As much as Aristides liked Eleanor, those last few minutes of sex were primal and selfish, with him thrusting into her body mindlessly. He thought only of his climax, and her body seemed like a playground existing only for his pleasure. His higher awareness came flooding back to him after he finished, and he stared up at the ceiling, slightly disturbed by the discovery of a totally different sort of sexuality. It could be friendly, but also aggressive. A part of him liked that, and wanted to use, conquer, and dominate women. He had always had some inkling that that side of him existed, but feared to reveal it to a woman. It wasn't a noble impulse, but he supposed there was no sense in feeling guilty about it. Like the harsh reality that he loved meat, it was a simple fact.
Before he fell asleep, his thoughts turned instead to what he would face tomorrow. He reminded himself that it was foolish to replace sleep with worry, which would only compound his troubles with fatigue. Content as he could be, he fell asleep beside Eleanor, grinning slightly as he saw himself glistening on her soft skin. He dreamed of his homeland. He dreamed of the ancient library of Alexandria, its massive steam-powered steel year-clock ticking away, counting the cycles of the earth around the sun. It was nearly a thousand years old, but remained a symbol of his civilization; each citizen of the Empire was like a single gear or cog, mere components of a greater machine. This was the view had had once shared, but now he dared to dream of a meaning beyond being part of the machine. In his mind, a single bronze screw fell, releasing a spring and loosening a gear.
He awoke the next day early, bolting upright. His body's muscle's were tense, and sweat trickled down his nude, olive-skinned form. He immediately went to dress himself and loaded his weapon, fully prepared to face a world-hopping vessel. He woke Eleanor with a grim expression, and told her he was going. He kissed her without restraint, despite the mess, and smiled weakly. "It may be best if you hid for a moment." He advised her, then left without looking back to see if she obeyed.
The machine hovered above them, a black dome with four tubes sticking out of the sides. Each tube was bristling with wiry knots and needle-thin antennae, which sparked and flickered at intervals. It lacked the shine characteristic of plastic or metal, and seemed to reflect almost no light whatsoever. "Aristides. Please surrender and step onto the disk." The ship boomed, speaking with the amplified voice of its pilot. "What of the woman? What of this world?" Aristides asked casually, fingering his firearm. "She will be appropriated alongside the ship for questioning and research. The conquest of this primitive world will be the first of our multi-reality campaigns" The ship replied with clinical indifference. "You will now step on-"
Aristides drew his weapon and fired. The gun popped loudly three times, and three dark pellets crackled against the surface of the machine, causing it to veer wildly in surprise. The black exterior flaked away, revealing molten spots of metal. The ship recovered just before a fourth pellet could make contact, and dodged skillfully. The ship emitted a white aerosol spray, large enough to coat the entire deck. Aristides recognized it immediately; synthetic enzymes, engineered to break down flesh in a matter of several seconds. A great way to neutralize a human threat without destroying the boat you wanted to study later on. He quickly leaped off of the boat, plunging into the salty water just as the spray touched him. His skin tingled painfully, and the craft diverted its spray at the ocean.
Fortunately for Aristides, his hopes proved correct; the water diluted the spray, while its salinity largely denatured the enzyme. He itched a little, but his skin was intact. He held his breath desperately, clutching his firearm as he gazed up at the water's surface. The craft was still spraying the spot above him, and he would soon have to come up for air. His eyes widened in fear as he realized that his gun would not fire underwater. He would have to resurface to get another shot off. Sorry Eleanor. He thought dazedly, and began paddling upward, where the flesh-dissolving aerosol awaited.