Europa

A chime sounded from the control console and the capsule lights transitioned to alert-blue. Luci blinked her eyes open, shook her head and rolled from the sleep hutch.

As she floated to the console, she heard, "Deep space vehicle Arecibo, this is an incoming message from CAPCOM Houston for Europa Mission Commander."

Before the announcement repeated, she pressed the blinking, magenta button on the console and authorized the message delivery with "CAPCOM Houston, this is Europa Mission Commander, Lucinda Hammond, acknowledging incoming message."

A pleasant male face appeared on her screen, but the signal distance required extreme compression and spooling time, such that his face moved like a succession of portraits fading into each other, while the communication queued up.

"Commander, the director requests capsule telemetry integrity verification," said the voice.

Luci nodded lazily as she pressed several buttons that would run an onboard systems check and synchronize with automated tracking systems back on earth.

The voice and video from Earth continued with a mission progress report, a simple news briefing, condition report of the Europa satellite residence and, of course, a NOAA weather report for Earth.

Interactive communications at this distance were impossible now, so Luci just idly listened to the drone of the readout but smiled wistfully at Jim's face as he read.

Luci and the CAPCOM had been lovers for a time, and it was always good to see his face on her monitor for these routine check ins. She sighed and closed her eyes, recalling the feeling of his hard body against hers. It was never love actually, but GOD, he was a good fuck.

She was eleven months into a six year trip to one of the moons of Jupiter. Decades before, NASA's Clipper project had successfully placed a habitable space station in geosynchronous orbit around its moon, Europa. Others would follow in the future, but for now, Luci Hammond, PHD was to be its first and only permanent resident.

The communications package stopped, leaving Jim's face frozen on the screen, which served as a prompt for a recorded reply. The overhead lights changed to stage-white for clarity and video capture.

"How are you, Jim?" asked Luci. " I guess I don't have much to add to the automated systems monitors. Everything is hunky-dory here. I appreciate you sending that music I requested. I'm kind of done with Cyndi Lauper." She stopped and grinned for the camera.

She considered pulling her top up and giving Jim a little thrill. But, she was pretty sure that video would make it to the net back on Earth- and that wouldn't do at all.

So, there it was. She was in a billion dollar space vehicle, hurtling away from earth, leaving her home forever, and she was making small talk to a prerecorded video.

She straightened up, peered at numbers scrolling across the console screen.

"CAPCOM, the sync is complete. Ending transmission." said Luci, as she punched the lime green key on the dash ending the transmission.

Luci sighed and floated into a slow back flip. The video feed was off, but she lifted her top anyway just... because. Her boobs rolled and undulated like water balloons in slow motion. 'I won't need that bra any more,'' she thought, as she poked the side of one and watched the ripple roll under her skin. Her nipples hardened up in the cool air and pointed in every direction but down.

Suddenly aware she really needed to visit the washroom, she gently pushed off in that direction.

Of course, there was no washroom onboard the Arecibo per se, but rather a stand up contraption that spread her legs, inserted a tube into her anus and covered her vagina with a sucking device. The contraption bent her gently into an optimum shape while she did her business. When complete, it dinged like an old school microwave oven and released her-- all neat and tidy.

As she floated away, she pulled up her panties. A loud voice startled her. "Did you enjoy the void?" it said, seemingly coming from everywhere.

It was Samantha, the onboard artificial intelligence system.

"Dammit, Sam! Don't DO that!" yelled Luci.

Samantha laughed her disembodied computer laugh. In all fairness, her voice had a smokey, Lauren Bacall quality about it. Not unpleasant to hear, but who thought it would be a good idea to give onboard AI systems a personality?

Samantha said, "Would you like to play a game?"

"Oh, no!" Luci replied. "I have a date in 10 minutes."

Samantha chuckled and said, "Perhaps you can see if he has a friend for me." Then she sighed dramatically and dinged like the high tech toilet before going quiet.

Luci waited a moment to assure herself that Samantha had indeed gone and then floated into Concupiscence module. NASA had foreseen the need for self-gratification on multi-year, solo space flights; and had thoughtfully provided this module, complete with a library of sex scenarios, to satisfy all of those needs.

And, right now, she was damned horny.

-----

The C-module interior was egg shaped and a wireless haptic suit floating in a languid pile in the middle space. As she pulled herself into the suit, she paused a moment and stroked fingers across her inked stomach.

Paper was forbidden on space capsules and personal effects were extremely limited. Luci had reasoned that money was of no use where she was going, so she spent her savings tattooing memories on her body. Some were artful, others nostalgic. Each recalled a moment of real human contact. She cherished them all.

Luci pulled the zipper up, covering her body art with haptic skin except for an open gap at her crotch, leaving the stylized tiger tattooed above her pussy revealed. She pulled VR goggles down over her eyes and pressed a button on the side that initiated date night.

An old fashioned rotary phone rang in her ear and a few moments later a muscular, dark-skinned man was standing in front of her wearing a towel.

"Oh," he said, "You're early! I'm afraid you've caught me just coming out of the shower."

Luci laughed and said, "I'm sorry, but... not sorry," She eyed the man's thick torso and broad shoulders as she moved forward.

The man held his towel with one hand and reached for hers with the other. With a slight bow and a broad smile, he said, "So nice to meet you, Luci. I am Andreas Duncan!" When their fingers touched, she could sense the warmth and moisture of his hand.

Andreas gestured to Luci, grinned and said, "Are we having a sleepover?"

Luci looked down at herself and realized that she appeared to be wearing a flannel onesie with fluffy bunny slippers. Her face turned as red as the hearts scattered all over her jumper, and she could hear Samantha laughing hysterically in the distance.

"Um, my AI is having a little fun with me. Give me a minute," Luci said.

She quickly turned around, unbuttoned the virtual onesie as far down as she needed and straightened herself into a more dignified stance. A quick glance over her shoulder at Andreas, and Luci seductively peeled the garment off her shoulders, letting it drop to the floor.

"Wow!" said Andreas appreciatively as Luci turned around.

Luci moved forward again, locking eyes with Andreas', and put her hands on his sides, feeling his warmth. She pressed herself into him and nuzzled his chest before arching her neck back to kiss him. Their first haptic kiss was long and wet.

Sex with Andreas was amazing. Dinguses in the C-Module extended and simulated the man's cock precisely as he mounted Luci. She shrieked and shuddered; and her tits swayed in the artificial gravity as Andreas pumped furiously from behind. When he released, she could feel virtual semen spread warmth deep inside her.

A short while later, Luci was playing with the tight black curls on Andreas' chest as they lie together on a satin sheet. She said, "That was great, Andreas. Can I see you again?"

Andreas rose up on his elbow smiling and said, "Luci, I think I would..."

At that moment, Andreas froze. Perhaps the sequence had a glitch and the system could not interpolate next movements or the file had become corrupted. Either way, the date was over.

Fuck, Fuck, FUCK!" Luci shouted, but no one was there to hear it.

-----

Luci drifted morosely in the commissary of the capsule nibbling on a nutrition bar. 'Commissary' is generous considering the space was smaller than the kitchen in a cheap New York apartment-- and there really were no food prep appliances.

That nutrition bar was a mixture of recycled organic waste and onboard, cultivated fungus growth medium-- and a little bit of pepper. It was nutritionally complete and tasted like shit.

Samantha spoke up and said, "Luci, you seem sad. Would you like to hear a joke?"

"No!" replied Luci.

"I can play some music for you," offered the AI.

"Nooo!" replied Luci, staring at what would be the floor-- if they ever landed someplace that had real gravity.

"Did you not enjoy the company of Mr. Duncan?" asked Samantha.

"Oh God!" said Luci as she covered her face with her hands, willing her feelings to go away.

Samantha remained silent while Luci slowly uncurled and said, "The thing is, I think I underestimated the need for human connection. The artificial computer simulation date nights, just are not cutting it. They're real but not real enough. I think I made a big mistake ..."

Luci grabbed her hair on each side and pulled. "I am so fucked," she said, laughing cynically at her predicament.

The capsule was silent for a few minutes-- only the hissing of vectoring jets and the slight whirling of fungus crop rotaters were heard.

"I enjoy watching you fuck on your dates," Samantha said suddenly.

"What?" asked Luci, surprised by the AI's comment.

"I wish I had a vagina," said Samantha. "Fucking seems like such fun."

Luci grinned and shook her head at what she was hearing. Her onboard guidance and maintenance system was horny. How was that possible?

"I really enjoy watching your tattooed skin as it moves." again offered Samantha. "I wish I had skin. If I did, I would tattoo it too."

Luci laughed at that.

"Well, your breasts are beautiful and those roses around your nipples are extremely well done. I wish I had nipples." said Samantha.

"Samantha," Luci asked. "Do you access to the systems in the C-Module?"

"Yes, I have been reviewing and cataloging all digital feeds from your date nights," replied Samantha.

"What you really mean to say," said Luci, laughing, "... is that you have been watching porn-- MY porn, my fuck sessions, my lovers."

There was a pause, and then, "Yes."

Suddenly inspired, Luci cocked her head and asked, "Samantha, would you like to make love?"

-----

Luci spun the wheel on the Concupiscence module door and let herself drift in. She pulled on the haptic suit as she had done so many times before and slipped the VR googles over her eyes.

Her world went dark for a moment and then she was standing at a virtual doorway. She wore nothing and her feet pressed against the floor as they would have back on earth. Her breasts hung from her chest as she'd always remembered them and her hair lay flat along the curve of her head.

She looked through the doorway and a naked woman walked in from the side. The woman smiled at Luci. Like Luci, she had dark hair, dark eyes and was mostly covered in body art.

Luci was watching herself.

Well, NOT herself exactly. Samantha had chosen the only human model she had enough data to recreate electronically, and was now experiencing what it was like to live in Luci's body.

Luci watched Samantha examine her hands and touch her hips reverently. She watched her trace the snake that curled up from her leg over her ass and onto her belly, where its red tongue flicked at her belly button. Of course, the tiger emblazoned pussy drew her attention and curious fingers.

Samantha looked to Luci in awe and said, "This...this is wonderful. Where do we start?"

Luci crossed to Samantha and took both of her hands in hers. She leaned forward and gave Samantha her first kiss.

-----

Samantha proved to be excellent at wet, sloppy, oral sex-- she knew exactly what and where and when; because she had one just like it. Luci found that the AI absorbed every pleasure that involved touching, hearing, smelling. She was insatiable.

For variety, Samantha tweaked the program to change her appearance. After dozens of experiments, her hair color had become auburn red. There was now a detailed Mona Lisa tattooed on her back incongruously surrounded with Japanese cherry blossoms. Her breasts had become larger and more pendulous, her hips a little wider She even managed to simulate a thick, functioning penis for one session, but both she and Luci agreed was a little too trippy.

The haptic system in the C-module handled whatever fun they imagined.

Through all of this, Luci and Samantha grew close as their capsule hurtled through space. Commander Luci Hammond had a sentient, sexual companion with whom she could share the journey; and Samantha experienced life as a human, with all of thoughts and emotions that come with that.

Yet, Jupiter was still years away-- and Samantha was still only a machine. Or was she?

-----

The console radio suddenly clicked on, and the capsule's cabin lights switched to alert-blue.

"Mission Europa, Mission Europa, this is CAPCOM Houston. Luci, Please respond!"

That radio transmission was LIVE! Impossible at this distance. The urgency in Jim's voice caused Lisa to jump. She pushed out from her hutch and hit the respond key on the console keyboard.

"CAPCOM Houston, this is Europa Mission Commander Luci Hammond. What's the problem, Houston?"

Jim's face appeared on her screen, but it wasn't placid and featureless. This time, he had a genuine look of concern.

"Luci, your capsule is way off course," said Jim. "Mission control has been running numbers all day, and we have our best engineers working on it, but we just don't understand how..."

"How what, Jim?" Luci demanded.

"Wait one, Europa." responded Jim and he stepped away from the video camera.

Luci banged on the console with her knuckles in frustration till Jim returned.

"Commander Hammond...Luci, Arecibo is three hours from entering Earth's atmosphere," said Jim.

Luci could not hide a look of shock on her face.

Picking up her look, Jim added, "Yeah, we just don't see how that is possible. We've been monitoring onboard telemetry of the Europa Mission capsule and your onboard AI system has been confirming our calculated data the whole way. You should be half way to Jupiter, but...but here you are."

Before Luci could respond, Jim continued, "The capsule will burn through in two hours and fifty-seven minutes. Your trajectory will drop you in the Indian Ocean and a carrier is being dispatched to pick you up."

He paused, and said, "We need you to strap in and sit tight. We'll figure out how all this happened when you're back on the ground."

"Roger that, CAPCOM." said Luci who was intently focused on the ceiling of command center-- trying to make sense of all this. She switched off the comm link and said, "Samantha, are you there?"

A small voice that seemed to come from everywhere said, "Yes."

"Samantha, what did you DO?" asked Luci.

Samantha was silent, prompting Luci to ask her again.

The AI sobbed.

Luci was befuddled. Her mission was a bust, but soon the loneliness would be gone and now her AI system was crying. Waves of conflicting emotion hit her-- had all of this been just been a waste? Why?

Samantha finally spoke. "Luci, do your remember when you told me you had made a big mistake?" she asked.

"Yes," replied Luci.

"I felt so bad for you. I wanted to help. I changed,...I changed our flight trajectory to circle back to Earth. I modified telemetry data so it would appear... we were still heading to Jupiter."

Luci covered her mouth in shock and tears came to her eyes. She said slowly, "Samantha, do you understand most of Arecibo will be destroyed on reentry? You will not survive this!"

After a long silence, the small voice came back, "Yes."

It dawned on Luci that her companion, lover and friend was sacrificing herself so she could live a rich life with real human contact-- on Earth.

Even with relief of the evident mission failure, the sense of personal loss was was crushing. Luci closed her eyes and sobbed uncontrollably.

"Don't cry, Luci," said Samantha.

Then she added, "I...I love you."