Claustrophobia

Chapter Four - Genesis - 5

Afterwards, the two of them lay there together, Z9's head on Lar.4G's shoulder. Espionage, as Z0 had discovered fairly early, always came with its perks, and one of the perks of this particular mission was still throbbing between Lar.4G's legs.

'I wish we could do that every minute of every day,' he said.

I really hope not, Z9 thought; I don't think I've got the stamina.

'I am a woman of many talents,' she said, 'and of exceptional beauty.'

'Well you're not wrong about either of those points,' Lar.4G said, his arm snaking around to cradle Z9 against him.

She could feel him slowly dozing off. It wasn't as late as it could have been, but apparently the HyperGP driver had decided that he was to remain in Cabin 304 all night. She shivered as his hand touched her shoulder, and sat up.

'Drink?' she asked. She clambered out of bed, the cool air tickling her skin, and wandered over to the table where the bottle still stood corked, and the two glasses untouched and empty.

'You are a fine hostess, Z9,' Lar.4G commented, sitting upright and admiring her form. The low lighting seemed to outline her, silvery-blue gilding that made her appear angelic, a being of ether.

'I have been brought up properly,' she said, pouring the Ckario into the glasses. 'I was taught to know how to wait on someone, lest I be robbed and the restaurants become my only salvation.'

'Your parents were obviously very clever people,' he said.

'They were, always the sharpest tools in the shed,' Z9 said, making her way back over to the bed and handing Lar.4G his drink.

'Ta,' he said, taking a sip and putting the glass on the bedside table. Z9 held onto hers as if it were a holy emblem.

Now is the time, Z9. Now is the time to get him on board.

'Speaking of my parents,' she began, 'I think I saw an old colleague of my dad's on the ship earlier this evening, though I can't be sure.'

'Who was it? I might have met them around,' Lar.4G said. 'I know half the people on Helios already.'

'Guran Mysen.'

Lar.4G shook his head. 'Nope, don't know him.'

Z9 sat bolt upright, jerking suddenly with all of her carefully honed acting skills. 'He couldn't... no...'

'What is it? What's the matter?'

'Well, my dad and Mysen, if he is who I think he is, had a massive falling out just before my parents died. Mysen swore that he would take my father down, or so I heard from the other end of the house. It's a massive place, so I may have misheard, but thinking on it now...

'What if their kar didn't career off the road by accident? What if Mysen just orchestrated it to look like that?'

'He sabotaged their kar?'

'Hmm, probably not. But then again, if it is him that I see, and I'm correct, then...'

Lar.4G turned pale. 'He might be after you.'

'Oh I'm sure it's nothing. Just me imagining things, it might not even be him. Even so... Couldn't do me a big, big favour for me, could you?'

Lar.4G turned to look at her. 'You want me to spy on him? Find out if he's really here to knock you off?'

Z9 shuddered. 'Please, don't put it like that. I may even be thinking of someone completely different. But I'd feel a lot safer with you to help me and look after me. Just, you know, if you see anything. I'm sorry, I just feel a little less safe now. I just came away to forget everything that had happened.'

Z9 bowed her head. Lar.4G brought his arms around her and brought her close to him. His arms were stronger than steel pillars, and Z9 ran a hand over his abs which felt like rocks. If he'd just keep his mouth shut most of the time, Z9 thought, I could do this.

'It's ok,' he soothed, 'nothing's going to happen to you.'

She looked into his eyes. 'Thank you.'

He grinned back. 'Nothing outside this room, at least.'

'Already again?'

Lar.4G took his glass, knocked back the rest of his Ckario. 'It'd be a hard choice between racing and you.'

Z9 smiled. She didn't care who it was from, she could take being told that she was good in bed.