Night Skies Hotel X: The Gathering Storm free porn video

Universe synopsis: Centuries ago, two world-spanning civilizations made first contact via technology that enabled access to multiple realities. Each civilization was unique in the sense that a single sex dominated it -- Terra's Patriarchy by males, and Gaia's Sisterhood by females. Gaia was the more artistic of the two, had closer links to nature and was more advanced than Terra in some of the sciences, such as biology and physics. Terra, on the other hand, had a cultural drive to explore and dominate other timelines, and excelled in a number of scientific fields, including spaceflight and computers. For a time, scientific and cultural exchanges were profitable for both sides, until a Gaian pathogen was inadvertently introduced into Terra's population and began turning males and females alike into females of Gaia's Sisterhood. The final straw came when the son of a powerful politician was infected. The Patriarchy conquered Gaia, but a remnant of the Sisterhood managed to escape the onslaught. The war has raged for centuries, with the Sisterhood's victories few and far between as the Patriarchy advances through the known timelines, drawing ever closer to Earth and its billions of unsuspecting inhabitants. But the Sisterhood doesn't give up easily and, using the pathogen to swell its ranks and its dimensional transport technology to remain hidden from its nemesis, lays out plans to one day retake Gaia and stop the Patriarchy once and for all. *** Historian's note: This story is set during the "modern" era of the Night Skies Hotel; specifically, in March 2007. *** "The endgame is nigh -- an innocent child will herald the Sisterhood's darkest hour, age-old enigmas will be solved, revealing mind-boggling wonders and profound sorrows, and decisions must be made that will make or break not only those nearest to you, but entire civilizations as well." -- Queen Dominus Steena. *** Night Skies Hotel X: The Gathering Storm By Solari "Ready to order, hon?" The man looked up from his menu at the waitress, whose kind, open face was all smiles. "Personally, I recommend the No. 3 breakfast. The cook whips up a mean batch of pancakes and sausage." The man smiled faintly, handing the worn menu to the blonde-haired, middle-aged woman. "Sounds good to me," he said affably. "Let's throw in some toast and milk, too." He gestured at the cafe's old, battered television set. "If you really want to make my day, ma'am, you could turn the station to ESPN." The waitress glanced around. None of the other customers appeared to be watching the latest breaking story out of the turmoil-ridden Middle East. "No problem," she said, taking his order to the cook and returning with a tall glass of ice-cold milk. "Not much of a news junkie, huh?" she asked, using a remote to switch the channel from MSNBC to ESPN. "No." He shook his head. "The world's depressing enough without having to be reminded of it day in and day out by the 24-hour news cycle." The ESPN anchor launched into the lead story. "In the latest sports scandal, Major League Baseball officials reported today that an investigation into steroid abuse has resulted in the suspension of twelve players. They were identified as ..." "Well, speaking of depressing news," the waitress quipped, wiping off a nearby table. The man sipped from his glass of milk. "Hmm. I shouldn't be surprised. Still, it's disappointing," he observed, patting his mouth with a napkin. "I idolized sports stars as a boy." He regretfully shook his head. "Guess I'm older and wiser now." "At least it wasn't a story about parents fighting at a middle school game." "That'll probably be the top story tonight. After all, the day's still young." "You're such a cynic!" The man laughed. "It shows, doesn't it?" He smiled, his clean-shaven, tanned face merry in the morning light. "I'll tamp it down a bit. After all, I'm vacationing with my friends, who ...," he checked his watch, "... are probably just now crawling out of bed." "Order's up!" a voice barked from the kitchen. "It's hard not to be cynical in today's world," the waitress said reassuringly. "If it isn't something blowing up in the Middle East, it's genocide and starvation in Africa, earthquakes and tsunamis in southeast Asia, self-absorption in America and Europe and, well, I could go on and on, but you get the picture." A man poked his head out of the kitchen. "Hey, Alice. Did you hear me? I said, order's up!" "Yes, Mel, I heard you the first time," the waitress harrumphed. She grinned at her customer. "Be right back, hon!" Alice sashayed her way into the kitchen, eliciting a chuckle from the man. Turning his attention to the TV, he half-listened to predictions about the upcoming baseball season while thumbing through a copy of USA Today. Unsurprisingly, the New York Yankees were spending money like it grew on trees. He smiled, overhearing some good-natured give-and-take between Alice and Mel as they argued. You'd think they were an old couple married for years, the way they go back and forth, he thought. Hmm. Maybe they are. "Oh, eat my grits, Mel!" Alice flounced out of the kitchen, bearing a tray laden with a stack of fluffy, golden brown pancakes, six thick sausage links and a small pitcher of warm maple syrup. "Sorry about that, hon," she said, setting the food before her customer. "Mel can get a bit cantankerous at times." "You give as good as you take," the man replied, smothering his flapjacks in syrup. "I think Mel likes it. It's the only reason he keeps me around." The man dug into the stack, savoring each and every bite. "Goodness," he mumbled, "you really weren't kidding about the food. It's delicious!" Alice beamed. "You just made my day, hon, and Mel's too, I bet." She gestured at his now-empty glass. "More milk?" He nodded enthusiastically, stuffing his mouth with sausage. Alice laughed and retrieved a pitcher. Refilling the glass, she asked, "So what's your name, hon? And what brings you and your friends out here? We're not exactly Walt Disney World." "It's something different," the man said, wiping his mouth. "Besides, we're not really into crowds, and what's Walt Disney World if not crowded?" She nodded knowingly as he took a bite of sausage. "You can call me Arik." "E-r-i-c?" "No. A-r-i-k." He shrugged. "It was my mother's idea to have a New Age spelling of an otherwise common name, or something like that." She grinned slyly. "Well, for what it's worth, I like it." Arik laughed. "There's no need to butter me up, Alice. I've already decided to give you a nice tip." He gestured. "I like your attitude -- it makes you an asset to this place." "Mel might disagree, but ..." A small, but boisterous, group of men came into the cafe. Sizing them up, Alice immediately suspected they were Arik's companions -- after all, what other folks in their right minds would dress in such outrageous Hawaiian shirts and oversized sunglasses? "Hey, guys, over here!" Arik called out, confirming Alice's suspicions. "It's about time you lazy bums got here!" The group tramped over to the table, laughing as a one of them -- a small, wiry man of Asian descent -- gave Arik the finger. "Hey, we can't all be the early bird who gets the worm," he shot back good-naturedly. "Some of us need our beauty sleep!" "Yeah, so says the youngest of the party animals," Arik said wryly, scooting over to make room for his friends. "By the way, I'd like you to meet our waitress, Alice." He winked at her, causing her to blush. "She's full of sass and, better yet, has a great tableside manner." Alice shifted awkwardly, not used to such lavish attention -- especially from a group of young, athletic men who could have been her grandsons, so gaping was the age difference! Handing out more menus, she turned to Arik and asked, "Do you want anything else? Toast? More pancakes?" "You're very persuasive," Arik teased, not even looking at his almost bare plate. His green eyes danced in merriment. "As a matter of fact, I'll take another No. 3 breakfast." He gestured at his buddies. "You guys oughta try it, too. Like Alice told me, the cook whips up a mean batch of pancakes and sausage." He rubbed his belly. "And she wasn't exaggerating!" Arik's friends exchanged looks, then nodded. "We'll have what he's having!" they chorused. Alice rolled her eyes at Arik. "And you say I'm the persuasive one?!" she joked. "Whatever!" *** Dorian glanced up from his paperwork. "What's the meaning of this?" he asked, gesturing at the small pile of clothing that had been thrown on his desk. "I'm quitting!" "Again?" Dorian rolled his eyes. "This is the third time you've pulled this stunt, Tessa." "You know what they say: The third time's the charm," Tessa snorted. The statuesque, curly-haired blonde wasn't finished unloading her goods, either. "Here, take these, too!" she snapped, hurling a box of condoms on the desk. Dorian shrugged. He was in no mood for her shenanigans. "The third time isn't the charm," he said evenly. "Nor will the fourth, fifth or sixth times. You've got two years and four films left on your contract, and that's not including your job duties here at the nightclub." Tessa gave him the bird. "Screw your contract!" "So says the woman who, even after I've taken my share of her earnings, has socked away enough money to live comfortably for a very long time if she invests it right." He grinned, his even, white teeth glimmering wetly. "Perhaps in the adult film industry? They say it's poised for astronomical growth, what with the Internet and all." Tessa returned his grin, but hers was more savage. "I'll say it again -- the third time's the charm and screw your contract." She reached into her purse, laughing when Dorian tensed. "No, it's not a gun, you dipshit. Your lack of faith in your security is disturbing," she mocked, pulling out a checkbook. Her mannerisms took on a decidedly serious edge. "Speaking of money, I do believe I have enough to buy out my contract." "Out of the question!" "I'll add ten percent on top of what it's worth." Dorian leaned forward. "You don't get it, do you, Tessa?" he said, exasperated. "You're one of my most profitable employees. I'm going to wring as much out of you as I can, and then activate the clause that gives me the right to extend your contract for another two years." "You bastard!" "You signed the document, babe." "I'll give you twenty percent on top of the contract's value!" Tessa's insistence piqued Dorian's curiosity. "Why are you so damned determined to get out of here?" he asked. "You've made a lot of money -- far, far more than you would have, had you remained a waitress at that dead-end diner in New Mexico." "I was 19 and stupid when you found me," she said, studying Dorian. He was of French and German ancestry and wasn't overly tall, but he did keep himself in shape. "You took advantage of that, but it was my fault, too. I wanted to see the world outside the county I was born in." She paused, lost in thought for a moment, her soft, oval-shaped face as beautiful as ever. "Well, I've seen enough of what you had to show me. It's time to move on to bigger and better things -- like getting a college degree and maybe even starting a family." "I'd drain your bank account and ruin your credit before letting you go," Dorian said, his voice cold. "I'd make it so you'd have no choice but to go back to being a lowly waitress." Tessa's eyes flashed. "I'll go to the authorities, tell them what you're doing here." "Oh, for God's sake, Tessa! How naive are you?" Dorian shook his head, his bald pate reddening ever so slightly. "They're in my pocket. Have been for years! Think about it! An operation this size couldn't be successful without lining somebody's pockets!" "I. Hate. Your. Guts." Tessa's words were so vehement and forceful that spittle flew, speckling Dorian's desk. "Welcome to the club," the businessman chuckled. "You're not the first, nor will you be the last, Tessa." He relaxed, leaning back in his chair. "Now, I suggest you drop this matter and enjoy your fat income, even if it ashames you. Fulfill your contract, and I might -- with might being the operative word -- let you go, rather than exercising the extension." Tessa was livid, but she did an admirable job of biting her tongue. Instead, she let her actions speak for her: She threw a plastic baggie filled with more condoms on Dorian's desk and, wordlessly, stormed out his office. "Eww. They're used!" Dorian huffed, his face wrinkling as he stared at the baggie, its contents having spilled all over his desktop. He gingerly cleared the desk of the gaudy clothing and condoms. "Well, there goes March. And April," he muttered, tearing off the calendar's semen-splotched sheets. Sighing, he settled back into his routine of paperwork -- a routine that was interrupted once again only minutes later. His computer chimed, and a window appeared within the monitor. The nightclub's head of security peered out from it, scowling. "Sorry to disturb you, sir, but there's been a little altercation ..." Dorian held up a hand. "Let me guess. Tessa?" The man nodded vigorously. Dorian took a deep breath. "OK, what's she done now?" "Um. Well, she's left, that's what she's done." His face darkened. "She kneed the employee parking lot attendant in the balls, got her car keys and took off." "Her fleeing is nothing to be overly concerned about," Dorian remarked. "The attendant might want to get his gonads examined, though. I understand Tessa can hit pretty hard." Confusion flickered across the other's face. "Sir? The other times Tessa did this, we found her within hours, never more than a few miles from employee housing. But this time she has money and a car -- we're going to have to act fast if ..." his mouth clamped shut, his eyes widening in sudden understanding as to why Dorian was grinning deviously. "So, those purchases are your hidden ace." "I told you those GPS devices would be an excellent investment," Dorian chided his security chief. "The salesmen had me convinced even before they halved the price." He pulled a small flask and shot glass from a drawer and poured himself a drink. He raised it in a mock toast. "Tessa can run, but she can't hide." The man nodded. "I'll dispatch four of my best men immediately -- we'll have her back in time for her shift tonight on the poles." "I'll handle Tessa," Dorian announced. His security chief blinked, taken by surprise. "She's abused my hospitality thrice now, and it's about time I claimed my pound of flesh." "Yes, sir." Dorian rose and stretched, working the kinks out of his body, kinks put there by sitting in that damnable chair for too long. He glanced at the monitor. "While I'm gone, see what you can do about hacking into her bank account and credit records." *** Tessa sped down the highway, her 2005 Pontiac Sunfire a bronze blur to the occasional wildlife that glimpsed it from nearby fields and shelterbelts. She glanced into the rearview mirror on occasion, relieved each time to see no one in pursuit. The former waitress and current exotic dancer and adult film actress had been on the road for hours, taking odd twists and turns here and there in an effort to elude anyone who might be trying to stay on her trail. It seemed to have worked and, even better, she was reasonably sure she was now beyond the reach of whatever authorities Dorian had corrupted with his money. "The Pirate's Paradise line of nightclubs is big, but even it has its limits," Tessa muttered. Her thoughts drifted to happier things -- her future was wide open, now that she had ditched Dorian and all that he represented. It couldn't be denied that the money had been good, but using her flesh to gain material wealth had, almost from the get-go, been a short-term plan. It had allowed her to pay cash for the reasonably nice vehicle she now drove, and stash away a lot more, funds that would go toward a college education and, because she hadn't had to buy out her contract, help establish a nice retirement fund. "Let him try to mess with my finances -- I'm two steps ahead of him there," Tessa told herself. "That naive little waitress of his learned real damn fast, she did." Her mind returned to more positive thoughts. "I'll major in investigative journalism. It might not pay well, but no matter. I'll not only have a job I love, but something that'll give me a shot at making the world a better place for others." She laughed self-consciously. "Yeah, I suppose it's pie-in-the-sky, but I can always dream!" Tessa drove on, time and distance merging as the day progressed from morning to noon to late afternoon. It was only as the sun's fiery disk hugged the western horizon that she noticed how wild and isolated the countryside was, and how the traffic levels -- never too high in the first place -- had declined considerably, along with the road's condition. Where it had once been a smooth, four-lane asphalt highway, it was now a two-lane, rural roadway with narrow shoulders and aged, cracked asphalt pitted with jarring potholes. "This is where I start whining about not buying an atlas," Tessa sighed, a wave of drowsiness washing over her as the day's last light fled before dusk's advance. "Knowing my luck, I'm in a part of Dixie that doesn't have sleeping facilities anywhere nearby." Under ordinary circumstances, Tessa would be bright-eyed and bushy- tailed right now, beginning her shift as an exotic dancer. But today had been far from ordinary, and getting up extra early to confront Dorian had been a deliberate deviation from her normal routine. Well, now she was paying for it. Tessa turned the radio on. "Well, I just love listening to static," she murmured, setting it to auto-search. "Static. More static ... and more static. Hmpfh! What's up with that?!" Heaven's vault wheeled majestically overhead, speckled with stars, planets and moons, as her vehicle cut through the night, its headlights blazing a path through the darkness, occasionally reflected by the eyes of raccoons and deer. Tessa perked up, determined not to ruin her Sunfire by slamming it into an errant doe or buck, but it wasn't long before her eyelids were half-closed again. "Great. Just great," she muttered, reaching over to a bottle of soda, only to find it empty. "Just when I need a caffeine fix, too." She fixated upon a particularly bright star. "Star light, star bright, first star I see tonight. I wish I may, I wish I might, have the wish I wish tonight," she recited. "And that would be a place to sleep." And so it came to pass a short time later that Tessa crested a hill and saw, nestled in the valley below, the largest, brightest hotel complex she had ever laid eyes on. A riot of colors and traffic, it looked like some sort of place only the fabulously wealthy would be able to afford to stay at, judging from its exquisite exterior and lush landscaping. "Prices starting at $29.95 a night?!" Tessa whistled, reading a flashing marquee. "That's not bad at all." She eased her vehicle into one of the parking lots, driving at a snail's pace to avoid running down any of the numerous pedestrians. "The Night Skies Hotel. Hmm. I've never heard of it before," she told herself. "Heck, judging from the crowds, I'm the only one who hasn't heard of this place." *** "Here's your keycard, ma'am," the raven-haired, emerald green-eyed front-desk receptionist said, handing the card to Tessa. "You're in Room 1E-69. Check-out is at noon. A full list of our amenities can be found on the nightstand. If you have any questions, just give the front desk a ring." Her smile was dazzling. "Enjoy your stay at the Night Skies Hotel!" Tessa grinned. "Thank you. I plan on sleeping during most of it, though." "Well, if you find the time, check out the water park, dine at our restaurants or see if you can strike it rich in the casino." "So much to do, so little time to do it in," Tessa teased. "First things first, though: Sleep!" With that, she made her way out of the spacious, bustling lobby and into a well-appointed corridor, which was no less busy as folks went about their business. Tessa couldn't help but notice that there were many more women than men, and that more than a few of them were dressed provocatively and exuded odd scents, ranging from crisp mint to mild herb to sharp spice and even an occasional rum-like odor. "This place has a rather lax dress code for its employees," she observed to herself, seeing the occasional metallic flash of a gold or silver name tag among the women. "Can I assist you, ma'am?" Tessa turned, catching sight of scantily clad employee. "You look a bit lost amid the rush here." Tessa smiled apologetically. "That obvious, huh?" The other nodded slightly, her tentative smile widening. "I appreciate the offer, but I'm not one of Bo Peep's little lost sheep. I'm just gawking a bit at all of the exposed flesh. It sort of took me by surprise." "It's a shift change at the entertainment venues," the woman explained. "They, uh, have a less-strict dress code than other employees." Realization dawned on Tessa. "Oh. I see." The woman gazed at Tessa, understanding evident in her emerald green eyes. "You needn't worry -- the women in those venues, well, let's just say they're not as vulnerable as they appear to be. Now, are you sure you're going to be OK?" "Yes. Thanks for asking, though." "No problem!" The woman gestured. "Well, I'd better keep moving. The drinks won't pour themselves, you know!" She winked, then merged back into the crowd. Tessa arrived at her room a short time later and let herself in. "They weren't kidding when they said it was economy-class," she observed, seeing a bed, a nightstand, a dresser and a small, flat-screen television set. The white walls were bare, except for a painting of an oddly dressed young woman, her tattooed and painted arms held high, standing on a lush, windswept plain, a thunderhead towering into a hot, humid summertime sky overhead, its dark base swollen with rain and webbed by bolts of spidery lightning. The dark, plush carpet covering the floor looked like it had seen better days. "Oh, well. You get what you pay for." It only took her a few minutes to settle into the room. Satisfied that all was well, she sat on the bed and took a brochure from the nightstand. Scanning the pages, she whistled. "Wow. This place is huge! Dozens of restaurants, nightclubs and shops ..." she re-read some of the establishments' names, "... some of which are for adults only!" She continued reading. "Talk about having a little bit of everything: fitness centers, meeting rooms, saunas. It goes on and on!" Returning the brochure to the nightstand, she shook her head. "And that's not including the water park or casino the receptionist told me about! This place must have been a helluva investment risk for its backers, considering its location." Tessa stood to disrobe. Afterward, she did some stretches, then fell backward onto the generously cushioned mattress. "This has got to be a small slice of heaven," she murmured, clicking off the bedside light and snuggling beneath the covers. "Oh, yes, it is ..." Sleep seized Tessa, and she drifted off into a dream world. Once again she dreamed of being a waitress, except this time Dorian didn't appear to torment her as a deranged customer. *** Dorian pulled his red Hummer H3 into one of the Night Skies Hotel's parking lots. Hundreds of vehicles crowded the lot, but he was methodical as he drove slowly up and down the aisles, looking for Tessa's bronze-colored Pontiac Sunfire. Unfortunately for him, there were at least six vehicles matching that description. On the other hand, though, only one of the Sunfires had a GPS device attached under its rear bumper. Not that its signal had helped any, however, having stopped transmitting hours ago. "I knew I should've double-checked the quality of the merchandise," he muttered, malevolently eyeing his now-useless base unit. "Damn things must have been built on the cheap." He had been roughly two hours behind Tessa, leisurely tracking her signal, when he had lost it. Caught off-guard by the development, he had hit the gas and, upon arriving at the spot where the signal had been lost, had watched his GPS base unit go dead, along with the radio. Tessa's vehicle had been nowhere along that stretch of isolated road; in fact, all there had been was a rather agitated raccoon, which Dorian, in a fit of road rage, had run over. Coming upon the hotel a short time later, and knowing Tessa had been up hours earlier than she usually was, he took a chance that she had decided to spend the night there. "The gamble pays off," he growled, glaring down at her Sunfire from his perch high within the Hummer H3. Tearing his gaze from her vehicle, he looked around. "Boy oh boy, did she ever select a glitzy joint to stay in," he harrumphed. "Damn place looks like it could put the ritziest Las Vegas and Macau hotel complexes to shame!" He smiled coldly. "Well, if this is how she's going to blow her hard-earned money, she'll be a waitress again before she knows it -- or, better yet, a drugged-up slut twisting and turning on my nightclub's poles!" He parked the Hummer, snorting as the GPS base unit came to life briefly, then seemingly died once again. Activating the Hummer's security system -- which did work -- he climbed out and made his way toward her vehicle. The hotel complex was strangely quiet for its immense size, but Dorian gave it no heed as he scuttled alongside Tessa's Sunfire, puncturing its tires with an ice pick. The hiss of escaping air inflated his sense of power over the meddlesome wench. "Now, let's see if I can find the bitch herself," he muttered, tucking the ice pick into his pocket, which also held powerful, water-soluble sedatives. "I've got just the thing to bring her back to reality!" *** "Uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uhhh!" "Ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ahhh!" Tessa's eyes shot open. "What the hell?!" she muttered, the grunts and moans ripping her out of a deep, blissful sleep. She craned her head, listening. The sounds were coming from the room next to hers. "Thin walls. Great. Another amenity of the economy-class room." She sniffed. The slightest hint of a mellow, herbal scent filled the air. It tickled her senses, bringing on a sudden urge to smoke, something Tessa had quit six months earlier in preparation for life outside the Pirate's Paradise nightclub. Stifling the unexpected longing, Tessa tried to sleep, but found it nearly impossible, the muffled cries of passion keeping her from slipping into any meaningful REM sleep. "Hmm. Two people -- a man and a woman," Tessa guessed, judging from the voices, one of which had altered ever so slightly, becoming higher- pitched. "Well, perhaps not ..." "That's it, honey. Yes ... rub your pussy against mine ... oh, your tits ... so firm and pendulous ... let me suck on those dark, puffy nipples ...!" Tessa smiled all-too-knowingly. "Lesbians," she pronounced. "Now, if only they could be a bit quieter with their lovemaking! After all, it's well past midnight!" She rapped lightly on the wall, and the cries dissipated, replaced by soft, embarrassed giggles. "Much better," Tessa sighed. "Now, back to business ..." she closed her eyes, and once again left the waking world far behind. *** "What do you mean I'm under arrest?!" Dorian boomed, his gray eyes bulging. He struggled valiantly against the two uniformed women who held him, but the well-endowed, tattooed guards were stronger than expected. "Our security systems monitored you puncturing the tires on a guest's vehicle," Megan replied, her tone even. "The Night Skies Hotel does not tolerate acts of vandalism." Dorian looked balefully at the beautiful young woman, not noticing that her emerald green eyes were those of an old soul, or caring that she had extensive tattooing -- including lionesses inked into her forearms. "I strongly suggest you release me," he warned, "or I'll see to it that your hotel never does business again in Alabama." "Veiled threats will get you nowhere." "YOU DON'T KNOW WHO YOU'RE MESSING WITH!" Dorian whipped his head toward the row of receptionists, where giggles had erupted. "WHAT ARE YOU LAUGHING AT?!" "You are Dorian Mindaro, manager of Pirate's Paradise franchise number seven, and are a rising star within the company," Megan recited, her unblinking eyes seemingly gazing into Dorian's very soul. "You are single, have no children or close family because of your profession, are in relatively good health ..." Dorian's mouth fell open. He hadn't even registered yet! "How do you ...?" "... and you're security's guest until the vehicle's owner decides whether or not to press charges," she finished, ignoring Dorian. She gestured to the guards. "Take him to detention. He's interrupted business enough as it is." *** "Well, look at this," Tessa murmured, flipping back through the TV stations. "An in-house information channel -- how convenient! Heh, maybe it'll tell me where I can get a road map!" She had been up since 8 a.m.; the relatively early hour had been deliberate, part of an ongoing crash-course effort to get her internal clock used to being up before noon. It had been hit-and-miss in terms of effectiveness, as the previous day had so clearly indicated. But today, well, today she was raring to go. "I've got a lot of distance to cover today and tonight," she said, packing her suitcase and glancing at the TV from time to time. "The sooner I hit the road ... well, what's this?" Tessa focused her attention on an odd advertisement scrolling across the bottom of the screen: "TIRED OF BEING TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF BY MEN? LEARN HOW YOU CAN TAKE CHARGE OF YOUR LIFE AND HELP MAKE THE WORLD A BETTER PLACE FOR YOU AND YOUR LOVED ONES. WHEN? TODAY. THE TIME? NOON SHARP. WHERE? CONFERENCE ROOM 1E-1CR. Tessa chuckled. "Sounds like a group of would-be Amazons are having a get-together." She finished packing, then did her hair and makeup. Her mind, however, replayed the silly ad over and over again. Well, she thought, it was unusual, I'll give it that. Checking her watch, she saw it was 11:30 a.m. I really should get going ... aw, hell, now I'm curious. She grinned, making up her mind. I'm going to check it out. They say curiosity killed the cat -- well, so what. Just as long as I'm not on my ninth life! Double-checking to make sure she had everything, Tessa vacated the room. She noticed a housekeeping cart in the hallway, with the door to the neighboring room wide open. Poking her head into the room, she saw a rather scantily clad, well-endowed young woman cleaning up the place. "Whoever those guests were, they weren't shy about loud lovemaking," Tessa said lightly. "Their passion had me tossing and turning last night!" The housekeeper looked up, startled by the unexpected visitor. "Oops. Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you." The woman waved off Tessa's apology; instead, she offered one of her own. "Please accept my apologies on behalf of the management," she said. Her voice was friendly, but uncertain, as if she were new to guest relations. "What can I do to help make up for ..." "I'm not complaining," Tessa interrupted. Winking, she added, "Actually, I'm quite used to late nights." She saw torn clothing lying strewn about the room, along with a puddle or two of clear fluid and an ashtray that brimmed with the skinny, lipstick-stained stems of smoked cigarettes. "Besides, it looks like you've got your work cut out for you." The housekeeper smiled. "Yes, just a little. But it's ... not unexpected." "If you say so," Tessa allowed, "but I'd be ticked off if I were in your shoes, err, high heels." "Maybe you will be." "Huh?" The housekeeper curtsied. "I'm sorry. Just a slip of the tongue." "Oh. OK." Tessa shrugged, suddenly feeling a bit awkward. "Well, have a pleasant day." The housekeeper smiled enigmatically. "You, too." *** "Do you eat anything other than pancakes and sausage, Arik?" Alice asked, pouring her customer a second glass of milk. "There's nothing wrong with it -- except that it's lunchtime!" Arik speared a link and pointed it mock-accusingly at the waitress. "It's all your fault. I'm something of a finicky eater, but when I do find something I like, I stick with it." He smiled. "And you, ma'am, introduced me to ..." he popped the link into his mouth, "... the No. 3 breakfast, the likes of which even my mother couldn't match." "Mel does the cooking," Alice gently reminded Arik. "I only deliver the meals and help make the customer feel comfortable." She looked around, noticing that none of Arik's friends were with him today. "Hey, where are all your buddies?" "Hiking, spelunking, fishing -- you name it, they're doing it," Arik replied around a mouthful of maple syrup-soaked flapjacks. "Although Hsan and Moturo were called away on business." He grimaced. "Too bad, really. In today's go-go world, even vacations aren't sacrosanct." Alice laughed. "Well, at least you guys get paid vacations!" She nodded toward the kitchen, where Mel could be heard griping. "He says he just breaks even on this place, so all I can get is unpaid time off." "You don't believe him?" "I believe him. He drives an old Pontiac Phoenix that looks like its best days were in the 1970s and lives in a small home that's seen better days." She sighed. "If that wasn't enough evidence, he puts in 12-hour days here, too." "Do you get any sort of recognition for your hard work?" Alice smiled. "Yes. Every Thanksgiving, Mel throws a party for his employees. It's not much, but, well, it's the thought that counts." She gestured at a plaque on a far wall, near the cashier's station. "We also get employee-of-the-month honors." Arik cocked his head. "Oh?" "Uh-huh. I'm number one, just in case you were wondering." She tapped her chest proudly. "I've been recognized dozens of times over the last thirty years." "Not bad -- and well-earned, I might add." Arik finished off the milk. "Do you ever have any serious competition in that department?" A wistful look crossed Alice's face. "No, not really," she said, her voice far off. "But we once had a young woman who worked here for six months, and won it five out of the six." "Heh. Well, it's a good thing she's not here anymore, huh?" "She gave me a run for my money," Alice admitted, "but Tessa was fun to be with. Unfortunately, she was also young and ambitious, perhaps overly so. She had stars in her eyes, and was swept head-over-heels by a smooth-talking modeling promoter." The waitress absent-mindedly washed down a table as she spoke. "She quit not long after, and nobody -- friends or family -- has heard from her in the five years since, except for an occasional phone call." Arik nodded in understanding. "It's a poignant story." Alice shrugged. "I hope she's doing OK. The way she dreamed, there was no way she would ever have been satisfied remaining in Roswell." *** Tessa's head felt like it was spinning. "So let me get this straight," she said softly, her mind grappling with seemingly impossible revelations, "you're saying this hotel, and others like it, are actually recruiting centers for a civilization that's thousands of years old, travels among multiple realities and is at war with an evil empire that spans hundreds of timelines?" "That's it in a nutshell," Ruby said. She gave Tessa's knee a friendly pat. "We know it's a lot to absorb, but we figured it was best to be up- front with you about our true nature." "Did it ever cross your minds that I might think you're all crazy?" Ruby glanced at the other twenty or so women in the room -- How odd, Tessa thought, it's almost like they're telepathic -- then nodded. "It was a risk, but one worth taking." Tessa drained her glass of ice water. Staring pensively at the crystalline goblet, she asked a simple question: "Why me?" A new voice answered. "We were attracted by your attributes," Alexia explained. "We observed you from the moment you crossed into our sphere of influence, and learned many things. Your spirit and determination, for starters, and of your open-mindedness and innate curiosity." She smiled. "That, in turn, led us to this point in time: We hope to convince you to join us of your own free will." Tessa considered Alexia's words, eyeing the sleek, raven-haired woman, who wore a revealing red bikini whose top was stretched tight over her full, firm breasts, doing little to conceal them or their semi-erect nipples. The other women in the room wore similar, skimpy attire that more than adequately displayed their soft, enticing curves. "You seem to know a lot about me, considering the fact that I arrived late last night," Tessa commented. "What'd you do? Google my name and Social Security number?" Alexia's smile broadened. "You've given us a unique window into your mind by partaking of our hospitality," she said cryptically. "We've used that to learn more about you." Tessa mulled her options. Well, I am a spirited, determined soul who's open-minded and curious, she thought. But even that has its limits. "You're asking me to give up everything I know," Tessa finally said, setting the goblet down on a small coffee table near the crescent moon- shaped sofa she sat on, "for something that, frankly, sounds like it's right out of a 1930s-era Flash Gordon comic strip." Alexia arched an elegant eyebrow. "What do you have to lose?" she inquired. "Ah, yes: a sordid past as a star in the porn industry and, before that, a rather pedestrian childhood and young adulthood spent in and around Roswell, New Mexico." "Watch it! My family still calls it home -- and so do I!" Tessa snapped, her tone defensive. "You told us you wanted to become an investigative journalist," Alexia continued, unmoved by Tessa's irritability, "but how will doing so enable you to protect what you cherish most?" Tessa didn't hesitate. "I'll be able to root out corruption! I'll be able to stop men like Dorian!" she said, ticking off the reasons on her fingers. "I'll be able to ..." "You won't be able to stop the Patriarchy." Tessa blinked. "The Patriarchy?" "It's the empire we told you about," Ruby said, rejoining the conversation. "Aggressive. Militaristic. Expansionistic. It's coming toward this Earth, drawing closer with each passing year." Her gaze held Tessa in a vice-like grip. "And when it arrives, it will beat the squabbling nations and petty peoples of this Earth into dust, and reforge them in its own image." "Everything you hold dear will be gone." Tessa broke the seemingly hypnotic grip Ruby had on her, swiveling her head in Alexia's direction. "Your loved ones. Roswell. America." A pregnant pause. "Your timeline's future." Tessa's head felt like it was swimming again. Well, did it ever really stop? she asked herself, sighing. Part of me wants to believe, she thought, it really does. But I won't be burned again, like I was with Dorian. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me! Taking a deep breath, she issued a final challenge: "You talk the talk," she said, "but can you walk the walk?" "I'm not familiar with that colloquialism," Alexia said, her tone rather sheepish. Tessa rolled her eyes. "Proof. I want proof that that what you've all told me is true! Are you really a civilization that's thousands of years old? Do you really travel among multiple realities? Is the Patriarchy as big a threat as you ...!" A flash of white light filled the room, momentarily blinding Tessa. She blinked repeatedly and rubbed at her eyes, trying to clear her vision. The afterimages finally faded away and, in their place, stood a gorgeous woman attired in a shimmering white, gold-accented Roman-like toga that left bare a fair-skinned, delicate shoulder. "You ... you weren't there a moment ago!" Tessa stammered. The woman's eyes fluttered open, revealing startling, gold-flecked brown orbs. "Hello," she said, her voice a soft lilt, "my name is Corona. I am the mistress of the Culture Guild." "I've got to be hallucinating -- people don't just materialize out of thin air." "There are those in the Sisterhood who wish this were a hallucination, that it would come to an end and they would find themselves waking up in their beds in the arcologies of Gaia the beautiful, of Gaia the lost," Corona said, her voice a mixture of longing and thoughtfulness. "Sisterhood? Gaia?" Corona inclined her head. "It's the name of our civilization ... and our conquered homeworld," she said, her voice conveying a sense of friendship and understanding to Tessa. "We're the remnant of the people who lived on Gaia. They led almost idyllic lives, at peace with themselves and the timelines they encountered while exploring the multi- verse around them." A hint of sadness entered Corona's voice. "Everything changed when Terra made contact with our civilization ..." Hours later, Tessa had -- as the late Saddam Hussein would have put it - - the mother of all headaches. "Wow," she whispered. "Your people have had a helluva time during the last 800 years or so!" "True, but we're far from the only ones who have suffered," Corona noted. "If we can get people like you to join the Sisterhood, perhaps it will give us the edge we need to stop the Patriarchy once and for all." The guild mistress gave Tessa a hopeful look. "Will you do so?" "You said you're a telepathic people," Tessa replied. "If that's the case, what am I thinking at this very instant?" She grinned. "Tell me that, and I'll join your Sisterhood." Corona shrugged, then focused her mind. "Hmm," she murmured, her eyes closed. "This won't be easy -- your mind is still partially closed to the Sisterhood, and telepathy quickly saps its users of energy, but ..." "I'll accept no excuses!" "Part of me wants to believe, it really does. But I won't be burned again, like I was with Dorian. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me!" Tessa's mouth fell open as Corona repeated the words. The guild mistress sagged, then opened her oh-so-entrancing eyes. "Now do you believe?" she asked, her voice hoarse. Tessa could no longer deny it -- indeed, didn't want to deny it. "Yes!" she shouted. "I believe! I believe! I ... oh, God. It's all true, then. The Patriarchy is for real." "Reality bites, doesn't it?" Ruby piped up. Corona gave Ruby a reproachful look; properly chastened, she lowered her head, biting her lower lip. Satisfied, the guild mistress seemingly glided over to where Tessa sat on the sofa. Settling down next to the young woman, she whispered reassuringly, "Don't worry. We're working on a plan that, if it bears fruit, will ensure your Earth is never victimized by the Patriarchy." "I'll hold you to that." *** "You know, you'd look good twisting and turning on the poles at my nightclub," Dorian observed. "With a body like that, you'd have men paying me big bucks to bed you." The lioness-tattooed woman with age-old, emerald green eyes glanced in his direction. "I'm not interested," she said, her tone clipped. "Once upon a time, perhaps, but not anymore." Dorian snorted. "A pity," he said. "After all, you're going to need a new job once my lawyers finish emptying your employer's bank accounts." He laughed. "I've already thought of three -- no, make that four -- ways I can drive the Night Skies Hotel into bankruptcy, all based not only on my illegal detainment, but mistreatment as well." "You don't scare me, little man," the woman replied. "I've experienced things that would freeze your soul. Things that are right up there with the worst horrors of Earth's history -- the Black Death, Genghis Khan, Nazi Germany, Nagasaki and Hiroshima, Pol Pot, Rwanda ..." The memory came, unbidden: "MARISSA!" she screamed, running toward her soulmate's crumpled form. "OH, GODDESSES! SOMEBODY HELP ME! THERE'S BLOOD EVERYWHERE!" Dimly, in the present, she heard his insolent words: "Ooh! I'm scared!" The past refused to relinquish its grip: Marissa clutched Naomi's knife; it was buried to its hilt in Marissa's chest. She focused on her soulmate's tear-stained face and smiled wanly. "I ... made a ... difference with ... my life ... didn't I?" She stared right through Dorian, her retort coming automatically: "You should be." "Of what?! Martians?! Venusians?!" Dorian laughed. "Oh, I get it! It's Ming the Merciless!" The woman shook her head. "Men." Her soulmate's final words to her echoed in the woman's mind: "I love you, Megan," Marissa sighed. "You ... and ... all of ... creation ..." Dorian's jaw dropped. "Wait. Did you just say men?" Megan focused her mind on the present, then nodded -- for sure, the still-painful memories popped up from time to time, such as now, but she knew that dwelling on the past could lead to self-pity, something Megan couldn't afford to indulge in. The goddesses give us no more than we can bear, she thought, even if we don't want to admit it. He shook his head in a patronizing manner. "Men, huh? Oh, no! The barbarians are at the gate!" He rolled his eyes. "God. Tessa can't get here soon enough! Speaking of which, where is that bitch? It's past noon already!" "She'll get here when she gets here. In the meantime ...," Megan closed her eyes briefly, then reopened them, "... lunch is on its way. Spam and water. You'll love it." "Whatever." Dorian made a mock lunge at the cell's bars; Megan didn't budge. "What? Not even a gasp? But I'm a big, bad man!" "Big and bad? In another reality, perhaps. A man? Hmm. Well, yes ...," now Megan smiled, and Dorian felt his skin crawl, "... but the question is, for how long?" *** Corona pulled back on the toga, revealing a large, firm breast. A bead of clear fluid welled up from the tip of its taunt, dark nipple. "Suckle, Tessa, and become part of the Sisterhood." "This is one of the stranger initiation rituals I've been a part of," Tessa commented. "Not that I'm repulsed by it -- hell, I suckled women's tits countless times while I was at Pirate's Paradise." She licked her lips. "Well, here goes!" Nuzzling Corona's well-endowed bosom, her mouth closed around the nipple, her tongue massaging its rough texture, lapping up the bead of fluid. More spurted into her mouth and she swallowed, delighting in its strangely sweet flavor. "Yes, that's it," Corona crooned. "Keep it up." She tousled Tessa's light, curly blonde hair as it thickened and darkened slightly, acquiring a honey-blonde hue as it spilled past her shoulders before stopping half-way down her back. "Ah." Tessa pulled away from Corona's breast, licking her lips as they swelled and reddened. "I would love having a cigarette about right now." Ruby opened the pack of Capri 120 "luxury length" superslims she kept handy at all times and shook out a mint-flavored cigarette. "Here you go, sister," she said, placing it between Tessa's ultra-feminine, slutty lips. Alexia flicked a lighter, bringing the flame to the tip of Capri 120. It caught, and Tessa inhaled deeply. Holding the mint-scented smoke in her lungs for several seconds, she leaned back in the sofa and exhaled a plume of creamy, white smoke. Her plume was joined by at least ten others, as women lit up celebratory Capri 120s, welcoming the newest addition to the Sisterhood. Clothes came off, revealing assets that would leave most ordinary women jealous, as something akin to a lesbian orgy -- if it could be called that, since a number of the women had once been men -- developed in the conference room. A new, musky scent filled the air, and Tessa's nostrils flared as she caught scent of her sisters' pheromones for the first time, released almost instinctively as the lust overtook them. Supple, fat-marbled legs parted, revealing Venus mounds with neatly trimmed "Vs" of pubic fur and moist, pink slits. Mouths clamped onto D-cup breasts, tongues vigorously probing erect, dark nipples and their dark, thick aerolae. Long-nailed, slender fingers gently pinched bare, supple asses. Lipstick-slathered mouths connected and parted, only to connect again. The scent of mint, herbs and sexual secretions mixed with the women's pheromones, producing an exotic potpourri that filled the room. It was just enough to push Tessa over the edge: In a flash her clothes were gone, reduced to a small pile of shredded remnants. "The ... the feeling ... it's ... it's indescribable ... so ... so overpowering!" Tessa moaned, bringing her Capri 120 back to her mouth and inhaling, savoring the minty smoke. She gazed at Corona; the guild mistress could see Tessa's eyes were changing color -- from warm brown to emerald green. "You told me ... what the transformation would ... be like ... but ... experiencing it is ... another story!" "Focus on my voice," Corona commanded. "If you don't, your old memories will be shattered when the pathogen weaves the knowledge and memories of the Sisterhood into your mind." Tessa nodded, exhaling a thin cone of smoke away from Corona's face. Stubbing out the nearly-finished Capri 120, she looked the guild mistress straight in the eye. She dared not even blink as the rewiring of her mind entered a critical phase. Corona's lips parted, and Tessa listened to her sing, low and soft and ... ... visions unfolded before her mind's eye of awe-inspiring, vertical cities whose silver and golden spires reached impossibly high into cloud-dappled, stunning blue skies. Arcologies. The word popped into her mind unbidden. Each arcology was at the center of a vast, park-like setting, which gave way to seemingly untamed, wild landscapes -- a mix of thick forests, rolling plains, steaming jungles, verdant grasslands, deep river valleys and green-sloped hills -- speckled by lakes and, in some cases, washed upon by the waves of great oceans. Above it all were airborne rivers of futuristic-looking, teardrop-shaped vehicles, flowing into and out of the arcologies, reflected sunlight turning each one into a bedazzling jewel. A plethora of animals, ranging from the fantastical to the mundane, inhabited the environments. Tessa saw prides of sabertooth cats, hornless rhinos, great, shaggy mammoths, giant sloths and towering, snarling cave bears. Herds of horses, some no taller than her waist, galloped through tall prairie grass, barely staying ahead of the predators -- big cats, most likely -- hidden within, the only clue to their presence visible from overhead in the form of occasional flashes of tawny fur in the mid-afternoon sunlight. She heard great, beastly bellows, and turned to see another scene unfold before her eyes: herds of bison-like animals foraging for food beneath the vault of heaven, dark clouds forked by lightning billowing up in the distance as a summer thunderstorm brewed. A human figure stood facing the storm, resplendent in a beaded and feathered ceremonial outfit, her painted and tattooed arms held high, as if issuing a challenge to the goddesses of her world. I'm seeing snapshots of Gaia and its people, Tessa realized, the tidbit of information coming from the ether of her mind, its memories and knowledge being remolded and expanded upon by the pathogen. So this is what their world -- mine, now, too -- looked like! I wonder if any of it remains today, or if it's mostly dead and gone, like Uhrth. Gaia faded, replaced by the ghost-like faces of women, men and children, appearing and vanishing at random. Each had a story to tell, a story that had become part of the Sisterhood's collective memory. Tessa listened to their voices, not yet understanding their musical language, but, somehow, knowing the meaning behind it. Scenes unfolded before her of children being born, of loved ones returning safely from war, of quiet times and simple pleasures -- and she bore witness to their sorrows: she saw, and lifted her trembling hands to, the black, granite monuments, her vision clouded by tears, each etched with golden letters forming countless names representing lost souls loved by someone, somewhere ... ... now she found herself staring, helpless, as a small ship, aflame, plunged into a residential tower in Themiscyra, the skies above thick with dogfighting ships and fireballs. She was running through capital's streets, one of the countless women, men and children seeking escape from their besieged paradise, dodging flaming wreckage falling from the sky and collapsing towers, trying to ignore the piercing wails of the dying around her. Oh, goddesses! It's gone wrong, so horribly wrong! It wasn't supposed to turn out like this! Tessa thought, a heavy darkness pressing upon her soul. The Joining was supposed to herald a golden age for Terra and Gaia ... ... a blur, then she stood near a towering pillar of crystal aglow with dark, wild energy, seeing a screaming woman hugging it, her face contorted by grief, hatred and sorrow -- without warning, tendrils of black energy shot out of the crystal, enveloping and crushing approaching, predatory-looking ships into nothingness in the blink of an eye. Tessa opened herself even more to the flow, completely losing track of the present. How many glimpses of others' life stories had she experienced? Dozens? Hundreds? Thousands? Millions? In the end, it didn't really matter. Her eyes grew bright with welling tears. There was so much tragedy, death and destruction! She squared her shoulders and forged ahead -- I need to do this, she thought. I need to understand the forces that drive my people, that keeps them clinging to life and hope against all odds. Somewhere, far beyond Tessa's mind, Corona's voice could be heard. "Stay with me, Tessa. Focus on my voice. That's it. I am your guide, your lifeline." Tessa held on for dear life, clinging to the soothing voice of the guild mistress as the initiate was tossed about a storm-ridden ocean of new memories and knowledge, tiny and seemingly insignificant as waves surged, lightning struck, thunder rumbled and wind howled, banshee-like. She was dimly aware of her physical body changing -- her breasts felt heavier, her nipples were larger and more sensitive, and newly elongated, crimson nails crowned her fingers -- but the primary challenge remained within her changing mind. There was no rhyme or reason as more memories surfaced: This time, of great swarms of ships locked in combat over not just Themiscyra, but other arcologies as well, of people -- of all ages and ethnicities -- screaming and running before the onslaught of hellish bolts of burning energy that seemingly fell from the skies of their worlds, obliterating everything they knew. Now, in her mind's eye, she saw oddly uniformed women engaged in close-quarter combat against armored figures, their black and gray carapaces emblazoned with the insignia of a powerful, black dragon coiled around a planet, its bat-like wings flared menacingly, a crimson jet of searing flame spewing from its horned, jagged-toothed maw. The women fought valiantly, but they just weren't good enough to turn aside death's black and gray tide. They fell, one by one, sometimes in clusters as, behind them, children scrambled aboard a pair of alien ships. The vessels rose into a sky rent by detonations, corkscrewing fighters and pyramid-like buildings -- and then one of them disappeared in a tremendous blast of light and heat. Tessa felt a scream form in her throat, and in that instant, she found herself experiencing the memory from a unique perspective -- that of a sister who had been in the middle of the action. No longer was she a third party witnessing the events from a safe distance: Tessa sat before some sort of holographic display, seemingly indecipherable alien script and symbols scrolling before her eyes. She could hear voices all around her, the language melodious in nature, but, all the same, alien to her ears. This doesn't make sense, this doesn't make sense! she screamed in her mind. I don't understand any of this! I haven't the faintest clue as to what ...! She blinked. Had her vision just sharpened ever so slightly? Yes! It had! And now, as she looked at the display, its alien script and symbols were no longer gibberish. It's the status and control display of a command Raven, she thought incredulously. She frowned, staring at the information. Oh, Lord. I'm in the middle of a war zone! A burst of the music-like alien language came again, except now Tessa understood it: "The perimeter has been breached, matriarch! We have multiple incursions. I repeat, we have multiple ..." "Get us out of here, co-pilot!" Somehow, Tessa knew she was the co-pilot. She tried to question the prematurely aged woman -- It's Matriarch Nokomis, Tessa thought, stunned. She was a legendary flag officer who died during a rescue mission to Uhrth! -- who exuded the strength of a deeply rooted oak tree, but couldn't. This wasn't her memory after all, but that of the woman who had actually been there. Realizing she was just along for the ride, Tessa relaxed and allowed the memory to flow through her: "But ... but we still have children out there!" Tessa protested. "Better some than none!" Tessa reflexively moved her hands over the holographic display, preparing the Raven's crystalline-powered systems for liftoff. Glancing back into the craft's interior, she saw a young man -- He's Mihri, she thought. He was just 17 years old during this mission, and already an emissary for the Sisterhood! -- reaching for a little girl with dark hair and big, soulful brown eyes. His hand closed around hers, hauling the child aboard as the entryway sealed itself behind her small form. Tessa powered up the Raven's engines; the ship rose above the landing zone, its counterpart doing likewise. Tessa scanned the plaza, seeing the few surviving Guardians who still stood their ground, fighting to the last woman; her heart ached for them and the ten or so youngsters the Ravens had been forced to abandon. The children were huddled together, crying. And even though it wasn't her memory, and she wasn't really there, Tessa felt tears spilling anew down her cheeks. Oh, God, these memories ... they're so powerful! So overwhelming! she wailed mentally. There was a streak of light, immediately followed by a gigantic explosion. The detonation of the second Raven and its precious load of refugee children blinded Tessa; her Raven lost altitude, its engines whining, as the expanding shockwave hammered the craft, a hailstorm of debris sandblasting it. She screamed, cried and screamed again. "NNNOOO!!!" ... sob ... "NNNOOO!!!" A gentle voice cut through the agony of the moment, like the beam of a lighthouse shining through the thickest, pea soup-like fog. "Follow my voice, Tessa. That's it. You can do it." Tessa's eyes snapped open, focused on the face before her. It was Corona. She was holding Tessa's hand in her palm. "Wha ... what just happened?" Tessa asked, her vision clearing. You're one of us, now, Corona said telepathically. Tessa's eyes widened. Even better, you made the transition without having the memories of your old life shattered. "By the goddesses," Tessa moaned, "it wasn't a walk in the park! No wonder so few initiates emerge from the transformation with memories of their former lives intact." "Sometimes, it's for the better," Corona replied, a smile tugging at the corner of her mouth now that Tessa was safe, "particularly if they led unfulfilling lives or were criminals." Tessa brought her hands to her temples. The memories -- and knowledge -- were there, but no longer frightened or overpowered her as they had during the initiation. She commanded them now, rather than the other way around. Thank the goddesses! Tessa thought. Otherwise I'd be in a mental institution! Sensing Tessa's relief, Corona's smile turned sympathetic. "Congratulations are in order," she said, "but you know you're not completely out of the woods, yet." "The lust." Tessa sighed. "I already feel it gnawing at me. The urge to give the gift of womanhood to other males is strong." "For what it's worth, the Science Guild theorizes the urge is an evolutionary holdover from a time before recorded history, when a plague swept Gaia, killing females by the tens of millions," Corona explained. "Some survivors' bodies altered the pathogen so that, instead of killing females, it actually created them from males -- necessary, I suppose, to enhance the odds of humanity's recovering from the plague's impact." She smiled. "After all, too many males and too few females invariably spells disaster." "Well, we certainly don't have that problem here," Tessa observed, looking around the room, seeing her sisters still locked in the throes of passion. There was nary a male in sight. Corona shrugged. "Besides us, there are twenty others in this room. Half are initiates and the other half are natural born -- all, however, are young and have never been beyond the safety of the Night Skies Hotel or Meridia." She grinned. "Young and horny. We encourage them to enjoy it while they can because, sooner or later, they'll be thrust into the middle of a war that has claimed billions of lives -- and there's no joy to be found there." Tessa only half-heard the guild mistress, distracted as she was not only by her own carnal urges, but also by the sights of bare breasts flashing, Venus mounds grinding into each other and dainty, pink tongues suggestively licking pouty, lipsticked mouths. Tessa compared her assets to those of her sisters: Her breasts had enlarged from a C-cup to a D- cup; her nipples and aerolae were larger and darker; and her long, red nails had exquisite designs etched into them, along with the occasional small, glittering diamond. In addition to that, her skin was now flawless, its smooth contours interrupted only by the v-shape of her pubic fur and a navel ring encrusted with gorgeous, multi-hued sapphires. "I stack up nicely against them, if I do say so myself," Tessa murmured. She closed her eyes briefly, resisting the urge to join her sisters in their orgy. "Please, tell me you have a male ready for me to mate with!" "We always have males waiting to be initiated," Corona said, "even if they don't know it." *** "Class, today's lessons will focus on various aspects of the timelines - - including the conditions required to give rise to them, further exploration of what trunk timelines are and, last but not least, an overview of the science behind timeline travel." A chorus of teenage disapproval swelled, but the teacher quieted it with a you-know-better-than-to-do-that look. She tsked. "Now, now. None of that! Besides, we have a very special guest today, and it's imperative that she see just how serious you are about your studies!" The teacher moved off to the side of the classroom, smiling knowingly as the students whispered among themselves. Their low, wondering voices died away when a soft, diffused pillar of white light filled the room, then faded to reveal a regal form adorned in all the accouterments of her office. For once in their young lives, the teacher's students found themselves speechless. "I present to you," the teacher announced, "none other than Queen Dominus Artemis!" The students -- twenty in all, ranging in age from fifteen to seventeen -- stirred, uncertainly at first, then rose from their seats, only to get down on bended knee. "How may we be of service, my goddess?" they chorused reverentially. Artemis, however, would have none of that. "While your show of respect is appreciated," she laughed, motioning for the young women to rise, "what I'm most interested in is whether or not you've got what it takes to become full-fledged members of the Science Guild." She appraised the students, who hailed from a variety of backgrounds and ethnicities. Her features became wistful, seeing their nervousness beneath the bravado they projected. "Believe it or not, but I know what it's like struggling to qualify for membership in a guild, having gone through it myself a long time ago. "I'm here today to help you achieve what your teacher and I already have: membership in the Science Guild," Artemis continued. "The road to provisional status has been long and hard