Children of The Nebulous

Chapter Five: Five Months Ago...Home Ground.

This time Anthony grinned and called out, "Listen up everyone, Captain Blade has just informed me, Home Ground will be open the entire time he's away, so you can all sleep inside tonight and every night if you wish!" Blade glared at him, Anthony smiled and under his breath whispered. "The ship likes the company. Gell packs are up ten percent just on tonights recycling."

With that Blade allowed them some watered down alcohol and sweet biscuits, then told them all to find their allotted rooms and get a good nights sleep. A few preferred to sleep outside where the large fire was still blazing strongly. Younger children chatted excitedly at the thought of clean beds and a chance to stay up all night talking, while The Olders, as they were known, had already begun to drift off in pairs, stealing kisses when they thought no one was looking. Anthony announced loudly, that if any one was thinking of 'making sunshine' there were the usual patches, pills, jabs and those old fashions things known as condoms, available in the foyer.

Blade had given Anthony another fierce glare, "Their just kids, what are you saying!?"

"They're not always going to fill them with Grit and use them as bombs Blade. Look around you there's only four of them under the age of consent, everyone's growing up, paring off. We can't help it, it's part of our K.i. Chips. There's bound to be some... curiosity. It's something you need to address."

"When I get back."

"Hmmm... I'll look forward to that speech, Captain," grinned Anthony.

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Blade decided he liked waking up in a bed--he liked the feel of the sheets on his skin, so much better than his dirt dugout and he liked it even more waking up next to Kesti. She had wound herself around him so tightly he was wondering how to untangle himself without waking her. He smiled. Did he really want to get up? Did he really want a near three day trek through the Wasted Forest across the Grey Desert to the Ruined City to hunt out something that may come to nothing, a waste of time? Could even get him killed. No... not really.

He gently smoothed his fingernails over Kesti's shoulder and down her arm, her skin was so soft, the artificial light made it shimmer a little. Trouble with waking up this early in the morning and lying so close to some one this beautiful, did weird things to him. Probably did weird things to every guy. He couldn't go back to sleep but then, he didn't want to.

He nuzzled his face into Kesti's hair, it smelt so good and then very gently rolled her over so he could kiss her awake. He had to wake her, she'd get really mad with him if he started without her. Understandable. But finding himself in the right position and already almost past the point of no return, he begun without her anyway. Slowly in his head he counted down the seconds... twenty was the longest he could get away with this. Sometimes he was sure she pretended to be a sleep. He slipped inside her so easily. "Kesti," he whispered. "Oh my god you're so beautiful. Hmmm. "

"Hey Captain, your six o'clock alarm went off half an hour ago!"

"Anthony! Private moment!"

"Aw, sorry!" he grinned, "but I've got stuff to go over with you before you set off. Plus you two made enough sun shine last night to put the Gamma Shrine to shame!"

"I'll be there!"

"Want tea Kesti?" called Anthony a little louder.

She rolled away from Blade taking sheets with her "No, I'm sleeping..." she gritted into her pillow. Blade threw his pillow at the door just as Anthony stepped back and it automatically closed. "Have you changed your mind?" said Kesti from under the sheets.