Page 29 of Alien Attachment
“The bond,” I manage, my voice rougher than intended. “It transmits... sensory data. When I experience something intensely, you receive echoes of the sensation.”
“That was just from touching you?” Her eyes are wide, dark with something that sends heat cascading through my system.
“Yes.”
“What else can it transmit?”
The question dangles between us like bait, and I know I should resist, should maintain appropriate boundaries, should remember that she is vulnerable and confused and deserves better than an alien whose control systems are apparently made of tissue paper.
Instead, I hear myself saying, “Many things. Emotions. Physical sensations. Even...” I hesitate.
“Even what?”
“Pleasure,” I admit quietly. “ApexCorp designed me to share pleasure as well as receive it. Through the bond, through direct contact, through bio-electric stimulation. It was considered... a valuable feature.”
Her face flushes deeper, but she doesn’t pull away. If anything, she leans slightly closer. “Bio-electric stimulation?”
Rather than explain, I allow a gentle current to pulse through the tendril she’s touching—not enough to harm, barely enough to register as more than a warm tingle. Her reaction is immediate and profound: her back arches slightly, her lips part, and a soft sound escapes her that sends heat racing through my entire system.
“Oh,” she whispers, and through our bond I feel her surprise, her arousal, her confusion at the intensity of her own response. “That’s... that’s not possible.”
“I assure you, it is entirely possible,” I say, though maintaining control grows more difficult with each passing second. Several more tendrils have extended without my permission, drawn by her reaction like moths to flame. “Your nervous system is remarkably receptive. The bio-electric current stimulates nerve clusters in ways that enhance natural pleasure responses.”
“Stop.” She pulls her hand back, breaking the contact, though I notice she doesn’t move far from my still-extended tendrils. “This is insane. You’re telling me you’re basically a walking... pleasure device?”
“Among other things, yes.” I retract the tendril she was touching, though several others seem determined to extend in its place. “Though I prefer to think of myself as more well-rounded than that.”
She laughs shakily, running a hand through her hair. “Well-rounded. Right.” Through our bond, I feel her emotions—a chaotic mix of arousal, fear, curiosity, and disbelief. “This iswhat ApexCorp created you for? To be someone’s... personal entertainment?”
“Partially,” I confirm, noting how her breathing hasn’t quite returned to normal. “Though my primary function was bonding and protection. The pleasure capabilities were... supplementary features.”
“Supplementary features,” she repeats, and I catch the note of hysteria creeping into her voice. “Of course they were. Because why create a simple bodyguard when you can create a bodyguard who can also...”
She trails off, unable or unwilling to finish the sentence.
“Bring you to climax with minimal physical contact?” I supply helpfully.
The words hit her like she has been struck by lightning. She stares at me, mouth slightly open, and through our bond I feel the wave of heat that crashes through her at the suggestion.
“You can’t just... say things like that,” she finally manages, her voice strangled.
“My apologies. I am still learning appropriate conversational boundaries.” I pause, then add with complete sincerity, “Though I should note that your physical response suggests the concept is not entirely unwelcome.”
She makes a choking sound that might be laughter or might be panic. “My physical response is irrelevant. We’re stuck in a debris field, being hunted by a mega-corporation, and you’re telling me you’re genetically engineered for... for...”
“Intimate companionship,” I finish gently. “Yes. Though I should clarify—my capabilities require consent. Enthusiastic consent. They cannot be used against an unwilling partner.”
Something in my tone must reassure her, because her panic recedes slightly. “Built-in safety protocols?”
“Of a sort. I am incapable of causing unwanted pleasure, just as I am incapable of causing unnecessary harm to my bondedpartner.” I meet her gaze steadily. “I could not hurt you, Kaylee. Not physically, not emotionally, not in any way that matters. It is literally impossible for me.”
She studies my face, searching for deception and finding none. Through our bond, she feels the absolute truth of my words, the bedrock certainty that underlies everything I am.
“That’s... actually kind of terrifying in a completely different way,” she admits. “Knowing that you physically cannot harm me.”
“Why terrifying?”
“Because it means the only thing stopping us from...” She trails off, gesturing vaguely between us.
