By Rotwang (Zardreth@Cyberking.be)

Scorpion watched Sapphire transform.

The lovely Sapphire had changed into what looked like shiny black angular armour, reminiscent of obsidian.

"They warned me about this …" She said and braced herself. "But it won’t save you."

"Who sent you ?"

"It doesn’t matter, because I’m here to kill you and then skin you …" Scorpion said.

"What ?" Sapphire was surprised.

"That’s right, skin you … Perhaps my employer has a sexaroid simskin fetish …" Scorpion said and circled Sapphire.

"Your move !" Scorpion went a split-second after she made her attack. But her blow only cut air and even though she sliced in several directions with her razor-sharp arms and legs, Sapphire was out of range.

A red object smashed though the wall of the villa, like a cannonball, landing into the ornate garden.

Sapphire, stood in the hole and took a moment for a dramatic pose.

A red robot woman’s face popped out of the crater and seemed to stare angrily at Sapphire who leapt at her.

Scorpion reacted with a massive upward two-fisted punch.

Sapphire’s head flew back, but she managed to keep her footing.

Like a kung-fu movie on fast forward, Scorpion attacked, kicking and punching at Sapphire who parried, dodged and retreated as best she could.

With a single leap, Sapphire got out of the way and ran towards the cliff overlooking the sea.

But Scorpion engaged her thrusters and went after her, like a humanoid jet fighter.

With a few quick bounds, Sapphire managed to stay out of range and landed on top of a rock.

Blasts of light came out of Scorpion’s eyes slamming Sapphire off the rock.

Stunned, Sapphire felt herself being picked up and tossed about like a rag doll.

"I’m the best there is !" Scorpion said. "And no sex-toy is going to stop me." She said and drew her fist back for an uppercut.

WHAMMO !!!

>Systems malfunction

>Power 13 %

>Life Support minimal … DANGER, DANGER, DANGER …

Sapphire felt pain for the first time in a long while.

The blow had gone straight through her chest and damaged several systems. She was badly damaged, probably dying …

Her skin reverted to normal and Scorpion stood over her.

"I must admit there was a moment when I thought you would rip my head off." She said and crouched over the stunned Sapphire. With damaged systems, she jerked like a broken automaton.

"Let’s see what color your brain is …"

"NO !" Sapphire went as white light erupted from her eyes.

Scorpion recoiled and began to jerk and convulse.

"Wha- … ?" She went as her body was rattling and shaking.

Sapphire’s eyes and mouth were wide open and sparkling bolts of electricity rippled up and down her body.

Scorpion jerked about like a wrench stuck in a blender, clutching her head until it exploded into a shower of metal and brain-matter.

Synthia was leaning against a tree and had seen the whole thing.

Sapphire fell to her knees and watched Synthia struggling to reach her in time …

Don’t worry, you won’t die … Said the soothing voice nearby. Dream now …

***

"Girl, you had us worried."

Sapphire recognized the voice … She opened her eyes and saw the smiling Joshua and Jonathan.

Synthia had been repaired as well and stood behind the two men with a spunky grin on her face.

"What happened ?"

"And you ask us ?" Jonathan went. "You stopped Scorpion dead cold !"

"Who’s Scorpion ?"

"Just about the baddest, nastiest and deadliest cyborg killer ever made !" Joshua said.

"Shall I tell her ?" Synthia went.

"What ?"

"She even designated you as her successor. Just before she died, she transmitted your picture on the Net ! Even took the liberty of calling you Obsidian !"

"WHAT ?" Sapphire went. "I … I … " She tried to say. "Obsidian ?"

"You even got job offerings !" Jonathan said. "Can you imagine that ?"

"But … What happened ?"

"Well …" Joshua began. "I think I know why they were after you …"

"You do ?"

"And it was staring us in the face the whole time !" Joshua went. "It was so obvious ! It was the perfect hiding place since we only bothered to scan THROUGH it !"

"WHAT ?" She asked with a weary grin.

"Your skin."

"My skin ?"

"It’s your envelope, actually. It’s the freakiest thing I’ve ever seen. Test it and it’s plain old simskin, but if you get a good look at it, and I mean, a REALLY good look, you’ll find the funkiest technology I’ve ever witnessed ! If I understood 1% of it all, I’d get Nobel prizes for the rest of my life !"

Sapphire was stunned.

"Basically your simskin envelope can rearrange itself on a sub-molecular level. You can change it into anything, from plastic, to steel, to pure gold, even human flesh !"

Sapphire’s bright blue eyes just opened wide. "And it speaks to me !"

Joshua shook his head. "What ?"

"It speaks to me …" Sapphire said. "At least I understand what it means …"

"Talking skin !" Synthia went. "What will they think of next ?"

***

Jonathan watched Sapphire’s Obsidian form.

An almost mirror-like shiny black angular female form, athletic, sleek and imposing.

She had no face, just two bright white eyes sticking out of her smooth face, and her forehead was shaped in such a way it seemed she was frowning angrily at him.

Wiry feminine muscles were outlined over her body with its perfect measurements.

And then it all rippled away into a wash of human flesh and Sapphire gave him a proud little smile.

"Incredible !" He said.

"At least I know I can defend myself now." She said giving him a lovely smile. "This black stuff is harder than diamond. But I can’t keep it up for very long as the symbiote tend to "tire"."

He reached out for her and lowered himself onto the bed, alongside her.

She grabbed him and kissed him passionately, as the burden that had troubled her all these months seemed almost lifted. She now knew who she was and had been. There were still many questions, but at least for now she had answers.

And she expressed her relief well, as by morning, Jonathan was completely whacked, almost in coma.

Sapphire lay besides him and ran her finger over his body, drawing small chi patterns over his back.

She rolled on her back and closed her eyes. The other consciousness spoke to her.

I like it. It said. It meant the sex.

Communication was still hard, as she didn’t understand everything it said, but she managed quite well.

The others will be here soon. It said.

"The others ?" She thought. "What others ?"

You’ll see …

Sapphire looked at the window and saw it was almost dawn. She got up and tip-toed out of the room.

She went to her little spot and noticed a young woman sitting there already.

"Velvet ?"

Velvet smiled as she saw Sapphire.

"Come to see the sun rise ?" She said as a faint glow appeared on the horizon.

"Yes." Sapphire said and sat down besides her.

They were silent for a long while.

"Sapphire ?"

"Yes ?"

"What’s it like ?"

Sapphire thought for a moment. "Well, I don’t know, it feels like you have a friend with you … always." She said. "Perhaps not a friend, but something like a willing ear or a favorite pet that comes to soothe you …" She tried to explain.

A sudden splash made both of them jerk.

Sapphire crouched over to the edge and saw a figure swimming in the water.

"It’s Atana !" She said in relief.

"And Onyx." Velvet went.

"Hey !" Sapphire called them. "Come up here !" She said.

Moments later Atana and Onyx arrived.

"Hey, what’s going on here ?" Synthia said. I heard you shouting on the other side of the house !"

"Come with us, see the sun rise …" Sapphire said.

Sapphire looked at her friends.

Onyx, sophisticated and regal, but supportive and friendly, with her striking Ethiopian features.

Velvet, almost unreal, ethereal and gentle as if straight out of a fairytale.

Atana, their surrogate mother, from Trinidad, with a beautiful voice and a simskin fetish.

Synthia, cocky, tough, but friendly and a heart of gold.

And Jonathan … Sweet Jonathan, with his dark hair and Portuguese accent, his gentle touch …

"Sing something for us, Atana." Velvet asked.

"Okay … What do you want me to sing ?"

"Something nice for a sunrise …" Synthia said.

"I know something …" Atana said and …

"Amazing Grace …" She began to sing, delicately at first, like the first ray of light from the sun.

She slowly built up the energy of the song into a passionate cry for life.

Her voice carried over the sea where a few French fishermen heard the voice and stopped hauling in their nets.

"Bonnemère ! C’est beau !" One of them said and took his cap off in tribute. One of them even cried.

And just as everyone thought the song had reached its climax, she got up and opened with the last part.

Even a choral would not have matched her intensity that moment, and as if the world celebrated her song, the sunrays of a new dawn poured over Atana, putting her into a halo of fresh, new light.

Sapphire noticed everybody was holding hands and she felt a finger rub her hand. She turned and saw Jonathan smiling at her.

She smiled with all her heart and let go of tears, tears of joy …

***

No other name could do justice to her like Fire …

For her red hair could set every man’s heart on fire. Even Joshua, who preferred his women with dark hair, admitted to feeling something for her.

Fire had pale skin and freckles on her face. And she was lively and bright.

Jonathan took her hand and kissed it.

The other girls watched her, along with Sapphire, who noticed Velvet was glancing at her.

The smiles and gazes said more than words.

"Jonathan. Can we borrow Fire for a moment ?" Sapphire abducted Fire, who looked at the other women and went along to the machine.

Moans came out of the machine …

Velvet looked at Sapphire, who shook her head.

Onyx did her best to conceal her amusement.

The machine had maxed out on 378 …

"She beat you." Synthia said.

"Congratulations ! You won !" Sapphire said.

"I did ?" Fire went much to her own surprise.

"Let’s prep you up for Jonathan’s night with you." Velvet said.

"No wonder she won !" Joshua suddenly went standing in the door. "I installed a brand new tactile feedback system inside her. You’re all going to get an upgrade. It will increase your sensory awareness by at least 75 %"

The girls wowed.

"Sapphire …" He said reaching out for her and took her aside.

"I’m sorry, but I can’t upgrade you, not while you’re with the … symbiote."

Sapphire frowned.

"I think that that thing is more a kind of living organism than a machine." He said. "I just can’t work it out. If it’s high tech, it’s at least centuries ahead of our technology !" He said hushedly.

"How is it possible ?"

"I think it’s something alien …"

"From space ?" Sapphire went…

To be continued …