It would be a few minutes before Juli could see the exit to the cave she transported into. Outside, she reflexively squinted as she felt the sun’s light warm her mostly naked body. The green sky had a few streaks of clouds, inconclusive in color. Her boots soon met dirt, and she looked out ahead of herself. The cave entrance was on a small hill, no more than 20 meters up, giving her some view of various hills and a nearby lake, but plenty of exotic forest at the ground level.

Having realized she was out in the open, she withdrew to an alcove and fired out another transmission from her collar. “Mackie to Summers, Mackie to Summers, come in,” she said.

Her earpiece crackled to life. “This is Sylvia. Juli, you all right?”

Juli breathed a sigh of relief. “Sylvia, am I glad to hear your voice,” she said. “I’m all right, all things considered. What about you?”

“Oh, fine, just had a nice nap,” Sylvia responded. She seemed overly cheerful for the situation, which was somewhat suspicious. “But anyway, where are you?”

Juli looked at the map on her viewscreen and grimaced. Of the three of them, she was the furthest from the drop point, about four miles away. She was also furthest from the last known coordinates of Alpha Team, some thirty miles due northwest. Dawn had sprung, and it was going to be a long day, no matter what happened.

“Uncertain, some weird stuff’s blocking my view,” Juli said, using a code to indicate not to speak up. Best to be sure because, given where they came from, it’s likely they’re being monitored to some extent by their pursuers, who now control the Andromeda.

“What will you do then,” Sylvia asked.

“I think I’ll go to the drop point, sit down and eat for about 10 minutes, then do some scans, if necessary.”

“Ten minutes? That’s a long time,” said Sylvia, concerned.

“Well, I’m hungry!” Juli said.

“Well, if that’s what you want to do, go ahead. Keep me posted.” Sylvia’s voice was a little too friendly.

“Same to you. Oh, and Sylvia?”

“Yes, Juli?”

“Make some clothes if you have to.”

“How did you...” Sylvia yelled as Juli shut off contact. She knew her friend well: That voice was post-orgasm. She didn’t know what happened, nor did she want to know. Of course, she was no innocent either, especially given she fucked a bug and a sapient worm she couldn’t identify in the last several hours. Not bad, but not the right time for those sorts of shenanigans.

Besides, her coded message made things difficult. She suggested that instead of meeting at the drop point (which the boarders probably knew about), they should go to a certain spot far from it, and contact the captain then. It would take the better part of the day, but it was the best option.

Additionally, thirteen miles in these heels was definitely not something Juli looked forward to. She descended into the forest, hoping to not get attention from anyone.

By mile 3, she didn’t have to think about those heels anymore. A few inopportune rocks got in the way, finally breaking apart the left heel. She groaned: It wasn’t her intent to wear these boots, but the boarding prevented her from wearing something more practical. Moreover, she liked those shoes.

But a busted left heel meant the jig was up for them. So, she moved to a rock, making sure she wasn’t being watched by anything, then began unlacing the shoe. As she did so, she was impressed by the fact that the worm’s seed seemed to work. She saw quite a few large animals pass by, some certainly threatening. None cared to bother her.

After a few minutes of struggle, Juli was back on her (barren) feet. Sparing her arm bands and tech collar, she was completely naked. She wasn’t particularly happy about it, however. Perhaps she could trust the seed enough to do its job. Besides, it was nice to roam biomes wearing nothing but a smile, especially during surveys. But this wasn’t a trip to the Cerula system: It was a botched rescue mission. She was quite vulnerable, and she didn’t like it one bit.

At the very least, she was thankful to have transported to one of the hotter climate zones on the planet. It was warm enough that she didn’t shiver from the lack of clothing.

Still, Juli would be happy with even a basic suit at this point. It was certainly possible that someone would get the drop on her, and it would just turn south quickly once they realized she was unprotected.

Another thing Juli wanted was to wash herself. She hadn’t showered in well over a day, having planned to do so right when the Andromeda was attacked. Combined with the gunk from the cave and the “fluids” she got from those creatures she cavorted with, she felt icky (though she got some samples off them). The smell wasn’t too good either.

Thankfully, the path was very close to a lake around mile 5 that not only had a liquid composition that was safe to swim and drink, but also some flora next to it whose leaves and nuts could be made into a basic soap and shampoo (though not conditioner, sadly). Juli, expecting Sylvia to get into more “trouble” before reaching the meeting spot, decided to take a detour.

After 10 minutes of preparation, including unbraiding her hair, Juli soaked in the tepid lake for a few moments before relaxing and washing herself. While the worm warned her to move quickly because the seed’s effects wouldn’t last long, she felt that she only needed to meet Sylvia, and that would be enough to deal with any hostiles until they could find weapons. So she was slow in her routine.

Eventually, Juli got out of the water, squeezing the excess from her long hair. Annoyingly, while the flora around the lake could make good soaps, they didn’t make good towels. Her best option was to lay on one of the smooth flat rocks and let herself bake under the sun for a spell before continuing onward.

No sooner than a minute after she laid down, her hair spread out like a headdress, that she heard a muffled shriek.

Immediately on her feet, Juli darted her head around and above, only to find nothing. Then she heard another shriek, likely from the same creature. It was coming from the nearby bushes. Grabbing a rock, she approached cautiously, crouching under the brush. She didn’t bring her equipment, since she was uncertain whether the noises were coming from foes or not.

In a clearing, she saw two creatures. One, the shrieker, she recognized as a tree stalker. It was an arboreal reptilian creature with an odd beak and primate-like limbs that often got its food by diving from a branch onto an unsuspecting target on the ground. The latter part of the name came from the animal’s uncanny ability to attack from the prey’s blind spot merely by following it for hours.

The other creature, however, fascinated her, as she hadn’t seen it before. It was a small (for the planet) insectoid, about 2 feet long. Or, at least it seemed that way until it dodged an attack by stretching a considerable length, allowing it to slip from the Tree Stalker’s grasp. It was a cross between a silverfish and a centipede, with its legs looking like wings when fully extended.

However, it was a losing battle for the latter, as the stalker’s backup strategy of wearing it down was working. Juli knew it was a bad idea, but she felt a certain compulsion to help the insect out. Moreover, she saw it as an opportunity to actually recover something from this whole operation. She threw the rock at the stalker, conking it on the beak. She then stood up and approached the clearing, standing between the two creatures. Repulsed and fearful, the stalker scattered to the nearest tree.

Juli, completely naked but not completely dry, turned to the creature. She was about to kneel and examine it when it decided to show off its stretching ability by going upward. The woman stood in awe of this fluid movement, wondering where the creature’s mass came from. Eventually, it got high enough to face her at standing height. Amazed, she realized she had to get this creature somehow.

The creature then advanced on her. Part of her wanted to fall back a little, but her visual analysis indicated it was doing nothing threatening, nor did it seem to have any method to bite or eat her. So she stood still. Eventually, the creature got close enough to lower its antennae, reaching ear level. Juli was uncertain what it was asking for until it tapped her ears. A little concerned, she nevertheless decided to put the antennae in her ears.

For a moment, she heard buzzing, followed by weird noises coming from within her head. It took a while, but eventually the noises turned into words that Juli recognized. Immediately, she understood the creature to be parasitic in nature. Eventually, it spoke in a manner similar to the worm. “It is thankful to be saved,” it said.

Confused by the words for a moment, Juli recognized it probably had very limited intelligence. “Um, you’re welcome? What are you,” she asked.

“It is thankful. It shall help you. It smells seed,” the creature said in Juli’s mind.

“Yes, the worm. You know it?”

“The seed protects you, but not for long. It shall help you, if okay.”

“Help? How?”

“It shall live behind. You will nourish it. It shall show you what it sees. You will nourish it. It shall create thread armor. It shall help you, if okay.”

“Thread ... armor?” Juli was exasperated.

“It shall help you, if okay.”

Juli was taken aback by the sudden request. It was clearly asking to parasitize her. Such a concept – consent – was not common among parasites, and certainly not among those on this planet. Moreover, this was mental, as opposed to physical cues.

The creature’s legs didn’t help matters. They weren’t following any pattern, but they were still mesmerizing to Juli. She yearned for it to come closer...

“It needs answer.”

Juli was startled by the message. “Um ... I need to think,” she said. Then she had an idea. “Follow me to the rocks,” she said.

“It understands.” With that, the parasite removed its antennae and retracted to its regular form. Juli then turned around and returned to the rock she had been laying on.

When Juli was 18, she had the rare opportunity to hike on a planet that had only recently begun colonization. Juli enjoyed hiking by herself, and it was rare to do such a thing on Earth except in very contained environments. Further, once colonization began on a planet, the local authorities often took great care to lock down any excursions outside the colony. However, the science lead in this particular colony was a good friend of her mother’s, so she got a free pass to go hiking unsupervised, on the condition she’d return by sunset.

Mid-day, Juli had gone about 12 miles from the colony, she reached an odd hill. She climbed it carefully, trying not to disturb the natural surroundings. But about halfway up this hill, the soft earth gave way, causing her to fall into a small cavern. She landed with a couple minor scrapes and a bruised butt, but nothing serious. However, the buttons on her vest popped out, leaving it open and her chest completely exposed.

As she laid there, cursing the maker of her vest, she noticed a few insects falling to the ground. It turned out the hill was filled with various bugs that tunneled through the soil. Soon, a few fell on top of her exposed breasts. Under normal circumstances, any other person would have freaked out at the sight of these creatures – termites, ants, centipedes, and some arachnids – landing near them. However, Juli, who spent an unhealthy amount of time obsessing over the fauna of the planet, knew the insects near the colony site were harmless. Even if they bit her, they wouldn’t harm her. So, for curiosity’s sake, she let the bugs crawl on her body.

After an initial shock subsided, the sensations she felt became different as more insects dropped on her. It was almost ticklish, but more ... pleasant. Sensual. Juli started to gasp in excitement as they moved around to areas they weren’t before. Her inexperience meant she didn’t understand the extent of these sensations, only that they felt amazing and she wanted more. Who knew these little buggers could feel so good? She also recognized that her clothes were in the way of the bugs’ exploration. Guess she had to do something about that.

The next day, when a search team found Juli, she was naked and covered in insects. Given her state, there was severe worry one of the big predators in the area had attacked her. A small scandal rose up, and it would be a few years before anyone could leave the colony walls. Juli herself wouldn’t be able to perform her own hikes again for another two years, thanks to her overprotective parents.

What the rescuers didn’t recognize, as Juli remembered walking back to the stone, was how nonplussed she was at their arrival. She knew enough about this biome to survive for at least another day. Plus, while it was a cave-in, she recognized various means of escape, and could’ve left shortly after her fall. Moreover, they somehow didn’t notice the scent emanating from her after countless orgasms, the wetness of her crotch, or even the fact that she had neatly folded her clothes and placed them nearby.

Juli laid on her back on the stone. She was a bit confused as to what to feel. On the one hand, this offering seemed a little suspicious. The parasite was able to communicate effectively, and moreover it requested consent. There was something extremely unusual about that. On the other, she needed to wear something. Even if she was able to make it to Alpha Team under the seed’s power, she still lacked the most basic form of protection. If it could give her that, she would have a little more confidence to confront what was ahead. There was also the mere fact that catching this live unknown specimen for later research would be invaluable for study at some point.

However, as was obvious from the flashback Juli just had, there was something distracting about the creature. She knew she was in a dangerous situation, and had little time. She was aware that she had to move and meet up with the rest of Bravo Team if she were to have even a rat’s chance of escaping this planet and her pursuers. But she just couldn’t escape the desire to be touched and prodded by this insect-like creature. Maybe the two sessions from earlier had loosened her up a little bit. Oh, who was she kidding?

Juli had to make a choice quick, though. The creature had arrived at the stone at her feet, intent on getting an answer. It crawled towards Juli, trying to reach her ears again. Not having a sense of personal space, it took the most straightforward path: Between her legs.

As she felt the creature’s antennae touch the soles of her feet, she let out a slight gasp, embarrassingly anticipating the creature’s path. She parted her legs, allowing the creature through. Eventually, she felt tiny legs touch her thighs, and her pussy twitched. Breathing heavily, she unconsciously spread her legs even further, causing the bug to slip. But she had no intention of denying the parasite its goal. She goaded it to continue onward.

Suddenly, Juli shuddered. The creature got a foothold on the outer folds of her pussy, and began climbing up. She moaned as she tried to maintain composure so it could move with relative ease. It responded by moving more slowly. This drew out the process of it reaching Juli’s head, but that didn’t matter: She lost all sense of pretense and wanted to ride out the pleasure she was now experiencing.