Stowaway

Chapter 4 – Slippery Encounters

The sun had already set by the time Molly found Star up on the main deck. They leaned on the rail and watched the sky go from purple to indigo to black. The wind was still strong to the south, and the ship made good time on its current course. Out on the ocean, with no land in sight, nothing but sea, Molly felt oddly liberated. Out here, there was no way the Guild could touch her.

“How was your first day on the Mistress?” asked Star.

“A whole lot better than it started, that’s for sure. It’s hard to believe that I was facing such a bitter end not even a day ago. It feels like forever.”

The other laughed. “Just wait… Most newbies end up really sore on about the third day, when the hard work has begun to sink in. You may yet wish you were dead.”

“Nah. I’m actually enjoying myself. Oh, I’m sure I’ll be tired, but this is the first time I’ve been able to really put the things I learned at the Guild to good use. There’s so much to do here!”

Star looked at her a bit funny. “You really do like it, don’t you?”

“You have no idea,” she replied, rolling her eyes. “Back in the Guild, they would never let me work on a distiller on my own. They like to hold onto their control. I was lucky to use an eighth-gen Nanaris, let alone a really nice one like this,” she stroked the gold oval draped around her neck.

Star looked over at her. “Not that it’s any of my business, but if that thing is so special, how did a non-cert Tech happen to come about having it?”

“Uh… I…”

“Sorry, I probably shouldn’t have asked. It’s just that it sounds like it must be a pretty good story.”

Molly brightened. “Oh, it is! If, I mean, you really want to hear it?”

Star turned around so that she could stand against the rail facing the other direction. “I always love a good tale, so spill it. Were there dastardly deeds? Murderous mayhem? A lover perhaps?”

Molly blushed and smiled. “Nothing that exciting.” She admitted. “But it was mysterious.”

“Oh? Go on then. I like mysteries too.”

“Well, I told you a bit about why I left…”

“Over how you were treated.”

“Yes,” she nodded. “But what you need to understand is that people don’t just ‘leave’ the Guild. Once they accept you into their ranks, it’s a lifelong commitment. They do that to hold onto their control.”

“I’m not sure I get it,” said Star, frowning.

“Well, it’s really all about the tech. Take that distiller I fixed. It’s a complicated machine. The theory on how it works isn’t all that hard to understand…”

“Speak for yourself,” interjected the other girl.

“Okay, for someone who knows basic tech, it’s not that complicated. But the finer points that make it all work, and work well… That’s the part that the Guild keeps to themselves. That way, someone outside the Guild couldn’t just go out and make one from scratch. The Guild keeps control, and…” Molly lifted a single finger into the air. “They get to charge whatever they want to sell or fix that tech. If you want a distiller, you have to go through them. Control. Get it?”

“I see. So, it’s not just distillers, but all the higher tech, yes?”

“Exactly! So of course, in order to keep power, they need to have control of their own people as well, thus the certs. No cert, no Guild backing. No Guild backing, and you have no access to the tech. All nice and neat… and very profitable. They set all the prices, and make all the rules.”

“And when they told you that you weren’t old enough…”

“Pure money and misogyny. I know a half dozen males my age who have their certs, and I scored better on my exams than all of them. So I decided to leave. But it’s not like you can just walk out the door. They keep the halls locked up quite securely, literal fortresses. And despite all their assurances to the public that they are passive and non-military, don’t think for a second that they wouldn’t kill someone to protect that hold on the tech, even one of their own. So I kept my mouth shut and my eyes open. It took me a few weeks, but I found a way out.”

Star leaned a bit closer and rubbed her hands together. “Oh, this is getting good.”

Molly had to laugh. “Relax, it’s not like I killed anyone or anything. I found a way to get up onto the roof, and from there I could get to the outer walls where I could lower myself down a line. The problem was, the roof access was through a hatch located in what was probably the most closely guarded area of the Guild, a place known as the Rectory. Not that I was going to let that stop me. I watched the guards for three days before I noticed a hole in their pattern that would allow me to sneak through. I had to time everything perfectly, but if the Guild had taught me anything, it was precision.

“But it was what happened once I was inside the Rectory that makes this story truly interesting. You see, normally, that part of the Guild is almost always off limits to anyone save for the Bishops. They’re the heads of the Guild. The Rectory holds all the really valuable tech items, including the base level Nanari.”

“Base level? What does that mean?”

Molly consider how to answer for a moment. “Hmm. Well, all the Nanari are made by other Nanari. So normally, if you see a Tech out servicing or installing something, their Nanaris will be at least fourth or fifth generation, meaning that it was made by a Nanaris, which was itself made by another Nanaris, which was made by yet another Nanaris, etc. But a ‘base level’ Nanaris is anything less than third generation.”

“I get it. Kind of like a great grandfather or something. Why does it matter what generation they are,” asked Star.

“Each successive generation loses a little bit of functionality. It’s not quite as smart, or quick. Sometimes they need to be charged frequently, or the user has much less control and feedback.”

“And yours?”

The redhead looked down at her chest. “I know it’s base-level for sure. Beyond that, I really don’t know much about it… except that it sang to me.”

Star was surprised. “Sang? Like a song?”

“More like music. I was making my way to the hatch in the Rectory when I heard a very strange noise. It was a chirping, like a bird, only… mechanical. There was no voice to speak of, but oddly, the music seemed to make sense to me, almost like I had heard it before somewhere. The source was this Nanaris, and after a few minutes listening, which I can assure you was a huge risk on my part, I was convinced that the thing wanted me to take it along, out of the Guild.”

“It spoke to you,” asked the other, her brows rising.

“Not exactly. I can’t explain it. It was more like hearing a song in another language, but recognising the story anyway. So, I slipped it into my bag and took it with me. The rest of my escape went pretty much as I expected, save for the part where I hid in the wrong ship and nearly got myself thrown overboard.”

They both laughed.

“Well,” said Star finally, “I for one, am glad you’re here and not on your way to Pellin Harbor.”

“All things considered,” agreed Molly, smiling, “so am I. Though, with no one to pay my bond, I might be a servant for quite a while.”

“It’s better than being dead.”

“Yes. Yes it is. And honestly, I’m kinda excited about the change in my life.”

Star grinned. “There you go! Like a cork in the wind.”

“Guided by the Goddess, yes?”

“Precisely.”

—

First Watch was an afterhours watch that ended at midnight. For Molly, it started with a lesson from Star herself in the various knots used all over the ship. She was amazed that the girl knew so many different ways to tie a rope, and after an hour, Molly was beginning to think she’d never learn them all.

“Don’t worry. You’ll get it,” said the girl, encouragingly. “You already know more than I picked up in my first week. At this rate, you’ll pass your knots test in no time.”

As fun as it was to practice something with her friend, it was inversely disappointing to have Brill give her cleaning duty.

“Scrub the bathrooms, the toilets, the floor, and the sink; both fore and aft. That should just about take you to Middle Watch,” said the tall woman, handing her a bucket of cleaning supplies.

“Yes, sir. Uh…”

“Spit it out, girl. Now’s the time for questions.”

“I know you said I should try to do things without my Nanaris when I can, to avoid putting myself on a pedestal, but…”

“Aye. I suppose there’s not a whole lot of glory in being able to shine a toilet quickly, so knock yourself out. However, no skimping. I want to see this place glow, understand?”

“Yes, sir!”

With the help of her Nanaris, the job really did go much faster, though cleaning a well-used bathroom is pretty disgusting no matter what technology you have to aid you. Part of the problem was her Guild training. ‘Cleaning’ even the simplest items in the Guild, meant taking them apart and rebuilding them if necessary. She knew she didn’t have to go quite that far with the toilet, but she still found herself updating the fittings and cleaning the pipes before she finally stopped herself. She was just polishing off the second of the rooms when she heard the Middle Watch bells. She sighed, thinking that her arms were really starting to ache, when she looked down at herself. She never did change from her earlier work that morning, and now she appeared downright hideous, even by ship’s standards. She also smelled like a latrine.

On her way back to her hammock, she passed the showers, which were surprisingly empty and definitely calling to her. It made sense for that watch. Even though the ship was crewed at all hours, people still preferred to sleep during the nighttime if they could, as it was generally more quiet throughout the ship.

She found her bunk space in the crew cabin and carefully secured the Nanaris in her locker. There were dozens of crewmates already sleeping, and a few in the process of changing watch. She noticed that several of the crew spaces were enclosed by a pull-around curtain which would afford them a small amount of privacy. She wondered why the Quartermaster hadn’t mentioned the curtains before… and then knew. Blushing, she found her own curtain and pulled it closed while she stripped out of her clothes and wrapped a towel around her body. She was just stuffing her soiled uniform into the laundry when she heard muffled moans from a nearby bunk. Quietly, she peaked around her own curtain before she recognised what she was hearing, and her simple blush turned into a white hot flush.

She could just see through the gap in the curtain where the moaning was coming from. Beyond, was a couple in obvious coitus, rocking slowly in their hammock as they gradually built toward a crescendo. Molly found it hard to look away from the mostly hidden display. She was mesmerized, and to her surprise, highly aroused. Once, when she had just reached menarche, she caught her sister and a lover in a very intimate embrace. As she shamelessly spied on them, she found herself jealous of her siblings skills in bed. Even when she was able to experience sex on her own, she felt herself to be far too nervous and clumsy by comparison. She could tell by sound alone that the couple in the hammock were quickly gaining speed, and could also see through her narrow voyeuristic doorway that they were becoming increasingly energetic. The female’s legs wrapped around her lover’s backside, clutching and squeezing with her heels. Every tiny detail seemed intensified. The tension of their muscles, the sheen of sweat on the bodies; Molly even noticed a thin golden anklet that bounced and tinkled as they neared their moment. Now, as she heard the woman start to gasp into bliss, she swallowed and wondered if she too would ever be brazen enough to find that kind of ecstasy. The couple clenched and shook in each other’s arms until finally, a minute or so later, they relaxed like putty into afterglow.

Fanning her face, she tiptoed from the crew quarters and out to the showers. Still thinking of the couple in the hammock, she ditched the towel and let the cold water in the pipes push back her libido a bit, which it did. Unfortunately, the water quickly turned warm again, and with it, her thoughts. She tried to distract herself, grabbing the soap and washing the stink from her body, but once that was mostly done, she found herself idly standing there, her hands unconsciously caressing her belly. She was just wondering what it would be like to have sex in a hanging bed, when someone spoke to her.

“And here I was thinking that I was the only night owl,” said a male voice from the steam room side of the shower area. She turned sharply to see a man seated on the bench only meters away. He was young, perhaps a bit older than she was, but well muscled and quite attractive. His hair was brown, and his body smooth. She could tell the last because he was also completely naked save for a towel in his lap. Her eyes widened as she realized that she too was standing there in the nude.

“Oh shit…” she gasped and turned her back to the man in total embarrassment. “You shouldn’t sneak up on someone like that,” she said, flustered.

“Er, my apologies. I keep odd hours, and so tend to shower when most of the crew is asleep. I’m sorry if I startled you. That was not my intention.”

He sounded genuinely sincere, so she took a breath and decided to make the best of the situation. Without turning around, she continued to clean herself, albeit a bit more rapidly. She was going to have to get used to being naked around other people eventually anyway. If only he wasn’t so good looking…

“I… I’m just not used to the public showers yet. I’m new… to the crew I mean.” She winced at how stupid she sounded.

“Not too worry. I’m rather new at this myself.”

“Really? Well, I suppose the Captain must pick up new people all the time.” Molly was about to mention that she was a stowaway, but she stopped short. For some reason she didn’t want to be recognized at that moment as the lowest ranking member of the crew. When she realized why, her breath caught. Was she honestly attracted to this man? No, it was just her overblown libido reacting to the earlier couple… But he was awfully cute… just sitting there… relaxed… the moisture from the steam slowly dripping over his body like a hundred glistening…

She splashed water on her face and shook her head.

“God, get a grip on yourself, Molly…” she whispered under her breath as she continued to shower, purposely keeping her eyes averted. “It’s just a guy. He’s probably not interested in you anyway.” She soaped her arms, scrubbing a little frantically. “I mean, there’s going where the wind leads, and then there’s just being ruddy horny…”

“Do you always talk to yourself when you’re nervous,” asked the man from directly behind her.

“AH!,” she squealed and nearly slipped on the wet floor as she jumped. She would have fallen if the man hadn’t caught her by the elbows and stood her upright again.

“Careful there. It’s a bit slippery.”

“Y-you did it again! Sneaking up on me,” she exclaimed while she tried to cover herself. It wasn’t really working.

“Hmm, I guess I did, didn’t I. Well, apologies once again, miss.”

She noticed that he didn’t let go of her elbows however… She noticed it like a pair of hot pokers on her skin.

Molly also felt that her heart was racing and she could hardly catch her breath. Was it the attraction? Was she really that susceptible to the mere glimpse of a naked man?… Apparently she was. Her body at least, was quite susceptible; from her out-of-control pulse, to the crinkled hardness of her nipples, everything she was feeling was an obvious sexual response. It was normal… Then the fingers lightly played up her arms and normal went right out the window.

“Oh god…” she moaned, her knees feeling weak.

His touch faltered just at her shoulders.

“Should I stop,” he asked softly, his lips only inches from her ear. She could feel the warmth of his body radiating onto hers he was so close. Her mind was buzzing with jumbled thoughts. What did she want? She knew what her body wanted, oh yes. Her body wanted those hands all over her. Her body wanted to be the woman in the hammock.

“No!… I mean, please don’t… uh, p-p-please don’t… stop.”

He seemed to pause for a moment, uncertain, then to her relief, his touch was in motion again, sliding onto her neck and back. The sensual caresses were gentle and undemanding, almost as though he were washing her… almost.

With her eyes closed, Molly settled into the erotic massage, and for several minutes let the man quietly run his fingers in circles down her spine, and then out onto her hips. She also felt him move closer, his body coming up against hers from behind. He seemed incredibly warm, almost hot to the touch.

“May I continue,” he whispered his question again, his lips lightly nuzzling her ear. She wondered what exactly he was asking her… Continue with what? How far did he intend to take his gentle seduction? As if to answer this question, his hands crept over the sides of her pelvis and played at the edges of her abdomen, again causing her breath to catch in her throat.

“Mmmm…” she moaned, and whispered back in answer. “Y-y-yes, please…”

There was no delay this time. His hand slid over her belly from behind, one moving up, the other slipping down until it just brushed the top of her mons. The effect on her arousal was just as immediate, and Molly nearly collapsed right there. It felt so incredibly wonderful… so right. His touch seemed made for her, confident; so different from her last lover, who was as awkward and nervous as she was at the time. This man’s skill was obvious. He knew exactly where and how to touch her to inflame her passion without overtly reaching for her chest or crotch. He was teasing her, running his fingers just under the soft orbs of her breasts, and ever so lightly playing over the surface of her pubic mound.

Held in his full embrace, she felt the hardness of his manhood behind her, and nearly fainted under the soft kisses he placed on her neck as the warm water sprayed over both their naked bodies. She could hardly think, her entire world floating into the wonderful pleasure. He quietly reached up and slipped his hand in hers, gently urging her to open to him. Slowly, she complied, her heart racing even faster. He entwined his fingers into hers and gradually brought her arm away from her chest, drawing it to her side… and then behind her.

She was confused for a moment as he slipped his grasp down to her wrist, but then her open hand settled onto the stiffness of his shaft and her mouth fell open. She sucked in her breath and let herself drift back into the erotic current that was carrying her away. Her eyelids fluttering with arousal, she slowly stroked his member, shocked by how large it felt. His own fingers drifted back up her arm and side, finally coming to rest on her ribcage. Ever so slowly, he was moving them inward over the swell of her breast.

Molly was practically squirming when he first trapped her left nipple between the V of his fingers. The pleasure that flowed out from her chest was exquisite… and yet it was nothing compared to what she suddenly felt at her pelvis as his other hand dropped down over her petals. Her whole body arched back as he played his digits right into her slick flower and very lightly stroked her.

“Ughnmmm… Oh, g-god…” she moaned as her hips twisted and rolled under his touch. She only vaguely felt him move her closer to the wall, but when he released her breasts and removed her fingers from his shaft, she was momentarily confused again… Until he brought her arm back up in front of her and placed her open palm to the wall of the shower above her head. The other hand soon followed, drawn there as if by magnetism. Finally, he started at her wrists, and slowly drew his own hands down her body, stopping at various points to more fully appreciate her features. She was already dizzy with arousal by the time he cupped the flattened mounds of her breasts, but she still gasped softly, utterly enjoying the feel of his fingers as they played with her stiff nipples.

And then his touch was on the move again, gradually making its way over her belly, her lower abdomen, and her hips once again. Finally, she felt his digits alight against her soft core, and sighed into happily rising pleasure. But he had another surprise for her.

Distracted as she was, she missed the feel of his manhood as he moved up behind her. Then, with a single slick motion, he placed his member right at her gates, literally opening her from the front as he came forward.

“UGHHNN!,” she groaned as he slowly entered her. “Oh GOD, yessss!” Molly shivered in delight for the whole time it took him to gently ease himself within her from behind. He felt huge, though she suspected that it was more her own inexperience and size that made it so. Even though it was a tight fit, he still slid within her sheath easily, and without pain. She knew she was slick, but the soft, mineral-rich water from the shower probably helped as well. The distiller left the water feeling almost slippery all on its own. Combined with her own arousal, she was quite well lubricated.

Molly sighed happily as the man finally reached her depths. After only a slight pause to allow her to recover, he was moving again, this time in the opposite direction. When he was about three-quarters out, he reversed yet again, this time moving back into her a bit more quickly. But he did not thrust roughly or urgently at all. Instead, he moved his hands to her hip and belly, and urged her to move with him. In this way, it was more of a slow undulation of their bodies, and something that Molly found terribly stimulating.

For her own part, she could hardly believe what she was doing. Perhaps it was Star’s philosophy of allowing change, or maybe just a percolating rebellion brought on by years within the Guild. Whatever the case, she had decided to seize the moment and enjoy herself for as long as she could. In the last 24 hours, she had cheated death, made dozens of new friends, completely changed the course of her life, and was now very much enjoying sex with someone she didn’t even know. And it didn’t bother her in the slightest!

She deepened the rhythm of their bodies, spreading her legs so that the man could move in even closer. He obliged, and after a few repetitions, grasped her hips and literally lifted her off the ground. With her hands still flat on the shower wall, he held her pelvis against his own as he continued the rolling thrusts.

Molly shivered in delight and let her legs reach back so that her feet were locked behind his thighs. She remembered the lovers in the hammock, and pulled him tight against her apex, just as she had seen the other woman do. To her great joy, the man’s shaft was pressed even deeper within her, and she heard him start to grunt in nearing ecstasy. Molly was very close herself, and when his hands, which no longer needed to hold up her lower body, slid sensuously up her torso to cup her breasts once again, she suddenly found herself gasping into bliss. Deep pulses of pleasure burst from her pelvis and washed through the rest of her body in waves, cresting at her head. Her face became a cloudy red as her orgasm nearly knocked her unconscious. And just like the woman she had spied on, she clutched and ground against her own lover, drawing out every last bit of shaking happiness until she finally collapsed, utterly spent.

Together, they rolled to the floor of the shower, partially leaning on the wall to stay upright. Both of them were panting and laughing when she finally had enough strength to speak again.

“I’m Molly…” she said, still trying to get both her eyes to focus correctly. The shower of warm water didn’t help.

“John,” he replied. Then he reached out and placed a gentle hand to her cheek. “Thank you, Molly. I really needed that.”

“You’re not the only one, and you’re welcome. In fact, you’re welcome to do that to me anytime,” she added the last with widened eyes and a smile.

They laughed again, and then just sat against the wall, shoulder to shoulder until they could both think straight. At last, John turned her head to his and gave her a wonderfully sensual kiss that seriously tempted her to climb back onto his lap. When they finally came up for air, he stood, and then carefully helped her to her feet. Her legs felt a little wobbly, but she assured the man that she would be fine. As if she needed any further convincing that he was a gentleman, he turned off the shower, retrieved a clean towel, and proceeded to pat her dry before wrapping the covering around her body.

As he placed a towel around his own hips, she leaned against the doorway and gave him a more thorough appraisal, deciding that he wasn’t just handsome… John was gorgeous.

“So, I guess I’ll be seeing you around.”

He came over and took her hand, placing his lips to her palm.

“I would imagine. We are on a small ship in the middle of a very big sea.”

Molly giggled. “Well, good night then, John. I know I’ll sleep well,” she said and added a sultry look.

“As will I.” He gave her hand a final squeeze, and then jogged out of the room. Sighing, she watched him go and then headed for her own hammock, her body still tingling. She certainly would sleep well, that is, if she could ever stop thinking about a certain male shipmate. She threw on some underclothes, dragged herself up into the hammock with a little difficulty, and was asleep before the bedclothes were warm.