Border Station Five Ch. 01

"Poseiden, thirty seconds till launch," said a female voice.

"Understood, Luna Control," a male voice replied.

"John, don't forget to send any messages before you go into stasis; otherwise, it'll be several years before you can send them," an older male voice came through John's headset.

"Message received, Mark," John replied. Adjusting his harness for the last time, John grabbed his pen. When the engines ignited, anything unsecured inside the Posiden's cockpit was a potential disaster. He slotted the pen into one of his spacesuit's pockets and checked the clock: fifteen seconds to go.

"Any last words of wisdom, Mark?" he asked.

"The only thing I can think of is good luck and godspeed, John," came the reply. John smiled and rested his head against the back of his seat.

"10, 9, 8..." said the female voice.

"I'll see you in twenty years, Poseidon signing off," John said.

"5, 4, 3, 2, 1. Engines igni..." The transmission from Luna Control broke up as the Poseiden's engines ignited. John was forced into the back of his chair as the g-forces increased. Controlling his breathing and with help from his anti-g suit, he managed to ride out most of the acceleration until finally blacking out.

John regained consciousness a few minutes after the engines had shut down. Checking over the screens in front of him, he saw that the launch from the Lunar orbit had gone well. However, John noted a slight variance in the course plotted, so he spent the next few minutes adjusting the flight plan. If he didn't correct the fault, then there was a chance the ship would fly off into deep space.

Unfastening his harness, John pushed himself out of his chair and went to the back of the cockpit. While the Poseiden was a large spacecraft, most of the ship's size consisted of the life support systems, the fuel, the prototype reactor, and the experimental engines at the rear. Pausing at a nearby control panel, John flipped several switches and felt the ship shudder as its two large solar panels unfolded from their storage bays. Moments later, the readout above the control panel informed him that Poseidon was receiving additional power.

Pushing himself away from the control panel, John thought about the training required for the mission. He had sat through a week's worth of engine design lessons on Earth while training for the mission. However, John still had issues understanding how they worked. Like most modern-day spaceships, Poseidon runs on Helium-3, supplied by the primary mine on The Moon. Unlike modern-day spaceships, however, Poseidon's engines were experimental and designed for deep space travel (or, at the very least, the solar system's outer reaches). He unconsciously rolled his eyes, remembering the frustration on the faces of the UN's top Scientists as he arrived at the back of the cockpit. John grabbed one of the nearby handrails and removed the cover from the mirror. There was an enjoyable rip as he pulled apart the velcro, holding it in place.

Looking at his reflection, John could see the light strip from above reflect off his bright blue eyes. At thirty, he was still surprised people thought he was either a teenager or in his early twenties. Much like his parents, John seemed to age slowly. His Dad still looked thirty when he celebrated his sixtieth birthday. An old girlfriend had compared his looks to two of her favourite twenty-first-century film stars. One had played Superman, and the other had made several Mission Impossible films. He ran his fingers over his brown hair, cut extra short, just how he liked it. Reaching the nearby cabinet, John opened it and pulled out his toothbrush and toothpaste. After brushing his teeth, he reapplied the cover to the mirror and then pushed himself back towards the front of the cockpit.

Arriving a bit faster than planned, John grabbed onto his seat and grunted as he stopped abruptly. Rubbing his arm, he leaned over to the primary monitor and used the touch screen to find his mission briefing. As the recording played out, John moved over to the stasis pod. Just like the engines, this was another piece of technology that he needed help understanding. Again, the scientists at the UN had tried to explain the experimental nature of it, how the tests with the prototype had shown that a human body could, for extended periods, enter a form of metabolic stasis. Remembering some old science fiction films he had watched, John had asked whether or not a human would age rapidly after several years or more of stasis. The answer the Scientists gave him was confusing and made him wish he hadn't bothered asking.

The part he would sleep in was two metres long, which gave him just enough room to fit, considering his height of six foot two, and the pod was cylindrical. At both ends were square boxes of machinery, emitting beeps as John powered it up. The lights inside the cockpit dimmed slightly as the stasis pod drew power from Poseidon's reactor. After a few minutes, they returned to their normal levels, and John glanced at the readout from the reactor, seeing that the power levels were all green.

"Finally, we come to your mission," said the man in the video. "Captain, as you know, the James Webb Space Telescope was launched over a hundred years ago. Within the first ten years of its use, it allowed Scientists and Astronomers to see the Universe in ever more detail." While listening, John removed his spacesuit, opened the nearby storage compartment and stored it safely. "Twenty years after it launched, during a routine test, NASA found something at the edge of the Solar System. Even to this day, we do not know what the object is. However, the trade war which occurred after the collapse of the EU in twenty forty-six, the fall of China, the proxy wars of the twenty sixties and seventies, as well as the Second American Civil War in twenty ninety-five, prevented the United States, and in turn, NASA from launching any satellites to investigate."

Closing the storage compartment, John pulled open the drawer by his legs and removed the medical injector. With the small device floating just before him, John unzipped his undersuit and pulled both arms out. He reached where the stasis compound floated, grabbed it, and activated it once pressed against his left arm. He felt a slight prick as the needle pushed in, and John watched as the compound left the device. Once the vial was empty, John released the button and removed the injector from his arm. A tiny droplet of blood drifted away as he placed it back into the drawer. Before it could land anywhere, John reached over and caught the droplet of blood, smearing it on the leg of his undersuit.

"With the Unification of Earth in twenty-one fifteen, NASA resumed its study of what the James Webb Space Telescope had found. As you know, they launched a Satellite thirty years ago. Sadly, it went dark shortly after arriving at the unknown object's location, forty-five AU from the Sun, close to the edge of the Inner, main region of the Kuiper Belt. To this day, we still do not know what happened to the Satellite."

Bending forwards, John pulled down his undersuit and attempted to kick it off his feet. After a slight struggle, he finally managed to remove it. Grabbing one of the arms before it floated away, John folded it neatly and placed the undersuit into the compartment below the stasis pod. He looked at his naked body as he floated beside the stasis pod. John could see the light reflect off his toned muscles, the shadows formed on his flat stomach, with just a hint of a six-pack. While he had never tried to be a muscly guy, he was proud that he had managed to keep his weight in check and could see his muscles.

"The Poseidon was built with the sole purpose of getting an astronaut safely to the unknown object. As you are aware, a lot of the equipment onboard is experimental, and while all tests, theoretical and practical, have shown that the ship should get you there safely, it is still a high-risk mission. That is why the recruitment program was specifically designed to find a single man or woman with no dependents and had the mental fortitude to set out on their own towards the unknown object." John rolled his eyes as the man on the screen continued to speak, "who wrote this stuff?" he asked himself.

"With Poseidon's engines, it should take you roughly ten years to get there. You have enough supplies for a two-year mission once you arrive. You are to enter the stasis pod shortly after you launch and set the computer to wake you before your scheduled burn and manoeuvre points. Enough stasis compound is onboard for both the outward and return journey."

John leaned over to the pilot's computer and accessed the flight plan. The monitor displayed Poseidon's route through the Solar System. John could see where he would need to wake to perform the scheduled burns and manoeuvres. Mainly slingshots around some of the planets and the Sun.

"Captain John Lawrence," said the man on the screen, grabbing John's attention, and for the first time, he looked at the monitor. "On behalf of the UN and the world, I wish you Godspeed and good luck." The recording ended and showed the symbol for the United Nations, a stylised picture of the solar system with Earth at its centre. Switching off the monitor, John pushed himself away and headed back towards the stasis pod. He punched in the code to release the door and pulled himself in. John activated the stasis sequence using the internal command panel and shut the door. Closing his eyes, he slowed his breathing and drifted into a dreamless sleep.

*****

A door chime sounded. Seconds later, the chime returned, and then a third chime. A large purple eye opened, and its vertical pupil adjusted to the purple gloom of its owner's room.

Someone knocked on a door, shortly followed by a second and third knock. A second and equally large purple eye opened. After the fourth knock, the eyes narrowed as their owner frowned.

"Captain?" said a muffled yet female voice, "Captain Ema, you need to get up," said the voice.

With a grunt of frustration, Ema let go of the pillow she had been holding against her chest and rolled out of her nest. Pushing herself off the floor, she stood on her unsteady digitigrade legs, her tail trailing behind her as she stumbled over to the door, fumbling with the door controls. After a few seconds, the doors to the Captain's Quarters slid open. With a hiss, she shielded her eyes as the light from behind the door pierced the gloom of her room. Standing in front of her and a foot shorter was her aide.

"You're naked," her aide said while looking up. The light from the grey corridor beyond the door shone off the smooth, shiny, cream-coloured scales of her head and hood. Ema looked down into her aide's eyes, hidden slightly by the shadow created by her hood and the different light levels. The little light inside her quarters reflected off the aide's red eyes.

"As ever, your powers of observation are impressive," the Captain replied sarcastically. She turned around and returned to the recess on her nest's floor. Coiling her tail around the pillow she had discarded earlier, Ema passed it to one of her waiting hands. Holding it against her chest as a comfort, the Captain sat on a nearby couch.

"When Matriarch Theka asked me to be your aide," came the reply, "I expected to be helping out the Captain of this Cruiser," she continued as she walked through the open door. "I did not expect a hormonal adolescent who behaved like a male had recently rejected her." Her aide finished as the door closed behind her, returning the room to the low light gloominess it had before.

From where Captain Ema sat, she could see the silhouette of her aide against the door. The subtle glow of her red eyes and mouth when she spoke, to the bright orange line pattern crisscrossing up her face from her flat nose and down the back of her head and hood. She could see the bioluminescent light reflecting off the door and nearby walls. If her aide had not been wearing her uniform, vibrant purple markings would also be on her front. In contrast, looking down at herself, Ema was as black as night, her unpolished scales barely reflecting the little light in her quarters. Her bioluminescence was limited to the ever-so-slight purple glow of her nipples, the parallel lines across her ribs, and the patterns down both her legs.

"I'm sorry your time as my aide has not been what you expected, but I have a right to be annoyed," the Captain said with an unmistakable tone. "They promised me a Male," she growled. "Have I not served the Matriarchy with distinction? Have I not done my duty for the Matriarchy?" Ema asked, waving her arms about while the pillow rested on her lap.

"While true," her aide replied, stepping forward, "it still doesn't excuse your recent behaviour. Perhaps the Matriarchy knew you would act this way, so this is your punishment for overstepping yourself?" She asked as she stopped in front of her Captain.

"Be careful, Lieutenant," Ema said, standing up, a deep hiss emanating from her mouth, a subtle hint of purple barely visible in the gloom. As she stood, the pillow dropped from her lap onto the padded floor, "There's a difference between being concerned for your Captain's well-being and then there's insubordination." She finished and placed her hands on her wide hips as her long tail whipped behind her.

There was a visible shift in the Lieutenant's demeanour, her hood folding flat against her head and neck. Stepping backwards, the Lieutenant bowed her head, "Please forgive me," she replied, "It was not my intention." Stepping forward, Captain Ema placed a claw under her aide's lower jaw and pulled upwards. Her aide winced at the unexpected pain and tilted her head up.

"I enjoy your company and skill as my aide, Lieutenant," she said. Removing her claw, Ema turned and walked over to a dark section of the room. "However," she said, looking back towards her aide, "do not mistake my friendliness or even my request for you to move into my quarters as a reason for you to forget your rank and status." As she finished, Ema reached out and flipped a switch. She hissed as a bright light turned on; however, any discomfort from its brightness faded away as the heat from the lamp enveloped her body. "I must buff my scales before my shift starts on the bridge. If you do a good job, I'll forget this conversation happened."

The Lieutenant bowed again and walked over to where her Captain sat. Picking up the buffer nearby, she activated it and ran the device over Ema's head. Using a slow circular motion, the Lieutenant kept the pad moving as there was a risk of harming the scales underneath. The Captain started to purr as her aide ran the device over the edges of her hood. It had always been one of her favourite erogenous zones, and soon, she started to rub her thighs together. Noticing this, her aide moved away from her hood and began to run the buffer over Ema's shoulder blades.

"You always do that," she said, her eyes closed as she enjoyed the vibrations.

"You always start rubbing your thighs," the Lieutenant replied, "I'm not against being with another female, but you are the Captain," she said while moving down her back.

"Ha," Ema laughed, "if the Matriarch asked you to service her, you'd be in there before she finished the call," she said.

Her aide blushed, "That may be true," she replied, gesturing for Ema to stand. Once she had done so, the Lieutenant ran the buffer slowly up and down her legs. "However, she is the Matriarch, and you are my Captain," the Lieutenant said as she started to buff Ema's chest. The fat on her breasts began to jiggle as the buffer worked.

"It's a shame, really," she said. Ema tried her best to ignore the vibrations on her now sensitive nipples.

"What is?" Ena asked.

"Your refusal to share my nest," she replied. The Captain could see her aide blush again. "Don't worry, Ena," she said. Placing a hand on the Lieutenant's arm, the buffer switched off. "You've made your feelings clear twice now. I won't pursue you any longer," she smiled when Ena bowed her head. "How do I look?" she asked.

Lieutenant Ena, second in command of the Cruiser, Pride of the Matriarchy, stood up straight and looked over her Captain's form. She was a prime example of her bloodline and stood at nine feet. Her outer scales were obsidian black, with the softer ones more dark grey. Like the rest of the Captain's family, her bioluminescence was a single colour ranging from a warm, deep purple to a bright, almost neon pink. With eyes shining purple in the light of the basking lamp, the purple lines around her eyes began to glow neon, along with those that started at the top of her hood and ran down her back and along her tail. As she stepped out of the light, her nipples glowed a vibrant purple. The simple line patterns running parallel across her ribs shone, reflecting ever so slightly off her newly buffed scales. Looking closely, Ena could see the lines on her legs, which started at her waistline, ran down her thick thighs, along her digitigrade legs and ended just where her toes began.

Even in the gloom of her quarters, Ena could see the powerful physique of her Captain. "You look just as beautiful and impressive as the day I first came aboard," she finished with a bow.

"Flatterer," she replied with a smile. Reaching for the light switch, Ema turned off the basking lamp and felt the heat disappear. She could feel her body react as though it yearned for more. Walking past the Lieutenant, Ema opened a compartment attached to the wall and pulled out her uniform. It looked like a metal collar with a small box attached to the ring. Flattening her hood, Ema pushed her blunt nose through the circle so the collar could rest on her shoulders. Standing up straight, the Captain pressed the button on the collar, and the small box shined with a neon blue light as a Nanosuit released from within.

Watching from behind, Lieutenant Ena could see the suit form as the Nanos travelled across her body. Once finished, a dark, navy blue skintight Nanosuit uniform wrapped comfortably around Captain Ema's body. Attached to her fingers and toes were metal claws. Their primary use was to inform a Viper when they needed to bask again. An alternate function was in close combat. The metal was more than capable of injury to any would-be assailant. Lastly, the Captain's rank and insignia were above her left breast.

"So," the Captain said, looking directly at her aide, "shall we go?"

*****

John woke from his dreamless sleep. His body ached all over, and he had a tear stuck in his left eye, blinding him. After a few minutes of removing it from his eye and looking for others floating inside the stasis pod, John activated the release and pulled himself out.

"Damn, it's cold," he said as the cockpit air hit him. Floating upside down, he opened the drawer below the pod and removed his undersuit. When he finished pulling the zip up to his neck, John flipped a switch on his waist, and he instantly felt the undersuit start to warm. "Much better," he said. Turning around to face the stasis pod, John closed the door and activated a systems check. The lights inside the cockpit dimmed as it started to draw more power from the reactor. A glance at the readout told John that the power levels were still green. However, he did notice that the reserves had dropped slightly since entering stasis.

Pushing himself away from the pod and towards the front of the cockpit, John could see frost had appeared in a few locations. Arriving at the cockpit, he made sure not to stop as abruptly as before and then strapped himself into his seat. Tapping on the main screen, it appeared and displayed the ship's current course. Glancing at the bottom right of the screen, John could see the mission timer. Fifty days, six hours, thirty-four minutes, and ten seconds. To his right, he woke up another monitor and accessed the flight plan. He had ten hours to wait until the next scheduled burn, and if his calculations were correct, the burn itself would have to last thirty minutes.