The typical Skitter doesn’t like frontal assaults, he’s a backstabber. That’s why defending the walls were always seen as an afterthought. They were necessary, but not without fault. The things beyond them sought cracks in the armor, or tiny slivers in the giant bulwark overlooking the fields beyond. To be a guardsman was to parade around in endless shifts, watching for any sign of potential encroachment. They never taught you how to respond, mentally, if a Skitter actually presented itself. 

      To be confronted with a Skitter, was to confront a shadow. It was to look directly into something that shouldn’t exist. It was akin to finally catching that lingering fear lurking at the very corner of your vision. To actually see a Skitter, even from a distance, was to look directly into something that normally haunted your dreams. Most paled, threw up, or pissed themselves upon seeing one for the first time. Sophia, however, was mesmerized. 

      The shade was tall and thin, with elongated arms that seemed to scratch at the very edges of reality. It was hard to look at for too long, it reminded her of an eerie photograph that faded against the light. The creature didn’t want to be seen, and it certainly didn’t want to face opposition. By sheer chance the guardians walking the wall caught it just as it tried to sink through a crack in the defenses. It took a risk, one that it clearly regretted. 

      Sophia Pryde looked down at the creature and found its eerie movements captivating. It didn’t look monstrous, merely vulnerable. Now that it was discovered, it quickly tried to flee only to face a barrage of weapons fire. Its form quacked and ripped apart by the walls defenders. It looked hollow, yet it died like any other physical creature. 

      It somehow pained Sophia to see it fall.

      “It’s always terrifying to see an actual Skitter,” Chloe spoke next to her, and her voice carried with the wind. 

      Sophia’s best friend stood just a few inches shorter than herself, with long brown hair and cheerful olive eyes. Her skin was awfully pale, a result of spending far too much time indoors. Together the two of them carried a large cylinder container, and were tired from lugging it around for the last hour. This stretch of the wall wasn’t too far away from the diary, but even still it was a hassle. 

      “I don’t understand why everyone’s so scared of them,” Sophia spoke quietly. Her voice always captured unwanted attention. She could sing a natural soprano, and even when speaking normally she found people drawn to the tone of her voice. “It’s not like it did anything wrong.”

      “Careful, you know not to say stuff like that while we’re here.” Chloe nudged her shoulder. Luckily, no on on the walls seemed to notice the blasphemous talk, they were too busy scanning the horizon for more threats. 

      Somehow, Sophia felt that the danger had passed. There wouldn’t be another Skitter trying this section of the wall any time soon. It might have merely been her intuition, but her gut told her that there was nothing to fear…for now.

      There was a dreary chill in the air, and a haunting quiet beyond the wall. Yet, there was also a sense of wonder. Beyond the wall was an endless world of undiscovered land, it was a new frontier ripe and ready to be explored. From up above, walking the wall of Nova Nash, Sophia could see the distant hills to the south, and just beyond she could spy fields and forests waiting to be found. 

      This section of the wall overlooking the South Roads district was fairly new. Even the defensive battlements were kept clean. There were empty spaces meant for heavy weapons emplacements yet to be filled. Instead of old rock and cement, metal and plasteel made up the structure. It made it harder for the Skitters to get in. 

      Overlooking the vast southern districts, Sophia could get lost in the scenery. It was a pity that they couldn’t stay and watch the sunset. The only reason why non-military personal could venture the walls was to make approved deliveries, and their time was preciously short.

      Sophia Pryde stood close to six feet tall with angular shoulders, and slender limbs. Her hips were supple and wide, complementing her firm breasts. She wore a dairy bodice complete with a white skirt and stockings. Her naturally curly blonde hair was permed straight for the typical dairy girl style. The fashion wasn’t to her tastes, but it was her mothers designs, and there would be no argument with her. 

      The milk drop icon was the symbol of the Pryde Dairy Farms, and it was embroidered on all their uniforms. Sophia always felt like it was a bit too much. From a sideways glance, one couldn’t help but think of something far less modest. 

      “I can’t wait to get rid of this thing,” Chloe complained about the heavy container. The large jug was filled to the brim with a fresh supply of dairy milk. 

      Sophia’s mother started the dairy venture roughly ten years ago, selling her own breast milk to special customers. It wasn’t long before her family was brought into the business as well. All of the Pryde daughters would come to support the dairy at least for a short period of time. Sophia was the middle child of eight siblings, and once she was of age she was eager to donate. The money was good, and the work was natural for her.

      This particular batch of milk they carried was supplied by Sophia’s own breasts, although that part wasn’t advertised. Special batch 247 was how it was labelled, and it was known for its sweet taste and refreshing qualities. Currently it was on backorder, which meant Sophia had more work cut out for her, but for now this latest batch had been purchased by some of the officers on the wall. Sophia felt a sense of pride delivering something of value that had come from her own body, although she kept that to herself.

      “We’re almost there,” Sophia had to stop and sit the container down for a moment so that she could rub her hands. Her callused fingers ached something fierce, and her palm was beginning to grow blisters. “On the way back lets pick up some ointment.”

      “For those poor, and delightful, nips of yours?” Chloe teased, although she looked squarely at Sophia’s chest while saying it.

      “No,” Sophia shot her an annoyed glare. Her nips were quite fine, in fact. Her time spent at the dairy had only relieved them of their budding pressure. Sophia knew it wasn’t normal to produce such an abundance of breast milk outside of pregnancy, and had it explained to her that it was just some genetic quirk she had inherited from her mother. If that were the case, Sophia could only imagine what it would be like, god forbid, if she did get pregnant. 

      “Get a look at my poor hands!” Sophia showed Chloe her blistered palm, shoving her hand towards her face.

      “Eww,” Chloe jolted backward in fright. “I told you to wear gloves.” She wasn’t wrong, Chloe’s padded work gloves had spared her from the worst of it. 

      “I couldn’t find them, I think Tinti stole them,” Sophia referred to one of her older sisters. Thanks to the miracle of the synthetic womb, Tinti was conceived only a few days before herself and was transferred to a synthetic womb so that her mother could get busy with someone else. She carried Sophia to term, making her one of the three siblings that had a natural birth. While only a few days older, Tinti had inherited their mothers voluptuous qualities, and she found herself managing the farm obsessively. Nearly half the dairy’s product came from Tinti directly.

      In truth, Sophia and Tinti didn’t see eye to eye on a lot of things. They came to fierce arguments on more than one occasion, and were barely on speaking terms now. Sophia guessed that Tinti stole her work gloves more so out of spite than anything else. 

      “That’s a shame,” Chloe stretched out her arms before helping to pick up the container once again. “She just really needs to get laid.”

      If only, Sophia kept the thought to herself. Her sister needed to leave the farm, rather than strive to constantly impress mother. “It’s more like she needs a life.” 

      “Hence she needs to get laid.” To Chloe, all the answers in the world lead to the same answer, that everyone just needed to get laid. 

      “Life isn’t all about getting laid.” Sophia regretted opening her mouth the moment the words slipped her tongue. They’ve shared this discussion before, and argued about it in private, but it always ended roughly the same way. Chloe, in all her wisdom, never wavered from the belief that sex was the single greatest drug in the world. 

      “Oh Sophia, poor innocent little Sophia.” The narrow smile on Chloe’s face was enough to emphasize how she felt. “You like to play coy, but you and I both know there’s a playful little minx under that uniform of yours. Tell me honestly, where would you be without me the night I helped you lose your precious virginity?” 

      “We’re not talking about this here,” Sophia’s cheeks were burning! Her eyes darted back and forth, afraid that some passing guard might overhear them. 

      “Or how about the night where I let you suckle the left overs out of my...” Chloe’s words sparked memories that would only ruin Sophia’s undergarments.

      Sophia cut her off mid-sentence. “Fine you win, sex is great, now can we please stop talking about this?” 

      Chloe nearly collapsed with laughter, it took all her strength not to drop the container and keep herself steady. Sophia had to use both hands to hold up her end of the heavy jug, rather than see it fall.

      “Chloe, babe, get a grip of yourself…please!” Sophia pleaded in earnest with her best friend in view of a passing pair of young privates. They each looked at her with confusing gestures.

      Eventually, Chloe caught her breath and strode alongside her without thought or care about what others might’ve overheard. 

      “You’re a dork, you know that?” Sophia wanted to say more, but was reserved enough to keep worst insults at bay. She felt a small hint of excitement upon seeing the officers tower only a few yards ahead. 

      “Of course!” Chloe’s admission quivered with approval.

      Sophia held back a laugh as they finally were within arms reach of their destination. Double sided doors blocked their entry. They sat the heavy container down for the last time, and were swiftly greeted by a handsome young officer. The ochre uniform of the wall guard never looked good to Sophia, especially for the officer cadre. He was a junior officer who came to greet them, with far too clean a face, and short dark hair. 

      “Look at what the cat dragged in,” he seemed surprised to see them. “I guess the captain made another house call huh?” He offered them a wink before picking up the large container by himself, and carried it inside. They followed him to find the officers tower to be spacious, and full of maps and work stations. An entire wall was designated for a large chalk board listing hundreds of names and locations, all of which seemed meticulously planned. This late at night, there were few others inside. The only other’s Sophia could see were a pair of adjutants with their heads buried in their work.

      “Did you two really carry this all by yourselves?” The luitenant asked them both. Compared to them, his manly bulk had no issue with carrying the weight. “I can’t believe no one helped you! I’ll be sure to discipline the privates for not lending a hand.”

      “There’s no need!” Chloe’s voice was as pristine and polite as ever.

      Sophia was glad to let her do all the talking, men found her voice too distracting to take her seriously. 

      “Nonsense! I could never just stand by, and watch two gorgeous women struggle with such a load. Someone should’ve said or done something.” There was something about his polite manner that caught Sophia off guard. It sounded dishonest, or perhaps a bit pompous. When it came to men, Sophia had qualms about trusting a clean shaven face, even if they were in the army. She wasn’t sure why, but men with a little gruff seemed to be more sincere. Her mother had told her it was just a cultural thing, younger men were less refined and prone to find ways to take advantage. 

      The doorway to an adjacent chamber opened, revealing a captain with a parcel of notes in hand. One look at his name tag, and Sophia recognized him as their intended buyer. He was a portly man with a receding hairline. His plain commoner face meant he earned his position rather than being born into it like so many of the other officers. The handle bar mustache over his lip suited him. It was definitely not a style Sophia would have pictured with the man of her dreams, but somehow this captain made it work. He seemed happy to see them, and quickly approached.

      “Ladies! You’ve arrived early, clearly the Pryde Dairy aims to please.” He ignored the luitenants salute, and proceeded to order him to carry the container to a large refrigerator. Once secured, the captain offered them a cup of tea out of politeness. Sophia and Chloe respectfully refused, but were happy to accept a tip with their payment. 

      Their trade concluded, the pair thanked the captain for his business and proceeded to leave. The luitenant was sad to see them go, but the pair were eager to return home. The day was waning, but the night was still young. The lights of the southern districts were already beginning to glow above the sunset. Soon the nightlife would grow jubilant, and the red light districts would open.

      “I want to go dancing,” Chloe was practically skipping her way down the path, nearly bumping into passing guards along the way. The nearest elevator to the ground level was only a few minutes away, they would certainly get there quickly now that they didn’t have a container filled with a weeks worth of sustenance to carry. 

      “I just want to take a bath and read a good book,” Sophia interrupted her friends train of thought. She had just gotten her hands on the newest edition of ‘Hard Dreams’, and couldn’t wait to crack it open. After days of working in the dairy, her breasts were tapped out and needed a rest. A soothing warm bath, surrounded by candlelight, was calling her name.

      “Oh come on! After a hard days work we need to get our drink on! Let me treat you, there’s a new club in Sweet Springs.” Chloe was giddy with excitement. As she dipped forward, her ample mounds struggled to remain bound underneath the fabric of her uniform.

      Sophia just looked at her begrudgingly. “Me…tired,” Sophia complained with a grunt.

      “Please!” Chloe’s pleas were only growing more insufferable. Her starlit eyes, and pouty lips, were enough to melt mountains. Sophia chewed her inner lip, knowing there was no way she could say no to that face. 

      “Fine, but I’m not going to be your unicorn.” Not again, Sophia rolled her eyes at the thought.

      Chloe had a boyfriend, one that was somehow comfortable with letting others join them. The deal he and Chloe came up with was fairly simple, any third party had to be invited by Chloe herself. More often than not, that third party was exclusively reserved for Sophia.

      Almost every night they were out, Chloe found a way to drag her into a threesome with her boyfriend. Sophia always tried to avoid it, but after one too many drinks anything could happen. She didn’t like being a unicorn to Chloe’s fluid relationships, but Sophia did get a kink out of messing with couples. If only it wasn’t the same couple every single time.

      “Lets talk about that later, after the third or fourth dance! Who knows, maybe you’ll meet a young stud instead?” For ages Chloe had been trying to hook her up with a suitable match. The pickings were plentiful, the problem was Sophia’s reputation. The minute they learned she was a Pryde, they were more interested in her jugs than anything else. For once, Sophia would like to find someone who didn’t swoon over her ample curves at the first mention of her family name.

      “As long as he doesn’t try to suck on me, my gals have had enough for while.” Sophia groaned. In truth, she wanted to go home, but couldn’t find the strength to refuse her best friends schemes. 

      Noticing her apprehension, Chloe took her by the hand and lead her to the elevator. “One day you could charge a fortune for that. I’m so freaking jealous. Anyway we deserve to enjoy ourselves, we did just hit pay dirt after all!”

      “Please don’t say that I just need to get laid.” Sophia was happy to see that the elevator was quick to open for them.

      “Huh?” Chloe shrugged playfully. “Actually, I was going to say that you needed to relax.”

      “And what better way to relax than by getting laid.” Sophia new that was exactly what her best friend was thinking.

      “Took the words right out of my mouth!”

      ‘Of course I did…” The pair walked inside the metal box that was their way to the ground level. Inside, the walls of the elevator were decorated with bronze inlays and silver buttons. The lighting bathed them in a rich amber hue, and reflected off Sophia’s golden hair. 

      “Hey Sophia?” Now that they were truly alone, Chloe’s voice became much more sincere. “Thanks for agreeing to come with me to the club, I’ll make it up to you.”

      “You better,” Sophia looked over to see that her best friend was smiling.

      “You know I will, and not with just sex this time!” 

      Sophia sighed, “I’ll hold you to that.” 

      Together they listened to the sound of the mechanics lowering the elevator slowly down the inner side of the wall. Quietly, Sophia found herself humming a soft tune all the way down.