System Overclocked 2 -Ch 22- (Patreon)

Peeking out of the crate, Wrench could see they were in a warehouse like room. All around them were crates and other goods.

Looking upward, he saw that much like the two warships he’d been on, this one also had an access point for gases.

“We can get to a duct access point,” he said quietly. “I think we should do it. We might be able to move around a bit.”

“I like that. Maybe we can find an area we could flood with atmosphere we can breathe? I ah… I really need to get out of this suit and go pee,” Tickaht admitted. “I’ve been holding it a really long time.”

Err.

Yeah, we need a position to work out of. We can’t just remain in the zero suits forever.

We’ll need food, water, and an environment to live in.

Okay… well… good thing I have resistance training.

There’s a reason I managed to move around as much as I did. I just never realized how small the areas we were moving around in were.

Was it just one giant ‘clan’ ship I was on?

Hm.

“Alright. Then we’ll get into the access point and follow it backward. If we can find an oxygen dispersal system we can route it down to somewhere,” explained Wrench. “We just have to find a compartment that wouldn’t be abnormal to put oxygen in.”

“Are… are there such areas?” Tickaht asked as they fled the crate.

They’d only been in the crate for thirty minutes or so, but it’d been riding on the edge of heaven and hell for him.

Thirty minutes of Tickaht torturing him endlessly with fondling, groping, panting, and moaning had been more than enough for Wrench to no longer care that she was Grae.

Even with his system pegged, she’d managed to force his Endocrine System to start trending upward on it’s own.

Or more accurately, his extreme desire of her.

It’d been surprising to say the least. He didn’t even think it was possible for it to shift away after he’d pegged it to a number.

Forcing him to once more lower the System downward.

“Sometimes. Tongsta are weird. Some of them take up hobbies like botany and a number of them work with carbon dioxide type plants. Which means they end up with an atmosphere works out well for Humes,” explained Wrench as they headed up to the access point. “I’m not sure that’s a possibility for a ship like this though. That being said, the second, though less fun option, is the ‘tank’ as Hume call it.

“I have no idea what kind of atmosphere Tongsta prefer, but they do something with oxygen for it. That oxygen is used in a weird tank thing about the size of three carriers put together. Whatever they do in their atmosphere creates a small amount of water in that tank, too”

“Well. Sounds like we need to hunker down in the tank,” Tickaht muttered and jerked open the access point. “What about food? I’ve never seen Tongsta eat.”

“They eat. Anything that poops, eats,” Wrench muttered and looked to the duct before they entered. There was no marking or designation that showed him which way was which. They’d just have to travel down the duct and hope they got the right direction. “As to how do we get food… well… we’ll have to figure out where their cafeteria is, then get into the dispenser. They use a very similar way of getting food as Habs do.

“We can eat the stuff before it’s turned into their… food… or whatever… it’s sludge. It looks like sludge.

“Before it becomes that sludge it looks pretty similar to sludge. It isn’t… it doesn’t taste good. And it’s more or less slime. But it’s a good source of calories.”

“Ugh, I’m not looking forward to that. Ah, the gas is moving this direction. That means we go in the opposite, yes?” Tickaht asked, holding up a piece of the crate. A slim piece of met-ape that had been what looked like a tag of some sort. It was gently moving against her hand as they looked to the left. “Where it’s coming from is likely where we’re going?”

“You’re a tricky thing,” he said instead and then gestured down the duct. Though this really did look more like a pipe if he had to be honest. “Yes, that’s the way we should go.”

“Thank you! I’m flattered to be called tricky. Or clever. I like clever, too,” Tickaht said and then rushed past him. As she did so she trailed her fingers along him. From the waist up to his shoulder, and making sure to brush them against his groin.

She did it in a slow roll that gave her an almost liquid appearance as she shot down the duct. A predator that was falling through foliage and branches was an easy image that came to his mind.

“I’m looking at you Tickaht, I’m longing for you,” he said, deciding to feed her ego. He chased after her and quickly began to catch up.

Tickaht’s head whipped around and looked down at him. Her eyes were round and her mouth a flat grimace that couldn’t have been any wider.

“Yessss,” she hissed and then sped up somehow. Moving down the pipe at an even faster rate.

Pressing his teeth together, Wrench set out after her. Trying to actually go faster than her. Goodie had mentioned a few things that made him feel as if the suit were more reactionary to emotions and wishes, than actual physical usage.

Right now he wanted to go fast enough to be able to touch Tickaht, and nothing more. He didn’t want to pass her, he just wanted her to know he could grab her if he chose.

Suddenly he zipped ahead and was right there at her ankle. All he’d have to do was reach out, and he could grab her.

Tickaht sensed it, somehow, and looked down and found him there.

She stared at him for several long seconds before looking ahead again. She didn’t slow down or speed up, though he didn’t notice she drifted toward him. Till her foot touched his shoulder, in fact.

There was a flat bent in the pipe ahead of them. One that looked to be an actual dead end. He wasn’t sure if Tickaht saw it, or planned on shooting through it at full speed, but he didn’t want that.

Reaching out, he laid a hand to her calf and gently squeezed. Almost immediately she slowed down and turned. Her arms came down on his shoulders and her legs came up to wrap around his hips.

Uh… kay.

Slowing himself down, Wrench reached the elbow of the duct. Coming up to the turn, he peered down it.

There was an access point ahead as well as some type of motor. An outtake port for whatever system was pumping the gas into the duct.

He had no idea how it managed to level out the gas in every compartment, but it seemed to be working. It was one of those things his Fixer brain wanted to understand.

Taking the turn he eased them around the bend and then up to the access point. Peeking out into it he didn’t see any Tongsta. There wasn’t anyone actively monitoring the system.

To be sure, it’s not as if I sit there and monitor the oxygenators and scrubbers. Unless it breaks there’s no reason to look.

Which means… we should be alright.

“I need to pee and I can’t hold it much longer,” said Tickaht in a voice that sounded extremely grave while releasing him. “I might burst.”

“Right,” he said aloud, realizing that her urgency matched his thoughts.

They should move forward with expediency.

Reaching through the grate, he slipped the latch and then pushed it open. Moving into the compartment he quickly looked around.

Nothing stood out to him.

Though he did spot what he wanted. The “tank” sat off to the side. This unit was somewhat bigger than he expected, but it still was nowhere near a size that’d be comfortable.

Much as he’d done in his last life as a resistance Hume, he went straight to the tank. He spotted the maintenance door and then forced it open.

There was an audible hiss as the gas in the inside of it fled quickly into the compartment. There was the possibility of signaling an alarm or an alert, so they needed to be swift.

Before he could even tell her to get in, Tickaht flew past him and inside.

Moving in as well, Wrench pulled the door shut behind him.

No sooner than the seals touched then it clicked shut and the interior refilled with gas. A loud whooshing noise filling the space as the machine turned back on.

The interior of the tank had several large rectangles set to the side next to the outtake. Acting as a filter, though he wasn’t sure it was one. They were made out of a material he couldn’t identify, but had a texture similar to fabric.

In the corner was a small tub like thing that held water. This was a resource that filled on it’s own from a strange faucet like structure above. Though it didn’t drain by any visual means.

It simply vanished without any obvious reason other than evaporation.

The rest of the tank was empty and was simply a metal container that held gas. Thankfully it wasn’t pressurized.

“Where-where do I go? I need to go. I need to go right now!” begged Tickaht.

“Against those. They aren’t dangerous or harmful as far as I can tell. You can just about sit on them,” Wrench instructed, pointing to the rectangles. He’d been forced to use them as a bathroom before. The smell hadn’t lingered thankfully but it’d caused a Tongsta to come and replace it after he had done it a few times.

They’d need to find a bucket to use as a bathroom later. Then simply empty it into an unnoticed corner or under something.

Alright, next would be to find food and—

Whimpering, whining, and making low honking noises, Tickaht quickly pulled of her zero suit. Exposing her body to him as she pushed her rear end up to the large rectangles.

He could see her perfectly due to the low-light vision his helmet provided. Her skin was practically glowing.

She’d only kept her helmet on, the rest of it was down around her ankles.

Looking away from Tickaht, he instead walked over to the water. It looked clean and perfectly drinkable.

“Ahhh… ahhhhhhhh… oh I feel so much better,” complained Tickaht. “It hurt. It hurt so bad. So bad. I thought I was going to pop.”

Wrench nodded his head. He could definitely get what she meant. Springing to the front of his mind were a number of situations where he was simply unable to find or use a bathroom.

Okay.

Water secured.

Shelter secured.

Now we just need food.

After that, a plan to contact Goodie and let her know where we are. Best way to do that is… rely on the implant.

It’s still functioning as a locater.

So… if we can get to somewhere that connects to that Hume Hab system, she’ll know where I am. From there, she can probably figure out we’re with the pirates.

There we go then.

A plan.

Hab systems are in Habs and ports.

Previously we thought they were just buildings with paranoid security. Now I know it’s actually ships.

Other than maybe finding a Hab on this ship, we could hide in some trade goods or the like to go port side.

Then stay there.

She’d find us.

Now we just—

“Okay,” Tickaht breathed, her helmet pressing against his. Her arms came around his front and locked around him. Her skin was bare and visible.

“Let’s finish our game. We did enough hunting one another. Enough… enough hunter and prey. Now it’s time to enjoy the kill,” growled Tickaht. Her hand fled down his front and grabbed him at the groin. “I long for you, Wrench. I’m looking at you.”

Now we just… finish the game.

Wrench promptly turned up his Endocrine System to an extremely Overclocked state. He figured Tickaht deserved it and could handle it.

***

“Alright. Food secured,” Wrench stated and put down the barrel of Tongsta food goop he’d stolen. It was easily twice his size. While disgusting, this would easily keep them fed for a month or two, and it wouldn’t be missed either.

This was the equivalent to a Tongsta losing track of a box of oat-bars. Only really noticeable if you’re paying attention, otherwise, it’d just lost in the numbers.

“Bathroom and bed, too,” Tickaht groused and tossed the improvised bucket into the corner near the not-filters. Then she dropped the sheet of metal they’d gotten from the broken crates next to the new “toilet”.

It felt as if it were the cap or top to some type of container. The top of it was actually level all the way across.

It’d work out well enough as a toilet for them to squat over the top of, it was just awkward to to move around.

Given the weightless environment, it would also make it difficult without the metal sheet as the cover over the top. He’d just have to put a hole in it.

Tickaht went back out of the tank to get the extra not-filter they’d found beside the system. It was certainly big enough to double as a bed for them.

Levering it down to the far side from their “bathroom” Tickaht let out a short huff. Her hands were on her hips and she stood there unmoving.

Grinning, Wrench turned and pulled the door shut. It thumped, sealed, and the atmosphere inside the tank went back to normal.

“I’m sorry?” he offered up, looking over at the Grae.

After quite literally wrestling her to the bottom of the tank, having sex for half of an hour, then having her a second time, Tickaht had found that her stamina was not at his level when it came to sexual activity.

“It’s… it’s fine,” she said finally with an exhale. “I’m not mad. Just frustrated that I ended up just laying there.

“In fact I demand more such activities later. Doubly so since you can never give me a child. There’s no reason to not simply… ‘go at it’ as Seventh would say.

“I’m still surprised that our ah, parts? Parts. That our parts fit together so snugly. Honestly, it wasn’t uncomfortable after the first thrust. After that it was great.”

Wrench could only nod his head. Tickaht had more or less been very similar to a Hume when it came to sexual relations. It’d been very surprising.

Some of it felt different, firmer in some areas, softer in areas.

The experience had been somewhat surreal, but also not.

When it came right down to it, having sex with Tickaht had been a lot like going at some of the inHume Deme.

“Yeah. It was. I’m already looking forward to it. Think you can handle it?” he teased, watching the Grae.

“I… you know what, even if I’m not, I still want it. You didn’t care that I just laid there and even then it was fun,” Tickaht grumbled and waved a hand dismissively. “Just play with my chest more next time. All four are really sensitive. Especially the lower ones.

“Anyways, food, toilet, water, bedding. What else do we need? We’re living more a life more akin to small furry things with big teeth.”

“Rats?” offered Wrench.

Tickaht shrugged her shoulders, staring at him through her helmet. Then she grunted and started working at pulling off her zero suit and helmet.

“Rats,” Wrench confirmed for himself. “Yes, we’re certainly living a bit like rodents at the moment. Now that we have the basics though, we can start seeing about taking next steps.

“First we should take a moment of rest, eat, maybe sleep, then when we wake up, see about going down the ducts. See if we can’t find any Hume Habs or otherwise. Our implants could be picked up by the system if we get close enough.

“Once we do that, it’d likely be sent back to Goodie once it docked with a larger system. Warship or otherwise.”

“I like that,” Tickaht agreed, her zero suit getting laid down next to the bed. Her helmet went down on top of it as well. “Ah, better. Much better.”

She briefly ran her hands over her breasts as if to brush something off. Her head turned and he could see her bizarre eyes gazing at him in the dark.

“We’ll need some type of light-source for you. My poor Hume is blind in the dark. Whatever will he do when his Grae hunts him in the dark?” Tickaht asked, her mouth flattening out in a massive grimace. Her cheeks took on a faint red tinge as well.

Wow.

Really?

Alright.

“I imagine I’ll probably get hunted and then get coaxed into a bed. Wouldn’t you agree?” he offered. “For now… I’ll just trust my Grae to help me out. Water, food, bathroom. Then sleep.”

“Ah… yes, but no,” argued Tickaht. She’d come over to him and was taking his zero suit off. “Water, yes, food, yes, bathroom, yes. Sleep? No. Sex. Then possibly more sex. And a little more sex. Then sleep.”

Wrench lost sight of everything as Tickaht finished with the suit and popped his helmet off. He almost dialed up his System screen to give himself nightsight, but then realized he really didn’t need to.

He trusted Tickaht.

“Tomorrow, we hunt the ducts. Tonight… is for us. It’ll be… memorable,” whispered Tickaht a second before she kissed him.