UPF: Bright Eyes

[Kate]

Chapter One

There were names for places like this. In the old times they called them the red light district, somewhere on the outskirts of the fifth solar system they have some really weird names for this stuff. But then again, they barely speak English as it is. They’re so inbred, whoever the hell you fuck is family, even if you go off planet for your fun. Good thing this isn’t the Fifth, instead it’s an outskirt planet of the entire UPF, on the outside of nowhere. Because a place like Kate’s Pleasure House isn’t found even on the lands of Earth, the place we all come from.

You walk down the street, past the cheap whores selling their wares and the sketchy sort of drug dealers who ‘refine’ their goods with dirty blood and tainted chemicals. None of it is even worth a cent, but if you’re short on cash you don’t really care on quality. You just want the things that get you high, get you away from reality, and the harsh reign of the government. The supposed good guys. Heh, makes me laugh. The place is in the center of the street, fourth house on the left. The door pretty much lets out on the street, without a sidewalk on the front. Considering mankind only got on this planet forty years ago, it isn’t a surprise that they did such shoddy work.

Up the stairs and into the one place on this backwater planet worth living for, Kate’s Pleasure House. High quality stuff here, always the best of the best. You couldn’t pay to get better, and Kate likes to keep it that way. The secrets being screamed behind the walls, you can’t even hear them when you walk inside. The walls are thick on purpose, everyone is safe here. Which is why you can wait in line with the cops, the drug dealers, the pimps, and the government officials without worrying about someone busting you or beating the shit out of you. Once inside those walls, the only law is the word of Kate.

Sometimes everyone gets to see her, and other times you’re lucky to talk to the second. There’s always someone at the desk in the waiting room. It’s better than the doctor’s place, cleaner too. On Yarbos there’s too much blood spilled to keep a hospital clean. The man sitting at the desk? He’s tall and fit like sin. His hair is bleached stark white, like that stuff they call snow. He’s got a pair of sunglasses on, even on the inside because so does everyone else. Everywhere there is breath, everywhere there is life, there are sunglasses. Because you can’t get by in life without them, can’t survive without them. Secrets are best hidden by a good pair of shades.

Behind this man, behind the walls, under the stairs is a place no one but Kate and her team knows about. Like the bat cave, but better. Panels line the walls, dug thirty years ago. Kate’s not even that old, and she didn’t inherit it from her mother. The people who did the work are dead, long in the ground and cold for years. But the bowels of the building hold the truth, hold the deep secret no one can find out without being admitted by Kate or being killed. The United Planet Federation thinks they have Yarbos by the balls, but the truth is the rebels hiding in plain sight are taking back everything. Starting with this one planet. This one place. The crux of all mankind, waiting to be born. Just gotta figure out if mom and dad kill each other first or not.

Today, this is where Kate is. People think she’s upstairs, in a room making someone moan. It’s easy to hide when no one looks in all your doors. Her long blonde hair is pulled up into a ponytail, and she’s sitting in a leather chair the government would be jealous of. Bright eyes pouring over the latest bits of information of what’s being shipped to the planet, and how many new military recruits are being sent to die on the grasses of Yarbos. She’s just tall enough to be at eye level with an average male, and enough curves to make a man drool. There is one thing about Kate that all men and woman ignore. Just one single thing about the beauty curled up in that chair that everyone refuses to see, refuses to think about. On the back of her right hand is a barcode. The only people with tattooed bar codes are in the military, so it’s easy to scan and figure out who the dead guy is. There’s always a matching one, on the back of the neck just in case your right hand gets blown off. You don’t retire from the military, you can’t escape.

The man who handed her the papers is the second in command of this little band of merry rebels. He’s tall, even for a guy, standing somewhere around 6’2 to 6’3”. His hair is currently dark blue, though it’s normally as white as the man’s at the desk. They’re related, somehow, but I couldn’t connect the dots for you. They call him Stu, which is short of Stuart. He’s got this really bad personality tick, called being insane. Completely and utterly nutters, the kind of guy you don’t cross unless you’re ready to lose a body part. Or when you’re leaving you better count all your fingers and toes, because sometimes a little piggy goes missing.

Anyways, these two go over reports every day. They have a customer who’s short on cash, so instead of making the government aide pay up in body parts, they get top secret government documents. The man comes once a week, and sees one of the guys. No, everything at Kate’s Pleasure House isn’t about sex. You get imported food, you get the best drugs, you get anything you could possibly need. Sex is just the main vice of most people, whether you’re male or female. If you need a nun to spill your secrets too, Kate just might dress up for you. If you ask nicely while waving around a huge wallet.

“They’re bringing in six more units. They only normally do two…” Stu seemed almost annoyed with that fact, even as his silver-grey eyes bore at Kate. That’s right, he’s not wearing his shades. They’re rebels, they have no worry of the infection because they’re already infected. And in order to properly explain to you what the infection is, we got to go back about a thousand years. If it hadn’t been for one person, for one of their own, the United Planet Federation would have won everything easily. They would have conquered planet after planet, and we would have been the blind sheep following them.

Except for one man, who was messing around with chemicals he really didn’t understand. He tripped, and everything was flung into his face. The screams you heard from him, everything that just suddenly happened was so monumental. And no one would realize why, until the doctors saw him. His eyes were startling, amazing bright sky blue. Because everyone had dark and dull eyes from years of the same breeding stalk over and over. And this man could see things that no one else could. When his eyes fell upon someone else, he could see their sins. See their past. See their evil thoughts, as well as the good. And when he was brought in front of the government officials… all he saw was their dirty, dark thoughts.

He escaped, took a ship and left. He went to the outskirt of the reaches of the UPF and tried to remain hidden with the locals. People who had tried to escape as well, trying to just live life as they wanted to without the military busting down their doors. Here was where the rebels began, because the man made eye contact with another for several moments. His eyes burned into their soul, and several days later the other one woke up with bright eyes. They could see the evil and the good as well.

Time skip to now, about a thousand years after that fact, those with bright eyes stand out in the crowd. When the feds found out, no one knows, but it became law to wear sunglasses at all times. Even when you’re in bed in the heat of the moment. Sunglasses on at all times, so the boogey man doesn’t get you. But if the boogey man looked like Kate… well, I don’t think too many of us wouldn’t mind being caught.

Kate grunted, agreeing with Stu as she looked over the papers. She sighed and chucked the stack of papers at a wall. Those bright acid green eyes held all the pain and weight of the sins she saw in everyone. I’ve been told you see the world completely different, like everything is the tone of your eyes, and there are numbers floating around things that live. Not how long they live, but rather what they could become. She stood, all curves and pale skin. Intertwined with her blonde locks were different colors, pink, green, and black. The woman walked over to the rows of computer screens. There was one for every room in her house, and several on different spots on the street, and other various places of interest. She slammed a hand into the controls, switching the cameras over to the front door.

Someone had just walked in that caught her attention. These were new people to her small little piece of the universe, both men who didn’t look like they were here to be spanked or coddled. In fact, one was someone she had known eons ago. Back in the day, on the planet she had been born on. What they had in their hands was a military scanner, the ones they used to check people in at bases. There was no reason for them to bring it unless they were out to get her like some sort of prey.

The man at the counter, the tall white haired relative of Crazy’s pressed an intercom button and his voice rang out in the underground railroad. “Miss Kate, you’re needed in the front.” Stu was up before Kate was, grabbing a gun from the table and loading it calmly even as she crossed the room and picked up a silk robe. The thing was expensive, probably imported from the stations around Jupiter by the design. She slipped out of her clothes and into it, loosely tying it to her curves. Stu looked up at his leader and smirked. “Do you want me to come play bodyguard Stu?” Kate laughed at him, pulling her hair down and mussing it up to make it look like she had been tossed around in some sheets. Considering she was supposed to be rolling around with someone in a room somewhere, it made sense for her to appear like that. A quick wave of her fingers told Stu to stay put.

Kate walked up the stairs, barefoot now and looking as good as she could. One hand lifted and smudged the gloss on her lips. If you had been doing business for seven years, covering for something else, you’d be good at the details too. At least if you hid something so deadly in your basement, you’d better be good to survive seven years. She opened the door, which was a hidden panel in the bottom hallway. Gracefully walked out and the panel slid shut behind her. Stu was probably already at the top of the stairs, gun in hand and ready to come barging out if the feds started a fuss.

The curvy thing walked out to the main room, the dusty orange robe warming her skin. Everything about her from the way she walked, to the smirk on those smudge lips screamed sex. Kate was good at her trade, even with a slender pair of sunglasses on her eyes. She talked with her body more than she could ever talk with her eyes alone. There was a purr to her voice, like a cat with the bird in its mouth as she spoke. “I do believe Mr.Hanlon, I would have thought you dead by now.”

Of the two feds, the buffer one jerked back as if he had been slapped. Behind those lenses dark blue eyes searched her face, looking for something familiar in the sensual person. He was tall, just like the other previously mentioned males, but everyone in the military was hopped up on drugs, bred and raised to be the best of the best. You keep the beast tame by feeding him inhibitors, taking away his freedoms, and slapping a collar around his throat. The military did that to their men and woman, making them stronger, but worse for the long term. He had blonde hair like hers, but the similarities stopped there.

His name was Adrian Hanlon, and he was new in town along with his partner Fei. Adrian had been born in the fourth solar system, sixth planet from the massive sun there. From there he had transferred to the military base at age ten, which was on the second planet. And since the planet’s name really doesn’t matter to us here on Yarbos, it won’t even be mentioned. Adrian stared long and hard at the saucy thing in the robe, who was leaning on the counter. Her man Allen had calmly opened a drawer and had a gun ready in hand. A few other of her boys were behind doors, poised with various illegal weapons, ready to defend their mistress in a moment’s notice. Kate and the merry band of rebels, it didn’t get better in these moments.

The military officer Fei Long shifted a little nervously next to his partner. The tall guy hadn’t been told there might be trouble. The two of them hadn’t been told anything, except for the fact they had to do some scanning of someone who may have deserted back in the day. Granted, the governing officer had said it might not be easy bringing in the deserted solider, but he had said nothing about the person being female. But his own shaded gaze had caught the bar code on her hand. “We’re just here to scan your code.” He had the scanner, so the brown haired idiot took a couple of steps forward with his hand out.

“What makes you think I’d just hand my hand over to you?” The warmth was dropped from her voice, and but she was still smiling. Gold glinted off the frames of her shades and she leaned further over the counter to display some of her goods. Fei’s eyes were wandering, just as Adrian’s were. Kate knew how to keep a man’s attention elsewhere, instead of the business at hand. “If you boys are here for a little fun, I can make some appointments with you with my girls. Or guys, if you flow that way.”

There was a sudden snort from Adrian as he stepped forward, and grabbed onto her hand. He was a no nonsense sort of male, the kind that always gets in trouble for their actions and doesn’t really give a damn about who got hurt. Even if the person he was man handling was oddly registering as someone he knew, in the back of his mind. There was one major rule at Kate’s Pleasure House that was unspoken, and normally never needed to be enforced. You don’t touch Kate without her permission, or Stu blows a body part off. Which was why Stu came walking in from the hallway with his gun raised in his hand. “Leave. Now.”

Fei started to reach for his own weapon, at his belt when another gun glinted in the lights above. Stu’s odd relative, the not so crazy one, was standing with a weapon in his hand as well. The smile on his face suggested that Fei not make one more movement, unless it was to the door. These rebels don’t really mess around when it comes to their leader. Kate runs everything, Kate keeps everyone in line, Kate makes the master plans, Kate was the heart and soul of the rebels. They would do every possible insane thing to keep her around. She smiled at them, and pushed some blonde hair out of her face. “Leaving would be really good now. In fact, I think the House will be closed for the rest of the day. Allen, please kick everyone out. With force if needed. Those who have paid may come back when they wish, and continue their sessions later.”

She walked over to Stu, and put a hand on his shoulder. There was a smile on his face that could make a person’s skin crawl, if you know what I mean. Kate tended to keep him in line, in order, but in moments like these when he had a chance to hurt someone? Well, let’s just say things didn’t always turn out the best with whomever he could vent upon. The owner of the Pleasure house stayed there, close to Stu, as her boys and girls led out customers and feds alike. Everyone went peaceful like, even Adrian and Fei. They would be back at a later date to try again, but Kate and gang were safe for the time being.

“Is there something we should know about Kate?” Stu was always the one to get right to the point, even as Kate looked at him and the relative. She let out a long sigh before locking the door’s several locks, bolts, etc. Those gold framed shades came off, and bright eyes latched onto her second. “Adrian Hanlon was a big part of my past, before I turned. He knows who I really am. I think we’re going to have to kill him Stu.”

[Kate]

Chapter Two

Kate sighed as soon as everyone had left. She has this way about sighing. Her shoulders slump, her eyes close and her brows furrow. If you’re standing in front of the pale skinned goddess, you get hit full blast with the way her body twists. It’s a hard sight to see without trying to comfort her. Stu was standing in front of her, so you can’t blame the guy for stepping forward and wrapping his arms around her. “I’ll kill him for you, slow or quick. You name it, you got it Kate.” The blonde chuckled, holding herself there for a moment before pushing away.

“We have other things to work on now Stu. Killing can wait until we have to kill him.” She pushed away, with a sway of her hips. Every movement she made was something a man had to watch, his body gave him no choice in the matter. “You know what I’m talking about Stu.” One eyebrow rose, and she smiled. Stu nodded, and looked at Allen. The man replaced his gun in the drawer and walked around the counter to where the other two were standing. Kate with her towering man guards walked down the first hallway and opened the third door on the right.

Inside wasn’t something you would expect, not even in a pleasure house. Instead of a bed, or some weird kinky shit, there were medical machines and a simple metal coffin. That’s right, a metal coffin in the middle of the room. Bolted shut, and vents for air. They let air in, and no sounds out. “Hit the lights.” Kate walked in, and Stu turned the lights off. There was a reason for this, because the person inside the coffin would be rather upset if there were lights. Kate unlocked the coffin, and opened it. A scream split the air, the kind full of pain and despair. Asking to be killed, asking for anything but she was going through. Kate moved forward, and slapped the girl across the face to shut her up. This girl looked like she was somehow related to Stu and Allen, and she was somehow. All this white hair, and this chick had tons of it. A cousin of some sort, or maybe a younger sister, once again, don’t ask me to connect the dots. At least this white haired person was decently sane.

The girl was looking around with bright green eyes, only a few tones away from matching Kate’s. She was startled and confused, writhing around in pain. She was tied down in the coffin, just as everyone before her had been. Kate pressed several buttons and soon the girl passed out, medication kicking in. Kate leaned over, and smoothed hair out of the girls face. She looked at the boys calmly and sat on the edge of the coffin. “She’ll wake up in a few minutes, calmer. You know it’s hard.”

Kate had infected every one of them, turned every one of the rebels inside the house. Stu, Allen, Park, and the rest. However, the owner of the pleasure house hadn’t turned this girl. Allen, who was shifting around, had. Which did remind me how to connect the dots, the girl was Allen’s little sister at the prime age of seventeen. She had shown up, and Allen had freaked out. The end result was a sudden increase in their numbers before blondie had given the okay. But what was done was done, and there was no turning back now. There hadn’t been another female in the crowd, but now she had to handle a girl. Girls weren’t as easy for Kate to handle, as the blonde number couldn’t really seduce another female. Harder to keep in line.

Those acid green eyes looked up at Stu and his cousin. Allen had to be a cousin, of some sort. That was the only real explanation on why they looked some much alike. Or maybe they were from that fifth solar system. That really WOULD explain a ton, along with Crazy’s mental state. Inbreds were the worst sort of crazy. Kate sat there, still wearing nothing but a tiny ass robe as she waited for the girl to wake. Stu moved forward, to stand next to her again. He was never far from the blonde, even when she was with clients. In fact, he was always closer, his trigger finger on a gun of some sort. People figure Crazy’s got some feelings for the blonde bombshell; I sure as hell don’t blame him.

True to Kate’s word, the girl began to stir. Her pain was muted, hidden in half lidded eyes. She had a look about her too. Attractive and innocent, which wasn’t a combo you found almost ever. The attractive ones were never innocent, and the innocent never attractive. The uglier you were, the safer you were. Girls like Kate, like the girl lying in the coffin, their innocent never lasted long. “Shush now, there’s a lot to explain but you have to stay silent in order for it to be explained. Understand?”

Slowly the girl nodded, a simple movement that made Allen sigh with relief. What kind of guy infects his own sister? Must be just as messed in the head as Crazy, another reason they were from the fifth. Had to be, and I’d put money on it. Kate wasn’t looking at the towering relatives, instead her gaze was on the much shorter one. The blonde smiled slightly, full lips twisting in a way that made it hard to breath. She was real good at that.

“You’ve been infected.” Kate cut to the point, no beating around the bush with a rebel. The girl let out a gasp, a silent no that wasn’t ignored. They had all had the same reaction, once upon a time. The day Kate had turned Stu had been no accident, and it had changed his life. On another planet, a few years back, done on purpose in the middle of sex. A cheap shot below the belt, not giving him a choice in the matter. A man doesn’t really pay attention when his blood is flowing to the other head. But that was another story to be told later, not the things that mattered to this moment. “I said shush girl, so shut up and listen. You’re on Yarbos on the outskirts of the twelve system, or the beginning of the thirteenth. You came to visit your brother, to let him know your parents died back home on fifth. He freaked, and his glasses came off. Instead of killing you, he infected you. He saved your life by making it worse, but you live.”

I would just like to state that I knew the family was from fifth. Kate always had her facts straight about her boys, even if I didn’t. Count on the owner of the clean Pleasure House to have all her little duckies in a row. She continued speaking, even as Allen tried to defend himself. He was in trouble, therefore he was allowed to talk or do anything. “Not everyone lives through the change. You see everything differently now, and you’re sensitive to many things. Stare at a person too long, and you hear things from their past. You see things you’ll never want to see. The sins of their past, the sins of their future, the evil in their souls. The numbers above their heads, I’m sure you can see them above mine and the boys. Those are important Emily.”

The girl was listening, those newly brightened eyes wildly looking at the three of them. Dashing from one person to the next like she was some druggie trying to figure out which drug dealer would give her the stuff for free. Silly girl, nothing is ever for free. Everything has strings attached to it. She would learn, sooner or later. “The numbers mean a very important thing to us infected. That’s how many people a person can infect. If that number reaches zero… you die. There’s no going back after that point, and you have to remember what your number is… And Emily, you only have five.”

It was a serious thing, because it was like committing suicide. The stronger will a person had, the bigger the number was. So when Emily looked around in her new green hazed world, she could see the number floating above their heads. Crazy had a good amount left, fifteen to be exact. Allen was a seven, and Kate must have been insane. Worse than Stu, Allen, and all their inbred family. Kate had over thirty. The woman had a will to live that was really scary.

“You are not to make prolonged eye contact with anyone but one of us. If you do that, you infect them. If you infect them, your number dwindles. If it zeroes, there isn’t anything we can do for you. Okay?” Emily slowly nodded, tears beginning to flow. There are two weapons a woman has. The first one a gal learns to use is her tears, the second is that place between her legs that everyone but a gay man and a straight girl loves. Master the two, and you can take on the world. Emily was trying for the first, even if she didn’t realize what she was doing. World weary Kate, master of the two, wasn’t going to fall for it. “You’re sensitive to light, and sounds. You will be for the next three days. You have to stay in the coffin, asleep for most of it.”

Kate stood, and nodded at Stu. He looked down at his cousin, and didn’t even bat an eye. She was a cousin, and he wasn’t interested in anything she could have bribed him with. His interests were standing elsewhere in the room, so he shut the door on the coffin even as she pleaded to be set free and locked it. Allen flicked the lights back on, and looked away from the two in charge of the rebels. Kate looked at him, guessing at the hidden thoughts in her tall friend’s mind. “You aren’t allowed in here without me or Stu. So get out.” One slender finger pointed at the door, and Allen left with a frown painted on that face of his.

She was on her way out when Stu grabbed her, wrapping his arms around her waist. She was a perfect armful, and Stu didn’t give a damn about someone else being in the room. Kate was stressed, and the tall guy knew how to take the edge off. Make everything better for his pretty blonde leader, if you know what I mean.

The next day Kate assembled the ‘team’. Her brand of personal rebels, a small crew of males at her bidding. Stu and Allen were among them, sitting at the breakfast table. Someone had cooked breakfast, and it sure as hell hadn’t been Kate. The woman never lifted a finger to do such things, not while she made the big bucks and made the big plans. Which was why they were here of course, to speak about her next big plan to take care of the slight little problem that had shown up the day before. If you’d call a military officer who was over six feet and was buff as hell a slight little problem. Personally, I’d call him a big problem.

“The wonderful governor of Yarbos has decided to stop coming around for fun, and started poking his nose where it’s not allowed. We have to make sure that he stops, whether we do it by bribing or black mail. Start doing your research on him, we’ll need every last detail we can find.” Kate was out to roll up a newspaper and pat the governor on the nose with it like some over sized dog. Most of the governors were all bark and no bite, and little Miss Kate had no idea who she was messing with. She had done her homework on the governor to be sure, but other plans were in motion to change her whole world.

There was a knock on the door, a sign that business was supposed to start. Kate clapped her hands together, signaling everyone to get to work whether it was in the Pleasure House or in the basement below. People spilled out of the kitchen, ready to do their Mistress’ bidding. However, the girl at the door wasn’t a customer. Instead it was one of those who the Pleasure House hired, but hadn’t turned. A small, lithe little thing that looked like she could wriggle at all the right moments. Her name was Harley, and she was a cute girl, but only if you stood her next to Kate. Any woman short of goddess next that girl just looked plain.

Harley always worked hard to over throw Kate’s hold on the men that worked the Pleasure house. Stu was sitting at the front counter, trying to look like a decent person in clean clothing and a half smile pressed to his lips. It wasn’t that Harley wanted all the attention to herself, instead it was the fact that she wanted the Pleasure House all to herself. She wanted to take Kate’s place, since Kate was “old” at the age of twenty two since Harley was all of nineteen. She figured a woman selling her body could only sell it so long before it got old.

“You’re in room seven, second floor Harley.” Stu slid a key across the counter to the younger girl, even as she was trying so hard to win him with smiles. He didn’t really react, but he wasn’t interested in things without curves. To each their own. Some men liked them young looking, like the pedos they were. Others liked all the curve they could get. Stu must have been the latter. Haley pouted, and headed for the stairs. Stu looked at Kate, and lifted an eyebrow over the blue lenses he had worn that morning. Silver eyes peered over the rim before he pushed them up quickly as someone else walked in.

The man was their snitch. The client who came in, and paid in information which was needed more than the money he use to give. He was early, and looking around like a man with something to hide. Which was never a good thing. Kate slid an arm around his waist so that if someone else walked in, she’d appear to be seducing him as was normal for her trade. Stu however, rose from his chair and walked slowly after them. Some other man took over his role at the counter as they made their way to a room on the first floor reserved for Kate and her client’s. They walked inside the room and locked the door behind them. There was a large bed, and lush and perfect for the picking. Kate didn’t deal in drugs, didn’t handle any of the petty work like that. She handled the one thing she had perfected, sex.

He was in the military, so he was tall. However, he wasn’t bred for the front lines. Instead he was a paper pusher, so he wasn’t bulked out like the main group of the military. Light runners instead of killing machines. He sat down on the bed and looked at Kate and then her second. “I had better get what I need, because I have information that will just set your panties in a bunch. Yarbos has a new governor.”

[Kate]

Chapter Three

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An average day at Kate’s place sees several government officers, military jockies, and other guys who can afford being there when they really shouldn’t be. There are three known floors at the Pleasure House. The first floor has a kitchen, the front waiting room, and a couple of bedroom sized rooms. The second and third floors were nothing but these, and even though there were a decent number of them filled, no one could guess exactly HOW many people Kate had on hire. Which of course, was the point because Kate could bring in as many people as possible without questions being raised.

Various rooms were set up with various different equipment. Drugs, beds, and the like. Some had tables and chairs for the people who came for the food. Or you know giant steel coffins. Kate’s hours were from about noon till midnight, some people working the entire twelve hour shift. The blonde normally is running on like five cups of coffee, some pills, and still thinks about everyone in her place at all times. She must have more mind power than the average person, but even people like her have moments were their brains just stop. Hers did the moment the key information of a new governor came into play.

Instead of thinking about her people, or things like that, she began to try and guess who this new guy was. They were all the same, sons from the higher ups on Earth. People with Earth blood in them and born in the air of the mother planet. For some odd reason, where you were born meant everything to the military and government. The lower the number of the system, the better person you were. So, if you were born in the first solar system, on Earth, you had your life set. Easy pickings. Every planet from first to twelfth was governed by a First. Those were names you knew.

Kate didn’t even have to say anything to Stu, he knew his job, and what he needed to do. He moved, leaving the room even as Kate crossed the few feet to where their customer was sitting. She smiled simply before speaking. “Don’t worry Aureus, you’ll get your drugs. Have you seen the governor yet?” The man nodded, happily. There was a smile that creased his face, right under those large rimmed shades of his. Kate reached a hand out, and did something to Aureus she never had before. She pulled off his glasses, leaned in to startled brown eyes and pressed her lips to his. When you’re startled, and then pressed into a kiss, you don’t react very well. You forget about certain things, and concentrate instead on the better things happening to you; like a hot girl kissing you like there is no tomorrow.

Unknown to Aureus, Kate was collecting information from him. There was this side effect of having these eyes and physical contact. The blonde found out about it because of her day job, lots of physical contact. She gets flashes of the past, of things that had happened through their lives. If you push past the horrid events of things that have happened to them, or what the scum bags have done, then you can sort of pick around the latest bits of information to what you want to get. What you need to get. Like information on a certain new governor.

So as her lips parted, and she attacked Aureus, Kate began to sift through his memories. Behind the silver rimmed shades perched on her nose, bright eyed pupils expanded until the acid green was just a rim. To her it was like stepping into a cool pool of tepid water, everything happening to her body didn’t matter, instead she was placed in a scene that meant nothing to her. A small boy, watching as his mother was beat by his father. An everyday thing from the way the kid reacted, even if it was a serious memory now when he was an adult older than Kate herself. All he was thinking about was where his hands were, and how the blonde was pinning him to a bed. Difficult to get your belt undone when you’re straddled and pinned.

Fast forward in Kate land, floating in his memories. He was fourteen, and it was scene she knew so well. The blonde had seen it too many time to forget. Basic, a base somewhere on some planet in the middle of a desert. The only people who have water or food are the ones who are training you. The government, the military, the supposed good guys. If you try to escape, you die. They don’t even have to come looking for you because no matter what, you’ll die. All the basic planets are the same. Endless waves of acid, or endless deserts with no way out. The only way out is by ship, out into the heavens of stars, and the only people who control those? You guessed right kiddies.

They aren’t nice about branding, even to scared kids just taken away from their homes. They hand you a gun, and make you kill a criminal. They drag those guys in there all the time to do work. Cook, clean, etc. Live out the rest of their lives. And when you’re a greenie you have to kill one. Your first time killing in cold blood, if you aren’t a homeless kid with the need to survive, you don’t run into these things. Aureus was shaking in his green tinted memory, even as the adult was moaning. Run of the mill, every day solider weapon in his hand. The kind without a kick back, that shoots bullets faster than a rocket and all as easy as pie. All you have to do is point and pull the trigger. There isn’t a scary sound that comes out, nothing at all. Just dead silence as the laser bullet escapes and lodges into the person. A small bolt of explosives packed into a small packet of plastic. The plastic melts as it flies into the target, and the charge of energy rocks the body. It explodes, inside the person’s chest cavity without showing anything on the outside except a small hole, the wound already cauterized by the energy.

The walls in Kate’s place are thick on purpose, remember? Even though he’s with his shades, naked like the day he was born, and having the time of his life, he’s still yelling. The side effects for using it too long, too hard. It hurts the person you use it on, if you go at it for too long. It’s meant to be used in flashes, to understand someone better. To throw them off their game. Very few people search for things, because very few people understand what they can do with it. Kate found out because she was doing exactly what she was doing now. Save a horse, ride a cowboy, right? Even if her mind wasn’t paying attention, her body is on auto-pilot with its main function of reproducing.

He killed the man. Pulled the trigger, easy as pie. Watched the long haired criminal fall back without any blood on the outside, nothing to show for his death except the fact everyone knew he was dead. Weapons don’t burn the holder, don’t scare them. It’s too easy just to pick up the metal and pull the trigger. Aureus could have turned and shot every last instructor in the area, all within five seconds. A trained monkey could have done it, maybe even an untrained one. Point and pull. He was crying, that wasn’t allowed. A major walked up, and punched the greenie in the stomach, taking away the weapon in one swift movement.

He screams, because he’s now being forced to relive his memories. The man doesn’t understand why he’s thinking of these things now, in the middle of knocking boots, when he has the actual Kate of Kate’s Pleasure House in his arms. Why he has to remember killing that man, when he’s killed many other since then. Forced to, can’t think of anything else with his mind locked into a headlock. She pushed past his pain, and found what she wanted.

Standing before the military aide was a tall man, slender compared to most beefy males of the government. He wasn’t porky, or old, or stupid, and you could tell just by a look from him. A son of a First, here on the edge of Yarbos. Not some old, worn down, about to die guy like the last smuck had been. Instead this was someone would reign for several decades on Yarbos. And that meant only one thing; the military was starting the thirteenth solar system. Taking over all of it in its hungry conquest.

Kate gasped, pulling out of his memories as soon as she got the name of the government official. Aurues sighed as his mind was released, and went about putting all his effort into what mattered in the moment. The blonde left the room awhile later, only to meet Stu in the hall outside her door. He had to know what was going on inside the room, it was only logical. However, he was a bit disgruntled, as he always was when Kate had clients. Which was why Stu had no clients of his own, he didn’t touch anyone else. Didn’t help anyone else. Only to her.

But why does a tall, crazy guy do such a thing? Because she had saved him from everything going on in his life, once upon a time. The dude was nutter, but he had this weird sense of honor. He sticks to his guns, in more ways than one, or two, or three. The list could really go on and on. But we’ll continue to the more important things in life here on Yarbos. Kate looked up at Stu, bright eyes still wide behind lenses. He grabbed her hand, and pulled her into the room across the way. Empty, except for a lone small bed. However, this room had lots of leather things attached to the bed posts. One of those rooms.

“Well?” He cut to the point, always did with Kate. Whether it was talking about the day, about the business, or when it came to having sex, he always cut right to the point of things. “There is a new governor, the military is moving in on the thirteenth. The guy in charge is young and mean.” As if that would explain everything she had just seen in Aurues’ mind. No, the look in the new governor’s eyes? It was making a chill down Kate’s spine. The kind that makes the hairs on the back of your neck raise. Yeah, that sort of chill. I hate them, make me feel funny. Apparently Kate hates it to, because she had a pretty little scowl going on. “His name is Mathew Amtrum. He’s a First.”

[Kate]

Chapter Four

Thousands of years ago, humans only lived on a planet called Earth. There weren’t as many of us as there are now. But Earth got really crowded as humans did their thing and created more than they killed off. The planets around them weren’t able to sustain human life, not the way they were naturally. One smart ass guy who was friends with a bunch of powerful people got the idea to change other planets’ chemical structures and all this other shit I could never fully explain to anyone. Basically, what they did was change the internal structure of the surrounding planets to match Earth’s. Pretty smart thing to do, if you’re running out of room back home.

They tried it on Jupiter first, because that was the biggest one. All sorts of people were shipped off to the new planet, making room for more. Some people managed to change all the planets in the first Solar System, even the ice world that could have been an asteroid, but was a planet too somehow. Humans bred, as everyone always does, and continued to spread out. All these planets were different in how they were run. Saturn had a monarch, while it was a bunch of religious pilgrims on Pluto. However, the dickwads on Earth wanted to control everything. They started the United Planet Federation with Jupiter, and proceeded to make war on the other planets on First. Some smart people fled the entire solar system, moving onward to Second.

Within the first one hundred years or so, the UPF had taken over the entire first solar system, while other people had spread through the six planets of the second, and the ten of the third. UPF sought to take these over as well, and began to move forward with their war. This war has raged on since then. Different planets fighting back, or retreating to solar systems further and further away. As to whom controls each planet, since UPF wants to keep a very tight control on things they send the sons of the First to the other planets. Earth is the crown jewel of the entire Federation, the birth place of mankind. Only high officers are admitted onto Earth, if they do well elsewhere.

Earth has been turned from a dirty, worn and used planet into a lush, green, perfect paradise. Families of the Federation live there. Where you are born means more than anything else. A person born on First can kick around anyone else. Second kicks around everyone but First, etc. That’s how they make their world turn, and keep ticking. Believing that those born and raised on First are the purest of the pure because it is the homeland. The arrival of a First on another planet as governor means the military is taking a bigger interest in your small little planet.

For thousands of years the UPF has been taking over planet after planet. Swallowing them whole and not letting go. Basically the UPF is run by the Firsts, and as we all know the UPF are bastards. At least, if you’re a decent sort of person you’d think that. And if you aren’t decent then you’re probably one of them.
Kate was turned when she was just fifteen years old, about to graduate from the hell hole that was basic training. She had been placed in the third solar system on the seventh planet. Except for the government controlled spots, there was nothing but waves of endless water filled with creatures with sharp teeth. Even if you somehow made it through all that shit, you just ended up in the military’s arms once again. If that’s not fucked up, I don’t know what is.

But for that reason alone, Kate knows more about the government’s ins and outs than your average civie. Considering they had big plans for her out of basic. And she had been all for it, until her eye sight changed. Funny how a little bit of perspective goes a long way. She fights them in her own little way with her little band of rebels. Which was what she was thinking about now. “We’ll need more people Stu. If they’re upping their game, then we have to as well.”

Never mind the fact that not everyone survives being turned, or that they couldn’t trust who they turned for a long time. “Then we’ll need a second building, another front.” Stu’s voice was gruff, and he plucked the shades off of Kate’s face and his own. The man hated the things with a passion. “Then I guess you’ll have to open a business somewhere else in town.” Stu began to cuss under his breath, one large hand running through his blue dyed hair. Nutter. Who dyes their entire head blue anyways?

“Send Allen, fuck send Park. I’m not leaving.” A man has to stand up for a few things in his life, sticking around the bombshell was one of them. Not something Crazy was going to budge on any less than I would. Would you? Moot point really, I don’t give two shits what you think. “Allen wouldn’t do well enough. He’s going off about his parents and his sister. He won’t be able to think straight.” Kate was right of course, Allen was in no state to run a business and keep it a secret. Not with everything going on. Would you?

Stu grumbled and glared at Kate, not liking how the odds were stacked against him. After all, the house always wins. Remember that boys and girls, don’t gamble. A piece of advice that will keep your money where it belongs, in your wallet. “Then wait till he calms down. Please…” The big guy was as close as he would come to begging. Even crazies got some sort of pride I guess. She sighed, and nodded. I think the dame, despite her days full of pleasure and her cold heart, has a soft spot for Nutters. Couldn’t tell you for sure, but call it a gut feeling.

So they would wait, and increase their numbers. But for every couple of people they infected, the military created thousands more. The rebels had a bigger battle than they knew on their hands. Blondie knew they needed more buildings, more “soldiers”, more weapons, more of everything. She waved Stu out of the room, and sat down to think real numbers.

Currently her little band of a dozen or so could probably infect about a hundred others. Without pushing it too close to death. Those people could in turn infect a couple hundred more. It would continue to spread. The end result would be the Federation knowing that the rebellion was coming from Yarbos on the edge of the Twelfth. Were they ready for all of that? Kate sure as hell wanted them to be.

There was a sudden page from the front. Stu had reclaimed his spot at the front door like a faithful watch dog, and was letting her know that the two guys from the day before were back to play. The bombshell left the room she had been simmering in, and waltzed to the front. Sure enough, the two soldier boys from the previous day were back.

The shorter of the two stepped toward her, even as the blonde one was scowling in thought. Big guy couldn’t figure out who Kate was just yet. The brown haired one was smiling however, which meant he was planning something. “I heard I can get anything I want here.” He sounded so cocky. The print on his shirt front stated his last name as being ‘Long’. Maybe he had a right to be cocky. Kate smiled sweetly toward him. A smile that Stu knew oh so well from his reaction. Bastard. I’d like to be him on most nights.

“You can get just about anything for a price, Mr. Long.” That of course was the answer he was looking for, from the way he grinned back at this partner. “Then name your price milady. I want to scan your hand.” And at that point Kate laughed. Out right laughed in Soldier Long’s face. Gotta give the broad points for having some brass balls to laugh in the military’s face like that. Mr. Long and Mr. Adrian sure as hell didn’t like it in the least bit. Stupid pigs. Excuse me. Fucking stupid Feds. Better now? “My price for that is the amount of money all the land on Earth equals to.”

Let me help you out here. Everyone on Earth is filthy stinking rich. Earth it’s self is the perfectly clean, lush paradise. The amount of money the land is worth alone is too big to even count. Everyone altogether in the Twelve Solar Systems couldn’t count that high. A high price to pay to scan a bar code. Stu out right laughed at their faces, because you couldn’t get more shell shocked than that. “So boys, run back to Governor Amtrum and tell him Kate says no.” Check and mate man.