Jack and Vicki sighed in unison as Dee rambled on.

“So, I just think it would solve a lot of problems if we started a tradition, where like every Friday we can go to the sex room and have sex with anyone we want there, and it stays in the sex room and nobody can get mad. Anyone, anything goes, Like Vegas.” Dee explained.

“Yea, I vote hell no on that.” Vinn nodded, making little a sandwich crackers off the snack table.

“You’re just afraid Nicole’s gonna bang Hyde.”

“No, I’m afraid everyone’s gonna get weird and horny and act all dramatic 24/7 because whatever happened in the sex room didn’t stay in the sex room.” he shrugged.

“I agree.” Nicole said. “And even if I get outvoted, I’m not going near that room with anyone but Vinn. “Where do you come up with these ideas?”

“Hey, this was Gizzy’s idea.” Dee blamed.

“No no no!” Gizzy shook. “Not remotely what I suggested, at all. I suggested converting the empty room down the tunnel into a sex room, so couples can go have loud sex discreetly away from the main living area. I didn’t suggest an orgy rules, I suggested a hotel room you can rent out like with say, a key on a keychain you return after, like the arcade. I’m trying to encourage people to have a place to get away to, maybe set up and plan scenarios and more elaborate private time. At no point did I suggest everyone swap and regularly trade.”

“Well…what if some of us want to?” Shrugged Dee.

“Then that’s between you, and shouldn’t involve me or blaming me. You could do that anyway, you HAVE done that anyway, and it ends up disturbing others. Some couples prefer to remain couples, and not encounter kitchen 3 ways. Hence, the point of the room way down the tunnel that’s basically soundproof and built for being hosed and drained, hence easy cleanup.”

“Dee, are you already sick of Hyde's bullshit?” Nicole asked, raising an eyebrow.

“No…in fact, I’m sharing to show there are no hard feelings.” She bluffed.

“I’m down.” Silverback shrugged casually. He gave Mel a look, and she pondered, shrugging as well.Gizzy threw he hands up in annoyance.

“Okay, so basically what we have established is that half of you humans are monogamous, and half of you are just doinking whatever shall doink. Good to know.” Gizzy sighed. “Who am I to judge? I’ve lived through the Greek ages. Just keep it in the damn sex room. I’m sick of people bitching to me during therapy sessions about how there’s nowhere to go have sex, and then the other half complaining that they keep running into people having sex. Now you have a communal sex hotel room. Come up with a system, run the cleaning cycle, return the key. And Dee if you blame me for your weird ideas again you may find yourself locked in the sex room alone with about 200 operational furbees. Don’t even ask why I have access to that.”

“So, is there any news on the lockdown situation?” Jack inquired.

“Glad you asked, actually. We have some great news.” Gizzy smiled.

“The bugs are gone?” Dee asked.

“No, they are still…kinda everywhere. BUT, but technically less than last time you asked…which is still progress. And progress is good. Plus… I got needles for everyone.” Gizzy said, rolling out a row of massive syringes from blue-shit nowhere.

“That doesn’t sound like good news either.” Dee cringed.

“We have a bug venom vaccine, derived from Menace DNA and Evee’s blood. There’s your good news. That killer bite doesn’t stand a chance now.” Gizzy smiled.

“Oh wow, so they’re no longer venomous if we take a shot?” she nodded.

“Oh they’re still venomous as hell, and the shot hurts like a sonofabitch, but if you get bit, instead of dying without immediate medical attention, you just take a booster and you’ll be fine in minutes.” Gizzy explained.

“What if we get the vaccine and then get bit and then don’t get the booster?”

“Well you still don’t die, you just black out and shit yourself, throw up and sweat for about 5 hours till it breaks down in your liver. I highly suggest still not getting bit, but it’s been reduced from a death sentence untreated, to a really bad day untreated, and the vaccine lasts a full 2 weeks.” She smiled.

“So I have to get that giant shot in my arm every 2 weeks just so if I get bit, it’s less bad? Is that gonna damage my arm getting so many?” Dee asked.

“That’s the fun part. It’s not a shot in the arm. The shots are given directly into the anus.”

“WHAT!?”

“I’m just fuckin with you. Upper thigh muscle, like an eppi-pen. Small needle. Shouldn’t be that bad, no serious side effects, burns like hell for about 8 seconds. Ironically, about like the bug bites do, except it stops after 8 seconds. The only side effect we’ve found is the dread of having to do it over and over and knowing you still can get bitten by the bugs and still get very sick. But it’s a step in the right direction, okay? Science is not always an exact science. Anyway, it’s mandatory if you wanna leave the compound and we gotta build your immunity up. The really great news is that we FINALLY got enough tunnels cleared that you can reach major population points and for the sake of sanity and keeping people from rioting, others are opening up nightclubs and shops with restricted access. So you can rejoin some of the general population and socialize…still underground, with limitations, surface still quarantined.”

“Nice.” Dee sighed. "So we can party now?"

“It’s not a sex club, Dee, public decency rules still apply.”

“Shit…well better than nothing. At this point, I’d walk half a mile for an Arbees just to get out.”

Vicki and Jack finished putting on their fancy dress clothes for a night out…underground. They made their way down to the game room to wait on Hyde and Dee.

“You two not going?” Vicki asked, noticing Silverback in a bath robe making his way through.

“I’m too old for clubbing. Mel and I have a hot tub and movie date planned. You guys have fun."

This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

Nicole button-mashed a controller as Vinn sat next to her on the couch.

“Hey…are you okay?” Vinn asked.

“Great. Just murdering noobs, what’s up Nerd?” she replied.

“I just wanted to talk about something, you can keep playing, since it’s nothing bad.”

“Okay.” She sighed.

I know you have a thing for the tunnels, and the night club opened right in the middle of the tunnels where you had your…traumatic experiences. So if you need to go there for closure or want to avoid it, whatever you feel is best, I suppor-”

“I’m never going in there again.” she blurted.

“Oh good. I hate the tunnels. Even if they fixed the lighting and the flooding and made it into a hip new underground club, screw that place. It’s just a shame everyone voted on dungeon nightclub as the first public access open location.”

“Well, the surface is covered in bugs and the tunnels are the only way to get around, the malls, the businesses, the buildings are all under quarantine. What, are they gonna build a damn park underground?” she asked.

“They literally built this whole city underground, everything on this moon is underground, but I see the time frame problems. Just sucks you have to be left out of the one social thing because of the…trauma.”

“Vinn, I’m antisocial anyway. I hide in a basement and play games for a living, and the only person I need with me is you. With the others gone and the place quiet and secluded, this IS my idea of a good time. So grab a controller and figure out what you want on your pizza. It’s US night.” She smirked. “And you are going DOWN, loser.” She said, playfully tossing him a controller.

The bass music thumped away as the bouncer let the 4 past, Jack and Vicki split off their own way with a nod, as Hyde and Dee explored.

“You know, the last time we were right here, you grabbed my ankle.” She said with a strange look. He slapped a hand on her ass harshly.

“Now look how far we’ve evolved.” He grinned. “And you know…there’s gotta be a sex room down here.”

“Exactly what I was thinking.”

Vicki sat at the bar with Jack.

“Order of wings, spicy, and a double old-fashioned.” He said with the flash of a card. “Honey, what do you want?”

“Honestly, I haven’t been feeling right lately, I think I’ll lay off the alcohol. Maybe just some Garlic bread?” she said as the bartender-bot nodded and got to work.

“You’ve been acting pretty run down the last week. Is it just stress or physical? You didn’t get a little bug bite or anything, did you?” Jack inquired.

“No, but I have been feeling weak. It’s probably just a cold or something.”

“We’ve been cooped up in a filtered air box for months, how could you get a virus or bacteria?” he asked.

“I dunno. Maybe it’s just stress.” She said as her food sat on the table. She took a bite and chewed about 3 times, slowing down and stopping. She couldn’t swallow it. The taste was off, and her body simply would not accept it. She tried to chew again and without warning, she projectile-vomited into the bread basket, looking horrified and embarrassed.

Dee straddled Hyde’s leg, lights and music in full swing as she made out heavily and used his beard like a rope handle.

“You’re so hot in public.” She whispered loudly.

“You’re drunk, and I fucking love it.” he replied. Tightening his arm around her waist and switching his face from hers to his drink and back. Suddenly there was a gurgle and she slapped his hand frantically.

“Wait, hold up.” She objected. “Stop squeezing me for a second. I don’t feel right.”

“Don’t tell me you’re losing the mood because of the crowd? People like us thrive in front of a live audience.” He said.

“No, I actually feel sick. I think my drink had something spoiled in it.” she said as her stomach percolated again. “Damnit, hold my drink. I gotta go.” She said rushing off his leg and to the bar, leaving him confused.

“I guess I’ll just wait.” He said sitting there awkwardly.

Dee waddled frantically through the bathroom doors.

“Move bitch.” She yelled as she nearly knocked over a random clubber getting to the stall. She hit the stall door shoulder first and didn’t bother even locking it, just glad to get pants down and sitting, before shitting.

Vinn stood at the fridge, door open, looking at the contents and feeling very conflicted. He sniffed the fridge, unsure what he was detecting but needing to find it. He shoved around and discovered the source. He opened the container of fetta cheese and sniffed the container.

“Oh my god.” He muttered with a shocked look. “When did we get this?” he said, picking up a crumb and staring at it. The smell was different, mesmerizing, intoxicating. He popped a bite into his mouth and rolled his head back, almost dizzy with delight. “What the fuck?” he gasped, eating another, looking mind-blown and entranced. He kept popping bites, eventually just squeezing the container and shaking it to pour doses down his face, polishing off the entire container in under a minute flat. He leaned back on the counter, feeling something familiar, like the last time he played sports and took performance enhancers. The druglike rush broke him into a slight sweat. He picked up the phone and dialed.

“Yea. I’d like to place an order. Yep, same address. I want one small personal pan deep dish sardine and mushroom, add salmon eggs and extra spicy marinara sauce, and for me…uh, do you have fetta cheese?” he asked. “Yea extra cheese and load it with fetta, like a lot, don’t care how much extra it costs. Turkey pepperoni, turkey sausage, grilled chicken, very rare, and also spicy marinara. Yea extra large. Actually some extra fetta in a cup if you can. Awesome. No, we got drinks already, breadsticks would be good. That’s all. Thanks.” He ordered. He pondered a minute and stared at the empty container. He licked the container clean and then hid it in the trash under some paper towels.

“You look extra ravishing tonight.” Smirked Silverback as Melody blushed even pinker than usual.

“Oh you’re just saying that.” She smiled, pouring some sparkling wine into a fancy glass.

“No, I mean it. You look different for some reason. Did you…change something?” he asked.

“I did my hair the same as always, same lip gloss, and I’m not wearing anything else.” She said, playfully pushing him back a little in the hot tub.

“Maybe it’s just me, but you look…improved.”

“Well, someone is frisky today. Gizzy said the shots had a side effect of making some people feel drowsy, but you sure didn’t get that.”

“Actually, I feel fantastic. If anything I feel flush with energy.”

“Well, let’s not waste it, you only get one a week, what if it wears off?” she said logically.

“You’re damn right.” He smiled, floating closer and pinning her to the edge.

Vinn Stood in the kitchen, looking out of breath and sweating as he took massive bites of his pizza.

“Wow, someone was hungry.” Nicole sighed, going for her box as Vinn jumped, almost looking guilty.

“Sorry. Guess I was just… I skipped lunch earlier. Way hungrier than I thought.I uh, forgot to tell you it was ready."

“Wow that smells different. What did you get?” she asked.

“Uh, something new. They got a vegan tofu cheese thing now, but it has raw chicken on it so…you wouldn’t be interested.

“Smells amazing.” She said. “Too bad you like raw chicken. You are really enjoying that.”

“You have no idea. I am just…so hungry it’s unreal.”

“Why didn’t you order earlier? We could have paused the game at any time, ya dingus.”

“It’s fine, it just kinda hit me all at once.” he huffed breathlessly, mouth full.

“You’re sweating, did you get it like 5 times as spicy?” she asked.

“Uh, no it’s just really hot in here.” He said, jumping nervously as the tunnel doors opened and Dee rushed past, followed by a disappointed looking Hyde.

“Back so soon?” Nicole asked. "Must be one jazzy club."

“Well, Dee ate something that upset her stomach, and apparently I can’t stay alone because I might cheat on her. And I just feel exhausted for some reason. What on Moon are you eating?” he asked, sniffing Vinn’s pizza.

“New thing, you wouldn’t like it.” he said clearly hoarding it.

“Vinn…let him try a piece. He eats raw chicken and spicy shit too.” Nicole shrugged. He reluctantly slid the box forward, giving Hyde the death stare as he took a small slice. He took a bite and chewed a few times, stepping to the trash and spitting the bite out.

“Dude, don’t throw away the whole slice, you just took one bite. I want that slice.” He said, almost aggressively grabbing it back.

“Vinn, you can have every slice of that horrendous shit. What is that rubbery garbage?”

“Fake cheese, new tofu based stuff.” Vinn lied.

“It’s repulsive. It’s like licking the trash can after something old leaked through the bag. I would almost rather eat your wife’s fishy caviar pizza.” He said, grabbing anything liquid to wash it down.

“I think it smells great.” She shrugged.

“You two weirdos can have it. Both of your sacrilegious death pies.” Hyde cringed as the doors opened and Vicki staggered through, almost falling out of Jacks’ reach as she heaved into the kitchen sink.

“Get Gizzy on the line, we need a med scanner.” Jack said in a darkly serious tone.

“What the hell was in those vaccines?” Dee said, shuffling back to the kitchen.”

“I don’t know, but something is badly wrong. She’s getting worse.” Jack yelled as Nicole quickly called the emergency line to Gizzy. Vicki collapsed on the floor, falling into Jack’s arms just before hitting her head.

“Gizzy, get in the robot, we have a medical emergency.” Nicole yelled.