The Game 72

Edited by Karen Leigh

Baines, Michael, Alexei and Sasha lingered over their meal for a long time. Finally, unable to put it off any longer Baines stood up and told Alexei and Sasha to check in with Youngblood and Wild Thing and then take some time for themselves. So many people had left the compound recently that there was sure to be a bedroom free for two androids to reaffirm their bonds.

Baines led Michael to the unguarded room where Sasha had indicated David, One and Sypher had secluded themselves. They entered the room to find the three naked and curled on one couch oblivious to sight and sound. He noted that the three were plugged into one another and realized that David and Sypher were attempting to bring One back. He could not tell if what was happening was proceeding normally.

"I think we should get Youngblood and Wild Thing in here quickly." Baines said to Michael leading him back out of the room and closing the door behind them. They headed for the armory. Michael was tiring and wishing they could just return to their own room, shower and catch up on some sleep.

In the armory, Baines found Youngblood and Wild Thing in conference with the clone Victor and another man. He interrupted their conversation.

"Youngblood, would you and Wild Thing go check on David. He and Sypher are attempting to help One and they are helpless and unguarded. Also check on their condition and make sure that there are no problems."

Youngblood and Wild Thing nodded and excused themselves to Vic and Pinocchio and left the room.

Baines looked hard at Pinocchio and said, "A friend of yours, Hobbes, is in the infirmary with Marita and Wraith."

Pinocchio grabbed Vic's arm and said, "Will you come with me? I want to make sure he is all right. We can come back here later when Youngblood and Wild Thing finish with David and One.

Vic nodded and followed Pinocchio out of the room. Baines looked around at the activity taking place in the armory and then looked at Michael. Noting the fatigue on the young man's face, he decided they had done enough for the time being and it was time he took care of his lover. He took Michael's hand and said, "Let's go to bed."

Michael's face lit up and he tugged on Baines' hand pulling him close and rubbed noses with him. "Yes, please."

Baines grinned and the two of them headed for their room.

When the door closed behind them, both men stripped quickly and entered the shower. Cuddling the increasingly limp Michael to himself, Baines grabbed the soap and gave both of them a fast once over. Minutes later, barely dry, the two fell into bed and almost instantly were asleep.

--[o]--[o]--[o]--[o]--[o]--[o]--

Marcus shuddered. Could Johnny possibly mean what his words suggested? A tentative touch of his lover's mind brought forth a burst of longing. Johnny wanted him--only him--as his mate. Marcus was overjoyed. Johnny was beyond beautiful to him, and to know that the other wanted to be bound to only him made Marcus feel beautiful as well. He trembled with eagerness and anticipation. Yes...yes, please...

Johnny was trembling also, planting soft kisses over his soon to be lover's face. The realization that beautiful Marcus wanted him and only him rapidly overwhelmed his coprocessors. All his logic centers returned that more data was required before a decision should be made. But this felt *right* to Johnny. For maybe the second time in his life, he chose emotions over logic.

A groan escaped Marcus as his epidural sensors registered Johnny's soft touch. Suddenly, the cloth covering them both had become too offensive to bear. It had to be removed. He struggled to be rid of it as quickly as possible, ignoring Johnny's slightly breathless chuckle as his lover advised caution. No, he moaned pitifully as he attacked the fastenings on Johnny's coverall next, I need you, Johnny. Need you *now*. Need to bond with you now. I know it isn't logical, but I love you. I have to give myself to you, Johnny, and it was true, for his anal passage was now slick and pulsing with the need to be filled by his chosen mate. His direct link-up port had also popped open around the vicinity of his navel, which had *never* happened before. Fascinated, he stared at it for a long moment.

Johnny also stared at the port. He wondered what it would be like to be linked directly to Marcus, to share this act just between them instead of via the Mac 27 network. Gently, he reached out and stroked Marcus's soft skin surrounding the port, wondering if he dare ask...

Then, naked, wide-eyed and breathless, Marcus gently stroked the same area on Johnny's body as an idea formed in his mind. Being linked through the network was no longer enough, he needed to hook directly into Johnny--craved it more than fuel or shelter--and communicated it to his love. Connect with me, he pleaded, let me show you how you make me feel directly this first time. I do not wish to share this through the network. I...I, he stumbled, terrified of what he was about to voice, I want to be physically linked to you when we mate. The very thought of it made him whimper as his male organ and anal passage secreted yet more lubricant. I wish to know what it is to be truly part of you, Number Five. Show me.

Yes, my love, Johnnytransmitted as his own port popped out. Urging Marcus onto his back, Johnny leaned over and softly nibbled on Marcus's neck as he aligned and connected their ports.

Marcus panted breathlessly as he felt the connection being made and then suddenly Johnny was everywhere inside of him and nowhere all at once. It was slightly terrifying as the intensity of the connection overwhelmed everything else entirely for a long moment, even the feel of Johnny's body against his.

Marcus shuddered. This was so wild, so raw and beautiful. Yes, that was exactly the word for this. As was terrifying. It would be very easy for them to lose themselves in each other; the enticement of it was so strong. But even with that knowledge, Marcus found he still wanted this; wanted the communion that only a direct connection could give. After all, if Romeo and Jules could do it and keep their individuality intact, surely he and Johnny could do the same.

Everything else faded into the background at the sensation of being connected directly to Marcus. He had read his lover's desire over the network and through his voice, but the actual intensity of it through the direct link stunned him.

[My love, we must be wary,] Marcus whispered, [we must ground ourselves in the knowledge that we are separate beings, even as we come together.] Again, he thought he caught the hint of a chuckle as Johnny laid himself bare for his mate's pleasure.

While glorying it and dropping the barriers that contained his own emotions, leaving his mind naked for Marcus to read, Johnny pushed his cock inside Marcus's slick channel.

Marcus cried out as he felt Johnny physically penetrate him. Suddenly, nothing else existed outside of that sensation--that glorious feeling of fullness, the heat and slickness, the perfect friction caused as his body molded itself so precisely to the dimensions of Johnny's beautiful cock. [Oh yes,] he moaned loudly as he rolled Johnny back beneath him to ride him hard.

Johnny also moaned through their link and out loud. Overwhelmed by both the physical and mental stimulation, he thrust up into his lover's welcoming body. His hands grabbed Marcus's shoulders, pulling his over tighter against his body.

A spare thought for the port connection made him glance down, and he was gratified to see that it was still there--although the sight of wiring protruding from both of them was a bit disconcerting for about a micron. Then, feedback from Johnny blotted out any other consideration and Marcus stared for an endless moment into beautiful jade eyes.

He arched upwards, thrusting harder and faster. This was the wondrous sensation that he had read so curiously about. Only it was so much more. And it was only Marcus he wanted to experience this with. He let out a long, drawn out growl as the sensation intensified and Marcus tightened his ass around his throbbing cock.

A strange, wonderful pulse wracked Marcus as he lost himself in those eyes, and he felt Johnny moving under him, in him, and met him thrust for thrust...harder, faster, more insistent...and if the feeling of his own release was wonderful, it was nothing compared to feeling Johnny's, not only through the feedback but also the physical evidence of it as Johnny poured his essence into Marcus' welcoming body. [You are...amazing, my love; and so beautiful like this. Thank you for choosing me.]

Johnny gently stroked back the soft hair that was practically identical to his own. [Thank you for accepting me.] He wasn't a server like One or David, he wasn't one of the more attractive Mac27s. He was just a simple soldier, little more than a dog handler. And yet beautiful Marcus wanted him. Cradling the back of his beloved's head, he pulled Marcus down to kiss him. There was no outside world, no imminent conflict, just he and his beloved.

--[o]--[o]--[o]--[o]--[o]--[o]--

Unable to find a clear line out to call L.A., Dustin had finally left the compound - no easy task. Hell, the way everyone was acting you'd have thought it was fucking Alcatraz or something - what the fuck was that all about, anyway?

In any event, he had blessedly returned to his hotel room, and, after noting with satisfaction that housecleaning had picked up the room, he fell back onto the bed to take a nap, before calling Mackey and hopefully returning to LA.

It was then he noticed his message light blinking. Pressing the button, he lifted the receiver.

"Dustin, it's me, Jarrod. Minnow's after you, man. He's completely crazy! After you went to DC, he started to act strangely, yelling at everyone he came across, including Darcy and Mackey. And yesterday he came to my office and demanded that I tell him where you were. I didn't want to tell him, really, I didn't, but he went ballistic. He broke my fucking fingers, man." Jarrod's voice broke slightly with the last bit of information, when he remembered the pain in his arm and the completely psychotic gleam in Minnow's eyes as the other man was crushing his left hand. "Anyway, he went after you yesterday, so he should be in DC now. Watch out, man. I've given him the wrong hotel but I don't think it'll slow him down much. He's a lunatic, don't try to confront him. Just... stay safe, please."

FUCK! God, could all he do was swear? Well, the situation certainly warranted it. Jarred had sounded frankly frantic, and Dustin knew he wasn't kidding about Minnow. "Jarred..." he whispered. "I'll make Minnow pay for what he's done to you."

Jarred was HIS friend, his buddy... how dare Minnow hurt him?

He began to think about ways to set a trap for Minnow, and before long, he was asleep, a small smile on his face...

--[o]--[o]--[o]--[o]--[o]--[o]--

Jeffrey slowly made his way towards the bar. He still had about half an hour before the conference started and he really felt like having a drink after his horrible, bumpy flight from Vancouver.

Jeffrey's days as a documentary producer were long over. Right after that Hildebrandt affair Maxwell noticed that Jeffrey's area of expertise was sensational pieces rather than heart-wrenching documentaries, and he promoted him accordingly. Now, five years later, Jeffrey was the head honcho in Harding Broadcasting when it came to action and sci-fi TV series and movies. And, as such, he'd had to leave his comfy apartment on a Sunday morning to fly to Washington D.C. (and Jeffrey hated flying) to attend this stupid conference with a bunch of stupid Americans.

Still, it wouldn't do to let his resentment get in the way of potential lucrative business deals. It would be stupid and unprofessional. And Jeffrey was nothing if not professional. So he pasted a pleasant smile on his face and entered the bar.

Sensing someone entering the bar, Dustin automatically turned toward the door. He had come to the hotel bar for a drink and sandwich before one of the conferences he'd promised Mackey he'd attend took place.

Seeing yet another double enter the bar, he rolled his eyes with an inward groan. [Might as well just tell him... hey, you could use some surreal fun right now, after that Minnow thing...]

He'd tried to call Jarred earlier, but got no answer. [Hope he's okay...]

This double looked so carefree yet so bored... he reminded him of himself, in a way.

"Hey, buddy... I have something to tell you," Dustin said to the double with a smirk. "Something... fantastic."

Jeffrey turned around ready to slug whoever dared to address him like that and felt his jaw drop as he saw... himself. For a moment his confused brain suspected that he was somehow facing a mirror, but no, that wasn't possible, because although Jeffrey did have a suit just like the one his double was wearing, he didn't have it on now. Other than the clothes, however, the man in front of him was his exact duplicate, from the fashionable hairstyle to the expensive Italian shoes. Even the expression on his face was suspiciously similar to the shark-like smirk Jeffrey saw in the mirror every so often. Stunned beyond words, he just stood and stared.

As he said this, a part of his brain marveled that he could tell the clones apart, one from the other. Clone-dar, he supposed, and chuckled, choking a bit on his Coke.

"You wouldn't want to miss it," he added, grinning. "Have a seat. See... you probably wonder why I look so much like you. Got news for you. We're not the only ones. And some of us aren't even human."

Jeffrey finally kick-started his brain and sat down, sluggishly trying to make sense of his double's words. After a few moments, however, he had to give up.

"What?" he asked, hating that he sounded like a moron and unable to do anything about it.

Dustin chuckled. "Well, I still don't know everything. But there's a bunch of us... US... here in town. We were all "called" to town for a reason, which we are trying to figure out... We 'we're' trying to figure out, until it became a huge sex-fest." He smirked. "Nothing wrong with that in itself, but... when you're straight, there are almost no women, and they all look like you... hey, I *write* Hollywood thrillers. Doesn't mean I really wanna live 'em."

Jeffrey listened to his double's words with the disconcerting feeling that he was either talking to a madman or was being made fun of. Or both. He gritted his teeth and waited for clues to which it was.

Dustin checked his watch. "So, I'm gonna do what I was gonna do in the first place... go to a producer's conference. But I got a phone call that made me think I should rejoin my, ah, tribe, afterwards."

He looked at Jeffrey. "Maybe you should, too."

*A producer...* Jeffrey's mind grasped the only thing it knew from the double's ludicrous explanation and hung on to it. *Then it all is probably his new crazy idea for a movie being tested on unsuspecting strangers.*

Dustin tilted his head, guessing well enough what was on his double's mind. "Not this time," he said, softly.

"Very... intriguing. What production company do you work for?" Jeffrey asked, hoping against hope that in his saner moments the man could prove useful for establishing some interesting contacts. *And anyway, a movie about a bunch of guys looking like me having sex would certainly get accepted by Maxwell even if for his own viewing pleasure.* For years Jeffrey has been ruthlessly using his boss's attraction to himself and wasn't above doing it again if it got him a good contract and another promotion.

"Globe Pictures," Dustin answered immediately. Talking about his real job in his real life - this was still so surreal - made him feel a little better about the whole thing. "I'm Vice President. Mackey Kresser's the big man. You've heard of us, I'm sure."

*Ah, so the man IS a useful contact.* Jeffrey thought to himself, pleased that his professional intuition didn't desert him even under such trying circumstances.

"I'm Jeffrey Leggett, Vice President of the Harding Broadcasting," he introduced himself and shook Dustin's hand. "I'm very glad to meet you, Mr. Yarma. We've been looking for a partner in Hollywood and Globe Pictures seems to be just the right candidate. I hope we'll do a lot of business together."

"God, don't I wish I could lay down on the casting couch for a bit today...the past few days have been... pretty unsettling."

*Then again, he DOES look like me.* Again unsettled, Jeffrey asked helplessly: "It's real, isn't it? The tribe of look-a-likes?"

"As real as this drink." Dustin help up an empty martini glass. "Hey, Bartender!" He called.

*The guy's drunk!* realized Jeffrey with relief and, having decided he liked this explanation much more than a tribe of look-a-likes, he made up his mind to cling to it. It still left the little matter of his resemblance to Dustin, though, and Jeffrey decided to meet the problem head-on:

"So, when were you born?"

He checked his watch. Minnow would have certainly had time to fly in by now... was he here? A grimace flashed on his face briefly as he took a new martini from the bartender.

[Maybe having a look-a-like isn't *that* bad a thing...]

Dustin frowned. If he could just plan it right... "Buy you a drink, then we'll head to the conference?"

"Sure. Whatever you're drinking." Jeffrey accepted readily, smiling at the thought of all the other business contacts just waiting for him in the room nearby.

[You are a cruel, cruel man, Dustin Yarma.]

[Yep. You don't make it to the top of Hollywood by your generosity and kindness, man.]

--[o]--[o]--[o]--[o]--[o]--[o]--

That currently concludes our game.

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