Journey to Year 1,000,000,000 Ch. 13

Keeping that thought in her head, she mounted him, grabbing his massive tool and inserting him inside of herself. She started thrusting up and down, working to stimulate him, and herself. Spaulding was aware of her heavy breasts bouncing up and down. As she made love she was aware of Bill lying back, observing her, with cold, alien eyes. Spaulding looked away; she had to; if she stared at them, she would lose the feeling she was trying to kindle, and be lost.

Instead, she stared down at their connection, looking at his organ appearing and disappearing into her nether hole. She felt his hardness inside of her. She closed her eyes, trying to focus on the feeling, trying to make the impossible happen. She reached down and started to diddle her clitoris.

Up, down, up, down, up down. Spaulding smiled when she felt herself climbing the right path. Up, down, up, down, up down. Very soon, she found herself close to the top. She grinded triumphantly, feeling it about to happen... happen... oh, it was happening!

She cried out, and collapsed on top of Bill. She had made it.

But was it enough to satisfy the United?

Spaulding opened her eyes, and looked at Bill's.

They were still cold, but then he gave her a wicked smile.

It was then that she felt the burning sensation inside of her, as if she was being changed from the inside out.

Spaulding gave a wild scream as she began the transformation.

"You became one of them," said Taylor.

"I became one of them," said Spaulding. "Briefly."

"Briefly?"

"I merged with them," said Spaulding.

Taylor saw an image of the United that Spaulding had become, slithering over into a giant meat pie which represented dozens or even hundreds of United, merged together. As Spaulding entered the group, her squid flesh literally dissolved into the whole.

"They all took part of what I was, my determination as a Survey Service Captain, my sense of loyalty, duty, and honor, and they made it part of what they were."

"Obviously it didn't have much of an effect."

Spaulding gave him a knowing smile. "They, in return, shared some of themselves. When I was in there, I didn't really exist. In fact, there was no 'I'. Some indeterminate amount of time later, I emerged. I was given instructions. By then, there were only three of my crew left. I was instructed to have sex with Ensign Brian Harris, and if it didn't stimulate anything in me, to give him the isotope."

"I appeared to Ensign Harris as Captain Spaulding, but he knew what I had become. He trembled and begged me not to do this."

"And what happened?" Taylor asked.

"And I didn't," said Spaulding.

"You didn't?"

"No," said Spaulding. "Some remnant in me, some part they didn't manage to erase, took hold and said, 'No, I cannot do this. This is wrong.' And I refused."

"And what happened?"

"The United eliminated me. The last words I heard was that I was a failed experiment," said Spaulding.

"And now you're dead, and with me in my dreams."

"And now I'm dead, and with you in your dreams," Spaulding agreed.

"Is there some lesson to be learned here?" Taylor asked.

"Try to reach your crew that has been taken over. They may still be reachable."

"Not Jennifer," said Taylor. "I know, I tried." He remembered that cold face, those gleaming eyes.

"Then try another. The United who took my form."

"What about her?"

"She was Lieutenant Romana Martin of the Exeter. Try to reach her."

"How?"

"I will tell you."

********

"Crewman Jack Henry, step forward," said Jennifer, with a little smile.

"Crewman David Petersen, step forward ," said Suki, with the same smile.

"Crewman Myra Sanduval, step forward," said Ensign Torrence, in the same tone.

Taylor was running out of time. He walked right up to Jennifer. She smiled at him. "Eager for another round, Captain? You'll have to wait your turn."

"I want to talk to Elizabeth."

"She's in a corner over there," said Jennifer, pointing.

"No, not that Elizabeth. Your Elizabeth. The one Victor has been talking to."

"Why?" said Jennifer.

"I have something important to reveal to her."

"Reveal it to me, Captain," said Jennifer, smirking.

"Only Elizabeth. If the others find out that I had something useful to screan, and you wouldn't let me reveal it...." he let his voice trail off.

Jennifer gave him a hard stare with eyes as cold as ice. Then she nodded fractionally, and Taylor suddenly found himself in another chamber, with Elizabeth, presumably, the other Elizabeth. Although... since the United could look like anyone, he had no guarantee that this was the same Elizabeth that Victor had spoken to. Conceivably it could even be Jennifer, pretending to be Elizabeth, in which case she would not be amused by what Taylor was about to attempt.

"Elizabeth," he said.

"Yes," she replied.

"Or should I say Romana," said Taylor. He waited for a reaction. There was none. Having nothing to lose, he continued. "Does the name Ensign Romana Martin mean anything to you?"

Elizabeth stared at him for a long moment. "I was Ensign Romana Martin."

Good!

Taylor resisted heaving a sigh of relief. He had to look confident. "You have her memories?"

"Yes," said Elizabeth.

"All of them?"

"Of course," said Elizabeth.

"Would you mind if we explored a few of them?"

********

Ensign Romana Martin was young, blonde, and beautiful... though completely flat chested. But like Elizabeth, when she couldn't attract the boys, she turned to her career. And so she was all smiles as she was graduated from the Survey Service Academy, being awarded the probationary rank of Ensign. She smiled and laughed as everyone clapped, including her parents and younger brother Fred, who were sitting front row center.

"Do you remember this moment?"

"Of course."

"How did you feel?"

"Proud," said Elizabeth. "Very proud."

"Why?"

"Because I was commissioned in the Survey Service. I always wanted to join the Survey Service," said Elizabeth. She looked at Taylor. "Didn't I?"

"Yes, you did."

The scene changed.

The crew of the Exeter was on a rogue planetoid, a rocky asteroid, engaged in a battle with the United. Two of the Exeter crew got pinned down and stunned by the United, and the squids moved forward to take them away. Ensign Martin and another crewmember charged forward to save them; the crewman was shot and fell to the ground, but Martin, her compression pistol blazing, blasted the two squids and saved her fallen comrades.

"Ensign Martin risked her life to save others," said Taylor. "Why did she do that?"

"Out of a sense of honor, and obligation," said Elizabeth. "But how do you know this occurred?"

Taylor didn't answer. He moved on to another memory.

Ensign Martin was the very last crewmember to be given the isotope. She was there when Captain Spaulding refused the order to mate with Ensign Harris. She was there when Captain Spaulding was liquidated. Through Ensign Martin's eyes, they saw Captain Spaulding blown to pieces, and heard Ensign Martin cry out.

"Why did you cry?" Taylor asked.

Elizabeth was silent.

"I asked a question," said Taylor, sharply.

"I was upset," said Elizabeth. "My Captain had just been terminated." She turned to Taylor. "You were not present at any of these events. How do you know what happened?"

"Captain Spaulding told me," said Taylor.

"Captain Spaulding is dead," said Elizabeth.

"But she told me nonetheless. And she's very disappointed in you, Ensign," said Taylor.

"Disappointed?" He saw the surprise on her face. Hopefully it registered even deeper than that.

"You're still a Survey Service officer. There are Survey Service officers being held here. It's your duty to release them."

"No!" said Elizabeth. "I am not that person anymore." She paused. "In any event, I cannot. The others would never permit it."

Taylor put an arm around her shoulders. "What if I introduced you to a new motivation?"

"A new motivation?" said Elizabeth.

"The pursuit of power. Power over others," said Taylor.

"We have power over you," said Elizabeth.

"That's not what I mean," said Taylor. "Power over others. Over the other United."

"We... make decisions as a group. The biomass decides. We execute. There is no way for the few to impose their will on the many."

Taylor smiled. Captain Spaulding had told him as much. "But what if your biomass has a substantially greater density than the others? Then your biomass would be greater."

Elizabeth looked at him, and for the first time, Taylor saw surprise on the face of a United. "It... it might work."

"You can alter your density?"

Elizabeth nodded.

"Then do it."

"I... I'm scared," said Elizabeth.

"Congratulations. You have motivations. That's what you've always wanted, isn't it?"

Elizabeth nodded.

"Then go do this."

"Is... is this what a Survey Service officer would do?" Elizabeth asked.

"This is exactly what a Survey Service officer would do," said Taylor.

Elizabeth nodded.

Suddenly, they were in a different place, a large room with a giant meat pie, lined with tentacles. The group meeting place of the United.

Elizabeth looked at Taylor. "Stay here." She turned and squared her shoulders, and walked into the meat pie, her head held high. Then she started to sink into it. In moments, she disappeared.

A moment later, there was a kind of ripple in the meat pie. The ripple became a wave, then many waves. The ground shook. Taylor heard an inhuman roar. The meat pie had competing waves which were smashing into each other. And then there was a loud ripping sound, and a large piece of the meat pie got shot out of it, and hit a cavern wall. There was a giant bleeding hole in the meat pie, but not for long, as it quickly sealed itself up. In moments, there was no sign of a battle.

Suddenly Jennifer appeared in front of him. "You did this," she said accusingly, her eyes ablaze.

"That's right," said Taylor calmly. "You wanted a demonstration of motivation. Well, I just gave you one."

Jennifer raised her hand, as if to strike him down, but then she heard a roar from behind her, and the tentacles in the meat pie waved furiously. "No," she said slowly. "We will save you for last."

And suddenly, Taylor was back with the other prisoners.

********

"It was a good try, Michael," said Victor. "And it proves an important point. Some of our people may still be reachable. If Romana Martin of the Exeter was persuadable, perhaps-"

Suddenly there was a flash, and Ensign Torrence appeared.

"Who are you here for?" Taylor asked.

Torrence gave a ghost of a smile. "I am here for Crewman First Class Karen Levenson. Crewman First Class Karen Levenson, please step forward."

"No!" said Karen. "Not me, please!" But an invisible force started to carry her forward.

"Torrence, listen to me. You can't do this," said Taylor.

Torrence looked at Taylor with dead eyes. "And why not, Captain?"

"You're a Survey Service officer! Remember who you are!"

Torrence stopped in front of Karen Levenson. He addressed her with dead eyes. "Crewman First Class Karen Levenson, you will now service me sexually. You will give me the complete male orgasm. You will also experience the complete female orgasm. Do this well, and you will avoid the isotope."

"No, no please," she cried. Thus far, Taylor was the only one who had been able to satisfy the United well enough to avoid the isotope.

Torrence looked into her frightened eyes. "You must come," he said. Something about his gaze was hypnotic. He took her by the hand and led her up to the bed.

Taylor ran up to the bed. "Torrence, you're a Survey Service Officer! Try to remember!" He reached out to grab Torrence's arm. He went flying into the air.

"Your turn will come soon enough, Captain Taylor," said Torrence, in an ominous tone. He looked at Levenson, and suddenly they were both nude. Karen had small but perky breasts and a blonde pubis. Her naked body trembled as Torrence brought her onto the bed. He lay her on her back, and then got to work between her legs.

"Michael, are you all right?" said Elizabeth. Taylor, sprawled on the ground, nodded as he quickly got up.

"We've got to do something!" said Elizabeth.

Taylor watched Torrence pumping between Karen Levenson's legs. He heard her moans. He watched as she wrapped her arms and legs around him, as she tried to give in to her passions, as she tried to make herself as excited as possible. In the strong light of the fiery planet's core, Torrence's yellow buttocks clenched and unclenched as he worked himself in and out of her.

"There's nothing we can do," said Taylor grimly.

"And how does that make you feel, Captain?"

Taylor turned to see Jennifer.

"I feel your hopelessness," said Jennifer. "It is strong, so strong. So... intoxicating," she said, momentarily closing her eyes and smiling. "One of the strongest feelings we have felt so far. Please, continue. The United are observing everything."

Taylor looked at Jennifer, what she had become. He wanted to smack her in the face, as Obongo had done to him. Her face was partially blank, but at the same time, also partially smug. It was a weird combination.

Jennifer pointed to the bed. "Observe, Captain. Watch as yet another of your crewmember gets the isotope. And then look around! Look, Captain!"

Taylor reluctantly looked around the room.

"More than half of your crew are gone! Soon, there will be no one left. And there is nothing you can do to stop it," she said, staring at his face from inches away.

Taylor struggled with his rage, as Jennifer smiled openly. Then he abruptly turned away. Elizabeth took him into her arms, giving Jennifer a look of pure hatred.

Jennifer's smile grew crooked.

*********

"Hello, Captain."

Taylor stared out into the blackness. "Hello, Suki."

Suki Tanaka was dressed in her Survey Service finest, just like Captain Audrey Spaulding and Jennifer Hale before her.

"So, can we skip that part about whether I'm a ghost, and what this really means?"

"If you like."

"Under normal circumstances, I couldn't be here," said Suki casually. "But I, we, we've gotten a little outside help."

"From whom?"

"From someone you know. Sort of," said Suki.

"Very cryptic. Exactly what I'd expect--from a dream," said Taylor, looking at the blackness around him.

"I was angry at you for a very long time," said Suki.

"I know," said Taylor

And suddenly, the scene played out in front of them.

Taylor was making love to Suki, on the grass in front of the springs, in the virtual layer in the year 22,000,000. She was riding up and down on his penis. Her heavy pear shaped breasts, dripping with water, looked so gorgeous, so ripe, like fruit aching to be harvested. He felt the wonderful pressure as she rode him vigorously.

"Say it!" Suki commanded.

"You're my Captain's girl. You're my Captain's girl," said Taylor, feeling overwhelmed by the physical sensations.

"Yes! Yes yes yes!" she cried, and she reached down and kissed him furiously. She started to move up and down more rapidly now, harder, and faster.

"Forever," she said. "I'm your Captain's girl, forever and ever. Say it."

Taylor winced. The pressure on his organ was intense. He had to come. He had to climax.

"Say it!" Suki demanded.

"Yes," Taylor gasped. "Forever."

"And then, just moments later, you dropped me," said Suki. "You fucked me and discarded me almost immediately after. I was so angry with you for the longest time afterwards."

"I'm sorry," said Taylor, realizing he was apologizing to a ghost.

"But in time, I realized the truth," said Suki.

"And what is the truth, for you?" Taylor asked.

Suki walked up and stared at him, face to face. Her expression was unreadable. "I was trying to seduce you. I was trying to have you make a commitment, in the heat of the moment, that you never would have made otherwise. It wasn't real, and it certainly wasn't fair to you." She abruptly turned and walked a few steps away.

"And when did you realize this?"

"Recently," said Suki, still turned away. "I've had a lot of time to think about things, lately."

"Since you died," said Taylor.

Suki turned to him and smiled. "You don't have to believe, Captain. Just listen. You can reach me."

"Reach you?"

"The thing I've become. It hasn't taken me over. Not all of me, not like the others. The fact that I'm here is proof of that."

"Proof," said Taylor, restraining a laugh.

"Try," said Suki, looking earnestly into his eyes as she put a hand on his shoulder. "Try, Captain."

********

"Doctor William McCrae."

Taylor stirred out of an uneasy sleep. He saw Suki, standing in the spotlight next to the bed in the center of the chamber.

"Doctor William McCrae, step forward."

McCrae gave the others a quick glance, but knew they were powerless to help him. Seeing as he had no choice, he stepped forward.

So did Taylor. Suki ignored him.

"Doctor William McCrae, you will pleasure me sexually. You will achieve the male orgasm. You will help me to achieve the female orgasm. If you do this well enough, you will not be given the isotope."

"Suki, no," said Taylor. "You can't do this." But he felt so powerless even as he said it. He felt like he was simply repeating what he had said to Torrence. But he had to try!

"Why can't I?" Suki asked, her face a mask of emotionlessness.

"Because you're a Survey Service officer. Remember your oath! Remember your duty to your fellow crewmen!" said Taylor.

Suki blinked rapidly. For a moment, uncertainty crossed her face. Then it vanished.

She turned to Doctor McCrae. "Doctor McCrae, you will have the male orgasm. You will give me the female orgasm, in my vagina and clitoris." Suddenly, she and McCrae were nude.

McCrae raised an eyebrow and stared at her intently. He let her pull him onto the bed, so he was laying on his back. Despite the seriousness of the situation, McCrae got an immediate erection, as he looked at her naked, sexy body.

Suki smiled as she watched his penis inch up, and speeded up the process with her hand, looking up at him with mocking eyes. When he was ready, she moved to mount him. Taylor knew better than to try to interrupt them. He watched helplessly as Suki inserted McCrae's shaft inside of her, and started to ride him up and down.

Taylor moved to where he could make eye contact with her. "A Survey Service officer does not harm another officer."

Suki moved up and down on McCrae's penis, her face a blank.

"A Survey Service officer does not betray her oath."

Suki's blank face bobbed up and down, up and down. Her breasts, which flopped this way and that, showed more reaction than her face, which was still completely emotionless. Her eyes stared into the horizon.

"Try to remember who you are!" No response. In desperation, Taylor cried out, "Suki, if you give him the isotope, you'll kill him!"

She looked directly at him, for a moment, and suddenly it seemed the old Suki was there, her eyes pleading, fearful, and troubled. But then she looked away, and her face went blank. Suki's firm ass bounced up and down, as she continued the reproduction ritual. The crack between her legs widened every time she went down on McCrae's stiff organ. Her dark triangle was like an arrow, pointing down to what was about to happen.

Taylor went over to Victor. "I tried to reach her, Victor. I tried, just like she said. But I can't!" His voice was filled with desperation.

Victor looked confused. "Just like who said, Michael?"

In moments they heard the sounds of sexual climax. But the sounds they heard were all Doctor McCrae's. Suki didn't say a word.