Warm rivulets of water streamed over her back, feeling like fingers massaging her muscles. When Elle awoke in bed, Tara had been nestled up against her. They were both still as nude as the night before when they collapsed after their lovemaking. Elle stretched out her stiff muscles, standing in the steamy shower with her eyes closed, letting her body rejuvenate.

She imagined herself in a shadowy space, with no features in sight but a dark fog all around her. As she looked around she saw figures materialize and form into the shapes of people.They were surrounding her on all sides, but she didn’t feel threatened. As she studied them, they began to show discernible features. They were mostly women, though there were a few men as well, and they were all nude.

Looking down, Elle saw that she was nude as well, but her body looked alien. Her skin had a dark gray tone with darker lines running like spider webs across her entire body. The skin was smooth and unblemished, with a polished sheen like plastic. More dark lines ran across her breasts, converging at her nipples, which were standing up stiffly. Down lower she could see her long erect cock, its skin reddish-pink and smooth with more lines running through it. Her body was barely recognizable, but she felt proud and desirable.

The figures were closer to her now, such that she could discern more of their features. They were a mix of young attractive people, tall and short, with different body shapes. Some had mods on their arms or legs or face, others appeared to be Normals. Their skin showed some of the same grayish patches as Elle’s, though less prominent. Most notable were their eyes, which appeared to have a pale cast, like the color had been partially drained from them.

The crowd encircled her now, almost close enough to touch. Turning in place Elle saw one figure in particular, her face shrouded by long wavy dark hair. Lines began to slowly crawl across her skin as Elle watched, extending from her pubic area, down her legs, and up her smooth stomach. The lines forked and spread out concentrating around her breasts before continuing upward. As she looked up, Elle recognized Tara’s face, staring back at her with a slight smile on her lips. The lines continued up her neck and across her face, and the color slowly drained from her eyes.

Elle finished her shower and stepped out into the chilly air. While toweling off she stole a glance at herself in the partially-fogged mirror. She was tall and slim, with toned muscles in her arms and stomach. Her waist was narrow and her breasts were well-proportioned for her frame. She turned sideways to see her profile, and for the first time since the injection, got a good look at the condition of her arm.

The gray mottled discoloration covered her entire shoulder now, with darker lines extending down her entire arm, connecting to her modded hand. The lines were irregular, branching and weaving around in an indecipherable pattern. It almost looked like a tattoo, except fuzzy and indistinct in places. She gently ran her hand along the skin, which felt smooth and firm, as if it were swollen, though there was no pain. Instead, the skin was slightly sensitive and almost felt pleasurable to the touch.

She thought back to how the people looked in her daydream. Their skin also had patterns like this. Before she could consider this further, she heard Tara in the hallway outside. She finished drying herself then wrapped herself with the towel and stepped out of the bathroom, to be greeted by a warm embrace.

“Good morning, lover,” Tara said as she hugged Elle tight.

Elle closed her eyes and savored the feeling of their bodies close. Tara held her tightly and for a long time, with her head resting against the taller girl’s chest.

Elle spoke finally, “I was going to make us some breakfast.”

“That sounds nice, for later.”

“I have to work today. Or else Chuck is going to wonder what happened to me.”

Tara wouldn’t be deterred. “I think he can handle things a little longer.” 

Tara ran her hands up and down Elle’s arms, sending shivers down her spine. Elle wasn’t sure how Tara would react if she saw the markings on her arm, but it was too late to do anything about it. Tara hadn’t noticed and Elle was struggling to resist the sensations from Tara’s stimulation.

“Babe, I just got out of the shower. Let’s just get some breakfast.”

Tara whispered as she gently pulled the towel off Elle’s body, “You’re going to need another shower.” Elle’s resistance crumbled and she surrendered to her primal urges.

It was already mid-morning as Elle was hastily making her way along the thoroughfare towards her shop. Her breakfast plans had turned into a muffin eaten while walking and a can of synthetic orange juice. She couldn’t remember Tara being such a needy lover, but it was a pleasant change.

Elle walked with a smooth confidence that stood out amongst the crowd of busy pedestrians. She kept a brisk pace, with her long coat billowing behind her. It felt almost as if the crowd parted around her. Approaching a busy corner, she effortlessly pushed her way through the crowd and crossed between the traffic, never missing a step. With her hood pulled up and her eyes shaded behind dark glasses, she was in her own world, and everyone else was part of the scenery.

This part of the city was sometimes referred to as Little Church, named for a small parish that was prominent in the community long before the tall buildings arrived. Elle had never known a time when the old chapel wasn’t boarded up and full of squatters, though. Appearances can change, but the names stay the same.

To any onlooker, Elle appeared to be focused straight ahead, but behind the shades her eyes took in her surroundings, scanning, studying, examining every detail. She saw buildings, signs, vehicles, faces, some of which she recognized though none by name. It was all as familiar to her as a part of her body. It would be easy to spot something out of place, even something subtle like a car that was a little bit cleaner than the rest. The only vehicles in the L.C. were taxis or junkers that someone probably assembled from scrap materials. A clean gray sedan, without a blemish on it, looked glaringly out of place to the observant.

The car was parked near her shop, not right in front, but conspicuously distant from it. While most people would choose to park as close to their destination as possible, this one was several carlengths from her storefront, and several more from any other. It was the exact distance someone might park if they didn’t want to look like that’s exactly where they intended to go.

Elle didn’t know why she seemed so paranoid all of a sudden. The car could mean anything, maybe a rich person from cross-town looking for a taste of inner city life. She casually turned at the next intersection, crossing to the other side of the street. When she reached the curb she squatted down to adjust her shoes, but peeked over her shoulder to get a better look at the car. It looked fresh off the assembly line, clean solid gray, with an alpha symbol on the door. Elle had seen that symbol before.

She stood up and continued walking with her shop getting further behind her. After a few minutes, when she felt she was far enough away, she leaned up against a building to gather her thoughts. She was next to an alley, in case she needed to get off the street quickly. She occasionally glanced back in the direction she just came. They would be looking for the juice, and she didn’t want to know what they would do when they didn’t find it.

“Hey stranger! I didn’t expect to see you back here so soon?” A familiar voice called out to her.

Startled from her thoughts, Elle turned around to see the cute, brown-haired florist standing in the doorway to the flower shop. Elle had found her way right back to where she was the day before.

“Rose?”

She laughed. “Sure. Do you want to come in for a few minutes?”

Elle took her up on the offer, thinking It was the perfect opportunity to get off the street. The floral assault on the senses was sweet, with an undercurrent of freshly-brewed tea.

“Follow me. We can chat back here.” The florist led her to a secluded seating area in the back of the shop. There was a couch and some comfortable-looking chairs on one side, with an electric stove on the other. On the stovetop was a ceramic pot with steam billowing out. Elle took a seat on the couch while Rosalyn poured out two cups from the pot. She handed one to Elle and sat in a chair.

“Thanks, this smells amazing. Looks like I owe you double now,” Elle said.

Rosalyn gave a warm smile and replied, “It’s my pleasure. I’m so happy to see you again. You gave me a scare yesterday. Is everything okay?”

“Yeah it was nothing.” Seeing the concern on her face, Elle added, “A reaction from one of my mods. The doctor said to just get some rest.”

Rosalyn was quiet for a moment as she studied Elle’s eye, the steady red glow surrounded by a smooth metal housing. “Does it hurt? Your eye, can you see better with it?”

“No, it’s fine. Great actually. I can see details.” She pointed to the other side of the room.
“Those lilies over there have some kind of bugs crawling on them. I can see microscopic granules of tea floating in my cup. I can even see your body temperature. It’s not exactly like seeing though. I don’t know how else to describe it.”

Rosalyn’s cheeks reddened as she looked down, feeling exposed under Elle’s gaze,

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to embarrass you.”

“You can see that too? There’s no hiding anything from you, is there?” She paused a moment before continuing. “I got a knee replacement a few years ago. Old sports injury. They said the pain would be gone, and they were right, eventually. I feel like I could kick a soccer ball a hundred yards now, but the recovery was… difficult.”

Elle crooked her finger, beckoning her to come closer and holding out her hands. Rosalyn set her tea down and moved over next to Elle, sitting to her left on the edge of the couch. Elle took both of her hands and placed them against the metal structure of her knees.

”Oh my god! Both legs? Is it the whole leg?”

“Just the knees and a little bit above and below. It’s still mostly meat under there.”

Rosalyn was fascinated, feeling her fingers along the biomechanical structures through Elle’s leather pants. She then took hold of Elle’s cybernetic hand, giving it a similar examination.

“And what does this do? Can you feel anything with it?”

Elle placed the hand against the exposed skin on the back of Rosalyn’s neck, just above the hemline of her low-cut blouse. “I can feel the pores on your skin, your nerve endings reacting to being touched. I can feel your heartbeat speeding up, your body temperature increasing.”

Elle could feel a pleasant tingle through her hand, going up her arm. It was like the previous day, only less intense, as if she had grown better able to control her abilities. Rosalyn was visibly responding as well. No longer embarrassed, she was staring transfixed, with her lips slightly parted as Elle continued.

“I can feel nerve impulses, like electric pulses running through you, going from your skin and weaving through your body up to your brain. I can see these signals in your mind. It’s swirling and chaotic, but there are patterns too. I don’t know what they mean exactly, but it seems like they change based on your feelings or emotions.”

The florist felt helpless under Elle’s intense scrutiny. The pleasurable electrical stimulation was surging through her body, and she could hide none of this from Elle, even if she wanted to. “You mean you can read my thoughts?” she asked.

“Just patterns and signals, I can’t really read them.”

“Do you know what I’m thinking now?”

Elle didn’t need to be able to read her mind. It was plain to see in her eyes, her shallow breathing, the tiny beads of sweat beginning to form on her skin. Elle leaned forward and their lips melted together. 

Elle ran her fingers through Rosalyn’s hair, holding her close while she explored her warm mouth with her tongue. Their hands roamed up and down each others’ bodies as their kissing grew more passionate. They frantically pulled off each others’ clothes and tossed them in every direction. When Elle’s pants slipped off, Rosalyn kneeled down between her legs, where she could see the growing bulge under the thin black panties.

Rosalyn had been with both men and women before, but what she saw when she pulled off Elle’s panties left her at a loss for words. The shiny pinkish-red shaft extended from Elle’s body, just above her glistening slit. It was about 3 inches long but it did not look like any cock she had ever seen before, and it’s length was increasing as she gently stroked the soft lips underneath.

She didn’t know if this was a mod or some kind of physiology she had never seen before. Relying on her instincts, she leaned in and began to stroke Elle's warm pussy lips with her tongue. Elle pulled her hair back for her as she sucked and lapped at the warm folds, while the red phallus grew longer and thicker. Elle watched with satisfaction as the pretty florist attended to her pussy with skill and enthusiasm.

Elle’s cock seemed to have reached its maximum size and was throbbing in sync with her heartbeat. A small bead of silvery fluid had formed on the tip. Elle reached down and stroked the shaft gently, which sent a shockwave through her body. All other thoughts escaped her and she became singularly focused on what she knew she needed to do.

Gently guiding Rosalyn’s head back, Elle positioned the tip of the large cock near her mouth. Elle could feel her warm breath, still panting from eating her pussy so well. Elle parted Rosalyn’s lips with the tip of the shaft and gently penetrated into her warm welcoming mouth. The silvery fluid had smeared onto her lip, mixing with her saliva and forming a trail of drool that ran down the side of her neck. Rosalyn moaned and closed her eyes as she allowed her mouth to be gently fucked by the inhuman appendage.

The sensation of feeling the inside of Rosalyn’s mouth with her sensitive new organ was like nothing she had ever imagined. She grasped her hair and thrust herself deeper until she could feel her throat tightening around her. Rosalyn grasped onto the part of the shaft that wouldn’t fit into her mouth and began pumping up and down in sync with Elle’s urgent thrusts. 

It didn’t take long before Elle’s orgasm tore through her body. She held onto Rosalyn’s head as her body spasmed and her mind went delirious with ecstasy. Moments later she pulled out of her mouth leaving behind a trail of silvery fluid running down her chin. Elle pulled her close and brought their lips together once again. Elle could taste the salty discharge in her mouth and she licked the rest from Rosalyn’s chin.

Without breaking their kiss, Elle stood up, still clutching Rosalyn tightly, then carried her over and set her down on the counter next to the stove. With her panties removed, Rosalyn’s glistening folds were on full display. Elle began kissing her inner thighs, while she squirmed with anticipation. When her tongue finally reached the warm, inviting lips, Rosalyn cried out with pleasure.

Her lips were warm and delicious to Elle, as she licked and sucked voraciously, before gently inserting her metal fingers inside. Rosalyn shivered and moaned as Elle’s fingers thrust in and out. Elle’s fingers provided electrical stimulation sending additional sensations through both women’s bodies. 

As Elle continued to lick and finger Rosalyn closer to orgasm, she could feel her own urges building again. Her stamina seemed to have no limit, after being with Tara earlier and again just now. Her shaft was still hard and her mind was singularly focused. 

Elle stood up with their faces level and pressed the tip of her stiff cock against Rosalyn's wet opening. She entered Rosalyn’s warm, tight pussy, sending both women into a passionate frenzy. Elle pumped in and out while hugging the smaller girl’s body close to her. Elle was lifting her whole body up off the counter with each thrust. Rosalyn cried out again and again as Elle slid deep inside her, well coated with her slick fluids. The two women were lost in an orgasmic haze.

To Elle’s eyes, the girl’s body was glowing like a raging fire. Every signal from every nerve ending was lit up and she could trace its path from the source and coursing throughout her body. All of it converged in her brain where the activity was frenetic and chaotic, but also pulsed regularly with the rhythm of their lovemaking. It was like watching a fractal animation, with lines and patterns pulsing in time with each thrust. 

She began to recognize the repetitive patterns and she found that by adjusting the frequency of the stimulation from her hand, the patterns would respond in different ways. She could make them brighter and more intense, or she could soften them and spread them out to different areas of her body. Rosalyn’s passionate cries responded to each adjustment Elle made to the signals, giving Elle the feedback she needed to steer the girl closer and closer to a mind-shattering orgasm.

Elle could feel Rosalyn’s pussy begin to clench around her, and she could see very distinct patterns forming in her mind. Elle focused on these patterns and intensified them as she began fucking her with urgency. Rosalyn’s eyes rolled back in her head and her body began to shake as the orgasm tore through her. Elle closed her eyes to the blinding intensity, as she reached her peak as well. Both of them clutched each other tightly while their bodies spasmed together for what felt like several minutes.

When Elle finally relaxed, she set Rosalyn back down on the counter, then leaned up against her as they both caught their breath. Neither of them spoke for a long time before Elle finally broke the silence. 

“That was some delicious tea.”

They both laughed, then got dressed without any other words spoken.

“Where in the ever-loving fuck have you been? You smell like the floor of an adult movie theater.”

Chuck had a way with words, when he was in a bad mood. Elle had approached the shop carefully after she saw that the suspicious gray car had left. She entered through the alleyway, out of an abundance of caution. Sandy was there, playing her VR game, oblivious to the world, but Elle still asked her if she had seen anyone suspicious. She hadn’t seen much of anything at all.

The office in the back of the shop was in shambles. The safe was standing open and the silver case was gone. Papers and boxes had been strewn about, and the desk drawers had all been emptied. Someone was looking very hard for something.

“Sorry man, I wasn’t feeling good yesterday and had to skip out.”

“Shit! That stuff you took. Maria wants it back. Where’s the rest of it?”

Elle wasn’t sure how he would react if he knew the truth. “Isn’t it here? I thought it was in the safe.”

Chuck’s voice rose as he saw through her lies. “Don’t bullshit me, Elle. They got lots of shit at that lab, but they need this one back. These guys are government, they don’t fuck around.”

Elle couldn’t remember what she did with the empty vial, but they all assumed she still had it. She didn’t want to know what would happen if they found out she dosed herself with the entire batch. “Did she say why?”

“We didn’t have a chance to get into specifics while she was tossing the office, no. She said it was dangerous, and that we can’t give it to anyone.”

Elle reached down and picked up a binder that was spilling pages, gathered them up and put them back on the desk. She felt some guilt for what had happened, but not shame for what she had done.

“I don’t need any help cleaning this up. You need to get to a clinic and get checked out. Whatever was in that stuff, it’s got Maria spooked. I never seen her like this before.” 

Chuck stepped in front of her and began tidying up the desk. Elle stared at Chuck’s back for a moment, realizing that the conversation was over and there was no point continuing. She turned and headed for the door. He called out once more without looking up, “Bring the juice with you next time or we’re both in deep shit.”

The instant the door of her apartment cracked open, Elle knew she had been too hasty. Her mind was preoccupied, thinking about how she was going to avoid being caught, when she walked right into it. There were two people in the living room and only one of them belonged there. Before the door even fully opened, she could feel the warmth of their body heat, hear the subtle thump of two distinct heartbeats, and smell an unfamiliar body scent. She should have been more careful.

“Welcome home. You must be Elle. I was just getting to know Tara here.” The woman gestured towards Tara who was staring forward, giving little response. The two women appeared to be enjoying a cup of tea together, but Elle knew she needed to tread carefully.

Elle entered the room as casually as she could manage, taking off her coat and hanging it on a hook near the door, without saying a word.

The woman had short dark hair, pulled back by a clip on one side, revealing a face covered with what looked like advanced cybernetic implants around her ears and along the side of her head. She appeared to have a thin, but muscular build underneath a business suit. “I’m sorry to come over unannounced like this, but I have a business opportunity to discuss, and it couldn’t wait ‘til tomorrow.”

“Tara, would you mind if I spoke with– it’s Maria right? Give me just a few minutes and we can grab some dinner after.” Elle didn’t want Tara any more involved in this than she already was. Tara stood up without a word, kissed Elle on the cheek, then retreated to the bedroom, closing the door behind her

Maria stood up and smiled. She was a few inches shorter than Elle, but stood up straight and conveyed a cool confidence, “I’m glad we could finally meet. Chuck has told me a lot of good things about you. We’ve made some good money together. And we can make more. At Alpha we have some chips that are really advanced that I can get you. State of the art stuff.” She tapped on the implant on the side of her head.

Elle knew options were few. Maria intended to banter, put Elle’s mind at ease, make her comfortable, but Elle couldn’t afford to play along. “You’re looking for the juice. Chuck gave you my address.”

Maria’s expression cooled, “I knew your address before I ever went into business with Chuck, but yes, I know you have it, and we need to return it to the lab..”

Elle was thankful that her long sleeves concealed the condition of her arm. “I do have it and I’ll give it to you, but it’s not here.”

“Elle…” Maria’s gaze bore into her, looking for signs of deception.

“The shop is closed tomorrow. There won’t be anyone there. I can give it to you then.”

“There’s no need to play games. The serum is very dangerous. There have been complications during testing. If it goes missing, we'll all be in trouble.” She turned to look out the window at the street below. “We both know it’s not at the shop.”

Elle observed the signals coursing through Maria's body. They were orderly and efficient, not chaotic like Rosalyn’s. She was calm and alert, but there were also gaps in her focus, every time she moved or changed position. Elle stepped toward the window where Maria stood. As if sensing the approach, she turned casually and moved a few steps away to study some pictures on the wall.

Elle picked up Tara’s tea cup from the coffee table. It was still steaming as she took a sip. The tea was bitter and unsweetened, just how Tara liked it. Elle had given her that cup for her birthday. It was embossed with a Chinese symbol that they told her meant “love”. She didn’t know if it was true, as neither she nor Tara could read it.

“Chuck told me you took some already. You’re going to need my help,” Maria said. “But first I need to return the rest of it. So what do you say, Elle?”

Maria turned back around to face her, as the cup shattered against the wall next to her, splashing hot tea across her face. She flinched away from the impact, as Elle lunged towards her. They crashed together against the wall and Elle grasped Maria’s arm with her cybernetic hand. Maria tried to pull away but Elle’s grasp was unyielding, her arm rigid like steel. Fear flashed across Maria’s face as she looked into Elle’s eyes and realized that she had greatly underestimated her.

Using the contact from her hand, Elle forced a signal burst of white noise through Maria’s body, who gasped in response as an involuntary spasm shook her. Elle followed that with a phase-shifted pattern that mixed with and suppressed Maria’s base signal. A dull, low-frequency hum reverberated through her, leaving her body and mind numb and helpless.

Maria’s resistance faded, and her face visibly relaxed. The room grew still and quiet but for her shallow breathing. Her eyes glazed over as Elle leaned forward and began whispering into the helpless woman’s ear. One command after the other imprinted into her vulnerable mind, while the once-powerful woman stood weak and shivering.

When Elle was finished with her instructions, Elle sent one final burst of energy, a pattern she had learned earlier that day. Maria cried out with pleasure, when she received her reward. Her body crumpled to the floor at Elle’s feet, shaking from an intense orgasm.