Eve and I talked about it, and I decided I wanted to keep our relationship a secret. Now, obviously a lot of people knew damn well what we were doing, but mainly I just didn’t want to publicly announce it or make it official—didn’t want to have to write it up in some report since I was still Eve’s handler and all. Eve didn’t exactly share my reservations, not really following along with all my reasoning.

  Eve half-shrugged, trailing her fingers through my hair while I rested my head on her lap as we lounged around the couch, “I just don’t see why we should go through the effort to hide what we feel for each other; I already declared you my mate in front of mission command and everything—for heaven’s sake, we live together, that’s all public knowledge.”

  I shook my head against her hands on my scalp, “I know it’s pretty obvious to people who know us, but officially, I’m still resisting the dangerous Predazoan asset and her wild whims to control me.”

  Eve rolled her eyes at that, “Oh please, I’m a regular crewmember aboard The Radiance now; it should be no different than when other crewmembers are in a relationship.”

  “Other crewmembers don’t have a fucking bomb locked in their chest as some stupid safety failsafe.”

  Eve’s fingers stopped in my hair, and she leaned over more to look at me, “Is that what you’re concerned with?”

  I nodded, “Evie, I fucking hate you have that bomb inside you, and I can’t stand I’m the one who holds the remote. I’ll not risk command wanting to change anymore safety protocols because they think I’ve been…compromised or something.”

  Eve chuckled at that and resumed her errant affections, “But you have been compromised, silly boy.” She held her nails against my temples, “Even now, I have you under my spell—under my control, mwuahahahahaa.”

  I got up from her lap and turned a glare on her, “Eve, it’s not fucking funny. The one thing in this entire universe that’s a threat to you is locked inside your body—and I have the key. What if they want to give the controller to someone else? Just as you worry for my safety being some fragile human, this is your one vulnerability that terrifies me.”

  The playfulness from Eve’s face fell a little, and I could see she was starting to see where I was coming from, “I know, I don’t mean to make light of your fears Adam.” She looked up at me from under her long lashes, absolutely abusing how cute she looked when she did that, “Forgive me?”

  I rolled my eyes and pulled her forward into my lap, and she melted right into my embrace, “You damn well know it isn’t about wanting to hide our relationship or keep it secret, I just want to protect you.”

  Eve sighed, wrapping her hair tentacles around my arms and shoulders, “I understand, but again, so many people know of what all we’re doing, so who are we really hiding from?”

  “The military side of command, obviously; the researchers all know you and seem to approve of us, but the military is all about threat management and security, so if that side catches onto what all we’re doing, that’s when I worry things will change for us.”

  Eve nodded along, “Alright, so what do you want to do from here?”

  “Honestly? Go seek some expert advice—someone we can trust in mission command.”

  Eve pulled back, “Doctor Kianna, Predazoan behavior specialist?”

  I half-smiled, “That’s who I was thinking.”

  Eve returned my smile with a full one of her own, “Alright, we can go see when she’s next available.” She pushed me down onto the couch, “But first, I think someone needs a blowjob to relieve some of that stress.”

  ***

  Despite all her responsibilities as a member of mission command, Doctor Kianna pretty much always made herself available for the Predazoan asset and her handler. Eve and I met up with the little pink short-stack alien in her office within the hour.

  “Alright, what can I help you two with?” Doctor Kianna offered brightly. She always seemed rather cheerful, and I didn’t know if it was her cute size and appearance that made her seem more disarming and agreeable, but my dealings with her were always pleasant. She’d also gotten rather close with Eve back on Entana; being the Predazoan behavioral specialist, she was always interested in Eve’s, well, behavior, so the two ended up talking frequently while on investigations. At first it seemed like random curiosity and the endless questions bothered Eve, but once Kianna started seeing her as more of a person—after so many hundreds of questions later—Kianna stopped treating her like a test subject, and by the end there she was one of the biggest advocates for allowing Eve to live a normal life like a real person.

  I opened my mouth to answer, but Eve cut me off quick, “Ever since Adam started fucking me crooked, he’s worried word will leak out I’ve infected his mind with brain spores and command will want to assign me a new handler, giving my failsafe away to someone else.”

  I fixed a flat glare on Eve, but she just stuck her tongue out playfully. Doctor Kianna, however, turned bright red at Eve’s vulgarity.

  “So, it’s true? You two started…?” Kianna let the question drop.

  I turned away from Eve and sighed, “Yes, we’re together.”

  Kianna nodded to herself, “I see. We…quite a few of us suspected, but we didn’t want to make any assumptions before you made it official.”

  I shook my head, “I don’t think we should make it official. Despite how Eve phrased it, I am honestly worried about the fallout if we admit the handler is in a relationship with the asset.”

  “The handler is fucking the shit out of the asset, more like.” Eve corrected mildly.

  I closed my eyes and pinched the bridge of my nose and shook my head, “Eve, holy shit…”

  “While I’m honestly happy for you two and support your relationship…” Kianna started, ignoring Eve’s commentary, “I do agree with Adam; I think it’s best we keep this under wraps for now.”

  Eve cocked her head to the side, “Really, even though pretty much everyone knows?”

  Kianna shook her head, “Hardly anyone actually knows. There might be some suspicions something more is going on between the two of you—hell, most people think Adam succumbed to your seduction attempts long ago. Declaring the two of you are in a committed relationship is wildly different from the blurred lines of control Adam might need to implement to keep the asset focused on the mission.”

  Eve crossed her arms in a little huff, “But I thought I was considered a full crewmember now?”

  “Who still has that damn failsafe locked on your core.” I added.

  “And still requires an escort while walking the halls of The Radiance.” Kianna nodded along.

  Eve smirked, “What, my handler—Adam, my escort? I thought that was half a joke.”

  Kianna shook her head, “Not at all, it’s still an official safety protocol—and proof mission command still believes Adam has appropriate control over your actions.”

  Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

  Eve grimaced, “Shit, it was all just lip service, wasn’t it?”

  Kianna shook her head again, looking apologetic, “Not at all Eve, it was a hard-won victory from the side of the research team. We really do see you as a person; we’ve watched your development and consider you a team member, not just an asset.” She sighed, “But the military is structured for strict threat assessment before all else, and they do still see you as a threat—a necessary danger to complete our mission, but a danger all the same.”

  Eve was looking down at her hands in her lap, anger and betrayal playing on her face. I reached over to grab her hands in mine, “Hey, we just have to keep showing how important you are, and eventually they’ve gotta relax, right?”

  Eve looked up at me with those big, beautiful eyes, and she offered me a small smile in response.

  “The problem is the military isn’t the end-all, be-all of authority on The Radiance.” Kianna admitted.

  We both turned to her, surprised, “What do you mean?” I pressed.

  Kianna shook her head, “You didn’t think all our command was aboard this one ship, did you? We’re an Imperial vessel on a clandestine mission for the Empire; naturally, we have some very powerful benefactors who oversee everything we do.”

  “I thought the whole point was to keep things compartmentalized within the Empire—just this one vessel to handle our super shady secret mission.”

  Kianna nodded, “Right, just us working to handle the mission, but we still have superiors well far and above us—superiors who might oversee multiple clandestine missions, with security clearance far beyond anything we can imagine stuck out here on The Radiance.”

  “And they know what all we’re doing out here?”

  Kianna tilted her head back and forth, “Maybe not all day-to-day activities, but they’re certainly kept well informed on any major developments.” She gestured towards me, “You can bet your ass they’re reading your reports above most others.”

  I was suddenly very glad I started getting more vague in my reports—leaving out significant details in my developing relationship with Eve. “Why was I never told this?”

  Kianna shrugged, “Honestly? I assumed you knew; back on earth, your leaders didn’t deploy down with their troops on the front lines, did they?”

  Well, she had me there.

  I closed my eyes and rubbed at my forehead in frustration, “Shit…”

  “I don’t understand how that changes things—on The Radiance or not, I just need to keep showing myself valuable, yes?” Eve offered.

  “Right, but things get a little more muddled when you’re just a name on a report; we’ve come to personally trust you, Eve. But anyone overseeing our mission will never come to know you as a person, they’ll only ever read the bottom line; are you an asset or a liability?” Kianna told her.

  Eve bit at her thumbnail as she reasoned that over, “And considering the very first line on my file is that I’m a dangerous, unpredictable Predazoan, that should certainly skew things out of my favor…”

  Kianna sighed, “Even the report on how you fought against Gamma-17, while it helped us complete the mission, there were several detracting factors written in reports against you; your unpredictability, your conversation with the other Predazoan, some reports even said it didn’t look like you were following your handler’s orders at all.”

  “If everything is all that bad, why the fuck did they even reward Eve by making her a crewmember at all?” I pressed.

  Kianna shrugged, “Another method of control; the carrot or the stick, so the saying goes. After Eve held all The Radiance hostage to be free from containment, it was decided the carrot would be the better option to control her now.”

  “If they’re offering me rewards in exchange for compliance, why would they ever punish me or Adam just because we’re in a relationship?” Eve demanded.

  Kianna sighed, “Because in Adam’s reports, he still writes as though he has control over you, so he’s exactly where he needs to be to keep you productive. Again, just a name on a report, nothing personal, but if it seems like he’s no longer beneficial to the mission, he could be removed.”

  Eve scoffed at that, “Oh please, if Adam was ever kicked off the mission, I would have no reason to be on this silly ship at all—we would just leave.”

  Kianna shook her head, “That definitely wouldn’t happen; remember the failsafe.”

  I waved that off, “Like I’d ever use it; I want it decommissioned first chance I can get.”

  Kianna looked into my eyes, willing me to really listen to her next words, “Adam, don’t you remember the other part of the failsafe?”

  I opened my mouth to answer like it was nothing, but then I realized what she was actually saying, “Holy shit, my cardiac monitor.”

  “They wouldn’t dare!” Eve snarled.

  Kianna held up her hands to calm our anger, “You two really didn’t find it suspicious command so easily got rid of all the other failsafe controls? Honestly, the only failsafe they’d ever need is the one connected to Adam’s heartrate.”

  “I would burn this place to the ground before—” Eve started.

  “You forget this is a top, top secret mission in an Empire that spans thousands of systems, lasting over hundreds of thousands of years; the powers that be who hold our reins are not stupid.” Kianna sighed, “Really, I can’t believe you just so immediately agreed to have that heart monitor installed way back when; did you not think of all the ramifications of what that meant? The system of control you two have been tangled up in is perfect, and there’s almost nothing you can do except play along—prove yourselves both as valuable assets.”

  I just shook my head slowly as I realized how trapped we really were; I’d been playing like I was some space bounty hunter off on wild adventures chasing after dangerous aliens as though it’d been a game. I so easily agreed to the system of control they established for us because I thought it was the best chance to keep my little Evie safe back then. But we were on a vessel with a few dozen clandestine agents all around us—fucking spies that had more training than I would ever understand, and they could take me out whenever they wanted. And then Eve would die too once my heart stopped and her failsafe exploded.

  They didn’t even need my failsafe controller—I was the failsafe.

  Upon seeing how defeated I looked when I realized how stuck we were, Kianna let out a weary sigh, “So yes, I think it’s best you keep your relationship a secret.”

  I snorted disdainfully, “Should we have even told you?”

  Kianna shook her head, “I’m sorry Adam, but you should know the research team isn’t into all this for the horrible, cloak and dagger nonsense; we researched the Predazoans because we believed we could do great things with the technological advances—and now we’re just stuck cleaning up our monumental mess.”

  I quirked up an eyebrow, “Really, everyone on the research team was so benevolent?”

  Kianna sighed, “Most of us are, but obviously there’s some military research—weapons application division. But those of us you know—those of us who know you, we’re the ones who support you.” She said earnestly.

  Eve leaned over and grabbed my hand, slowly stroking my skin with her thumb, “We’ll be okay Adam; you were right to keep our relationship hidden, so at least we’re ahead of things there.”

  Kianna nodded, “Just keep your reports professional, never admit to the truth of your feelings for one another, but make sure you really sell the work you’re doing together—prove yourselves assets to the mission.”

  I let out a weary sigh, “And how should we act now aboard The Radiance? Even back at the celebration after Entana, pretty much everyone saw how we were together.”

  Kianna smirked, “Luckily that night was so wild I don’t think many people remember all the details very well.” She pointed at Eve, “I believe you had Adam do body shots off you?” She asked, and Eve giggled at that. Kianna turned back to me, “Like I told you long ago, space can get very lonely, and most people on a long-faring vessel such as this succumb to any random temptation offered to them before long. It honestly will be expected for you to submit to some of Eve’s advances, so long as you keep hidden how much deeper your relationship is, I believe it should be fine.”

  I rolled my eyes, “Holding my fucking hand during the debriefing…”

  Eve swatted at me, “I was in a celebratory mood.” She turned to Kianna, “Right? That’s a reasonable excuse.”

  Kianna chuckled and shook her head, “You already made your declaration, too late to rescind it now. Adam just needs to act like he’s still in control.”

  I turned to Eve, “Honestly, we probably should tone it all down while we’re walking around aboard The Radiance—limit the PDA.”

  Eve let out an angry huff, “I guess…” She grumbled.

  Kianna shrugged, “Stay locked up in your quarters whenever you’re not on duty or in some meeting; luckily as a Specialty Resource Agent, you have more free time than pretty much anyone else aboard The Radiance—and it’s even expected for you to remain with Eve most of the time as her handler. There you can be as gross and over-the-top affectionate as you could possibly ever desire—fuck the shit out of the asset as much as you want in private.” She offered, and Eve giggled again.

  I let out a weary sigh, “Well, I’m glad we came and had a talk with you first about it.” I offered her a kind smile, “Thanks for all the help.”

  Kianna smiled too, “My pleasure Adam, and really I absolutely support the two of you together.” She turned to Eve, “We…we fucked up in creating the Predazoans—or maybe just how we treated you all, how we experimented on you. It really, really makes me glad to see you happy and in love—see how you’ve evolved into such a wonderful person.”

  Eve smiled brightly, “Thank you, Kianna.”

  I stood up and Eve stood with me, “Alright, any last advice before we head out wearing a couple of masks for the rest of the crew.”

  Kianna nodded once, “Just be careful who you let into your fold; I told you most of the research team supports you, but there’s no telling who someone might be reporting to—whose ear they hold. And remember, this is a clandestine mission vessel; there’s spies whose job is to report on their own crewmembers.” She gestured at us holding hands, “If you’re really serious about this relationship, you need to do everything in your power to protect it.”