All characters in sexual situations are 18 or older. Thanks for reading!
"You had sex with him ...
because
he pointed his pistol at me?" George stood inches from Kapnos, who appeared as Gwendolyn. They were near the barricade. They spoke in hushed tones.
"Yes." Kapnos nodded adamantly. "He's too dangerous. I needed to get rid of him. But I'm not a killer, George. I have sex. That's what I do. So I seduced him, which was pathetically easy, and made sure his wife found us." She would have seduced him anyway, but George didn't need to know that.
"How does this 'get rid of him'? He's going to be even more dangerous and unstable." George studied her face. "Are you ... trying not to laugh? This is deadly serious."
"It's not Mr. Haversham I find amusing. It's your lack of faith in my understanding of the human psyche." The smile she'd been suppressing broke out into a brilliant white crescent.
"How do you have such a strong grasp on the human psyche? You're not human." George frowned.
"Oh, Georgie dear. That is true. But ..." She gave him a dainty kiss on the cheek. "I have been intimate with humans for a thousand years. And while each one believes themselves to be unique, they do tend to repeat themselves and respond to the same stimulus in similar ways. I know humans inside and out."
Roy's door opened, and he stormed out. "If you really feel that way, Constance, then you're better off without me." He walked too far, tipped at the edge of the lagoon, tried to catch his balance, and fell in with a splash.
Constance walked out of the room with her arms folded and a frosty expression on her face. She did not rush to help her husband. "Don't compound your foolishness, Roy. If you want a break, we can try it when we get back to Earth. There's nowhere for you to go."
"Oh?" Roy climbed out of the water. His suit was dripping wet. He walked along the boardwalk to the room he had been sharing with his wife.
"Have some faith in me, Georgie. It's already happening. Just watch," Kapnos whispered in George's ear.
"Don't be ridiculous, Roy." Constance walked over to her room and stood in the doorway. She silently watched her husband. When he came out, still dripping, with his backpack slung over one shoulder, she stepped aside for him. "We'll all need therapy after this. This is just one more issue. You can't leave."
"Oh? Mommy won't let me?" Roy glanced darkly at his wife.
Constance blushed deeply.
"You, Mr. Zaal, help me dismantle the barricade. I'm leaving." Roy began moving furniture away from the double doors.
George shook his head. He leaned close to Kapnos so Roy wouldn't hear. "He'll die if he leaves. The creatures will get him," he whispered.
"It's unfortunate for him. But better for all of us," Kapnos whispered back. "It's not like
we
killed him."
"It's pretty close." George didn't know what to do, so he stuffed his hands in his pockets.
"Roy ... please. Don't be a baby." Constance winced when she said it. It was so clearly a poor choice of words.
"Baby?" Roy pushed the desk out of the way. The door on the right was free. He put his hand on the butt of his pistol and opened the door, checking the hallway outside. He turned to his wife, his hand still on his pistol, although it hadn't left his holster.
George pulled his pistol free and let it hang by his leg. He felt Kapnos move behind him.
"You'll never find that stupid eye. You're never leaving. And even if you were, the rest of the solar system is probably infected with those things." Roy's voice rose. "I will enjoy the rest of my days far away from you." He spat on the ground. "You can have your precious Zaals for all I care." He turned and slipped out into the exterior hall.
"Roy!" Constance didn't run after him. She turned to George and Kapnos. "What are you waiting for? Put the barricade back up. Those things could come back at any time." She burst into tears, ran back to her room, and slammed the door.
"I am sorry for poor Mrs. Haversham, but it's for the best. She'll see that soon enough. She'll be much more approachable now." Kapnos went over to the desk and pushed. "Give me a hand."
"Are you ... thinking about sex with Mrs. Haversham?" George went over to the desk and helped her get it back in place. "Her marriage just crumbled ... thanks to you."
"Yes. And Mr. Haversham wasn't good for her." Kapnos moved the heavy pieces of furniture slowly. "He wasn't good for any of us. Not at all." She put her hands on her hips and faced George. "I mean to live, George Zaal. I mean for us to have a future."
"I get that. But ... this isn't fair to Mr. Haversham. And ... why did you have to use sex?" George tried not to picture his girlfriend with the horrible Roy Haversham.
Kapnos raised her hand and bobbed on the balls of her feet like she was trying to get the teacher's attention in class. "Horny alien here, in case you hadn't noticed." She dropped her hand and looked at George's pistol that was back in its holster. "Chimpanzees are murderous apes that look to solve problems with violence. Bonobos are horny apes that solve their problems with sex. They both share ninety-nine percent of your DNA. But, I think, humans are more chimp than bonobo. I would have been happier if it was the opposite. You can finish the barricade by yourself. I've got
