Overclocked -Ch 30- (Patreon)

Yawning, Wrench exited the ducts, moved across the small central area, and entered the pens.

There had indeed been something wrong with the Aerial-Hab.

A number of the connections that were supposed to automatically hook themselves into the rest of the Hab, had failed. Everything on his side was right, and receiving data appropriately. Sending out the required amount of water, oxygen, nitrogen, and food, respectively.

Just not what was actually needed.

Way too much of one, not enough of the other.

Nothing that he wouldn’t have realized given enough time to realize the results from the sensors were all “default”, or near to it. It was nice to catch it before it became an issue though.

Always so much damn balancing.

Balancing balancing balancing.

Nice that Tickaht told me about it.

Now I just have to get into the back part of her Hab and re-set the connections. That’ll be annoying but… whatever. It’s worth doing, and maybe she can help me get there.

Having assistants and people I can rely on is great.

I just wish that—

Wrench’s thoughts came to a stumbling halt as he looked down the hall.

Standing in front of the room to his pen was Stripe. She had her hands in front of herself and was staring back at him.

“Oh, Stripe,” murmured Wrench, wondering what was up. He hadn’t seen her at all today and had actually wondered several times about where she was.

Admittedly we haven’t had a lot of time to really be around one another. There’s almost always something going on, isn’t there? Always something to do or handle.

“Evening, Stripe,” Wrench said as he got close enough to speak with her at a normal volume.

“Wrench. It’s a pleasure to see you,” Stripe replied with a wide smile and a quick dip of her head. He noted her hair was pinned up behind her head and styled somewhat. Her hands, face, arms, and clothes, were all clean as well.

She’d clearly taken the time to freshen up and be ready for this encounter.

It made Wrench feel terrible, as he knew he needed a shower and a scrub-brush. He’d ended up working on the filter again and gotten a face full of fiber bits from the Aerial-Hab.

“It’s… it’s a pleasure to see you as well, Stripe. You look lovely. I’m feeling rather self-conscious with how lovely you look, in fact,” Wrench admitted, deciding to go straight with the honest answer. “Wondering if I should take a shower and come back out so we could talk somewhere else.”

“I… sure! That’d be great, actually. But ah… where would be a good place to talk? Aren’t all the lights off elsewhere?” Stripe asked.

“I have the field set up with night-lights now. It isn’t something you could like… draw, do needlework, or paint by, but you could easily talk in it. Take a walk,” Wrench answered, grinning at her. The unspoken last reasoning he had in mind was ‘have sex outside’, but he wasn’t going to say that. Not to Stripe, at least. Seventh or Dusky? Sure. Not Stripe. “Goodie gave me permissions into all of the Hab controls. I set up some lights for the evening so we can be anywhere in the Hab, regardless of the hour.

“Even the cafeteria will turn on if you go in it. It’s not like we have to stay in our pens at night really. The Brawlers we have in our Hab are all good people, too. Or they’re smart enough to not cross me at least.”

“That’s wonderful. Then… yes! Yes, go have a shower and meet me in the field. I’m going to go see if there’s enough light under the trees,” Stripe squeaked out before looking away from him. She nodded her head, then scurried off, vanishing past him and down the hall.

Wrench nodded his head as well, grinning.

His heart had skipped a beat at the idea of having a chance to really just be around Stripe. This was an opportunity he wouldn’t lose.

Opening the door to his pen, he already had a gameplan in mind. Hit the shower, rapidly cleanse himself, take care of his sexual needs down the drain, get dressed, and head out.

If he made sure to handle his own desire before he went to talk to Stripe, he could keep his head clearer.

The last thing I want is to try and push her into something too soon. If the gun is empty, there’s no reason to try and fire it.

Right? Right.

“Good evening, Wrench. Welcome home,” Dusky said, looking up from the desk. She was seated at it and looked to be reading over something. He couldn’t see what it was from this distance, but it looked to be a fairly thick book or manual.

A smile spread across her face, and she stood up from the desk.

“I’m glad you made it back at a reasonable hour. It’s even rather close to the time you said your day would normally be ending,” Dusky purred at him. She’d come over to him and looked him over critically, but didn’t say anything further.

“Indeed. I’m home. I’m going to head back out though for a time,” Wrench confessed with a small feeling of guilt eating at his heart. The idea of telling her that he was going to go out and have what was likely to be an intimate talk with Stripe nagged at the back of his thoughts. He didn’t want to lie to Dusky though. “Stripe invited me out. She wants to talk.”

“She does? That’s good. I’ve had a few discussions with her, and they’ve always been rather enlightening and quite positive,” Dusky answered with a warm smile. “Don’t stay out too late though. I don’t mind waiting up for you, but I’m more of a morning person than evening, so it can be hard sometimes.”

“You don’t have to. I’d understand,” Wrench responded with a small shake of his head.

“It’s fine. I don’t mind making sure we keep things fair,” Dusky said with a hand wave, as if she were brushing the concern away. “I’ll just keep reading. It isn’t an issue at all. Just don’t say out too late is all I ask.”

Dusky looked at him for a second more, then returned to the desk. Resuming her reading without anything more said.

Hm.

I wonder if Stripe would handle me talking to another woman as easily as Dusky does.

Is that the difference here though?

I’m just a trade partner to Dusky.

Stifling the emotions that wanted to rear up and gnaw at his heart, Wrench went to the bathroom instead. He had to get ready and quickly.

It only took him ten minutes to do everything he’d wanted to. Managing to get ready in record time and shooting out the door even as Dusky said goodbye from the desk.

His heart was racing when he entered the field and found Stripe exactly where he’d expected. Sitting beneath the trees and looking up at the night-sky above them.

The “night-lights” he’d programmed in were more like stars and a false moon. Enough light to do many things by, but nowhere near as bright as if it were the day.

Not far off, he could see what he was fairly certain were Freckles and Chuckles off near a broken building decoration. They were having a somewhat animated discussion, though it didn’t seem to be an angry one.

Dismissing them from his mind, Wrench went over to Stripe.

“Evening again,” he said in a quiet voice.

“Ah! Yes! Good evening. Feel better?” she asked, turning her body to look up at him. She was once again smiling.

“Much. I can’t smell the Aerial-Hab plants anymore. It was everywhere. Especially my hair,” complained Wrench, taking a seat next to Stripe on the grass. “Appreciate you letting me do that real quick.”

“I didn’t mind waiting. I’d already waited a day and a half to talk to you, twenty minutes more wasn’t going to kill me. Even if I was secretly whining about it,” admitted Stripe. She was watching him out of the corner of her eyes.

“Eh? Oh. Yeah. I got back late last night and didn’t see you at all,” Wrench mumbled, his thoughts tracing her words along his own timeline. “Today was all work as well. Didn’t see you at all. Though I admit I half expected you to show up.”

“I figured you were busy trying to get caught up,” Stripe murmured, drawing her knees up to her chest. Then she wrapped her arms around them. She stuck her chin to the tops of her knees and stared out into the field ahead of them. “Didn’t want to be a drain on you. I’d probably have just chattered your ear off while you tried to work.”

“I dunno, maybe I wanted you to chatter my ear off,” ventured Wrench. He wanted to move whatever this was ahead. Even if slowly, he wanted it to move ahead.

Stripe clicked her tongue at that and didn’t give a further response.

Wrench didn’t push the conversation. He had a feeling Stripe wanted to say something but was working out how to get the right words put together. Once she managed that, she’d start them back up again.

An entire minute ticked by before Stripe groaned, then put her face into her knees rather than her chin.

“I want to chatter your ear off,” she said into her knees. “I want to chatter your ear off a lot. All the time. I want to talk to you about everything. Anything. All the things.

“About every little thing that comes up and what you think about it, tell you what I think about it, maybe try to figure out what Goodie thinks about it.

“But it’s not my place. I’m not your woman. I’m just some Solo that you’ve been kind to and allowed to benefit from that kindness. It’s a wonder and I feel all knotted up inside about it.

“About everything. I don’t even know what to do anymore. I just… ugh… I just don’t know.”

Wrench had listened to everything she’d said and did his best to not respond as she spoke. He’d wanted to answer her as she went, but that’d just be rude, regardless of his own excitement.

“I ah… I’d… very much like you to be more than what you are now,” he tried, not really sure how to move the conversation, but feeling like he had to. He felt like her words had given him express permission to try and push them along. To get this relationship shifting ahead.

The problem was, he was no Casanova.

No speaker of romantic words that could pierce the heart.

“What about Dusky?” Stripe asked, her head tilting to the side fractionally. He couldn’t see her face, but he assumed that perhaps she could see him nonetheless. “Wouldn’t she be upset?”

“I mean, it’s just an agreement with her,” Wrench grumbled. “I told her I was going to talk to you, and she said that’s great. I really can’t see her being upset if I didn’t really need her to carry out her agreement anymore.”

“Uhm… and… that’s what you’d want? You’d want me to be your woman instead of her?” Stripe inquired.

“No! No. I mean, yes? But no,” answered Wrench, suddenly flustered. “I want you to be my woman, but not be my woman. I want it to be more than just an agreement. More than just a casual trading of stuff.

“I want it to be on an emotional level, I guess? Not just that we’re trading one thing for another, but that we both choose to be with one another. Like… I like being around you. I want to be near you. I enjoy spending time with you and… and I feel oddly affectionate toward you. I don’t think I love you, we’ve only just met a short bit ago, but I really feel a connection?

“Gah. Fuck I’m explaining this terribly. I’m so bad at this. Talk about wishy-washy.”

“I think you’re doing just fine,” Stripe interjected. “It makes sense. Kind of. I think so, at least. I can somewhat understand what you’re asking and… and… I think I’d like to see where this takes us.

“Or at least, start moving that way. I don’t love you either, but I can admit I like you. I like being near you and around you. I want to explore it.”

“Great! Great. Uhm… great,” Wrench repeated in an almost broken way. “Great. Good. Yes. We’ll just… keep going then and see where we end up.”

“I don’t mind your agreement with Dusky, by the way,” Stripe continued, as if his floundering words hadn’t actually bothered her. “That existed before we met, and I think it gives the School a lot of… stability. They feel they’re all protected as long as you keep Dusky as your woman. That she is actively earning their keep by keeping to the agreement.

“It sounds a little weird when I say it, actually, but I swear it makes sense to me. I really don’t mind you keeping the agreement with her, and it might actually be a problem if you tried to end it or got rid of it.

“That and… how could I ever be upset about Dusky when I know for a fact Goodie will ask you to stud out. It’s an easy way for us to get gifts and things from Goodie, and she earns her own whatever it is Tongsta use for trade.

“It’s not like I’m an innocent and going into this blind. I’ve thought about this a lot. A great deal, in fact.”

Wrench realized in that moment he hadn’t thought about it at all.

He’d just been somewhat mindlessly chasing the idea of a relationship with Stripe, without ever considering what a relationship with her would entail. What might need to change or how it would change.

To be fair, he’d only been considering a relationship with Dusky up to this point until the last day or so.

“Okay. Uhm… I’ll not change anything then,” Wrench murmured.

In the back of his head, he was now thinking about Stripe’s words, but applying them to Seventh.

She’d come to him with a very strong and heavy need for direction. For a goal or a guide to use in regards to herself.

Maybe she’s feeling a bit adrift without something to work toward. I’ll have to talk to her a bit.

See if I can’t provide something for her.

No idea what but… that’s what talking would do.

“Good,” Stripe said, then lifted her head up from her knees. She was smiling from ear to ear and her face was bright red. “Now. Tell me about how it went with Goodie? I wanted to know all about your day at work with her and if you learned anything of interest. Then tell me about your day today.

“And before you ask… I didn’t do anything at all. I just talked to some people, helped out Gadget, and generally wandered around through the ducts and stayed out of your way.”

Wrench grinned and looked to his feet.

“Work with Goodie was odd. Apparently she’s really special,” Wrench began.

***

“Perfect,” Wrench said and set his tray down next to Seventh’s. “I’m glad you’re here.”

Clambering onto the bench next to her, he looked at her with a smile.

“Huh? I know I’m perfect. I was bred to be. Perfect damn Brawler. You’re just abnormal. Only reason you beat me,” Seventh replied with a smirk, looking at him. “Did you only just now realize how wondrous I am?”

“Fuck no. I knew that when I was hilt deep, pushing down on your hips, and you told me to go harder,” answered Wrench, grinning back at her.

“Eh… that’s fair. I bet I’m pretty perfect in that regard, too. Bet it felt great unloading in my perfect cunny, didn’t it?” Seventh answered with a thoughtful look and a slow nod of her head. “Anyway. What’s up? You’re not here to flirt with me, I think? If you are, fantastic. I was bored.”

Fuck she’s direct.

I mean, it’s nice that she’s straight to the point, but damnit. There’s no room at all to hide anything in that statement other than what she said.

“I mean, I can flirt with you as much as you like,” Wrench rejoined and picked up his spoon with a smile. As much as it was embarrassing, especially with others around them, he still enjoyed the banter. “It’s always fun to have someone to spar with. Verbally, physically, or otherwise.”

“Great. We might end up flirting right into a bed though, so I’m going to need a null-ring. You’re the only one I’d want on top of me anyways. Can’t shake my training. Can only pick a mate that’s genetically superior to me. The idea of a man that isn’t fit to breed being on top of me is disgusting,” Seventh got out around a mouthful of pancakes. Her table manners didn’t exist it seemed. “Unless you want to breed me after all, then I wouldn’t need the null-ring. I think raising Eighth in this Hab would be incredibly easy, so I’m not opposed to it.”

Err… hm.

No to the child but… maybe yes to bedding her?

It’s not exactly a trade deal like Dusky and I, but it isn’t built on emotions, unlike Stripe and my… whatever… it is. It’s just casual sex?

That’s not an unattractive idea, but I’ll need to walk it by Stripe. There’s no way I’d risk being with Stripe for a go with Seventh. She was fun to have, but not fun enough to risk Stripe.

“If we’re getting null-rings, I’ll need one, too,” Gadget said with a straight face. Apparently the conversation Wrench and Seventh were having didn’t bother her at all. “Now that I’m a woman and have a man I really don’t want to catch a child yet.”

“Got it. Null-rings,” Wrench agreed and looked to Chuckles and Spooky, who were sitting at the same table. He wasn’t quite sure if he wanted to keep having this conversation with so many people around.

“Don’t need it, obviously,” Chuckles said with his characteristic laugh.

Spooky raised his eyebrows at that and grinned.

“My partner and I are all done having kids. A null-ring would be appreciated,” he said.

Right.

Right… I… this is Hab life. Conversations like this are beyond normal.

It’s only abnormal in the resistance. Not here.

“Got it,” repeated Wrench. “Spooky, how’re things? Anything you need or want?”

“No. Not really. Everything is pretty amazing here,” answered the Admini. “Other than a few other Admini. But we already talked about that so I’m not exactly in a rush.”

“Same for me before you ask,” Gadget said, wolfing her food down with an absolute vengeance. She sputtered once and then swallowed hard. “All good. Just lots of work to do. Love these new systems though. That firmware update thing you mentioned never happened.

“Must’ve been done before I got sent out into my last Hab. Swifty had to update though.

“Okay. Need to go finish unloading. So much stuff. Good stuff. Love Goodie. She’s great.”

Gadget stood up off the bench and then left. Pausing only to collect Swifty.

“Mm, yes. Agreed. Goodie really is great,” Spooky offered. Then he looked to his tray, snickered, and picked it up. “My partner just came in. I’m going to go sit with her.”

Chuckles watched Spooky getting up, then his face flashed with something that looked like understanding.

“Oh, yeah. There’s Freckles. I need to go chat her up,” Chuckles said with a laugh. He grabbed his tray and left as well.

Leaving Wrench alone with Seventh.

“Ah, that’s cute. They want to leave us alone so we can flirt without feeling weird. Whatever,” Seventh said, chewing loudly. “It’s fine if they stayed, I don’t care either way. I don’t care what they know about us. I’m interested in bedding you and I already know you’re interested in bedding me.

“And it’s not like it’s a secret that you dumped a load in me. Everyone knows you already studded me and it’s better that way. No confusion like that for anyone involved.

“Though, I’m still curious if I’m pregnant or not. Annoying that I won’t know for a month. I’m honestly kind of hoping I am at this point. As I said, Eighth will really benefit being born here. Boy or girl, wouldn’t matter.”

Wrench regretted that everyone had left.

Flirting with Seventh seemed fun, but he also didn’t want to harm Stripe.

“Actually, I wanted to talk to you about something else,” Wrench offered up to change the topic. “I was thinking about what you said. About something to do. How would you feel about training the other Brawlers? They’ll need someone to lead them. I’m just a Fixer that can fight, not a Brawler. You damn well nearly beat me, Seventh. Was a coin toss at the end.”

Seventh sniffed at that, her eyes unfocusing as she chewed methodically.

Then she shrugged and nodded, looking to him.

“Fine. But I want favors in return. Armor. Weapons. Training things. That’s what I want for training people. I’ll train anyone who asks, too. Not just Brawlers,” Seventh said.

“Great. I can do that. That’d be great. Thanks, Seventh,” thanked Wrench.

“Course. Can’t expect to flirt you into a bed with me if I’m not at least being nice.

“And you know what, I’ll just be blunt. Since we’re talking about what each other wants and what we can do for the Hab.

“Besides, I’d rather not joke about it either and just say it. I want to fuck at some point. Fuck you, that is. I want you to fuck me with or without a null-ring,” Seventh muttered and shrugged her shoulders. “You’re the only man I want to bed and you’re here in my Hab. That, and sex was a lot of damn fun. So there’s no reason we shouldn’t be pawing at one another. Ya know?

“Oh, and Dusky said she doesn’t care by the way, so you don’t have to worry about that. So yeah, I can train them. Make you happy with me, then get you to fuck me. Kinda glad I didn’t know sex was this great before-hand. Few men are suitable to be on top of me”

Great… err… need to get ahold of Stripe.