Ship's Interface
Copyright© 2024 by Togobam
Chapter 20: Troubled, but Feline Fine
Science Fiction Sex Story: Chapter 20: Troubled, but Feline Fine - Two marooned spacers find an ancient derelict ship that just wants to be loved.
Caution: This Science Fiction Sex Story contains strong sexual content, including Ma/Fa Fa/Fa Ma/Ma Mult Consensual BiSexual Heterosexual Hermaphrodite Fiction Futanari Science Fiction Aliens Space Gang Bang Group Sex Harem Orgy Polygamy/Polyamory Anal Sex Double Penetration Facial Oral Sex Size
The team leaders quickly assembled around the long conference table and sat in the seats that, through simple repetition, had become de facto theirs. At the one end of the table, Devens punched in the Q-Net connection information for the AAN Chief Operations Officer, Enrique Dunovar.
The AAN crest flashed on the screen at the far end of the table from Devens, then cut to the well-dressed image of Dunovar, sitting behind his desk. Though it was first thing in the morning for the aid workers on Khosrow, through the bay window behind Dunovar’s desk, the stars of a different world’s night sky were visible from his office.
“Greetings, everyone,” Dunovar began, “and thank you for taking time out of your busy day to provide this update. “ He said with a well-rehearsed ‘corporate speak’ cadence. Ms. Deven, will you begin, please?”
“Thank you, Mr. Dunovar,” Devens said in her usual efficient manner. “We have made excellent progress thus far. The medical services and temporary housing for survivors at the initial aid station in the City of Spearden, as of this morning, are up and fully operational.” She briefly glanced around at the others with a subtle look of admiration and pride that no one seated at the table missed.
“However,” she continued, “in spite of the engineering team’s best efforts, the local infrastructure restoration has run into serious challenges; they were successful in their efforts to repair the damages to the water treatment center, but far too much of the regional power plant’s auxiliary systems were damaged. We simply do not have enough spare parts to restore the plant to working order.”
Dunovar frowned, steepled his fingers, and pressed them to his lips. “That is troubling news,” he said after a heartbeat. “You’ll have to use all of your temporary power reserves at this one location and run operations from there. Unfortunate.”
“We do have an alternative, however,” Devens retorted. “On approach to the planet, we noted numerous automated freighters loitering in orbit. The engineering team is confident that they can be safely deorbited and sited nearby. Additionally, tapping into their power cores will be orders of magnitude safer and more reliable than reusing equipment cobbled together with components refurbished on the fly.”
Devens watched Dunovar with the expectation of receiving praise for unconventional resourcefulness in the face of adversity but was surprised at the flash of extreme irritation, almost bordering on anger. The micro-expression was fleeting and swiftly replaced by a look of calm contemplation. She didn’t understand what could have elicited the reaction.
“The idea has merit,” Dunovar said finally. “I will put in a request to the Interplanetary Minerals Conglomeration board of directors to request permission to use their freighters, though it may take some time to get the approval; apparently their CEO, Rienhold Klatten, was on Khosrow when the tragedy struck. I should have an answer for you in a few days.”
Devens was visibly irritated at the response. “Days? We can’t afford any delays; the weather is turning cold as winter approaches, and we need to get as many of these aid stations up and functional as soon as possible. Many thousands of people could die from exposure alone if we don’t move swiftly.”
Dunovar gave an expression of sincere regret. “I know, and I agree with you, but unfortunately these things take time.”
Thea had been sitting quietly with her arms crossed, listening to the exchange; she shook her head at the perceived barriers and decided to interject. “On this point, Mr. Dunovar I must disagree. We can proceed immediately.”
His face again flashed before he responded calmly. “I don’t see how that would be possible, Miss...” Dunovar replied.
“It’s Captain,” Thea corrected him. “Captain Thea Cirillo, of the Inter-Planetary Ferry Services, and the Ferry Dallas, she said, establishing her bone fides. “The Interstellar Concord for Trade and Navigation clearly states, in Article Six, Chapter Three, that vessels may be pressed into service in times of emergency and dire need by any signatory treaty member, which Khosrow is. Immediate action, if warranted, may be taken, and we need only to notify the Board of the IMC of our actions so they may request remuneration, if they so desire, after the fact.”
Dunovar blinked twice, motionless, as he processed, but then his disarming smile returned. “I knew that you were the right folks for this mission. How many of the one hundred and twenty-seven auto-freighters do you plan on commandeering?” His smile was broad and beaming, but there was a subtle twitch in one eye.
“I believe four per location,” Zarvok replied for the engineers. “Three of the power cores ganged together should provide enough power for the new facility and any surviving infrastructure. The fourth will be salvaged for parts to enable running the power cores in parallel. With six locations planned that would be a total of twenty-four freighters.”
“Wonderful,” Dunovar said, nodding in approval, conceding the point. “I applaud you and your team’s resourcefulness; the AAN is grateful to have such outstanding representation.” He looked down at a datapad on his desk, making some notes. “I will reach out to the shipping company to acquire the control access codes for these freighters and forward them to you as soon as they reply. I expect that their response will be swift, but again, it may take a day or two before they are able to gather the codes and forward them. As soon as they do, I’ll let you know.” Dunovar settled himself, his manner one of authority and central importance.
“I believe that will be unnecessary,” Devens said, interrupting his thought. She glanced at June and Will, who in turn briefly looked at each other, then to Inta standing quietly behind them. “The team here has already patched into fleet, in anticipation of approval, and is only waiting now for the go ahead and the machine operators from the Netherlands to clear and prep the groundwork to land the freighters.”
“Once down,” Zarvok chimed in, “I expect our engineers will only need a couple of days to integrate the freighters and their power cores and connect them to the local infrastructure, and then the Spearden location should be entirely self-sustaining. I anticipate we’ll need less than half the team to accomplish this, so the remaining engineers can work on preparing the next location. Things will move much more rapidly from that point on.”
Dunovar clocked the subtle glances and noted the implied involvement of the Nestia crew with a slightly raised eyebrow. “Excellent. Good work, all,” he said, then made a couple of notes on his datapad. “I will inform the shipping company of the status of their property, so they may begin the process of requesting remunerations,” he said, punctuating his statement with a jab of finality to his datapad. “Keep up the good work, everyone. Until our next check in,” he said with a nod and closed the connection with a press of a button on his desk.
“One last item of business before we return to work,” Deven stated, working through the meeting’s itinerary. “This is the point where we begin splitting up staff; we’ve laid plans for six locations for mobile hospitals, based on our current stock of supplies and personnel numbers. It makes sense for me to stay here at Spearden; operations on Khosrow have already and will continue to present challenges unique to the situation on the planet and will require a more permanent command center. I will continue to help streamline processes and procedures of operation, and as we learn, we can share it, maximizing efficiency for all stations moving forward.”
Devens paused, and those gathered around the table watched her expectantly. “Flinders, you will lead the setup efforts as new hospitals are established until all six are operational.”
Pete Flinders, who had been reviewing the map of the area surrounding Trantmore, their next target, looked up with a jerk. From the expression on his face, it was clear that he had not been informed of the decision in advance.
“Of course, if that’s what you think best, but I had expected that you would have given that assignment to Deb, considering she’s your assistant and you’ll need to coordinate closely with whoever will be the Forward Coordinator,” he mentioned, softly questioning the assignment.
“I’ll need Deb with me here,” Devens replied. “Besides, you are the next most capable administrator among us. It only makes sense.”
Pete raised his eyebrows in mild surprise at the compliment, given their rocky history, but if he knew one thing about Margaret Devens, it was that she didn’t make rash decisions. It was a lesson he had learned a long time ago. “Okay, Marge. I’ll manage everything; you can leave it to me.”
Devens nodded in response without looking Flinders in the eye. Pete frowned slightly, but it was a better reaction than he thought he probably deserved.
“The next time item to discuss is how we’re going to we’re going to manage search and rescue as well as the recovery of remains.” Every face around the conference table seemed to sadden as one. “Unfortunately, a full-scale effort will need to wait until reinforcements arrive with the next waves of AAN relief ships; our primary focus must remain on survivors.”
The midnight black fur on the Silvestrian search and rescue team lead’s feline ears twitched in response to the perceived challenge. “It is imperative that the flyers continue to cover as much ground as they can, here surrounding Spearden, and the other locations as well,” Tarek Dargan declared, eyes full of purpose.
“I propose that one team continue flights in the Spearden area, expanding the radius of the searched area to a thousand klicks, while the other two Nestia flyers begin rescue efforts at the next location. While the flyers focus on locating and bringing survivors to safety, a portion of the Silvestrian contingent will be assigned to each aid station and continue recovery efforts, even though their ultimate range will be limited due to the fact that they’ll be working on foot.” Tarek’s plan was solid, and there was no disagreement.
“The Netherlands has a few small service trucks we use to move personnel and small equipment around the derrick; we could send the shuttle back and fetch them for the recovery teams to use,” Jyn offered.
“I don’t think the shuttle’s cargo would be large enough to carry a service truck, let alone several,” Thea said. “We could rig up a carrier to the belly, but would still be limited to moving them one at a time, but I don’t think we’ll have the availability; we’ll still need the shuttle to support the engineers as they bring in and repurpose the freighters for power production.”
The group was silent for a moment as they collectively pondered the problem.
Inta, who had been quietly observing from the back of the room, spoke up. “Jyn, if you call Chief Guideon on the Q-Net and have her ready the service trucks, I can get them here.”
Jyn raised an eyebrow, but Inta didn’t elaborate how, and the rest of the Nestia crew seemed unsurprised by her stated offer. Considering their previous discussion about discretion, he let the matter lie. “Okay, I’ll call the Chief as soon as this meeting is over.”
“Alright then, with that settled, I believe the last item that needs to be completed before the Nestia moves onto the next location is the preparations for the landing the freighters. Jyn, how long before the Netherlands team has the ground work is complete?” Devens asked the huge man sitting next to her. Even seated, she needed to crane her neck to look up at him.
“The work is currently underway. The operators should be done before noon,” Jyn replied, his chest rumbling low as he spoke.
“Excellent. As soon as they’ve completed their work and the heavy equipment is loaded back onto the ship, the Nestia can be off to the next location,” Devens stated, sliding back her chair. Then she turned her head and spoke to Inta. “Please make an announcement that the Nestia will be leaving for Trantmore at thirteen hundred hours.” Then, addressing the rest, “If you have business to wrap up before you leave, you better get to it.”
A chorus of scraping and squealing filled the room as chairs were pushed back and people stood to leave. Inta followed the filing crowd out the door and stood by the doorway as each of her family passed through the doorway after her. She stopped each one and gave them a peck on the cheek before they set off, then smiled as they dispersed in different directions to attend to their tasks.
As she leaned against the wall, she noticed she wasn’t the only one passing out affection in the hallway. Emily had been waiting a short way down the corridor for the meeting to end, and when Rhenna exited, she beamed a huge smile and rushed to her. Rhenna’s serious mood evaporated under the wattage of Emily’s smile, echoing it as she crouched on her long, chitinous legs to embrace her lover.
Emily caught sight of Inta over Rhenna’s shoulder and waved her over excitedly. “Inta, Inta, I wanted to share the good news; I’ve been promoted to Shift lead! Ms. Devens told me earlier this morning. I’ll be the head nurse during the overnight shift here at Spearden; isn’t that exciting?!”
Inta basked in the glow of Emily’s excitement and could see the look of pride in Rhenna’s face. “That’s wonderful, Emily. You deserve it.” Then to Rhenna, “I suppose that means you’ll be staying too?”
“Yes,” Rhenna replied. “The Ansuil pharmacists are all top notch and will have things well in hand. Besides, I’m only a call or a shuttle ride away if I’m needed at any of the other locations.”
“As am I,” Inta said coquettishly, winking at the lovers. Emily blushed, leaning closer to Rhenna.
“I imagine we’ll take you up on that offer for another session sooner rather than later,” Rhenna told her, reveling in her newfound liberation. Rhenna pulled Inta into a hug with Emily; the three embraced momentarily and then let go.
“Got to get going, my first shift is tonight, so I need to catch a nap before it begins,” Emily said cheerfully.
“That is, if I let you sleep,” Rhenna said in a low tone, trailing her fingers down Emily’s back, which elicited another deep red blush.
“Alright, you two better get going, then,” she dismissed them with a smile. “Go get some ‘sleep’ while you can.” They waved as they walked away towards the aft lift and the Spearden aid center.
Marge Devens discussed the upcoming assignment changes for the search and rescue team with the black furred Tarek as they walked the trans-deck corridor from the command deck to the hangar. “We’ll keep the flight teams as they are; Londo’s good at what he does, but his prickly attitude tends to make pairing him with someone a challenge. I shouldn’t be surprised that the Urarc shut down his nonsense and has him playing nice; I haven’t met a single one that wasn’t as hard boiled as a drill instructor,” Tarek said with a chuckle.
They walked close side by side, his long, feline tails whisked back and forth behind him, occasionally brushing the back of Devens’ calf and thigh. He poured on the charm as they walked. “Our teams are getting along splendidly, which, I believe, is a major contributing factor to their success and efficiency.” His tail brushed her leg again. “I think that as team leads, we should strive to work together closer as well; what do you say to a ‘working’ dinner tonight, in my quarters, to discuss ways we can work even closer?”
His tail brushed against the back of her thigh again and began sliding north before she nonchalantly swatted it away with a gentle backhand.
“I’m afraid that meals are the only time I have to review reports from AAN Central Command, and I must keep abreast of their updates,” she replied with all the warmth of a codfish. “Perhaps you would like to help me with the daily inventory of supplies? It usually only takes an hour or two after lunch; we can discuss your ideas while we verify counts,” Devens offered.
Hearing the clear reply to his unspoken suggestion, his tail drooped, hanging behind him in defeat. “Unfortunately, that is when I do my team check-ins; some other time perhaps.”
“Yes, some other time,” Devens echoed, then changed the subject. “So, of the three flier teams, which do you plan on keeping here in Spearden, and which are you bring with you?”
Grateful for the change of topic, Tarek’s ears perked back up. “All three teams have been performing admirably; I’m having the Urarc and Londo Sarn remain behind. Ms. Cinlass petitioned to be allowed to continue on with the group, and I didn’t have a strong feeling one way or another, so I agreed.”
They came to the end of the former lift shaft and made the odd transition between the different orientations into the lower deck hallway as they continued their conversation.
“The flyer staying behind will finish the one-thousand-klick radius survey around Spearden. By the time they’re done, the lead teams will have a good portion of the survey around the next location, and when the Nestia moves on, one of the other teams will linger to complete the survey. They’ll rotate who stays behind as each location is established. We only have three flyers, but so we’ll need to be manage their flight times so they don’t burn out. By the time we have all six planned locations up and running, and the immediate areas surrounding them scouted, the first of the larger relief contingents should arrive and they can expand on what we’ve done up to that point,” Tarek explained.
Devens walked through the crowded hangar as the heavy equipment rumbled up the loading ramp and was secured for transport. Jyn noticed them as they headed his way and held a hand up to the operators, indicating he needed them to hold for a moment.
“How are we doing, Jyn?” Devens asked.
“Loading’s nearly complete. We’ll have everything loaded and secure in twenty,” Jyn replied in his low, slow way of speaking.
“Excellent, right on schedule. Let the Nestia flight crew know as soon as everything’s set,” she asserted. Jyn waited until Devens and Tarek made their way down the hangar loading ramp and cleared the waiting equipment before waving the operators onward to continue boarding.
Devens walked with Tarek to the section of the landing field where the pilots and Silvestrian search and rescue specialists were already prepping, stocking supplies into the pods for the day’s rescue flights. Tarek gave each team quick words of encouragement, then let them finish their preparations.
“Well, I need to get back to the Nestia,” Tarek said, returning his attention to Devens. “Everyone’s set and we must keep pressing forward.”
“I appreciate everything you and your team has done and continues to do,” Deven said earnestly. “All of your talents are greatly appreciated.”
“Thank you, Ms. Devens, for your kind praise,” Tarek said as he straightened his whiskers with a quick brush of his fingers and took a small step closer to Devens. “Perhaps when our time of service here is done, you will allow me the chance to buy you a drink?” he said in his most enticing tone, which normally made women swoon.
Deven cooly gave him one raised eyebrow, once again knocking his ego down a peg or two. “We’ll see. This promises to be a long campaign, and there’s no telling when we’ll get a chance to relax.”
He momentarily deflated, then shrugged his shoulders, accepting that some nuts couldn’t be cracked and that it was her loss. His megawatt smile returned, unshaken. “So it may, so it may. If the chance to unwind does present itself; my recommendation to you is to seize it. Everyone deserves a break now and then, especially in times of such as these.” He shook her hand gregariously, beamed her a wide smile, then followed the last piece of heavy equipment back up the ramp into the Nestia.
Now out of earshot, she gave a little chuckle despite herself and walked towards the hospital entrance, shaking her head. She stopped at the doors and turned to watch as silver swept across the white metallic surface of the Nestia and her three pods, then silently rose off the ground.
One pod, presumably piloted by the Urarc Artona, shot off in a northernly direction while the Nestia and remaining two silver pods quickly accelerated westward, heading for the next location. As they disappeared over the horizon, the sound of rumbling retro thrusters caused Devens to spin around. Shading her eyes from the late morning sun, she spotted four large freighters thundering through the light cloud cover, shepherded by the Nestia shuttle currently under the employ of the engineering team, descending for a landing midway between the hospital camp and the water treatment facility.
She let out a heavy sigh, then squared her shoulders and headed inside, knowing that there was still work to be done and that she would be needed to do it.
Unseen across the valley to the east, a disheveled man, covered by a makeshift poncho camouflaging him among the rubble, crouched behind a low wall, broken during the calamity. He lowered his binoculars and slinked off to report the recent developments at the camp and the departure of odd silver ship to the man who waited impatiently back east for news of the newcomers.
“Hey Inta, are you sending through the pamphlets with the updated locations? We want to be sure that anyone who picks them up knows that there might be a location closer in the other direction,” Will asked over the comms link.
“Silly goose, of course I did,” Inta chirped. “Galaxy’s best multi-tasker, remember?”
“How could I forget, especially after last night’s demonstration? Totally blew my mind while you blew...” Will stopped himself, momentarily forgetting that even though they were speaking over a private channel, he wasn’t alone, and looked over his shoulder at Tenara laser focused on the scanner readout, a half smile on her lips, pretending for all the world that she didn’t hear the playful banter.
“Well, in any case, thanks, Silver Girl,” Will said, steering the conversation back into ‘polite company’ territory.
Even before she spoke, he could feel Inta’s smirk across the distance, knowing that he wasn’t the only one listening. “I’ll happily blow whatever you’d like, anytime, anywhere.”
“That was not very nice,” Will said in a low voice, turning down the volume on the receiver as he spoke.
“Ooh, If I’ve been a bad girl, will you spank me?” Inta teased.
“And I’m turning off the comm channel. Talk to you later,” Will said quickly, a blush rising.
“I’m holding you to it, My Love,” Inta whispered into his earpiece, now that the pod’s comm channel was off.
“Of course, Sweetheart,” Will whispered, replying to Inta. Then, turning to his ride-along, “I’m sorry about that, Tenara, Inta can be a bit...”
“You don’t need to apologize,” she cut him off. “My sister was a hundred times worse when we were younger. When she was in Heat and she had boyfriends over, more than once, I found her going at it on my bed. I’m pretty sure she did it just to irritate me.”
“Yeah, Inta can be like that too, sometimes,” Will commiserated. “She believes love is everyone’s birthright and doesn’t have much of a filter around others. Makes her a handful in public at times.”
“I’m fairly certain you love having your hands full; certainly did last night,” Inta whispered playfully. Will smiled but otherwise ignored her.
“Sounds like you and your sister are close,” Will commented. Though they closely resembled one another, the siblings’ personalities differed wildly. The couple of times he met with Kestra at the Peirault Shipyard on Centrailia, she had been an over-the-top personality: outgoing, full of confidence, sexually and in general. She knew what she wanted and had no qualms about letting everyone know.
Tenara, on the other hand, while sharing some of her sister’s playfulness, was more reserved and serious. Will supposed it was why she had been drawn to this line of work; life and death often hung in the balance and demanded a more sober demeanor.
“Yeah, our whole family is pretty close, and even though we’ve scattered throughout the galaxy for work, we still make an effort a couple of times a year for family gatherings.” Tenara’s eyes were slightly unfocused as warm memories paraded through her mind. “Our family’s quite large as Silvestrians tend to be; I’m the youngest of nine kids. Kestra and I are from our parents’ second litter, along with two brothers. Our litter was a decade after our parents’ first, so my older siblings were grown and out of the house by the time I was old enough to speak.
They were grown, but not distant, at least emotionally, even if Taviar had joined the Navy and was stationed halfway to the other side of the galaxy. They called home several times a week, sometimes for advice, but more often than not just to hear my parents’ voice. Like I do, now.” Tenara smiled as she thought of her family, which endeared her to Will.
“What about you, and your family?” Tenara asked.
“Well, for starters, I’m an only child. I’m pretty sure my mother would have lost her mind completely if she had to deal with eight more like me,” Will said with a chuckle. “She always said I was a handful, and I’m sure I was, having to raise me alone. My father died in an accident working in a factory when I was young; although the company paid a settlement, my mother still had to work to make up the difference.
It was just me and her, and we didn’t have much, but she always ensured I had everything I needed materially and emotionally. She was frail for most of my childhood; the death of my father hit her hard, and she struggled with the loss. She became ill about six months before I finished school, and as selfless as always, she encouraged me to apply at the academy.”
Will paused, shaking his head slowly at the memory, before continuing his story. “Of course, I refused and found odd jobs that would pay the rent and allow me to take care of her. But her illness progressed faster than any of the doctors had anticipated, and she withered before my eyes. The last thing she said to me was that she loved me and was proud of the man I had become. ‘Be good.’ Those were the very last words she uttered before falling silent. By the next morning, she was gone.”
Tears beaded in Tenara’s eyes, partly in sympathy for Will, partly for her pain. “Oh, Will, I’m so sorry. I had no idea,” she said, her voice wavering, full of emotion.
“Thank you, Tenara,” Will said with a small grateful smile. I still miss her, and some moments are tougher than others. Even though she left long ago, she still gives me strength by her example, persevering and sharing her joy, even when she had every right to despair.”
Will looked ahead out through the pod’s canopy as clouds whipped by, sharing the silence with Tenara for a moment.
“I want you to know,” Will said, breaking the silence after a moment, “that no matter what you find here on Khosrow, you have friends who will support you. If you need anything at all, just ask, and we’ll be there for you.”
Tenara was momentarily stunned by the astuteness of Will’s observation, as if he could see the fear of loss currently gripping her heart. He had shared what must have been the most painful moment of his life with her just so she didn’t have to feel alone carrying the fear for her family’s safety.
What she also didn’t know was that she had picked up a silver guardian angel who saw and felt her pain clearly, as if she had felt it herself, and decided that Tenara deserved to be helped and protected.
The flight to the area surrounding the city of Trantmore only took about forty-five minutes at hypersonic speeds. Though the teardrop profile of the Nestia and the pods was fairly aerodynamic, their extreme speed caused a terrifically loud sonic boom to follow in their wake as they streaked across the sky. This was partially because they wanted to make their arrival as noticeable as possible and move swiftly to help as many people as they could.
“Five minutes out from Trantmore, slowing our approach,” June called over the open comms as the Nestia’s speed began bleeding off.
“Roger, June,” Will Replied. “We’re peeling off to begin working the search grid.”
“Understood. Bring ‘em back safe, Will,” June answered.
“Ben,” Will called over the comms channel. “Tenara and I will cover the north; you and Deitra take the south, okay?”
“You got it, Will,” Ben confirmed. “Good luck.”
Will banked right and slowed to the speed at which Tenara’s scanners would be most effective. Then, they began sweeping the northerly portion of the grid. As they began their flight pattern, the Nestia visible hovering in the distance, Tenara reached over the back of Will’s seat and tapped him on the shoulder.
“Will, can I make a suggestion?” she asked.
“Sure, what is it?” he said as he leveled off the pod’s descent.