Page 3 of Seduction

Yet she couldn’t help staring at the Viking. There was something so…compelling about seeing a live, nearly nude male. Even with all his wounds, that expanse of smooth skin over powerful chest muscles and sculpted abs, the prominent outline of his genitals under the thin sheet, set her pulse racing the way it had when she’d first touched him.

Earlier, when she’d seen the size of his flaccid penis, she couldn’t help wondering how big it would get when he was aroused. A damn sight bigger than anything you’ve ever seen, whispered a wicked voice in her head.

She shooed the thought away and struggled to remain detached. Clinical. No doubt his people, a primitive culture, still performed the act of sexual intercourse. She shuddered. What would it be like, having sex with this man, being physically penetrated with his thick shaft? Coitus had been done away with long ago on Earth. Selena had never met a human who’d actually engaged in the act. All physical forms of intimacy had been replaced by electro-holographic stimulation.

She herself had a perfectly adequate holographic partner to use with an accompanying vaginal probe designed to fulfill her sexual needs. Modern technology guaranteed a swift and satisfying climax at every session, without any of the distracting emotional trauma early humans had to endure in their quest to feed their ceaseless sexual hungers.

At least that’s what she’d been taught in school. But the sight of him, so virile, so powerful, even in slumber…

When he wakes up, I might have to question him about his sexual practices –from a purely scientific point of view.

Chapter Two

Two months later

He’d been at sustenance level in the pod since the day he arrived. They’d taken him off the synthetic fluid, replicated and replaced all the blood he’d lost within the first thirty-six hours. Then, one by one, she’d cloned nearly every major organ in his body and replaced them.

Meanwhile, James had performed a number of cosmetic procedures, erasing all traces of the slashes on his torso. Her patient still had a ragged scar from the stab wound. She’d been waiting until after she replaced his liver to do away with it, planning to make the incision in that spot. The surgery, performed four days ago, had gone well. She’d implanted a new liver, grown from a slice of his old one. Unlike ancient transplant procedures using bits and pieces scavenged from donors, there was never any danger of the body rejecting a cloned organ.

Physically, he was as good as he’d been before his injuries. Better, really. She’d even replaced the poorly healed bones she’d found in a scan of his left arm and shoulder, likely the result of a childhood injury. Her patient had a strong new humerus and clavicle, grown from splinters she’d removed. There was no excuse to keep him sedated any longer. He could be awakened, put through a course of physical therapy, and sent home through the portal. Back to his people.

She’d gotten several messages from Ambassador Anderson inquiring as to his condition. Selena had requisitioned a supply of pencils and paper from the archives and replied to each one, listing in layman’s terms the complex procedures she’d performed. She ended each one by saying his condition was stable and he was resting comfortably.

The Interstellar Federation sent an official representative on a regular basis as well. He’d shown up at the lab two days ago, impeccably dressed as always in his purple uniform with gold braid on the collar.

“How is our Gadolinian visitor this week, Doctor?”

She snapped to attention and saluted. Though she held the title of director of medical services, the man outranked her. “Welcome, Minister Symon. He’s recuperating well. The cloning process is complete, and I’ve replaced all his damaged organs with new ones, sir. I did the final transplant yesterday.”

“I’m glad to hear that. Ambassador Anderson has been most insistent that he receive the best care possible. Apparently, he’s the foster son of the king of Gadolinium. A beloved member of the family as well as a national hero. His people are anxiously awaiting his return.”

He stared down at the slumbering figure. “Did anyone give you the details of how he was wounded?”

“No, minister. All I know is what I read in the note he had clutched in his hand when he arrived.”

Apparently Symon was in a talkative mood. He seemed in no hurry to leave.

“We’ve reviewed a lengthy report from the ambassador,” he said. “Unfortunately, she arrived on Gadolinium in the middle of an invasion by the Tabun, a warlike tribe of Neanderthals driven from Earth thousands of years ago to a planet outside our galaxy. They poured in though another star portal on Gadolinium, captured the king, and kept him prisoner in the dungeons of his own palace.”

He gestured to the glass-enclosed pod. “Haldor here went on a rescue mission with Sigrun’s son and his trusted guards. A raid planned by none other than our ambassador. She allowed herself to be captured by the Tabun and kept their leader busy while Sigrun’s men sneaked into the palace. They engaged in battle, during which this man threw himself in front of a sword meant for King Sigrun. Anderson made the rash decision to send him to Earth through the portal, alone, in a desperate attempt to save his life. Those primitive Gadolinians don’t have the advantage of your excellent medical knowledge and skills.”

She inclined her head, acknowledging the compliment. “My predecessor, Director Luther, was an inspiring teacher and role model.”

“Luther, yes. A fine man,” he responded automatically, looking distracted. Symon glanced around the empty lab then lowered his voice, as though fearing the unconscious man might hear him. “I think there’s something going on between Anderson and the king’s son Kylar. She’s never said anything directly, but the tone of her reports…

“Just between you and me, I’m getting a great deal of pressure from above to get this matter resolved quickly.” He shook his head. “Every time we send someone to one of those cursed planets, they start acting strangely. Come back with all sorts of seditious ideas. Lust, that’s what it is. Hormones raging out of control. Causes people to behave in the most irrational ways. Engaging in senseless battle, putting their lives in danger. Proves how right we were to do away with all those nasty, troublesome urges here on Earth.”

Symon’s voice rose. “Anderson knows her prime directive is solely to observe and report. Sigrun had plenty of Viking warriors to rescue him. Why she had to insinuate herself into local politics – well, there’s just no excuse for it. If it were up to me, I’d recall her immediately.”

He stopped suddenly, as though realizing he’d gone too far. “Doctor Reston,” he went on, his tone formal, “I am here to inform you the Federation wants this man returned to Gadolinium as soon as he’s capable of withstanding the journey through the portal. They’d like your estimation of when that will be, so we can inform his people.”

“Well, Minister Symon, as you can see, he’s still in slumber mode. Once he’s awakened, it will be weeks before he’s fit to travel. He’ll need physical therapy as well as counseling to deal with the emotional trauma he’s endured.”

Symon gave her a stern look. “There will be no counseling. Once he’s awakened, the Federation has decreed that contact with him be curtailed as much as possible. This man is a barbarian. A dangerous, warlike creature. He has been determined to pose a threat to our way of life. The Federation wants him sent back to Gadolinium, Doctor Reston. See that he’s ready to leave. Soon.”

As Selena ran the warm cloth over the man’s body, she realized Minister Symon had been right about one thing. Proximity to primitive beings apparently did cause Earthers to think and behave strangely. Over the past two months, being so close to the barbarian, she’d found her thoughts constantly dwelling on coitus. She’d become increasingly intrigued with finding out just how his people went about engaging in the forbidden act.

And touching him awakened strange desires in her.

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