Ghosts of Gold Ridge

Nikki didn't know exactly what she expected to find when she arrived with team three. Something like Chernobyl, maybe? She glanced around at the other people on the shuttle. A few women about ten or fifteen years older than her, few woman about her age, a couple men--maybe in their thirties--and another that looked like he was just barely out of high school. At the front of the shuttle was an unflinching woman in Air Force blues, carrying a clipboard and dossiers.

They might have all been a bit more talkative if it wasn't 3:30 in the morning. Most of them seemed awake enough, but the still of the night and the ominous tone of the orientation packet kept the new group wary of aimless small talk.

On approaching a gate, the shuttle bus slowed to a halt, and the doors slid open. A man in fatigues embarked.

"Lieutenant," he took the clipboard from the steady, fastidious woman. Nikki admired the way she seemed to carry herself--this was certainly the woman in charge of the team. He thumbed his way through the paperwork, gave the Lieutenant a nod before returning the clipboard to her and departed the bus. With the wave of his hand, the front gate to the massive concrete wall standing in front of the bus opened. With an ominous purr, the bus rolled its way inside. The woman stood, turning to the eight orientees and bracing her hands on the first row of seats.

“Ladies and gentlemen, we are now in the outer perimeter of the Gold Ridge containment area. Right now we’re headed to the inner perimeter fence, which is defined by any area that’s been affected by the incident.”

An orientee raised his hand.

“I’ll answer questions at the end.” He put his hand down. “Now, the first thing you need to know is that what you’re going to see on this site is something the scientific world has never seen--and something that, for the moment, cannot be revealed to the public-at-large. Your cooperation with that last point will be enforced both by civil and criminal code by the sponsors of this expedition: Howlett Energy and the United States Air Force. I’m aware that you’ve all already reviewed and signed your NDAs, but I want to reiterate clearly: if you open your mouth in the slightest about what you see or experience you WILL be stuffed into an unmarked van with a black sack over your face. Are we all in understanding about this?”

The group nodded.

“Good. Sorry for the tone, but I like to be absolutely transparent on that detail before we continue beyond the inner gate. Within the affected site, there are six geodesic domes--five of these surround our hot-sites, and the smaller sixth one surrounds your quarters and secure research areas. You are not to leave this area alone under any circumstances. You and your team members are not to leave for any field research until you’ve informed and cross-checked with your military liaison--me.” She took a deep breath. “Further details on the site and your work here will come when we’re safely in Howlett White. In the meantime, if you have any procedural questions for me...”

The man’s hand went back up.

“Yes, Doctor...” She looked at her dossier list. “...Kleeman?”

“Well, I think we’ve all heard rumors about Gold Ridge, but, uh...” He cleared his throat. “I mean, since the incident happened, the place is safe--more or less--correct?”

“Safety is dependent on two things, Doctor. Proper protocol, and proper procedure. Follow both, and the place is...’more or less’ safe.”

Another hand went up, belonging to one of the middle-aged women.

“Has anything else survived inside the affected area? I mean as far as animals, insects...”

“Plant and some simpler animal life appear to be functioning normally,” The liaison said, “but higher animals--mammals, birds--seem to have scattered outside the affected range.”

“So there must be an unchecked overrun.”

“There isn’t an issue, actually. Different forces are at work within the affected area. You’ll have more details at formal orientation inside. Now--as I asked--any more procedural questions?”

The group was silent. Nikki had a look around at all the faces once more, locking eyes with one of the men for a second.

“Alright then. Sit tight. We’ll be passing into the interior gate soon.” The Lieutenant reached for a walkie talkie, which was now receiving a static-scrambled message. “Ladies and gentlemen, there’s been a slight change of plans. Orientation has been moved. We’ll be stopping at the Gabriel Howlett Auditorium at the University Campus, and Orientation will proceed as scheduled.”

The man Nikki shared a glance with moved up to the seat just behind her.

“Hey there. Physics?”

“Sorry?” Nikki asked.

“Physics. Are you a physicist?”

“Um, no--biologist,” Nikki said. “Electrochemical and Neurology.”

The man put out his hand. “Noah. Theoretical physics.”

“Nikki.” she said. “Theoretical? Lots of math...not much application.” She smiled, teasing him.

“Well, that’s what so interesting about this place, isn’t it?” He pointed at her. “Electrochemical biology,” then, pointing to himself, “theoretical physics...what on earth would they need both of us for?”

“I guess we’re going to find out soon...”

“Physics and biology, huh?” The woman sitting next to her who had been half-lucid the entire trip suddenly perked up. “Deeper into the rabbit hole we go...I’m an electrical engineer,” She smiled. “Ann.”

The three of them exchanged small talk--alma maters, stresses of post-grad employment, their ominous invitations from Howlett Energy...and before long, the shuttle began decelerating.

When the bus stopped at the interior gate, there was no guard posted--just a camera and a gate servo. On the gate were myriad warning signs threatening anything from prosecution to authorized shoot-on-sight. When the shuttle began rolling through the open gate, Nikki felt her heart jump.

“Ladies and gentlemen,” the Lieutenant said as she slowly rose back up to her feet. “Now that we’re entering the contamination zone you might be experiencing heart palpitations, light-headedness and a tingling sensation in your skin. It’ll subside in a few moments--you’ll acclimate. We should be arriving at the front gate of Dome 5 within the next five minutes. You’ll be presented a personal identity card upon exiting the bus. It’s going to grant you access in and out of the domes as well as access to the Howlett White Zone. Do not lose them; they’re fabricated offsite.”

“Guess the tingling explains why I’m here,” Ann smirked.

“This whole thing is getting stranger and stranger by the moment,” Noah added.

“If you think this is strange,” the Lieutenant replied, “wait until we get inside.”

Nikki found herself peering out the windows into the earliest dawn light, searching for any clue as to the final effects of the Gold Ridge disaster. The buildings weren’t run down. The streets and blocks weren’t in disrepair. In fact--

Nikki’s eyes fluttered, searching down the street. She thought she saw someone crossing some distance away, but the motion of the figure was so fluid--almost as if it wasn’t touching the ground. The light was too dim to make out a face or any other details about the body.

“There’s--no one left alive here, right?” Nikki said aside to Noah and Ann.

“That’s the understanding,” Noah said. “No living souls, no bodies.” Nikki sighed, shaking her head. It was going to be a very long day.

The bus pulled up to a massive concrete structure. Nikki couldn’t help but marvel at the sheer scale of the building in front of her, it must have been the size of a parking garage--not including the massive dome of paned glass up top. Within moments, a pair of massive steel doors scraped open. The noise was enough for Nikki to come close to grinding her teeth, and part of her now questioned if she really wanted to know just what was so horrible that it had to be kept under this level of security.

The bus pulled into the structure and halted, and the Lieutenant’s walkie crackled again.

“Lieutenant Kensey, you’re clear to disembark. Please direct to Sutter Hall and toward the Gabriel Howlett Auditorium, over.”

“Kensey,” she replied. “Disembarking twenty-one, over.” She mumbled something to the driver, who nodded and opened the door. “Okay people, showtime. Two by two directly to the auditorium. No detours, and stay behind me.”

“Why do I feel like I’m in elementary school again?” Noah sighed. “At least I have time to finish my homework before class.” Ann and Nikki chuckled until Kensey’s eyes passed over them.

When the liaison turned to the front of the bus again, Ann mumbled to Nikki and Noah.

“Well, now I really feel like I’m in elementary school again.”

Despite the banter, the three were naturally nervous. Once the team began shuffling forward, they all stood and followed off the bus. The twenty team members and their liaison walked through a parking lot, and the first thing Nikki noticed was the swallowed-up way that sound seemed to work. The imposing dome over them, the absence of birdsong in the early morning--the place was eerily human, but seemingly empty.

Inside the university hall, the atmosphere was a little more relaxing. Lights were buzzing, and a few other support staff--Nikki noticed that any she saw were women--walking about the hall with purpose. As she walked by one, she noticed an arrogant grin on a staffer’s face as she mouthed two words: fresh meat. The words reflected in Nikki’s mind for a moment before she reached the doors to the auditorium.

Waiting for the researchers inside were envelopes with their names on them sitting on a table. After getting their packets and finding their seats, a woman walked out on stage. She was strikingly different from anyone else she had seen on site so far. Unlike the Air Force troops stationed here she was not in uniform, and unlike the other researchers and staffers she wasn’t dressed in a powder blue jumpsuit.

“I’d like to welcome you to Gold Ridge,” the woman said in a strong, confident voice. She wore a blood-red skirtsuit in black trim, matched by dark stockings and crimson pumps. Charisma glowed around her like an aura. “Thanks to all of you for coming--Howlett Energy seeks only the best, and I’m delighted to say that every invited member of this team has chosen to accept their offered position. Each one of you has a special role as the next expeditionary team...”

Nikki’s eyes rolled back. She couldn’t help it. Nothing about the event. No details about the victims. No particulars about any of the effects. The mapped area, the superstructures, the layout, the facilities--everything was being explained except what they all wanted to know: what happened to Gold Ridge?

“...so I’m going to take ten minutes. You can all do the same. Please meet back here for the final segment of your orientation.”

As they shuffled back out into the corridor, Nikki caught the glazed look in Noah’s eyes.

“I’m sure you remembered all of that, yeah?” she asked.

“Right,” Noah laughed. “Filing it all away now. ‘The main dome is 1050 meters, the largest geodesic’ blah blah blah blah...”

“I know,” Ann hissed. “Do we really need to be aware how long it took to refit the site for research?”

“For all the talk about this place, it looks like we’re going to be taking soil samples and atmo readings. So much for the hype,” Nikki sighed

“Well--if it’s not as bad as we thought...” Nikki looked over her shoulder. “...maybe we could check out the rest of this building.” Noah and Ann both stared. “Just this building, that’s all.”

“Ooooh, playing hookie. This might go on your permanent record, Nikki.” Ann chuckled. “I’m in.”

“What do you think, stay in the bathrooms over the ten?” Noah asked.

“Let’s just go...down that hall. Now. I don’t see any on-siters right this second...” Nikki grabbed the sleeve of Noah’s blazer and pulled him with her. “C’mon, c’mon!”

Walking as quietly and quickly as possible, the three turned a corner and headed toward another twist in the corridor, making certain to be out of range of anyone looking for them. After a few turns, Ann spoke up.

“Hey...” she said quietly, nudging Noah in front of her. “Hold up. I think we’re good.” The three stood against a wall and listened. No footsteps behind them, no one calling their names, no cameras looking down from the ceiling.

“Sounds clear to me,” Nikki said. “So--shall we?” The three continued down the hall, still being cautious about the noise they were making. After another section of the corridor, Ann started sniffing at something.

“What is it?” Noah asked, taking a deep breath through his nose.

“Chlorine,” Ann said. “You smell it, right?”

“I do,” Nikki said.

“Me too,” Noah added. “Guess that means there’s a pool somewhere nearby?” Continuing down the hall, they passed three sets of double doors, and Noah peeked through the centerline of one of the sets. “Gym back here,” Noah said. “Must be the Phys. Ed. hall on the back side.”

“Makes sense,” Nikki said. “Auditorium, Gym, Pool--all big ticket facilities, all big spaces.”

“Anyone want to swim?” Ann laughed. “I mean, they sent out all those specialized invitations just for us--you don’t think they’d fire us just for swimming do you?”

“As long as we don’t tell anyone on the outside about it,” Nikki joked.

When they found the natatorium, steam was partially built up on the glass panes looking in on the pool from the corridor.

“Really interesting that they keep everything running,” Noah said. “They’re still heating the pool.”

“So what are we waiting for?” Ann asked. “Let’s go in.” She tried the glass doors leading into the natatorium, swinging them open with a gust of steam puffing out. Nikki and Noah followed.

After the doors behind them closed, the echo of the closing doors bounced off the water and slowly faded...to music.

“Hey--do you hear that?” Nikki asked.

“Sounds like music,” Noah said. “Radio left on maybe? Everything else is running.”

“Man, I remember this song from high school.” Ann replied. “Let’s go crank it up.”

“Where is it coming from?” Noah’s ears brought him to the locker rooms on the other side of the pool. It was then he noticed something strange. While the side with the men’s rooms was dark and quiet, the women’s rooms were bouncing with music and the sound of--showers running. “Guys, I think I hear water too.”

“Why don’t you go take a look?” Ann joked. “Might see some tits.” Noah laughed, while Nikki blushed a bit.

“My luck, some staffer decided to use the facility.”

“I dunno, doesn’t seem like there are that many staffers around here. Put an ear to the door, maybe we’ll hear someone.”

Noah did so, and to his surprise, something came through the music. It wasn’t really intelligible, but it sounded like human voices. Noah blushed a little--it couldn’t be...

“I’m hearing...moaning. I--I think someone’s fucking in there.” And then another voice moaning, and another, and another. All of them seemingly female. “I think there are a lot of someones fucking in there. Chicks--all of them.”

“No way,” Ann whispered, putting her ear to the door and immediately grinning. “Dear lord, that’s like...an orgy. I have to see this.” Ann looked up at Noah. She carefully wrapped her fingers around the handle. “Shall we...?”

“That--that’s...no way,” Noah said. “We’re not even supposed to be over here. You wanna barge in on them?” Nikki shrugged.

“Let’s just go in there and act like we’re supposed to be there. If it’s what we think, they should probably be the embarrassed ones, right?”

“This is a women’s locker room,” Noah said.

“C’mon, you’ve seen tits before,” Ann said.

“Whatever,” Noah said. “If I get the shit beat out of me, it’s on you two.” Ann pulled open the door just slightly.

“I’m opening the door...” Ann warned.

“The more the merrier!” A voice rang out from inside, almost in song.

“See?” Ann whispered. “They don’t care. You might even get laid.” She slapped Noah on the back as she nearly threw the door off its hinges. Even she wasn’t ready for what she saw on the other side. “N--no fucking shit.”

In the corner of the room she saw a mass of violet and silver spandex writhing and grinding against itself under the flowing water of the showers.

As she stared, she realized that it was actually two humanoid forms. She could see slick spandex torsos--shapely midsections with bulging breasts, and--no legs, no arms, and no heads. The swimsuits had water dripping and trickling inside them, and it ran right back out of the legholes, never so much as being interrupted by the apparently invisible form inside.

“The fuck am I looking at Ann?!” Noah struggled to find the words and to bring them out the correct side of his face.

“Can--can I get back to you on that?” Ann turned to walk away. “I’m not entirely sure of what the fuck I’m looking at right now either.”

“So...” Ann heard a voice directly behind her. It was another empty violet one-piece. “Are we gonna fuck or what?”

Ann stared at the suit, looking at every empty seam as her lip trembled.

“Are we gonna...wh- what?”

“We want to have sex with you,” The suit turned toward Noah and Nikki’s general direction. “Or one of them. We haven’t fucked flesh in a while, so we’re not particularly picky right now.”

Nikki’s eyes bulged, and Noah’s jaw dropped. He slowly reached out a hand toward the hovering spandex form.

“What is it?” He asked.

“It?! That’s not how you address a lady.” Noah felt a slap against his cheek. The force of the blow was only playful, but it made it him take a step back. “Uh-uh-uh, cutie...this way.” He felt something grab him by both wrists and pull him forward, right past Ann and toward the locker room. As he was pulled, the suit stayed in place until his face landed between the bouncing invisible orbs at the suit’s chest. At that point he continued being pulled forward as he was nestled between fabric tits.

“Hey...huuuu--!”

Nikki watched in horror as Noah was pulled into the locker room, his feet dragging behind him as if all of his weight was being held by the unknown force. Ann turned to her.

“Wh--what do we do!?”

“I--I dunno,” Nikki whispered. “Whatever these things are, I don’t think--”

“Oh, don’t bother with the thinking,” A voice called out from behind them. It was another swimsuit. “Why not come play?”

“Let’s get out of here, Nikki...” Ann whimpered.

“Here’s the thing,” Another suit emerged from the locker room. “We’re not going to hurt you, but we’re not going to let you leave either. We all have carnal needs here,” The suit turned toward Ann. “And I think you’ll be perfect to fill them.”

The breath left Ann’s body as she felt herself lift into the air. Hovering a few inches off the ground, she began to move toward the locker room door.

“Nikki...” Ann panicked. “Go find help!”

As soon as the door shut behind Ann, Nikki made a break for it. She ran to the glass doors, slipping out just before they slammed themselves and locked.

“That’s okay,” One of the more curvy swimsuits said. “Let her go--two is plenty. Besides, we’re not the only group using the gym today...”

Nikki bolted into the corridor, making a break for the next section. To her horror, some fire doors dividing the hall slammed shut in front of her. She pushed against the bars to no avail, and when she heard clinking sounds, she turned to find lengths of hovering chain snaking through the air toward her.

“Shit!” Nikki dodged, not realizing the chains weren’t going for her. They fastened themselves around the doors as the locks at the end bound the chains and snapped shut. Nikki looked around the hall for any pursuing suits, but the hall was otherwise empty. When she saw a door to the gym slightly ajar, she reasoned there had to be exits through the other way. She pulled the door open and went inside the gym, running about a quarter-court distance when she realized she wasn’t at all alone.

“One, two, three, four, we’ll make you our little whore! Two, four, six, eight, we just wanna fornicate!” Nikki froze in her tracks, looking over at the source of the crude melodic rhymes. Standing before her were at least two dozen cheerleader outfits bearing the same color scheme as the swimsuits, all of them just as hollow.

She was mesmerized by the motions--the outfits were synchronized perfectly, and even as they kicked and turned and performed not one broke out of line. Before she could even make a move, the door she entered from slammed shut and locked.

“Go! Fuck! Hawk! Pride!” As the cheerleader outfits whirled around, Nikki caught sight of the rounded silver hot pants beneath the flowing metallic purple skirts. She watched in awe, slowly backing up toward the bleachers as the team of ghostly cheerleading outfits danced to her.

When she snapped out of their hypnotic movements, she realized how quickly they were moving toward her. She finally broke her gaze and looked at the wide gap between the bleachers leading to another set of double doors.

It’ll go to a side corridor, she thought. If they even let me out.

With nothing to lose, she broke for the door, but to her surprise, it popped open on its own while she was still a couple yards away. Her hopes of a merciful change in atmosphere were dashed when she heard a faint noise coming from the empty side corridor, realizing it was coming from the gymnasium’s locker rooms.

Jeez, this place and locker rooms...

Her thoughts blurred as she looked back into the gym, where the cheerleader outfits seemed content to keep their distance. They were facing her, swinging their hips, their glossy silver sleeves reaching down and lifting their skirts, showing off silvery camel toes in the fabric beneath.

It took a moment, but the sound in the locker room began to take shape. A beat. It was the beat the lude cheerleader outfits were grinding to, and that’s when it hit her: it was the sound of snare drums.

“No...don’t tell me.”

An empty band uniform burst the girls’ locker room door open, twirling a baton. Nikki just shook her head as she found herself backing up again. When she turned around, another line was making its way out the mens’ locker room, but every outfit that marched out was clad in knee socks, skirts, and vests that couldn’t spare any more volume without popping a button or two.

She ran back out into the gym, going to the front of the bleachers and starting to climb up when she felt hands slide under her arms. She gasped, looking down to find empty white leather gloves wrapping their fingers around her breasts. Their index fingers coiled up and wiggled back and forth over her nipples, teasing them into visibility.

“Ohhh...what are you--” She felt something grab the zip at the back of her neck, drawing it down with a quick pull. “No...!”

Back in the showers, Noah was partially suspended in the air, his toes slipping on tile every once in a while as he was bounced between shiny swimsuits.

“Why don’t you stop trying to get away? Mr. Willy isn’t saying what the rest of you is saying...” Noah’s clothes had been stripped off of him, and now he couldn’t help but grab a handful of invisible tit, even if he didn’t mean to.

There’s too many of them... His motions became less haggard, and as he calmed, a bar of soap and washcloth floated over toward him as the swimsuits surrounding him started giggling.

“We’re going to get you all clean, and then you’re going to make us all dirty.” One by one, the streams of water began turning themselves on, and the soaked swimsuits soaped Noah up, sliding against him and psychically grabbing, squeezing and prodding.

On the other end of the locker room, on the benches a relatively calm Ann looked on, over the shoulder of the suit standing in front of her.

“That looks...interesting.” Ann trailed.

“Do you want to play with him?” The swimsuit asked.

“He’s okay,” Ann said. “But you obviously captured us for a reason,” Ann said, almost clinically. “So here I am. I mean, what was a swimsuit planning to do with me?”

“Well, now--meat with attitude.” The sheen swimsuit hovered toward her, its chest making contact with hers. “But, my brave little candy, I’m not really the swimsuit.” The empty suit turned away from her, and Ann watched the silver and violet hips saunter toward the shower. “Watch carefully.”

The swimsuit stood in the middle of the shower room, standing over a pleasure-soaked Noah, who was no longer struggling against his captors. The other suits cooed around him as streaks of soapy water danced over his skin, caressed by psychic fingers.

“That’s right, girls--a brand new team. Drink it up.” Ann watched as the suit she’d been conversing with turned back toward her and floated higher into the air.

Water from the showers seemed to splash higher and higher, and before long, streams were twining themselves into liquid cables, disobeying gravity and making their way toward the swimsuit. Like a high pressure hose, water gushed out of the bottom of the suit, splitting in two and forming a pair of muscular legs.

Water kept flowing in through the straps of the suit, which continued defining the athletic form with a pert, translucent ass, the scant hint of abdominals, and enormous breasts. As the swimsuit finished filling through the shoulders, the water flowed out the top and back, sweeping through as the liquid arms defined themselves out to their elbows, wrists, and finally, delicate ectoplasmic fingers dancing the excess off of themselves. The polymorphic liquid head did the same, shaking itself out until fine liquid strands swept behind a statuesque face.

Ann was speechless, looking up at the gleaming, glassy figure as she would a goddess.

“Can you imagine what I could do with you now, my dear?” Her voice now seemed almost hollow, like she was speaking through glass.

“I’d rather you just show me.”

The nearly crystalline face drew into a smile. “I like your attitude. Sit back.”

Ann felt the zipper at her back perk up and pull away from her skin, magically sliding down its track. The fabric sloughed itself over her shoulders and slid off of her arms, exposing her perking tits. She followed through on the motion, letting her suit fall off her hands and slide itself down her hips.

Before the suit even hit the floor, The liquid woman loomed over her, reaching her glistening fingers out for Ann’s bobbing chest. As the silky fingers massaged her breasts, the liquid in the palms slurped and splashed against her nipples.

“Mmmm...” Ann’s eyes rolled back. “That’s--very nice. But what about you?” A liquid hand pulled away from Ann’s chest and reached down to her wrist, pulling her hand up to the shimmering face of the form. Ann smiled and curled back all her fingers but one, which was quickly taken inside lips of softly flowing water.

The liquid phantom seemed to smile as it sucked on Ann’s finger, and as she reached her free hand around the form to pull it closer, her hips met the swimsuit's own, her trimmed pussy resting against a silver mound.

"You're going to fit right in here, I can tell," the liquid woman said between licks. "Your name is Ann, yes?"

Ann just dreamily nodded as she watched the grace of the motion, grinding her clit against the glossy swimsuit. "Do...you have a name?"

"You can call me Kaori," the form breathed. Ann slipped her wrist from Kaori's grip, wrapping her arms around the swimsuit and grinding even harder against the mound.

Ann brought her lips close to the puffy, transparent ones. "I feel like I should be scared of you," Ann whispered, "But...Noah doesn't seem to be in much danger."

She looked over at the male twenty-something she'd just met a few hours ago. He was lost in sensation, hovering in the showers and surrounded by ghostly nubile outlines filling sleek swimsuits. Soapy water flowed over him as she watched his hard cock hopping up and down, receiving untold pleasure from uncountable invisible caresses.  The liquid woman let out a mischievous laugh and licked Ann from collarbone to cheek.

"Only the danger that you'll never top this level of esctasy with any human," Kaori said. Her swimsuit began bucking back against Ann's grind when Ann felt something beginning to change shape, as if the surface was molding itself against her pussy lips.

"They all seem to be having fun," Ann said, "and I've never been one to turn down a good time--especially with an experience so...unconventional?"

"Kind of a clinical term..." Kaori replied, locking her magical lips with Ann. Her voice continued in the air above them. “But if it's unconventional you're looking for, I've got an even better surprise for you.”

Ann gasped a little as she felt the mound of Kaori's swimsuit press against her own trimmed sex. She pulled her hips back from contact and looked down. Dumbfounded awe turned into elated surprise as she watched the juncture of the smooth, liquid legs. The mound just above the crotch of the swimsuit was protruding little by little, forming a spandex hill where Ann would expect to find this magical creature's clit.

Now water was trickling through the spandex itself, starting from the peak of the contoured crotch of Kaori's swimsuit.  Instead of joining the perfect undinous limbs beneath, the water began pooling over the mound itself.

"Oh my goodness..." Ann mumbled. Her eyes glowed with anticipation as she watched Kaori's fantastic liquid body generate an erect, warm-water phallus. Ann's jaw dropped. "That's..."

The slippery goddess reached a transparent hand down toward her new member. She shamelessly stroked the emulated cock, her elemental face smiling mischievously.

“Ready to get wet?”

Ann blushed, smiling coyly.

"Mmm...way ahead of you."

In the gym, Nikki was trying in vain to scramble away from the empty cheerleader and band outfits surrounding her. Her Howlett-issued bodysuit was already peeled down to her thighs, exposing her tight white tee and black bikini briefs.

"Argh...get--off!" Pulling away the fingers of the white leather gloves was hard enough for Nikki. Even if she managed to pry a ghostly leather hand away from her body, it would simply slip out of her grip and redouble its efforts elsewhere. She felt her tee beginning to be tugged up, but pulling back down on the hem only left her chest unguarded once more. A pair of slender white gloves apparently didn't miss this, because they took the opportunity to flatten and slide themselves right between the cotton shirt and her flat stomach.

Nikki gasped, letting out a shudder when the leather index fingers made their way around her nipples, outlining them ever so softly in contrast to the fast grip of the rest of the hand.

"What--the hell is with these...clothes?" Nikki's voice jumped on the last word as she felt something soft hook around the crooks of her arms, pulling them behind her. She pushed away a band outfit, turning around to find that the assailant behind her wasn't another perverted ghostly cheerleader or hyperactive band uniform; it was her OWN Howlett-issued suit.

"Oh, how the f-ff--oooooh...."

The top half of the suit had reformed without her inside it, and the olive-and-black sleeves locked her arms behind her. By this time she was beginning to notice how expertly the items played at restraint: they were tight enough to secure her, but they never caused her any pain.

Laughter and mocking voices followed her protest, and with her arms bound securely behind her, another pair of white gloves happily pulled up her shirt. The first pair was still clamped around her breasts, the index fingers playing against her hardened nipples--now even more visible through her tan strapless bra.

Nikki grimaced as she made one last breakaway attempt, but the sleeves of her bodysuit wouldn't budge. Worse, she now found she couldn't lift her feet. It was as if her soles were cemented to the floor. Another white glove hovered down to stroke playfully under her chin, but at its touch, her head and neck recoiled. She spit on the gleaming white leather in defiance.

"Get the fuck off of me," Nikki growled. She watched as the glove she spat on retreated to the sleeve of a band outfit.

"Ooh, this one plays dirrrrty..." the outfit cooed, moving its empty sleeve and glove under the fold of its skirt. "We like playing dirty too." The outfit's other glove reached down to pull up the front of its skirt, showing off the spit-doused glove stroking the camel toe on tightly-strained white cotton panties.

Nikki’s arms were still held behind her as the gloves at her shirt took the opportunity to pull it over her head and down behind her shoulders. “Why are you doing this to me?”

A cheerleader uniform stepped forward, the red ‘C’ on its left shoulder told Nikki the uniform probably once belonged to the captain of the squad. “We’re lonely here. It’s not everyday that we have warm-blooded hotties wandering the halls.”

One of the white gloves swooped behind Nikki. Her breasts bobbed when the leather glove unsnapped her bra. The other danced down her stomach and ran a finger under the band of her black panties.

“Who are you? And Ann and Noah--did you--unghh...” Nikki groaned as a kid leather finger danced gently over her clit.

“Quid pro quo, babe. Let us in, and we’ll tell you everything you want to know. In fact, if you can manage to ask your questions as we fuck you, we’ll happily answer them.” The skirt of the captain’s uniform lifted up. “Come for us, and we’ll even make sure you find your way back to your friends.” The silvery boy-shorts beneath its skirt slowly peeled themselves down, revealing a whisper-thin black thong. Now the triangle of fabric at the crotch of the thong began sliding back and forth, dancing around to unseen ministrations. The voice above the collar of the uniform moaned loudly. “Unnngh...you just have no idea how horny we are right now.”

"Well, apparently I can't stop you," Nikki said, trying to pull her arms free again. "Forgive me for not trusting whatever promises you're pretending to make while you have me restrained."

"You could tell us how you like to be fucked," whispered a voice behind her. "We'd be happy to oblige."

"Mmm...right, call it a gesture of good faith," The captain continued.

"Tell us how you like it," said another voice, seeming to come from a glossy cheerleader outfit snuggling against her. "We'll make it soooo good for you.

"Huh-oooh..." Nikki shuddered, trying to keep her focus off of all the caressing, stripping fingers. "H-how many of you are there?"

"You'll have to be more specific," The captain said, approaching her. The voice seemed to speak with deep, dark lust as the front of the thong was violently thrashing back and forth as if stimulating the invisible clit beneath. "How many of us are on campus? How many of us are in this gym...or how many of us are going to tease your tight little body into an orgasmic frenzy?"

"You--mmm--you're not planning to answer anything!" Once again, Nikki's protest was met with laughter. She moaned as a slick leather finger rolled gently down her clit, sliding between her labia and meeting sweet, viscous fluid.

"Well, your pussy is telling us everything we need to know," One of the voices next to her said. "I think she might like being restrained."

Nikki looked away, wondering if these strange haunted outfits could detect her blush. She couldn't help her body's reactions, even when sex was the last thing on her mind. The impossibly strong empty cylinders of fabric keeping her restrained, the frustratingly gentle caresses of white kid leather, the dirty talking phantoms and the voluptuous forms in the empty outfits dancing around her and teasing her body...everything here seemed to be programmed for the same thing: sex.

"In--here," Nikki gasped, biting her lip in between the words as the leather glove at her pussy made her even more wet. "How many...in here?"

"Fifty or so," The captain's outfit said, its collar seeming to mime a look around at the others.

"What...are you?" Nikki managed, her hips beginning to involuntarily grind against the magic glove at her pussy.

"The last group of labcoats called us 'persistent psychokinetic consciousnesses' ", the captain said. "If you ask me, 'sprites' or 'nymphs' would be more accurate terms."

Nikki noticed that more and more outfits were gathered around her. Many of the band uniforms joined the ghostly audience surrounding her, leaving their instruments and silver band boots to continue marching and playing on their own.

By now she was panting, watching the outfits around her react. Several had their sleeves under their skirts, making lascivious motions with unseen hands. One cheerleading outfit was paired up with a band outfit, and Nikki watched as their fabric limbs tangled around each other like hot-blooded lovers. The drums, other instruments, and the glossy silver marching boots stomping in rhythm beneath them slowly built up the beat faster and faster.

"Getting close now, aren't you?" The captain's outfit asked, reaching out to Nikki's bare chest. "You'd better ask all your questions before we're done playing..." The silvery edges of the two sleeves centered over her breasts, and Nikki felt the lightest touch at her nipples.

"What...are you?" Nikki squeaked, holding back her orgasm as best she could.

"Human beings without bodies, darling," Said the captain, "But with sensation, intention, and--very particular human needs. Thus the pleasure of your unexpected presence here." The captain's skirt unfastened itself and fell to the ground, lifeless. The shiny silver hot pants peeled down invisible legs only to unexpectedly plump again at knee-height and hover up toward Nikki's face, independent of the rest of the outfit.

"Oooh...fuuuuck..." As Nikki began losing her resolve, she grudgingly admitted to herself that the horny leather glove between her legs was even better with its fingers than she was with her own. "Ann--and Noah..."

"Are perfectly fine. Now come for us." In front of Nikki's face hovered the silver hot pants, the center seam of the front sinking into a deep cameltoe. As it leaned in to her, she pulled her head back. "You were so anxious to use that mouth of yours before..."

"Nnnng..." The light dances over her nipples were driving her mad. She was being held right on the edge--no longer resisting her inevitable release, but still unable to fulfill it. "Ohhhh, come on! Grab my fucking tits!"

Giggles and hoots built to a roar now. As their human target was strung along toward orgasm, the outfits in the gym looked more and more like a riot of lust and rhythm.

"Put those lips to use!" The captain commanded. "Soak me down and I'll give you exactly what you need."

Desperate to come, Nikki leaned into the soft mound of the shorts, inhaling the sweet scent of glossy lamé and the hint of a familiar feminine musk. She dipped her wet tongue into the fold of the silver camel toe, and was rewarded immediately with soft but powerful fingers taking hold of her C-cup breasts.

"Yeah...lick me, honey. Lick, lick, lick." The captain's outfit and its detached hot pants both seemed to lose themselves in the moment, steadily rocking and shuddering against the sexual energy.

As the rest of the frenzied room followed their flesh-and-blood toy to climax, Nikki wondered, in a moment of coital clarity: what exactly happened in Gold Ridge--and why, even enveloped in sexual pleasure, did there seem to be some ulterior drive to this supernatural lust?

In the showers, Ann was pinned to the wall by a voluptuous liquid Kaori. The cock she formed from the shower water was now deep inside of Ann, which had lost its original shape and had begun to fill every nook and cranny. With each thrust, Ann found herself closer and closer to climax. At the other end of the showers, Noah was on the verge of blowing his load to the caress of the invisible soapy fingers. The unusual orgy to old pop music was soon interrupted by a strange, almost mechanical hum. Ann and Noah could feel the resonance more than they could hear it, and while it didn't cause them any discomfort, the swimsuits in front of them seemed to recoil. Kaori’s hydrokinetic body began to ripple as she clutched her head, almost as if she was in pain. Within moments, her watery body began to expand outward until it burst. Kaori's swimsuit slumped to the floor, and the others outside of the direct effect of the device cautiously floated off to the back of the room. Noah was left sitting naked on the shower floor, cradling his unsatisfied member with equal parts embarassment and disappointment.

“You just couldn’t wait twenty minutes for an explanation, could you?” A familiar voice boomed from the door. Ann turned back to find Lieutenant Kensey holding a black walkie-talkie sized box in the general direction of Kaori. “There's always one, of course," She said, looking at Noah. "But this time there's three. Where's Avery?"

"Uh, Nikki?" Ann asked. "She got away."

"Shit," Lt. Kensey said, looking back out the open door of the locker room. She addressed two more Howlett staff standing in the natatorium holding the same device she had. "You two--find her. If it's a bigger group than two or three, DON'T ENGAGE. Radio me." They nodded deferently.

Lt. Kensey turned back to Ann, shaking her head.

"Brilliant, precocious, tendency to skirt authority and direction. You’re lucky your personnel file was as accurate as it was, Ms. Merton. If I hadn’t counted heads after completing orientation, our team would be three down thanks to your spirited curiosity."

"Th--three down? What do you mean?" Noah asked, still feebly trying to cover himself. The Lieutenant found his Howlett-issue by the door and threw it to him.

"I mean you’d have both been sucked dry by this siren. Isn’t that right, Kaori?”

“Melodramatic as always," Kaori replied sarcastically. "You misunderstand, Donna. I’m not seeking to expand my ranks...I'm only taking care of the girls under my ward.”

“That’s Lieutenant Kensey. Don't undermine my authority, and stay the hell away from the researchers...or I'm going to box this place in a 24-hour resonance seranade.”

“You don't have the right. We declared this school and the surrounding grounds sovereign territory when you military types decided to cut us off from our families. Now you're threatening to take more from us?”

“There's nothing to take, Kaori. As you currently are you’re Howlett company property.” Kensey looked at the two newbies trying to process the context of her conversation with this phantom woman. "You two--dressed and OUT. Wait for me in the corridor."

"*Lieutenant?*" Her radio buzzed. "*We've found the third, but Ms. Howlett's ordered us to stand down.*"

"So wait for her. She won't likely need help. The other two are secure, I’ll meet you at the auditorium." Ann slipped on her suit, looking back at the swimsuits at the wall and searching for Kaori's.

Right here, Kaori projected her voice directly into Ann’s ear. I’ll be here tonight and all day tomorrow. Meet me here if you want to finish what we started...I owe you.

Ann hid a smile as best she could and walked out of the locker room behind a dripping Noah.

"You're sure you--"

"I said wait here." Blair spat. "No one goes through this door until I come back out. Is that understood?"

One of the technicians almost tried protesting again before being nudged by the other.

"Uh-understood, ma'am." Blair went through the door to the side hall of the gymnasium, carefully pacing forward.

After the door shut behind her, she took a deep breath and held her hand to her head for a moment. She let out a stifled groan, and the hand at her temple slowly wandered down to her chest. She listened to the activity echoing from the gym, where Nikki was being driven to come by more than thirty entities.

Blair peeked around the corner, her eyes jumping at the sight of Nikki being brought to orgasmic release by not only the cheerleaders, but the band as well. Blair squeezed her own tit, biting her lip as she watched a panting Nikki accepting every loving touch of the entities surrounding her.

In fact, it was more than acceptance. There was some kind of energy exchange with what was happening, and it wasn't just being drawn from this new team member. It was almost as if...

Why do you interest me so fucking much, Nicole Avery? Blair thought to herself. I’m wet just thinking about what you might be capable of.

"Mmm...come for us, baby! COME!" The captain shouted as Nikki continued tonguing the hovering shorts. Nikki was on the verge--electricity dancing through every part of her, begging for the final rush. She moaned like a whore through her oral activity, her earlier resistance all but gone in the heat of her approaching orgasm.

"I'm--mmm..." Nikki passed the point of no return, greedily diving into the soft hovering shorts and breathing in the scent of sex. The overhead lights illuminating the gymnasium began to flicker on and off. Loud popping noises could be heard as one by one the bulbs housed inside the overheads began to burst, plunging the entire gym once again into darkness. The digital scoreboard situated on the opposite side of the bleachers began to go crazy before the loud screech of the buzzer followed by corny anthem rock rang out over the speakers. Nikki’s climax felt like nothing she had ever experienced before. It was like she had swallowed a bolt of lightning, and now that lightning was now swimming through every cell of her body.

In the corridor, an equally horny Blair licked her lips, holding herself silent as she continued fondling herself. This young woman wasn't just an open-minded wanderer--there was something more to her--something that Blair realized might be a shortcut to all her work. She'd have to make a good impression; Nicole Avery had just become the most promising member of the new team. As the wave of sexual energy in the gym crested, Blair silently shuddered, partly collapsing against the concrete wall as the lights in the corridor suffered the same static fate as those in the gym.

"Fuck..." Nikki panted. "Fuck. Fuuuuck." The group was snuggled around Nikki now, a band outfit behind her propping her up as the cheer captain stood in front of her, commanding her boyshorts back into place beneath her skirt.

"Indeed..." she giggled. "Now don't you wish you'd just given in earlier?"

Nikki took a few moments, waiting for her breath to catch up. "That was..." any word to describe her esctasy wasn't enough. "...what are you? I mean--what happened here? In Gold Ridge?"

Blair put a hand up her dress skirt, touching the sopping satin beneath. She'd be damned if an entity was going to spill its narrative first.

Right after Nikki asked the question, a couple of the outfits perked up.

"How did you all--" Nikki was halted when the outfit behind her just seemed to disappear. She fell back onto an emtpy cheerleading uniform, catching herself with a hard thud on her palms and ass. "Ow! What the h--"

It wasn't just one outfit. They were all retreating, or something. Some outfits slumped to the ground without warning, others sailed up to the rafters, slipping into a huge ventilation shaft.

"Wait! Where are you all going?" She leaned forward to grab the empty sleeve of the captian's uniform, but the other sleeve simply waved at her before the ghostly fabric arm in Nikki's grasp lost its shape and fell to the ground. "Did I do something wrong?"

Silence. Percussion instruments and band uniforms were strewn about the gym, while a good number of cheer and band uniforms formed a pile at her feet.

"What the hell was that?"

"Information best ascertained through a simple orientation," Blair said, calmly walking into the gym. She was composed again. "Are you alright?"

"I'm..." Nikki looked down at her exposed chest and blushed. "They--they just..." She ignored her missing bra and pulled on the top half of her Howlett-issue as quickly as she could.

"You're safe now," Blair said. "The university isn't really a high-risk area; otherwise it wouldn't be our understudy site for hosting a new team's first day. The Beta Phi Mu sorority does a great job in keeping the student body under control. Still, what you just got caught up in is more dangerous than it seems--the cheerleading squad in particular is notoriously mischievous. Best not to wander off in the future. Are we clear?”  

Nikki just nodded, straightening out her suit and shifting it across her still-tender nipples.

"You are okay?"

"I think so," Nikki said. "I'm not exactly sure what just happened, or why."

"Well, let's meet up with your other two misadventurees," Blair said, raising an eyebrow. "Lieutenant Kensey and I will administer your orientation to-go. We'll have less to cover since you all seem to have taken in the sights."

With her head still behind a few minutes, Nikki just nodded and walked with Blair toward the main doors, where light from the hall spilled under the doorjams. She took a last look at the motionless clothes as they opened the door and flooded the gym with light. Blair stared into the Gym with her, only slightly smiling.

"Welcome to Gold Ridge, Ms. Avery."

Hours later, the team was back in Howlett's white zone--which was apparently devoid of the "entities" they'd been briefed on. They were assigned bunks, personal lockers, given the rundown of schedules and basic duties.

Nikki, Noah and Ann had passed each other looks, bursting at the seams to tell each other what had happened. They'd been instructed on pain of dismissal not to discuss the incident with the rest of the team, owing to "retaining a calm and secure working environment," but they'd all spent the first 20 minutes of leisure time deducing the best place for them to talk without any electronic Howlett ears joining them.

Back on the cumpus, the mid-day sun peeked through the glass of Dome 5, bathing the pool in its cool blue glow. Kaori sat at the edge of the pool, the water in front of her splashing violently as a pair of indents swirled around the seat of her swimsuit. She began to breathe heavily as she heard footsteps coming from the men’s locker room door.

“You’re really going to do that now?” A voice called out from the door. A pair of black knee high boots stepped out. “You should’ve warned her, y’know.”

“She’ll be back, rest assured.” The swimsuit floated upward. “The power company knows we’re nowhere near as dangerous as the residents of the other domes. They’ll come here first, and we’ll shelter them as long as we can. But her...”

“Got the hots for that one, don’cha?” A boot lifted in the air, stroking at the inflated mound of the swimsuit. “You’re going to upset a jealous type like me with talk like that.”

"Mmm...share and play nice," Kaori laughed, "And I'll do the same."