Chapter 10

Edited by Steve

The next morning, Tim sat in the officer’s lounge, enjoying a bit of quiet time and having a bite to eat with a cup of Java. He spent the time thinking things over. “The last two days have been quiet, with the girls doing their training and spending time at the firing range,”

Sarha interrupted Tim’s thoughts as she announced, “Tim, we will be coming out of the hyper-warp in about 15 minutes, just inside a system I have named Harilan-Prime. What would you like to do?”

Tim got up from his seat and started toward the bridge. “Tell the girls I need them on the bridge,” he said. He left his empty cup on the table and knew Millie, the Officer’s Lounge bot, would have the place spotless when he got back.

Sarha appeared right inside the women’s quarters, surprising the girls, who let out screams. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to surprise you. I’ll have a bot knock on the door next time. Tim has asked for your presence on the bridge, ladies.”

Tabitha was standing in the middle of the room, dressed only in her bra and pants. She yanked her pants suit up her legs and over her hips, pulling the zipper up and tucking her boobs inside. Tammy was already dressed, and they headed out the door. “Tell Tim we are on our way,” Tammy said as they left at a hurried pace.

Tim left the officer’s lounge and entered the bridge; he walked over and took his seat. “Sarha, I need you to hold position right after we come out of hyper-warp, and I need the ship to be cloaked.”

“I will hold just after we come out of hyper-warp until you have provided new instructions. Is there a reason?” Sarha asked, now standing next to Tim’s command chair.

“Yes, this is the first time I’ve been in this system, and I want additional information. Sarha, you’ve passed through many systems; how did you know what was there?”

“First, I send out about 50 probes and wait until they send back the information from their scans. “I’ll have the probes ready in less than 10 minutes if you want.”

“OK, let’s do that! Is there any way to make the probes invisible?” asked Tim, looking at the viewscreen and grasping how big the system is. “What information do the probes gather?”

“Yes, I can cloak them, which makes them undetectable,” Sarha said, giving all the working bots new instructions to change the probes to Tim’s specifications. “The probes look for intelligent life, radio transmissions, abnormal radiation, and other phenomena. They also map the system and identify the planets and major moons.”

Tabitha and Tammy entered the bridge and headed for their stations. Sitting down, they began monitoring their displays. “Helm ready, Captain!” Tabitha said.

“Navigation ready, Captain!” Tammy said as she looked over her right shoulder.

“The ship is ready, Captain! The probes are ready per your instructions. They will report on the level of intelligence of any life form on any planet,” Sarha said.

“OK, send out the probes. Navigation, search the system for anything,” Tim said in a command voice.

Sarha commanded, “Probe away.” With that, the robotic probes set off on their missions to explore the unknown parts of Harilan-Prime.

Tabitha asked, “How do you shoot them out of the ship?”

Sarha tells her that they are sent out through a launch tube with a built-in airlock. However, since that part of the ship is rarely manned, it’s easier to decompress the whole compartment. The probes are simply launched through the open-air lock, and their propulsion system is engaged. A typical probe is a sphere about sixteen feet in diameter, but I can manufacture smaller and larger versions. “They also have articulated arms to manipulate objects if necessary.”

“Tim, we have a ship on the viewscreen. “It’s on the opposite side of the system and is moving away from us,” Tammy said.

“Are we getting any information on what type of ship it is or anything else?” Tim asked.

“Sarha, will they be able to detect us?” Tim asked with a concerned look on his face.

“I have cloaked the ship, as per your instructions,” Sarha said.

“Do we know what is on that side of the system?” Tim asked, studying the more detailed information on the screen.

“I will send a probe directly to that area as a priority. “It will take a while, but I will have the requested information,” Sarha replied.

While they sat there, the probes’ information started coming in, and the viewscreen began to update. Tim leaned forward to look at the map. There were two gas giants, an asteroid belt, and five uninhabitable planetoids.

“Sarha, I thought your records said this was an uninhabited system,” Tim asked.

“Tim, the information in my system is over 10,000 years old. But there are no inhabitable planets, so anything intended for living beings would have to be an artificial object. “As we go through each star system, I update my records,” replied Sarha.

“There are no signs of life so far,” Tammy said. “And life the way we know it probably could not exist on a gas giant.”

“We’ll wait here until we hear from all the probes, in particular the one you sent to the system’s far side,” Tim stated.

Tim and the girls sat on the bridge and talked for about two hours, studying all the updates as they came in.

“Tim, what is that thing hanging on the wall?” Tammy pointed toward the clock.

Tim looked in the direction she was pointing. “That is a clock, is give the date, and time. Don’t you have clocks?”

“Yes, but ours are a little difference.”

“Ladies, if you want to know the time, say clock and I’ll tell you what the information is on the clock.” Sarha replied.

Finally, the one they were waiting for started to update. There seemed to be a space station on the other side, but it appeared abandoned.

“It will take a while before the probe is within range for more detailed information,” Sarha said.

“Sarha, when all these probes go out, how is the information collected?” asked Tabitha.

“Each probe has a set of instruments to get all the information needed; I program each probe to search for the requested information. “It is then sent back to my system and stored there.” Sarha clarified.

“Let’s go to the officers’ lounge and have something to eat,” Tim said.

Both girls followed Tim to the lounge. They ordered food and sat around and talked while they ate.

“Do you have any questions about the ship? I may be able to answer.” Tim asked.

Tim requested that Sarha showed a hologram of the ship so that everyone could have a better understanding of what it looks like.

“Tim, what’s a hot tub? Is it like a lake?” asked Tammy, who sat and gazed at a hologram of Deck 5.

“No, it’s nothing like a lake. It’s a tub, large enough for two to twelve or even more people, filled with hot water. It has jets to circulate the water and create air bubbles. “Not only that, but it’s very relaxing.”

Tabitha moved closer to Tammy to look at the hologram, and Tammy pointed it out to her sister.

“Why would anyone want to sit in a hot tub with someone else?” Tabitha asked, and she looked confused.

“It’s a place where many friends can get together and enjoy each other’s company and the warm water to relax in. You swim in a lake or pool that holds many people, so why would it be a problem because the water is heated?” Tim asked.

“Can we try it?” Tammy asked, looking up at him with a grin.

“Yes, we’ll have to try it out. Tim, will you join us?” Tabitha asked delightedly.

At about that time, Sarha appeared in the room. She saw Tim and the girls talking and interrupted. “Tim, the probe is within range, and there is something you need to see.”

Tim and the girls headed back to their stations. They checked out the readings and looked at the space station on their display screen. It appeared abandoned, with scratches and dents from small meteoroids and faded areas from sunlight and the solar wind, but the probe showed a life sign.

“Sarha, is there any sign of the ship we saw leaving earlier? Is there a way to get a better look at the station and maybe see the source of the life sign?” Tim asked.

“I can see if a probe can get inside the station if you want?” Sarha replied.

“OK, go ahead and try it,” Tim said. Sarha reprogrammed the probe to search for an opening to get inside the space station.

The probe maneuvered around the space station. It was soon discovered that one side was missing a large section. The closer the probe got, the more the station looked like no one had been there in five or ten centuries. The probe moved in closer, carefully checking the opening for a way to get inside. It found an airlock that it could use. The lock appears to have been intended for small cargo vehicles, with an opening that was 75 feet wide and 18 feet tall. The probe determined a route that was safe and moved inside. The interior was dark, and there was no gravity. Bits and debris drifted through the air. The probe followed a pathway to an increasing signal and found a compartment that held the life form. The compartment had a sealed door with a porthole. The probe placed its sensor up to the porthole so that Tim and the girls could see inside. There, they saw a figure on the floor. It wasn’t moving, but the probe’s sensors showed that it was still alive.

“Sarha, how fast can we get there? Can the probe stay there to monitor the life form?

Furthermore, do we have an antigravity sled?” Tim asked as he rose from his chair.

The ship is already enroute and will take approximately four hours to complete. I’ll hold the probe there until we reach the station. Finally, a bot will have a sled near the airlock. The sled will be equipped with an antigravity system and small thrusters for working in space!” replied Sarha.

Tim and the girls returned to the lounge to wait. When Sarha notified him, he headed to the lift, and the girls followed, waiting to see what he had in mind. “Tabitha and Tammy, I need you both to stay here! Tabitha, you stay on the bridge just in case that ship returns. Tammy, I’ll need you suited up and in the cargo bay to help when I return with the life form.

“I’ll keep an eye on the scanner and let you know if anything shows up,” Tabitha said, heading back to the bridge and her pilot station. She sat down and pulled up the view screen on the full-screen monitor at the front of the bridge.

“I’ll get my suit on and meet you in the cargo bay,” Tammy said, heading for her room. She removed her clothes and slid into her environmental suit. She grabbed her helmet and headed for the cargo bay.

“When we get there, I need you to stay about 1,000 meters away from the space station. I’ll use the sled to go across,” Tim said on the intercom to Tabitha just before he entered the lift. He headed to his room to get into his environmental suit. “This is taking too long to get into these suits. We need a faster way,” he thought on his way to the cargo bay.

The ship arrived at the space station, and Tabitha held the position at the requested distance. Tammy was waiting in the cargo bay to help bring whatever life form was inside.

Tim opened the airlock hatch, hooked a lifeline to the ship, and used the sled’s propulsion to cross the gap, trailing the lifeline behind him. Once he reached the station, he connected the line to a handy protrusion and moved to the interior, letting the sled pull him. He maneuvered through the airlock and noted both hatches were open, indicating the station was in a vacuum, before finding himself in a long corridor. He had to jockey around furniture, lockers, and other obstacles bolted to the deck or elsewhere and watch for objects floating around, which slowed him down, so it took him a little while to reach the probe. He looked through the porthole and saw the life form lying there in an environmental suit. He looked at as much of the room as he could and didn’t see anything that seemed dangerous at first glance. Opening the door was easy; now, he could check the life form to some extent.

Tim moved toward it very slowly. He constantly checked where he stepped and the area around him, looking closely for any traps. He eased up to the figure’s side, kneeled, and examined the individual facing the deck. He noted the life form’s suit was expanding and contracting a little at a time, showing it was still alive.

“I’m beside the life form, and it’s still breathing! I’m going to try to get it on the sled.” Tim started to reach for the figure but stopped and looked around, taking in the room. There was something that felt wrong.

Tim’s understanding of the situation was that this station either did not have artificial gravity or had shut down, but this person was still lying on the deck instead of floating in the room. Tim inspected the area and the surrounding area to see whether there were any booby traps or anything else that could set off an explosion.

Tim quickly discovered some wires that were attached to the body and followed them to a small package. Carefully ensuring that disconnecting the cables wouldn’t trigger any devices, he removed them from the body. Turning the body over, he discovered it was female. He couldn’t do much to help her while she was in the environmental suit, so he gently lifted her and secured her to the sled.

Tim made the return journey with little extra effort. There are some advantages to the lack of gravity. The probe followed directly behind him, allowing those on the ship to observe his passage. He traveled through the station’s corridors to the original entry point. Untying the lifeline, he tied it to the sled for the trip back to Star Gladiator 1. It took a little longer to get around because he was constantly checking his passenger. When he got to the airlock, Tammy helped him with the sled and made sure the lifeline was inside before closing the airlock.

They left their new guest secured to the sled and took her to the medical bay. Sarha had made sure that things were set up for them, and Dr. Marus and Dr. Wellbe, the two medical robots, transferred the female to a medical bed. Sarha had the doctor bots take off her environment suit and do a full medical exam and scan.

Her body was in terrible shape. The ones who abandoned her had beaten her severely, and she had all sorts of wounds and vicious bruises throughout her body. They left her there to die.

As the woman’s body started to respond to initial treatment, it changed forms quickly, not holding a single form for long. Before her body finally settled on one shape, it must have gone through about twenty different ones.

Tim sat in his command chair and observed everything on a monitor. Once the body transformation started, he said, “I believe that we have a shape-shifter at this point! I only hope that she’s a decent individual!”

“What exactly do you mean? What is a shape-shifter? And why are you so calm?” Tabitha asked with a puzzled look, and she had no idea what he was talking about but was surprised that his detached tone of voice made him sound completely unconcerned.

“A shape-shifter is a being who can change its form into other living things! An evil shape-shifter can and will use its capability to do terrible things, like transformation into an individual within the control of a company or nation, and do anything they desire for their self-interests,” Tim said as he rose from his chair.

“So, are we treating her with open arms or as a foe?” Tammy asked with her arms folded in front of her, trying to be understood.

“Is the form she’s in now her actual form?” Tabitha asked, looked at the viewscreen, and saw the image of the new form lying on the medical table.

“It could be because it’s the last one she turned into,” Tim said, walking back to his chair and sitting down. He looked at the woman on the viewscreen. She had light green skin covering her body. She was about 6 feet tall and weighed about 150 pounds. Her face was almost human, with a large, pointed nose. Her eyes were all black without a visible iris, and she had two sets of canine fangs, both top and bottom. Likewise, her hair was a darker green, and her hands and feet had long, pointed toes and fingers.

“Sarha, is there any way to tell how long it will take for her to recover?” Tim asked after he looked at the woman.

“I have no records on this specific species. We will keep the scanners on this woman in question and track what is happening to her body. We have been recording everything from when you found her and will continue,” Sarha said.

“Navigation plots a course back to our entry point into this system. “Helm, engage when ready,” said Tim.

“Plotted and laid in, Captain,” said Tammy.

“Engaged,” said Tabitha.

“Sarha, please keep me informed on the status of our guest.” Sarha looked at Tim, gave a single nod, and disappeared.

Tim looked toward Tabitha and Tammy. He said it with a satisfied smile as he saw the amazed expressions on the girls’ faces. “You ladies did an excellent job today, and I am very proud of you both.”

They both came over to him and hugged him before returning to their stations.

Tim wanted to take a break, so he decided to head down to Deck 5. He stepped out of the lift and looked around. “Do I want a lake or a hot tub? Hot tub it is,” he thought and turned to the right.

Sarha tracked Tim’s location using the cameras along the hallway so she could prepare the area he was going to. She saw Tim making the right turn and knew he was going to the hot tub. She turned on the airflow and sent a Mister Clean bot to clean up.

Tim came to the door to the hot tub area and wasn’t surprised when it automatically opened. He saw an electronic sign: “Please do not run in this area.” Another sign said, “Men’s Dressing Room,” with an arrow pointing to the left. A sign said, “Women’s Dressing Room,” with an arrow pointing to the right. He thought, ‘I assume Sarha translated them for me; using an electronic sign that can switch languages is a clever idea.’ Tim turned to the left and headed to the dressing room. He came out in his swimsuit and noted that a bot already had the hot tub ready for him. He walked over to the tub and sat down to enjoy a relaxing time.

A bot came up to Tim and stopped a few feet away. “Captain, my name is Mister Clean. May I get you a drink?”

Tim grinned in surprise.

“Sarha, may I ask a question?”

She appeared and asked, “You may. How may I help you?”

“Do all your bots talk?”

“Yes, my former crew members wanted each and every one of them to talk.”

“Thank you,” Replied Tim

“Mister Clean, An iced tea, please. My name is Tim, and you may address me by that name.

“Thank you,” he said.

“Protocol requires that I address you by your title, Captain. I am sorry. Is that a Long Island iced tea or a boring one?” asked Mister Clean.

“Not the Long Island version, just the plain version,”

Mister Clean returned quickly and handed Tim his drink. “Will there be anything else, Captain?”

“Not now. And the name is Tim.”

“Yes, Captain, I will remember that. I know that this is just a conversation, an icebreaker. It has been a long time since I’ve had a conversation with anyone, Captain,” said Mister Clean as he turned and moved out of sight.

Tim just had to shake his head and sigh at the antics of Mister Clean. He wondered if Sarha had programmed him like that, or if something about bots in his position, effectively as a maitre d’ in this case, had caused him to be like that. It doesn’t matter, and there is a humorous slant to his behavior.

Tim sat in the relaxing water and let his mind drift when the door opened, and the girls came in.

“Hi Tim, ... Tim, did you have the bots put up the signs to know which dressing room was yours?” Tammy asked while giggling. They walked up to the tub and sat on the edge.

“Ladies, my name is Mister Clean, and may I get you two lovely ladies a drink?” As both girls sat down, Mister Clean said. He waited for the girls to answer.

“Tim, when did you get such a good-looking friend?” Tammy squealed.

“That will get you anything you want, and I’ll buy the drinks,” Mister Clean said. His computer screen showed a face with a big smile. “And you will not have to tip, and we will let the guy in the tub do that. “By the way, may I have your names?”

“Two iced teas, please.” “My name is Tabitha, and hers is Tammy,” said Tabitha.

Tammy placed her hand in the water and said, “Boy, this is warm. “May we join you?”

Mister Clean brought the drinks and handed each girl an iced tea. “Ladies, will there be anything else?” he asked. “Captain, I was only joking about the tip, but it would be nice if you had a spare can of oil.” With that, Mister Clean backed away.

Tim looked at Tammy and said, “Yes, feel free anytime.”

Tammy began unfastening her top and releasing the bra fastened in the front. She folded her clothes and sat in the closest chair.

“The changing room is over there!” Tim said, pointing to the changing room door.

Tammy ignored Tim. Standing there, she unfastened her panties, pushed them down over her hips, and bent over to step out. She folded them and placed them net to her other clothes. Down to only her pants, she put a finger from each hand in the pants’ waistband and rolled them down slowly. Taking her time and bending at the waist deliberately, she raised one foot at a time and stepped out. Finally, she placed her panties neatly on top of all the clothes.

Tammy was now naked in front of Tim. “I don’t take baths with my clothes on!” She turned and headed towards the tub.

Tim attempted to speak to Tabitha but found himself staring directly into Tammy’s pussy, her tail sticking straight up into the air from the backside.

“It looks nice, doesn’t it?” Tammy said, looking over her shoulder to make sure Tim got a good look. She moved her hips from side to side with a bit of wiggle.

Tammy stepped over the edge and sat down in the water. “This is nice! Tabitha, take off your clothes and come on in!”

“I think I’ll have a bot bring my suit from our quarters,” Tabitha replied. She sat down on the edge of the tub and waited.

Mister Clean heard what Tabitha said and came over to her side, saying, “Tabitha, the machine in every department knows the same information. If you had one made, I could have another one made in a minute.”

“I had one made at the lake; it was a red one-piece. Thank you very much,” said Tabitha.

Mister Clean headed towards the women’s dressing room, transmitting Tabitha’s name and color choice into the machine. He returned with Tabitha’s suit, and while she was changing, Mister Clean stood between Tim and Tabitha so she could have some privacy.

Once she put the swimsuit on, Tabitha stepped into the tub. “This is very warm, and it feels wonderful,” she said as she took her drink back from Mister Clean.

The three of them sat in the warm water and talked for a little while. During this time, Tammy continued to play with her pussy. She kept the fingers of her left hand busy holding the lips open while the right-hand fingers were inside playing.

She got up to say something to Tabitha. Standing between Tim and Tabitha, she bent over in front of Tim.

Tim looked straight into Tammy’s pussy again, her tail sticking straight up. “Tammy, if you keep putting your pussy right in my face, I’ll have to do something with it.”

“Please do. It’s sizzling around the edges and even hotter in the middle!” Tammy exclaimed with a wide grin. Just knowing she had been playing with it worked her up.

“Do you want to come and sit on my lap?” Tim asked with a chuckle. He was patting his lap and did not think Tammy would even do something like that.

Tammy turned to face Tim, looking down into his lap and noticing his dick harden. She thought, “Now is the right time; it’s hard, and he asked.”

Tammy backed up and sat on his lap as soon as he said that. She moved her bottom around and felt Tim’s hard dick.

“Tammy, stop that right now!” Tabitha said, but her voice sounded very throaty, not angry.

Tammy moved her ass until she was right on Tim’s dick, and she thought about how it would affect her.

“No, you’re upset because I’m here and you’re not,” Tammy said with a horny grin, and she kept rubbing her pussy on Tim’s dick. “Tim, could you do something for me?”

“What is it you want?” he asked. Moving the way, she was, and feeling her pussy lips on his dick made it hard to talk.

“Well, if you put it that way, I want you to slide your dick inside my red-hot pussy. This warm water and your big hard dick aren’t doing a damn thing for it!” She placed her left hand down on her pussy and started playing with it; at the same time, she could also touch Tim’s dick. She thought, ‘Damn, it’s so big and hard. I bet it would feel good inside of me.’

“You’ll have to get up,” Tim said, feeling extremely horny. Tammy got up and turned around for a better look. He stood up and dropped his suit, and his 8-inch-long dick popped straight out in front. Tim just stood there and looked at their reactions. Tim’s dick became harder as a result of their expressions and sounds. Tim intended to let Tammy have a good look and then let her decide if she wanted to continue in front of her sister.

Both girls let out soft meows. “I need to touch it,” Tammy stated, her hands going straight to his cock. Moving quickly, she did not give him a chance to respond. She held it with both hands and turned to look at Tabitha. “This cock feels like steel. Why not come over and see for yourself?”

Tabitha’s mouth was open as she stared at Tim’s hard dick, which was eight inches long. She could not say a word; she just stared; her mind blank. Seeing him look at her, she smiled, and her jaw dropped.

Tammy began to run her hands up and down Tim’s cock, both hands holding it, sensing the veins swelling, looking down, and seeing a drop of pre-cum.

Tim felt Tammy’s hands all over his dick, which felt incredible. He hoped he did not lose his load too soon as she kept running her hands slowly upward and downward.

On impulse, Tammy kneeled and moved towards his dick, trying to put it in her mouth. But her mouth was too small for the cock, and the cock was a little too big for her; she settled on getting the mushroom-shaped head inside and licking it while stroking the shaft to taste the pre-cum. She started by licking his cock’s swollen head using her tongue, making it wet enough to slip into her mouth easily. She thought, “I hope I can do this; I’ve dreamed about doing this so many times.”

Tim was in heaven from the feeling of Tammy’s hot, wet tongue sliding over the head of his cock. Her lips were soft, and she worshiped his cock as it had never been treated before.

Tammy savored the taste of his pre-cum in her mouth for a moment, licking her full lips to make sure she had not missed any and then moved back to engulf more of the cock this time. Tim gasped with pleasure as Tammy swirled her tongue over the eye of his cock. She had begun to apply gentle suction and was trying to get some more of his tasty pre-cum. Tim was happy to oblige and provided the eagerly sucking young woman with another small spurt. She thought, “This is just like I dreamed it would be, only better.”

Tim stood there with his mouth open, gasping from the feeling. Tammy knew how to suck a dick. He looked over to Tabitha as she sat there watching Tammy sucking on him. She began to gently move her hands across her breasts, stroking and caressing. She pushed them in a kind of figure eight, circling each breast before catching the nipple with her fingers. It was very erotic and immensely stimulating. Her nipples became hard little bullets.

Tim placed his hand gently on Tammy’s head to encourage her. Tammy drooled on his shaft, throating as much of him as she could with her hands on his thighs. Tim groaned louder when she tightened her lips around him and started to suck. His dickhead bumping the back of her throat turned her on even more. His orgasm began with a heavy sensation in his pelvis rushing ahead. His cries turned into a long, sustained moan of passion as he climaxed, suddenly shoving his cock as deep into her as it could, blowing his load directly down her throat.

“Sorry, it felt so good; I could not hold it any longer,” Tim said, looking at her face.

She smiled and used her fingers to scoop a stray drop from the corner of her mouth. Tammy gave him one final lick before she stood and said, “That’s OK; maybe I can make it last longer the next time.” She thought, “I don’t know if it’s my libido, my need, or just time, but I need to do this more often!”

“Tammy, that was spectacular. Anytime you want, all you have to do is ask.”

Tammy looked over at Tabitha. “It looks like she enjoyed the show,” she said.

Tabitha had moved from sitting in the tub to sitting on the edge. She had moved the bottom of her suit and had two fingers in her pussy with a sexy and sultry look; her wet pussy was dripping. Tim watched as she lightly fingered her pussy and tugged on a nipple, looking extremely sexy.