Fenris Perrywinkle: The Great Galactic Duel

“What?” Amanda’s voice fills the room with an icy tone.

Jenn lies back on the bed beside me and makes a finger pistol at the bobble embedded in the roof. She pretends to shoot several times. “Fenris and I are getting married, and you’re not invited.”

“What!”

I slap my forehead. “Jenn, not helping. I asked her to call you, Amanda. Would you come over? We all need to talk about Warden Jefferson.”

Now it’s Jenn’s turn to be icy. “Hey, you didn’t tell me you were going to invite her over!”

Amanda senses and opening and takes it. “What’s the matter, Sweetie? Afraid you just won’t measure up when we’re side by side?”

The blonde narrows her eyes a little. “No, Sweetie, it’s just that I have a strict policy against letting dogs into my apartment. I’m sure you understand.”

“Girls!” I shout at the top of my lungs. “Both of you, stop. Just stop!”

Jenn gives a little shrug and lies back on the bed again. “She started it.”

“I really don’t want to be around her, Fenris. And I did not.”

Jenn grins. “There? See? That settles it. I’m keeping Fenris the rest of the night. And you did too.”

You’d think I would enjoy having two hot babes fighting over me, wouldn’t you? In truth, I did for a while – but its long become old and tiresome.

There’s a long pause, then Amanda’s voice fills the room again. “I’ll be over in a few. I just want to freshen up a little bit first.”

“What!” Jenn sits up and stares daggers at the ceiling communicator. A chirp indicates that Amanda has ended the communication.

I reach over and begin stroking Jenn’s hair. “Please don’t do anything when she gets here. I just want to connect the dots, okay? If my hunch is right, we might be able to stop the death match tomorrow. And maybe any future matches too.”

Jenn starts to calm down a little as I continue to run my fingers through her silky blonde locks. “She’d better not try anything. I still want to choke the life from her body.”

Her eyes suddenly darken a little as she realizes what she just said. She pulls away and sits on the end of the bed. “You must think I’m some sort of monster, talking the way I have been. I don’t know what it is about her, Fenris, but it awakens something deep inside of me that just wants to see her destroyed in the worst kind of way.”

I place my hands on her shoulders and snuggle up behind her. I wish I had some vice grips or something I could use to work out some of the knots. “Is it just jealousy?” I ask.

She gives another little shrug. “I don’t know. Ever since I put this suit on – my emotions, they’re kind of all over the place. When I get mad, I get really mad, you know? Same when I’m happy or depressed or whatever. It’s like I’m PMSing 24-7 or something.”

I wrap my arms around her slender waist and squeeze as hard as I can.

She turns her head and rests her cheek against mine. “Do I stink?”

How exactly do I answer that without getting in trouble?

Jenn reads my hesitation. “I stink. Okay. Hang tight for a minute. She’s getting freshened up, I might as well do the same.”

She stands and enters a side room. A shower starts up. I’m surprised those still exist, given the fact that everything else seems so science fiction on this ship.

Jenn calls out from the washroom. “I don’t have to poop anymore with this suit on, but it always kind of stinks for some reason. The shower will help for a little while, but not long.”

I nod my head, not that she can see. I don’t want to bring up the fact that Amanda already told me that. In fact, I don’t want to bring up Amanda at all.

The blonde steps out of the other room, her black bodysuit still glistening with moisture. “Do you need anything before I start my hair?”

I shake my head. “No, I’m good.” I step to the large bay window and squint at Amanda’s quarters across the stadium. I don’t see any indication that she’s there.

A high pitched whine tells me Jenn has begun blow-drying her hair. I guess there’s no sci-fi replacement for that either.

After a few minutes, Jenn emerges looking fresh with her hair nicely straightened. “Figures that princess isn’t here yet. I bet she’s going all out with makeup and perfume.”

As if in answer, the apartment door slides open with a hiss and Amanda walks in looking like she did earlier in the day.

Jenn smirks and places her hands on her hips. “Did you even bother to shower? You don’t look like you put in any effort at all.”

Without a word, the brunette walks up to the blonde with a smile and places something on the windowsill beside them.

“You brought me a gift?” Jenn asks and raises one eyebrow.

The small square object flickers on and shines a red beam of light on the side of the blonde’s head.

Something isn’t right. Jenn stands motionless – even when Amanda presses her body into hers and gives her a long kiss!

“What the...” I can’t move either – but for different reasons. I’m kind of ashamed of myself, but I feel like I’m a kid that just found porn on my parent’s television late at night and I can’t look away.

Jenn isn’t into it but seems unable to defend herself. “Aaaaaagh hell her h’m noh a ’esbian! Geh her ogh uh eeee!”

If I was a dentist, I’d probably understand her perfectly right now. As it is, I think I understood enough to get the message.

“Amanda! What... what is this? What are you doing? Stop!”

The brunette simply turns her head to me, gives me a wicked smile, and then proceeds to begin groping my fiancé.

My heart starts to pound. The moment has past and this just isn’t right. “I said, STOP!” I command.

Amanda makes a pouty face at me and finally takes her hands off of Jenn’s body.

“What the actual hell, Amanda? Seriously! What’s wrong with you? Get away from her! Talk to me!”

The brunette still refuses to speak. Instead, she walks toward me slowly and gently pushes me back onto Jenn’s bed.

Jenn voices her protest as best she can. “Oou scay agay hum him, oou cazy itch!”

Amanda has a sensual look in her eye as she slowly pulls herself on top of me. I know this is supposed to be really hot, but I’m seriously kind of freaked out right now. This doesn’t seem like her at all!

“Amanda...” I whimper, “Please. Not like this. Not right now. What’s wrong with you? Why won’t you talk to me?”

She moves to try and kiss me, but I turn my head to rebuff her advance. So instead, she starts licking my cheek like some sort of wild animal.

I grip her arms, trying in vain to push her off. Something isn’t right. Well, actually, nothing about this is right, but hear me out. Her arms are... soft-ish. Like, almost regular human soft. What is going on here?

Just then, the door hisses open and... Amanda walks in again? Her freshly curled hair can’t hide the expression on her face when she sees herself already on top of me.

The Amanda pinning me to the bed hisses at the Amanda standing at the door, then turns and whispers in my ear. “I made you a promise... PRISONER 776!”

My heart goes cold. I seriously think I just pooped my pants too. Where are those diapers when I need them?

The Amanda on top of me rears up and reaches toward the roof. A dagger materializes in her hand.

The real Amanda acts. In a blur of super speed, she leaps onto Jenn’s bed and smacks her doppelganger across the room.

The other Amanda hits the wall and explodes! Well... the skin suit it was wearing explodes. I look over in horror to see a naked blob of a man stand and glare at us. “You’ll pay for that. I’ll see you all real soon!”

A blinding light engulfs the pile of flesh that is his body, and Philander Jefferson is gone.

Amanda begins checking my body for puncture wounds. “Fenris? Fenris, speak to me! Are you hurt? Are you alright?”

I feel like I want to throw-up. “No, I’m not alright! I was just violated by Warden Jefferson! Oh, I think I’m going to be sick!”

I jump off the bed and rush into the other room. No toilets. Apparently the ladies weren’t kidding about not needing to poop anymore. Guess the shower will have to do.

I emerge a few minutes later, still weak from the vomit comet I just rode. I look up to see Amanda standing in front of Jenn with a cruel smile on her face. She looks over at me and giggles.

“I say we just leave her like this.”

Jenn makes a hissing-gurgling sound and some drool runs down her chin.

“Stop it!” I hiss. “The first you was bad enough. Behave yourself!” I collapse back onto Jennifer’s bed.

The brunette sticks her tongue out at me. “Oh, Fine.”

She turns to her blonde rival. “It’s a stasis beam. I’ll turn it off, but no attacking me, alright? We had an agreement.”

Jenn just continues to stare straight ahead.

Amanda nods her head a little. “I’ll take that as a ‘yes, Amanda. And by the way, you’re way prettier than I’ll ever be’.”

The brunette taps the little box and the red light flickers off.

Jenn hunches over with a gasp and starts wiping the drool from her face.

“You’re welcome,” Amanda says quietly and walks past her to sit with me on the bed.

The blonde’s eyes illuminate with alien power and she doubles up her fists. “He’s mine, you hear me? I’m going to reduce that fat little animal to a puddle of bubbling goo!”

I can’t look at either one of them right now. I’m still too upset.

Amanda places a hand on my shoulder, then frowns and looks to the blonde. “I know that sort of rage. Did he touch you? What happened?”

Jenn turns to her rival, her energy projection beginning to grow. “What the hell do you care!?”

Amanda remains calm, her clinical training kicking in now. “You and I don’t like each other. Fine. But you’re still a woman that I’m guessing was just sexually abused in some way. I wouldn’t wish that on my worst enemy... which, by coincidence, is probably you. I don’t’ know what just transpired, but you didn’t deserve it. None of us do.”

Jenn takes the olive branch just extended to her and calms down a little. A moment later, the glow fades from her eyes. She sinks to the carpet and begins to tremble and softly weep.

Amanda turns to me. “Go to her,” she says softly.

I make my way across the room and pull her head into my chest. She continues to weep as she gently wraps her arms around me.

Amanda kneels beside us. “I’m sorry, Jennifer. I should have just turned off the stasis beam right away. I was being very rude. I didn’t know what had happened. I’m sorry.”

Jenn doesn’t answer.

“Maybe, just give us a few minutes, okay?” I ask.

Amanda lets out a little sigh and stands. “I’ll wait in the tube.”

The door hisses shut and Jenn presses her lips to mine. We kiss for a long minute before she pulls away. “I hate him,” she whispers. “I hate him more than I hate her, now.”

“I know,” I say and begin stroking her hair.

A light turns on in her head and she turns back to me with a fearful look. “Are you okay? He almost killed you!”

I’ve still got enough adrenaline pumping through me that I haven’t taken the time to process my feelings yet.

I pull her head in close again and continue stroking her hair. “I’m good. Don’t worry about me. And we’ll get him. Don’t worry. He’ll pay for everything he’s done. Don’t worry.”

Jennifer takes a deep breath and stands us both up. “It’s okay. He just kissed me and groped my ladies. I’m okay. I can deal with that. I feel violated, but I can deal with that. I’ve endured worse – like when we used to go to that bar on Main and fifth, remember? That stupid homeless man kept trying to pull me onto his lap.”

I can’t stifle the snort that comes out of me when I remember that scene in my head. Poor old guy probably hadn’t seen any action in years.

It feels nice to share a moment and a memory. Kind of helps to take the edge off of what just happened.

We smile and we kiss again.

“Okay, let the other one in again,” Jenn says as she straightens my shirt collar. “Let’s figure out how we’re going to deal with that monster.”

I nod and move to the chamber door.

The door hisses open and something flops out of the tube onto the floor between my legs. I let out a little gasp.

“What is it?” Jenn asks from across the room.

“Jenn...” Something in my voice triggers the blonde and she comes rushing over. She looks down and also lets out a little gasp.

The limp form of Dr. Amanda Vincent lies on the floor, a burn mark on her neck.