Chapter 12: Growing Closer

The guns and ammo section of the outdoor goods store painted a grizzly scene. Bullet holes, spent casings, and shredded shelves littered the floor. Most of the locked gun cabinets were torn open and empty.

“Looks like the employees and customers made a last stand here.” Spencer voiced aloud as he picked up a hunting rifle off of the ground that had been bent nearly in half.

“They fought well.” Sarah kicked one of the many hellhound corpses lightly with her foot.

“Still no human bodies.” Spencer noted the lack of corpses as he counted eight slain hellhounds around the eerily empty battlefield.

Sarah glanced at him quizzically.

“The monsters have been taking human bodies away.” He explained. “I’m still not sure where to or why they’re doing it.”

Sarah nodded. “Will we be investigating then?”

Spencer turned towards the distant entrance to the store. The sunlight had faded a while ago and there were far fewer lights outside than usual. The entryway was dark and foreboding. 

There was a lot Spencer wanted to do. He wanted to recruit the rest of his team, he wanted to go house to house and search for survivors, he wanted to head to his friend Chris’ house and find out if he was still alive, and he wanted to find out what the monsters from the spire wanted with human bodies. Images of claws tearing through Andrea’s chest instantly cleared his mind.

No more hurrying into things. He reminded himself. We build up. Take things carefully. Sarah is the only real protection I have. I need to make sure she’s strong enough to take on whatever else might be out there.

“Eventually.” He finally answered Sarah’s question. “We should rest for the night and move out in the morning.”

The backpack Spencer had on held a few canned supplies and water bottles he brought from his house, but he knew they should find whatever else they could while they were here. A quick scan of his surroundings helped Spencer decide their next move. He nodded towards the far side of the store where he could see a camping section.

“We can find some survival meals over there along with sleeping bags or inflatable mattresses. If we take turns keeping watch through the night we should be safe enough in here.”

“As you wish, commander.” Sarah gestured to the destroyed guns and ammo section. “Do you still wish to search this area for supplies? I’d offer to help, but guns are not my area of expertise.”

Spencer set down his backpack and stretched his aching muscles.

“Yeah. I’ll look for anything still usable here. You can head over to the camping section and gather up whatever you think might be useful.”

They spent the good part of an hour digging through the scattered remains of the outdoor store’s merchandise. By the time he sat down to eat an MRE style survival meal that Sarah had prepared Spencer had replaced his father’s shotgun with a hunting rifle chambered in three three eight. The Winchester rifle’s ammunition hadn’t been used up like a lot of the other calibers, shotgun shells especially. 

Spencer would  have preferred to keep using slugs as he knew their effectiveness, but the only twelve gauge shells left in the store were birdshot and thus would be far less useful compared to this new weapon. Carrying around two long guns on his shoulder would get tiring too quickly. He could ask Sarah to carry one for him, but Spencer didn’t want to risk slowing her down if and when they inevitably got into another fight.

It wasn’t all bad, however, this hunting rifle was designed to hunt grizzly bears, moose, and other “big game” animals. There was a decent chance the larger more powerful three three eight rounds would penetrate the faceless ones’ hardened skin. Spencer eyed one of the large bullets warily as he chewed on his survival meal. An electric lamp hung from the tent’s mesh roof and provided ample light for them to eat by.

“You’ve upgraded your firepower.” Sarah noted as she finished her own meal atop the sleeping bag she had set out for herself.

The beautiful sword wielding video game character had set up a cozy pair of beds inside a display tent near the back of the store. Thin foam pads didn’t provide a lot of comfort on the hard floor, but it would be a manageable place to sleep for the night. A second pair of sleeping bags still rolled up in tight packs served as their makeshift pillows. Spencer placed the bullet he had been inspecting back into its box and took a swig from a large water bottle set between them.

“I did. I’m a bit intimidated by it though. I’ve never shot a caliber this large before. I’m comfortable with the recoil of my dad’s shotgun, but I’m worried this will buck right out of my hands when I fire it for the first time.” Spencer admitted.

He set the water bottle back down. Sarah eyed it for a moment before reaching out a tentative hand.

“Sorry. Was this one yours?” Spencer twisted in place trying to see if there was a second water bottle he missed.

“No!” Sarah answered quickly and Spencer thought he saw a faint flush fill the tips of her ears. “I only grabbed us one… to share…”

Sarah quickly lifted the bottle to her lips and took a tentative sip. A chime noise sounded in Spencer’s head.

‘Bonding Event successfully passed, Indirect Kiss: 

• Five store credits awarded.

• Team member, Sarah, stats improved.’

Oh. Spencer perked up a bit at the unexpected event. So maybe she got over me putting a hand on her arm earlier.

What Spencer was not prepared for was witnessing Sarah run her tongue over the lid in one long sensual motion.

“Um…”

******

Biologically Engineered humans didn’t need to eat or drink as often as normal humans did. A fact that Sarah suspected her commander wasn’t aware of. When Spencer had originally instructed her to prepare a late night meal for the two of them Sarah’s intention had been only to make one. Whatever that pod was that brought her here had left her on a full stomach and at full energy levels. The commander would be the only one that truly needed a meal. That plan changed as she filled up their water bottles at a still functioning drinking fountain near the restrooms.

If there’s only one bottle… we’ll have to share… Sarah realized.

Before the nervous engie could talk herself out of it Sarah quickly stuffed one water bottle out of sight in the black shoulder bag she scrounged up in the camping section. The extra water bottle felt heavy in her bag as she prepared the survival meals. Guilt filled her heart as she watched Spencer drink from the single water bottle between them in the tent.

When he looked around for a second water bottle Sarah knew it was now or never. She placed her mouth over the open lid, not even tilting it back far enough to pour water into her own mouth, and licked the residual saliva left by her beloved commander.

He’s so kind, and considerate, and intelligent…

Sarah licked the lid far more aggressively than she had intended and only stopped when she noticed Spencer watching her with an open mouth and flushed cheeks. The passion vanished in an instant.

“W-well look at the time, I’m stuffed, I’ll go take first watch.” Sarah hastily stashed her half eaten survival meal in her bag and scurried out of the tent.

“Sarah!” Her commander’s voice stopped her right outside the front opening of their makeshift sleeping quarters.

“Y-yes commander?” Sarah couldn’t bring herself to look back at him.

Her ears burned hot with fear and anxiety.

“Please wake me up when it's time to switch. I get the feeling you might try and let me sleep through the night, but I don’t want you to do that. I want to help and I want you to get plenty of rest as well.” Spencer said matter of factly.

Sarah felt the corners of her mouth dip downwards. She had actually been considering doing just that.

“You may not be aware of this commander, but engies don’t need to sleep nearly as often as normal humans do-” She began to explain while still not looking back in his direction.

Spencer cut her off. “Please. I know you may not need to, but I want you to be at full strength at all times. It’s actually a selfish request on my end. I’m counting on you to protect me from monsters that I wouldn’t be able to handle on my own.”

Sarah’s cheeks burned. He needs me…

It filled her with greater happiness and purpose than she had ever known in her life. She straightened her posture and finally turned to face her commander.

******

Spencer watched the regal sword wielder turn with the first genuine smile on her face that he had seen. It was bright, refreshing, and incredibly beautiful. Sarah placed a hand over her heart and bowed low in front of the tent.

“Commander. Though I am already under your command, please allow me to pledge my services to you for as long as you deem them wanted. For now and to the infinite beyond, I will follow you, commander.”

There are those hearts in her eyes again… Spencer noted as Sarah’s purple eyes fixated on him with fierce determination.

Sarah dipped her head and strode off to take up watch from a more centralized location in the store. Spencer watched her go apprehensively.

Okay. So I think I’m getting better at reading her. Or she’s getting more comfortable expressing herself around me. Spencer thought back to how the normally diligent and professional engie licked the water bottle. I underestimated how much these girls like me right off the bat… I don’t think I’ve ever had someone like me to this degree before.

Spencer had been on dates before, school dances, group outings, things like that, but it had never been extremely serious. No one he ever went out with ever reached the point where they would fantasize about licking the water bottle he had just used. That was a whole new experience that Spencer hadn’t been ready for. It was both exhilarating and concerning.

I can’t lose affection points. The system made sure of that.

Spencer reached up and turned off the electric lamp above his head.

Of course that begs the question… Would they like me if the system didn’t force them to?

Spencer lay awake for a while longer pondering this question.