"Oh man, my shoulder is killing me."

  "Would you like me to kiss it and make it better?" Ramirez smiled at Robert as she let her brown hair dance about her shoulders.

  "I might."

  They were both in uniform as they made their way to Weapons Storage. She reached out and gently carressed the back of his head with her soft hand. He leaned forward and closed his eyes as their lips met.

  It was about fifteen minutes before Robert was scheduled to be on the bridge and make for a lunar orbit and he was spending that time with the woman he loved. He ran his fingers over her firm arm and pinched the bicep. She giggled and tensed her muscle out of reflex; smiling while still kissing. She opened her eyes and looked at him with a raised eyebrow. Robert cocked his head and smiled sheepishly.

  "I guess it wouldn't be a good idea to skip out on our duties and head back to my quarters for some alone time."

  Ramirez ran an open hand over his chest and down his front. She growled through bared teeth as she reached down and cupped the bulge that was forming in his crotch. Robert jumped as pleasant shivers raced through his spine.

  "Maybe when I get back; but only if you wear that costume of yours." She squeezed him playfully and felt his member swell under her strong fingers through the fabric of his jumpsuit. Robert twitched and closed his eyes; then grasped her wrist in his own hand to stop her.

  "Please, don't start something I'm going to want to finish right now."

  Ramirez released her hand and started walking down the hallway again.

  "When I get back."

  Robert caught back up with her; limping to help hide his stiff erection. They turned a corner to see the door to Weapon's Storage wide open. Ramirez held up a hand to keep Robert back while she peered inside. She frowned and walked inside as her lover followed. Robert smiled and waved.

  "GUSTAVO!"

  "ROBERT!"

  "Gus," he looked at Ramirez and stood at attention, "what are you doing in here?"

  "Remember when you asked me to take care of the monthly weapons detail?"

  "You were supposed to have finished that two days ago."

  Gus shrugged apologetically. "Well, I hope you've taken care of everything; I don't want to get down in that alien ship and find myself in a position where I need a fully charged plasma rifle and all I get out of my gun are a few shorts."

  "I'm just taking inventory. All of the cleaning and recharging has been taken care of."

  "Good," Ramirez squinted at him, "you did a good job? I'm not going to regret not giving the job to George."

  "Hey, I may be late but I'm thorough." Gus smiled his big smile and she just shook her head and rolled her eyes. Gus looked at Robert, put up his hands and began to play-fight; throwing several quick jabs and a hook.

  "So, que pasa amigo?"

  Robert smiled with pride.

  "I won."

  Ramirez slapped him on the shoulder, grinning as he grimaced under the pain.

  "He sure did. And I believe someone owes me about two hundred new yen."

  Gus wheezed and pulled his wallet out of the breast pocket in his jumpsuit. Robert's face went wild with shock.

  "You bet against me?"

  "Can you blame me?"

  "You bet against me?"

  "Matthew has beaten you four times in a row, the odds were in my favor."

  "You bet against me?" Robert just shook his head shamefully.

  "Que mala suerte," Gus handed over a wad of cash into Ramirez's waiting hand. He looked at Robert who was still shaking his head, "oh stop it. I've already had my punishment." He made one last mark on his clipboard and looked it over. "I'm going to run this up to the Captain. Good luck on your mission."

  "Thanks Gus," Ramirez saluted and he returned it. Robert watched Gus leave Weapon's Storage.

  Gus was a tall and thin Mexican-American man with an extremely toned physique. He grew up in the barrios of San Diego and was showing promise in the fields of social sciences and diplomatic arts. Though he was a bright pupil, to the joy of his family, he hated school and ended up running away from home to escape the pressures of expected success. He spent his teen years on the streets, getting involved with a number of inner city and international gangs and becoming an accomplished fighter and fairly respected in disrespected circles. Gus traveled extensively and saw the world while living a drifter's life until Krista spotted him while she was on leave in Japan; she convinced him to come on board the Necronomicon and join the security team.

 Ramirez was instructing him in the Shotokan martial arts style; though he was more interested in learning Capoeira, which he was picking up from one of Meredith's educational holoprograms.

  The doors to Weapons Storage closed behind him and Robert turned back to Ramirez. She was taking off her jacket and he stared at her body as she set it down on an open crate. She was strong and well toned after years of hard work to keep her body lean. Her ample breasts were wrapped up in a sports bra under a dark green tank top with pants to match. Her face was thin with high cheek bones and dark brown eyes that he loved to lose himself in during pleasant nights. On one hand was a fingerless, leather glove that she clenched into a fist before cracking her knuckles. On one shoulder a tattoo read : SLIPPERY WHEN WET. She looked up with a smile.

  "Now what should we take along with us?" She gazed at walls that were covered in racks of varying types of weaponry. One wall was devoted to old-style firearms that used chemical propellants to launch metal slugs; they were mainly for show as they had been proven to be not as reliable as what current technology had produced. Another wall had a wide selection of hand-to-hand arms from brass knuckles to long blades. Ramirez grabbed a set of two curved short swords off the wall and began to twirl them around in the air in front of her, displaying her alacrity and prowess with the metal weapons.

  "I don't think you'll want to take something like that if you're going to be toting around in an environmental suit."

  "I know, I just love these things. A better hand weapon you will never find, my love."

  "Wait a minute," Robert closed his eyes in deep thought, "wakazashi, right?"

  "I've taught you well." She set them back on their rack. "Everyone is going to need a small sidearm."

  Ramirez went over to the the third wall and removed four hand-sized pistols. Each one fired a variety of charged projectiles capable of a separate function that were determined by the setting in the grip where a small knob read : TANGLER - RIPPER - NEEDLER - NITRO - VAPOR - HOMER. Ramirez checked to see if they were fully loaded and set them on a table near the center of the room before going back to find another weapon just for herself.

  She smiled and pulled another one of her favorites off it's rack and held it up as she posed for Robert. She stood with her legs bent to properly hold the weight of it. She hefted it in her arms and the biceps tensed; the muscles standing out strongly.

  Robert just nodded in admiration. It was a rail gun, or as some called it a 'mini gun,' with six firing pipes that shot high powered plasma rounds at the rate of about eight every second.

  "That Firestorm Cannon suits you," he looked her up and down, knowing that her legs were tensing under her pant sleeves in the same way her arms were. Ramirez began to stalk her way forward as she waved the nozzles in front of her; her hard boots clomped heavily with each leather step. "But I think you should take something a little less ... offensive."

  Ramirez stopped and frowned.

  "You're right. Something more compact would probably be better too. I don't know if there'll be much room over there." She hoisted the weapon back on the wall and Robert stared at her rear as she did so. Her buttocks squeezed with the effort and he felt himself becoming aroused again.

  "Um... maybe you should just stick with a plasma rifle."

  She looked behind her and saw where he was staring. She wiggled her behind a bit for him.

  "Plasma rifle it is." Ramirez picked one up that was standing against a wall; she flipped the sniper sight to see if it was functional and checked the remaining charge. She opened her pack and threw in a few extra clips before grabbing the other pistols. "Time to go."

  Robert backed her up against the wall and mashed his lips against her's. She dropped the weapons and flung her arms around him while bringing up a smooth leg to wrap around his waist. She started to tear at his shirt with polished nails when their wrestling knocked over a crate filled with chaff grenades. They spilled over the floor with loud clangs and rolled into corners and under other boxes.

  "Time to go."

  "I'll get George to ... uh ... pick those up."

  They fixed their clothing and chased themselves out the sliding doors. Ramirez stopped and turned to the computer interface on the wall.

  "Close doors and lock. Security clearance Ramirez Alpha Delta Pi."

  "Closing and locking," Psi's image appeared on the plaque.

  "Would you like a retina scan?" Ramirez put her left eye close to the small scope set next to the AI panel for identification.

  "Nah, I trust you. You better get down to the Shuttle Bay, Matthew is almost done with his ship preparations."

  "Thank you Psi, let them know I'm on my way." She turned to Robert, "get up to the bridge, I love you."

  "I love you too."

  She began to walk down the corridor to one of the ship's lifts.

  "And Ramirez."

  She stopped and Robert gave her a concerned look.

  "Be careful down there okay?"

  Ramirez smiled at him for a few seconds, then continued to walk away. Robert just stood there and sighed.

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On to Ch.3 - Descent and an Unexpected Mission

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