Three Square Meals Ch. 063

Walking over to the trolley stacked with the cyborg's implants, Dana replied, "Rachel already listed the devices they'd stuck into Sakura. I had a look at them in more detail, and they made her very tough and adaptable."

John looked at the dozens of different objects on the trolley, and asked "So what did they all do exactly?"

Dana pointed out each of the different implants in turn as she explained their function, saying, "Those two over there are synthetic kidneys, to purify toxins and poisons. The subdermal ceramic plating looked fucking ugly under her skin, but it would have let her shrug off ten millimetre hollow point rounds. She had filters in her nose that could seal off to protect her from a gas attack, but there were also odour samplers there, which would let her analyse and track scents. The nose filters were linked to the artificial lung, which would let her survive without oxygen for about fifteen minutes.

The creepy thing with all the tubes is the adrenal booster, which could pump adrenaline to her major muscle groups. That's what made her move so fast when it kicked in, and it was linked to a reflex booster that massively speeded up her reflexes. When that was activated, she would have been able to move faster than any normal Terran could dream of. She had deactivatable pain receptors, and when those were engaged, she would literally feel no pain.

Those data jacks in her wrists were hooked up to the CPU in her artificial brain, and would have allowed her to connect to consoles, for data uploads or downloads. The brain itself was incredibly advanced tech. It's Maliri in origin, and from what I can gather, it locks out a person's higher brain functions, and turns them into a fully controllable cyborg."

They had been listening quietly while Dana described each of the implants, but Alyssa suddenly spoke up, "That's what I saw in her memories! The girl, Sakura, had no control over her body, and could only watch as Shinatobe, the programmable cyborg, did whatever the Master Assassin told it to."

Everyone looked sickened at the thought of being locked out of their body like that, and John said, "That bastard has a lot to answer for. It must have been a living nightmare."

Alyssa nodded, saying, "There are hundreds of grisly murders perfectly recorded in Sakura's mind, and she would have witnessed all of them."

"Why would all the murders be recorded?" Jade asked in confusion. "Isn't that evidence which could be used against the Master Assassin?"

Dana glanced at Sakura's head, and replied, "He probably figured the bomb would take care of any evidence. It's got a remote trigger so it can be detonated at range." When she noticed John's look of concern, she smiled at him reassuringly, and said, "I shut that down, don't worry."

"But why record it all?" Jade persisted, her face full of empathy for the girl. "She'd still have all those horrible memories of everything she was forced to do."

John glanced at the troubled Nymph, sensing by her tone and words that there was more to Jade's sympathy for Sakura. Remembering what Irillith had told them while they were mourning the Nymph, he looked over at the Maliri girl, and was surprised to see her staring at him intently. When she caught his gaze, her eyes flicked to Jade, and she nodded as an unspoken conversation passed between them. He resolved to have a good talk with Jade as soon as he had the opportunity.

*See! That's just what I was talking about!* Alyssa exclaimed telepathically, sounding surprised. *You're getting so much more perceptive at picking up these kind of things.*

*Well, I can only apologise for being so obtuse before,* he replied to her with a smile.

She shook her head slowly, and said, *That's not what I meant, but you're right about Jade. I was just about to tell you, but you figured it out anyway. Jade seems to be remembering much more about what happened to her over the last few centuries.*

*I'll speak to her about it later,* he said, with a quick glance at the downcast Nymph.

Such was the speed of telepathy, the whole conversation only took a few seconds to complete, slowed only by the physical gestures that accompanied their words. Irillith was the one who actually answered Jade's question, and she replied, "It actually makes sense that he recorded all her kills."

"Why's that?" John asked with a frown.

"Assassins tend to work by contract, so by recording each successful assassination, he could present that to a client as proof that the job is complete. Then there's no excuse not to pay," she explained carefully, sounding distinctly like she was quite familiar with the process, and speaking from experience.

Dana nodded, saying, "That's probably what the data jacks were for. With them there, he could directly download the data files from each assassination that Sakura, or Shinatobe, or whatever did."

After thinking about that for a moment, John asked her, "I thought there was more to her cybernetic brain? Something about data chips?"

"I hadn't finished the list, we got a bit sidetracked," Dana replied with a smile. "Yeah, you're right. There was a hidden data port on the back of her head, and this Master Assassin could insert different data chips there."

"What did she have installed?" John asked, glancing at the sleeping girl.

"She had several slots for memory chips actually. One provided extensive information on infiltration techniques, the second was full of sword-based martial arts, and another was focused on more exotic subjects, like explosives, poisons, torture, all that kind of nasty stuff. The last held all the different mission types that had been programmed into her," Dana replied, recalling the contents of each of the chips.

"Well at least it's all out of her now," he said with satisfaction. He smiled at Dana and added, "Was that everything?"

Dana shook her head and replied, "She had ceramic nails that could be elongated into razor sharp claws. They would have been pretty -handy- if she ever got disarmed." Her eyes twinkled as she wiggled her fingers at him, and they groaned at her pun.

Rachel spoke up next, saying, "Her muscles had been augmented as well. Some kind of chemical protein was injected into the major muscle groups making them denser, and giving her enhanced strength. If she was conscious through that, it would have hurt like hell."

Jade nodded slowly as she said, "The last thing I saw before I... died, was her dragging John away with just one arm. She was definitely stronger than a girl of her size should be."

John put his arm around her shoulder, giving it a comforting squeeze, and said, "Fortunately, you're still with us." She turned to him for a hug, and he wrapped her in his arms.

Rachel smiled at him, and said quietly, "You've undone all that augmentation now as well. Sakura's body is just as it would have been before she was abducted."

He smiled with satisfaction, then looked around at the group, and said emphatically, "-We've- undone all that; it was a team effort, it wasn't just me. Irillith shut down the Shinatobe CPU, Rachel and Dana dealt with the implants, Jade fed her, and Alyssa found out she needed saving, then got her permission." He glanced at Calara, and continued, "On top of all that, you've all provided me the psychic energy to heal her so rapidly. So I'm not exaggerating when I say I couldn't have done it without all of you."

They gazed down at Sakura, then smiled at each other, sharing his sense of satisfaction. Alyssa walked over to him, and leaned against his right arm, which was still wrapped around Jade. She stood on tiptoe and planted a tender kiss on his cheek.

"I love all the warm, fuzzy feelings after your pep talks," she said with a bright smile.

Calara smiled at him affectionately across the table and said, "You're getting very good at giving us a morale boost."

Dana grinned and said, "Getting fucked senseless and stuffed full of cum does wonders for my morale."

"You're incorrigible!" Rachel exclaimed with a light-hearted laugh.

The redhead gave her a sly look, and said, "Don't play coy with me, babes, you love getting rammed as much as I do."

The brunette blushed, but she made no effort to deny it. Instead she flashed John a coy smile, and said, "I think it's time for bed, I do need some rest after all."

John laughed, and said, "On that delightful note, I take it that's the end of this show-and-tell?" The girls all smiled at him and nodded, so he said, "I don't know about any of you, but I'm starving. I need some dinner before I can even think about anything else. Anyone else want to join me?"

Calara shook her head, and replied, "I'm actually not that hungry, you kept me stuffed full while my hand was healing." She gave him a grateful smile before she continued, "I'd like to find out more about Sakura's background. I haven't got much time left, she'll be awake in a few hours."

"Thanks for looking into that, it's important we know as much as possible about her," John replied agreeably.

"I'm alright too, you loaded me up only a few hours ago," Irillith said with a flirtatious grin, stroking her trim azure stomach reflexively. She glanced at Calara, knowing the brunette would start worrying about her father and brother if she was left on her own. She smiled at her, and continued, "I want to go through those files we got from Nexus, so I'll keep you company up on the Bridge. As long as you don't mind, that is?"

"The more the merrier," The Latina agreed with a friendly smile, linking arms with the Maliri girl, and then waving everyone goodbye as they headed out of the Medical Bay.

Alyssa met Irillith's gaze as she walked past her, and said telepathically, *Thank you. I really appreciate you looking out for her.*

*It's no problem at all. She's a lovely girl, and really, I enjoy her company,* Irillith replied.

*Should I be getting jealous?* Alyssa teased the blue-skinned beauty.

Irillith smiled to herself and asked, *I don't know? Can you be?*

*Only if you two get up to anything without me there to watch,* the blonde girl replied with a hungry gleam in her eyes.

John meanwhile had turned to Dana and Rachel, and Dana said suggestively, "We're off to bed. I'll get her warmed up for you."

"Neither of you want to join me for dinner first?" he asked politely.

Rachel glanced at Dana, then they both grinned at him as the brunette said, "We're planning on sharing a big meal later."

Alyssa spoke up next, and said, "I'll stay here and keep an eye on Sakura. I'm sure Jade would be delighted to keep you company in the Galley?"

He looked down at the Nymph who was still encircled in his arms, and asked, "Happy to come along and stop me getting lonely?"

"I'd love to!" she agreed immediately, hugging him tightly.

They all went their separate ways, with John and Jade stepping out of the grav-tube on Deck Four to the sound of Dana and Rachel giggling together as they headed up to the bedroom. Walking arm-in-arm, John led the Nymph into the Galley at the end of the corridor, and they strolled past the long tables then entered the kitchen.

"What are we cooking?" Jade asked him curiously.

He thought about it for a moment, and finally replied, "I might make a big Moussaka, then everyone can help themselves when they get a bit peckish." He glanced back at the rather spartan tables and benches in the Galley, and added, "I love us all eating together, but this place isn't particularly welcoming."

"Alyssa's very creative, I'm sure between her and Rachel, they'll make the Officers' Lounge look great!" Jade said enthusiastically.

"I'm sure they will," John agreed, as he stepped into the pantry and started collecting ingredients. He returned through the door with several black-skinned vegetables in his hands, and asked cheerfully, "Ever cooked Moussaka before?"

The Nymph shook her head, and replied, "No, I'm not even sure what those things are!"

"Aubergines, or sometimes called eggplants for some reason," he shook his head, then shrugged. Placing the large vegetables on a chopping board, he asked, "Can you chop those into one centimetre slices for me, please?"

"Of course!" she agreed with an accommodating smile.

"Thanks, beautiful," he said to her, giving her a quick kiss before he disappeared into the pantry. He called out behind him, "While you're doing that, you can tell me about your memory coming back, and why you didn't want to let me or Alyssa know about it."

Jade had started washing the aubergines, and she froze in surprise, then looked guiltily at the pantry door. Water sprayed everywhere as her hand strayed a little too close to the tap, and she grabbed a teatowel to start mopping up the mess. John reappeared a minute later, placing a variety of spices on the worktop beside her, then strolled over to the fridge to collect some lamb mince. When he didn't push her for an answer, Jade let out a heavy sigh.

"How did you find out?" she asked him quietly.

He had started chopping up some onions, and as the knife moved in a blur, he casually replied, "Irillith told us."

Jade frowned, a flicker of annoyance crossing her face, as she said, "I told her that in confidence to try and build some trust with her. I hoped she'd keep it a secret."

He'd finished with the onions, so he put down the knife, then turned to face Jade as he said, "When you died, we gathered in the Medical Bay for an impromptu wake. Irillith was grieving for you, and she blurted it out. She kept it a secret until your death, so please don't think badly of her for letting it slip."

The Nymph's expression immediately softened, and she had a little smile on her face as she nodded. She didn't say anything, but just stared off into the distance for a long moment.

John saw that she hadn't started slicing the aubergines yet, so he stepped behind her, rested his chin on her shoulder, and carefully took the knife from her hand. He began to deftly slice the aubergines into thin slices, and said in a playful voice, "Like that, okay?"

Jade leaned back against him, then tilted her head up to kiss him softly on the cheek. "I didn't want you to worry about me," she said in a small voice. "You have enough to deal with already."

He put the knife down, then turned her around so that she was facing him, and said sincerely, "You girls are more important to me than anything else. You know I'd do whatever it took to help you, right?"

"You're a wonderful Master," she agreed, but she sounded reluctant to open up further.

He smiled at her, and said reassuringly, "I'm not going to force you to tell me anything you don't want to, but if those memories start upsetting you, please come to me, or any of the girls. They all love you as much as I do, and any of us would be happy to offer you a friendly ear or a shoulder to cry on, okay?"

She looked much happier, and nodded as she replied, "I promise, I'll talk to one of you if anything starts upsetting me."

"Good girl," he said approvingly. He ran his hand over her tummy, and said, "If you're stressed you'll find it harder to conceive, and we're going to be doing a lot of that, remember?"

She bit her lip and looked down at his hand, then nodded eagerly, a bright smile on her face. She started to speak, and faltered briefly, before she finally looked him straight in the eye, and said, "In all honesty, those memories coming back haven't upset me. I just feel pity for the pathetic men who abused me and all their other slaves." After a moment's hesitation, she added, "I haven't gone into detail because some of the things they did were really horrible, and I knew it would upset you to hear about them."

John was shocked when he finally heard the truth from the stoic Nymph. Cupping her lovely face in his hands, he said, "I'm truly sorry for the way you've suffered in the past. I promise I'll do my best to make sure you get the future you deserve."

She stared into his eyes, and replied, "You gave me a new life when you rescued me from the pirates, and I'm living a new one now, after you brought me back. I love being here with you."

He gave her a fierce hug, and laughed as he said, "I know cats are supposed to have nine lives, but just stick to this one now, alright? I don't think I could handle going through all that again."

Jade laughed too, and he could see the tension melt away from her. He knew she'd been worried about how he'd react, and he was touched at her concern for him. His stomach rumbled loudly, interrupting the tender moment, and he flushed with embarrassment.

"I better make a start on those aubergines," she said with an affectionate smile.

"Definitely," he agreed, and he let her go, then stood beside her at the worktop as he began to prepare the mince.

They spent the rest of the time in the kitchen in companionable silence, working well as a team, and sharing knowing little smiles when they glanced at each other at the same time. It was a novel experience for John, and he was surprised at how happy it made him feel. When he put the finished dish in the oven to cook, he sat on one of the benches in the Galley, then patted his thigh for Jade to come and join him. She prowled over like the good, obedient girl that she was, and straddled his lap with an eager sparkle in her emerald eyes.

It only took twenty minutes to cook dinner, because they were using one of the old-fashioned style of ovens. They could have used one of the standard molecule agitating ovens and it would have been ready in less than a minute, but he was convinced that it tasted better being cooked the other way. His grandmother had always insisted on cooking all her dishes in an old oven, and he liked to think of it as a tribute to her. Besides, he wasn't in any particular hurry, and spending time kissing Jade was a splendid pastime.

All too soon the timer on the oven chimed, and dinner was ready. He squeezed Jade's luscious rump through her dress, and she lithely dismounted him, so they could return to the kitchen. Once he'd served up for both of them, they both tucked in, with Jade eager to taste it, as this was the first time she'd tried the dish. The Moussaka was delicious, and Jade thoroughly enjoyed it, humming appreciatively as she savoured every bite. When they were done, John stretched, and had a lazy smile on his face, feeling contentedly full.

"You better head up to the bedroom," Jade said, glancing upwards. "Dana and Rachel will be wondering what happened to you. I'll stay and clean up, you go and have fun."

"Absolutely not," John said sternly. "You're coming with me, I'll clean up later. I know you saved room for dessert."

She let out a happy sigh, and said, "What kind of a Nymph would I be if I disobeyed my Master?"

***

Alyssa let out a happy sigh at the same time as the Nymph, listening in to every word of their intimate conversation. She had to hand it to John, he seemed to know just what to say to all of them, to lift a troubled frown into a bright sunny smile. A terrible thought flashed through her mind, as she suddenly realised just how easy he'd find it to manipulate them all for his own personal agenda. She immediately felt awful for even thinking that about him, especially as his mind was like an open book to her now, and in all honesty, she knew him better than he knew himself.

She glanced over at Sakura to check she was alright, but the girl was still sleeping serenely, her body slowly absorbing her stomach full of cum. If they'd just given her the one dose, Alyssa would have been confident that Sakura would be out for fourteen hours, but Jade had loaded her up a second time to ensure John could keep the healing going. Deviating from the normal process might mean anything could happen, and Alyssa didn't want the girl waking up scared and alone.

Reassured that their guest was still fast asleep, she returned to her earlier musings. Although she didn't doubt John's motives, she wondered if his recent increased perceptiveness was another Progenitor ability manifesting itself as he grew in power. It seemed like overkill to her, when his species could already enforce blind obedience from the women they enslaved. Then again, John had relinquished that level of control over them, so he wasn't exactly operating under normal conditions.