Virtual Life Experience

"I'm sorry," she sobbed over and over again. He stroked her wet hair.

Eventually, they both dozed off. When Jason awoke again, the rain had stopped. He already felt better. A few minutes later, the sun burst through a break in the clouds. Jason could feel his spirits soar the moment the light touched him.

He looked down at Nikki's face, looking serene in the golden light. Her unruly mass of copper curls framed an unruly mass of freckles, wild and beautiful at the same time. He couldn't help himself, he brought his lips down to hers gently. He was about to pull away, when her lips responded to him and he felt her hand reach around the back of his head. They tenderly explored each other's lips, then tongues.

They pulled apart and she gazed up at him. "Hi, handsome."

"Hello, beautiful."

Nikki sat up, suddenly looking serious. "Jason, I'm so sorry about how I treated you. I was scared. The guys I came here with, they made some dreadful decisions. They were constantly putting us at risk. I was afraid to trust you for fear that you would do the same. That wasn't fair of me. You are nothing like them."

"It's OK, Red, I understand. You were just protecting yourself."

"Yeah but it was more than just protecting myself, physically. Despite what you might think, I get emotionally attached to people easily, even those assholes I came here with. It was gut wrenching to watch them dying around me, one by one. I was terrified to feel that loss again. Still, it was wrong for me to push you away and I'm sorry. Can we start over?"

"Sure, how do you propose we do that?"

She closed her eyes and met his lips again. After a few seconds, she pulled back a little and said, "I'll leave it up to you. I'm sure you'll come up with something."

With Nikki stretched across his lap, Jason caressed her cheek, then traced his fingers down her jawline. He continued his tactile exploration down her neck and beyond. Every time his gentle touch reached an article of clothing, Nikki obligingly removed it. As she lie there naked, Jason struggled to come up with words to tell her how exquisite she was. He gave up and let his fingers do the talking, massaging her most erotic parts.

Nikki began to undulate her body in time with his massaging, her breathing becoming loud panting, then gasps. A few minutes later, her whole body tensed up and she cried out in orgasm. The first of many, if Jason could help it.

Nikki went on a passionate attack. She sat up suddenly and pushed Jason down to the ground, her lips pressed hard on his while she tore at his clothes. Jason felt a thrill at the feral look on her face and her out of control passion.

Once he too was naked, Jason retook control. He rolled them over and pinned her to the ground, holding her wrists over her head. She struggled, but he held her tight, all the while engaged in a passionate kiss.

Jason pushed just the head of his cock into her hot pussy. She tried to thrust upward to take him in, but he pulled away. She relaxed and he dipped into her again. "Oh god, Jason, I can't take it. Stop teasing me like that."

"Patience, sure you can take it . . . and you will." She groaned in response.

Jason slowly poked the head in and out. With each tiny stroke, he inched a little deeper until finally he was all the way in.

"Oh that's fucking good," moaned Nikki.

Suddenly, Nikki made another bid to regain control. She rolled a surprised Jason over and began grinding against him frantically from the top position. She exploded with another orgasm. Jason lost all self-control and matched the frantic pace of her grinding with wild thrusting of his own. When her third orgasm hit he erupted inside her.

They lay together for several minutes, covered in sweat and sand, with cum leaking out of her.

"We're a hot mess," observed Nikki. "Let's go take a bath."

They walked hand in hand, naked, to the bathing pool in the stream. They did have the presence of mind to each bring a weapon, just in case.

They gently washed each other off in the cool water. No sooner had they finished, however, when Jason was smitten by the sight of Nikki's rounded bare ass leaving the water and he tackled her and fucked her on the muddy riverbank. Giggling like kids, they washed each other off again.

Arizona State University, Earth

Mario and Marcella were the last ones into the ES2000's. It was pretty obvious from the reactions of the previous pairs that this was a wild and erotic session. Mario was excited to get started.

Before they stepped into their chambers, Marcella whispered into his ear, "The booths are com-linked together. Make sure you turn the link on." She stuck her tongue in his ear for good measure.

He found the link and turned it on.

"You hear me?" he heard Marcella's voice in his ear in a whisper.

"Yes," he whispered back.

The session started. Mario was not emotionally prepared for the gut wrenching despair in the beginning. Apparently neither was Marcella. He could hear her sobbing along with Nikki.

"It's OK, Marcella," he whispered.

The sex that followed was glorious. Somehow, Mario and Marcella were so in tune with Jason and Nikki that they matched every moan and groan and "Oh yes, oh god" almost perfectly through the com-link. Every time Jason said "Red", Mario substituted "Marcella" and likewise Marcella called out Mario's name when Nikki said "Jason."

They came out of the chambers sexually sated, having cum in unison with their distant counterparts.

"How did we do that?" Marcella asked.

"I don't know, but it was fucking hot."

It was several hours later, back in Marcella's dorm room, before the pair had the energy to have sex with each other directly. In the throes of passion, Mario called out Red's name. He froze, expecting Marcella to react angrily. Instead, she seemed more turned on. "Fuck me, Jason," she moaned. They finished out their lovemaking playing the roles of the distant explorers.

Antola

Walking back to the camp, Nikki stumbled. Jason caught her and she looked at him blankly.

"Red, what's wrong?" Jason asked with concern.

"I don't know. I've been having these bouts of weakness. I don't feel so good."

Jason picked her up and carried her back to camp. He laid her on a blanket in the cave.

"How long has this been happening?"

"A couple of days."

"When's the last time you ate something?"

"A couple of days."

"I need to get you something."

"No, just stay with me. You can get food in the morning."

Jason had a couple of small fruits that he had collected earlier, so Nikki ate those.

He slept fitfully that night, Nikki's head cradled against his shoulder.

In the morning she was feverish.

Jason was really worried.

"Red, wake up. Red? Nikki? Nikki!"

She finally roused. She looked at him dully. "I feel like shit," she said and closed her eyes again.

"Nikki, I'm going to get you some food."

"OK, don't take long."

Jason went to the stream to fish. He needed something quick and easy.

He had only caught one small one when he felt an urgency to return to Nikki that he didn't understand. I need more fish, he told himself, but something inside him replied, no she needs you NOW.

A feeling of dread came over him. He raced back to the camp. He heard the tuskers before he got there, grunting and squabbling at the campsite. He was terrified for Nikki's safety. He could see that one had already nearly dug its way into the cave. He screamed and charged into the pack, his laser sword blazing. The animals parted in confusion at the sight of this bold and furious attacker.

Jason got to the cave opening just in time to see the beast disappear through the opening.

"Nikki!" he screamed.

From inside he heard a frail voice, "I've got this one, just keep the rest out."

He heard furious squeals and snarls inside, while the pack closed in on him outside. He fought furiously, the tusker bodies piling up as his laser sword sung through the air. Finally, on some unseen signal the pack turned and fled as one.

Jason dove into the cave. When his eyes adjusted to the dark, he surveyed the horrible scene. A tusker body lay dead beside Nikki. She was covered in blood and vital organs spilled over her abdomen and onto the ground beside her.

"No! God No!" he wailed. She was mortally wounded. He couldn't bear the thought of losing her.

Nikki reached down and swept the entrails off her stomach. "Calm down, those aren't mine, Jason."

A wave of relief came over him. "Thank god!"

Jason cooked up a tusker stew and spoon fed it to Nikki. After about an hour, she seemed somewhat revived and sat up. Her recovery was short lived, however, and by mid-afternoon, she was drifting in and out of consciousness.

Arizona State University, Earth

The next VLE session was rough. Jason's horror was completely real to Mario. He left the chamber distressed. Marcella emerged looking ashen and collapsed on the floor. Mario rushed to her.

"Marcella, what's wrong?" The rest of the party gathered around her in concern.

"I don't know. I don't feel so good."

Mario figured the emotions had been too much for her. He brought her to the spare bedroom and laid her down.

He didn't feel much like partying as he was too preoccupied with concern for both Nikki and Marcella. He found he couldn't separate his feelings for the two women, it was like they were two manifestations of the same person. Maybe it was time to stop this VLE stuff, it was starting to freak him out.

He slept next to Marcella that night in Aziz's spare bedroom. In the morning, Marcella was feverish, just like Nikki had been. It had to be a coincidence, Marcella must have come down with a virus or something.

By the afternoon, Marcella was so weak that Mario became frightened. He brought her to the emergency room. The doctors were baffled. They could find nothing wrong with her.

Antola

Jason felt helpless. What could he do? He wasn't a doctor and even if he was, he had no medications. Wait, medication . . . something nagged at his brain. That was it, in the transport pods they had each been provided a first aid kit. Included was an antibiotic and a powerful new drug that was used to boost the body's immune system. It was a long-shot, but he had to try. Maybe one of the two would do something.

Nikki's transport pod was closest, so he would head for that one. He didn't dare leave her though, after the latest episode with the tuskers. He headed for the pod carrying Nikki in his arms. He had to stop frequently to rest and soon his muscles ached from carrying her. It took Jason three hours to reach the pod.

She was no longer responsive when he got there. No, you can't let her die, he prayed, you just can't. He found the medications and injected her with them. He checked every few minutes to see that she was breathing and still had a pulse.

Four anxious hours later, he thought her color looked better. He hoped it wasn't just wishful thinking. Despite his concern, he was exhausted and dozed off next to her.

"Jason?"

He opened his eyes to the most beautiful sight he had ever beheld. Nikki was leaning over him, her copper-red curls forming a tent around their faces.

"How do you feel?" he asked.

"Better . . . much better."

He embraced her, tears of relief flowing freely down his cheeks. God I love this girl, he thought.

Nikki gave Jason a blissful look and said, "I love you too."

Arizona State University, Earth

The next morning, Mario couldn't rouse Marcella. Terrified, he called an ambulance. They admitted her into the hospital. The doctors still could not find anything wrong. Test after test came back negative. They put her on monitors and waited.

Late in the afternoon, Mario was at her bedside, holding her hand, when Marcella opened her eyes and sat up. She suddenly seemed like nothing was wrong.

"Thank god," said Mario.

After the hospital released her, Mario brought her back to the dorm. He checked to see if a new VLE package was available yet, but there wasn't one. "This is killing me. Now that you're OK, I've got to know how Nikki is," he said.

"She's fine," said Marcella.

"How do you know?"

"I can't explain it, I just do."