Written by DebbieB

It was getting late. Nurse Christine Chapel hugged herself fiercely against the cold and quickened her step to keep up with Ruk. She took great pains to stay near the giant android--the network of caverns beneath Exo III was extensive, snaking left and right, curving and intersecting in a complex spider web of rock and earth. It would be easy to get lost in the intricate maze.

When Chapel and Ruk came to the row of doorways Roger Korby had described, the android paused, indicating the first door. "Here," he said in his low, booming voice. It was the first word he'd uttered since Korby had directed him to guide Chapel to the laboratory.

"Thank you," she whispered, her own voice sounding shadowy and small next to the huge man. She stepped to the door, which opened before her, then turned back to ask him a question. But Ruk was already gone.

"Come in, Christine." Roger Korby's voice.

Chapel turned to the sound, forgetting the android in the bask of that sweet, familiar tenor. She walked in to the laboratory, starting with surprise as she found Korby, seated on a large bed, a smile broadening his lips.

"This is your laboratory?" she asked, already realizing she'd been duped. The "lab" was actually a small, but comfortable, bedroom, spartanly decorated with the few things Korby had brought along with him on the expedition. Chapel recognized the rosewood cigar box he'd inherited from his grandfather. She'd teased him about it often, once even going so far as to purchase fake cigars for his birthday. The memory sparked a feeling of hopeless nostalgia in her. She turned to him, smiling.

"Well, we wouldn't want people to talk, would we?" Korby rose from the bed, his hands snaking out to grasp her wrists, pulling her toward him with a masculine intensity she'd forgotten he possessed. As his kiss deepened, Chapel realized--quite strongly and quite physically--that there were many things she'd forgotten. He pulled his lips from hers reluctantly, brushing them gently over her cheeks and eyes before resting her head against his shoulder. "I'm sorry if I embarrassed you in front of your captain back there."

She shook her head, her response muffled by his broad shoulders. "He understands." Chapel sank even deeper into his embrace, relishing the smell of him, the strength of his arms around her. He seemed harder, stronger than she'd remembered. But then, life wasn't easy on this planet. She lifted her face, not even slightly embarrassed by the tears slowly weaving their way down her cheeks. "Roger." The word was barely a whisper.

Whatever she might have said next was lost as Korby crushed his lips against hers, pulling the very breath out of her with a single, passion-charged kiss. Chapel opened her lips to his intruding tongue, luring it in eagerly with her own. His hands slid up her back, grasping her shoulders firmly, crushing her even harder into his embrace. When he finally released her, she had to hold to him for support.

"Ruk is making the preparations for the experiment," he breathed, tugging at the diagonal openings of his tunic. "We have a little time."

Chapel shuddered, torn between her desire for him and duty. "The captain--"

"Is with Ruk. Everything's all right, darling." He stepped backwards, leading her, until he was sitting on the bed. With both hands, he drew her to him, caressing her arms, then her shoulders as he looked up at her with bright blue eyes full of anticipation. "I've waited five years," he murmured, feeding greedily on the sight of her. "Please don't make me wait any longer."

She wanted to sink onto the bed, to cover him with her own body, to give in to the need that was growing inside of her like a brush fire out of control. But there were so many questions--Brownie, the security guards, Andrea...

A wave of cold anger dampened the fire within her at the thought of Andrea. Android or not, Chapel did not relish the idea of Korby alone with the starry-eyed party doll for five years. The nurse had no illusions. She knew Roger Korby--his needs, his...appetites. She'd only be fooling herself if she thought this virile, healthy man would spend five years alone with a woman that voluptuous without... She sighed. It was one thing to be understanding; it was another to be stupid. No need to be too compliant.

She pulled out of his grasp, a polite, yet distant smile flickering across her lips. "We'll have plenty of time for that later, Roger. But I think--"

His look of disappointment was too much for her. Chapel lost her professional facade at his dimming eyes, his slight little boy pout. In all the time she had known Korby, this was the one look she'd never been able to refuse. The rush of desire flared within her again. She reached out to stroke his jaw, biting down her doubts. The questions could wait. Her pride dimmed in the wake of her quivering stomach, the shoots of blood jetting through her veins, the pounding in her head and groin. The questions could wait.

She stroked his jaw languidly, caressing the rough stubble which covered the wide expanse of skin. Leaning down to gently kiss him, Chapel gasped in surprise as he pulled her off-balance, rolling her forcefully onto the bed. She laughed as he nearly ripped open her uniform at the seam. "Sure of yourself, aren't you?"

Korby didn't say anything, but continued to methodically remove her uniform--the soft blue jumper, the matching shorts, the black boots and tights--until she was bare beneath him. She shivered against the chill, and Korby brushed her skin with his lips to warm it. She closed her eyes dreamily, not even trying to move as he caressed the bare expanse of her throat and shoulders with his lips, teasing along the collarbone down to her waiting breasts. She gasped as he took one rosy nipple between his teeth, biting a little on the hard, yet tender knob of flesh. His tongue flicked the rough skin aggressively, pushing it one way then the other until it was practically bursting.

Chapel stroked his silver-brushed hair, lost in the feel of his lips and tongue against her breasts. His every movement evinced strength and assuredness, his every touch firm almost to the point of pain. He wouldn't hurt her, that she knew without doubt. But his strength, his unusually quiet reserve was intoxicating in its freshness. She knew she should be more assertive, but for now all she wanted to do was bask in him. She curled up one knee, the fabric of his jumper rubbing against her inner thighs as she wrapped her legs around his.

Korby stopped, looking down into her serene face, a look of ravenous amusement on his face. "Did you want to go see your captain now, darling?" he teased, wincing as she pinched his arm. "I guess it can wait."

She placed both hands firmly on his shoulders, urging him on to his back as she continued to work the fastenings of his jumper. She struggled briefly with the unfamiliar design, but soon she had his clothing removed and crumpled into a thick ball of fabric in her hand. She tossed it onto the floor with a casual flick of the wrist, leering at him, and stood up. "Your boots," she demanded, waiting impatiently as he slipped both of them off and handed them to her. These she dropped with a thud onto the floor as well. "Five years?" she reminded in a gently taunting voice.

His manhood was already rigid, pointing upwards in salute until the tip barely touched his navel. Chapel smiled her kitten smile now, dropping to her knees at the side of the bed and taking his cock between her hands. He was unbearably hard in her grasp, the muscles in his abdomen flexing in response to her touch.

"Five long years," Korby reiterated with a sigh as she caressed the smooth organ, lightly tracing it with the tip of one fingernail before sliding her fist back down the shaft. His cock twitched appreciatively in her hands. "Christine," he urged, but she would not be hurried. She lowered her lips to him, only barely brushing the pulsing head with the tip of her tongue. Closing her eyes, she tasted the mushroom head, licking a path around it, pushing gently at the flap of skin, memory mingling with reality as she submerged herself in his flavor and texture. Slowly, she wrapped her mouth around it, ignoring his urging as she sucked lightly. Chapel amused herself with this, lowering her lips and tongue to the shaft only occasionally to mock him.

Korby wrapped his hands in her hair, cradling her head in an effort to convince her to take him completely. His hands pushed at her just slightly, urgent enough to convince, but not injure. Finally, she gave in, sliding herself down until the tip of his shaft brushed the back of her throat. Still keeping a maddeningly slow pace, she began a steady up and down rhythm, releasing him only to begin the agonizingly long journey back downward. She continued until she felt the tightening in his muscles, the tenseness which signaled impending release, then released him suddenly.

Cold air replaced warm lips on his cock, and Roger Korby gasped. "Christine!" he scolded, wrapping his own fist around the bulging organ. Chapel sternly unwrapped his hand, shaking her head primly.

She stood, pushing him easily onto his back, and crawled onto the bed until she was kneeling on all fours above him. Carefully positioning the head, she impaled herself on him, her inner walls stretching to accommodate his thickness. Chapel hesitated for a moment, savoring the outward push of his cock within her, her skin tingling with the near-pain sensations. Slowly, she lowered herself until she was completely filled and closed her eyes. Korby lay passively beneath her, allowing her this moment to really feel him--the overwhelming fullness inside, the tickle of his pubic hair against her clitoris, the cool cavern air caressing her nipples and skin. She stretched forward, smoothing his hands up his stomach to his chest, feeling his cock lean forward within her as she did so. Korby's hands reached up to hold hers, and she opened her eyes.

"Roger," she whispered. It was really him. This was not a cruel dream she would wake up from just before the moment of satiation; this was Roger, her Roger. She lowered herself slowly until she was lying atop of him, the mad, frenetic, pounding sex she'd envisioned giving way to the dreamy lovemaking of the past. This was too important; she had to have all of him, not just his sexual organs. One lingering kiss melted into another as they began moving together in unison, sensual rhythms they'd discovered so long ago coming back to them as if no time had passed. She gasped as Korby rolled her onto her back, tightening her legs around his thighs as the first orgasm arrived like a welcome friend. She clung to him fiercely, her entire body contracting as if to draw him into her completely. As Korby shuddered in his own release, she felt the surges of pleasure tighten into tremors, then slowly unwind into long, satisfied waves.

She was about to drift off into a contented doze when the feel of his hands on her thighs brought her to full consciousness. Roger smiled down at her, his expression of desire strangely discordant with the soft stroke of his hands. "Had your fun, Chris?" he teased.

She purred. "Yes," she said smugly. Her eyes traveled down the length of his torso. He was harder than she remembered, his body deceptively smooth over firm muscles. Although his sweet face had never lost, and would probably never lose the baby soft look which endeared her to him all those years ago, the rest of him was rock solid. Including his penis, which stretched insistantly skyward. Chapel's eyes widened in surprise.

Seeing the look in her eyes, Korby laughed. "Now it's time for my fun."

A shiver of fear mixed with the surprise and amusement coursing through Chapel's nervous system. He trapped her hands in a steely grip, calming her instinctive struggling as easily as if he were turning the page of a book. He pinned her hands together with one hand, using the other to push the soft blond bangs from her eyes. She twisted her head to kiss the palm, darting her tongue outward to tickle the sensitive flesh.

He smiled and lowered himself onto her, the head of his penis probing between her legs, nudging at the soft skin without actually penetrating. He rubbed firmly against her aching clitoris, the amazing control surprising and shocking Chapel. Roger Korby had always been a considerate lover. He'd always paid the utmost attention to her pleasure. But this was something she'd never experienced with him before. This control, this almost casual ease with which he arounsed her, dominated her--even when she was dominating him. Chapel felt it pouring from him, could sense it like an electric current in a storm.

She urged upwards, begging him with her body to enter her, but he pulled away. Releasing her hands, he lowered himself until he could probe between her legs with his lips and tongue, slowly teasing and manipulating her, pulling her to the brink of orgasm only to slow her down again. She curled her fingers into his silvery hair, gasping as he allowed her to climax.

Before the tugging in her body could fully cease, he was on her, his cock plunging between her with a force that made her cry out. He thrust hard into her, the movement verging precariously on the edge of pain. Chapel pulled his shoulders, digging her fingers into the muscles of his back, as he took her. With each stroke of his cock, Korby lifted her easily. She climaxed a second time as his cock nudge a place deep inside of her which sent ripples of pain-laced pleasure through her.

She looked up at him through bleary eyes. Korby hadn't even broken a sweat. "Roger," she whispered hoarsely.

Her eyes were still closed when he finally lifted himself off of the bed. Chapel reached up lethargically to grasp his hands, but Korby was already dressing. "Roger?"

"We have to go to the lab."

Too many things were happening too quickly. Chapel stared at the torn flesh and the circuitry just beneath it. Roger Korby, her Roger Korby, wore this mangled badge of man and machine with the pride of a...

That hand had caressed her. That hand had helped her reach heights of passion of which she'd never known she was capable. How could Roger Korby be this...thing?

"Christine!" Korby turned to her in desperation. "Christine, it's me. Roger. I'm in here."

Chapel pushed through the shock and disbelief to breath out a choked response. "But are you Roger?" She didn't hear his answer. Her eyes were riveted to the horrid mesh of smoking machinery and flesh that once was his hand. The hand that had held her was now a mangled, smoldering tangle of wires and computer components.

He was pleading with her now, with Kirk, avowing his humanity with near-maniacal zeal. The scene moved as in slow motion--Kirk taunting Korby, the dawning look of horror in Roger Korby's eyes as he realized he'd sacrificed humanity for eternal life. Andrea, forcing her way into Korby's arms. Chapel pushed down a scream of anguish as Korby's fingers tightened on the trigger of the weapon Andrea held; her last vision of the man she loved was in the arms of another woman, bathed in a deadly white light.

She felt a clenching ball of pain in her stomach as the light dimmed into nothingness. All that was left of Roger Korby was the lingering whiff of burning flesh in the air. She held her arms tightly against the pain in her stomach, breathing his name over and over as she fought off hysterical tears.

Spock rounded the corner at a full run, skidding to a halt when he saw Kirk and Chapel alone. "Captain?" he queried. Then, "Nurse? Where's Doctor Korby?"

Chapel looked dazedly up into Kirk's eyes. He knew. Every fiber of her being told her he knew.

Kirk paused, looking carefully at the woman before him, then said slowly, "Doctor Korby...was never here."

The End