System Overclocked 3 -ch 3-

Chapter 3

Wrench smiled and waved as the large group of Hume meandered there way back up to the pens. They were mostly women he had spent time sleeping with when he had been in the Hume shelter.

Beautiful women of every variety and of varying mental aptitudes.

They weren’t bad people, but by being bred to him, Goodie had marked them out separately.

The “Lovely” family was also amongst that large mass of Hume, but thankfully he wasn’t responsible for them.

Once they acclimated to how life was supposed to be, they could probably join the general population.

So long as they can stand up for themselves to a degree.

That’s probably the biggest problem.

The largest hurdle we’ll have to overcome as a species.

How do we go from Hab life, to society life.

It’s going to take a lot of strength of… of… character.

Ugh.

To fix something this deep it’ll need someone at the top to force it all the way down. Just like I did with that Brawler… I forget his name. Pretty face?

Eh, anyways.

Just like that.

Where I sit atop it all, force everyone to behave, and roll it all the way down.

I’ll probably have to utilize people loyal to me and willing to do what I need them to do.

Probably have to sort through a bunch of Brawlers and figure out which ones are suitable for such a thing.

This feels like far too much for me.

Far too much.

Whatever.

I’ll just find the smartest Admini I can, tell them I’ll fix any problem that comes up, and tell them what I want them to do. Then they do it.

If they want to fight me about it, I’ll fix them, too.

Considering Goodie will be the one overseeing us for a time, food won’t be an issue. Nor will water.

It won’t be a resource drive or anything like that.

It’ll just be… control, wouldn’t it?

Maybe I’ll need those Brawlers after all. As aggressive as they are, once cowed, they’ll follow whoever their Head is.

“You see? He looks, he longs. Just as I expected,” said Tickaht.

Blinking, Wrench realized that a trio of Grae were standing in front of him.

Additionally, there was an entire group of twenty or so more Grae casually moving toward the pens. Though more than a few glanced upward at the vines and tree tops above them.

Looking up to the space beyond the Hab-glass he saw a Tongsta fleeing away.

Which meant it was one of Goodie’s helpers that he didn’t know very well.

I wonder if they prefer living in the pens now, or would prefer to go back into the trees?

I should ask Kat and Nun.

Putting his attention back to the trio in front of him, Wrench confirmed they were all Grae he knew, thankfully.

From left to right they all had quite similar features as all Grae came from a certain “palette” as it were.

In the middle was Tickaht.

A slim and lithe Grae. A hunter with a great deal of grace. Which given her well-endowed chest was somewhat surprising.

Grae as a whole were humanoid-like with pale-ash-colored skin, a wider mouth than normal, and white hair.

They also had a fully black sclera with only a red pupil for color.

Most eye-catching of all though was that Grae had two pairs of breasts. One atop the other.

“I do look and long for you, Kat. I also love you,” Wrench said with a grin. He hadn’t expected the Grae to start arriving today but he was actually glad for it.

He liked the Grae.

“Ahhhhh,” murmured Tickaht a second before she darted forward and hugged him. Her arm holding to him with a fierce determination. “It was an easy answer when Goodie asked me if I wished to be with my mate or to remain on the ship.”

Wrench chuckled and hugged Tickaht back.

Then decided to mess with her just a bit and put more strength into his arms.

Right up to the point that he felt Tickaht squirm in his grasp, only to release her.

“Good thing you agreed. I’d hate to have to go hunt you down, tie you up, and bring you back,” Wrench teased, turning his head and forcefully kissing the pretty Grae for several seconds. Only to break the kiss as well. “Because you’re my Grae, Kat. Mine. Your days of being the hunter are over.”

Tickaht was as pale as could be at the moment. It was a strange look to be sure but she seemed delighted.

Only to promptly slam her face into his shoulder as if she were going to hide form him.

“I like this,” Nunnkish stated from a few feet away. “This is good. You hunting us after looking and longing is new. Fresh.

“Would you have come for me as well? Despite me being less than Kat?”

Looking away from Tickaht who reminded him a lot of Squeak right now, Wrench looked to Nunnkish.

She was a very well-endowed Grae that actually looked Hume more often than not. Often stealing clothes straight out of Stripe’s wardrobe for her own ends.

To the point that Stripe had run out of underwear and had forcefully taken Nunnkish to get herself an entire set of clothes that were a duplicate to her own.

Surprisingly though, Nunnkish had dyed her hair a blonde color.

“I would, actually. You’re not allowed to escape either, Nun,” Wrench said, his fingers lightly sliding across Tickaht’s scalp. “I don’t love you yet, but I think I want you around so I can fall for you. You don’t mind, do you?”

“No. I don’t mind. I like it,” said the Grae with a bright and sunny smile. Her blonde hair had grown out some and she was actively styling it in ways that were quite Hume.

School Hume, no less.

She was quite a pretty picture.

“I think I already have fallen for you,” Nunnkish said, walking right up to where Tickaht was. She put a hand to the other Grae and pushed, though not with much force.

Tickaht hesitated a moment, squeezed Wrench tight, then sped off. Sprinting away from them at high speed.

“Kat is happy,” Nunnkish said and then carefully, gently, hugged Wrench. Ever displaying that she was taking every Hume mannerism for herself. Even the way she looked up at him with a smile and waited there seemed Hume to him. “She just wasn’t sure how you’d react.”

Taking the initiative, Wrench kissed Nunnkish, his right hand lightly cupping her face as he did so.

The beautiful Grae responded in a way that was stiff, but Hume. Kissing him in return and leaning into him.

It was brief and he broke away from her.

Nunnkish let out a honk unexpectedly, only to audibly strangle it into a sigh.

Then she gestured at the third Grae.

“And of course Zntik. Apparently after she met you, she realized she wanted to know more,” Nunnkish stated, then artfully sighed, looking at him through her eyelashes. “Did you really have to compliment her so deeply?”

It was the first time Wrench had seen Nunnkish be anything other than warm, slightly off-beat, or deferential to him.

She’s envious?

“Oh shush, you know your breasts are magnificent. It’s been hard to not simply grab at you,” Wrench said and idly put a hand to said bosom. He deliberately had put his hand atop one of her lower breasts. They’d been more sensitive for Tickaht. He wasn’t sure if Nunnkish would be the same.

His fingers tightened fractionally, enough for her to know he was doing this deliberately.

Only for him to turn his attention to Zntik.

The action did what he wanted it to.

Nunnkish’s brain was clearly short circuited and he felt her staring at him in a way that was decidedly Grae. Her fingers starting to dig into his back where she held him.

He even heard her breath catch and come out in a ragged way.

The last of the three Grae was indeed Zntik.

Surprisingly though, she’d died her hair a deep red color.

A red so vibrant that it was hard to not notice her.

She was wearing her security uniform and looking decidedly spectacular.

“I mean, how could I not be here? I volunteered when Goodie came to collect Nunnkish and Tickaht,” Zntik said boldly and grinned at him. “You looked at me and I could feel you long for me. Deny it and I’ll leave, otherwise admit it.

“Now. I demand it.”

Wrench continued to idly caress Nunnkish as he looked at Zntik.

“I admit it. You’re a beautiful Grae. I look at you, long for you, and want to see more of you,” Wrench confessed willingly. “I like the hair color change by the way. What brought that on?”

“Oh. A simple thing. Nunnkish mentioned all the hair colors of your women,” Zntik murmured and walked up to him. He realized she was as tall as he was if not a touch more. She was equally as broad and muscular. “I suggested we dye ourselves red and blonde to stand out more.

“After all, we should strive to set ourselves apart and be more, so you crave more.

“And Nunnkish, do you really want him to toy you with you like that?”

“Yes I very much do,” hissed the Grae, the words breaking her out of what had felt like a trance to Wrench. She grabbed his wrist and pushed his hand more firmly against her breast.

Zntik laughed at that, a sound that had a lovely quality to it. As if she’d been practicing it and found what was natural to her.

“Mm, well. I’m going to go make myself at home,” Zntik murmured, holding Wrench’s gaze.

Then surprisingly, she waved her taloned fingers at him, and walked away. Her hips moving with a slow rolling gate that made him watch as she left.

Yet she didn’t look back.

Didn’t acknowledge him in any way.

She didn’t act like the normally aggressive hunter that was Tickaht or the oddly dedicated and normally demure Nunnkish.

Shrugging his shoulders, Wrench put his attention back to Nunnkish.

The lovely Grae was plastered to his side and forcing his hand to grope her quite roughly. Panting now in soft honks through her nose.

“Geeze, Nun,” Wrench murmured with a laugh. “Save that for later. Go get settled. I need to greet whoever comes next.”

“Everyone is here,” Nunnkish whispered, then let out a low honk, her clawed fingers digging at Wrench’s own till he was just about crushing her breast with his hand. “We’re the last.”

“You’re the last?” Wrench asked, confused.

He had genuinely expected all the School Hume to show up if he had to be honest.

As well as Gadget, Spooky, and everyone else.

“Yes,” honked Nunnkish, stepping away from him. She grabbed his other hand nad planted it on her chest as well. Making him fondle her in a way so rough that he imagined she was bruising. “All the others are going to meet up with us at the facility. Everyone from our Hab agreed to come. No one said no.

“Given the numbers, they have to go through a separate quarantine.”

Oh.

Well that’s fine.

I’m glad everyone’s coming.

Honking quietly, Nunnkish continued to forcibly make him fondle her.

Wrench gently broke free of Nunnkish’s control, grabbed her by the jaw, and lifted her chin up till he could stare into her face. Her entire face was a bright red color.

“Look at me, Nun. Long for me,” he demanded of her, causing her eyes to widen. “When I truly feel longed for, I’ll give you what you want.”

He released her jaw and gave her cheek several firm pats. Just enough to test a theory.

Nunnkish’s face became an even darker red if that were possible.

Trembling honking noises escaped her as she stared at him in a way that made his entire body respond.

He had to forcibly take hold of his power to dial down his body’s sexual response to the way she was looking at him.

Ha.

She says she’s stupid and not very bright, but she also has a bit different of a need.

Doesn’t she?

Wrench kissed her again, then left her standing there.

He had work to do if everyone was coming back.

***

“Uh,” Wrench murmured aloud as he looked up at the swarm of Tongsta surrounding him. They were quite literally floating over him, at his sides, behind him, and in front of him. “Hey there. Not sure how many of you actually understand Hume, but the longer we talk to one another, the better it gets.”

“What did he say?” asked one of them.

“He said that he’s not sure how many of you understand him, but the more you talk the easier it gets,” said Talker from somewhere.

“Talker! Where are you? When’d you get here. I didn’t realize you’d be here. I’m glad to see you. I didn’t get a chance to say goodbye,” Wrench said, looking around. “Get your wriggly butt over here.”

There was a laugh that came immediately from Talker and the Tongsta slipped through the crowd of Tongsta.

“He expressed thanks that I was here, asked me when I arrived, and is surprised them I’m here,” Talker relayed. “He also used my Hume name, Talker to say all this. He was sad he couldn’t say goodbye to me, then asked me to get my wriggly butt over here.

“And as for him, at least I have a butt to wriggle. You still look like someone took a took and made it into a Hume shape.”

Wrench laughed at that as he marched over to the edge of the table he was on.

Banter between Hume and Tongsta had come about quite naturally for most everyone.

“Good to see you. So, what’s going on here. We just holding a communication class? Not everyone is as smart as you though, Talker. They might take a while,” Wrench quipped.

“He wants to know why we’re here and what’s going on. If we’re holding a communication class,” explained Talker. “Then he lamented that you’re probably not as smart as I am.

“To be fair, I learned how to work and talk with Hume very quickly. After mastering Hume, I learned Grae even quicker.

“As to why we’re here, Wrench, it’s just an orientation. A lot of these scientists weren’t really sure how to go about this.

“I don’t think they expected Lady Goodie and you to agree.”

“It made sense. Orientation. Okay. Well… I dunno. Hi, I’m Wrench, happy to be here, looking forward to being done with this and going home. If you have questions, just let me know. What do we do now?” Wrench prompted.

“His name is Wrench, he’s happy to be here, happier to go home. Let him know if you have questions. Now what?” Talker paraphrased.

“Well… uh… I don’t know,” said one of the Tongsta. “I’ve read all the notations and reports from the brief testing done before with Wrench. From that and how the-the reports from Captain xxhht’s ship it’s clear that Hume can understand Tongsta.

“There isn’t much of a need to test that, I believe. For the roundness of things, it would be best if we tackled the other side of it.

“Hume’s being understood by Tongsta and-and… and that angle.”

There was a deadly silence.

“Shouldn’t we?” asked someone else.

“I mean, it sounds like a waste of time to me,” Talker said with a laugh. “Most everyone on the ship can already mostly undertand Hume and Grae. Just a matter of being around them.

“But hey, you do you. Just don’t waste Wrench’s time. If you’re going to sit around and try to understand him, you’re really better off just gathering around his Hab and listening to all the Hume as they live.

“Then to bring Wrench out and have him do something. Have him explain it as he’s doing it, too.

“Wrench has said previously he loves taking taking things apart, figuring them out, and putting them back together in working order.”

“Yeah, I do love that. Why? Do you think they have some things I can futz with?” Wrench put in.

“I mean, they’re a bunch of egg-shaped roundbodies. Wanna bet they break a bunch of crap and just put it in corners?” Talker asked with a laugh.

To with Wrench laughed along as well.

“Fuuuuuck, are you telling me they’re all Admini? Are they going to be like Spooky where I find a pile of broken displays in the corner that he’s forgotten about?” Wrench asked.

“Ha! Probably,” Talker admitted, letting out another chuckle. “Eh, who’re you kidding you box-headed gear-monkey. You’re probably already thinking of all the things you could fix.”

“Yeah, yeah, stop your quivering. I admit it,” Wrench confessed. “I want them to drop a mountain load of crap for me to fix along with tools to do it.

“How about you go put yourself through an impeller, alright?”

“Hell with that, did that, got the medal, rather not do it again,” declined Talker. Then he sighed. “Alright. You Admini’s need to go find Wrench some tools and things to fix.

“That’s how we’ll start this since you have no idea what you want to do. Go find him any broken mechanical equipment you can. Oh, and Hume oat bars. Just like a Hume-box of them. Just plunk’em down right there on the edge of the table. Along with some Hume-water bottles.”

As if shocked at being told what to do, but not having a response, all the Tongsta made a weird quivering motion than shot off in every other direction.

“Oh, Talker,” Wrench said as a thought popped into his head. “We should do medical testing, too. Remember the hardening pod? If there’s anything else like that, Hume could handle it.”

“Uh? Hm. That’s a good point. Was it… gross… for you when you did that?” Talker asked.

“It was like swimming through thick water, really. Then again I’ve been launched into a shit-pit before if you remember. Maybe I’m the weird one?” Wrench offered up.

“Well, I ask because elderly Tongsta can have issues with their insides,” began Talker, sounding somewhat unsure. “They can’t expel waste as easily and they start to harden around it.

“It’s not something we can get to quickly or often identify. But… you know… Hume in a suit could probably handle that without an issue. If it isn’t even a problem for you guys, it’d be easy to handle.

“Though I can’t imagine how it’d feel as the Tongsta. Can’t be worse than going through an impeller though. Ha.”

“Can’t be worse than an impeller,” agreed Wrench. “So, she dig the medal you got? Did Little Green offer to polish it for you?”

“Oh for being boxed sake Wrench I swear your head is always in the gutter,” Talker said with a loud laugh. Little Green was his partner and mate as far as Wrench understood it. Then he groaned. “Yes, she polished my medal. Happy?”

“Hell yeah. Want me to applaud?” Wrench teased with a laugh. Then he sighed. “Talker, give it to me straight, these eggs gonna figure this out quick? Or am I going to be digging around through machines forever.”

“I… don’t know Wrench,” Talker admitted. “What I do know though is, Captain Boyfriend is super happy. He’s already leveraging this posting to signal boost Hume even further.

“Doesn’t hurt that someone accidentally… not really accidentally… leaked all of the ships’ reports. Along with secretly… not so secretly… recorded footage of Hume doing repairs and Grae security.”

“Dad did it?” Wrench asked with a grin.

“Yeah. Probably. I mean, come on… who else would have all that footage?” Talker asked with a laugh.