Chapter 56: On the Bridge

The passage only went a few meters past the trio of doors before abruptly making a left turn. The passage straightened out again with single doors appearing on both walls. Beyond that I could see another sharp turn to the left.

“Two doors?” Miki asked.

I walked up to the doors and looked. The one to my left had a placard reading “Captain Mark Parker” centered at about eye level. I pointed to it. “I think this one leads to my quarters.”

“Ohh, let’s look at that first!” Miki said. “I want to see where you’ll be living.”

“It better not be opulent,” I muttered as I stepped right up to the door. It slid open as I closed my eyes.

“Mark?” Miki asked worriedly.

I carefully took two steps forward and then opened my eyes. Behind me I heard Miki gasp. “It’s so small.”

The room I stood in was small. It appeared to be a cube of about ten feet or so per side. The back wall included a shelf area and then a narrow, but long bed. To the left was a pair of large cupboard style doors, which I guessed hid a clothing replicator for uniforms. In front of that was a small desk. A monitor of some kind sat on the desk and the chair behind it was impressive in its simple majesty. I turned to the right to find that the corner was filled by a couch that was shaped to follow the walls, allowing two people to sit and still see one another without turning sharply to the side.

“It’s more than big enough,” I said. “It has a bed to sleep in, a desk where I can follow up on reports and handle discipline, and even a corner area for officer’s meetings. Although the corner is perhaps a bit too comfortable for that.”

“Like you’ll have long meetings,” Miki said. “As for discipline...”

Miki pushed past me. She stood with her back to me and bent at the waist, putting her breasts onto the surface of the desk. “I’ve been bad master,” she said coyly.

I laughed as I looked at her beautiful heart-shaped ass. She had been wearing a black thong under her tunic and I could see both globes as she pulled up the hem of her outfit. “Sorry, while it might be fun, we don’t have time.”

“But I’m so hot,” Miki moaned. “And I’m like Betsy, I want to go back to the planet with your cum in my cunt.”

“I’m not sure how to get out of this uniform spacesuit quickly,” I responded. “And I really don’t want to be late getting to the bridge. I think my crew might decide I’m not serious about the job. However, I promise that I’ll get you pregnant right here someday.”

“Promise?” Miki asked as she stood back up and whirled around. She rushed forward to embrace me. “You’ll get me pregnant in this room. With my next child?”

“I’ll return to you just to do that,” I said. “Meanwhile let’s head to the bridge. You can be the first to see my workplace out of all the concubines.”

“Only cause Ashley decided to wait,” Miki said. She seemed to be pouting, but then spoiled the effect by smiling and rushing past me to the door.

The door opened for her and she stepped into the hallway. The other door failed to open, forcing her to stop as I followed. She was standing right in front of the door glaring at it when the door to my quarters closed.

“I think its going to stay closed until I stand in front of it,” I said. “Take a step to the right.”

Miki slowly took a step to the left. I tried to hold back a laugh, but it came out as a snort as I stepped up to the door. It opened the instant I was standing in front of it.

“Unfair,” Miki muttered as I stepped onto the bridge of Corsica.

Lights came on as I entered. The first thing I realized was that this bridge was considerably smaller than the simulation room. The stations were closer together and the walkway that had circled the outside of the simulation room was gone. I made my way to the captain’s chair and sat down.

“Welcome Captain,” a toneless voice said. “Do you have any commands?”

“We are supposed to launch at oh six hundred,” I replied. “For now please go on standby. We are allowing the concubines belonging to the crew a few minutes to see the ship before we prepare for launch.”

“Command acknowledged. Do you have any other orders?” the voice of the ship’s AI asked.

“What is the minimum active crew?” I asked.

“Under standard drive this ship requires no crew, although it is recommended to have someone monitoring the tracking and engine functions. Confederacy Military directives demand that at least eight crew including one officer be on duty at all times,” the AI replied.

“So few?” Miki asked.

“The total crew is only twenty-eight including all five officers. These ships run with a minimum of crew. Honestly, I hope we’re allowed to use concubines to help clean and to bring meals to crew who are stuck at their stations,” I replied.

“So if everyone does an eight hour shift and you hold to a twenty-four hour day?” Miki asked.

“We’d have at most three people who could take the day off right now. Four if I had a full crew aboard,” I replied.

“Wow,” Miki said. She came over to stand next to the chair just as the door opened. I heard a number of excited female voices.

“This is where I’ll be working,” a male voice I recognized as belonging to Terrence Ripa spoke. “I’m one of three people trained in driving this ship.”

“So this can move on its own?” one of the female voices asked.

“Yes Mary, it is a spaceship,” Terrence replied. “I’d show you my station, but the bridge is smaller than I expected.”

“They can squeeze in for a moment,” I said.

“Captain!” Terrence squeaked out. “I didn’t realize you were here. I thought you’d be at the airlock.”

“Everyone is aboard,” I said calmly. “And my concubine is still outside to help make sure all the concubines return to Crucible safely.”

“If you don’t mind,” Terrence said carefully.

“If I minded, I wouldn’t have invited you,” I replied firmly. “I said this was an open ship until oh five-thirty.”

“Until when?” the first of Terrence’s concubines said. She was a rather statuesque blonde. I watched her nearly tumble on the stiletto heels she was wearing as she stepped onto the bridge. The fact that she was wearing nothing other than the heels brought a hiss from Miki.

“Terry,” the woman said. “Where do you work? I see four chairs, but that’s about it.”

“The helm is the one on the left in the front row,” I said helpfully. “Miki step over to the nearest chair. That’s the tracking station so you’ll be fine waiting there.”

“She’s your concubine?” the blonde asked as she moved forward. She was really struggling to walk in the heels. A woman with brown hair, followed her. Her heels were a bit shorter as she carefully made her way past the captain’s chair.

“Heels?” I asked Terrence when he passed my chair on his way to the station.

“Hey, it really makes their butt and legs look so fine, if you know what I’m saying. If I have to be away from them, I want something to remember,” Terrence said.

“Good point, and that reminds me. AI, is there a way the crew can keep in touch with their concubines?” I asked.

“While in the Crucibleat system there is a communications system. Power requirements preclude real time communications though. Once you leave the system Corsica does carry six message drones, however they are supposed to be used for military reports and emergencies,” the AI said.

“If we receive one, can we have the replicators repair it and recondition it for use?” I asked.

“Affirmative,” the AI said.

“And what is the requirement for the number of drones we must have available?” I asked.

“Unless they have been used for military or emergency use, a Patrician class ship is expected to have access to four drones,” the AI said.

“So we could use two drones to send messages, and if Crucibleat’s dock makes a couple we might be able to keep an exchange of video mail going?” I asked.

There was a long pause. “That is not an authorized use of the equipment.”

“True, but is it permitted by the rules and regulations?” I asked.

“I can find no explicit command banning the practice,” the AI responded.

“Dude!” Terrence said. “So we’ll be able to send videos?”

“As long as the three drones in the rotation don’t get lost we can,” I said. “And I don’t want to find that people are abusing the privilege.”

“Man, just knowing that I’ll be able to look in on Mary and Judy,” he said. “You know, I’m going to miss these two more than I expected.”

“And I’m sure they’ll miss you,” I said.

I could see both women frowning as Terrence sat in the helmsman’s chair. He turned to the blonde and began talking about how the controls worked so I turned to look at Miki.

“Good idea,” she told me with a smile. “Now I have to know, do you just want conversational videos or are you looking for smut.”

“Smut? Do you really think I’m into smut? Do you believe that I can be placated with something that plays to my lascivious desires?” I asked in mock shock.

“Yes,” Miki said.

I smiled and shook my head, but Miki held up a hand indicated that she wanted to say more. “And I can say that all of your women want to do things like that. We’ve really enjoyed the last few days.”

“AI, what is the time?” I asked abruptly.

“Oh five twenty-three,” the AI responded.

“Nooo,” Miki moaned. “I still hoped to drag you back to your quarters.”

“Sorry,” I said. “But we all knew that I had a job to do. AI, can you connect me with everyone on the ship?”

A loud bell like chime rang out on the bridge. I could imagine that same chime ringing throughout the ship. As soon as it died out I spoke.

“Everyone, I’d like to thank you for taking the time to visit Corsica before we launch for the first time. I hope every concubine finds comfort in seeing the ship that will be protecting their citizens. Sadly, we do have a mission to complete, so I’d like to ask that all concubines who are not going to be heading out with us please leave the ship. And remember, military regulations say pregnant concubines can’t leave their home planet with a combat ship,” I began.

“Awww, we have to leave Terry behind,” the brunette sang out.

“Unfortunately, you will have to head out. But we’ll try to stay in touch,” I said.

“We will?” Terrence asked.

“You just listened to me talking to the AI about using drones to exchange video mails. Which I should tell everyone about,” I said.

“I’ll make sure the concubines know,” Miki said. “But shouldn’t you invite Tatyana, Aine, Constance and Lenore up here for a quick kiss.”

I looked up at the front of the bridge. “AI, can you activate the view screens? We probably should see what the dock looks like so that we can begin to prepare to launch.”

“Mark?” Miki asked.

I tried not to smirk as I began hitting the sequence of buttons that would activate the captain’s chairs. While I was pressing the buttons I used the pattern that was supposed to activate the all band intercom. I could hear the chime ring out.

“Two things, and I’ll make it quick. First, after a discussion with the AI, I have discovered that the ship as a couple of spare communications drones. These will be used to keep in touch with Crucible and our households. If you permit your concubines access to the system they will be able to watch video mails you create and send you mail in return. I can’t promise steady delivery, but I hope this will help. The second is for my concubines. If you want to see me before you leave the ship, come to the bridge. That is all.”

I was pushed back into my chair as Miki dove at me. Her arms wrapped around the back of my chair as she pressed her body to mine. “Oh, you had me going!” she squealed.

I reached a hand into the top of Miki’s tunic and ran my fingers over her left breast. The nipple hardened as I held my Japanese concubine in my arms as we sat in the captain’s chair.

“See!” we heard a female call out. “You don’t have to just keep us naked to get affection from us.”

“Mark could,” Miki said as she rested her head on my shoulder. “But he likes being gentle and having us wanting to crawl to him.”

“How?” Terrence asked just as the door behind me opened up.

“I’ll explain later, if we find time,” I said. My next words were stopped by a pair of arms that came down over the back of the chair and grabbed my shoulders.

“Darling,” Constance cried out.

Terrence’s two ladies giggled as he turned around in his chair to stare in my direction. I took Constance’s right hand and brought it to my lips for a quick kiss. “I need to stand up Miki.”

“Aww,” Miki said as she slipped out of my lap and stood up. She reached out to grab my hands and pull me to my feet. I could hear Constance snort in annoyance as Miki wrapped her arms around me.

“Now Miki,” I said as I tried to push her away. She put her right hand on the back of my head and pulled me in for a kiss. Her tongue thrust past her lips and wiggled past my lips as she held on with desperate strength. I could feel Constance tapping my shoulder as Miki seemed to be trying to suck all the breath from my body.

“Come back to me. Come back to all of us,” Miki said huskily. “We love you and will be forlorn without you.”

“Only forlorn?” Constance said with a growl as she pulled me out of Miki’s arms. “I plan on being miserable for at least a week.”

Constance kissed me with the same desperate energy that Miki had displayed. As she clung to my body Miki stepped around us and headed to the door of the bridge. I closed my eyes and tried to concentrate on making the kiss memorable.

We finally had to part. Constance gasped as she tried to catch her breath. I stepped back and looked up at the doorway to see Miki standing there chatting with Lenore.

“I need to say goodbye to the others,” I said gently as I stepped out of Constance’s embrace.

“I know,” Constance said. “Come back to us.”

“I will,” I promised as I walked five steps and gathered Lenore up in my arms.

“No kisses,” Lenore said. “I just want your cock in my cunt.”

“No time,” Miki said. “I already tried to get him to do me.”

“Ah, poo,” Lenore said merrily. “I knew it was unlikely since we have to head to the airlock, but I wanted to be able to brag to Ashley that I had a load of his cum inside me when we returned to our home.”

“She’ll happily lick you even if you don’t,” I said.

“We know,” Miki said.

Tatyana and Aine showed up a moment later. Aine had a smile on her face. “The concubine’s quarters will be crowded, but it might be fun to get to know some more concubines.”

“Oh?” I asked.

“Well, I’ve already learned all of the tricks that your ladies have come up with. So perhaps someone new can help me really blow you away with my sexual skills,” Aine replied.