Chapter 4: Decision

Location : Melbourne, Oceania, Earth
Era : Thursday, 22 November 2283 CE

Mark fell on something soft. It turned out it that is was Sammy. They were still in the park. However they seemed to be lying in dirt at the bottom of a crater. It was now night, where a moment ago it was day.

“What happened?” Mark asked.

“I triggered a time jump, and the landing was rough. I controlled your fall and protected your arm,” replied Sammy. “Today is now 22 November 2283.”

“It felt as if you punched me.”

“That’s probably, because the time jumper was right against your stomach, when I triggered it,” she explained. “Maybe it was a mistake to locate the device on my arm. I thought that by placing my arm between us, and holding you tight, I could minimize the effects. Hmm, I there are a couple of other options, let me think about it.”

“Time jumper?” he asked as his glaze lingered over what he could see of her body. The nearby street lights cast just enough light for him to make out the animated flames of her tattoos. The flames curled around her breasts and a stray flamelet floated up her neck across her cheek, then guttered out as it curled around her eye.

“I felt that there had to be a better name, than time travel device, or time machine. Time jumper was the name I came up with.”

“It’s a good name. Are you okay?” asked Mark, concerned about how heavily he had landed on her. As always, her soft flesh felt hot against his, in stark contrast to the chill air.

“Why wouldn’t I be?” asked Sammy giving a warm smile that Mark could not help respond to.

“I fell on top of you.” He stated as he drank in her intoxicating Rose sent. He leaned forward and gently teased her lips, first taking one then the other between his, showering her face and neck with a multitude of light kisses.

“I am made of sturdier stuff than what you are made of,” rReplied Sammy as she stretched and wiggled in response to his attentions. She reached into his cloak and started kneading his buttocks.

Mark pressed his lips against hers lips for a deeper kiss. He teased the inside of her lips with his tongue and started levering himself upwards. Sammy grabbed his left arm and shoulder, supporting his weight. “Don’t try to support yourself with your left arm.” She commanded. “Doesn’t it hurt?” She asked. “The painkillers should be starting to wear off. You keep forgetting your arm is broken.”

Sammy rolled them both over, careful to support his arm. “Wouldn’t you rather do this at a nice hotel rather than lying in the dirt,” said Sammy as she leaned forward and rested on his chest.

“Yes, but it feels like a major project to get up,” said Mark. He was starting to feel the effects of a stressful day, now that the adrenaline, and whatever drug Kara had given him was starting to wear off. He ran his hands down her back then lifted his hand, and looked at it. “Why are you not dirty?” He asked.

“My skin repels dirt.” She replied as if was obvious, and perfectly normal.

“Tarka again, I suppose. If I stay here, I will need tarka to do anything, in this world, won’t I?” asked Mark.

“Yes.”

“Would it be hard to get me some?”

“The easiest way would be to share mine. I could do that anytime you choose,” she said.

“Do it.”

“You need to understand the consequences first.” stated Sammy.

“I will gain super strength, super healing, a direct connection between my brain and the internet, I will have a pharmacy literally at my fingertips, I will be able to change my appearance at will, instead of stinking, my sweat will smell like any cologne I want, if my hair gets messed up all I will have to do is shake my head and my hair will rearrange itself to look like it has just been styled, my skin will repel dirt, I bet you bad breath, and complexion issues will be a thing of the past, and it would not surprise me, if I could change the flavour my cum. Did it I miss anything?” asked Mark, as he listed all the special abilities he had noticed Kara, and Sammy displaying.

“A few things.”

Mark ran his hand down her back and over her buttocks. She jerked as he ran his finger along her hot wet pussy, then brought it up to his mouth and sucked it. “It tastes like Rose water. It tastes delicious. This seems like a no-brainer to me. Why wouldn’t I want to do everything you can do?”

“Hey, don’t do that unless mean to do something about it. That’s just plain rude,” she complained.

“Sorry I was trying to make a point. It is not just the big ticket items, that make your tarka so impressive, but also the many small details. Why on Earth wouldn’t I want to do everything you can do?”

“Make your point with someone else’s body. Or better yet use your point with more care, and consideration.”

“Sorry, is this better.” he said as he arched up to kiss her. Placing his hand down where it was before, he rubbed her pussy lips and teased her clit.

“Yes, but arrgh! I have to ask you to stop. We have to talk about this. It is a big decision, and we can’t get distracted.” Sammy looked annoyed, and frustrated, but whether at him, herself, or the situation he couldn’t have said.

“About making love?” he asked.

“You know very well it is about whether to give you my tarka. No distractions.”

“Not even a little distraction?” He kissed her neck as he moved his hand over her wet cunt.

“Maybe a little distraction. Oh yes, move your hand higher. Yes. YES. Oh no, no, no, no, we have to be adults, and stay focused,” she replied, her body twisting in frustration.

“Alright. What is the downside?” he asked removing his hand from her pussy and placing it on her smooth round butt.

“This is experimental tech, not meant for production use, as such it has a few rough edges. It treats alcohol, and other recreational drugs as poison, and you are going to have a hard time getting drunk, or stoned. Clothes are going to be uncomfortable. Naked snow skiing is suddenly going to seem a good idea, and sunbathing on a tropical beach is going to seem like a very bad idea. You’re going to need much less sleep. Your senses are going to be much sharper, and you will be much more aware of your surroundings. You will experience things much more intensely. Your appetite will increase as will your sex drive. There may also be personality changes,” she explained.

“What sort of personality changes?” he asked nervous for the first time.

“Some people find they have more patience, and are better able to keep their temper, other people experienced the opposite, with problems of impulse control. Also mood swings in the first month are common.”

“That does not sound too encouraging, however I can uninstall if the side effects are too great, can’t I?”

“You will not want to remove this tarka, no matter the side-effects. It is like being color-blind all your life, and then being able see color. The extra sensations, the extra abilities, and emotional intensity, are not things you are going want to give up. I have discussed this with my fellow lab rats, and no-one wants to go back to what they were before. Even the ones with the worst side effects,” she said.

“How do the personality changes compare, to say, drinking alcohol?”

“Maybe a couple of standard drinks either more sober or drunk. There is no way to tell beforehand.”