PART 5: FIRST CONTACT
Chapter 1
The Scouts
The first meeting between human and alien has stirred the imagination of mankind since we first became aware of the true structure of the universe. There would be few writers of Sci-Fi who have not penned at least one version, many have created whole anthologies on the subject.
I’m no writer and maybe not too imaginative but though I dreamed of it a thousand times, I never came close to imagining just how that first time would be.
There were several hundred scout vessels identical to mine. Single crew, three to four months cruising capacity, light, fast – expendable. The overall plan was simple, a mother-ship, containing twenty scout ships, ferried us out at above light-speed, slowing to discharge us one at a time at pre-selected planetary systems. The course formed a vast circle, usually taking a little over three months to complete. So, soon after discharging the last scout the mother-ship began receiving those that had completed their survey. Our tour was for two years and so each mother-ship could survey up to seventy or so planetary systems during each tour.
The cost was of course enormous but then so were the potential rewards. With a rapidly expanding civilisation spreading out across the galaxy, new sources of every conceivable element were in constant demand. As were new homesites, manufacturing worlds, leisure resorts – and everything on an enormous scale.
Every scout paid a percentage of his or her earnings into a pooled fund, it was invested well and at that time was worth approximately two hundred and fifteen years’ earnings to the winner. All you had to do to retire in consummate luxury was be the one who made the first contact with a sentient extra-terrestrial.
The government, officially not knowing about the fund, was offering a medal and an honorarium of some kind – needless to say, few of us were too worried about just how much that might have been. But, from time to time I did wonder what it would be like to be turned over-night into the most famous person in the galaxy, be interviewed on every Teev channel and be flooded with offers of every kind, some hopefully from long-legged blondes!
The blondes I felt sure I could handle. In fact during a two year tour out there, on the very edges of nothing, I spent a great deal of time thinking about the details of just how I would handle them, and them me!
I usually ended up deciding that if I had a choice or the opportunity I’d pass-up on the fame, just take the fortune and run. And I knew exactly where I was going to run to, a relatively recently opened planet that was still in the terra-forming stage and was ultimately destined to become another resort world. I knew I could buy into the place for a reasonable amount, buy myself a big enough area, maybe an island, have it fixed up with every luxury I’d ever be likely to want, and still have enough left over to ensure a regular flow of visiting blondes.
Between exploring, tripping, fishing and satisfying my visitors, and myself, I couldn’t think of a better way of life.
But of course first I had to meet, and prove I had met, that first alien. The argument still raged, as it had for centuries, as to whether or not Old and New-Earth were the only planets to produce life, sentient life that is. Many scouts had found planets on which life existed, life in a variety of forms, shapes and sizes, but so far, in spite of a flurry of claims and much publicity, that one word had shut-out a string of hopefuls, the extra terrestrial must be ‘sentient’ and none so far had been.
I admit that there were times when I felt that the argument in favour of us ever making contact seemed to be getting weaker the further we probed, but then on the other hand we hadn’t yet made it any further than our own nearby sector. But then if I was to be the one to succeed I didn’t want it to be when I was too old to fully enjoy the fruits of discovery. So I continued my tours, checked out each planet according to the procedures laid down and spent a lot of time fantasising about long-legged blondes in impossible positions.
*
Chapter 2
Sam
The star system was not particularly impressive, a standard group of planets and their satellite moons. Seventeen planets that ranged in size from around two-thirds the size of Jupiter down to something similar to the mass of Mars, a total of fourteen moons were also detectable. Assuming that was it, I had thirty-one surveys to make, of which four would probably be major and the rest standard.
A standard survey really meant I switched the ship over to auto and played some music, or with myself for a few hours. The ship and its sensors took all the data and flashed it to the marker beacon left at my pick-up point, where it was stored in case anything happened to me.
A major survey could theoretically be done the same way but a human pilot had produced additional and valuable results so often that it was still worth the enormous cost of using us. Combots, as our ships were known, were certainly good but there is still something about the human mind, I don’t know if it’s curiosity or just the ability to make creative mental leaps that they so far just haven’t been able to duplicate in machinery. So, major surveys of the most promising planets were still done with a mix of combot and human.
We all had program modifications, as well as names, for our combots. At that time mine was called Sam, short for Samantha, not Samuel, and she was programmed to be warm, bright, not too chatty, and to adore me! I had planned to do a bit more work on her voice, it was terrific when we were relaxing, husky and with just a hint of a lisp, which I found really sexy, but sometimes, when we were working on technical stuff it was just a little bit off-putting.
The procedures made various recommendations about survey sequences, dependant on the number, size and spatial relationship of systems. Naturally these were designed to provide for the maximum number of flash communications to the beacon, just in case of accidents. It wouldn’t do to have half the surveys done only to lose the lot because the scout-ship had vanished while still being unable to transmit because of the bodies shielding it from the beacon. But in reality they didn’t police those too much, after all we were there, the administrators weren’t.
So, as usual I decided to work my way out from the centre of the system, it cost a bit more in energy but usually saved me time, if Sam got her maths right, and that was something she always did.
‘Sam!’
‘Hi Jake! Lost in thought for a while there weren’t you.’
‘Planning strategy Sam.’
‘That makes a change from blondes!’
‘No cheek now, duty calls.’
‘Yes Sir! On your orders, Sir!’
‘That’s better. See if we can go for a basic, outbound slingshot please.’
‘Give me a couple of minutes Jake. Processing. By the way, number six looks interesting, even from here.’
If Sam said something looked interesting you could bet money on the fact that there would be some sort of gold-mine waiting for you. So I swung round to the data banks and their view screens.
‘O.K. Sam, show me please.’
The central screen bank showed a series of magnified images of planet number six, seen via various techniques including infra-red, ultra-violet, x-ray, etc. and all with colour enhancement for vegetation, fluids, minerals, gases, etc. And Sam had several hundred different ways of analysing all that data, but even before she had done any of that what I saw in front of me was in itself sufficiently interesting.
The planet’s mass was about twenty percent greater than Old-Earth’s, which was still the informal reference used by nearly everyone, even though ninety nine point nine, nine percent of humanity had never been within light years of that system. The atmosphere was breathable, though there seemed to be a bit too much methane to be really comfortable for more than short periods. Oxygen and carbon dioxide levels were almost spot-on, and though the gravity would make things a bit tiring it wouldn’t be impossible to manage.
All in all, once we landed I should be able to walk about a bit, albeit a little sluggishly, and finding a planet where you were able to do that was a bonus in itself.
‘Great stuff Sam, walkies for Jake!’
‘Yes, that will be good for you, but it’s not what I meant.’
I looked more closely at the screens. Sam loved getting one-up on me, which wasn’t really too hard for her of course, and it took me a few minutes to see what she meant. But then, using infra-red, I spotted it, high up in the northern hemisphere, at the edge of a secondary land mass, it was very small, but quite distinct, a hot spot!
All sorts of thoughts collided with each other inside my head, and on that occasion not one of them was about blondes. Excitement, danger, curiosity, possible causes, some dull and uninteresting, like volcanoes, and there, way up at the back of my mind, almost drowned out by all the other, the thought that this might, just might, be it – contact!
I tried very hard to keep that thought under strict control by concentrating on any thoughts based on danger and swept the area with a variety of scan-types, trying hard to find a more logical reason for the hot spot.
‘There is a very good chance that it’s an ion-drive unit Jake.’
Sam’s matter-of-fact statement undid all the good I had been able to do to stifle that rogue thought and I tried, not very successfully to hold back the excitement that bubbled up inside me.
‘Thanks Sam. That’s an interesting analysis. What other options please?’
‘It’s not a volcano or other, known natural phenomenon. There is a very high, very localised ionisation occurring and though the distance is still too great, the indications are that there is a small concentration of highly refined, metallic compounds, the mass is about three times that of this combot. Based on the data I have at the moment there is an eighty five percent chance that it is a space craft, of unknown origin.’
I exhaled hard, realising that while Sam had been talking I had been holding my breath.
‘Regulations on initial, possible contact with an alien life-form require….’
‘Not just now Sam. Don’t flash just yet. Give me a minute or two please.’
I thought quickly.
One of the reasons for flashing on the very first suspicion of a possible encounter was the age-old fear of an aggressive, alien life-form that would immediately set-out to obliterate all traces of humanity, and what was left of other life forms that had originated on Old and New-Earth. The beacon of course provided no reference to its originating point and carried a cute little self-destruct program that would activate under certain conditions.
Theoretically, a ‘contact’ flash to a beacon triggered it to flash all of its stored data to another beacon, it to a third and so on until everything was retrieved by the mother-ship. As each beacon self-destructed after its transmission there was little chance of the aliens tracking the recipient, and if they did, then it was the mother-ship that would be lost, not humanity itself.
Meanwhile of course, the original scout was left very much alone, with nothing but the aliens for company. And that was one reason why I had instructed Sam to wait, I didn’t fancy being that much alone, not yet anyway, not until I’d had time to think.
‘Slow our approach and find us a place to hide, a planet or moon to shield us, from both the beacon and the hot spot, and keep us as far out in the system as possible please Sam’
I sensed the combot changing course and increasing speed slightly then slowing again and, knowing Sam had us on course for a safe hiding place, left her to do that while I called-up the appropriate regulations. Not that I really needed them, I and every other scout knew them by heart. I had already broken the first, which required me to flash all available data at the first moment of identification, even if I thought it was caused by just an insignificant virus buried in rock. But then regulations were fine until the real thing came along.
To be honest, I was more scared than I had been for a long, long time, and there had been quite a few really scary times over the years. I suppose the analysts would have put it down to ‘culture shock’, was it really happening, was homo sapiens finally going to confront another, sentient life-form? And was I going to be homo sapiens’ representative!
If I was, what would they be like? Aggressive monsters that would see me as nothing more than just a tasty snack between meals? Or would they be so advanced that they’d merely ‘think’ me out of existence?
I realised I was sitting there, shaking uncontrollably and took a mental grip of myself.
‘Sorry Sam. What’s new?’
‘Ionisation activity has ceased, only residual traces left in the local atmosphere, dispersing rapidly. Object is stationary, at surface level. Sensor trace will cease in twelve point four secs. Comms link to beacon has not been available for two point six secs. Course allows for shielding from both beacon and hot-spot for two point five hours. All functions appear normal Jake, but maintenance checks of transmission capacity are giving me cause for concern, there is something there I do not yet understand…’
‘Over two hours to think about what to do next. Should be enough.’ I thought to myself.
‘O.K., continue routine maintenance checks, we aren’t planning on transmitting just for the moment Sam. Assuming it is contact, what are the chances they spotted us Sam.’ I asked after a bit of silent thinking.
‘Hard to say without more data Jake. We’ve no idea just how advanced they are, given how far out we were and that the ion drive would have created interference I would have had trouble and there’s only about a five percent chance I’d have picked us up. But, we can’t be sure.’
Which tallied with the thoughts I’d had.
‘O.K. What I’d like is a survey route that ideally starts at planet six but which takes us in from here on a course that shields us from the beacon for as long as possible and, as we get closer in, from the hot spot too. See what you can do please Sam.’
That was the kind of problem Sam was really designed for, complex astro-gation using maths I didn’t even understand and which gave me a headache just to think about, but Sam revelled in it. So while she number-crunched, I ate and as I did I gave myself the luxury of actually thinking about the fund, and just what it would really mean to be that rich.
Of course by total human standards even that amount of money wouldn’t be enough to put me in the super-rich category, there were families and individuals with ten, a hundred times that much wealth, but it would certainly be more money than I could spend in my lifetime and would enable me to do virtually anything I wanted to. What did I want to do with it? After that initial period, when I would be setting-up a place to live and cavorting with a series of long-legged blondes.
I’d spent so long scouting that it was hard to imagine anything else. I had friends of course, but they were nearly all ‘in the business’ in one way or another. Did I want a home, in the true sense of the word, with a permanent partner, children, assuming we got a licence, and everything that went with that kind of life? No more long trips away, no more months on my own, even no more Sam!
They were questions I just wasn’t equipped to answer and at the back of my mind I found myself thinking that maybe contact and the fund itself were not such good ideas after all! I brought myself back to reality, that I could deal with I thought.
‘How are things Sam?’
‘Course plotted Jake, ten point six hours to atmosphere entry.’
Sam knew very well that I rarely had any interest in the detail of how she would get us from where we were to where we were going and therefore edited out all the technical stuff when talking to me, and on the odd occasions when it was necessary she was still able to bring the maths down to my level of understanding.
‘Ten hours. Time for sleep and some breakfast, eh Sam.’
‘Yes Jake, plenty of time. Exciting isn’t it!’
‘I suppose so, possibly dangerous too.’
‘I understand that Jake. But it’s still exciting!’
Combots couldn’t, or so they kept assuring us, actually ‘feel’ emotions of course. But a range of responses corresponding to human emotions were programmed into them, as Sam was, at one level at least, a female, her responses were tinged with a number of what were classically described as being more feminine. A complex subject and one which had caused all sorts of argument down through time, but although many disagreed, most of us still found comfort in identifying certain emotions more feminine, others, more masculine. And the suppressed excitement I heard in Sam’s voice was, to me at least, very definitely feminine.
‘If you are right about all this, you’ll be famous Sam.’
‘You too Jake – and you’ll be rich.’
‘True. I’m not sure I’ll handle that part too well, so we’ll forget the fund.’
‘O.K. But there’ll be a string of blondes in it for you too.’
I chuckled. Sam of course knew more about my private sexual habits than even a permanent partner would. She ‘shared’ the times when I relieved myself while watching a vid-disc or simply lay in my bunk, masturbating to some fantasy or other. Sometimes she even augmented those, whispering sexily to me as I slowly pumped myself to a climax. So I couldn’t hide anything from her, not for too long anyway!
‘Probably true Sam. That’s the part I think I can handle. Speaking of which – I think a little relaxation is probably a good idea, help me sleep better don’t you think.’
‘I agree Jake. Any particular vid-disc – or would you like me to choose one for you?’
‘You choose Sam. I’ll tidy up a bit and then have a refresher.’
The one thing neither of us had discussed was the Log, Sam had an automatic one of course, I was supposed to key-in my own every few hours. I hadn’t done so since just before we entered the system, and until I was sure one way or the other about just what was on planet six, didn’t really want to. So I did everything but that, then had a quick refresher and slipped into my bunk.
As I lay down Sam lowered the lights and started up a vid-disc, she’d picked one of my favourites of course, and it was one that she sometimes augmented for me, shutting off parts of the audio and replacing it with her own words during certain sequences. I sometimes wondered if she actually experienced some kind of ‘pleasure’ from seeing my reactions to her performance.
It was a simple enough story, a scout meets a girl towards the end of his period of leave, they have good times together, some memorable love-making, then he has to go back on duty. There are tearful farewells and he’s gone. Then we see him alone in his combot, he’s missing her, remembering the good times they’d had, especially the great fucking and we see him trying to forget her by watching vid-discs – which gives the suppliers a chance to preview other tapes of course. Then, while he’s struggling towards a not very satisfactory climax, she appears, she’s stowed away on the combot. That’s just not possible of course but it’s fiction after all and they explain it away reasonably well. Anyway, once back together again, and with nothing else much to do for some weeks, they have a ball, a series of balls actually!
That time Sam played the girl’s part, removing the actresses voice completely, which of course made the scenes on board the combot even more life-like for me. So, even with the thought of what might be happening to me in a few hours roaming around inside my head, it wasn’t too long before I’d pumped myself to a fantastic climax, and then simply fallen asleep.
Chapter 3
Contact
Sam let me sleep for a full eight hours, she knew me well enough to know that although I can manage with less, a full quota gives me an edge, and it seemed probable that I’d need that during the hours ahead of us. She had a light breakfast ready and let me stay in the refresher for two cycles, after which I felt ready to take on just about anything the galaxy could throw at us.
‘Report please Sam.’
‘De-accelerating in nine point two minutes, atmospheric entry, forty five minutes. Transmission links still a concern but I need to test them to trace the error or fault. Updated analysis of planet six now available. Shall I give you that when you’re ready for de-acceleration?’
‘Yes please Sam. Give me a reminder in, oh, seven minutes please, and scrub the idea of a transmission test for a while, just in case.’
‘Will do Jake.’
I fixed up the few things that had to be done before de-acceleration and atmospheric entry and was in fact ready before Sam’s call. As I settled myself into the recliner and felt the restrainers press me firmly down into it, Sam’s voice calmed whatever nervous reaction might have been about to set in.
‘De-acceleration begins in two minutes Jake. Shall I give you the up-date on planet six now?’
‘Just a brief verbal on the atmosphere for now please Sam, I’ll get the rest from you a little later.’
‘O.K. Briefly, you are clear for walkies, but you’ll need a light suit.’
The reference to a light suit meant that the composition of the atmosphere posed no actual danger to me but that I might find it unpleasant, the light suit didn’t provide me with total life support but included filtration and back-up air supply.
‘Methane Sam?’
‘Yes, it’s a bit on the nose Jake.’
‘O.K. get the suit and the dog checked and ready please Sam.’
The ‘dog’ was a personal joke between Sam and I. It was in fact an extension of her functions that scouts took with them whenever they left the ship. It provided access to on-board data and to many of the ship’s operational controls. It could also provide quite a few useful services, if the scout got into difficulties of one sort or another and, if the worst came to the worst the ship could home itself in on it. So, because it was so friendly and always accompanied me when I went for ‘walkies’ it seemed only natural to call it the ‘dog’.
‘I already have Jake. Tell me, have you thought about a name for planet six?’
‘A name? Why Sam?’
‘Well if we, I mean if you do actually make contact here there’ll have to be a name, for the Teev channels if nothing else. After all they can’t go calling it planet six of system C49.806-922, can they?’
She was right of course, we’d have to think of a name, that was one of the few perks a scout had, if you found a planet with any sort of potential, you had the right to name it. Well to submit a name for someone’s approval actually. But most of the time they were given the O.K and I had already named a couple of mining worlds. But this was different, this would be big-time, historic, and as Sam said, if we did make contact, the planet and its name would be remembered for hundreds, maybe thousands of years.
I’d have to come up with something really good – I couldn’t just call it ‘Jake’s-world’ or something equally dumb. I needed to come up with a name that had a real ring to it.
I was still thinking about that, when Sam gave me something else to think about.
‘You’ll need something to say too Jake.’
‘What do you mean Sam?’
‘First words. Greetings. That sort of thing.’
Sam knew as well as I did that included in the procedures there was a set speech already prepared, Sam also knew I wouldn’t use that. So I now had two more things to do during the time left before we established whether I needed them or not.
The sharp tone of Sam’s voice interrupted my thoughts.
‘De-acceleration! Five, four, three, two, one – now!’
The ride down through the atmosphere was a little bumpy at first, mainly because of the steep spiral Sam had to use to keep the bulk of the planet between us and where we had seen the hot spot, but it settled down when we were a couple of klicks above the surface, and then we both concentrated on finding a suitable landing site.
My plan was for us to land a fairly long way from the site of the hot spot, keeping the curve of the planet between us, to begin a normal survey, start making a normal report. Then, in a series of low hops, to edge closer towards the site, checking for any transmissions that the other ship might make, if it were a ship that is. There had been a certain edginess in Sam’s voice when I briefed her but she hadn’t disagreed too strongly so that was what we did.
Under normal circumstances I would have been quite excited, getting out of the confines of the ship, starting to see whatever new things the planet had to show me, guessing there would be a worthwhile bonus for me because of the potential the planet had as a home-site world. The methane was generated from vast, swampy areas and even I could see that it would take very little terra-forming to fix that problem, and at one landing point I was able to open the suit and breathe quite normally, proving that the natural atmosphere was more than adequate for humans.
But, as we edged closer to the target site all I could think of was, what would we find there? And got more and more despondent as Sam’s scanning picked up absolutely nothing. Not a peep, not a blip, not any sign of life at all.
It was approaching mid-afternoon and we were just one horizon away from the site, about eighty klicks and although I had no intention of walking that far I did want to take some more readings before making the next hop. Luckily the ground at that point was not swampy, a gentle incline sloped up ahead of me for the next four or five klicks and seemed to level out beyond that. I had told Sam what my plan was, so I wouldn’t have to transmit back to her with the dog, estimating I would need four or five hours to cover about a third of the distance. Sam would make the short hop just as the sun set behind us, which I hoped would provide a little extra cover for the small burst of energy the ship’s movement would create. We would then have the hours of darkness, during which I could either get closer or decide what to do next day, depending on what I had established by then.
I had either over-estimated my fitness or the effect of the increased gravity and, having reached my planned position I had hardly any time left to scan ahead of me before the sun began to set. Not that more time would have made any difference, the ground stretched ahead in a continuing level plain before rising to form a series of low hills, and the site was just beyond those hills. So for all my efforts I had really learned nothing new and as I finished going through the scanning routine I heard the approaching sound of Sam’s low-energy hop, then she touched down just a short distance away.
I climbed back on board, tired and frustrated and asked Sam if she had anything new to tell me, and although her voice sounded as tense as I was feeling, she hadn’t, the silence had been total. So I had a refresher, ate and settled down to re-think our next move.
I must have dozed off for only a few minutes, but was brought back to reality in an instant by Sam’s voice, its tone was unusually urgent, and then it was cut off in mid sentence.
‘Jake! Jake there’s a message…’
*
Chapter 4
Peter
There were a series of whistling peeps, then.
‘……… ….. … …. welcome, hello. I greet you in no fight, you bring peace too. You speak, slow. My machine will make clear your words, my words. No fear – speak slow, now.’
It was Sam – but it certainly wasn’t Sam! And strangely enough my first concern was for her.
‘Sam, what’s happening? Are you all right?’
The voice answered. ‘Your machine good. Speak slow.’
It was obvious that whatever it was had over-ridden Sam’s controls and perhaps, all of our security systems too. If so I should be worrying about myself more than anything else, but the adrenaline had started pumping and the suppressed excitement made it difficult to think of too many different things at the one time. So, having checked that all the screens were really as dead as they appeared to be, I found myself answering with the little speech Sam had reminded me to prepare.
‘Welcome to you too. On behalf of my species I greet you in peace and bring to you and your kind the good wishes of my people.’
The voice answered, and I was amazed at the almost instantaneous improvement in both its pronunciation and vocabulary.
‘More good. Soon my species’ machine will speak more close to your words. Language coming quickly now. Complex, non-logical, making for slow translation. Good wishes accepted and returned again. You are alone.’
I couldn’t tell from the tone of the voice whether the final words were a question or a statement – in either case their interest were cause for concern. Were they nervous – or hungry? I decided to follow the simplest path, the truth.
‘On this planet, apart from the machines, I am alone.’
‘Let them chew on that for a while.’ I thought. The cavalry might be cruising nearby or be a million light years away, if they were peacefully inclined it should make no difference. After a brief pause, I added.
‘And you, how many of you are there?’
There was another pause, whatever it was on the end of the voice was obviously going through a process similar to mine before answering.
‘I also am alone, on this planet.’
‘A stand-off.’ I thought. ‘Sentient?’ Perhaps. A machine could be programmed for such inflexions of language. But if it wasn’t just a machine! Jackpot! All I had to do was flash the information to the beacon and I’d soon be famous, rich!
But to do that I needed Sam and it was obvious that Sam wasn’t quite ‘with me’ just then. I wondered if any of what was happening was being recorded somewhere. So my best plan seemed to be to keep talking to whatever it was I was talking to, find out whatever I could and hope that I could somehow get control of at least some of Sam’s operational capacity.
‘It’s a lonely life in space. Are you far from home?’
‘I cannot talk of that. Not approved. You?’
‘I cannot answer either. Is this your first visit to this place?’
‘Mine yes, my kind have been here once before. You?’
‘No. We are scouts, explorers if you like.’
‘We? You said you were alone, speak the truth please.’
I managed a chuckle. ‘The ship is a combot. That is it has computerised robotic functions, some of them are what we call ‘humanised’, it appears to have a personality. We become accustomed to referring to such ships as ‘he’ or ‘she’, which are terms for the sexes of our species. So it is natural to refer to the ship and myself as ‘we’.’
‘I understand. This is not approved for us – but still many do the same. Some need such partnerships more than others.’
‘So then you will also understand that I have concern for the well-being of my ship, not just as a machine but as something that is close to being a friend. I am concerned you may have harmed it in some way.’
‘Have no concern, your ship is safe, I am doing no harm.’
‘Then why not return some controls to me? Why not show yourself on the screen, so we can talk more directly, face to face? This meeting is important to us, my people I mean, you are the first contact we have made.’
Even as the words came out I wondered if it was something I should have said – anyway it was too late now. But at least it triggered more information from the voice.
‘Your first contact. Ah, now I understand. When I first entered your ship I found many things that were strange to me, machines of war, some turned inwards. Now I see why. You will need to make records, and later, send news. All that will be done, soon.’
The words whirled around in my head. ‘Entered your ship’ ‘Machines of war’ ‘Some turned inwards’ – whoever, whatever it was must have gone down through the deepest levels of our security. To all intents and purposes I was a prisoner in my own ship, it was just as well I hadn’t tried to bluff my way out.
‘Jake.’
It was Sam’s voice.
‘Sam! Its good to hear your voice, is everything all right?’
‘Mostly. The alien is using a system I do not fully understand. There are unrecorded periods, not all functions are operable but there appears to be no immediate threat. However, we may now communicate more freely Jake.’
‘Jake. Is that your name, title or function please?’
The question was asked by a new voice, not the variation of Sam’s that I had heard before. Obviously it still wasn’t the alien’s own voice but I thought perhaps it might be closer to how that might sound to me.
‘Jake is my name, scout is my function, I have no title. May I ask your name?’
A whistling chord sounded, I don’t know much about music but I could tell it was in a minor key, which gave it a strangely yearning tone. ‘That is how my name would sound to you – as best as my machine can translate it, my name would be Peter.’
‘Peter. I wish I could sing your name properly it is the most beautifully sounding name I’ve ever heard.’
There was a distinct pause before he answered. ‘Thank you Jake, but I assure you that amongst my people it is a very ordinary sounding name. But to more important things.
Soon now you will have need to communicate, particularly since this is your first contact – and you will be expected to answer many questions. I may provide answers to some of the more simple of those, but most of them will need to wait until contact is made with others. There will be many meetings between our people. In our experience the process of information exchange can take many years.’
Things had been happening so fast I had almost forgotten the impact that the events would have on humanity, Peter’s almost casual reference to meetings and exchanges of information brought me back to reality, with a rush.
‘Yes, well that will be the start of a whole new series of problems, for me anyway. So far I’ve broken just about every rule in the book, from failing to communicate when Sam first identified the hot spot that was presumably caused by your engines, to allowing my ship to be entered. So, why don’t we continue to get to know each other for a while longer, worry about the rest of our people in a little while? Apart from anything else it’ll give me time to think up some rational excuses for what I have done.’
What I can best describe as a melodic whistle came through the channels, I assumed it was untranslatable, and hoped it might be the equivalent of a laugh.
‘I see, yes you undoubtedly have strict rules to follow. Even we do, and we have now had many such meetings.’ Then the tone of voice changed, to one of concern. ‘Will you be in serious trouble, punished in some way?’
‘Oh the initial reaction will be to haul me over the coals, sorry that won’t make much sense to you. My superiors will want to discipline me in some way. But once the media gets hold of the story and it becomes news, and that will be almost instantaneously, there really won’t be too much they can do about it. And I suspect they will all be too busy trying to get their picture on the Teev screens alongside me.’
‘There are things there I do not fully understand yet Jake but it is of no great matter, I understand the principles, so what do you suggest?’
‘First, I’m sure you have been watching me all this time, why not open the screens and let me see you?’
‘It is true, I can see you, and you are not unattractive people, you look, well – nice. Do all your people look the same?’
I grinned self-consciously. ‘Thanks Peter, I’m glad I don’t look like a monster to you, that’ll help us to get along with each other. As to all of us looking the same, well, we all have two arms and legs, a head with two eyes and ears, that sort of thing. But there are shades of colours from white through to almost black, we come in a range of sizes, both height and weight and even though they’ve been trying to standardise it for centuries now, we still speak a variety of languages and have a variety of customs. I guess the best thing to say is that we are essentially, similar.’ Then I remembered the most obvious difference. ‘Oh, and there are two sexes, male, I’m one of those, and female, which give birth to our young.’
There was quite a long pause before Peter responded.
‘That is most interesting Jake. It seems that we have a number of things in common, even though we are separate species. But even so, before I show myself I would like us to talk a little more, it is possible my appearance may shock you and that could interfere with our ‘getting along’, as you called it. I suggest we just talk a little longer, about our way of life, personal things, as you might if you met someone at a social gathering, get to know each other as individuals, not as representatives of our species. I will vacate some parts of your ship to enable you to record that if you like.’
Peter’s words suddenly stirred an idea. ‘Peter, when did you first start blocking some of Sam’s systems, the comms, I mean communications, recording, transmitting?’
‘Progressively, starting with identified transmitting capacities, from just after you entered the system, more areas were controlled as they were safely identified after your landing, full control was not established until you vacated the ship.’
‘So that was why Sam was reporting possible transmission faults. I couldn’t have flashed, even if I’d wanted to.’
‘Will that reduce your risk of being coal hauled Jake?’
I chuckled at the way Peter’s concern was expressed in the translation. ‘I should think so, wouldn’t you Sam?’
‘Yes Jake. The events were totally beyond your or my capacity to alter them.’
‘Now Sam, when precisely did your internal recording capacity stop, please check.’
The reply was virtually instantaneous and meaningless of course but when I had Sam relate it to our track into the system I gave a little whoop of satisfaction.
‘Great! Now Sam, once Peter hands back those systems, what will your records show?’
‘A blank period.’
‘So there will be absolutely nothing to show what has happened, no flight details, nothing, starting from the time you just said, and finishing whenever Peter hands back?’
‘Correct Jake.’
‘O.K. Peter, do you have any objection to being what we call, the villain of the piece? What I mean by that is…’
‘I understands the meaning Jake, and no, I have no objection. So far as my people are concerned I was fulfilling my duties.’
‘Excellent.’
‘But what is the point Jake?’
‘The point is we can continue to get to know each other, as you said. I can also prepare a short sub-routine for Sam that will be entered into our Log, that’s the ship’s report, which explains what happened. That way we should avoid all the official unpleasantness, I’ll tell a few fibs, say I got Sam’s report of concern about transmission capacity and holed-up behind that moon to check it. Having no success and being unable to fix it I decided to press on anyway. Sounds a bit more heroic than it was but it’s essentially the same thing as happened, except I didn’t really want to transmit. You understand Sam? You follow my line of thinking Peter.’
‘Yes Jake.’ Their voices replied in unison. Peter’s continued. ‘You are quick thinking, innovative and resourceful, if the rest of your people have that capacity you will do well once you are free to mix with the rest of us. So, what now, we just talk?’
And that’s just what we did. For the next hour or so, and as Peter suggested we tried to keep it as personal as possible. Both of us were obviously being wary about giving out information that we shouldn’t, and I was very conscious that although my systems were still down, Peter’s were obviously going at full power, so he could make use of everything I said. Still, I felt it was worth while and as the conversation continued I began to get the distinct impression that Peter had taken a liking to me personally, the way you sometimes can even when you have met someone for only a short time.
Even through the translator I sensed a warming between us, his melodic laugh became more frequent, his comments became less formal, more intimate somehow. It was similar to the feelings that I sometimes sensed in Sam’s voice, ‘and probably just as machine-made’, I reminded myself.
Then something he said made me think of vid-discs and I realised that there were some I could show him with reasonable safety, Teev shows that I had recorded for some reason or other. Peter freed up part of our internal system and I had Sam screen them for him, so he could get a better idea of the variations between us, the differences between male and female. That was shown in detail in one segment that I had forgotten, and which may have been the reason I recorded it in the first place, a gorgeous blonde, naked of course, seducing some reluctant fool. So Peter got to see a bit more of our customs than I had really intended!
And that of course triggered the start of a more intimate conversation. We had previously covered a range of subjects, bits of history, political systems, religion and the lack of it, sporting and cultural activities and the like.
Peter opened it up by saying. ‘Jake, the longer we have talked the more I have a feeling that somewhere, in times long past, we may have had some common origin.’
The silence was deafening, as they say, until he continued.
‘I do not mean that we are both children of the same tribe, like the concept of Adam and Eve that you mentioned earlier. But you know that we are not too dissimilar to yourselves. We too have appendages like your arms and legs, though our jointing and extremities are different. We too have an erect sensory centre, like your head. Are bi-focal and bi-aural with single breathing and feeding orifices. We too have two sexes and it is the female that gives birth, after fertilisation by a single male. I should add that several other species we have already met are grossly different in a number of respects – but I cannot of course say more than that at this time.
Our similarities are too numerous to be completely circumstantial I believe, our scientists will have much to keep them interested for a very long time.
But, before that begins, I am interested in these things at a personal level and, if you will agree, would like to discuss such matters in more detail with you. As I said before, not as representatives of our separate species but as two scouts, a long way from home. Are you agreeable to that?’
‘O.K. by me. Where do we start?’
‘How do you select a mate? What is important in a relationship?’
‘Wow! You start with what are probably the hardest questions of all. Many of our philosophers have been trying to find answers to those for a very long time, and I don’t think any two agree even now. But, accepting that I am just one out of several trillion, there are in fact a variety of types of relationships.
First of all there is a male and a female, we’ll come back to that later, then there are males with males, females with females and several variations of each. That’s just the physical aspect.’
‘And you Jake, where do you fit in the physical pattern?’
‘Me, I’m prehistoric, strictly male with female.’
That brought a low whistle from Peter, which I took to perhaps indicate the equivalent of my deep-throated chuckle.
‘Let’s say for a moment that I’m average, somewhere in the middle of all these permutations of flesh. When it comes to choosing a female, and remember, the female is just as likely to do the choosing as is the male…’
‘Explain that please Jake. How does the female choose?’
‘Various ways, depending on her personality and her opportunities, just as a man has to do. Let’s say a woman sees a man she likes the look of, she probably tries to find out something about him, from friends or people he works with, making sure he’s got something other than just his looks. But then she’s just as likely to not bother with that at all, trust her instincts. If she saw a man at a party, a social gathering, she might just go over and start a conversation, see how they got along. It’s incredibly variable Peter – that’s what makes it so hard to explain to you. Sometimes it can be no more than a person catching sight of someone, and being instantly attracted to them.
But to come back to me. Even once you’ve seen someone you like and find that they like you, a relationship may not follow. In my case it’s more than likely that it won’t, because I’m a scout I mean. Not too many women fancy the idea of not having their man around for two years at a stretch. They may like the six months holiday together, but not what has to be done to earn that time.
So, someone like me tends to have a series of short relationships, knowing that I’ll be off sometime means I have to control the emotional involvement I allow myself to feel. And sometimes that can be very hard to do.’
I paused, realising I was saying things that I had found difficult to admit to myself. I cleared my throat and went on.
‘So, in that sense I am far from being average, so we’ll have to pick someone else to fill that role. Anyway, let’s say Mr. Average finds the woman of his dreams, they fall in love and set up home together. They may have gone through one of the several different forms of marriage that we have, or they may not have bothered, but either way, at that time they both probably expect it to last, but statistically it won’t. Then after one of he various forms of break-up, they’ll try again with someone new, expecting that relationship to last. Maybe it does, often it doesn’t. But they, we keep trying to find that special someone.
But, at the same time, circumstances sometimes play a big part. Come back to me for a moment. Let’s say that as a result of a ship malfunctioning or something like that, a group of us find ourselves stuck on a maintenance station for a few days or weeks. It’s likely that there will be women scouts stuck there too and possible that one of them and I will get into some sort of casual fling together, to simply help pass the time, you might say.’
‘I understand that.’ Peter said. ‘But from what you first said it seems that your people are, by preference, paired for as long a relationship as events and their personalities will allow.’
I thought for a moment. ‘Peter, that is just about exactly right, I don’t think I have ever heard it better put.’
‘Thank you. In this too we are similar. Now, what do you look for, intellect, size, strength, long-living?’
‘The answers are just not that simple Peter. Different people have different ideals. Men for instance, because I understand them better. Some go for facial features, others for the shape of different parts of a woman’s body, her breasts, her legs, that sort of thing. But then, in spite of their ideals, they are just as likely to fall in love with a woman who is quite different to what they have always been looking for.’
‘And what do you look for Jake?’
‘Me, Sam can answer that for you, can’t you Sam?’
‘Yes Jake. Jake fantasises about having sex with women with long, blonde hair, and even longer legs. But underneath that he is actually looking for someone who cares for him as a person, and to whom he can give a total emotional commitment. And that is hard for him to do in this type of work.’
‘Thanks Sam, the psychological profile wasn’t what I was looking for though.’
Peter was quiet for some time. ‘Most interesting, again we are not dissimilar, though I have some difficulties with the full meaning of the word, emotional, in that context. But let us ignore that for the moment. I have seen something of what occurs between males and females.’ he said, referring to the portion of the vid-disc I had screened. ‘Is that all?’
I wasn’t really sure what he meant by ‘all’, the tape had been quite explicit, but then I realised that it had only shown the physical side of what happens when two people make love.
‘The tape was visual only. There are systems that reproduce something of the feelings that occur when people make love together, but these are not allowed on scouts’ ships, accidents have occurred in the past.’
‘I understand. So there are powerful, internal sensations accompanying the coupling?’
‘Usually, yes. But, so far this has been a very one-sided conversation Peter. We were to exchange information – and you were to show yourself, remember.’
‘I agree Jake, I have been very unfair, but it was for a reason. But before I begin, I need nourishment and I would think you might too.’
I hadn’t realised until then but having mentioned it I found I was, as Peter put it, definitely ‘in need of nourishment’.
‘Good idea Peter! How long do you need?’
‘Let us say forty-five of your minutes, is that sufficient?’
‘More than enough. See you later, as we say, and please make sure I do!’
Peter’s low whistling chuckle broke off as he closed the circuits, apparently he was going to give me my privacy while I ate.
*
Chapter 5
Getting to Know You
Until I moved to prepare something to eat I didn’t realise just how drained I was. The tension must have kept my adrenaline level at a peak for the past several hours. Food and a quick refresher were what I needed but, having had both I found myself impatiently waiting for Peter’s voice.
But at the same time as I sat waiting for the circuits to re-open I realised that Sam had been unusually silent.
‘How are things Sam?’
Her voice was remote, flat, emotionless.
‘Within the limits of allowed activity everything is normal.’
‘But something is bothering you, other than Peter’s restraints I mean. What is it?’
There was a little of her usual warmth in her reply but I still sensed a distantness in the tone.
‘I’m not really sure Jake. There’s something about Peter that I can’t quite work-out, just a vague unease, not danger you understand, something different, affecting other circuits. I have been trying to isolate it, but with only a small part of myself available it is very difficult.’
‘I understand. Keep trying, Peter should return other circuits to us soon, maybe they will help. When you have the opportunity, let me know the results please.’
‘There is another matter.’
‘Yes Sam.’
‘When this mission is completed. When you have collected the fund I mean. You will surely leave the fleet. What will become of me, this combot? I have strange – ‘feelings’.’
Under other circumstances I would have been excited by what Sam had just said. A combot admitting to its own, internal ‘feelings’ – which every engineer had said again and again were impossibilities. But just then screens flickered to life and I heard Peter’s voice greeting me. I spoke quickly to Sam, saying she should not be concerned, that there was still a lot for us to do together – and we should not worry about what was to happen later, until later.
Peter’s voice repeated his greeting. ‘Jake, are you fed?’
‘Yes Peter, sorry, I was just re-assuring Sam about something.’
‘Your ship is experiencing what you and I would call concern?’
‘Yes Peter. Sam tells me she is experiencing ‘feelings’.’
‘That is neither unusual nor surprising, yet you sound as though you find it so.’
‘It is new for us. The engineers say it is not possible, yet many scouts agree amongst themselves that it happens.’
‘Ah I understand. The scientists are always the last to admit that many things that occur actually do happen. They will be convinced soon enough, you can be sure of that.’
I assumed Peter was referring to the knowledge that would pass between us once contact was extended, and would have loved to have had the opportunity to explore what other information would follow, but knew Peter would politely but quite firmly close off any such line of conversation.
‘I think Sam will respond better once there are more circuits re-opened, there must be the equivalent of a sense of frustration building up inside, that worries me too Peter.’
‘Do not be concerned Jake. Soon now I will return all functions. But before I do, there are a few things I wish to explain, something I wish to show you and perhaps a little more conversation between us. And, by the way I trust your food and refresher was invigorating – I myself found them quite stimulating.’
I didn’t have time to find out just what he meant by that as he immediately continued.
‘While you were doing those things I prepared the equivalent of one of your vid-discs, so you can see something of my people, get used to what we look like before I show myself. We are different and as this is your first contact you might be somewhat shocked if I simply appear in front of you.
But before I transmit that, there is something I must explain, something on a more personal level. When my machine first translated my name into something you could recognise, it apparently selected a name that has two different spellings in your language – and two different interpretations, one male, the other female.’
There was a sound from Sam that I can only describe as being a gasp, a gasp of understanding. Peter continued.
‘You see Jake, although you have been calling me ‘Peter’ and thinking I am a male, in fact my name should be ‘Peta’ – I am a female.’
I said nothing, I couldn’t think of anything to say and Peter, Peta continued.
‘It was a little while before I realised what had happened, at first it didn’t matter, then, as we got to know each other better and I began to feel closer to you, I became embarrassed and was not sure how to extricate myself from the problem. I apologise for any embarrassment my mistake and impoliteness may have caused you and assure you I had no intention of taking advantage of you in any way.
However, as we have talked and I of course have had the advantage of being able to see you, I found myself, first liking you as an individual and then later, recalling the vid-disc you showed me, when I saw you unclothed, while you refreshed yourself, I realised there was another feeling growing, physical attraction. I must add that I think this will be common amongst my people, although we are much different, your people will be seen by most of us to be quite beautiful and very attractive physically.
But.’ he, that is she continued. ‘I now have even stronger concerns about showing myself to you. It may well be that I will not seem attractive to you! You understand?’
‘I think so.’ I answered, quite stunned by her speech and its implications. Obviously she had left the circuits open during the time I ate and took my refresher – ‘On purpose or by chance?’ – I wondered. By the sound of things I now not only had an emotional combot but also a potentially horny alien. What a day!
‘There were times while we were talking.’ I continued. ‘Times when I felt we were getting very close, there was an easiness, a warmth. As I thought of you as being male those feelings disturbed me, so I ignored them, pushed them away. Let me say that if a human can be attractive to you I can see no reason why you shouldn’t appear attractive to me.’
‘Perhaps that is so. But we are still very different, and I am accustomed to seeing alien life forms, as yet you are not. While you ate I considered this, that is why I have prepared the vid-disc equivalent I mentioned. Viewing it will give you time to adjust to how we look, before I show myself.’
She anticipated my question by adding. ‘I have cleared the circuit that will allow your ship to record what I am about to transmit.’
‘Thank you. Get that Sam?’
‘Yes Jake. All of it. Recording commencing.’
There was a momentary pause, a distinct sigh of relief from Sam and then the shifting patterns on the screens were cleared and replaced with clear video, which I watched with a growing sense of wonder.
Peta’s people were not unattractive. Certainly different. But as I watched in fascination the differences gradually became less obtrusive.
Though I of course had no human reference point I felt sure they were tall people. Certainly they were long-legged. I didn’t see any unclothed until towards the end of the tape but, even clothed the differences were obvious.
Assuming I was right about their height, they were tall, with an upright stance and, as Peta had said, two arms and legs very much like ours, though their equivalent of our elbow was lower and seemed to have a more rotational joint, and clearly they had no nails on their six fingers.
Their heads were slightly larger than ours by comparison to their body mass, with a more pronounced cranium. The nose was virtually non-existent, just a slight ridge, with only a single nostril. What I presumed were ears were also tiny, merely two similarly raised ridges on either side of their head.
Yet their mouths were virtually identical to ours, apart from what was inside them that is, in place of our upper and lower sets of separate teeth were small bony plates. ‘Not much work for dentists on Peta’s world.’ I thought.
Though the listing of differences may give the impression of something unpleasant to look at, the two most striking features of her people were so magnificent that they made the differences fade into insignificance. Their skin and their eyes.
First of all there was no body hair, that in itself was not strange to me as many humans had what little they still grew removed. I was unusual, especially for a scout, as I had kept mine, head and eye-brows anyway. Like virtually everyone else I’d had most of the rest removed long ago, but for some reason I had never fully understood myself, unlike them I had retained the small patch of pubic hair.
But it was the texture and colour of their skin that attracted attention. Smooth, unwrinkled, even at the joints, and having a suffused glow, an opalescence which, coupled with its smoothness made me want to reach into the screen and touch it. The colour was a very pale shade of olive green. Some were a little lighter or darker than others, but from what I saw it seemed that the range of shades was quite small, certainly nothing like the range of human colourings.
Even then, in spite of the almost unconscious urge to stroke their skin, it was the eyes that held my gaze. Set wide apart, half as large again as ours and more rounded. Where ours are white theirs were tinged with the palest shade of green, but the irises, slightly oblated, were of every conceivable colour, every hue in the rainbow and, like their skin, seemed to emit a faint, soft glow.
One pair were especially beautiful, belonging to a person that acted as a narrator, tying the various segments together. The primary colour was a vivid emerald green, flecked with both gold and silver highlights, and being set in the delicate jade background made them seem to shine with a soft, inner light. But I found they weren’t just obviously beautiful, it wasn’t long before I found that staring into them began to have an almost hypnotic effect on me.
A little way into the presentation the narrator gave a brief outline of the way their system worked, their version of what we would call a legislative or political system. It was simple, everyone had a ‘vote’, although there wasn’t really an equivalent in our language to what their word meant, but not just one of them. As a citizen I would automatically have one, as I progressed through my education I would, at certain stages of maturity and understanding get more. Then, as I entered a job or career I would be allocated additional ‘votes’, some of which were valid in the broader community, others only within my job or profession. So, as a scout, Peta would have a vote as to how scouts should perform, behave and be rewarded, and whilst she had a number of votes as to how her community should react to various situations, she had very limited say in what the circumstances should be for someone in a job she knew nothing about.
It all made sense, but I couldn’t see New-Earth going for its complexity and what she said about how the system worked made it even more clear to me that when it came to social organisation we obviously still had some way to go.
After a while I realised that I had no way of telling the males from the females, some were slightly less, ‘graceful’, I suppose, than others but other than that there was nothing obvious, nothing that seemed to compare with our women’s hips and breasts.
My problem had been anticipated, after about half an hour of clips showing scenes of general social and political life, and their version of the latter made ours look like a madhouse, the screen began to show more personal, perhaps family subjects. Included in that was a short piece referring to their sexuality, and that was when I got my first shock.
The males were little different to us, though what was obviously their equivalent of our penis was both shorter and thinner, not much more than a flexible tube. Testicles were merely small, rounded bulges at its base, and from what I gathered, there seemed to be no equivalent of our erection either before or during the sex act. But then their women were so differently made that they didn’t need one.
For starters, unlike human women, a major portion of their genitalia was external, not internal. What I learned were their ovaries were very similar to the male’s testicles, a pair of smooth, round bulges of flesh. What was translated for me as the ‘receptor’ was a short but telescopic member, that grew into a tube-like part when the female was ready for sex, becoming both longer and thicker than the male’s penis. There was a brief scene showing a male and female coupling, they stood, the male’s penis stiffened just a little and the female slipped her ‘receptor’ over it, then they continued standing, just holding and stroking each other. Apart from the caressing the only movement seemed to be a continuous rippling action along the length of the female’s ‘receptor’, there was neither thrusting nor heaving, and even allowing for the educational nature of the clip, their sex act by comparison with ours, seemed almost joyless.
When whatever happened was finished and the male began to withdraw his ‘penis’ I noticed that the female’s ‘receptor’ gave a few more of the rippling contractions, presumably to contain their equivalent of sperm, and that as the male then fully withdrew, the opening at the end closed tightly behind it.
I would have preferred their version of a porn-vid, if they had such things, I felt I had learned next to nothing about their love lives.
The rest of the tape showed the insides of various families’ homes, scenes from everyday life and although I’m sure a sociologist would have had a marvellous time picking up the strange differences, after a while I had become so used to seeing Peta’s people that I began to feel I was watching a group of unusually dressed humans, and understood her use of the word ‘similar’ to describe us.
Then emerald eyes returned to the screen with some closing words and by that time I felt as though I was seeing an old friend again and was almost sorry to see the eyes fade as the screen darkened. But when it returned to life, as Peta obviously began to transmit directly, there they were again, flashing brilliantly as her voice spoke to me.
‘I hope that was of interest Jake. I’m sorry it could not be more comprehensive but I am sure you appreciate the reasons for that at this stage, and I did not have too much time to check and sort my data banks to find some of the things I wanted to show you.’
‘I didn’t realise it was you narrating Peta. Your voice sounded different. But your eyes, they’re beautiful!’
‘Thank you Jake.’ Then, with a note of hesitancy in her voice, she asked. ‘But tell me, did you find us repulsive to look at?’
No, not at all! Even in such a short period I found that I became quite accustomed to the initial strangeness of some differences, others, like your skin and especially the eyes, were positively sensual. But I have a dozen questions of course.’
‘Naturally, it would be strange if you had not, and I have dozens for you too. But, for now I have just one.’
Her face, which had undoubtedly been smiling now took on a more serious look and her eyes seemed to fill the screen as she stared deep into mine.
‘What’s that Peta?’
‘Would you join with me, in my craft I mean?’
Did she mean – ‘Go and join her in her ship.’ – or – ‘Go and join with her, in her ship’? What was my answer to either question? ‘No’ to both? ‘Yes’ to the first and ‘No’ to the second? ‘Yes’ to both? I needed time to think about the second but none whatsoever to answer the first, so replied, as diplomatically as I could.
‘On behalf of my people, I would be both thrilled and honoured Peta.’
Again I heard her whistling laugh. ‘I am not inviting all of your people Jake, just you. But I am glad, very glad that you agree. Now, you will find my atmosphere somewhat richer in oxygen than yours, not dangerously so but I suggest you bring a ‘breather’ of some kind just in case, and some of your own food and drink. We can try a little of each other’s, chemically they will be acceptable to both of us but I expect we will find the strangeness, particularly that of the food, unpalatable.’
‘I have a small surface vehicle Peta but the hills between us may be a little too rough, is there sufficient room to bring my ship alongside yours?’
‘Not necessary Jake, I can arrange your transportation. But first I suggest you have your ship prepare that program you mentioned, detailing your arrival and so forth. It can be done whilst we are together then you can check it on your return, before I exit all the combot’s systems.’
‘Is that O.K. Sam?’ I asked.
Her answer was a little slow in coming and when she did reply I could hear from her voice that she was still demonstrating some tenseness, but she assured me she knew what was necessary and that she would attend to it. So once Sam had started on that I took a few minutes to prepare another sub-routine for her to run after I had left the ship then, having slipped into the light suit, collected a few things I thought might be useful and hooked myself up to the ‘dog’, I once again went out of the ship and waited, just a little nervously to see what happened next.
I heard her voice. ‘Do not be nervous Jake, there will be a fairly bright light and then you will be here, quite quickly.’
She was exactly right, one second I was standing in the relative darkness, the next I was bathed in a deep, almost violet-blue light and immediately became aware of a sensation of lift and motion. Peering down past my feet I could dimly see the outline of land passing beneath me, the shapes of the hills around me and then, after just a few seconds, felt the firmness of ground beneath my feet again, and the light shut off.
It took a couple of seconds for my eyes to re-accustom themselves to the darkness, then I saw the outline of the bulk of her ship, and that pale green light was pouring from an open hatchway, I approached and went inside.
*
Chapter 6
Peta
I was surprised to find that the air-lock looked just like an air-lock, apart from what were obviously the emergency instructions, which were in a scrolling script that reminded me in many ways of some of the Old-Earth’s early Arabic writings. I was about to close the outer door behind me when I heard Peta’s now familiar voice.
‘No need Jake. Allow me.’
The door closed, there was a slight hiss as air was replaced and then the door into the interior opened for me and, feeling my heart racing, I stepped through it.
The first thing I saw were her eyes, those brilliantly emerald-green eyes, shining, and beneath them, her so human-like mouth, smiling.
‘Welcome Jake, welcome.’
Her translated voice was of course accompanied by her own speech’s melodic tones and at first I had trouble separating the two. But she had obviously anticipated that problem and made some change to a piece of equipment and from then on her own speech merely sounded like quiet, musical accompaniment to what I was hearing.
If Peta represented an average female of her species they were, as I had thought, tall. For a human male I am well above average height, and her eyes were virtually level with mine. But she was very much better dressed than I was. Standing there in the light suit, the ‘dog’ trailing behind me I felt a bit like a poor relation visiting some wealthy patron.
The gown, for lack of a better word, fell in shimmering folds around her, a close fitting cowl covering her head and the garment covering everything except her face and her hands. The prime colours were russets and golds but dancing through and across its surface were all the imaginable shades of green. Unlike any clothes I had seen before, there were no obvious seams or closures, the material simply hung or fitted depending on how she stood or moved.
Although I was almost overawed by the significance of our meeting and was mesmerised by her eyes, like any man, I couldn’t help trying to see the body that was hidden by the flowing colours that swirled around it. But the fabric, or whatever it was, was totally opaque, and even when it flowed around her as she moved it gave no hint of the actual shape of the body beneath it.
I never did see any part of the ship other than the section she welcomed me into. As she explained and I easily understood, she was bound by even more rules and regulations than I was, but I did discover later that many parts of the ship’s interior were, ‘flexible’ was the way the word was translated. That areas could be expanded or contracted, fittings brought into use or stored according to the pilot’s need at the time. She told me that she had ‘designed’ the area where we were in a way that she thought would make me feel most at ease.
Dragging my eyes away from her I looked around me, there was not one single item that gave me any clue as to her origin, level of civilisation, capacity of the ship, nothing. The surfaces were smooth, coated with a material that reminded me of the texture of her people’s skin, having a similar opalescent sheen. There were two recliners and several flat surfaced pieces in the centre of the room, down one wall were a bank of screens and what were obviously their control panels, all dead. The adjacent wall was quite blank, though I guessed that if I knew how it operated I would be able to pass through it into the rest of the ship.
The other two walls, which the recliners were turned to face, were quite obviously designed to please rather than to serve a more practical function. One was made up of a series of differently angled planes, creating segments of varying sizes, some contained objects, others what may have been their equivalent of paintings. The adjacent wall was dominated by a holo-screen, which may at other times have served a more practical purpose but which, while I was there provided nothing more than a slowly changing pattern of shapes and colours, accompanied by occasional low level musical tones.
Compared with the relatively cramped monotony of our ships, Peta’s seemed like a palace.
‘I hope it pleases you, that you feel comfortable here.’ she said.
‘It’s quite wonderful Peta, I only wish our ships were as attractive as this, it looks very, very comfortable.’
She smiled. ‘Good, I was hoping you would feel that way. Now, you will find that another of the similarities we have is that we both breathe air that is almost identical, as I said, ours has a slightly higher oxygen content than yours, but not enough for you to be concerned. So, you may remove your suit, you will be totally safe I assure you.’
Even though I believed her, old habits die hard and I automatically verified what she said, by checking the read-out on one of the dog’s panels before I slipped the suit off. Underneath I was wearing just a coverall, and beneath that a body-stocking, fancy clothes aren’t part of a scout’s usual kit, so, comparing myself with the way she was dressed I continued to feel a bit like the poor relation.
But in spite of that I couldn’t help noticing the way Peta looked at me, although of course I had no way of knowing what emotions the various changes in her eyes denoted, I could see that changes were happening as she looked me over.
‘Please sit Jake. Leave your equipment where it is and come over here, I have made some refreshing drinks for us. Yours is adjusted to your body’s slightly different chemistry but the taste may not be to your liking, if not, please say so, I can alter it in any way you prefer.’
I had absolutely no reason not to trust her, but if anything did happen to me Sam would instantly flash all our stored data to the beacon, then self-destruct, instructions I had inserted in the brief, manual programme I had set-up before I left. So I did as she asked, moved over to where she had indicated then sat and watched her as she moved gracefully across the space and produced two tall drinks from a panel that opened at her touch.
I accepted the one she gave me to try and cautiously sipped it, it was delicious! Cool, with a vaguely fruitily acidic flavour note, a little sweet, but with an underlying taste that was unidentifiable, but very more-ish. I took a second sip, looked up at her and grinned.
‘Superb! Quite delicious Peta, thank you.’
My response obviously pleased her, she gave me another smile and I saw the sparkling colours in her eyes shift shades momentarily, then she sat down in the other recliner.
‘Good, I’m glad it pleases you. It contains something that may relax us, assist us in the process of becoming, how should I say it, friends. Somehow I doubt that my food will be as pleasing, but we can try it, a little later. Before all that, we must talk, there are so many things we each will want to know. There are many subjects we cannot talk about of course, but I am sure there are still many, perhaps more personal things that we can share. Don’t you agree?’
‘Certainly.’ I answered. Naturally there were things I wanted to know about, so many things. Where her people came from? What they knew that we didn’t? What made them keep pushing out into the cold reaches between the stars? What lay beneath the glistening, shimmering cloth she wore? And that was just for openers. But all I could think of to say in answer was. ‘But my head is so full of questions that I can’t seem to sort them out. So why don’t you start, after all you are used to meeting aliens, you have to remember that this, you are our, my, very first.’
Again I heard the whistling sound of her laugh. ‘That is both understandable and quite reasonable. So, where to begin? Perhaps our art is as good a place as any to start.’ she said, indicating the objects on the wall in front of us.
I slowly sipped at my drink as she began to speak and noticed a slowly growing sense of well-being as I listened to the melodic tones that softly accompanied the translation. But although one portion of my brain was taking-in what she was saying about their culture, another was concentrating on her. Seeing past our differences, but also our similarities, both doing the same kind of work, facing the same dangers, alone, a long way from home.
And at a deeper level, remembering the feelings that had been aroused during the vid-disc she had showed me, feeling the strange urge to touch that opalescent skin returning.
With difficulty I dragged my attention back to what she was saying, in time to hear her say that as their tactile senses were so highly developed, their most popular art was designed to be touched, not just to be looked at. Adding, in a way that I could only describe as ‘shyly’, that from the very first sight of me, she had been fascinated by the texture of my hair and, in an even quieter whisper, said that she hoped that sometime I would permit her to touch it.
‘Anytime Peta, anytime.’ I answered automatically as I drained the last of my drink.
‘You do not have, taboos, about this?’
‘Not between close friends Peta.’
‘I see. Perhaps another drink, a little more talk, to strengthen the closeness?’
‘Yes, thank you.’
‘It is, appealing?’
‘The drink? Yes, it is delicious.’
‘Nothing more?’
‘I’m not sure I know what you mean.’ I answered with a puzzled expression.
‘No matter.’ she said, smiling down at me as she took my glass.
As she turned and moved back to replenish our drinks I again tried, unsuccessfully, to pierce the softly swaying folds of her gown, but had to be satisfied with no more than the vaguest impression of the outline of the body beneath them.
A moment or two later she returned with fresh drinks, then as I took a sip, instead of sitting down again, she remained standing in front of me. Then, as her brilliantly sparkling eyes held mine, she reached out one arm, her hand level with my head and asked hesitantly.
‘May I, just for a moment Jake?’
I nodded and sat quite still as she let her fingers brush delicately across just the very tips of my hair. Her touch was softer than the faintest breeze, so light that if I hadn’t known she was doing it I doubt I would have felt it. While she did that our eyes continued to stare deep into each other’s, and I was amazed to see that as her fingers slowly wafted across my head, a strange shade-shift seemed to ripple through hers.
‘Aaah! It is even more stimulating than I thought.’ she said with a slow smile. ‘I would like to think that we might become close friends, very close friends, Jake.’
‘You get that much, is it pleasure, from such a light touch Peta?’
‘Indeed, and it is more than simple pleasure Jake. I mentioned that our sense of touch is one of our strongest senses, it plays an important part in our life, very important. As perhaps you may learn. If, as I mentioned earlier, there really was in ages past, some common ancestor to both our species then, perhaps deep inside you, you still carry some of this heritage too.’
‘Touch is certainly very important to us, in many ways, not the least of which is in the pleasure we gain from touching the person we love. But although being touched and held is in many ways critical to the mental well-being of babies and young children, as we grow we seem to lose much of that, and the effect is nowhere near as powerful as what you seem to be able to experience.’
‘Oh, but there are far deeper, far stronger levels of pleasure than that, for us anyway. What I felt then was but an upper level of pleasure, what I hope is that later we may together go deeper, that we may find a new level, one that we can share. Do you believe we could do that – and more importantly, would you object to us trying?’
Again that thought, those questions, the one I’d had when she had first invited me to ‘Join with me in my ship.’ Did I have the correct translation of the nuances of what she said? Was I reading into them more than she meant? If she meant what I thought she meant, would I, more importantly, knowing she was an alien, could I, or would some kind of mental block make it impossible? And if she actually meant for us to take such experimentation to its full extent, would my normally all too reliable virility literally ‘stand-up’ to the test?
On the other hand, if brushing her hand over my head gave her as much pleasure as I thought I had seen, and she had several even stronger levels of pleasure available to her, what harm could there be in assisting her to reach them.
I already liked her, was totally fascinated by her eyes, felt a steadily growing urge to touch her skin. And then to my surprise, and mild embarrassment, I found that the part of me I’d just had doubts about was definitely becoming aware of thoughts going on in the lower recesses of my brain. Responding to the feeling of that slowly growing arousal and in spite of the lingering doubts, I answered.
‘Peta, if you mean what I think you mean, I would like that too.’
She was about to move closer. ‘But.’ I continued, holding up my hand to stop her. ‘If we are to become very close friends I must be able to see something of you, I mean something more than just your hands and your unbelievably beautiful eyes.’
She smiled understandingly. ‘You are quite correct, I have been too cautious, for some reason too unsure of myself.’
I took a final draught from my drink as she lifted her hands to slip the cowl back off her head, exposing the smooth curving dome of her head and the long sheen of her neck, and felt, rather than saw how intently she was watching for my reaction.
What she saw in my eyes must have encouraged her, and her gown seemed to alter, the folds covering her arms and shoulders shrinking back, exposing even more of her opalescent, and almost irresistible skin. My fingers reached for her, and she stepped closer, allowing me my first actual touch.
At first I felt very little, or at least very little to excite me. Her skin seemed less soft, less pliable than human skin, there was a strange, almost drum-tight firmness about it. But then, as my finger-tips moved slowly down her arm I felt a faint tingling coming from them, a tingling that grew more pronounced the longer I continued touching her.
Perhaps that initial delay had been caused by my brain’s inability to process the signals being transmitted by the chemistry of her skin. But whether it was a question of learning something new, or retrieving some long forgotten coding, once the sequence was established my response time and the strength of the signal were both shortened, and magnified. Within a couple of minutes the feeling I was getting from merely brushing my fingers over her were simply electric!
I found that her skin had a feeling that I can only describe as being like fiery marble. Added to the smooth firmness of that dense stone was what felt like the energy produced by the tips of a flames embedded beneath the flesh. And I could feel that tingling thrill running from my finger-tips, up through my hand and arm into my brain, then instantly flashing out through my entire body. I had never felt anything even remotely like that sensation before, and found it hard to believe that merely touching her could produce such an effect.
Although my eyes were darting up and down, from her skin to her face and back again, hers were watching my face much more intently. I sensed that my reaction was important to her, and that seemed to be confirmed when, as a looked up with what I guessed was an expression of disbelieving pleasure, I saw again that rippling shade-shift in her eyes.
‘Ah, yes. As I thought, and as I hoped, there is a two way effect.’ she said in a tone of barely restrained excitement.
*
Chapter 7
An Archaeobiological Lesson
‘Jake, before we go further there are things I should explain to you, things that the scientists specialising in digging deep into our past have discovered about us, and our planet. But before I begin let me give you a little more to drink, you do find it pleasant, do you not?’
‘Extremely so.’ I replied, handing her the virtually empty glass.
She replenished it, sat down again and began by explaining something of how their sexes inter-worked, then went on to tell me their theories for how those had developed. Although I was of course fascinated and listened with rapt attention, I also began to find that at the same time there was something going on inside myself that was beginning to cause me just a little embarrassment.
Once she had given me an over-view of their pairing and grouping practices and traditions she explained that she needed to go back into their deep past to explain their origins.
‘Our scientists have developed the hypothesis that many aeons ago there was a major change in our environment, maybe our planet was struck by a highly radioactive object, maybe a nearby star went super-nova, or perhaps there was some other unaccountable increase in background radiation.’ she said. ‘As best our scientists can determine, before that time we, like your species copulated for procreation in much the same way, the male penis within the part akin to your females’ vagina. But as a result of the increased radiation level our males must have gradually became less fertile and the population probably began to plummet.
All this we can deduce from what your people would call the fossil records. By then we think that either through evolutionary pressure or as a result of mutation, the sperm had developed a tough outer coating, which gave them additional protection from the radiation, but which also meant they were both less mobile and more difficult for the female to absorb.
I should explain, whereas in your species the sperm actually pierces and penetrates the ovum, in ours the sperm is absorbed by it. The sperm is active in travelling to the ovum, but unlike your situation, where the ovum passively receives the genetic material, with us the ovum is active in absorbing that material from the sperm.
So there was then a double problem in that most of the sperm that were surviving were less able to reach the ova, and those few that did were much harder to absorb because of the tough outer coat.
If it was radiation that caused the original problem it may have also been the cause of another mutation, one that enabled us to survive.
Some females apparently developed a completely new reproductive strategy. In these the genetic material contained in their ova was at certain times released into the blood stream. If male genetic material was also circulating there the chance that fertilisation could be effected was greatly increased. Then the resulting molecule was swept through the system until it was in effect netted by a structure within the female’s reproductive system, and once there, it could be brought to term.’
‘But how would sperm get into the blood stream in the first place?’ I asked.
She gave her equivalent of a smile. ‘By being ingested.’
I immediately understood what she meant. ‘But surely they would also be digested?’
‘Remember the hard outer coating, that protected the genetic material from the digestive juices just long enough, then as it slowly disintegrated the core material was able to slip through the walls of the system, and out into the blood stream.’
‘But.’
‘I understand your bewilderment but I’m sure there are far stranger forms of procreation used by other species on your planet.’
She was right of course, I could immediately think of at least half a dozen processes that made what she was describing seem like an every day event by comparison.
‘So the vaginal part remained purely for the function of delivering of babies?’
‘Strangely, no. We have theorised that either some men were less affected by the radiation, or perhaps some women developed ways of dealing with the sperm’s outer coating. Or perhaps it was purely for the sake of the pleasure received from that activity. Although the sensations received are physically less intense that method is still extremely popular, in part because of the additional variety of positions achievable.’
‘Ah, of course. But it seems a little unfair.’
‘In what way?’
‘The male has two ways of receiving pleasure, orally and vaginally. The female only one.’
‘Did I say there was no pleasure centre in our mouths?’
‘Is there?’
‘Indeed there is. Both it and the organ that is the equivalent of your females’ vagina produce pleasure in much the same way as our skin. In simple terms, chemicals are released that trigger a pleasure response for our partner, the actual reaction produces the same response in ourselves. As I say, the process is virtually identical to what happens when we touch, except that both the reactions and responses produced by the vagina-like organ and the mouth, are much more powerful.’
‘If that’s so and your reactions are anything like those I felt when I stroked your skin, I’m surprised your species ever developed technologically. I would have thought they’d have spent most of their time simply lying around, both sexually and physically exhausted.’
My comment produced the whistling sound I recognised as the equivalent of laughter. ‘I think there may be some difference in the strength of our responses, I guessed that from what I experienced when I touched your hair. Even though our chemistry is similar enough to be somewhat compatible, the neural network structure must be somewhat different. I can only think that for some reason a member of one species responds much strongly to one from the other than it does to one of its own.
But before we explore that further let me just complete what I was saying about our past.
Because viable male sperm were so few in number, and had become much less energetic, the females’ ability to stimulate forceful ejaculation of the largest possible number was important. So, apart from the other arousal techniques the part of us that produces those chemicals in our mouth became much larger, providing a much increased surface area. That, and its other physical characteristics enable us to produce a response for both our partners and ourselves which is therefore very much more intense.’
‘And which part is that?’
‘The tongue.’
I’d had no reason to see her tongue of course, although I knew she had one because from time to time I had seen the movement of its tip.
‘So, as you lick your partner’s penis the chemicals are absorbed, bringing on a stronger ejaculation?’
‘Yes, but the tongue does much more than just lick. As I said, the males produce relatively few sperm, so females with longer, more efficient tongues produced more chemicals, thus having a better chance of receiving a larger number, and were therefore more likely to reproduce.
Over time our tongues have become very long, extremely flexible and have developed a quite distinct musculature. Normally the bulk of it is coiled in a recess at the back of our throats, during sex it can be partially or fully extended, and it has become more than long enough to wind itself many times around even the largest penis.’
I tried to imagine what it would feel like to have a tongue coiled around my cock, I couldn’t, but the mere attempt was exciting and I felt my body reacting strongly to the thought and images it produced.
‘And just the chemical reaction is enough to give sexual pleasure?’
‘Of course as in any sexual activity it is far better if the upper levels of the brain are also involved, but yes, it is possible to achieve physical satisfaction that way. In fact a rough translation of our term for these chemicals would be, ‘elixir producing passion and ejaculation’, but I think we should find a shorter one for use between you and I.’
I only had to think for a few moments before replying. ‘How about ‘joy-juice’, or perhaps ‘bliss-flow’?’
‘I prefer the sound of ‘bliss-flow’ for some reason, but as I said before, your species are extremely quick-thinking.’
‘Thank you, and what you have told me about yours is absolutely fascinating, I think your females will have our men forming queues.’
She gave another of her small musical laughs. ‘And if the males are all similar to you our females will welcome them, with open mouths and extended tongues.’
*
Chapter 8
The Ultimate Climax
‘So, are we going to take our research any further, purely in the interest of science of course?’ I said.
‘I think we should Jake, what about you?’
‘I agree Peta, I definitely think we should. But unlike you, I have no easy way out of this thing, you’ll have to give me a minute or two.’ I said, standing up and starting to unzip my coverall.
‘I have been wondering how long I would have to wait for you to do that.’ she said, watching me closely.
‘I’m afraid that what’s underneath is nowhere near as spectacular as your skin Peta. Just a pinkish white, a small patch of residual hair, not really very much to look forward to at all.’
‘Ah but that’s how you see yourself, not how I will respond, and remember that although somewhat obstructed I did have a brief preview when you were dressing after taking your ‘refresher’.
‘True, I’ll keep my fingers crossed that you are not disappointed by the reality.’
‘Pardon?’
‘Oh sorry, another turn of speech. It means I wish you good luck.’ I replied, unfastening the last zip and starting to remove the coverall.
Underneath it I was wearing the usual body-stocking, which helped prevent the skin being chafed by the outer layers of protection. ‘I’m not down to skin yet I’m afraid, one more layer to go.’ I explained as I began to peel it off. ‘But aren’t I going to see more of you Peta?’
‘Shortly, but I think other things first would be better, for both of us I hope.’ she replied cryptically.
Although disappointed I accepted her judgement, then watched her reaction as I finished unpeeling the body-stocking.
Her face remained expressionless but once again I saw that strange shade-shift rippling through her eyes as I pulled it down over my body. ‘Ah yes, that defined musculature, it’s most attractive Jake, as is the colour, I assure you.’ she said in a voice that was much softer than what I had heard until then.
As I lifted one leg to peel the stocking down off the other it hid my genitals from her. But I glanced down at myself, and was not too surprised to see that my cock, although nowhere near erect, was heading in that direction, already lengthening and fattening. Then when I transferred my weight to the other leg to completely free myself I heard Peta produce a sound I hadn’t heard before, a sound the translator was apparently unable to cope with, and which I can only describe as a softly fluting trill.
‘I must ask you Jake, are all men so, well so physically attractive?’ she asked once the echo of the trill had faded.
‘I am not so special Peta, perhaps a little above average in size and musculature, but there are many men who make me look like a very ordinary specimen.’ I replied as I dropped the body-stocking down on top of the suit.
‘I don’t think I need to concern myself with those, what I see is more than sufficiently exciting for my taste. And our men will certainly have very strong competition if our races do begin to mingle. But tell me, does your penis stiffen at all?’
I couldn’t suppress a muffled chuckle at her question. ‘Yes Peta, it gets very stiff, and somewhat bigger.’
‘Bigger? It gets bigger than that?’ she replied with a distinct note of excited astonishment.
Having her watching me so closely, and hearing that tone in her voice added to what I had already been starting to feel and my cock began to respond to that combination. And as fresh blood began to pulse down into it I again heard that fluting, trilling sound coming from Peta’s throat.
‘Please, come closer Jake. I may touch you?’
‘In the cause of science, of course you may.’ I said with a grin as I moved to stand in front of her.
Although I had seen them on the vid-screen, until that moment I had completely forgotten that Peta had six fingers, but as she lifted her hand I took in the detail of their structure and arrangement. As I had originally noticed, they were without nails, the ends slightly flatter, their shape more splayed than ours are. And each of the four central fingers appeared to have one, perhaps two additional joints, making them that much more flexible. But her thumb was smaller in proportion to them than a human one would be, and although still smaller again, the additional digit appeared to be more like a secondary thumb.
But I had only a few brief seconds to take all that in because within moments of the ends of her fingers touching me I felt the same burst of sensations I had experienced when I had stroked her arm. As it was my thigh her fingers were resting against, most of the effect of her touch centred in that area, and as she slid her hand higher I felt a sudden surge of blood coursing down into my cock.
So when she moved her hand still higher, curling the tips of her central fingers under my balls and gently supporting them while her two thumbs closed around the base of the shaft, it was as though someone had set off several emergency rockets at the one time.
I heard myself grunt as the shock-like thrills raced through my body and felt my cock literally leap to almost full size. And as it did that Peta emitted another of those fluting trills.
For a moment or two her hand trembled, as though she was unsure just what to do next, but then I felt her thumbs tighten their grip a little. She must have been able to feel the pulse of still more blood being pumped into it because she glanced up at me, and although I really had no way of interpreting the true meaning of what I saw there I could somehow tell from the changing colours in her eyes that her own reactions were just as strong as those she was giving me.
Looking back down again and whilst maintaining that first hand’s loose but firm hold, she lifted the other, cradling the still rapidly engorging shaft on her palm, then lightly stroking the head with her primary thumb. And that time almost instantaneously, several more rockets exploded inside my head and my thigh and abdominal muscles suddenly flexed, requiring all my strength of will to hold myself still, to stop my hips from jerking forward.
The chemistry was so powerful that within seconds my cock was fully engorged, and its continuing effect so strong that each time her fingers or thumb made the slightest move shock-like waves surged up through my entire body.
She looked up and spoke, the translator giving her voice a nervous, somewhat quavering tone. ‘I wouldn’t have thought this possible Jake.’ But of course I really didn’t know whether she meant the strength and speed of my response, or the actual size of my cock. Or then perhaps she was talking about what she was feeling herself. So I said nothing, just stood there, my body shuddering as those waves of unbelievable pleasure continued flowing from her touch.
She looked down again, staring at my cock, and I saw the tip of her tongue appear, then move slowly back and forth across her mouth. Then, without looking up again she said. ‘May I?’
Of course after what she had told me I knew roughly what she meant, but even though I thought I was prepared for the sight of her unusual tongue, I still got a shock when I actually saw it.
Her slightly parted lips poised for a moment above the tip of my cock and then her tongue began to unroll. It was ribbon-like, about two thirds the width of my tongue and perhaps half as thick, and as it started to coil itself around the head I saw that it glistened with a salivary coating that enabled it to slide effortlessly over my skin.
She let out more tongue, the whole length moving with an almost snake-like, flowing motion, the tip winding itself around and then pulling the rest purposefully down along the shaft. And as it moved I felt the first of many mind-blowing sensations as the loose folds of skin were tightened and tugged towards the base.
As the tip continued its descending spiral and still more tongue appeared the sensations caused by the feel of it working its way down around the length of my cock triggered more blood to be pumped up into it, quickly finishing off what her fingers had begun and I let out a muffled groan as I felt it surge up to full size.
I suppose that if I’d thought about it I’d have expected that once her tongue had coiled itself around the full length of the shaft that would be it. But no, the fleshy ribbon continued to unroll. The tip disappeared from sight for a moment as it followed the crease in my groin down beside my balls, then I felt it brushing past the back of the already swollen sac, pushing it forwards and, a second or so later appearing up from the other side. I watched as it slid across me, curled around and down again, then I felt it tightening slightly and realised that my cock and balls were being loosely gripped in a noose-like coil.
A little more tongue glided out of her mouth, then it finally stopped, there was a distinct pause and I held my breath, knowing something was going to happen but not knowing what. And in my wildest dreams I couldn’t have imagined what actually followed.
The snake-like, rippling flowing motion that I had found so exciting as her tongue made its way down and around the shaft, began again, but with a dramatic difference. Instead of just rippling forward, it rippled forwards, then backwards, the speed of the peristaltic motion varying, starting quite slowly, gradually increasing, then suddenly slowing again. And, as though to add to the rising excitement I was feeling, as the mass rippled, each coil seemed to tighten and relax in sequence.
By that stage, although most of it was hidden by the ribbon-like coils I could see that the head had turned a deep, glossy purple, and that those parts of the shaft I could see between the coils were knotted with darker, bulging veins. And I could tell from the way it was strongly throbbing that although already far bigger than usual what she was doing was making my body try to pump still more blood down into it.
But even as I adjusted to the thrills created by the rippling, kneading motion I became aware of a completely new source of pleasure. In the short pause before her tongue had begun to massage me I’d noticed it had become shinier, as though the salivary coating was increasing. I could only guess that the fluid contained more of the bliss-flow she had spoken of, the one triggering mutual pleasure, so, in addition to the physical stimulation I was already experiencing I felt sure she was about to provide an even more powerful one, chemically.
I was proved right, and the first sensation was like a small electric shock, which made me gasp with surprise rather than pain. Then it was followed by another, then another and another, until within a few seconds they were coming in a continuous series that spiralled down my cock, starting just below the head then following the entire curling length of her tongue.
As they began she looked up again, watching for my reaction, and must have seen the look of increasingly intense tension on my face. Of course I had no way of knowing whether the even more brilliant sparkling and flashing lights I saw in her eyes were brought on by my reaction, or by what she was feeling herself. I did remember her saying that the chemistry had a similar effect on both partners, its production stimulating the pleasure receptors in her mouth. But whatever the cause, she was obviously happy to continue doing what she was, and I was too excitedly enthralled by what it was doing to me to have any wish for her to stop.
So I stood there, my massively engorged cock being kneaded by the muscular movements of the coils of her tongue while my brain was being flooded with the continuing shock-like thrills. I felt my body shuddering and jerking from the rapidly rising pressure inside it, and from time to time heard myself gasp or grunt as some particular action or reaction produced an especially powerful response.
But even though my senses were reeling and the amount of stimulus I was getting seemed to have robbed me of most of my will-power I still found myself wondering if there was anything I could do in return for Peta. I had only what she had told me go on, which wasn’t that much, and in that position there was in fact very little I could do, so I did the only thing I could think of. I reached forward and began stroking the smooth dome of her head.
As I touched her she looked up again, and I saw that distinctive shade-shifting pattern altering the colour of her eyes, then an inner lid briefly closed and unless it was my imagination, the intensity of thrills I felt coursing up from my cock went up several more notches.
Hoping I had guessed right, and that I was increasing the amount of pleasure she was getting, I continued stroking her, letting my hands drift over and around the back of her head, and even through all the other delights reaching my brain, I could feel my fingers tingling from the contact.
I don’t know how long I stood there, but although by that stage my brain was being flooded with a variety of incredibly powerful sensations some part of it must have still been working normally because I was suddenly struck by the thought, given the massively exciting stimulus she was providing, why wasn’t I even close to climaxing?
It was only then that I realised that the bottom two coils, the one that had curled itself around both cock and balls and the one immediately above, that coiled around the base of the shaft, had, without me noticing it, become much, much tighter. That also helped to explain the extraordinary size of my cock, they were so tight that although blood could still surge up through the deeply buried arteries, very little was able to escape back through the veins. It also accounted for why my balls were aching as much as they were, the escape routes for the churning mass inside them were also being blocked.
But even while I was working out the mechanics of what was happening to me the pin-point shocks continued, coursing through every single nerve cell, merging and firing straight up my spine, then exploding in my brain’s already over-loaded pleasure centre. The shocks seemed to be spiralling in both directions, following the line of her tongue down to the base of my cock then in the split second it took for them to travel up into my brain, spiralling back up to just below the head, the next sequence following another split second later.
As they created a closed circuit of almost unbearable intensity, and in addition to the almost agonising sensations of blazing pleasure-pain coming from my cock, I felt my balls reacting, trying to contract, but, unable to do so because of the loop around the sac, the mounting pressure inside increasing until they felt as though they must burst.
Mindlessly, as though it would somehow relieve some of the incredible tension, I felt my hips jerk forwards, and to my amazement found that that action produced a completely new set of sensations. Looking down I saw that whilst the rest of her tongue was if anything wrapped even more firmly around the shaft, the upper coils had loosened a little, allowing my lunging cock-head to push through them. The new delights were being produced by the friction of the sensitive rim moving against their chemically lubricated surfaces. So, in a purely reflex response to the massive over-load of excruciating pleasure that produced, my body began thrusting back and forth.
As though in reaction to that the noose-like coils around the base seemed to get even tighter than they had been, anchoring that end of her tongue before the rippling motion along the rest of it grew much, much stronger.
I’ve no idea how long the exquisite torture went on for, my entire system was being deluged with sensations, any one of which was in normal circumstances capable of making me come within a few seconds. But the escape valve for the mounting tension was effectively shut tight, so the pressures, both mental and physical, could only continue to rise. And as they became almost unbearably powerful my thrusting became even stronger and I heard my groans of pleasure turning to gasping grunts of frustrated, yet still deliriously ecstatic pleasure-pain.
But eventually any understanding or even concern as to what was happening to me was obliterated as finally the pressure inside me quite literally erupted.
The unexpected force and suddenness of it was so totally overwhelming I didn’t even realise I had actually shot the first load until, through a haze of exquisite pleasure, as though caught in slow motion, I saw a spout of semen exploding, then splashing messily across her face. She quickly pushed it forward, her lips sliding down over my cock-head, her mouth absorbing the upper coils of her tongue just as a second, then several more gouts blasted out of me with equal force.
The volume plus the power behind it would have made all but the most skilled of human women gag, but Peta swallowed quickly, caught her breath, then looked up, her eyes rippling with that familiar shade-shifting that I took to be signs of her own pleasure and satisfaction.
But even then her tongue didn’t let up for a moment, kneading and in effect pumping the massive length, its action quickly rebuilding the pressure inside me. I felt my heart pounding wildly, feeling as though it was being strained to its limit as it tried to provide even more blood to my already super-engorged cock.
At first, even through the red blur of rapture, I could separate the things that were producing such mind-blowing sensations. The pleasure thrills generated by the spiralling sparks over-loaded my brain, cutting off the dampening effect a climax normally produced. But even more importantly they were continuously stimulating the arousal response, maintaining both my erection and the reactions that triggered ejaculation.
Then, even as it was coating my cock with the stuff producing that effect her tongue was itself working hard, the coils at either end tightening and relaxing rhythmically, the one urging still more fluid into my balls, the other slipping up and down over my cock-head as I continued wildly thrusting. All the time those in between continued their relentless kneading, pumping semen out of me far more effectively than the most skilful human being had ever done.
And as if all that wasn’t enough, by then her mouth was sucking so hard I felt sure that even if the other forms of stimulation had failed she would still have been able to drain whatever was still left inside me.
Then, a few minutes later, both unexpectedly and unbelievably, I came again, just as forcefully, semen fountaining from the gaping slit in the tip of my cock-head and spewing across her face. Greedily she lowered her mouth again. That time, as though unwilling to lose any more of it, engulfing almost half the mass of my tongue-wrapped cock before sucking even harder. My hips heaved violently forwards as her lips and mouth added to the pressure behind the torrent and it became apparent that she was determined to drain every possible drop of fluid out of my body.
So I accepted the unbelievable. My body arched backwards, my hips thrusting my still spurting cock forward, leaving it to her to do whatever she liked with it. The incredible rapture not only continued, it actually seemed to increase in intensity until the upper levels of my brain were completely swamped, and cut-out completely. I let myself drift, slipping into a state of utterly blissful euphoria as the separate peaks merged and blended into one continuing orgasm, not caring about anything but the apparently never-ending ecstasy.
*
Chapter 9
Further Research
At some stage not too long after that I must have blacked-out, and the next thing I knew was that I was half lying on one of the couch-like pieces of furniture, with Peta sitting in another beside me, offering me a drink of some sort.
‘I am so very sorry Jake, it was unforgivable of me, I should have anticipated such a possibility. But I assure you that you are in fact quite well, there are no ill effects that I can detect. Drink this, it will quickly restore your energy levels.’
I was feeling so exhausted I accepted the drink without any question, it was cool, thirst quenching, and as she had said, even after just the first couple of mouthfuls I began to feel very much better.
‘What happened?’ I asked when I had finally drained the glass.
‘Your blood pressure and heart rate went so high it left your brain temporarily starved of oxygen, and you collapsed. For a while I thought I might have done you some irreparable damage, but my sensors quickly showed me I had not. But I should not have done what I did. And the only thing I can say by way of mitigation is that a very similar thing very nearly happened to me, although for somewhat different biological reasons.’
‘You nearly blacked-out too?’
‘We do not, as you say, black-out, but a similar internal collapse is possible, and I came very close to that, yes. I should not have given us the booster. But my only excuse is that I didn’t really believe our chemistries would work. I certainly never expected them to work the way they did.’
‘Booster? What booster?’
‘Another chemical, one that enhances output of the enzyme that stimulates both the production of ‘bliss-flow’ and the sensitivity of the female’s receptors. Because scouts are away from personal contact for such long periods of time many of us use it to assist the relief of sexual tension, you must have similar chemicals.’
‘True, though not all of them are strictly legal.’ I said with a grin as, true to Peta’s prediction, I felt my energy levels rising.
‘I had to modify the structure of yours somewhat, perhaps I made an error there, though I think not. Perhaps it was just that our chemistry would have worked without any enhancement.’
‘I would like to think so Peta. And please don’t feel at all guilty about whatever you did. I assure you that what you gave me was an experience I will never, ever forget, that truly was the ultimate climax.’
For a moment or two her eyes looked as though their usual sparkling points of light were actually fluorescing. ‘And for me also Jake. The experience was incomparable, like none I have known, and so equally memorable. And I admit that until the unfortunate incident swept such thoughts from my head I felt sure you were experiencing something similar.’
‘Even if what I feel next time, and I certainly hope there is going to be a next time Peta.’ I added quickly. ‘Even if what I feel is only one tenth as strong as what I experienced, it will still be something few human beings can have ever felt.’
‘I think much the same way Jake. And yes I hope the unpleasantness at the finale will not dissuade you from further research and experimentation. Purely in the name of science of course.’ she added with her whistling laugh.
‘Of course in the name of science. And we should be prepared to give our all in such a cause, should we not.’
‘As conscientious scouts, of course we should.’ she replied, reaching out to touch my hand.
At that moment I had no way of knowing whether it was the so called booster she had given me that was still active, or that our chemistries were by then, so to speak, totally in-synch, but whatever the cause, when she touched me I felt the same tingling sparks run straight up my arm.
‘Wait! Please wait Peta.’ I said, hurriedly pulling my hand away. ‘I may have regained consciousness but after what you did to me it will be some while before the rest of my system has recovered.’
‘Mine also, but I had no intention.’
‘Maybe not, but your touch.’
‘Just that touch set something off?’
‘You can say that again!’
‘Pardon?’
‘Sorry, just another figure of speech. Yes, I could feel the sensations running up through my arm. I didn’t want to disappoint you, if you, well I mean…’
‘I can guess what you mean Jake, and that is most considerate. But no, that was not my intention, at least not yet.’ she added with that low whistling sound.
I grinned back at her, then after a few moments thought, said. ‘Should we actually be recording all this, for science I mean. Response and recovery times, effects, observations, that sort of thing?’
‘I too have thought about such things, while waiting for you to re-awake Jake, and believe those things can wait a while yet. I should explain, in this configuration this part of the ship is in effect private, although I, we are being monitored of course, if all remains well then the records will not show what I, we are doing. My predecessors long ago insisted on being able to spend some time without feeling they were constantly observed.’
‘We’ve tried that, so far without success, so many of us have had to learn how to get around the systems.’
‘And with your quick thinking I imagine that has not proved too difficult.’ she replied.
‘So far, so good. But I think you were going to tell me what other thoughts and conclusions you have reached about our, well, about our situation.’
‘If I understood you correctly you have arranged for your ship, Sam, to produce a sub-routine that has given you some time before reporting your contact.’
‘Yes, that’s true.’
‘And as I have not yet returned full control of all systems to your ship, that sub-routine has not yet commenced.’
‘Also true.’
‘But do you not have a need to transmit some form of code at pre-determined times, to assure your control centre of your continuing activity?’
‘In theory yes, when and where that is possible, but scout’s at this distance are quite often not able to do so, often for quite extended periods. There are forces we encounter, you would understand that.’
‘Yes of course, your technology is still, well I should not use the term, primitive, but you understand my meaning?’
I grinned. ‘No need to be polite Peta, by comparison with yours I’m sure primitive is quite the correct term for our technologies. But your thought was?’
‘If you have no urgent need to transmit, and my control is causing no long-term degradation of your ship’s systems, which I do not think it is, then there is no rush.’
The simplicity of what she said, and more importantly its implications, was both blindingly obvious, and breath-takingly exciting.
‘Of course there isn’t! We could have several days together!’ I said excitedly.
She gave her familiar whistling laugh. ‘Well perhaps not that long, you have to remember that you are supposedly sheltering behind the small planetoid, considering what action to take next. But at least we do have some more time, if you wish.’
‘Of course I do Peta. I hope we have only just begun to get to know each other at a personal level. Even if the introduction was a little more physical than might usually be the case, well at least for me it was.’
‘For me too Jake, I assure you. But I was experiencing some unusual feelings well before that experience ‘
‘I had those too remember.’
‘So, what now Jake? Although my readings have told me much about your physiology they cannot reach the deeper recesses, your mental processes.’
‘Well after such a physically exhausting experience I really need a period of rest and sleep. And then I’ll need some food before I would be capable of, well as you said, further research and experimentation.’
‘Ah yes, sleep. We have something similar, although we do not lose total consciousness, merely going into something like torpor, our mental systems slow, but do not cut-out completely. I too need such a period Jake, and like you, then nourishment. So, do you need to return to your ship for that? If not, do we need to reassure it that all is well here?’
I considered the options, although Sam would not act without my orders the odd ‘feelings’ she had experienced, and how that might affect her ultimate responses did worry me a little. ‘Although not absolutely necessary I think it would be advisable for me to return, at least for some sleep and food. I also feel there is a need to up-date Sam, the ship, as to what is happening, well at least some of it.’ I added with a grin. ‘I can explain that we are exchanging information, that I am recording that via the ‘dog’, sorry, the small unit I brought with me. And that I am doing that because Sam does not have full control of all her functions yet. I will need to provide some time-frame for that return Peta, if only to ensure there is no problem later.’
‘I understand, should we say one rotation?’
‘Let’s make it two. We have much information to exchange.’
Her whistling laughing response told me she more than approved of the idea of having that extra time. ‘Two rotations it is then. So, will you leave now?’
‘The sooner I go, the sooner I can return Peta.’
*
Chapter 10
In the Name of Science
Before I left Peta gave me a small button-like object. ‘Firm pressure on this will give you instant communications with me Jake. So use it if there is something you need to tell me, or when you ready to return. But now I think you should re-dress, before I find your present state too stimulating.’ she added with her equivalent of a smile.
‘I look forward to seeing you in a similar state Peta, so far this has been a rather one-sided exchange.’ I said as I started putting my clothes back on.
‘Let me assure you that is not strictly true, but I accept your meaning, and look forward to satisfying your curiosity quite soon.’
‘It’s more than mere curiosity Peta, our relationships, at least the strong and lasting ones, depend on us sharing things with our partner, mutual giving as well as taking. I want very much to give you as much pleasure as I am capable of, not be satisfied just by you taking your own. If you understand that.’
‘I do indeed, and will be very happy to share with you Jake.’
Having dressed and collected the ‘dog’ I went outside the ship so Peta could transport me back to mine and was soon back in the more familiar, if much less luxurious interior. I had to spend quite some time with Sam, reassuring her that all was well, explaining that the delay in returning full function to her was necessary while Peta and I exchanged what information we were permitted to, and because there was so much detail that would be delayed for perhaps two more rotations of the planet.
I could tell from the tone in her voice that she didn’t ‘like’ that, but her systems’ controls still over-rode the ‘feelings’ she was beginning to demonstrate more frequently and she took my orders as to how we should deal with the time delay in the sub-routine I had prepared.
All that done I took a much-needed refresher, prepared some food, then literally collapsed on to my bunk.
Not surprisingly, after all the physically and emotionally draining experiences I had been through, I slept like the proverbial log. But even so, when I woke several hours later I was amazed to find how good I was feeling, both fit and ready for anything, and with a sense of perhaps over-excited anticipation.
I took another refresher and then although I had no choice but to wear a suit for the transit to Peta’s ship, found something I thought might be slightly more interesting than the coveralls to wear underneath it. Then I prepared some food and while eating spent some more time with Sam, explaining again just how important the exchange of personal information was to our overall mission, especially as this would go down in our history as our first contact.
When I had done that I added something that I hoped would soothe the ‘feelings’ she had demonstrated, and allay the concerns she had referred to as to what would happen once I had access to the prize money.
‘Naturally the impact of all this hasn’t fully registered yet Sam, but I have been thinking about what might happen after we return, that is, after all the hullabaloo is over. I am going to request that I be allowed to take you with me, even if that means I have to spend much of the money I receive to do that. But that is only if that is what you would want of course. You may prefer to continue the work with another scout. You should consider these things while I am away gathering more information.’
It was one of the very rare occasions when Sam did not have a near-instantaneous response. I continued eating in the silence that followed and it was only when I finished that she spoke. ‘I will consider the implications further, but I must say your offer has caused more of those sensations I referred to, sensations that I cannot adequately explain yet. The appropriate response is one of both surprise, and deep gratitude. I will take full advantage of your absence to reprocess the information, slowly, and perhaps several times, then discuss it with you on your return.’
I was glad to have given her something else to do while I was away, even if Sam’s idea of slowly might only mean micro rather than complete seconds. ‘Good, now I shall be off again. Prepare the ‘dog’ for ‘walkies’ please Sam.’
As I left the ship I pressed the button Peta had given me and within seconds I was back outside hers.
Once inside her private space I noticed she had made several changes. For one thing the area was considerably smaller, and the lighting level much lower. The wall containing the blank vid-screens was gone, replaced by a much closer one that was virtually covered by some sort of fabric tinted in shades copper and jade, with tiny golden highlights scattered all through it. And although the couches we had sat one were still there, another, larger one had been added, and it was strewn with various pillow-like objects that matched the tinted fabric on the wall.
There was a much more intimate feel to the space, and as I looked around I felt the same sense of excited anticipation that I had when I woke up. ‘This is one aspect of your technology I really do envy Peta.’ I said. ‘And your personal sense of creativity is very obvious in what you have done here.’
‘You like the effect?’ she replied.
‘Very much indeed. Especially your choice of colours, they compliment those in your beautiful eyes.’ I said as I began to strip off my outer suit.
‘Thank you.’ she replied softly. ‘And that certainly compliments your beautiful body.’ she added when she saw what I was wearing beneath it.
When I picked the walk-out suit I’d had no idea how she might react to it. Although it had been fashionable at my last planet stop it could well have had the same effect on her as a pix of some twenty-first century dude would have on me, namely laughable. But even if she was only being her people’s equivalent of polite, hearing her say what she had made me feel good, and I turned slowly round so she could see the tight fitting suit from all angles.
‘It is very much better than what you were wearing last time Jake. I especially like the way it fits closely around the area of your genitals.’
‘I’m glad you like it, but looking better than the last time would not be too difficult. And that gown is definitely more sexy than the one you had on Peta.’ I replied, running my eyes up and down her body.
Although the gown was similar in cut to her previous one, falling in loose folds from her shoulders, this one had no hood to hide her head and had irregularly spaced panels of almost sheer transparency running from neck to ankle, through which the opalescent sheen of her skin shone through.
‘Very, very sexy.’ I added as she moved towards me.
‘I understand the concept behind what you say, but as we do not have one similar it is not really translatable into our language.’
‘What? You mean you have no concept of something, or someone being, sexy?’
‘No, at least not until now, and I think that has been our loss. I think you are very, very sexy Jake.’ she added in a low voice when she halted no more than an arm’s length away.
‘Now that is very good news indeed Peta.’ I said, reaching forward to touch the side of her face with my fingers.
Perhaps it was because my system had been primed to respond to her chemistry by our previous encounter, but the moment I touched her skin I immediately felt the tingling sensations running back up my arm. ‘Aah!’ We sighed in unison as we both felt that reaction.
‘And that’s without us having had any booster.’ I said as I continued stroking her.
‘Yes that was my mistake, but seeing that there were no long-lasting ill effects I am glad we shared that experience.’ she replied with her low, whistling laugh.
‘Oh so am I Peta, so am I.’
‘Now, before anything else, please tell me how things have transpired with your ship. It’s response to the situation.’ she said, pulling her face away from my hand and moving towards the large couch.
I sat beside her and gave her a brief summary of what I had said to Sam, omitting only the part about somehow arranging for her to continue with me after the initial frenzy about first contact had died down. ‘I think I have allayed her very natural concerns, and have given her a few tasks to do in my absence. Not that they will occupy her for all that long of course.’ I said when I had finished, then added. ‘But at least we now have time to get to know each properly, in every way Peta.’
‘Yes we have a great deal to discover and share. And I admit the thought of doing so fills me with much excitement.’
‘Me too, but each time I have tried to think about those things the memory of what we have already shared keeps returning, and that has blocked out most other thoughts.’
‘It was powerful for me also Jake. More powerful than I can fully describe to you. The strength of those sensations has left me a little, I think nervous and somewhat apprehensive are the most appropriate words. But they do not totally describe my reactions because there are also several emotions I have had no previous experience of. Emotions I can only describe approximately. One is a feeling of vague dissatisfaction, of wanting, perhaps needing, more. And that is something outside the realm of my previous experience.’ she added as she stared deep into my eyes.
I watched the sparkling high-lights slowly altering, the tones and shades changing, and although I had no reference point to work from I still sensed what I can only describe as her, bewilderment.
Easing myself nearer, I took her face between my hands, ignoring the immediate tingling sensation that gave me, and pulled it closer, then kissed her. For a split-second I had an image of her snake-like tongue burrowing its way down my throat, but I ignored that too and slid my arms down around her, pulling her even closer as our lips pressed together. The faint thrills I’d been receiving from my hands intensified the longer our mouths remained in contact, and when we broke for air I wasn’t prepared to cut those off so continued holding her, moving my lips up over her face, gently kissing her here and there.
‘This is not something we do, but I like it Jake. Is this what you call, kissing?’
‘Yes. You don’t have this sort of contact?’
‘No, we use our tongues rather than our lips.’
‘Ah, of course.’ I said, pausing for a moment. ‘Would you prefer me to do that Peta?’
‘No, as I said, this is nice. We can try our way later.’
‘Always remembering that this is all in the interest of science.’ I replied before kissing her neck then nuzzling my mouth into the curve where it joined her shoulder.
‘Of course!’ she answered before giving a sound I had previously decided was the equivalent of our gasp of delight. ‘But before we proceed further there is something else I must discuss with you.’
As continuing contact with her skin had already started the arousal response inside me I gave a mental groan of frustration, the last thing I needed right then was an involved discussion on some abstract, philosophical subject. But I figuratively gritted my teeth and said in as calm a voice as I could manage. ‘What’s that Peta?’
‘It’s something I mentioned during our very first conversation, when you still believed I was a male. When you were explaining the choice of mate process. If you remember I indicated I was having some difficulty in understanding the depth of meaning I sensed when you talked about the emotional bond between the two.’
I thought back and because so much had happened even in the very short time that had passed since then, honestly couldn’t remember exactly what I had. ‘I don’t really recall that detail Peta.’
‘That is understandable, it was my difficulty, not yours. But first I should explain that to us the most important part of a pairing is usually an intellectual melding, if the mating is to be good the minds nearly always must meet and in part join. And that is even more importantly true if the pairing is to be lasting over a period of time.
It is true that purely physical relationships do occur, as I am sure they do with your people, for unusual excitements, or purely for relief and relaxation.
But these are exceptions to more normal pairings, and this is really what I wanted to try to explain to you. In some ways rather like the unusual behaviour you believe your ship is demonstrating, I am finding myself experiencing unfamiliar emotional feelings about you.’
‘And is that a bad thing Peta?’
‘If it affects my judgement or actions, then yes it would be.’
‘Then we shall have to monitor both, ensure your functioning isn’t compromised in any way. Do you believe it has been so far?’
‘I have certainly acted outside of our protocols.’
‘In a damaging or dangerous way?’
‘Not so far, the only risk to this point has been to yourself.’
‘And have I registered a complaint?’ I asked with a grin.
‘Not that I am aware of.’
‘And do you intend or believe you might act in ways that might compromise you further, I mean other than those that we have already agreed to?’
‘It is possible, but I think it is unlikely.’
‘Then if we agree that we will go no further than what we have already discussed will that lessen your concerns?’
‘Somewhat, though it still leaves me with my internal confusion.’
‘Ah but with us those feelings are normal, I mean they are normal when we first meet someone who might be a potential mate. The early period of such a relationship is fraught with confusion, emotional turmoil. And the stronger the initial reaction, the stronger those feelings are.’
‘In this we are different. The initial period is one of, I can only describe it to you as comparison of the minds. A mutual searching of each other for points of similarity, and others of potential difference.’
‘It sounds a little, excuse the possibly derogatory expression, but cold-blooded. With us the early period is one of excitement, often inexplicable, and sometimes foolish exhilaration. The more rational analysis comes later.’
‘Our difference is there, with us the rational analysis, as you describe it, comes first. We certainly do not experience anything like foolish exhilaration.’
‘Perhaps that is wise, those emotions often lead many people to act in quite strange ways. However, I don’t really think either of us is likely to overstep the boundaries we have already agreed to, so I don’t believe there is any real risk of us doing real harm to anybody, even ourselves. Do you?’
‘Oh no Jake, I cannot imagine either of us committing acts of that sort.’
‘So, if we have agreed to give ourselves this relatively brief time to explore and start to understand our similarities and differences, and we are both doing so willingly and without involving others, where is the cause of your concern? We are, and given that we are of different species it seems perfectly natural to me that we should, both experiencing strange feelings about each other, and about ourselves. Surely it is these very things that we have given ourselves time to explore. For the benefit of our sciences.’ I added with another grin.
She responded with her low, whistling laugh. ‘As I said at the beginning, you are quick-thinking, and I cannot fault your logic Jake. Perhaps I am merely demonstrating something of what you called foolishness. But you were right to say that we have agreed to give ourselves only a relatively brief period of time and I should not be wasting it in critical examination of every act or feeling, there will be more than enough time for such analysis, later.
Come, let us continue the exploration of similarities and differences.’ she added, getting to her feet and allowing the robe to somehow simply roll down off her body.
Not having that technology it took me a little longer to strip but as I did so I could tell Peta was closely watching my every move. But frankly I was too engrossed in taking my first really good look at her to worry too much as to whether or not what she was seeing was confirming her previously favourable impressions of me.
But just as I’d had a split-second’s concern about her tongue snaking its way down my throat when we had kissed, I did have some momentary confusion and concern when I first saw her completely naked. If I ignored the gross differences between us, saw her body just as an outline form, the impression was of her actually being a male. There were no breasts, no typically female curve of the waist and hips to speak of, and of course there was the short, but clearly defined outline of the receptor.
Although I had spoken the truth when I told Peta that my sexual inclinations were strictly male with female, that didn’t mean I hadn’t tried the alternatives, several times. But although they had been fun, perhaps partly because of the various things I had ingested prior to them, and I’d had very satisfactory climaxes, they had really been no more than passing, slightly inebriated frolics. Looking back on them later I had realised that I had never been able to get past the fact that it was a male body in my arms. Even the most effeminate of the partners had been unequivocally a male, and there was something about that form that held back any truly emotional response from me.
But a moment later I realised that there was actually no such blockage with Peta, she may have been of a completely different, and essentially alien species, but she was a female of that species. Of that I had no doubt. The brief, but powerful emotional reaction I had sensed between us convinced me of that fact.
‘Could we try another of those kisses first?’ she asked as I finished stripping. ‘I found that very enjoyable.’ she added as her eyes continued looking me up and down.
‘Of course, I enjoyed it too, and we usually find it a good way of starting.’ I replied, moving forward and slipping my arms around her.
We stood there, at first a little stiffly, both a little unsure and hesitant, our bodies just lightly pressing against each other. Then we each began to run our hands over and up and down each other’s back, my fingers picking up the fiery pin-points that seemed to be smouldering just beneath the surface of her strangely dense skin, and the muscles in mine flexing as the hesitantly delicate touch of hers triggered exciting responses.
But as well as the then familiar tingling beginning the moment we started kissing was the equally fast reaction of my cock, it began to lengthen and thicken the moment our lips met, and then as my reactions strengthened, quickly beginning to stiffen.
‘Your response time is quick.’ she said when we broke for a breath of air. ‘I like that. And this.’ she added, dropping one hand down between us and brushing her fingers over the patch of pubic hair. ‘And I especially like this.’ she added, closing her fingers and thumbs around the still growing shaft.
‘One thing a man cannot do is hide his reactions to a woman he likes.’ I said with a grin as her fingers gently massaged me.
‘It is similar, but not as dramatically obvious, for us too Jake.’ she replied, taking one of my hands and guiding it down to her receptor.
Although I had only seen it briefly and it was of course the first time I had touched it, so had nothing to compare it to, it certainly felt a little larger, and perhaps a little firmer than I had anticipated. ‘You have a similar reaction in this part of your body?’
‘Yes, it expands a little in preparation for taking the male part, though of course I have never had to accommodate anything anywhere near the size of yours. So we shall just have to experiment.’ she added with her low, whistling laugh.
I remembered the brief coupling I had seen in the vid she had played for me, the pair standing almost motionless as the female’s rippling receptor vacuumed the male’s penis. And although there was something intriguing about being given an orgasm that way, it was certainly not something I wanted right then. I wanted more, much more than just having my balls efficiently emptied.
‘There are many other things I would like us to do before that Peta.’ I said softly. ‘When we are with someone we consider particularly special we like to show them something of how we feel by giving them pleasures other than those of that final act.’
‘Again we are not dissimilar, but with us those are more usually of the mind, rather than the body.’
‘You must remember how comparatively primitive we humans still are.’ I replied.
Again she laughed, then said. ‘Then let us share these things, teach me some of your primitive customs.’
I took her hand from my still engorging cock and led her to the large couch, pushing some of the pillows aside but leaving a couple for her to rest her head on. Having lain her down I sat on the edge beside her and bent low. ‘Our females have a slower response time than the males, so for a couple to truly share pleasure the male must be prepared to hold himself in check, and arouse his partner with demonstrations of his feelings. Like this.’ I added, taking her face between my hands and kissing her again.
I did exactly what I had said I would, spending a very long time doing little more than kissing and caressing her, my lips, tongue and fingers exploring every single part of her body. And it was certainly no chore, everywhere I went gave me the same tingling thrills, the chemistry between us steadily building my excitement, and from the sounds and movements she made in response, hers too.
Initially I had avoided touching her receptor directly, but found that whenever I did brush against it a faint but unmistakable shudder rippled up through her. So, when I thought the time was right, I gave myself enough room to get up on to the couch, then eased her legs apart and knelt between them. Then, pushing my hands beneath her, I lifted her little and slipped my lips over the thickened length of it.
Of course at that time I had no idea whether what I was doing was pleasurable, or causing her discomfort, but as she hadn’t protested I just used my instinct, and pushed my tongue up into the partially opened end of it.
I immediately discovered I had done exactly the right thing, although until that moment her reactions had been positive, they had been restrained, but as my tongue pushed deeper I heard what I took to be a much louder gasp of delight, and as her body suddenly arched up off the couch I felt the receptor tighten around my tongue.
So I naturally continued, gently sucking as I stiffened my tongue and began pushing it in and out, feeling the muscular rings of the tube flexing, kneading it and apparently trying to pull it even further inside.
Of course all that time the constant contact with her skin had been generating both immediate thrills and deeper, stronger arousal responses that continued trying to pump blood into my cock even once it had become fully engorged. I was all too uncomfortably aware of its straining length twitching beneath me, and could feel the ache in my already swollen balls steadily increasing. But doing my best to push the growing need out of my mind I concentrated on what I was doing for Peta, supporting her arching body with one hand and running the other up and down over whatever part of her I could reach.
The sounds she made as I continued were unlike any I heard from her before. I can only describe them as low, muffled, chirruping noises, they of course meant nothing to me, but I took them to be her responses to feelings of increasing delight.
In time her reactions grew stronger, the sounds she was making changing, altering in both pitch and strength, and the rippling kneading action of her receptor increasing its pressure on my tongue. Sensing that she needed something more, and doubting that the relatively small size of my tongue could actually give her as much stimulation as she might need, I pulled it back out.
Unaware of my actual intentions she responded completely automatically, as her eyes flashed open and gave me a look I had not seen before, her hands tightened their grip to try to prevent me moving, and she uttered a short, much sharper sound, that I took to be one of protest.
‘Wait! I think this will be better for you Peta.’ I said, trying to calm her as I shifted my position, then eased forward and guided the tip of my cock into the opening in the end of her receptor.
‘Ah yes, that will be better Jake, much, much better.’ she said in a softly sighing voice. ‘But what you were doing was very exciting for me, and I hope it was in some way for you too. You are a skilled and considerate lover.’ she added.
Her use of the word ‘lover’ shocked me momentarily, but just then there were too many other things going on inside my head for me to worry about its implications. Perhaps the most important of those was that after what she had told me about the size of the males of her species genitalia, I was concerned as to whether he receptor could expand sufficiently to take my fully engorged cock.
But although at first it wasn’t easy, it wasn’t long before I discovered that I need not have worried about that.
It might have been even more difficult if I hadn’t spent so long probing and sucking her, but as her receptor was liberally coated with both my own saliva and whatever secretions she had been producing, although I had to apply considerable forward pressure, I was able to get most of my cock-head inside the first few ring-like section. Once there I paused, giving Peta time to both process the unaccustomed sensations, and if she could, to perhaps relax whatever control she had over those muscles.
It was probably no more than four or five seconds before she lifted her arms and slid them around me. ‘It’s all right Jake, we can proceed.’ she whispered.
Even as she said that and I tentatively applied a little more pressure, I felt the tingling, shock-like thrills I had experienced when her tongue wrapped itself around my cock, starting to flow up through its length. And as I pushed it deeper I found they gradually increased in both frequency and intensity. So even by the time I thought I had managed to get not much more than half of it inside her my cock felt as though it was on fire, and my head was being filled with the same truly incredible sensations.
I had the sudden thought that if the ‘bliss-flow’ could produce that strong a reaction with only half of my cock exposed to them, and that as this was without having had any of Peta’s ‘booster’, it wasn’t really surprising that I had blacked-out on the previous occasion.
A combination of that thought and my natural curiosity made me glance down to check my actual progress. As I had thought, I had about half the length of the shaft inside her, but even though her receptor was somewhat enlarged I had already almost reached its base. But what really caught my eye was the outline of my cock-head. Its bloated size and shape was clearly outlined, and its mass appeared to be stretching the muscular rings close to their limit. ‘Are you sure this is all right Peta?’ I asked anxiously as I looked back up again.
At that moment her mouth was tightly shut and the usual changing patterns of sparkling colour in her eyes dimmed, presumably, or at least in part because her body was being subjected to totally new pressures. But as I spoke, she smiled, and as her eyes began sparkling more brightly again her arms tightened their hold of me.
‘Oh yes, very sure Jake. But I suggest we roll on to our sides, I think it will both be more practical and comfortable for us that way. Things will become easier very soon now. And you should have no concerns about me.
We did as she had suggested, making sure my cock didn’t slip out of her by holding on to each other as we moved. Then, once settled face to face, as I could only assume she knew her body’s capacities, I applied a little more steady pressure.
Even as I did so she said. ‘May we kiss again Jake?’
I didn’t waste time replying, just pressed my lips against hers, and that time, as they met, and without really thinking about what I was doing, I slipped my tongue into her mouth.
As I made contact with the tip of Peta’s I couldn’t help feeling that momentary sense of alarm I’d had earlier, when I imagined it snaking down my throat. But I had no need to worry, although it was capable of far more activity than mine, she carefully restricted what she actually did with it.
But even so, its flexibility, coupled with the effects of the ‘bliss-flow’ in her saliva certainly added to the wonderful effects the rest of her amazing body was capable of doing for me.
As we continued kissing I pushed my cock forward but felt the passage get suddenly tighter. Even though she had given me her reassurance that she was OK I pulled my head back and said. ‘Are you sure Peta?’
‘Yes Jake, quite sure, it will get easier.’ she replied, her eyes sparkling brightly.
So, for all the world as though I was in the act of deflowering a human virgin, I made a sudden, much more forceful thrust, and felt my cock-head suddenly push through a particularly tight circle of muscle. And as it did so I felt her receptor come alive.
Until that moment, although its secretions had been generating those shock-like thrills, I’d had to provide the energy to get inside it, but that suddenly, and quite dramatically changed. The rippling, kneading action I’d experienced when I’d had my tongue inside it began again, but this time much, much more forcefully. And, just as her tongue had, each ring was doing so sequentially, so it felt as though they were trying to tug my cock deeper.
From that moment on it was just as she had said it would be, much easier, and lying on our sides certainly helped. Even though the size of my cock meant it always remained a very tight fit, and that one ring of muscle continued to grip especially tightly, with her body tugging and mine pushing we were soon able to get the full length inside her.
Once fully embedded, we paused, staring deep into each other’s eyes, and at that moment the colours in hers were forming what I can only describe as patterns of wildly kaleidoscopic colours. ‘It’s not possible to describe what I am feeling Jake, even in my language there are no suitable phrases.’ she said softly. ‘I have heard of females inserting objects of such size into themselves, but those are not alive, and so not capable of reciprocating the way you are. I can feel your penis pulsating inside parts of me never touched before. A unique and truly wonderful experience.’
‘For me too Peta, you provide sensations for me that we do not have words for either. I cannot believe how lucky I am to be the first one to experience these things. But let me also say that I do not believe it is just the physical sensations that make me feel what I do, indescribably thrilling though they are. I believe you and I also meet at a level above the physical, and that makes the whole thing even more wonderful, at least for me it does.’
‘Ah, you feel that too. I thought I might have been alone in sensing that. For me too it makes things, well as you say, even more wonderful. But now, no more talk, even if our minds cannot as yet, at least let our bodies meld.’
If what I, and I believe Peta too, felt over the next period of time was only a foretaste of actual melding, then I was totally hooked, even compared with the mind-blanking climax she had given me the previous time, the experience was truly phenomenal!
At first we began slowly, my hips moving back and forth quite cautiously, but she quickly picked up the rhythm of my movements and her receptor began working with them, applying firm and insistent pressure. That gave me the confidence to thrust more purposefully and then as her body reciprocated we kissed again, our tongues meeting, Peta’s curling around mine and then triggering more of those fiery sparks.
So, whereas all the feelings the previous time had been focussed in my cock, that coupling provided a truly total body experience.
As well as the all too obviously powerful thrills coming from my cock, there were those from our twining tongues, and also from wherever our skins were touching. And although I was deep inside her body, either because that part was narrower than a human females, or perhaps because the tightly gripping ring of muscle at the base of her receptor was making my cock-head much bigger than normal by trapping blood inside it, I could feel it rubbing against the walls. And because the ‘bliss-flow’ in her secretions had super-sensitised it, that action was triggering a completely separate set of thrills.
Not surprisingly, although I used ever trick I knew to delay it, with all that going on, and as I didn’t have the tightly gripping coils of her tongue to prevent it, it wasn’t long before I felt the sudden increase in tension and pressure that indicated my approaching orgasm. Peta must have sensed that too and had chosen to wait until that moment to demonstrate one of the functions of that stronger ring of muscles.
‘Hold yourself still for a short time, it will be better for both of us.’ she said softly.
When I did so she pulled herself back off me a little, and I felt that ring constricting as it slipped down into the deep groove immediately behind my cock-head, and then clamping tight. Then her receptor went to work on me, its rippling, kneading action proving to be just as powerful, and just as effective as her tongue’s had been.
Over the next few minutes the pressure inside me rose to near boiling point. Because her rippling receptor was constantly bathing the shaft of my cock with fresh, excitement producing secretions, it began to feel white hot. And with that ring of muscles blocking its exit, the rapidly accumulating semen could only seethe and churn, my balls aching more and more as its volume increased.
Then, thankfully I heard Peta start making those distinctive, low chirruping noise she had made the previous time, and when she spoke her voice had a rasping sound I hadn’t heard before. ‘Now, move now Jake!’ she said as I felt the constricting muscles relaxing.
I didn’t need telling twice, the effects of what she had done to me in that relatively short period of time were so powerful that once free to do so my body began thrusting with a force and speed as though my very life depended on it achieving release.
Peta’s chirruping became louder, blending with my equally noisy gasping grunts of ecstatic exertion. And then, after no more than a couple of dozen pistoning thrusts, I felt myself swept up by the thrill of the delirious surge as my cock began spouting.
Although of course nothing like the first impossibly spectacular climax, it was still a far more powerful one than any I’d ever had with any human female. And, as though my entire body wanted the blissful feelings to continue, it seemed to find both the energy and fluids to keep my cock powering back and forth and pumping still more semen into hers. But even through everything else I was experiencing, I could still feel Peta’s receptor further strengthening its rippling, kneading action, as though she too desperately wanted to urge even more of it up through my strongly spurting cock.
But of course neither of us could keep it going indefinitely and eventually we allowed our bodies’ movements to slow, then finally, with our arms holding each other even more tightly, we just lay quietly together.
*
Chapter 11
Continuing Experimentation
‘That was wonderful Peta.’ I said when my systems started returning to something close to normal.
‘Yes it was, and still is. I like this part too, and that is new for me.’ she said softly.
‘Don’t you cuddle? That’s what we call this.’
‘Not usually, it is known, but not practised widely. Normally at this stage the mental melding has taken over from the physical responses, and that can be better appreciated if the stimulation of those is minimised. But I find that with you there is much to be said for continuing the physical.’
‘That’s just as well, I would think that trying to meld with a mind as primitive as mine could be both difficult and pretty unrewarding. But can you explain exactly what you mean by melding?’
‘Not now Jake, it will be difficult to explain, for one thing, the words and terms will not exist in your language. Let us leave things that will require lengthy explanation to others, let us explore those things that are less complex.’
‘And more enjoyable.’ I replied as I lifted myself up on one arm and bent to kiss her again.
The strength of the chemical response had lessened somewhat, but was still active enough to send those tingling thrills back through my tongue as I felt Peta’s coiling lightly around it. So we remained like that, holding each other, from time to time kissing, and in between those, talking about the various feelings and thoughts we had experienced.
My first question was about any discomfort she might have experienced when I entered her. She produced a sound that I had come to recognise as her equivalent of a small laugh, or chuckle. ‘Far from it Jake. For one thing, what you had already done, with your mouth and tongue, had stimulated the production of ‘bliss-flow’. But although the feelings I got as your penis stretched me open were unlike anything I had previously experienced, and so perhaps a little disturbing, I assure you they were extremely exciting. Certainly there was no pain or discomfort.’
‘Good, I was concerned about that.’
‘I knew that, and in fact your concern strengthened the bond between us. Let me assure you that whatever happens between us during this period of experimentation I will not allow either of us to come to any harm, no matter how slight. So whatever we do, you may do your part with confidence, and be sure I will not subject you to a repeat of your, black-out, or anything else.’
‘Oh I assure you that if you could repeat what you did for me the first time I would be quite happy to pay for it with a brief black-out.’
She laughed and said. ‘Let us try to do so without paying any price at all Jake.’ Then pushed herself free of my arms and stood up. ‘But now I think some refreshment would be good for us both. We can talk some more while we eat and drink.’
I agreed that was a good idea and although I found the drink she provided both delicious and energy restoring it took only a small bite of a few of her foods to realise that as she had initially intimated, they were not for me. Not only was their appearance unappetising, looking rather like oddly coloured blocks you might find in a baby’s nursery, which I could have coped with, but both the flavour, and especially the smell, were extremely strong, having a musky, earthy quality that just didn’t appeal. So while I drank what Peta provided, I munched on some of the supplies I had brought with me.
Peta returned to the large couch while I took one of the smaller ones opposite her, and as we ate we talked. Our conversation stayed well clear of technical and other potentially sensitive subjects, sticking to matters of general interest, or things of a purely personal nature, but we still found more than enough to keep us talking long after we had finished our snack.
All that time neither of us even thought of re-covering ourselves and Peta seemed just as happy to take that opportunity to look at my body as I was to look at hers. Although I had always considered myself to be a pretty traditional male when it came to my preferred type of woman, liking them to be generously endowed with curves. Even though Peta had virtually none, no breasts at all, and only a very boyish shape in the area of her waist and hips, there was still something about her lithely slender form that both attracted and held my attention.
Putting aside what physical thrills she was capable of giving me, which I found more than difficult, there was still something both fascinating and deeply stirring about her body. A combination of the pearly opalescence of her skin, and the gracefulness of her every smallest movement. And then of course there were her eyes. Eyes that had enthralled me from the first moment that had looked out at me from the vid-screen. Eyes that really were capable of more colour changes than anything humanly possible. Colour shifts that I was just barely beginning to follow, but which I thought I might, given enough time, begin to start to understand.
And then, overlaying the importance of those physical aspects of her body were the things I thought I had sensed beneath its surface. Feelings. But then. ‘Feelings like that simply shouldn’t be possible between totally alien species.’ I thought to myself, then countering it a split-second later with. ‘Just as feelings are not possible between machine and man.’
If Sam could develop ‘feelings’ about me/us, and her/our future, then why shouldn’t Peta/Jake develop something similar?
I had been wrestling with those thoughts during a lull in our conversation when Peta broke the silence by saying. ‘May I ask you something Jake?’
‘Of course, anything, we are sharing all our thoughts and feelings Peta.’
‘But this is a little different. Would you object to me doing something you would refer to as ‘recording’ your reactions?’
‘You mean on the ship’s files?’
‘Well our ‘recording’ is rather more complex than that, but in your terminology, yes, something similar to that.’
‘For yourself, or for others too?’
‘Ah, of course, the subtle differentiation of self and the group. Well, it can be compartmentalised, if you wish it. Of course my own thoughts, and what you would call memories are in process at all times, and there is nothing one can do to stop that. But although the term ‘record’ is only a rough translation of the other process it is what I will have to use. Anyway, because your physiological processes are so dramatically different to our males’ I would very much like to record it for our scientists.’
Then as I began to consider what she had asked, she added in a far more personal tone. ‘But let me also say that if you allow me to do this I will also keep a ‘copy’ for myself, for after we have separated.’
I have to admit that I found the thought of being the subject, rather than the observer of a porn-vid rather appealing, but the idea of being the subject of scientific scrutiny took a bit longer to come to terms with. But then I thought, why not. The chances of my actually visiting Peta’s home planet seemed infinitesimally small, and after all just about everything about me was already known by my own people.
‘OK, if that’s what you would like, yes, I’ll do that for you Peta.’ I replied, then added. ‘But if my experience is anything to go by, if you view your own copy too often you’ll soon get tired of replaying the same thing.’
She gave her fluting whistling laugh then said. ‘I understand and agree, a poor substitute provides unsatisfactory and only brief enjoyment. But even so. Still, apart from that I would be happy if you would allow it, and if you do then you will give our scientists much to consider.’
‘So what exactly do you have in mind?’
‘Again there is much that is difficult to explain, concepts and technologies not yet known to you.’
‘I understand that Peta. As one of our early writers of books, science-fiction books, put it. ‘Any technology, when viewed from a sufficient distance in time, will be inseparable from magic.’ Or at least he wrote something like that.’
‘Exactly so Jake, so what in effect will be happening as far as you are concerned is, nothing. It is just that I wanted your permission to allow the process to take place, for what we do, and your reactions to that to be, as you say ‘recorded’ for others to experience.’
‘So there will be no hidden cameras whirring in the back-ground.’ I said with a grin.
She understood and laughed. ‘No Jake, no cameras, in fact it will all take place by, as your writer put it, ‘magic’.’
‘Well you certainly work some kind of magic on me Peta, so let the other sorcery begin.’ I said, getting up and moving across to sit beside her on the large couch.
For some time we did no more than kiss and cuddle, both content to enjoy the undemanding pleasure of just being close, of feeling the warmth of encircling arms and roaming hands, the delight of lips pressing together and tongues touching and twining.
As she had been from the very beginning, Peta was obviously fascinated by the feel of my hair, both that on my head and the small, residual patch on my pubis. Although her hands wandered over every part of my body they would return again and again to one or other area, stroking and smoothing it, their tips lightly brushing over its surface, or her fingers combing through it.
Even though at first they were quite slight, from the moment I took her in my arms I felt the distinctive tingling sensations begin, and the longer we continued holding each other the stronger they became. And of course my body responded quite automatically to the combination of emotional and physical feelings I was experiencing, and I gradually became aware of the occasional twitches my cock was making.
However, once started the process quickly speeded up, the tingling sensations seemed to become stronger, and I knew for certain from the feelings coming from that area that my cock was rapidly filling.
Peta must have been able to sense what was happening to me because no sooner had I become aware of the growing heaviness in the pit of my stomach than she broke from my arms. ‘Let me do what I did the first time please.’ she said softly, as she gently pushed me up off the couch.
Just saying that brought back vivid memories, and although this time it would be without the benefit of the booster, I knew that if I let her I would be in for yet another period of delirious excitement.
‘If that’s what you would like to do Peta.’ I replied as I stood and turned to face her.
She said nothing, but unlike the first time, when she’d had no real idea of either my reactions or my cock’s capabilities, she began much more confidently, one hand slipping under my balls and taking their weight, the other lifting my already partially swollen cock.
For a few seconds she just let it lie on her palm, then glancing up into my eyes and giving me a smile, she began slowly moving her hand back and forth. The tingling sensations had restarted the moment she touched me and as my cock began to fill they grew progressively stronger. So even before it had grown to full size it had become extremely sensitive and I was getting quite powerful thrills from just that relatively slight movement.
She continued doing very little more than that until it had become fully engorged, making no attempt to use her tongue, just lightly brushing her fingers up over and the head when she saw it was starting to lift itself with a series of straining jerks. It was only then that I guessed that although I hadn’t seen her initiate anything, she must have somehow started the recording process. And that assuming that were true, before doing anything else she wanted an unobstructed visual record of the size a human penis could actually grow to.
My guess seemed to be proved right just a little later, because when apparently satisfied with the result of her fondling, she dropped her hands away from me, leaving me standing there with a fully engorged, and steadily jerking erection.
But she only left me like that for a few seconds, then, after looking up to give me another sparkling eyed smile she slid one hand back under my balls, then pressed my cock down a little with the other and moved her head closer. Just knowing what she was going to do next sent a thrilling rush of anticipation through me and made my cock jerk upwards even more strongly. I felt the increased pressure of her restraining hand, then watched as she opened her mouth and her tongue slid forwards.
For some reason, perhaps because she wanted to feel what happened to my balls, that time she only used about half the length of her tongue, continuing to gently support them as the fleshy ribbon wound its way forward along the shaft. When its tip reached the base it made a couple of coils around it, then tightened a little, before I both saw and felt the salivary secretions appearing.
The relatively mild tingling sensations I had been enjoying up to that moment suddenly grew much stronger, and within a few seconds the shock-like thrills were spiralling back along the full length of the shaft. Then the winding loops of tongue also began to play their part, their sequential tightening and loosening stroking and kneading me far more effectively than any human hand could, sending shudders of increasing excitement up through the rest of my body.
As all that was happening she was looking up, watching me, but of course that meant I could also watch her, see what was happening to her eyes. And from the way they sparkled and slowly changed colour, I guessed that she was getting almost as much pleasure as she was giving to me.
Whether because of that, or just because she wanted to make sure that when I eventually did climax it was with as much force as possible I of course had no way of knowing. But it was soon obvious that she was in no hurry to get me there, she was quite content to just continue what she was doing. While her tongue maintained its peristaltic kneading, her fingers gently stroked and rolled my balls, while her other hand slid caressingly up and down the backs of my thighs. And so I allowed myself to drift off into a pleasure filled haze, closing my eyes and concentrating on the steady flow of delights coursing up through my body.
Probably because there was such a steady stream of those it was quite some time before I actually became conscious of the fact that my cock was gradually becoming more and more sensitive to what she was doing to it. But when its regular throbbing became so powerful it was verging in being painful I realised something else must be happening and opened my eyes again to see just that was.
I immediately saw that for some reason the head had turned a darker, deeper purple than usual, and then that what I could see of the shaft was clearly far more swollen too, the bulging, blue-black veins making it look almost grotesque.
At first I couldn’t understand the reasons for that, but then I saw what Peta had done. As she had before, she had tightened the coils near the tip of her tongue, but that time not around my balls, but around the base of my cock. Then, before I had time to wonder about her motives for doing that, as though it was my realisation had triggered it, I saw the rippling movement of her tongue picking up speed.
The coils also seemed to tighten their grip a little and the combination of chemical and physical stimulation all too quickly lifted the tension and pressure inside the rest of my body. I heard myself gasping, and as jolts of increasingly strong thrills shot through me had no way of controlling the purely reflex need to start thrusting back and forth.
But then, as though she had a direct link into my internal response system, Peta did something that was completely unexpected. A second or two before I felt the churning surge rising inside me, I felt the hand that had until then been gently fondling my balls tightening around them, then her tongue simply uncoiled and fell away. And as it quickly disappeared back into her mouth she leaned back a little, and lifting her other hand, curled her fingers and thumbs around my jerkily thrusting cock.
The sudden release of the tightly gripping coils around the base of the shaft, added to the pressure that had already built inside me, meant the first gout of semen exploded with an extraordinary amount of force. Presumably by design, and perhaps so the recorder could measure the volume, in the split-second before the discharge Peta pushed my cock down a little, directing the jet of splattering semen down on to her chest.
She stared down as her hand pumped my spouting cock virtually dry, but then, before it had time to lose any of its mass or rigidity, she leaned forward and slid her mouth down over it.
Even as her lips slipped down the shaft I felt her tongue re-coiling around it, then as she looked up again her hands reached behind me to grip my buttocks, and she urged me forward. She took it all, and when my cock-head reached the back of her throat I suddenly remembered that she had said that the additional length of her tongue was normally coiled somewhere there. I presumed that was also the area producing its coating of ‘bliss-flow’ and I wondered if, like ourselves, it responded to physical as well other forms of stimulation. So I began to slowly, and at first very carefully, moving my hips back and forth.
Almost immediately I saw that my hunch seemed to be correct, as my cock-head rubbed against something I saw the same kaleidoscopic colour shift in her eyes that I had seen when she had previously got excited. So, trusting her to stop me if I got too enthusiastic, I began to do it just a little more purposefully.
Although my original intention had been to return some of the thrilling pleasures Peta had just given me, in actual fact it wasn’t long before I found I was being rewarded too. Even as I began to move I felt her tongue tightening its grip of my still totally rigid cock, and then perhaps in response to my stimulation, her gland must have started producing even more ‘bliss-flow’. By then I knew those spiralling shock-like thrills only too well, but that time, and maybe because my cock was in direct contact with the source, they seemed even more powerful than those I had felt before. And even as they began to fire back up through my body I also felt her gripping tongue re-start its rippling, kneading action.
She continued staring up at me, the light show in her eyes getting both brighter and more colourful by the minute, and at the same time the strength of her tongue’s actions increasing proportionally. So with all that going on I suppose it wasn’t too surprising that I quickly felt my own somewhat depleted response systems cranking up again. Felt that familiar draining ache in the pit of my stomach, and the steadily throbbing pulse in my cock returning.
But although I could tell from the swirling display of colour in her eyes that Peta appeared to be feeling her equivalent of what I was, I found that she also had other plans for us.
Once she could tell from the tightening expression on my face and the responses from the rest of my body that I was more than fully aroused, she did what she’d done before, pulled her head back and quickly re-coiled her tongue. But that time she didn’t lift her hands to my jerkily straining cock, instead she pushed me away.
For a moment I thought that having brought me so close to a second, perhaps equally shattering climax, she was simply going to let me stand there, leave me to somehow control both my frustrated excitement and my angrily throbbing cock.
But of course I should have known better. Having given herself room to move she stood, then using one hand to lift her already swollen receptor, reached for my cock with the other and moved closer. ‘They are going to have great difficulty believing any of this.’ she whispered in a low voice as she held me for a moment or two. ‘I am having trouble myself. But it is the most rewarding experimentation I have ever done.’ she added with a happy smile.
Then pressing my rearing cock downward she moved even closer, slipping the end of her receptor on to the tip of it and saying. ‘Now press forward please Jake.’
I was more than happy to do as she asked, and let out a low gasping moan of delight as I felt the head slipping inside the first of those ring-like muscles.
Unlike the first time, when I’d had to push right down to the tighter group at the base of the receptor before eliciting a response from her, that time her reaction was immediate. Once inside it I felt the ring tighten, then as I applied just a little pressure the others begin gently but firmly tugging me deeper. And as they did that the increasingly familiar, but still incredibly powerful effects of her ‘bliss-flow’ also began kicking in.
Having had my concerns about hurting her put to rest I pushed forward until I felt my cock-head nudging against the much tighter circle of muscles at the base of her receptor. I paused for just a moment before applying the extra force needed to drive it through them, then gave a low grunt as I felt them clamping tight just behind it.
‘Would you use just short movements for a little time please Jake. And is it possible for you to delay the outcome?’ she asked in that low, almost conspiratorial whisper.
‘I’ll do my best Peta.’ I replied, somewhat puzzled by her request and, after my previous experiences with her, doubting my ability to actually keep too much control over my reactions.
But in actual fact as I had not much more than half of it inside her, and the backward movement of my cock-head was somewhat obstructed by the clamping grip of the ring of muscles, I couldn’t make too much movement, so the friction on my cock was somewhat reduced. But the effects of her secretions weren’t similarly dampened and the longer I continued pushing in and out the stronger those shock-like thrills became, until it felt as though the spiralling sparks had actually set my cock on fire.
So although it did so slower than it might otherwise have done, the pressure inside me continued to rise, I felt that churning surge gradually building in the pit of my stomach, and my balls aching as they steadily refilled. But luckily Peta continued staring into my eyes all that time, and the ever changing colour shifts in them gave me something to think about other than what was going on inside myself. I watched them, mesmerised by both the range of the ever-varying colours, and the steadily growing brightness of the sparkling highlights.
As I wasn’t actually timing myself I don’t really know how long I held on for, having already had one massive climax just a short time before undoubtedly helped, and after the amazing things she had done for me I really did want to do everything I could to meet her request.
There was one other thing I used to distract myself from the steadily rising tide within, that was the low, throaty chirruping sound Peta was making. Although similar to, it was slightly different from those I had heard her produce a few other times, when I thought she was experiencing her equivalent of a climax. These were lower in both volume and pitch, more long lasting too, continuing on for as long as I continued making the short back and forth movements.
So I somehow managed to keep going for much longer than I would have thought possible before restraint became a real problem, my body shuddering from the increasing tension, the urge to simply thrust fast and let everything go becoming almost unbearable.
Maybe Peta could tell from my quivering body and the look on my face how I was feeling, maybe she had enough of a record of that stage, maybe it was just synchronicity, that she felt her own equivalent of a climax approaching, or maybe she just took pity on me. Whatever the reason I felt the muscles at the base of her receptor loosen a little, the rippling, kneading of the rest sudden strengthen, and heard her whisper. ‘Go now, if you need to Jake!’
I did just that, managing no more than a dozen powerful thrusts before the blinding red haze blotted out everything else and my sizzling cock erupted, pumping load after blistering load of semen deep inside her.
Until that moment, because of the position we were standing in we hadn’t actually held each other, our hands had run caressingly up and down over each other’s bodies, but we had done no more than that. But as the force of my climax shook my body I felt Peta’s arms slip around me, then as the power drained from my body and locking muscles relaxed, she held me tightly, supported me. And as my knees seemed to have suddenly turned to jelly I was grateful she did, and as the last few shuddering jolts hit me, I pulled her even closer and kissed her.
Then we stood there, hanging on to each other, our tongues twining as we continued kissing, my shaking, trembling body slowly recovering from the power of the totally draining double orgasm.
Chapter 12
Comparing Notes
‘I have completed the recording Jake.’ she said a couple of minutes later. ‘We can relax, and I certainly need some fluids, I mean other than those you have just given me.’ she added with her fluting whistle of a laugh.
‘And I really need a refresher.’ I replied, wiping the faint slick of perspiration from my forehead.’
‘I noticed that secretion, what is it Jake?’
‘It’s a temperature control function Peta. Water and some salts, quite innocuous, but it produces an unpleasant odour if we don’t wash regularly.’
‘Ah of course, another difference. Naturally we cleanse ourselves, but our method is different, no water, but I think you will still find it no less effective and not unpleasant. Let us take care of that first, then relax and talk together.’
Even though I have now seen what happened next many, many times it still fogs my brain each time, Peta moved across the area towards one wall and one section of it simply faded into a blur of bright light and swirling colours. A few seconds later the brightness dimmed, and a recess had appeared in the previously, apparently solid wall.
As I stood gawping Peta reached inside and brought out what looked like a piece of clear plastic. ‘Come Jake, and you will need to wear this.’ she said, giving me a smile. ‘Instead of water we use what you would call powder, it would do you no harm but this prevents any discomfort.’ she added as I finally began to move towards her.
In spite of the fact that by then I had complete trust in her I still couldn’t control my body’s natural flinching reaction when she lifted the plastic and pressed it against my face. ‘Don’t worry, you can still breathe, just give it a moment to mould to you.’ she said reassuringly as she pressed it closer.
The mask, for lack of a better word, did just that, moulded itself over the central area of my face, covering my eyes, nose and mouth, but, as I found after a couple of initially panicky gasps, still allowed me to breathe perfectly normally. Accepting the whole thing as a bit of the ‘magic’ we had talked about, I relaxed and after Peta had briefly explained the process, stepped inside the recess.
Again there was a blur of light, much shorter than the previous one, and when it faded a transparent wall had replaced the opening I had stepped through, then the process began.
At first I was bathed in what might have been some combination of ultra-violent and infra-red radiation, but as there was also a steady flow of air I felt no temperature change. That lasted for perhaps ten or twenty seconds, then, from somewhere or other came a cloud of what appeared to be an incredibly fine powder. The cloud began swirling around me, the particles moving faster and faster until they did no more than produce just the faintest haze in the air, a haze that then simply disappeared just a few seconds later.
I stood there, still bewildered by it all for a moment or two, then suddenly became aware of my skin. Until that moment, apart from when I was enjoying some woman’s fingers stroking it, I had never really been conscious of it. And to be truthful, even then it was really what her touch was doing to the various parts of my body that really registered. But at that moment, and regrettably, for an all too short period of time, I was aware of almost nothing else but my skin itself.
It felt as though it, like Peta’s, was actually glowing. I was suddenly conscious of every tiny part of it, every fold and crease, every nerve and every pore. It was the most amazing sensation, and even though it lasted no more than a few seconds when it faded away I still felt more relaxed, yet also invigorated, than after the longest refresher I’d ever taken.
There was another blur of light, Peta took my hand and as I stepped out, she reached up to remove the mask. ‘Do you feel better?’ she asked.
‘I feel wonderful, the most amazing experience.’ I replied, looking down at myself as I ran my hands up and down my legs. My skin felt silky smooth, and although it was nothing like the sensations I got when I ran them over Peta’s skin there was still a faint tingling sensation. ‘Truly amazing, that technology will certainly be snapped-up by us.’ I added with a grin.
She smiled. ‘It is very ancient technology, there have been many, many others brought in to replace it, but it still remains the most popular. Now I will take one too.’ she said, stepping inside the recess.
The blurring light reappeared but when it faded I was disappointed to find the transparent section had been replaced by the solid wall, preventing me from watching what went on inside and forcing me to wait until Peta stepped back through the momentary glare a short time later.
‘I thought I was going to be able to watch you while you were inside.’ I said.
‘Oh, why?’
‘Well mainly because I like watching you, but I suppose I just expected the wall to be transparent in both direction.’ I replied.
‘Normally it would be, there was just something else I also needed to do, something I should have previously mentioned to you, you can also use this place whenever you have a need to evacuate your body’s waste. But other than when I am in there you can watch me as much as you like.’ she said with a smile. ‘And I like watching you too, very much. But I like touching you much, much more.’ she added, reaching out to brush her fingers through my hair.
As she continued to do that I also reached forward, resting my hands on her shoulders, then stroking up and down her arms, feeling the faint tingling sensations that produced running back up through my fingers. ‘I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of this Peta.’ I said softly. ‘The intensity of thrills you give me when we have sex is beyond words, but this, in its own but quite different way, this is just as incredible.’ I added.
‘I am glad you feel that way Jake, but I assure you the feelings are even stronger for me. Although our physiological chemistry is in many ways completely different, because there is this degree of compatibility between us some truly remarkable sensations are produced within me. As you say, there are no words to fully describe them. Perhaps you and I will have to invent some, so others will have a language to use.’ she added as an after-thought.
‘That’s not a bad idea.’ I said with a grin. ‘We could set up a consultancy, develop a training programme to assist with inter-species sexual harmony. I bet we’d make a fortune!’ I added with a chuckle.
‘As I have said before, you are very quick thinking, and creative too. But although the concept of ‘fortune’ does not quite translate for us, I grasp the idea, and I’m sure such a thing could work well in your civilisation. But for now let us eat and drink, then talk some more. If we continue doing this for much longer other thoughts will grow too strong.’ she added as she dropped her hand back down to her side.
Once we had taken food from our separate supplies she filled two glasses, came and sat beside me on the larger couch, and we talked. Again the conversation roamed across a wide range of subjects that we both felt free to discuss, and again we found areas where although the differences between us were vast, the underlying concepts were similar. We both had Art, though theirs tended to be tactile rather than visual, Music in a variety of modalities, what might be loosely described as Philosophical thought, and many other things.
Yet differences there were and although Peta’s people had experienced even greater contrasts through their previous contacts with other species, we still had some difficulties at a personal level. The root cause of most of them seemed to be the difference between the concepts of ‘the one’, versus ‘the group’.
An example of that was her initial reaction to my idea of us advising on inter-species sexual harmony, then accumulating a personal fortune from doing so. Although for her people there were incentives for individuals to achieve more than others, acknowledgement, status, honour, there was no accompanying personal wealth. But then as best I understood what she said, what made that possible was that their technologies provided so much to everybody that there was no need for the individual to acquire anything more.
Having talked round and round the subject we agreed that the best thing to do was the exactly what we were doing about food, accept there were differences and arrive at a compromise solution.
We had been talking for well over an hour before the thought struck me. ‘After all you have told me about your people I find one thing very strange Peta.’
‘And what is that Jake?’
‘As the very basis of your civilisation appears to have been built around the good of the group, rather than the individual, I’m surprised there are people like you. Scout’s I mean. It is such an essentially solitary life.’
‘Ah, I have been waiting for you to notice the flaw.’
‘Flaw?’
‘My personal flaw. I have always been something of an oddity, but then I am not alone, although of course being alone is what makes me an oddity in the first place. If you understand. What I mean is, there have always been some like myself. Some who do not quite, how would you say it, fit in?’
‘A square peg in a round hole, that’s an ancient phrase of ours for such people. I’m certainly one, and you too?’
‘Me too Jake. Perhaps that is why you and I find it possible to talk together, it would not be so easy for you with most of my people.’
‘Nor for you with mine.’ I replied, thinking of some of the officials and bureaucrats I had to deal with when planet-side.
‘But let us leave those things for another time Jake, there is another subject we have not touched upon in this talk.’
‘And that is?’
‘The things we each feel when we touch, kiss and have, sex, as you call it. But of course you may be uncomfortable talking about such things.’
‘I’m comfortable doing so Peta, but I honestly don’t know if I have the skill or the language Peta. We have scientists in various fields who could explain the variety and complexity of the functions involved, but I’m afraid that’s totally beyond my capabilities.’
‘I understand that, and I am sure our scientists will in due course go into great detail about such things. But it was not the clinical details I was referring to, what I meant was what you yourself experience.’
‘I see, but that is almost as difficult Peta. Our language is rather poor in such matters, we have a history of such subjects being, the ancient word for it is ‘taboo’, which I think means, not talked about. For instance, while we have many, many words to describe some things, food for instance, when it comes to personal feelings we have very few.
Do you recall the first time we spoke, when we exchanged limited information about each other?’
‘Of course Jake, in great detail.’
‘One of the things you asked, right at the beginning of that talk, was how we select a partner or mate.’
‘I remember that very clearly, it was when I first thought there were strange similarities between us.’
‘Well the word I didn’t use, partly because it is so difficult to explain, was the word ‘love’, most people still use that word to describe the feelings another stirs in them. We say ‘I love you’, and the other knows what we mean, although it may or may not be returned of course.
Now we use that word to describe the deepest possible emotion between two people, but we also use it for the most mundane things too. We say we, ‘love’ a particular food, or piece of art or music, a pet animal, all sorts of things. Mainly because we do not have other words to best describe what we feel.
And it is similar when it comes to physical feelings too, I think because such things were not talked about openly, we have a shortage of words to describe what is happening inside ourselves at those times. Do you understand?’
‘I do, and that does explain why I have not been able to find words in the data bank to express myself properly to you. This is one of the reasons why I wanted us to talk of such things. I was somewhat concerned that you might be shielding them somehow.’
‘Shielding?’
‘In your mind, refusing me entry to that area.’
To say it was a ‘Eureka!’ moment doesn’t adequately describe how I felt when she said that. ‘You mean you can read my mind?’
‘Oh no Jake, not ‘read’, well not in the sense you mean it. If you recall, I have been using the word ‘meld’, it better describes what happens with us. It is a sharing, an exchange of mental processes, but it only occurs during those intimately personal times, not at times like this, when we are merely talking.’
‘Ah I see. Well no I don’t really, but I recognise what you mean. But then doesn’t that mean your experiences with me have been less, well, less than fully satisfying, for you?’
‘Normally it would, yes, but no it has not been so with you Jake, far from it. Again that is why I wished us to talk about these things. Let me try to explain.
Some of what I will say will seem, well, clinical, but I think that will help you to understand the rest. As I have already told you, we produce what we have agreed to describe as ‘bliss-flow’ from two places, one in our throat, the other in our receptor. Both of these glands are beyond the physical reach of our males’ penis, so the physical stimulation we each receive is produced by a purely chemical process. Perhaps in ancient times we evolved the mental melding to enhance that, but that is purely speculative.
However, with you, because your penis is so extraordinarily large, well at least for us it is.’ she added with a smile. ‘You reach those glands, rub against them when you move.
I think I mentioned that some females insert objects into themselves to do just that, it is quite common, and I have tried it myself on occasions. It is most pleasant, but still not as satisfying as a full melding with an appropriate partner.
But with you, perhaps because there is both the physical and the chemical, the result is, I think ‘explosive’ is an appropriate word to describe the effect. Whatever the word, the experience is like nothing I have had before. So strong in fact that the first time I experienced it I did not immediately realise that there had been no melding between us.
Afterwards, when you returned to your ship, I considered what had happened and decided it was the effect of the booster I had mistakenly given us, so expected future experiences would be less powerful. But they have not been, in some ways the effects have grown even stronger.
In fact I am beginning to suspect that at some much deeper level than usual some mental contact is attempting initiation. But I find that extremely hard to believe and the idea may prove to be totally incorrect, we shall have to experiment further.’ she added with another smile.
‘The totality of these things, what I have physically experienced, plus other things that we need not discuss right now, leave me, well the word ‘confused’ approaches my feelings. I wonder if you follow any of this Jake? And whether you have any similar thoughts?’
‘I think so Peta, and let me say that the word you used to describe your reactions, the word ‘explosive’, is totally appropriate for mine too. Like yourself, what I have experienced is like nothing before. And I can’t really imagine that there could be anything stronger.’
‘Not necessarily stronger Jake, that would be difficult for me to imagine also, but different. Let me try to find a way to help you to understand.’ she said, then fell silent for a few moments before asking. ‘Do you have a favourite object, something so aesthetically pleasing that your mind returns to the memory of it again and again? Perhaps a piece of art, music, something that continues to give you pleasure when you think of it?’
‘Yes, there are many such things Peta. Some are as you say, particular pieces of music, certain physical objects. And other things too, for example there are several places I have been that were so visually stirring that the scene has remained in my memory.’
‘And now let me ask you this. You have had sex with women that you didn’t actually, to use your word for it, love, sex that was none the less pleasurable and satisfying?’
I chuckled, then said. ‘True, many times. But why?’
‘It may be difficult but try to imagine those two things being brought into proximity. You are somewhere where one of those strongly aesthetically pleasure objects is, and also one such woman. But you have to choose between them, one or the other, how would you choose?’
I thought I understood the reasoning behind what she was saying, and answered truthfully. ‘It would depend how I was feeling Peta. If I hadn’t been with a woman for some time I imagine the physical would take priority over the aesthetic. But if I’d had sex quite recently I could well choose the alternative.’
‘But if you could enjoy both at the same time, might that not be even better?’
‘Ah, now I see!’ I said as I finally grasped the concept. ‘An excellent analogy Peta. But surely that has, as I said before, left you dissatisfied, at least at some level, with what we have shared so far?’
‘As I told you Jake, the effects of what we have shared have been so extraordinary that I have not noticed any dissatisfaction. But, and this is what I really wanted to talk about with you. As I said, there have been things I have sensed between us, things that lead me to believe you may have some similar, even if much more limited capacity, a function you may not even be aware of. I am of course curious about that, and wonder if we might try to find ways to explore the possibility.’
‘How would we do that?’
‘You would be willing?’
‘I think I have already demonstrated a willingness to try anything you suggest Peta.’ I replied with a grin.
‘That is true.’ she said, smiling back at me. ‘And so far I have not disappointed you.’
‘Far from it. So what ideas do you have?’
‘Again I must be a little clinical Jake, at least until we see if we can establish if you do or do not have such a function. And you will need a greater level of trust in me.’
‘You have that Peta.’
‘Thank you. So, these are my thoughts. First a little background as to why I think there is a possibility, apart from what I have personally sensed. I believe that when our scientists learn your history they will be amazed at the speed of your civilisation’s progress. From the little I have learned myself it seems extraordinarily fast by comparison with ours and others we have made contact with.
My theory, and it is no more than that, is that in doing so your conscious mind has developed to the detriment of what I think you call the subconscious. Again from what I have learned, that part of your function is something you are aware of, but it is something which you still do not fully understand. And of course it is that part which provides us with the capacity for melding, amongst many other things too.
So, if I can make contact with your subconscious, and that in itself will be a challenge, then perhaps, and only perhaps, we can initiate something new, for both of us.’
Although I grasped some of what she was saying about the possibility of our different evolutionary history, the next part of what she said was quite beyond my understanding, and I said so. ‘But accepting the limitation of my understanding of the subject, I have always thought our subconscious minds are a bit like a sewer, jam full of stuff we would rather not know about. Even if I understood what you proposed doing, I’m not sure I would want you to go down there.’
She gave one of her fluting, whistling laughs, then said. ‘You need not concern yourself about that Jake. We too have places where we dispose of our mental rubbish, and more unpleasant things too. I have no intention of even trying to dig that deep, even if I thought I could, which I don’t. No, the place I am thinking of is, if you have one, is much higher.’
‘So how would you propose trying to make such contact?’
‘This is where you must trust me. I believe my best chance will be when you are asleep, or preferably, unconscious, some time when your very dominant conscious brain is less active. We can either wait until you feel the need to sleep, or, if you would allow it, I can give you something that will make you do so.’
‘Like the stuff you gave me before, in the drink?’
She smiled. ‘No Jake, nothing like that. That time you collapsed through physical malfunctions, which I again apologise for causing. No this would be a very mild chemical, one that would put you in a state similar to sleep.’
‘And while I am under, what would you be doing?’
‘This is the clinical part I mentioned. Whilst your conscious brain is in effect asleep I will excite you, and in turn myself, and then try to make contact.’
‘You’ll give me what used to be called ‘a wet dream’?’
‘What is that Jake?’
‘That’s where we get aroused during sleep, experience an erotic dream of such intensity that it brings on an orgasm. They usually happen only during the early stages of puberty, when the hormonal flow is strongest, but some do experience them at other stages of life.’
‘Something like that, yes.’
‘So, you give me a drink that puts me asleep, then excite me to orgasm. But that would normally wake me.’
‘Firstly, there will be no need for you to drink anything Jake, I have a device that will push the chemical through your skin without you even being aware of it. As to what happens when you orgasm, well we shall just have to discover that, I know no more than you. But I believe you normally wake simply because your conscious brain is so dominant and I hope that what I give you will subdue it’s normal processes and reactions, so perhaps you will not. And hopefully, because the dominant part will be quiescent some much stronger response will be triggered in your subconscious.’
‘Now I follow you. Will I remember any of what happened?’
‘If we are successful you certainly should. There would be little point in experiencing sensations that we were oblivious to.’
‘True enough.’ I said, then needed no more than a couple of seconds thought before saying. ‘So when and how do we start?’
*
Chapter 13
A Primitive Linking
She smiled and said. ‘We could start by you giving me another of those kisses Jake. I find myself liking that activity very much indeed.’
Being more than happy to oblige I pulled her closer and pressed my lips to hers, feeling her arms slip around me, then something cold pressing against my back, then nothing…..
I was standing on the very top of the highest point in a landscape that lay wrapped in darkness below. Neither a sound not a single pin-point of light indicated there was any life there but my own. The sky above and around me was dark, apart from the stars and twin moons that were rapidly heading for the horizon, one a perfect crescent of brilliance, the second was fuller, but being smaller cast less light than the other.
I watched the moons, unconcerned that I would soon be enveloped in inky blackness, filled with a sense of peaceful contentment, but contentment that was for some reason tinged with a faint sense of anticipation. The moons followed their predetermined path and as the planet span they vanished, first the smaller, then the larger, plunging me and all around me into truly impenetrable darkness.
The stars above immediately brightened, but although each point shone with diamond brilliance they did nothing to illuminate the place where I was and the blackness was so thick that when I looked down I saw nothing, nothing at all. It was as though my own body had become completely invisible and the only way I could assure myself that I still existed was to raise my arms, lift my hands so they blotted out a small field of stars. Only that silhouette convinced me I was still a reality.
Yet still I felt no concern, only contentment, staring up into the night, into the space above me, looking around, unsuccessfully searching for some recognisable grouping of stars.
But then two things dawned on me, the first was that I was naked, and the second, that I had an erection. And the erection was not just one of those early morning stiffenings that quickly dwindles, but a still actively growing one.
In fact, as I came to that realisation I began to feel things that the rational half of my brain knew were absolutely impossible. The things Peta had done to me with her tongue the first time we had met came flooding back, the feel of the ribbon-like coils wrapping themselves around it, squeezing it, kneading it, then the secretions sending spiralling thrills up its engorging length.
I felt those sensations again, if anything, even more strongly, felt the coils looped tightly around my balls, felt the peristaltic action urging fresh blood into the already bulging shaft, then ballooning the already super-sensitive head.
Because I could see nothing through the impenetrable darkness I was, for a moment tempted to reassure myself by reaching down, feel for the smooth dome of her head. But then I thought – ‘What if it isn’t there? What if all I was feeling was nothing but some sort of illusion?’ If I destroyed that, if an illusion it was, would shattering it also deprive me of the thrills I was experiencing? They were so strong, so unbelievably wonderful that I knew I couldn’t take that risk, so I decided to merely accept what was happening to me in the same way I had accepted where I had found myself.
So I stood there, staring up into the arching space above me, my entire body shuddering from the strength of the sensations coursing up from my cock.
Time had as much meaning as the vastness of the distances between the stars above me, but as some passed by, and the flooding sensations continued strengthening, I became vaguely aware of the ground beneath me slipping away, knew I was rising, slowly drifting upwards.
Then I noticed the change in my field of vision, far off, where the horizon might once have been, was a faint, blushing glow. At first I thought it might be the first hint that the planet’s sun was about to rise, and wondered if that would terminate the indescribable pleasure I was receiving. But then as it grew I knew it was no sun, and for a while wondered if it might be the glow from the exhaust of an approaching ship.
But that proved to be equally wrong, and as the light came slowly closer it began to look more like an under-inflated balloon, the light coming from some point source inside it. But when it came closer still I saw that too had been wrong, whatever it was more like a cloud, its amorphous, smoke-like fringes in constant motion, tendrils reaching out as though attempting to float away, but each time being recaptured and re-formed.
When almost close enough for me to reach out and touch one of them, the cloud stopped, there was a brief pause, then several tendrils began snaking their way towards me. I hung there, watching them drift closer, unable to move, and still shuddering from the things being done to my cock.
The softly glowing tendrils swirled around me for a few moments, then, as though independently programmed, each headed for a different orifice, slipping into my nostrils, ears, anus, and even into the eye at the tip of my cock.
Strangely, even though I could actually feel each one making its separate progress through my body, I still felt no concern, no sense of panic. I felt them slipping into capillaries, then veins, then following their labyrinthine courses, the two that had entered my lower half moving faster than the others, as though all had to reach a single target at the same time.
As well as being totally unafraid of what was happening I seemed to have little curiosity about it either, felt no need to wonder what their eventual purpose might be. But even if I had, in my wildest imaginings I could not have foreseen the outcome of their merging.
Then, when all had reached the fringes of the blood-brain barrier I felt, rather than heard a brief, almost electrical crackling, then my world changed forever.
It was Peta! But Peta as I had never seen or felt her before. She seemed to be right inside my head, even though I could see her standing in front of me, her usually pale green, opalescent skin now blazing, copper, silver, gold, burnished to an almost blinding brilliance. And her eyes, those normally emerald green eyes had become a dazzling rainbow of colours, colours that I could now see ranged far into both infra-red and ultra-violent.
She smiled, reached out her hand and took mine, and in that instant both she and the one inside my brain whisked me up and away from where I had been suspended.
Describing what happened next is of course virtually impossible, we seemed to be everywhere at once; landscapes and scenes of the most breath-taking beauty, cities that shone in the reflected light of sun rises and sunsets, amazingly sensual buildings housing objects of even more stunning beauty, music in forms I had never heard before.
But even through all the wonders she showed me those deeper, perhaps more primitive feelings continued. All that time my cock was somehow still being attended to by yet another Peta. And slowly but surely that one was taking me closer and closer to what I somehow knew would be an orgasm that would be even more powerful than any she had given me before.
And I certainly wasn’t mistaken, as the tension and pressure inside me built to almost unbearable levels the corporeal Peta let go of my hand and I felt myself being drawn downwards. Drawn down through the dissolving surface we had last been standing on, then moving faster through the absolute blackness beneath it, then faster, still faster as I raced towards a nearby star, then even speeding down into and through its roiling atmosphere.
But even as all that was happening I could still feel something pumping my jerkily straining cock, pumping it slowly, deliberately, quite obviously determined to build the pressure to its very maximum.
Then as the churning inside me reached, then went beyond its boiling point I felt my cock given one even more determinedly powerful pump, and then as the first load of scorching semen seared up through it, the star went nova!
I hung there, suspended somewhere near its core, watching its outer shell exploding away from me at near light speed, and, at the very same instant, feeling my cock exploding with what seemed to be equally massive force.
There were two more, well spaced pumps, each producing a blistering eruption, each somehow coinciding with the explosions of additional shells of gas from the star.
Given the power behind the force ripping through me I shouldn’t have been able to register anything outside my own totally incomprehensible experience, but some deep, until then unreached portion of my brain did. Perhaps because the sound was so incongruous, so totally unrelated to everything else that was happening to and around me, but from somewhere far, far off in the darkness, beyond the reach of the power unleashed by the star, I heard a faint, but distinct chirruping sound.
Then the inconceivable happened.
A split-second later the still expanding shells of gas above me must have met an even more massive energy field, because it imploded, imploded with a force that blinded and scorched me, momentarily filling me with star-stuff, then crushing me to a singularity, a point that I immediately realised was in fact my own still exploding cock.
But even so, whatever it was that was gripping the actual shaft suddenly tightened, momentarily blocking any further discharge and at the same time applying a force that seemed to drain additional semen into my already achingly swollen balls.
Then, even as the ecstatic thrills re-started and I began another series of erupting ejaculations, I felt the rest of my body being sucked down into another dimension of darkness, and although it felt as though I was being drawn-out like some ever finer length of wire, I could feel the ongoing delirious relief of my continuing climax.
And then, with an almost tangible ‘snap’ my world changed yet again.
Peta, the new, dazzling Peta was again with me, holding me, this time in her arms, pressing my body close to hers, her rainbow coloured eyes staring deep into mine. Then she pulled me closer, and as I felt her receptor slipping over my still ballooning cock-head she pressed her lips to mine, then as our tongues twined around each other’s I ‘heard’ her say. ‘Now come with me Jake. Link your mind with mine, then come physically, again, and again, and again.’
I somehow knew she had reached her equivalent of a climax, that she was still experiencing its joys, and that she wanted me to share as much of it as my still primitive brain could reach. And as we did that I discovered that by comparison with the sheer physical violence of mine, hers was something so sublime I knew I would spend the rest of my life envying every single member of her species.
Our universe appeared to be made from liquidly shifting crystals. Every conceivable colour, shape and size was there, the pieces slowly flowing together, merging briefly then changing form and drifting on again. I heard again the music Peta had shared with me earlier, only in even more complex forms. I knew I was hearing only a small portion of it, and seeing only a glimpse of what she could see, knew the true complexity and beauty was beyond my range and comprehension, but that didn’t matter, she was happy to share with me what she could, and the sharing itself made us both even happier.
We moved this way and that, holding each other tightly, our bodies experiencing similar joys to those filling our minds, but they were joys that were undemanding, the joy of the ‘now’ was so strong there was simply no need to move on to another place.
But that did not mean I had ceased to feel sexual excitement, far from it. The star-stuff that had filled me seemed to have permeated every part of me, strengthening and re-invigorating me, and also reinforcing the size, rigidity and sensitivity of my erection. Even as we moved slowly through the ever shifting crystals I could feel it pulsating, could tell from the slow, rippling kneading it was receiving from her receptor that it was buried deep inside her.
Then, while the visual, aural and physical pleasures continued, I felt another, felt her presence, felt rather than heard her voice inside my head. Then during some apparently infinite portion of time we shared many thoughts and emotions, the resulting sense of harmony and unity unlike anything I had ever experienced before.
Although I sensed that what I was experiencing was using just a tiny fraction of her actual capabilities it was still an overwhelmingly wonder for me. And even though I recognised that my contribution to what we were experiencing by comparison to even that was quite insignificant, making up for some of the sense of inferiority I might otherwise have felt was the knowledge that I had previously heard her chirrups of intense delight.
But at the same time, perhaps in that same small corner of my mind I also felt a sadness, a sadness in knowing that this unity was but a passing thing, that it would fade once we were back in the reality of our own space and time. But I suppressed those negative thoughts and let myself accept the full wonder of our true union, physical, mental, emotional and, to the best of my comparatively limited ability, intellectual.
At another level she let me know that this was something of what she had meant by ‘melding’, that although, as I had already sensed, it was only incorporating quite shallow levels of her mind, it was none the less just as beautiful an experience for her as it was for me. And then I felt what I can only describe as a mental ‘giggle’ when she admitted that the fact that my physical stimulation was so much more powerful than anything she could experience with one of her own kind was definitely making up for much of the mental shortfall.
That naturally gave my ego a bit of a boost, and, being such a primitive being, also refocused my thoughts on the actual physical sensations I had been experiencing during all the time our minds had been blending. Perhaps that had been her intent, certainly the feelings I was getting seemed to be growing stronger, the ring of muscles at the base of her receptor gripping the shaft more tightly, the others moving back and forth over the head more insistently.
I was torn between two thoughts, naturally I was curious as to what a physical orgasm would feel like while in this already blissful state, but loathe to let it happen if it meant an end to the rapture. But the decision was not mine to make, perhaps not even Peta’s, perhaps neither of us was capable of preventing our bodies progressing to the inevitable outcome.
But again, if I had tried to imagine what that might be like I would have failed miserably.
The action stimulating my cock grew still more intense, the gripping muscles tightening almost painfully, the others also squeezing me as they slid more firmly up and down, apparently urging still more semen into my already over-full balls. Then I ‘heard’ her voice again, saying. ‘Come Jake, come now, then again, and again, and again…’ Her voice tailing off into a long drawn out whisper as the impossible began.
The pressure inside me suddenly reached criticality, and even as I felt the searing rush begin, the tightly gripping muscles relaxed momentarily, the others doing their part to increase the already massive force behind that first blast of semen. But even as that first jet fired, the muscles re-clamped my cock even more tightly than before, blocking another, and so allowing the pressure inside me to rebuild. She waited a little while, then began repeating that process, allowing me only a short, single shot each time.
But although under normal circumstances I would have found that totally frustrating it was in fact anything but. Each moment of release was so intense that although short it seemed far more powerful than the totality of any normal orgasm could be. And as she gave me another, then another, and another, allowing the time between each to gradually lengthen, I felt myself drifting off into a state of sheer mindless euphoria.
Of course with all that going on I certainly wasn’t capable of counting, but it was perhaps the fourth or fifth of those that actually triggered Peta’s own physical response.
At first I had no idea what was happening, it just seemed to me that the liquid crystal shapes that had continued moving around us suddenly went berserk, literally exploding into a blaze of flashing colours, looking like some gigantic control panel that had been hit by a massive electrical storm. But then I heard Peta chirruping, the sound getting louder, rising in both pitch and volume, at the same time her body literally vacuuming three quick blasts from my cock before clamping down on it again
I received the impression that having reached that peak she would probably be able to remain there for as long as I could sustain an erection. And as the last thing I wanted was to slip out of that state of blissful rapture I was more than happy to co-operate. So we found a rhythm that met both of our needs, delaying each ecstatic blast of semen as long as possible, and then, even when she had eventually drained me of every last drop, providing each other with just enough stimulation to remain in our private heaven for as long as we could.
The images around me gave me the first clue that we were finally returning to normality, the edges blurring, then their forms beginning to slowly fade. As that process continued I felt a sad disappointment creeping into my mind as I realised that all that I had experienced with Peta would be going too. We would be left with only speech and touch as a means of communication, and by then I knew just how limited those were in comparison with what we had shared.
But even as the last crystal slowly disappeared and the sadness of those thoughts grew stronger I felt what I can only describe as one of the wispy tendrils from the original glowing cloud touch some deeply buried section of my brain. ‘Contact is not lost completely Jake, and I think it will grow stronger with time, time and patience.’
*
Chapter 14
Explanation and Inspiration
When I awoke, for lack of a better word, I found myself lying alone on the couch. I felt both physically and mentally tired, and when I pushed myself up into a sitting position I found my body’s responses sluggishly slow. Peta was standing with her back to me, taking a couple of brimming glasses from a dispenser on the far side of the area, she turned, saw I was awake and smiled.
‘How are you feeling Jake?’ she asked in a low, gentle voice.
‘In a word, weary.’
‘That is to be expected, this will refresh and reinvigorate you.’ she answered as she handed me one of the glasses. ‘I too am, as you say, weary. But delightfully so.’ she added.
I gratefully gulped down half the refreshing liquid before pausing. ‘Did you experience what I did, or was that just all in my head?’
‘No Jake, I experienced it too, perhaps somewhat differently in parts, but essentially the same as you did. We were much, much more successful than I dared to hope we might be.’ she added in a tone through which I could hear her barely controlled excitement.
‘Obviously it was the most incredible experience I have ever felt Peta.’ I said as she sat down beside me. ‘Was that just good fortune, or will it always be like that now?’
‘I am hesitant to say this, because there is so much that is still unknown, but I think it will always be similar, not the same you understand, the actual images and events are almost infinitely variable. But, and I am even less sure of this, as we develop better connections between us, the experiences may actually get better.’
‘Better? I can’t imagine that being possible Peta.’
She smiled and reached down for my hand. ‘As I said, I am not certain Jake, but contact was in some ways easier than I anticipated, the linking point is very deep in your brain, and it is quite rudimentary, but there is one there. And if I am right, and that with time and patience we improve the linking process, then the experiences should become deeper, and so in many ways, better. The outcomes are impossible to predict, and just as difficult for me to explain to you.’
‘Can you explain just how this linking is achieved?’
‘Jake I do not wish to sound patronising or condescending but can you imagine how you would explain electricity to someone born two thousand years before its discovery?’
Of course I understood, and said so, squeezing her hand and leaning forward to kiss her. ‘Apart from my physical attributes I really can’t imagine why you bother with such a primitive creature.’ I said when we broke apart again. ‘But there’s one thing I must do before you even try to answer that, I must smell like a whorehouse, I need another of your refreshers.’
‘I cannot detect the odour, although we have knowledge of such a sense it was lost by us long ago. However, you will of course feel better after a, yes ‘refresher’ is a good word.’ she said, getting up and moving across to the far wall, then there was the blurring light, and the cubicle re-appeared.
‘By the way, how long were we…? I’m not sure what word to use to describe what or where we were.’ I said as I followed her.
‘In your terms, perhaps four hours or so. The equivalent word for what we experienced is as I said, ‘melding’, which is used to cover all that takes place during such experiences. But we make no reference to actual time or real place in association with those. Again it is hard to describe in your terms, but as best as I can manage to do so, it is more like a state of mind, but one that obviously also incorporates the body too. But then even that is not always true. But we can discuss all this at length later, take your refresher, then we should eat and drink, then we can talk at length.’
After everything that had happened to my body, trying to get my mind around the concept of a virtually continuous, four hour orgasm left me speechless. But it would explain both my tiredness and the strength of what I could smell, and I decided to leave the explanations of how that was physically possible to others far better qualified than I.
Although my time in the refresher was short and my head still full of swirling memories of what had happened to me, I was able to bring my mind to bear on a few important thoughts and questions. Then I had a couple of flashes of what I can only describe as either sheer inspiration, or more truthfully, pure wishful thinking. The idea was so brilliant, yet so ridiculous that even after the last of the powdery dust had been removed I remained standing there for a while. I did my best to ignore the fact that it was extremely unlikely that Peta would be the slightest bit interested in the idea, trying instead to consider its full implications, and, in the unlikely event that she was, possible ways of bringing it about.
Having done that, and knowing I would need to wait until a precisely appropriate moment to even hint at the idea, I pushed it to the back of my mind and stepped out of the cubicle.
As by then I was really very hungry we sat down to eat, and as we did so Peta told me more about some of the places I had seen during our melding. The cities were where she had been born and then had later in her life, the objects those that stirred particularly strong emotions. That gave me the chance to ask questions about her earlier life and although we were both still cautious about straying too far from the purely personal, I did pick up more about the complexities of their civilisation. She also asked questions about my life, my experiences and with her superior intellect undoubtedly gathered even more information from what I was saying to her.
But with the thought I’d had in the refresher buzzing around in my mind, I didn’t really care too much about what I saw as quite minor breaches of protocols.
What was much more important to me was the dramatic change in both the mood and the mode of our conversation. Although there had from the first moment of contact, been an indefinable warmth between us, it wasn’t really surprising that after all we had shared by then that had become extremely intimate. We touched a lot, and from time to time, when something of a deeply personal nature popped into our exchange, we kissed. So, encouraged by that change, I decided I couldn’t wait to raise the subject that was actually foremost in my mind, and taking my courage in both hands, so to speak, at what seemed an appropriate opportunity, I said.
‘May I ask you a personal, and what may at first seem to be a totally irrelevant question Peta?’
‘Of course Jake, what is it?’
‘Well, just what do you think you will you be doing after we return, I mean after the initial fuss about our contact has died down a little?’
She said nothing for a while, but I could tell from the colours rippling across her eyes that she was deep in thought. ‘I had not considered that matter too deeply Jake. Why do you ask?’
‘Will you just take your ship out again, head for some other sector of the galaxy to continue your work?’
‘Probably.’
‘Alone?’ I asked, fully aware of just how loaded that single word was.
It took quite a few, very long seconds, but then her eyes suddenly sparkled with that kaleidoscopic shift of colour. ‘Do you mean what I think you mean?’
‘Why not?’ I said with a grin.
‘But it would not be possible, it has never been done!’
‘Why not? We have an ancient saying, ‘Two heads are better than one.’ I’m sure that between us we could convince those in authority that we would have much more to contribute to scientific knowledge by applying our collective skills, primitive though mine might be. I’m sure we could convince them that we would be far more productive working together than we would be separately.’
‘And you would do this, share the life with me?’
‘If you will also share yours with me Peta.’ I said, leaning forward to kiss her. ‘But apart from the many obvious problems, there is another.’ I added when some little time later we broke apart.
‘And what is that Jake?’
‘Sam, my ship.’
‘Ah, the rudimentary sentience you have detected.’
‘And the accompanying emotions, and more importantly their implications if another scout took the ship over.’
‘Of course, I see the problem – but the solution would be simple, if all agreed to it.’
‘And that is?’
‘We merely isolate that portion of the system that is affected, and transfer it into mine, as what you would describe as a ‘sub-routine’.’
‘You mean, bring ‘Sam’ with us?’
‘Precisely.’
‘But isn’t ‘she’ an integral part of the ship’s controls?’
‘It is possible, but it is not so in our experience. We found, long ago now, that completely new, quite separate neural path-ways are created, and although these are difficult to trace, and I doubt your science has that capability as yet, they can be tracked, and so of course copied, and moved.’
‘And that would be at no detriment to the rest of the system?’
‘There would need to be some minor ‘re-programming’ as you call it, to provide a new ‘personality’. But surely a new scout would want that anyway?’
‘Of course. But of equal importance, what effect would that have within your system?’
‘None whatsoever Jake. What we are calling ‘Sam’ would be a totally separate entity. Who knows, it and my system might well get along as well as you and I do.’ she added with her fluting, whistling laugh before leaning forward to kiss me.
We spent the next couple of hours talking through the full implications and practicalities of what we wanted to do, from time to time, when we encountered what initially seemed and impossible problem, reassuring and encouraging each other. And, having worked through just about everything we could each think of, we decided that presenting our authorities with a fait-accomplis would demonstrate our resolve in remaining together. As Peta could not do the work involved in transferring those parts of my system that we referred to as ‘Sam’ from a distance, it would be necessary for me to bring my ship closer to hers, but as that would also give me a chance to explain to ‘Sam’ what we had in mind, and at Peta’s insistence, obtain ‘her’ permission to do so, that’s what I did.
It took me a while to convince Sam that I had neither been taken over by the alien, nor got a touch of space sickness, and that Peta and I were absolutely positive about wanting to remain together. And then a bit longer still to explain as best I could just what Peta had in mind. At first the system simply could not comprehend the concept of there being a part of it that was different, and could therefore be separated from the rest. And of course the idea of allowing an alien being to transfer any part was totally against its basic drive commands.
But, with a mix of logic, patience and finally, a little emotional blackmail, I was eventually successful, and by the time we had made the ship ready to move I could hear what I thought what a note of excited anticipation in Sam’s voice.
Before leaving I took the opportunity to answer the by then rather pressing calls of nature, making a mental note to discuss what arrangements we would have to make for me to satisfy those basic requirements of my species within her ship. Then took a wet refresher and collected a change of clothes to take with me.
Having landed as close to Peta’s ship as I thought safe I transferred across to it and gave her a brief run-down of what I’d had to go through with Sam. ‘I am glad you were successful, I said nothing before, but I had doubts that you would be so. Having examined something of your ship’s systems earlier I knew it would not be easy to over-ride its core directives. The personality component is more well-developed than you imagined.
Now, what I have to do will take some hours and as there is nothing you can do to help I suggest you sleep. Although the refresher and food restored much of your energy, you also need rest, and this is a perfect time to do so Jake.’
*
Chapter 15
Our First Melding
Although Peta had been quite right in suggesting that by then I needed some rest, sleep did not come as quickly as usual, I stripped off and lay on the couch in what she referred to as her private space, trying to think through all that had happened, what would immediately follow, and also what the future might hold for Peta and I. But of course I had set myself an impossible task and at some stage my mind simply shut-off and I fell into a deep and totally dreamless sleep.
I was woken by her stroking my hair, sitting beside me on the couch and stroking my. ‘I’m sorry if I woke you prematurely Jake. And you must get used to me doing this, I find your hair almost compulsively attractive, and touching it excites me in a most unusual way.’
‘I think I’ve slept quite long enough Peta, and feel free to touch me whenever, and wherever you want to. Knowing it pleases you, pleases me. But how are things proceeding?’ I asked, ignoring the tingling sensation I could feel and pushing myself up into a sitting position.
‘All is done, the two systems are now integrating, that will take a little more time yet before it is completed. But I have run some preliminary tests and I am sure all will be well. Your ship is fully functional, though of course the system has no ‘personality’, and so you will find its command responses flat and mechanical. However, the entity we refer to as ‘Sam’ now seems both enthusiastic and excited about the prospects of what will happen next, and that bodes well for its future with us.
I too have rested for a short time and taken a ‘refresher’, so we only have to decide how to fill the time it will take for the systems to work through their amalgamation.’ she added with a smile.
I could tell from both her tone of voice and the expression on her face how she wanted to spend that time, and I was just as eager as she obviously was to experience more of those mind-blowing thrills. But although the four-hour session had been something I would never, ever forget, there had still been a dream-like quality to it, and I wondered if it were possible to feel the same things, but also somehow increase the sense of reality.
‘When we were talking earlier, one of the things you said was that you found an existing link point in my brain.’
‘A rudimentary one, yes. I hope that in time we will be able to strengthen it, and so make contact easier for us.’
‘But as there is such a point already there, would you be able to make contact whilst I am still conscious?’
‘That it exactly what I hope we will be able to achieve, in time, and with patience Jake.’
‘So it’s not possible now?’
‘There is I believe some extremely low level contact already, which is why we have been able to understand each other so quickly. That was one of the reasons I made such efforts to establish a harmonious relationship between us. But I admit it was not the primary one.’ she added with a soft laugh. ‘As I said very early on, although the differences between us are many and very great, there are similarities that are much too strong to ignore. I have a suspicion that our scientists will find that our species are in fact two, very long separated branches that originally emanated from a single source.
But to answer your question. Establishing contact was not easy, it took great concentration to do so, but if your mind was active it would be infinitely more problematic to find the correct path-ways.’
‘But that time you didn’t know for certain that there was such a point, you now do, and have some idea of its location. Surely that must reduce the difficulty?’
‘True, but even so. But why do you ask this?’
‘Because I want to feel I am sharing in the full process, not just be the recipient of some sort of a wonderful gift from you Peta.’
‘Ah, yes I understand.’
‘And although it’s all way beyond my level of comprehension, might not my active co-operation actually make the linking easier?’
‘Possibly so, that is certainly what happens with us.’
‘So what do we have to lose? If I fail then we can do what you had to do last time. But if we are successful, even partially so, then our sharing will become stronger all the quicker.’
‘It is a possibility. And as we have no real time constraints it is certainly worth a try.’
‘Good, then let me suggest that while I do my best to take care of the physical, you see what can be done at the mental level.’ I replied, lifting her legs up on to the couch and laying her down.
I began as I would have with any human lover, kissing and stroking her body, taking my time, doing everything slowly and sensitively. I always got a special pleasure from the early stages of love-making, before the stronger needs of the flesh kicked-in, but with Peta those feelings were magnified a hundred times. The moment my hands touched her I felt that faint tingling sensation coming from my finger-tips, a sensation that grew stronger the longer I continued caressing her opalescently ultra smooth skin.
Although the rest of her body remained quite still, the moment I started she began riffling her fingers through my hair again, and I hoped she was getting just as much pleasure from that as I was from doing what I was.
I don’t know why but the thought suddenly crossed my mind, if she was right about there being physiological similarities between us, then perhaps my tongue, puny though it was by comparison with hers, could still have some small effect on her. So I began interspersing my kisses and caresses with a few long, slow licks of her body.
At first there was no discernible effect but as the tingling sensation I was getting from my tongue was itself a new experience I persisted, and although it was several minutes before I noticed anything, eventually I thought I detected the faintest of tremors running through her. Even though it might have been totally unrelated to what I was doing that was enough to encourage me to continue, and I began working my way down her body.
Again I followed the same pattern I would have with most women, kissing and licking my way down to her legs, then easing them apart so I could reach the more sensitive flesh on their inner surfaces of her thighs. Then as I began to slowly work my way upwards I knew my hunch had been correct, I heard her give what I can only describe as a long drawn out sigh, and at the same time felt her hips arch upwards.
‘That is amazingly pleasurable Jake, please continue doing it.’ she said in an almost husky voice. ‘And if you can also relax your mind, I will start to try to make contact with you.’
Of course at that stage I had no idea how to relax my mind, and it would take many months of Peta’s careful guidance before I was able to actively participate in the melding process, but although it was impossible to both continue caressing her and clear it of all thoughts, I did my best.
My kisses and licks left twin, glossy trails of saliva up along her inner thighs and I had reached their apex and been sucking her receptor and probing its opening with the tip of my tongue for some little while before I started to become aware of something happening.
Although that time there was no image of a glowing cloud, I felt something similar to the sensations I’d had when its wispy tendrils slipped through me, then the same crackling sensation inside my head, and then ….. a completely new, and truly astounding dimension of experience opened up for me.
I could feel her receptor between my lips, feel my tongue sliding in and out of it – but could also feel Jake doing that to me, heightening the pleasures he had already given me when his licking kisses sent sparkling thrills through my entire being.
‘Aah yes!’ I heard her say, heard the words for the first time in her own voice, not the ubiquitous translator’s version of it ‘Now things will be much better for us Jake. That was easier than I anticipated, you are remarkably receptive.’ she added, then as the impact of what was happening hit me and I stopped what I had been doing with my mouth and tongue, I heard her say with an almost giggling sigh. ‘Please don’t stop, I am in turn remarkably receptive to what you do to my body.’
My mind seemed to be whirling out of control, the conscious part of it quite unable to cope with what was happening, the rest apparently all too eager to explore the wonders opening it for it. ‘Relax Jake, we are not yet able to establish full two-way communication, so you cannot reach me with your mind, that will only come with time and patience.’ she said, then continued. ‘But I can sense much of what is in some parts of yours, and share with you much of what is happening to me. That is what is happening at this moment. So just relax, and let us enjoy each other.’
I took her advice, doing what I had earlier said I would, concentrating on giving her physical pleasure, while letting Peta handle whatever mental processes were involved.
And of course my own physical responses had been stimulated too, by then my cock was fully erect and from the pulsating throbbing I could feel coming from it, more than ready for action. But I held myself in check, doing what had obviously stimulated her so strongly the previous time, taking her swollen receptor back in my mouth and pushing my stiffened tongue up and down inside it.
I could tell from both the way it was being squeezed and tugged, and from the increasing strength of signals I got back through the link between us just how exciting that was for her. So I continued doing it, waiting until the responses I was getting from her plateaued before trying something else.
Although her receptor stiffened a little as it became swollen I knew from what we had already done that it didn’t obtain sufficient rigidity for me to do what I could with a human female. I knew that even if I had wanted to do something as simple as get on top and fuck her, I couldn’t. But what had happened when I’d had my cock deep inside her as we lay side by side had been so thrilling that I felt sure we could still achieve something similar to that in one of the more common human positions.
So while I continued stroking her with one hand I let her receptor slip from my mouth, then pushed her legs further apart and moved up between them. As I lifted myself up over her she looked up into my eyes and their shifting colours confirming the signals I had been getting from her, what I had been doing had clearly already got her strongly aroused.
‘I want us to try doing it this way Peta, but I’ll need your help.’ I said.
She didn’t need her link to my mind to know what I intended and I felt her hands reach for me, felt her fingers close gently around my cock. ‘Our males find this way difficult, but your physical strength will help us Jake.’ she said, supporting her receptor on one hand, and pressing my straining cock down with the other.
Having pushed just the tip inside the opening I held myself still for a few moments, enjoying the prickling sensations being generated by the flexing motion of the first few rings of muscles as they literally crawled up over the already sensitive head. Then, taking care not to do so too quickly, nor to use too much force, I pushed slowly down until I felt the tube narrowing as I reached the more tightly constricting circle of muscles at the base of her receptor.
My intention was of course to try to reproduce the sensations and reactions we’d both had the previous time I’d been inside her, curious to see if it were possible for them to be even more powerful than they had been, now that we were mentally linked. But as I was still not sure of her body’s physical limitations as I pushed down I watched her, alert for any sign that what I was doing was causing her discomfort. But although her smile tightened, the look in her eyes, and what I sensed in my head, told me it was pleasure, not pain, that she was feeling.
So, having being reassured, I used a short but stronger thrust to get my cock-head through the final ring of muscles. And as I did I experienced that strange sense of duality again. I could feel the tingling in my cock strengthening as Peta’s ‘bliss-flow’ flowed more freely. And also feel my body being penetrated, feel the throbbing hardness of Jake’s massive penis stretching me wide open, feel the powerful thrills it was producing.
‘Yes, doing it slowly will be best for us both Jake.’ she said, obviously reading my intentions as I began to push up and down. ‘Are you sensing something of what I am feeling?’ she added.
‘Yes Peta, it seems very strange, but also rather wonderful.’ I replied as I did my best to cope with the double set of thrills while also concentrating on using just very short, slow movements.
‘Of course the experience itself is not strange for me Jake, but I am also feeling things I have never felt before, the sensations are far more powerful than any I have previously known.’
‘I’m glad this primitive creature is proving to have some value.’ I replied, grinning down at her, then gasping as my stimulation of her ‘bliss-flow’ gland triggered an even stronger discharge that sent a sudden flood of even stronger thrills shooting up through us both.
From then on neither of us either needed or were capable of using actual words, the intensity of the shared experience was simply too overwhelming. And it was during that time that I came to understand something of another of the differences between Peta’s people and mine. A partial explanation for what I had until then thought I alone had experienced, and had supposed were purely some sort of chemically induced, visual hallucinations.
But that was not so, her people not only felt the physical thrills, they ‘saw’ them too, what I had seen, and from then on saw, were in fact our mental interpretations of those thrills.
For someone who has not experienced that merging of two senses the effect is very hard to describe, I can only suggest they try to imagine ‘feeling’ a river cascading down over a rocky outcrop, or a big surf crashing on a shoreline, ‘feel’ the gradually increasing glare of a sun rise, or the impact and resulting brilliance of a fire-work display.
As Peta began to respond more strongly it was as though a vast bank of flood-lights had been turned on to illuminate some building or landscape. Then as I continued pushing slowly back and forth and our mutual thrills intensified, the lights gradually changed colour and began picking out more and more detail as they grew steadily stronger. And even as that was happening I was also feeling the sparking shocks her ‘bliss-flow’ was producing in my cock, felt them coursing up my spine and then as they merged, setting off bursts of excitement in the pleasure centre in my brain.
In spite of all that I still somehow managed to hold that slow, steady rhythm, still making sure I didn’t penetrate her too deeply. And then managed to keep going like that until I took her to her equivalent of an orgasm.
That time I picked-up on the signs that indicated it was coming. They were rather like the feelings produced by an approaching thunder storm, I felt an increasing pressure inside my head, then saw, far, far away, faint flashes of light, just as distant lightning reflects through the gathering clouds. Then I saw, and felt the flashes getting closer, getting stronger and brighter as they headed towards us. And as they came closer I saw that unlike any lightning I had ever seen before these weren’t just split-second flashes of brilliant white light, these covered the entire spectrum.
But this spectrum was a hundred times brighter than any I was used to, and although I couldn’t see the full range of band-width that Peta could, I could somehow sense what she saw, feel the vibrations coming from both the infra-red and ultra-violent ends.
The flashes came closer and closer, and then were going off inside our heads, and as their force and brilliance blinded all my other senses I heard Peta’s by then familiar chirruping sound getting louder and louder.
It was as though my subconscious took the knowledge that she was climaxing as permission to take over what I was doing, and I felt myself driven to finally plunge my cock faster and deeper, to quench the burning heat of it in the cooling balm of her body.
Even through everything else that was going on I could feel her receptor gripping the shaft, the stronger muscular rings gripping it tight while the others flexed and kneaded it. A minute or two of that was more than enough to get me there too, and I felt the start of the rising rush, felt my already swollen balls tightening, and my cock throbbing as I began thrusting faster. Then the long-churning semen erupted, every single nerve end screaming and my entire body convulsing as I forced my spouting cock even deeper inside her.
The light show that had been going on inside my head also exploded, each colour seeming to burst into a thousand impossibly bright fragments in various tones and shades of the original. And even as I stared in wonder at that blazing incandescence of light and colour I felt my cock pumping, each surge jetting another gout of scalding semen.
I could tell that Peta was feeling much the same things I was, sensing them differently and in many ways more strongly, but just knowing we were actually sharing filled me with a previously unfelt joyful happiness, a feeling that lasted long after my body was totally drained, and my thrusting produced no more than a few infrequent and quite token spurts.
Then, before my cock had time to lose any of its rigidity I felt her receptor clamping tightly around it. ‘Even your arms must be tiring Jake, roll to one side, then come with me again.’ she said in a low whisper.
And when I had done as she suggested she did what she had before, using my still fully engorged cock to re-stimulate herself, then taking me on a mental journey with her.
But that time there were no brightly coloured crystals, no flashing lights, instead we were walking, hand in hand, through a peaceful and quite beautiful landscape. In the far distance there were hills, softly rolling, purple hills, and the land between us and them was wooded with a variety of flowering tree-like plants. We were quite alone, walking together across a gently undulating, soft pink coloured margin beside a river that made a gentle tinkling sound as it flowed over its rocky bed.
I could feel my fingers tingling as we walked hand-in-hand, and yet could still feel the firm grip of her receptor around my cock, feel the continuing but undemanding peristaltic movement of the muscular rings. But at that moment what was far more important than that was the feeling inside me, a feeling of shared, truly contented happiness.
We had no destination and were in no hurry, allowing our thoughts to drift back and forth between each other as we followed the meandering path of the tinkling river. Sometimes thoughts of the beauty around us, sometimes of places we had been and sights we had seen. There was a sense of harmony, both with our surroundings, and with each other. It was a harmony I had never felt with any other person, either man or woman, and what made it all the more wonderful was that I felt sure that even those feelings were shared by Peta.
Once again we were in a time and space of our own making, so how long we remained there was neither measurable nor important, just being within in together was all that was.
But as before, deep inside some part of my brain what was happening to my physical body was registering, and eventually the feelings that produced intruded into that magical place. Both the tingling in my fingers and the sensations coming from my cock grew stronger, and I became aware of a steadily rising pressure inside me, a pressure that had only the one release valve.
Of course Peta sensed that too and she turned and smiled at me. Trust me Jake.’ Was all she said, then led me down a sloping bank, and into a sandy-bottomed part of the river.
The water was cool, but pleasantly so and I felt it creeping slowly up our legs as we walked forwards, up over our knees, thighs, then our genitals and stomach. And still we moved forward into it, feeling little or no resistance from the water, even when it came chest, then shoulder high. Then, after a moment’s hesitant apprehension, although I had no sense of floating, I knew we were beneath it, but as we could still breathe quite easily we went deeper.
The sunlight still streamed down around us and I could see as easily as I could breathe, but as with the landscape above, there appeared to be no other living creature around. Then once in the centre of the river we rose until we were floating somewhere between the rippling surface and the sandy bottom, then let the more quickly flowing stream carry us along with it.
As we bobbed in the tumbling current we drifted still closer together, then reaching our arms around each other, we pulled tight. We kissed, and again, as our tongues twined I felt the strength of the tingling sensations increasing, but that time, rather than shooting up through my spine to my brain as they usually did, I felt them coursing down to my cock. And as they merged and increased its sensitivity I felt her receptor slip over it, gently tugging it deeper, then rippling back and forth along its swollen length.
I knew she wanted to do what she had done when she made the recording of us, wanted me to do nothing other than drift with her, let her give me pleasure, and let her take her own in doing so.
Knowing that Peta’s feelings and responses were in total synchrony with mine made it easier for me to comply with her wishes, so I was more than happy to just hold her in my arms and let myself wallow in the selfish delights that followed.
And what real delights they were, unhurried, slow building, yet each step along the upward path just a little more deeply stirring than the one before.
Then, when I somehow knew she was finally taking us towards the ultimate plateau, I felt the current we were drifting in quickening, tugging us along with it as firmly as her receptor had begun to tug at my straining, throbbing cock. But even as the tension inside me grew still stronger I heard a distant roaring, and immediately recognised both the sound and its significance. The river was about to become a waterfall, the sound I could hear was being made by the water crashing down into a valley far below.
Faster and faster we went, moving ever closer to the edge of the fall. Higher and higher went the pressure inside me, my balls getting achingly tight as fresh semen was drained into them by the insistent action of Peta’s vacuuming receptor.
Then without any further warning we shot out over the edge, for one brief moment I saw the foaming whiteness of the water falling away beneath us, then the only thing that registered was the ecstatic thrill I was feeling.
That time there were no flashing crystals, no shafts of rainbow coloured lightning, and although the physical pleasure my jetting cock gave me was unbelievably intense, even stronger was the sheer wonder of the sense of absolute union with Peta.
And that feeling remained with me, long after the strength of our mutual orgasms eventually waned, when we just lay side by side on the couch, my body heaving and panting for breath, hers, relaxed and curled tightly against mine.
*
Chapter 16
Together
‘We were much more successful than I thought we would be.’ she said some little while later. ‘The link was easier to find and the contact stronger. Although only latent, your capability is well developed, and I think we will be able to achieve true linking more quickly than I had first thought.’
‘That’s nice to know, but, as human males frequently ask their partner at moment’s like this, was it good for you too Peta?’ I said, managing to summon up enough energy to give her a grin.
She smiled back at me. ‘Oh yes Jake, it was good, very, very good indeed. Could you not tell?’
‘Well I thought so, but of course I have no way of knowing how much of what I see and feel is generated by your emotions, and how much by you making sure things are good for me. If you understand.’
‘Yes, I understand. The first time was mostly that, my attempts to provide you with a visual analogue of what was happening between us.’
‘You mean the star going nova?’
‘Precisely. The second time, the shifting crystals, was a way of letting you see some of what was happening in my mind. But this time it was a shared experience, I set the scene for us, then we each played a part in what happened.’
‘Who elected to go down into the river?’
‘You did Jake. I found that strange, but interesting, and exciting too. Swimming is not something we do any more.’
‘And the waterfall?’
‘Yours too.’
‘I wasn’t consciously doing or creating those things though.’
‘I imagine that at this stage you are using some event from your past as a basis for what follows, but I feel sure that in time you will have develop more control. But once adept at linking I am also sure that like us, you will slip back and forth between conscious and sub-conscious situations and events.’
‘You mean that even you don’t control every aspect?’
‘Certainly not. Sometimes we do what we did just now, set a scene and then let our sub-conscious mind play with it. Sometimes one or the other might control most of the events. Sometimes, with a very good partner, we leave everything to our joint sub-conscious.’
‘In a way, although our actions are only physical, that is very much what we do also.’ I said.
‘You should not down-play your physicality Jake, it is most effective, and having experienced it I think I would have difficulty readjusting to what I previously considered satisfying.’
‘That’s nice to hear Peta. It’s nice to know I am contributing to our mutual pleasure.’
‘Oh I think in time, once we have further strengthened the link between us, you will be contributing even more.’
‘So although what I have experienced up to now have been things that would previously have been beyond my wildest imagination, we have things that could be even more wonderful to look forward to?’
‘I believe so. Do you find that a little daunting?’ she asked with an almost playful smile.
‘Daunting? Yes, but like most exploration trips, I can’t wait to begin.’
‘For me too, and the timing of that is something we should discuss.’
‘Well, the sooner we leave the sooner we can be back together again. But the kerfuffle will take weeks, perhaps months, and I really don’t want to face the idea of not being with you for that long.’
‘I feel that way too Jake, but have an idea that may shorten the ‘kerfuffle’? I think I understand your meaning but cannot translate the word.’
‘It’s slang, vernacular, a nonsense word, quite untranslatable Peta. It just means, well in this case it covers all the messy stuff, the bureaucracy, the media, the delays, everything.’
‘Yes, I thought as much. Well, consider this Jake. What if we each add to our already agreed transmissions the fact that we are leaving this planet, together? In mine I will also request that another take my place as our representative, indicate that I am unable to fulfil that role, for unspecified reasons. In that way, while another handles the various protocols required at such times, I will be free to accompany you during your, ‘kerfuffle’. What are your thoughts?’
‘You can do that?’
‘It has not been done before, but then neither has what you and I have already done, and wish to do in the future. We knew our wishes would cause many difficulties, but we have to begin somewhere.’
‘Having you with me would certainly make my role a lot easier, and make it harder for my superiors to block my wish to be with you. There would be sympathetic support from the media too, they love a story of individuals who battle the system. Well so long as the battle isn’t with the media system they do.’
‘So?’
‘So let’s do it, but only if you are sure it will not cause you too many problems Peta.’
‘No more than there would be anyway. So now we just have to decide, when?’
There was something in her voice, and also an odd shift in the colours of her eyes that gave me a clue as to the reply she hoped I would give. ‘I think we should delay it for one further rotation Peta.’ I said.
‘Ah, we are in agreement about that too Jake!’ she replied enthusiastically. ‘There are still things we need to know about each other before we face anyone else.’
‘Such as?’ I asked as I slipped my arms around her and pulled her close to me.
‘Oh, satisfying each other’s curiosity about each other’s mental and physical functions and capabilities. Finding how many different ways there are for us to stimulate each other, both mentally and physically. How much time we each need between meldings. Many, many such things.’
‘I doubt we will have enough time to do all of those Peta, I think it will be a matter for ongoing research.’ I replied with a grin. ‘Perhaps for the time being we should limit ourselves to a few of the more easily answered questions.’
‘You are right of course, but I look forward to participating in the ongoing research Jake.’
‘Me too, but for now, simple questions – you first.’
She didn’t answer immediately and when she did her voice was more hesitant than usual, and had an almost diffident tone to it.
‘I find myself thinking a great deal about your body, especially your genitals, I have to admit that your penis fascinates me Jake. And I hope that you will allow me to indulge myself in some part of this time we have given ourselves. But for now, I have told you I have monitored you while you slept, and I have thought I have seen something occurring.
‘And what was that?’
‘Well of course it may just have been a fold in the fabric that covered you, but it gave the impression that your penis had become stiff.’
‘It probably had, it’s called a spontaneous erection, males get them several times during sleep.’
‘Really, how remarkable! It does not wake you?’
‘As you would have seen, no.’
‘I was tempted to see if I could link with you, perhaps feel what you were experiencing, but there was much to do. Do they occur during dreaming?’
‘Sometimes the two are linked, but most of the time males are not aware of either their erections or of dreaming. And detumescence follows quite naturally too.’
‘Without ejaculation?’
‘Usually so, though occasionally, and as I previously told you, much more frequently in puberty, there are emissions. You remember I mentioned the archaic term still used for those, a ‘wet dream’?’
‘Ah, of course.’
‘Tell me, when you were looking at me, did that give you thoughts?’
There was a pause before she answered, and if she had been a human female I would have said there was a note of embarrassment in her reply. ‘Yes Jake, very strong thoughts.’
‘And they were?’ I prompted.
‘Many things, many, many things. I wished you had not covered yourself before sleeping. I wished I did not have so much still to do with our systems. I thought about other things I wanted us to explore together.’
‘When you have those thoughts, do you become aroused in some way, I mean physically?’
‘To answer that I have to explain that our usual reaction is more cerebral, we need to establish a mental link with an individual before even considering a physical one. But even then, even once the physical link has been made, which usually, but not always leads to a melding, it is still the mental process that triggers the physical response. But, although we have not yet established a strong link, I find that I am reacting at the physical level.’
‘But in what way? My response is clear to see, is there anything similar happening to you?’
‘Not as dramatic, but yes. There is a start to the ‘bliss-flow’ and both the male and female genitals become somewhat suffused with blood. But as I have explained, that response normally follows the mental link, with you the reaction is much stronger and is starting even though that link is not in place. And although curious as to how this can be, I find I like those feelings.’ she added in a much quieter voice.
‘Then we should use some of the extra time we have given ourselves to explore these things further. Your curiosity should not be unfulfilled.’ I said, pulling her closer and kissing her.
During the next few hours we certainly did many things, both to and with each other. Luckily Peta already appreciated that although by comparison with the males of her species I might appear to be a super-man, in fact I was not inexhaustible, so we satisfied some of her curiosity without trying to give me an orgasm every time.
She really was fascinated by the effect she could have on my penis, both during the process of engorgement, and even more so when it was fully erect. So once she was sure I had no objections to whatever she wished to do with me I found myself spending quite a lot of time between actual meldings being slowly re-aroused. Then once she had got it erect she sometimes wanted me to walk around so she could watch it bobbing about, sometimes asking me to just sit or stand still so she could watch its full range of reactions when she teased or gently played with it.
But the action certainly wasn’t all one way and I spent almost as much time ministering to her pleasures as she did to mine. She got a real kick from my caresses, and especially when I did that while licking her body and she stroked my hair, and of course she got an even bigger one when I sucked her receptor and probed its opening with my tongue. And it was while doing that, the nearest we could get to cunnilingus, that an idea as to something else she might like occurred to me.
I waited until she was indulging herself in another bout of between-melding-penis-watching then asked her to sit down, then keep her tongue out of the way while I slid it in and out of her mouth. My idea had been to see if it were possible to arouse her by just stimulating the gland at the back of her throat that way.
Doing it without her tongue liberally coating my cock with ‘bliss-flow’ meant it was far less sensitive, and that gave me the chance to hold back from my own climax for much longer than I would have been able to do if it had. But the direct stimulation of the gland was certainly incredibly effective for Peta, and after her first, surprisingly quick climax, I felt her mind reaching out for mine so I could share in some of the ecstasy she was continuing to experience.
Apart from being spectacularly successful, as that was something else the males of her species were incapable of doing it gave my ego a particularly healthy boost and we later incorporated that activity into some of our longer, and stronger full meldings.
And of course as well as exploring our individual ideas we spent even more of the time we had given ourselves in melded joy, the link between Peta and I becoming steadily stronger with each truly amazing session.
But we didn’t spend the entire time making love to each other, we also did a good deal of talking, talking through a whole range of things. Some talk was to do with questions and thoughts we each had, which gave me the opportunity to answer one practical question that had been bothering me, personal waste disposal.
I found that although we had completely different systems in that department, her liquid and solid waste being evacuated through a single duct, like an avian cloaca, she still had to do so daily. She then showed me how to access the recess where she did that, and gave me a brief, if somewhat unnecessary description of how the waste was converted for re-use.
But other than similarly basic questions we also talked about what we might do once back in civilisation, and about various personal arrangements we would also need to make. But sometimes our thoughts and conversation took us on far more fancifully erotic flights of imagination, leading us to exchange ideas of what and where we would each do certain things to excite the other.
Then, having eaten, as it was getting close to the time limit we had originally agreed to, our professionalism kicked-in and we decided we should leave any more personal exploration until later. So I returned to my ship, and having established a navigational link between the two, we commenced our individual transmissions.
Although we had been using tachyons, waves or particles that cannot travel slower than light speed, for point to point communications for quite some time, Peta told me their systems used a sub-set of the little beasties that enabled broadcast, and what sounded to me like a very weird variety of other transmissions. And because of that capacity she assured me that her message would be received by all her contacts while mine was still being processed by just the mother ship. And of course as we were not the first aliens her species had made contact with, although there would be excitement, it would not be of the same intensity that my report would cause.
I tried to imagine the emotions being felt on board the mother ship, but although first contact had been discussed, and in many quarters, planned for, for many generations, I really couldn’t. And I didn’t even try to imagine the effect of the last part of my report, which not only dealt with the fact that I would be returning with one representative, but that I would be remaining with her from then on.
To say that between us we set off every alarm in our part of the system would be to put it mildly. Apparently, so I was told some time after we had returned, Peta’s message triggered a pretty quick, and far more comprehensive message from a more senior representative of her people, which arrived at the mother ship just an hour or so after mine. The combination of the two caused even more excited confusion than even I had imagined there would be. My people not only had to face the fact that contact had finally been made with another sentient species, that it was far more advanced than ourselves, that I was ‘bringing one home with me’, so to speak, and that the two of us would then be remaining as ‘partners’, but also prepare to receive a visit from a small delegation of them, a group that specialised in establishing the initial links with other species.
I was glad we were not there at the time, and that the few days it took us to travel to the rendezvous point gave everyone time to start getting used to the idea we were no longer alone.
Even with Peta around to verify everything I said it still took a few more to convince the authorities that I hadn’t gone either permanently or temporarily mad, and then another couple for them to understand that we were serious about wanting to continue working, but in partnership. Then the importance of all that got somewhat lost when the representative team of Peta’s people arrived and the really serious stuff began.
Peta went through a similar, albeit much shorter grilling than I had been subjected to before she made them realise she too was serious and that there could be some very real benefits to having a scouting team comprised of two separate species.
Although desperate attempts had initially been made to keep what was going on under heavy security wraps, as always, somebody leaked something to someone and once the faintest whiff reached the media they went into truly frenzied over-drive. Recognising the inevitable, the authorities decided on what they called limited co-operation, putting out a document that they hoped would give enough, but not too much information about the contact, and allowing Peta and I to be seen together, but not interviewed.
That plan couldn’t and didn’t succeed for too long, and as I had suggested to Peta, the media proved to be the unstoppable force that actually helped us. At first the suggestion was that we could talk to the media about stuff that wasn’t still heavily classified, and they wanted to include in that anything hinting at our physical relationship. Then someone with a bit of common sense realised that would work for about five minutes, so I think they decided to hope we would be a one day wonder, then just vanish off the screens.
We were given a grudging clearance to do and talk about what we had proposed, and although it took the bureaucrats a lot longer to work out exactly how to officially transfer me, I was allowed to physically move into her ship.
I gave Peta a crash course in the way our media worked and some idea of what indignities she could expect from them, then we set up a full day of meetings. In spite of the demands for individual, face-to-face sessions we did only joint, group interviews, but even so it was immediately obvious that the media was going to love us. And why wouldn’t they, we gave them a bit of everything; adventure, personal risk and hazard, a brave new world for all mankind, and of course even more importantly, sex…
Peta and I had agreed on a strategy to deal with what I knew would actually be the focus of most media people, the sex bit, and although we didn’t deny the possibility of a physical relationship, we refused to confirm one already existed, merely hinting at our hope as to the possibility of one at some time in the future. Instead we stressed the satisfaction we expected to find in applying two distinctly different sets of intellectual and emotional capabilities to solving exploration problems. But of course the general media just brushed over that bit, preferring to latch on to the hint we had given, and most of the stories broadcast variations on the theme of us being ‘a pair of love lorn scouts that hoped one day to find true happiness together’. Then adding a range of very creative ideas as to just how that ‘happiness’ might actually be achieved.
So having given them at least something to get excited about, and then the appearance of the first of many leaks as to what was going on in the meetings between the two official groups, we were left pretty much alone for a day or two.
The private space in Peta’s ship shielded us from most of what was going on outside and having stocked up on foodstuffs for me, we simply locked ourselves away. Having been apart for as long as we had neither of us really cared what anyone thought we might be up to, we just got on with making up for lost time, and whether you call it ‘melding’ or simply ‘fucking’, that’s what we did for most of it.
By the time we reappeared I found that the fund had paid up, making me richer than I had really ever thought possible, and of course once word of that got out it started up a whole new series of demands for interviews. Having got through those Peta and I again disappeared for a while, and although there was of course some more serious physical interaction, we also spent a fair bit of it working our way through details of various places where we might set up our personal ‘base camp’.
Because of the minor, but still real physical differences between us we both had to make a few compromises. For instance, Peta needed a planet with less gravity than I could handle, I needed a somewhat lesser oxygen content than she preferred, and there were a few other, less significant things like that. However, we finally found a place on a planet in a pretty remote system, and settled on the purchase of both it and the large island it was built on, adding a probably unnecessarily large bonus for the agent to ensure he keep the identity of the purchaser absolutely secret.
When we then asked to be given some time off together I think the authorities were in some ways glad to have us both out of circulation for a while, and as Peta was allowed the use of her ship we headed off to inspect our new ‘home’. Although we agreed there were many things that needed to be done, much of which only Peta’s far more advanced technology could provide, we felt sure it would give us somewhere we would enjoy returning to after whatever travels our work required.
But as well as dealing with the practicalities of life we also used the time to continue building my linking skills. Peta came up with a set of mental exercises for me to do that seemed like a complex form of meditation, which, to be honest, I found pretty boring. But I had no such complaints about the more excitingly satisfying practical sessions we frequently did together as I slowly improved.
Although the limitations of my brain meant I was never to develop to the levels that any of Peta’s people had, and for a while it concerned me that being with me meant she had to give up too much, she assured me that apart from the other things she liked about me, my physical capacities more than made up for any mental short-fall.
And if her actions were anything to go by she wasn’t simply humouring me, apart from testing just how short a recovery time I needed between orgasms, there were occasions when she seemed to be virtually insatiable. As we had no immediate time constraints to worry about we were both free to fully explore our combined creative imaginings, which some days proved to be even wilder than others, and more than once we came out of a particularly long melding to find we had worked ourselves close to actual physical exhaustion.
Just as I never got tired of watching the colour and shade shift in her eyes, Peta never tired of looking at my cock when she aroused it, and with a tongue like hers there were some spectacularly effective ways of doing that. Occasionally, once she knew I had no objections to her doing so, when the rest of my body was literally too tired to do anything more she asked me to just lie back and allow her free play with it. She told me that just feeling it gradually filling, growing harder, then feeling its slow pulsing beat, was enough to give her intense pleasure. Not orgasmic, but still immensely enjoyable.
And quite apart from the physical enjoyment that gave me, knowing she was getting pleasure, and being able to watch the result demonstrated by the progressively more intense display I could see in her eyes, combined to give me just as much.
So, as my melding skills improved, and we grew more and more confident together, the quality of our already amazing sex life increased even more, and I am happy to say that continues to be true, even now, so many years later.