Uplift.



They watch in silence from behind the wall of glass that separates them from her, each of them struggling silently with their own thoughts, each fighting the same battle over and over again in their minds wondering, what could I have done differently to spare her from this?. Why did I come through it in one piece while she lays there clinging to life. Her face has color but there are I V tubes sticking out of her body seemingly going in every conceivable direction, as the woman they know as a friend, a teammate, the one that has always jumped into the fire with them time after time, their sister Roxx fights for her life. Twitch, Thump and Cowboy have barely left her since they returned to Threshold, Klinger’s thoughts soon return to Priss, he wonders how she is holding up to the scrutiny of the Threshold board of reviews.

Reaching..



Saturday, December 7th, 2069. 1600 hrs, Threshold headquarters, Langley Virginia, debrief room #3.
She sits in front of the board patiently fielding their questions, making her own observations of the events that led up to the reds attack on team Alpha outside of the Storm drain just one mile from Mordes Keep, but it is only when she speaks of the attack inside of Krotas’s palace that she has the undivided attention of the chief of reviews.
“ The way you describe your personal attack on general Krotas, it sounds rather venomous on your part Miss Priss, we are really trying to understand here-”
She folds her arms in front of her chest, and considers the question carefully before answering. She rises from her chair slowly and addresses them directly.
“May I ask this panel a question of my own?”
A long uncomfortable silence follows. The chief of reviews finally nods his approval in her direction.
“ My species not withstanding, does any member of this panel know what it is to be a female, human or otherwise?”
“With all due respect Miss Priss, this panel is comprised of men. There is no way that any of us could answer that question.”
“ So.. Master chief.. Do any of you know what it feels like to have been beaten and raped repeatedly?”
The room falls silent. They do not answer.
“This panel wonders.. About my loyalties? About my venom towards the males of my species? I was brought here specifically for the purpose of sexually servicing the male reds, the women of my species are beaten, kicked, and raped on a daily basis master chief. It is true that while Threshold can use my services to help them against the red army, Threshold has given me my freedom in return, for this I give you my loyalty. It is my hopes that in my service that I may help to free other females who have suffered at the hands of these curs.”
She explains the events up to the time that Roxx is shot, with great detail, Klinger and Milo protecting the rear, to the time when they rendezvous with the pick up vessel. When it is concluded that no member of team Alpha was at fault in the shooting of Roxx, Priss is dismissed to rejoin Samantha Bliss and the others.

Roxx..



She is sitting in the hallway on the floor outside of Roxx’s room, when Klinger and Samantha Bliss find her there half asleep. Samantha bends down to see if Priss is awake. When she raises her head she sees Klinger and becomes more alert.
“Samantha? How is Roxx holding up?”
Samantha Bliss’s smile slowly fades, and her look becomes one of concern.
“She made it through surgery, but its touch and go right now, they say she’s got a fifty, fifty chance of pulling through, we're staying put for now until we know more, they’re giving us a couple of days to recuperate.”
“And what have they done with our newest guest Sil?”
Samantha Smiles.
“We were just on our way to go and check on her, she’s sleeping in the one of the dorms, of course she is being guarded. Although I suspect that she doesn’t need a lot of protection.”
Priss nods.
“Samantha.. I feel very bad about.. Well.. You know.. Roxx getting shot and all.”
“Well.. You shouldn’t, you carried her to the boat Priss. Like you said you were going to. Every step of the way, she’s alive because you kept up the pace, you didn’t let anybody or anything stop you why don’t you go get some sleep.”
She stands and turns toward the dorm, she walks down the corridor stopping momentarily by the door of Roxx’s room. She pause’s and rests her palm on the flat of the door as if trying to reach into her.
“I’m sorry Roxx.”

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Awakening.



She stands at the bow of the vessel, it is raining softly against her skin, her eyelids pressed tightly closed as if the early morning light is blinding to her. She feels the vessel slowly and gently sway as it moves through the water, and it feels as though she’s floating, as though all time has stopped. Her eye’s open now and she sees him standing against the rail to the port side, and she silently studies him. She wonders about the brief kiss that she gave him, she wonders about his touch, about his heart and soul, and if her own heart is really beating softly in her chest or if it is all but a conjuring of her mind. Is this what it must feel like to be whole? To be certain of something.. Of anything. To know what it is to not just live.. But to be Human.

Into The Storm.



Thursday December 5th 0900 hrs.. it is the Year 2069. One half mile out side of Mordes Keep.
The thunder of the storm and the cold morning air pulls her away from the images and thoughts that still roam with the many questions that exist in her mind. Questions that Priss cannot answer, there have been many of those as of late. Questions that surely must be relative to what she is feeling.
“Priss.”
The rain is still falling less softly now than as before, it makes her skin seem much colder, as cold as the death that she is perceived by many to be such a part of. Demons do not live, demons do not feel, yet here she is, really walking, talking.. Asking questions, feeling her heart beat, Living?
“Priss?”
She feels his hand touch her skin and it warms her, she opens her eyes and there in front of her is Klinger.
“Are you okay?”
She nods slowly.
“Get into the storm drain, Milo and me have to stay to the rear, we have to get back to the extraction point before nightfall.”
She gently touches his face.
“You will be right behind me.. Yes?”
“Always.. Lets go sweetie. We’re burning daylight here.”
They can hear the noise of the oncoming reds heading towards them and Klinger and Milo move away from the drain and ready themselves for the onslaught.
“Get your asses in gear up there! We’ll hold them back!”
Milo Tripper and Klinger open fire on the oncoming reds who run blindly into their line of fire, they cut down the first six or seven immediately, but are certain that more are coming. they both enter the tunnel behind the others and make their way through the dark cramped passage. It is time to go back into the jungle, people are waiting.

Going Home.



They are the last two through the storm drain, but they know the reds are not far behind them, and as soon as Klinger and Milo tripper are clear of the opening, that it will be fired upon by the other members of team Alpha. They can hear screaming coming from about thirty yards back. The reds are gaining on them, they break through the entrance of the storm drain and Klinger yells out to them as they clear the opening.
“Shoot It! Shoot the opening they’re coming up behind us!”
They all open fire at the walls of the drain in an attempt to collapse the only way out, the walls slowly give way and begin to buckle, as the first three reds appear, they blindly open fire and one gets a shot off at a member of team Alpha,and the woman called Roxx takes a direct hit. Twitch Thump and Cowboy all return fire on the reds as Roxx lays bleeding behind them, while Samantha Bliss and Priss tend to her aid.The drain collapses and team Alpha once again at least for the moment have prevailed. The rain falls harder, Priss can feel her heart trying to beat its way through her chest, as Roxx’s bloody hand clutches her own. Samantha Bliss is working feverishly to stop the bleeding.
“Roxx.. Breathe baby.. breathe for me now.. Hang on its going to be okay girl.”
The bleeding stops but she loses consciousness, they will not leave her behind. They will not let her die here. Alone in this cold place. Roxx is going with them alive or dead, no one gets left behind. Priss picks up Roxx and cradles her limp body in her arms. She looks at Samantha Bliss and the others..
“She’s coming with us.. If I have to carry her every step of the way.”
Priss looks down at Roxx and she begins to understand the questions now. The questions about love, about life, about needing to feel human. And why this fragile thing humans call life is so precious. Because it can all slip from your grasp. Within an instant. She feels the moisture coming from the corners of her eyes slowly mixing with the Rain.
“Lets take Roxx home now Samantha.”

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The palace of Krotas.



Thursday December 5th 0500 hrs. even here in the early hours of the morning it never seems to get light, they are here inside the palace of Krotas. Here and now Samantha Bliss will know of Priss’s true alliance’s. There are two guards ahead towards the end of the hall, neither are large in stature and both are unaware of the presence of the silent intruders as they close in on their targets. Samantha slowly pulls loose a long blade from the side of her boot, she nods to Priss, both know that they must take them as quietly as possible, as to not alert other guards who may be roaming the halls. The first one turns almost directly towards her and she thrusts the long blade deep into his throat while Priss is on the other, the last makes a muffled thumping noise as its lifeless body hit’s the floor. Heavy footfalls echo from inside of the door of Krotas ‘s chamber, could it possibly be that easy? Priss has turned to face the sounds, and Samantha bliss can see droplets of blood dripping from her horns. And when Krotas opens the door and Priss sees him standing there half naked, she cannot contain her rage and runs towards the surprised Krotas ramming both of her horns into his abdomen ripping at him while driving him to the floor. She makes contact with her backup.
“Klinger.. You and Milo got the windows?”
Click… hiss..
“Yeah Boss lady we got your back.”
“That’s good, because in a few minutes half of hell is going to be coming up that hallway to have Priss and my asses for breakfast.”
Hearing her own voice mention Priss’s name causes her to return her attention the Krotas ’s chambers, she is there in the doorway with Krotas at her feet, he is battered and mortally wounded, both of his horns have been ripped off at their stems, he tries to speak to her as Priss takes the bloody necklace from his bleeding neck. Behind her she can hear the sounds of running boots coming down the hall, and the sounds of breaking glass indicating that Klinger and Milo are killing whatever has crossed into their line of sight from the rooftop across the street. She enters the chamber where Priss has Krotas.


Sil.



His voice is weak as though he is nothing more than a frightened dying boy, he is covered in his own blood, she stands above him, clutching the bloody necklace defiantly staring down at him, her expressionless face showing no emotion. Suddenly Priss’s true motives for helping Threshold, are becoming clear to Samantha Bliss, on Krotas’s bed there is a naked female like Priss, only much younger.
“You betray your own kind for them Priss? You in your own blackheart, yearn to be human do you? You are just like me Priss Nothing more than a monster to them, and when you have one day outlived your usefulness, they will end your relationship, and you will be returned to us as you are.. Nothing more that a useless bed wench!”
She lowers her weapon and trains it on his forehead.
“I am nothing like you Krotas. And we are certainly not of the same species. Your boss is waiting for you monster.”
She pulls at the trigger and his skull all but disappears. She looks at Samantha Bliss who has now trained her attention on the cowering female laying naked on Krotas’s bed.
Samantha throws her a shirt that was left on the back of a chair.
“Tell her that she is free now Priss. you have the necklace with the stone?”
Priss Nods.
“ Then we need to get out of here right now.”
They exit the room and make their way along the back staircase, here they will be on their own and will not be having Klinger and Milo Tripper to watch their backs, only Lifeguard will be able to see them safely to the basement where they will re enter the tunnel to take them back into the outside world. Click..Hiss..
“Sam?”
“Yes Lifeguard?”
“Four Reds down the hall in front of you and Miss Priss, right before the basement door that you came out of.”
“We’ll Take them Lifeguard.”
A brief exchange of shots before Samantha and Priss hit the tunnel leaves the reds dead in their wake, just before the are ready to re enter Priss Stops her.
“Samantha?”
“Yes?”
She places the necklace in her palm. “I believe this belongs to Threshold now.”
Both hear footsteps coming through the door, and when the young female red appears in the doorway, now fully dressed but still wide eyed and afraid, Priss and Bliss look at each other unsure of what to do.Until finally Samantha smiles and looks at Priss.
“Tell her if she’s coming with us she’d better hurry, we don’t have the luxury of time.”
They all three enter the tunnel together.

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He is sitting on the ground in the middle of the jungle, he is all alone, surrounded by the mist and fog, through it she appears walking towards him, naked, beautiful, now she is right in front of him close enough to touch. Her perfect breasts rise and fall slowly with every breath she takes. She lowers herself on top of him and they begin to feverishly kiss, her hips begin to rhythmically crash against his with each thrust becoming more violent than the last, she throws her head back and close’s her eyes, a slow steady scream escapes from his throat, and he is not certain if it is born of pain or ecstasy.

Silent Falling




Thursday December 5th 0300 hrs. three miles northeast of Mordes Keep. He doesn’t know if it was the sounds of his own screams in his mind, or the thunder and rain that was falling through the trees that caused him to open his eyes. All that Ethan John Klinger knew was when he opened them, he was back in the jungle, rifle in hand awaiting orders from Samantha Bliss. She is standing in a clearing talking to Priss, who has told her the way to get into the Keep unseen, there is an underground storm drain another mile and a half ahead of them, that will take them inside of the Keep.
“How many people can fit into this storm drain?”
“We can all walk through it Samantha, single file but if you have a couple of people lag back and guard the rear it might be best, just in case something gets their attention and brings them to us.”
She considers Priss’s proposal, and decides that she needs more information.
“How far into the Keep will it take us before we could be spotted?”
“Just inside the first wall, but I know a way to get a couple of us inside of Krotas’s palace unseen.”
The decision is made to go forward, and she instructs the team to push on towards the storm drain, Priss carefully leads them through the dark jungle until they are thirty feet from the drain.
“I will go in first Samantha.”
Samantha Bliss puts her hand on Priss’s chest to hold her back. And peers inside of the tunnel.
“Not yet Priss. First lets have a look shall we?”
She takes a small round ball from a compartment in her belt and twists it until she hears a faint clicking noise, and then throws it down the tunnel opening, seconds later, a soft light begins to illuminate their path. She nods to Cowboy, Twitch and Thump, and with weapons drawn they slowly slip into the tunnel while Samantha stops them briefly halfway in for instructions, Priss has moved to the side just out of sight and when Klinger moves into reach she pulls at him and quickly kisses him on the mouth, he backs away surprised, and as she moves around him towards Samantha Bliss she smiles at him and whispers..
“Just for luck baby.”
She enter the tunnel and moves into the lead beside of Samantha Bliss.
Milo Tripper moves up beside of Klinger.
“So.. Kling? Do you want to take that hook out of your mouth before or after we enter the drain?”

Into The Keep



They are now clear of the storm drain, and he and Milo Tripper will take positions at the top of what is left of a deserted seven story building across from what Priss has told them to be the palace of Krotas. Much to their surprise the area is for the moment, unguarded by any significant number of reds. As they make their way down the first corridor the stench of mold and mildew permeates the air, it is damp, cold dark and wet. There are vines growing wildly up the sides of the walls of the building, as they make their way floor by floor uncontested, he hears Samantha’s voice come through his earpiece.
“Klinger.. Let us know when your in position and Priss and I will go into the palace. Lifeguard is telling me that there are multiple targets moving on the other side of the palace but nothing on this side so far, there are three Reds roaming along the corridors inside the palace and there is one inside of a room all by itself. We think our boy is home. ”
He smiles to himself as Milo Tripper opens the door to the roof methodically they slowly move in complete silence to the edge of the building and fall into place. Below the remaining members of team Alpha are securely inside of the Keep in full force, now there is a small city, now there is movement, there are buildings, and most importantly, there are thermo signatures to lock onto. Now Lifeguard has eyes that are working, as team Alpha skillfully move through the darkened streets of Mordes Keep surrounding the Palace of Krotas.
“Lifeguard?.. Have you got eyes yet?”
“Yes Samantha.. They are working just fine now.”
“And your locked onto my team?”
“Yes Ma’am. I can see everything around them, nothing will get to them without me seeing them first, and hey about Priss.. Samantha You Know…”
“Yeah, that thought has already crossed my mind. But don’t worry hon, I’m not exactly stupid you know, we’ll be fine.”
“Just be careful in there, and keep your head down.”
Priss removes a manhole cover and nods towards the opening, Samantha Bliss takes in a deep breath and follows her down into what will take them inside of the palace. Once they are both inside, Priss pulls the cover back over the opening.

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Along The Straits.



Wednesday December 4th, 2069 The Jericho Straits.
2100 hrs. Twenty six miles from Mordes Keep . She is there, right in front of him, in this brilliant moonlight he can see her clearly as his eyes slowly move up and down the length her body, where she stands at the front of the vessel that is taking them once again down the Jericho Straits. Demon, woman, or whatever else you may call this individual known as Priss, one Ethan John Klinger is clearly enchanted by her visual attributes. Milo Tripper has taken notice and silently moves in beside of Klinger and studies the captivating Priss.
“You can’t be seriously considering what I think you may be considering can you Kling?”
With a cold indifferent silence, his stare slowly drifts in the direction of Milo Tripper but his head doesn’t move. he isn’t smiling, and Milo can see it , right there in his eyes, there is something suddenly different about Klinger now. Priss turns her head towards what will be their landing zone, and he knows that the conversation that he is trying to have with Klinger will have to wait for another time. She walks towards the cabin where Samantha Bliss is making contact with Lifeguard, and as Priss passes him, she looks at Klinger and smiles, Tripper sees how her Threshold uniform, follows every contour of her perfect body, and Demon, woman or not, horns and all, there is nothing that Milo will be able to say or do to keep them apart if it is Priss’s will to have Klinger as her lover. They make it to the landing zone and they muster just ten miles out from the keep, the straits have made it painfully easy for them to be this close as the reds clearly want nothing to do with the waters of the straits They rarely come this far north Priss tells them.
“In fact we should be almost three miles from the Keep before we even have to really start watching what we are doing, that where the serious patrols start.” she tells Samantha Bliss that this particular path will take them three miles into the jungle before they turn to the southeast to get to the Keep. They walk on in silence with two columns, one on each side of the path, Samantha too has seen the curious exchange of looks between Klinger and Priss, and has decided wisely to keep them apart as much as possible. Priss walks in front of Samantha’s column while Klinger takes the point of the other column, all of the while The skywatch satellites tell Lifeguard what to tell Bliss about what is happening on the ground around them in the failing light. As they make their way through the first mile of jungle none can help but feel as though they are walking an alien landscape, as mounds of unfamiliar looking earth swell up around them with black trees that seem to go on forever with each spinning endless miles of Vines covering them from the light, they are now farther in than any human has been in five years.

Breaking Nightfall.



It seems as though it is as pitch black as any night could be, The progress along the winding path leading into the jungle surrounding Mordes Keep is very slow and tedious. It would appear at times, as though even Priss is unsure of direction here. sky watches satellites have no thermo activity to lock onto, the only heat signatures that are seen belong to the bodies of the members of team Alpha, and so Lifeguard cannot lead them through it.
“I’m getting nothing from Skywatch except you Sam, the only other thing that I’ll be able to catch is if any reds try to sneak up on you, better tell your team its time to break out the night vision glasses, time to trust your own eyes, I’ll keep mine open just in case.”
She holds her hand up in a closed fist to her column and silently crosses the path towards Klinger and tells the team to break out the night vision glasses, upon hearing her own words, she wonders to herself why she hadn’t done that to begin with, perhaps she was becoming too reliant on Lifeguard being there to always warn her of impending dangers hidden in her path. She needed to start trusting herself more again, and even though the whole team hated wearing the glasses, they all wore them only when told to, for after awhile, some would begin to get headaches after seeing the world through them for hours at a time. She slowly pulls the glasses over her forehead and clicks the soft button on the side and watches as the night lights up and slowly comes to life. Ahead of her Priss slowly struggles with her glasses, she can’t seem to get them to navigate over her horns. Samantha almost smiles and moves up behind her to give aid, they give way and she moves them over Priss’s eyes and whispers to her to close them until she turns the glasses on and when she opens them she draws a deep breath.
“Well, at least we know one thing Samantha Bliss.”
“Yes? And what might that be?”
“My eyes work in the same way as yours do.”
She puts her hand on Samantha’s cheek and slowly rubs the back of her fore finger along its length and whispers to her.
“ I know that no one here but Klinger trusts me, but I am going to prove myself to you Samantha, I’m going to put the bullet or knife into Krotas’s hollow heart myself and rip that necklace off from his dead neck and bring it to you.”
“I already know that you’re not like them Priss, and as for trust, mine isn’t easily won, but if we make it through this and end up back at Threshold without you betraying my team, that will be a large step in the right direction concerning trust.”
Priss smiles and nods, she pulls the plasma rifle out in front of her and slowly makes her way into the black jungle, Samantha and team Alpha silently follow.. They would be at Mordes Keep by dawn.

***** First Break. *****

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