobblestone path. The grass, a type of genetically modified moss that helped reduce pollution, gave off a soft glow.

  “This place is so pretty!” Gabrielle exclaimed as she wandered to and fro, gazing at everything like a child seeing something for the first time. “It reminds me a lot of the palace gardens.”

  “That reminds me, what’s your home like?” Alex asked.

  Wandering back over to him, Gabrielle walked backwards in front of him as she tapped her chin. “Hm, it’s really big—my home, I mean. It’s got a lot of rooms, and the hallways are huge, and it’s kind of empty. A lot of our rooms aren’t used most of the time, though we occasionally have guests stay in one of them.”

  “What about the planet itself? What’s it like?”

  “It’s a lot different from Mars, that’s for sure. We don’t have dome cities or anything like that. It’s just a clear, open sky. Our buildings also look a lot different. They’re more… flowy?”

  “Flowy?”

  “Um, they’re not all square-shaped and hard-edged.”

  Alex took her words to mean that their architecture had a more organic appearance. Human architecture tended to be on the geometric side. All of their shapes followed geometric patterns, and while there were circular buildings, they still retained a completely artificial appearance.

  “Look. There’s a bench.” Gabrielle pointed to a wooden bench. “Let’s sit down. There’s something I want to talk to you about.”

  Alex didn’t know what she wanted to talk to him about, but he figured it was important. The expression on Gabrielle’s face was about as serious as he’d seen—on her, at least.

  Unlike in Mars City, which didn’t have any animals except for the ones on leashes, there were a number of wildlife inhabitants here. A couple of squirrels ran across the cobblestone path, birds chirped and sang as they flitted through the trees, and the humming of cicadas filled his ears. Alex had heard they’d been imported from Earth to make this place feel more natural.

  “What did you want to talk about?” Alex asked.

  Gabrielle appeared hesitant. She opened her mouth, and then closed it. Then she scrunched up her face, which Alex had to admit looked quite cute.

  “After you collapsed the other day, I decided to do another scan with my improved and portable Mr. Scanner. There was something on the scans that I hadn’t detected the last time.” She paused. “Do you remember when I showed you those symbols around your core?”

  Alex thought back to that time before nodding. “Yeah, I remember. You said they were angelisian symbols, like, a seal or something.”

  “Right. They’re an older form of the current angelisian alphabet. I’m not very good at reading the old language, so I don’t know what they say. However, thanks to Mr. Scanner, I’ve learned a few things.”

  Perhaps it was the subject—no, it was definitely the subject, but Alex was completely engrossed in what Gabrielle was telling him. Before she had arrived, he’d always assumed that he was human, but when she told him about this, that there were symbols located inside of his body belonging to her people, he began to question his own origins.

 

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