Lifeboat

"Override protocol," said T'Laine. "This heat isn't healthy."

"Understood," said the computer.

The padding shrank bank to the walls of the pod and turned on the air circulation.

"Oh, that's better," she said. The moving air evaporating the sweat on her skin was a welcome sensation, but the heat was now such that even the evaporative effect was making it just bearable, not comfortable.

With just a moment's hesitation, she made up her mind.

"Brond, I don't know if you knew this about me, but I'm not a very modest person."

"Okay?" said Brond. "I guess that's a good thing given our current predicament."

"No, I mean I'm really not modest. We're going to be living together and it is inevitable that you will see me coming out of the shower or after a swim. Truth is, I often find clothes to just be a nuisance, so my body will probably be more on display than you're used to. The point is, since you are going to see it anyway, I'm not going to keep covering one square centimeter of additional cooling surface if I don't have to, so the rest of my clothes are coming off."

"Oh, I see," said Bron, not catching her in the eyes.

"No, you don't see yet, but you're about to see all of it, ready or not."

There were varying degrees of how seductive the removal of clothing could be. T'Laine decided to go with cool-to-medium. She pulled one strap down, then another, then tapped the button in the middle of her two cups to release the mag-clasp in back. It already felt better and when she removed the full article, she gave a great sigh of relief as the added skin truly did contribute to the cooling effect. Next, she pushed off her boy shorts and stowed the last vestiges of modesty away.

Brond was blushing tomato-red and trying to find somewhere to let his eyes land, with no luck.

"Brond, sweetie," said T'Laine. "It's okay to look. There isn't really anywhere else for you to look. Might as well get used to it, we've got another three days."

With a sigh, Brond turned his eyes back to her and his eyes natural drifted down to the treasures below.

"That's one thing I do like about zero G," said T'Laine. "I've always been proud of my breasts, but rejuve and surgery bots can only do so much. In Zero G, I'm eighteen again. Well, I'm really more like 22 again, I didn't develop fully until after my first child. I take it you approve?"

Brond considered her question.

"So, Mrs. O, you know about the Ship-milf contest?"

"Of course I do," said T'Laine. "You kids think you're so secretive with your encrypted message boards. You forget that the adults are the ones who maintain the systems those boards are posted on. Yes, we know, and as long as you're respectful, we let it go. Did you know there's also a Ship-Dilf contest?"

"I...I heard rumors, but I didn't know."

"Oh yes, and your father is in his own category."

"Huh," said Brond. "Well, in terms of the ship-milf competition, I am now in possession of ultimate bragging rights."

"Are you now?" said T'Laine with a sultry giggle. "And if you were bragging to your mates, what would you say?"

"Well, I wouldn't say anything, but if I did, it would be 'beyond your wildest dreams."

"Well, thank you," said T'Laine, biting her lip playfully. "But, what about you?"

"What about me?" asked Brond.

"Aren't you still a little hot?" Couldn't you use the benefit of extra surface area?"

"Oh!" said Brond, surprised and embarrassed. "Well, the thing is, Mrs. O, I... my problem goes a little beyond modesty."

"Oh Honey," said T'Laine, caressing his cheek. "I have an idea of what's down there. I felt it when we woke up and if you think those skin tight shorts are hiding anything, you're mistaken. Besides, now that you've seen me in my altogether, it's only fair. Tit for Tat. So, Tat time."

Brond sighed, and after an internal struggle, his shorts were eventually stowed away. T'Laine was not coy and gave his now freed cock a frank and honest visual inspection.

"Oh my, circumcised, that's a surprise. You don't see that much these days."

"Is it bad?" asked Brond, his hands involuntarily going down to try and cover up. She grabbed those hands and pulled them back.

"No no no, you see mine, I see yours." she said, scoldingly. "I actually love a cut cock, the visual lines are so lovely."

"I...I know it's not the biggest," said Brond, shyly.

"Maybe not," said T'Laine, struggling against the urge to lick her lips. "But it sure as Chron isn't the smallest, either. Oh Brond, you're going to make many women, very, very happy with that, trust me."

Though he blushed, it seemed that inflating his ego also inflated this other part of him and she swore he got stiffer and larger from her compliment.

This was not easy for her. She and Mikhael had not been together for nearly four months now. Things had cooled in their relationship over the past year, and with the approach of landfall, they had let the physical side of the contract slide, only staying together for L'Gia until a natural opportunity arose. After that dry spell, and with the rejuve hormones surging through her system, the virile specimen before her was proving more tempting by the minute.

But, no. She forced her eyes back up to meet his and gave her best, winsome smile.

"So...um... games?" asked Brond.

"I guess," she sighed, not wanting to admit what she sort of game she really wanted to play. "But, to tell the truth, Brond, I'm dead tired. I think it might be wisest to get in some sleep cycles before the next burn.

"Concur," said the pod computer chiming in. "Both inhabitants are showing signs of stress and exhaustion. Sleep will facilitate in well-being and also will reduce pulse and respiration rates, allowing the pod to function more efficiently."

"You see, even the computer agrees," said T'Laine. "Mrs. O says bedtime."

There were tiny anchors along the walls which allowed them to hook a finger and toe through to avoid drifting into each other. They tried getting to sleep for a bit, but Brond was restless. His throbbing member, bobbing weightless, left no doubt as to the reason why: a case of inadvertent blue balls, pure and simple.

"Computer, are there any sedatives aboard?" whispered Brond, hoping not to wake T'Laine, though he needn't have been quiet. Sleep was evading her, too.

"Inadvisable," said the computer. "It is felt that sedatives could contribute to lack of response in a possible crisis."

"Understood," said Brond.

They tossed and turned for a bit longer until T'Laine finally reached for a solution.

"You know, Anders, my first contract, he always had problems falling asleep."

"He did?" said Brond, innocently.

"So much," she said. "When we were first married, it perplexed me so, how some nights he could fall asleep and others he couldn't."

"What was the cause?" asked Brond.

"I finally examined the factors and realized that on the nights we had sex that he was able to drift off. One night, I'd fallen asleep and woke up with him not there. I found him in the living quarters, pleasuring himself. We talked, and he explained to me that since he'd reached physical maturity, he'd found sleep that way every night. I told him there was no shame in such a thing. From then on, I helped him sleep, either through sex, or other means. Sometimes, and I particularly enjoyed this, he would just let me watch him as he stroked himself into dreamland."

"Umm, why are you telling me this?" asked Brond.

"Well, because, I think you need sleep and I don't think you'll get any without some relief."

"No, no I can sleep," said Brond.

"Brond, I've been with enough men to know that look in your eyes. You've got a naked woman in front of you, your libido and hormones are racing. That lovely friend of yours between your legs isn't about to let you fall asleep until it gets some relief. Sweetie, we don't need to tell anyone. This is an unusual time, all is forgivable."

"I...I don't think I could do that," said Brond.

"Of course you could," said T'Laine. "How about this; would it help if I did the same? There's nothing quite so erotic as mutual masturbation, trust me. Besides, a nice climax helps me drift off to dreamland, too."

"I just couldn't," protested Brond, though his tone didn't seem so final.

"Oh, handsome, just think of the bragging rights you'll have after this."

Slowly, hesitantly, Brond's hand found his way down to his rigid cock while one of T'Laine's hands slipped a finger into her wet folds and the other began caressing one of her full, floating breasts.

She was impressed that he used the sweat at hand as lubricant and began sliding his hand up and down the shaft slowly. It was good he wasn't a rabbit-like stroker wishing to finish immediately. He was already training himself for patience and stamina.

"Mm, so nice this is," said T'Laine, rubbing her clitoris in gentle circles. "You have no idea the memories this brings back. I feel like a young newlywed again."

"I'm...glad..." moaned Brond between strokes.

It truly brought back memories and the sound of his increasing strokes and deepening breath sent her into a lustful haze of sexual instinct. It was all she could do not to reach over and help, but she knew she'd already crossed too many boundaries.

"Keep. Going." she said between her own breaths.

She was surprised at her own response and the fact that she was already on the edge. It had been a long time for her.

They continued going, each of them admiring the other's bodies and watching the other's hands.

"You're so beautiful, Mrs. O." moaned Brond in almost a groan.

Something about his tone was all it took and T'Laine gave a startled gasp as the abrupt climax gripped her body.

"Oh, are you coming?" asked Brond, ceasing his stroking as he watched her enraptured face and her body start to shudder.

"Ah! Yes! Chron!" she cried as her eyes rolled back in her head and she surrendered to an orgasm that was long overdue. After a quivering, moaning onslaught, she was even more surprised at the sequence of aftershocks that kept coming through her body.

When the last of the waves washed through, she gave a satisfied smile and somehow pried open her eyes.

"That. Was. Amazing." said Brond, in the air, one hand on the padding the other on his still rigid member.

"Now your turn, handsome," she said. "Do it fast before I'm forced to help."

"If you insist," said Brond, renewing his efforts.

Now, he was at full stroke, his hand moving the loose skin up and down his sizeable shaft. His hand moved faster and faster and the thwack of his balls made that distinctive, different sound brought on by weightlessness; establishing a very different rhythm than the same act under gravity.

"Mmm, good boy," purred T'Laine, losing some of her restraint. "Stroke that beautiful cock for me. Show me how much cum you've been saving up!"

Brond's breath was coming out in ragged gasps as his hand pumped at a furious rate. His eyes looked into hers and she urged him on tacitly with a gentle nod. The orgasm still seemed to be slow in arriving, though.

On a sudden inspiration, T'Laine decided to leverage one of her favorite 'tricks'. Taking her left breast in one hand, she kept meeting his gaze as she lifted her breast to her mouth and began sucking sensuously on one nipple.

"Oh, Chron!" moaned Brond as his body tensed up.

"Good boy," said T'Laine.

Almost by instinct, she reached out and grasped his cock, covering his knob with her palm to stem the eruption of his white syrup. It was one thing to have spunk landing on the bed, it was another to have gobs of jizz floating about weightless in a confined environment.

"There you go," said T'Laine reassuringly, repeating the phrase again again as diminishing spurts of hot fluid surged into her hand. "There you go, there you go."

When he finished, she gave a low throaty laugh and held up her hand to examine the sticky mess he'd given her.

"Well done, baby," she said.

Feeling extra bold, she gave a sly smile and lifted her hand to her mouth.

"You know, we are on rations. Shame to waste all of this nutritious protein."

So saying, she took one finger and sucked the delicious fluid off.

'Oh, Mrs. O." moaned Brond at the sight. "Oh! Mrs. O!" he cried as his member tensed once again and he was caught in the throes of a surprise, second climax.

This time, she had no time to react and could only chuckle as two more, impressive bursts of seed sprayed over her; most it splashing against her belly and breasts, but a couple of strands hitting her face and hair.

"Bonus round!" she giggled. "System, activate for stray fluids."

"Noted," said the computer. "Activating cleaner bots for stray bio matter to avoid compromising the air filtration system."

T'Laine couldn't help giggling and reached into the storage pouch to retrieve her flightsuit, using it as an ad hoc towel.

"Goodness," she said. "Does that always happen? That second round?"

"Not always," said Brond in an abashed tone. "But sometimes. Sometimes it takes me two or three tries to get to sleep."

"Oh?" she said.

"Yeah, but not now. Between the heat and that, I can barely keep my eyes open."

"Well, good," said T'Laine. "Mission accomplished then."

She finished cleaning off, then stowed the soiled coverall away.

The two of them were truly exhausted now and it seemed like mere seconds before they were both sound asleep. Anchored to opposite sides, they slumbered away. While they slept, their free hands drifted haphazardly until meeting mid-pod, and then clasped.

***

Enod woke first to the unusual sensation of being aware that someone was sleeping next to him. He quickly came around and remembered how he had gotten there. They were both sleeping on their backs and L'Gia's leg was resting against his. He moved slowly so as not to wake her and turned on his side to see that her cropped shirt had ridden up to reveal her high, full breasts in all of their glory.

He wanted to turn away, or cover her, or something. Instead, he was frozen in contemplation by her pure, wonderful beauty. Her face was angelic. The line of his eyes was drawn down from her breasts to her long torso and from there the inviting region below her shorts. He wasn't sure how long he stayed there before he saw her eyes flutter open.

"Oh, hi," she said.

"Hi," he replied, not knowing what else to say.

She reached her hands up over her head to stretch and became aware of the state of her clothing. Perhaps taking a page out of her mother's book of immodesty, she simply shrugged.

"Oops, boobs," she said and pulled her top back down. "So, you cooked last night, I'll cook this morning. I'll see what amazing reconstituted fare I can rustle up."

He couldn't help but admire her frankness and decorum at the way she handled that situation, but he said nothing of it.

Little did he know how the fact that he'd been watching her naked, sleeping, body brought up a whirlwind of emotions inside of her.

Yet, she played it as cool as she possibly could and they enjoyed a breakfast full of pleasant conversation. When it came time to work, she donned a bikini top and denim shorts instead of her coverall.

"I'm going out on a limb today," she said as she stepped out of the shuttle to greet him. "There were no risks detected yesterday, so I'm going to work on improving my tan. Though, with my coloring, I'm more likely working on my freckles."

"I like freckles," said Enod. "But..."

"Don't worry, Dr. Stigsen, I'll take precautions. Sunscreen, other things, I always take precautions."

"Well, that's a good thing," said Enod. "But I was going to say, 'but I can't let you'. Not yet. We've only been here a day, and as mission commander I have to insist that we continue following safety protocols.

"Oh, spoil sport," said L'Gia, stomping her foot in mock anger and looking far too cute while doing it. But, doing as he insisted, she donned her coverall and set out for the field.

In regard to safety protocols, she had actually failed to follow protocol already. Upon her return the day before, she had failed to activate a packet of inspection nanobots for her clothing. Had she done so, the system would have detected thousands of microscopic mites that she had picked up in her coveralls. As she donned the suit, they swarmed over her body. They were so tiny and insignificant that she did not feel a thing. At the moment, they were relatively harmless, but worthy of note.

Enod and L'Gia set out to take more samples and worked in the relatively cooler morning. L'Gia was working on retrieving her discovery bots from the day before. Part way through her day, the comm chirped in her ear.

"L'Gia here," she said.

"Enod Stigsen. Signal coming in, report back to the shuttle at once."

"Affirmed. Out." she said.

This was a concern. For Dr. Stigsen to use such a formal tone was unusual. She jogged quicktime back to the shuttle and arrived in just less than ten minutes. Unbeknownst to her, the mites were thriving in the added source of heat and moisture from her perspiration. Usually it took rains, but now they had this water to assist them in transforming to their next stage. Still imperceptible to the naked eye, they sprouted microscopic wings and waited the appropriate signal for the next phase of their lives.

"What's the news?" she asked as she stepped in and sealed the door.

"Sit," said Enod, pointing to the co-pilot's chair.

"Yes, sir," she said in a fearful voice.

Enod pushed play on the console.

"Attention, all personnel on Hanshin's Planet or inbound. Sensors indicate the beginning of a Coronal Mass Ejection on the near side of your star. We repeat, a CME of significant proportions is about to begin. We anticipate its radiation will reach Hanshin's within ten minutes and will continue for another four or five minutes, pause for an unpredictable interval, then eject several more times over the next 36 hours. The planet atmosphere will serve as a shield and the flares will have little or no effect upon those planetside. However, we do order that all personnel remain within shelter until the CMEs have subsided so we can collect further data."

"Okay, we'll stay inside," said L'Gia. "Good advice."

"Do you notice they said 'planetside'," said Enod.

L'Gia contemplated this and her eyes widened in fear.

"No!" she cried. "No! They're exposed! They can't! We have to warn them!"

"They just did," said Enod.

"How bad?" asked L'Gia, tears forming in her eyes. "How bad will it be?"

"Based on my math, the shielding of the coffins will survive the first blast, but suffer nearly fifty percent damage. There's no way they'll survive a second CME, let alone several."

"I see," she said. "How long ago was that sent?"

"Seven minutes," said Enod.

"I see," said L'Gia.

Enod took her hand and held it as they watched the clock tick down. Perhaps coincidentally, perhaps because of some effect from the CME, a strong wind rattled the outside of the shuttle at the very moment the radiation was supposed to be washing over the planet, and over the inbound lifepods.

Suddenly, L'Gia gave a start. She clasped her hand to her chest.

"Something's wrong!" she cried.

"L'Gia, I know its hard, but there's still a slight chance that they might make it. You never know, don't give up hope."

"No... not that!" she cried. "My skin is burning!"

Enod too, felt a slight burning sensation.

"Shuttle! Activate a shower! Ready disinfection if needed!"

The miniscule mites which had nested on L'Gia's skin and found such a hospitable, warm surface had received their signal for migration. Whenever they found water enough to molt, and the solar radiation spiked, they knew it was time to fly skyward and spread their kind. However, L'Gia's flight suit was made of material impermeable to their flight. When they tried to fly, they found themselves trapped, which triggered their fight response.