Orion Company
By Mr. J.
Chapter VI: Course Changes
“What are you telling me?” Captain Lee looks incredibly at her charge. “That this Vanessa girl was somehow possessed by these...aliens?”
Anna takes a deep breath.
“That’s about the shape of it.”
“This is a waste of my time.” Captain Lee waves Anna out of her quarters. “Until you have more proof I’m afraid there’s nothing we can do...”
“Captain, I know how it looks, but you have to believe me.”
“Why should I believe you any better than a third-rate psychic on Terra Prime?”
“Because I’ve seen it firsthand.” Anna presses her case. “The Vang have been known to implant false memories in their victims, but up until know all anybody’s had to go on was ancedotes and old wive’s tales. Now we—I—have the proof. From what I’ve observed, it’s completely possible that Vanessa has some residual memories inside of her from her encounter with them.”
“You’re an educated woman and you’re falling for this?” The captain shakes her head. “You’re smarter than this.”
“Stranger things have happened.”
“She’s telling the truth.” Nikki chimes in. “I saw the reports on Anna’s Vidscreen. There isn’t a single vessel that hasn’t been visted by the Vang. An awful lot of people have to be lying for this to be a hoax.”
Captain Lee groans.
“You too?”
Nikki shrugs
“There’s nothing I can tell you that isn’t in those reports.”
“So what you’re telling me is Ms. Polly is, a race of lizard creatures we didn’t know about until yesterday are abducting women and using them as slaves.”
“Pretty much.”
“That would explain why there were no females on the ghost ship...” The captain glances at the darkness outside. “What did the girl say exactly?”
“From the looks of it, ma’am, the attack happened just like we hypothesized. The men overpowered each other, eliminating any potential resistance the Vang might have encountered. The women discarded their clothes and started offering themselves up to their captors without putting up a fight. I don’t think they were even aware of it. Vanessa described it almost like being in a trance.”
Captain Lee nods.
“There is one other thing,” Anna adds. “she described hearing some kind of high pitched humming sound prior to the attacks. It sounds like the Vang were using some kind of sonic device, but I did some cross-referencing and there’s nothing like it, even in the Confederate arsenal. We’re dealing with an enemy that is incredibly stealthy and clever.” “That isn’t all,” Nikki interrupts her. “when Anna was doing her research, she noticed a pattern. As we examined the reports we realized that they correspond to our travel logs for the past six months. Most of the victims appear to be clients or people we’ve partnered with in the past. We’re still figuring it out, but I have a bad feeling about this, Li.”
“How could that be? We’re the only ones with the coordinates. Unless someone got access to them, I don’t know how they’d know that.”
“I took the liberty of sharing my findings with a scientist who runs a lab on Taurus V.” Anna hands the captain a slip of paper. “I just got a message on my tablet a few minutes ago. She wants to meet with us.”
“In person?”
Anna nods.
“On Taurus V? The jungle planet?”
“Yes ma’am.” Anna stands erect. “There’s a research outpost there, they’ve made significant strides in studying the Vang over the last hundred years. This may be our best chance at figuring out who we’re up against.”
“But that’s several weeks away.”
“The trip is worth it.”
“How’s the girl?”
“Vanessa’s recovering,” Anna sighs. “every day’s a struggle, but I don’t think the voices are going to be a problem anymore. Still, I think it would be a good idea for us to pay a visit.”
“Okay.” The captain sighs. “We’ll have it your way. But if this turns out to be a wild goose chase I promise it won’t be pleasant for you.”
“You’ll never regret it, ma’am.”
Anna spends the next two hours wandering through the halls, excitement pumping through her veins bumps into Caitlin, wearing a shit-eating grin in her tank top and slacks.
“Looks like someone’s just gotten a spanking...”
Anna grips Caitlin’s hand.
“That hurts!” Caitlin squirms. “Let me go!”
“You can’t keep your hands off my stuff, can you?”
“What are you talking about?”
“You told Vanessa about my collecton, didn’t you?” Anna slams her against the wall. “I never told anyone. They were my private property. But I guess you had no problems helping yourself to my stuff. Tell me, did you demonstrate them on yourself first, or did you two throw a party for two?”
“I didn’t say anything!”
“Then how did she find out? Or did the vibrators magically came to life?” Anna’s breaths tickle Caitlin’s neck. “What’s your angle? Blackmail? Or do you do these things just for kicks?”
“You’re hurting me...”
“We leave for Taurus V for a few days. Fact finding mission. That’s all I can tell you right now—everything’s on the QT right now. Captain won’t even enter it into the logs. She wants you to look after Vanessa while we’re gone. I don’t want to see so much of a fingerprint when I get back. Don’t ever go into my room without my permission again, you understand?”
Caitlin nods.
“Good”
###
Thick vegetation hangs graciously from the canopy above as Lianna cuts a path through the uneven terrain of Taurus V, sweat rolling down her back. The heat is palpable as the team beats a path towards the observatory ahead, the white globe towering like a lighthouse over the mass of vines and trees below. Groans and grunts echo off the trees as the women lug their gear up the steep inclines, none more weary than Anna herself. Her legs ache as she trudges up the hill. A fiery sensation radiates through her thighs.
This is not the workout she intended.
“This sucks,” She curses under her breath. “can we take five for a minute?”
“Your idea, remember?” Nikki replies cryptically.
“I had an idea Taurus would be this intense, but I never imagined I’d have to haul ass.”
“Get used to it.” Captain Lee and Nikki utter in unison.
Anna glances at the lush scenery around her. She remembers Caitlin being eerily quiet as they left. She didn’t even say goodbye, just nodded as their craft departed the Orion and descended towards the jungle below. The behavior struck Anna as being odd at the very least, but she didn’t put much stock in it. Even if Caitlin protested there wasn’t much of a way around it, being the engineer and all. But her hard-edged stare left no doubt that there was no love lost between the two privateers—especially after their last encounter.
Despite being one member short, the break couldn’t come at a better time. For all Caitlin’s technical expertise, she could be abrasive and mean towards Anna, whose breasts come under heavy fire from the gifted strawberry blonde. To say they’re outright adversaries would be putting too fine a point on it, but ever since Anna stepped foot on the ship there was always a simmering hatred between the two. Not quite friends but not enemies either, their mutual need for survival is the only thing keeping the animus from reaching a fever pitch. Anna doesn’t know why Caitlin doesn’t bury the hatchet, but it is what it is.
“Watch out!” Nikki pushes Anna away.
A snake-like creature dangles among the mass of vines, tongue stuck out in defiance. It hisses angrily as it rears it head, fangs gleaming in the afternoon light. A millisecond later it’s head rests on the forest floor as the body does it’s death dance. A smear of blood on the corner of her tank top marks the spot where Nikki cleaned the blade.
“You’re not even going to say thank you?” Nikki gripes.
“Thank you.” Anna takes a deep breath.
Nikki is no stranger to surprises. After several years of service in the military (and many more onboard the Orion) they’ve seen enough officers and grunts get ambushed or attacked by monsters to expect the unexpected. Neither of them leave without some form of protection on them, usually a laser pistol or machete strapped to their thighs. She never agreed with Anna’s decision to go to Taurus, but it was not hers to decide. Still, there are moments when the younger’s obliviousness makes Nikki wonder whether Anna is truly fit to be out in the field.
As they climb up the steps leading to the researchers’ abode, they pause to enjoy the view of the fertile valley below, fruit trees lining the formidable river bisecting the green paradise. After a short introduction to the Confed marine manning the main gate the three women drag themselves into the lobby, panting and exhausted.
“You must be the captain.” A pale-faced woman with braided hair greets Lianna.
“Former captain,” The raven haired warrior corrects her. “and you are?”
“Kolkata. Kolata Amrita. I apologize for looking so haphazard.”
Captain Lee glances at the scientist’s curves.
“That’s okay.” She composes herself. “How many people work here?”
“Just thirty or so.” Kolkata buttons her lab coat. “This is my sixth year on planet. I’m the baby in the group, so to speak. I’m the xenobiologist, by the way.”
“I’m sure you and Ms. Polly would get along just fine.”
“You look like you guys could use a shower. I’ll get you all some towels and a change of clothes. If you follow that corridor and go ‘round the corner the stall is the first one on your left.”
The explorers bid adieu and walk through the hall, glad at last to be in a compound with air conditioning and hot water. The relief couldn’t have come sooner for Anna. Her sweat-drenched tank top clings to her body as she wanders down the hall. Images of comfy beds and exotic linen robes dance in her head.
The threesome disrobes as they enter the expansive locker room/shower, metal rods substituting for where stalls would normally be. Jets of soapy foam soak their bodies as they step towards the cylinders. Anna reluctantly lathers herself, comparing her breasts to Nikki and Lianna’s pert examples. She flashes back to the argument she had with Dana before she disappeared.
“What’s wrong rookie,” Nikki interrupts. “never seen a naked woman before?”
“It’s nothing...” Anna stammers.
“Don’t be so prudish. It’s not like you haven’t been in a communal shower before.”
Anna blushes.
“Actually...”
“You mean your school had private showers?”
“Our school didn’t have showers, period. Matter of fact, we didn’t have a pot to piss in. I was lucky if I got to take a bath every couple of days, when my sister wasn’t using it.”
“You had a sister?”
“Yeah...”
Nikki snorts.
“Your sister wouldn’t let you use the bathroom? I don’t know about you, but your folks sound kind of wacko to me.”
“I grew up on a farm!” Anna grows defensive. “You should try it sometime!”
“Knock it out, you two.” Lianna cuts in.
A female voice crashes the party, her chirpy tone cutting through the sensual display enough for the three women to crane their heads. Anna looks up at a naked kolkata, carrying a handful of white, freshly pressed towels. Her skin glistens as the steam rolls over her body, yet Anna can’t get her eyes off the researcher’s almost prestine globular breasts. Her anxiety grows sevenfold.
“Like what you see, don’t you?” Kolkata teases flirtatiously. “Don’t worry, I won’t bite.”
She places the towels on a bench in the locker room and joins them. Kolkata is oblivious to Anna’s dismay as she stands next to her, lathering her arms and chest. Anna stares straight ahead as she continues to shower, hoping the older woman would go away. One Misssissppi, Two Mississppi...
“Oh!” She feels something pinch her from behind.
“My bad.” Kolkata breaks the ice. “I thought you were a bar of soap.”
“Soap comes in bars?” Anna blinks, taken aback by the brazen come on.
Kolkata laughs.
“You really aren’t from around here, aren’t you?”
“Could you turn around please? I’m taking a bath here.”
“Feisty little thing.” Kolkata’s eyes linger. “The captain didn’t tell me you were a firecracker.”
“We chatted when we met. “You know, I really wished I had a body like that. What I’d give to be eighteen again.”
“More like eighteen going on thirty.” Anna murmurs.
Kolkata ignores the insult.
“Not much of a conversationalist, are you?”
“I think I’m going to dry off now...” Anna’s face grows beet red.
“Aww. Is the sight of a pretty woman too much for you?”
“I...I got to go.”
“Please don’t...” Kolkata grabs Anna’s wrist. “The party’s just getting started.”
“I’m sorry.” Anna wrestles herself free. “Where’s the towels?”
Kolkata points towards the lockers.
“If you change your mind you know where to find me.”
A chill rolls down Anna’s mind as she tries to put the incident behind her.
###
Anna shifts uncomfortably in her chair as she waits in Kolkata’s office, glancing at the degrees on the wall. Double majors in biology and mathematics; honorary degrees in sociology and linguistics from some of the Confederacy’s most prestigious universities. A series of slides on a vid-screen show Kolkata shaking hands with the biggest movers and shakers in the quadrant, from provosts to the military governor of Taurus himself. How a woman in her thirties could do all that and still retain a youthful appearance baffles her. How a woman like her could be so...blantantly aggressive. Anna could understand a little harmless flirting, but that? Whatever they’re putting in the water down here, it’s certainly making everybody a little nuts. Maybe all those years cooped up in the facility has made them more than a little lonely. Not that she’s in a position to judge.
Anna sinks into the leather seat as a chill descends in the room, suddenly wishing she’d never made the suggestion to visit in the first place. She clutches the arms of her chair tightly, arms tense. She eyes the door every so often. No need in spending any more time in here than she has to.
Kolkata walks in without fanfare, clad in her white lab coat and slacks. Her boots thump across the faux carpeting as she closes the door behind her, making Anna feel that much more uncomfortable. She makes note of the woman’s athletically toned thighs, more out of fascination than anything else. The good doctor certainly has what it takes to be intimidating—maybe that explains her quick rise to academic success?
“I’m up to my knees in papers, so if we could make this quick I would appreciate it.”
Anna squirms.
“What do you know about the Vang?”
The older woman laughs.
“Where do you want me to start? I’ve got at least a couple dozen files in the databanks going back ten years, not to mention plenty of classified assessments for military and diplomatic personnel.”
“I didn’t come here for a lecture,” Anna gets to the point. “what do you know about any recent raids in the quadrant?”
Kolkata bolts up.
“Raids What raids?”
“We came across a ghost ship about three weeks ago. Research vessel. We boarded her and did a sweep of the ship. All the males were dead, and all but one woman was unaccounted for, a young woman in her early 20’s. She’s recuperating as we speak.”
Kolkata shakes her head in disbelief.
“The Vang are powerful, that’s for sure, but they haven’t performed any offensive actions since the peace treaty thirty years ago. Most of them are lucky to live on government outposts. The Vang are practically harmless—not unlike the Native Americans on Terra 500 years ago. If something took place like you said, we’d have received a report by now. Are you sure it’s not space pirates or slave traders?”
“We interviewed the woman several times. She’s one hundred percent solid that it was them. We also cross-checked info from our data streams, and it appears there have been several attacks in the area over the last several months, nearly all of them involving Confederacy vessels or colonists.”
“Hmmmm.” Kolkata rubs her chin. “That is odd. The Vang have no use for humans. There’d be no reason to take them, and reproduction would be impossible without significant gene manipulation. Maybe they’re using the women as forced labor? Perhaps as mid-wives, or tutors?”
“Our guesses are as good as yours, doctor.”
“Like solving a Rubik’s cube,” Kolkata stands up. “now if you excuse me, I have proposals to write...”
Anna blocks her as she walks toward the door.
“There is one other thing you can do for me.” She gathers her pride.
“And that is?”
“Apologize.”
“Apologize for what?”
“Yesterday. The shower, remember?”
“Yes, I remember. The shower.” Kolkata tsks. “I guess I came on too strong. I’m sorry if I offended you. It’s been a while since I’ve...been in the game.”
“The game?”
“Dating. Courtship. Eating out. Getting into a woman’s...”
“I get the picture.” Anna protests. “But I got to ask, don’t you have a...special someone you could do that with?”
“Nope.” Kolkata is unequivocal. “Ever since my partner died six years ago, it’s been rough all over.”
“How did she die?”
“A crusty jumped her and pumped a quart of its semen into her.”
“Crusty?” Anna blinks.
“Big, red crustacean. Four foot long. Phallus about the size of French bread. Mean son of a bitch, too. Anyway, she lingered in the hospital for a couple of days, but the toxic shock proved to be too much. She died the next day. Since then it’s been a series of one-night stands, but nothing serious. When you’re as old as I am, you take what you can get.”
“Sorry to hear that. Is this the first time you’ve ever told anyone?”
“Oh they know. Everybody does. Not a lot of secrets around here. But enough about me.” Kolkata waves the thought aside. “There’s something I want to show you. Follow me.”
Anna stares at Kolkata’s kohl black eyes. They seem different somehow—as though the doctor were staring through rather than at her. She shrugs it off as a figment of her foggy brain and vows to catch some shut eye after the complimentary tour is done.
She follows the doctor through the labyrithine hall into the autopsy room. Anna stares wide-eyed the row of specimens lining the shelves, everything from crusties to pterodactyl-like creatures that could easily fit into her hand. A reptillian brain sits prominently in the middle, suspended in a large jar. It’s much larger than any human specimen she’s seen in recent memory. Certainly more than any extraterrestrial species she’s come across.
She taps the glass, as if to assure herself that is in fact dead.
“My very first Vang autopsy...” Kolkata cradles the jar. “I was twenty-two then, fresh out of med school. I was drafted the first week out and sent to this outpost—I was such an idealist then. Turns out my job was to help set up a morgue while the Confeds pacified the area to make way for the research facility. I saw my fair share of cadavers in those days. I’d say this specimen here is three or four—fifteen or sixteen in human years. The oldest Vang I’ve ever seen is twenty five.”
“You graduated from med school at twenty two? What are you, some kind of genius?”
“Brilliant deduction. My IQ’s 160, actually. I was singled out for this assignment when I took the test. It is because of my mental acumen that I’m here. Not that it’s done wonders for my social life.”
“You said the oldest Vang was twenty five?”
“A hundred and thirty years old for the folks playing at home.” Kolkata jokes. “Their longevity makes them one of the oldest species in the quadrant.”
She grimaces and hands the jar to Anna, who places it back on the top shelf. Kolkata massages her temple and sits down on the autopsy table, feeling flush.
“Is it hot in here or is it just me?” She unbuttons her lab coat.
Anna glances at the Vang specimen.
“What did you suspend that in?”
“Some kind of electrolyte goo we bought from a contractor.” Kolkata saunters toward the door. It’s supposed to keep everything fresh.”
“Does it have any nutrients?”
“Not that I am aware of...”
The click of the deadbolt makes Anna’s hair stand on end. She glances at the spaghetti straps of Kolkata’s halter top, feeling very confused as the scientist stares blankly at her. The lab coat lies crumpled on the floor.
“I thought you were just showing me around?” Anna’s voice wavers. “What’s going on?”
“Don’t be afraid. You’re safe with me now.”
Kolkata saunters toward her.
“This isn’t funny.” Anna grows nervous. “Unlock the door.”
Kolkata pulls the xenophile tight against her own body and kisses along Anna’s neck, nibbling every so often. Anna struggles to fight back, yet with each effort to break free the scientist Kolkata increases her hold on her. Anna’s wide-eyes of fascination are suddenly replaced with looks of fear as the truth slowly dawns on her.
“I’m not your prisoner! Let me go!”
“Fighting only makes it harder.” Kolkata teases Anna’s hair. “I used to be just like you, you know, all strong and independent. Until she taught me to surrender... Trust me, the sooner you surrender the better you and your friends will be. Together we can be happy... She says she’s got everything you need. We’ve got everything...”
“She? It’s a female?”
“Smart girl.” Kolkata nibbles Anna’s ear. “She told me you’d be a good match.”
“What does that thing want with me?”
“Only your devotion. You also have certain qualities that...she finds desirable in an acolyte.”
“Acolyte?”
“Don’t you know? You’re one of the chosen ones.” Kolkata purrs. “Ever since I got that email she’s been dying to meet you. She’s singled you out as a possible recruiter. You’re in a unique position to make our family grow. If your friends don’t mind, of course.”
Anna fights vainly to keep the jar out of Kolkata’s grasp. The scientist pries it deftly out of her hands and places it on the top shelf, well out of her reach. If she stands any chance of getting out of here with her dignity intact, she better start playing to Kolkata’s script. She pretends to go along with Kolkata’s ministrations, even as the scientist makes her skin crawl. Yet a part of her yearns to give in.
The xenophile struggles to keep calm despite Kolkata’s affections. Her thoughts slow to a crawl as a fog descends on her brain. Time seems to contract as her eyes flutter. A peck of the cheek lasts a hour; the twist of a nipple, a millenia.
A moan escapes as she purses her lips.
“That tinnnggly feeeling...it feeeels gooood.”
“That’s Her rewriting your programming. Soon you will forget all about your precious quest and why you came here. Your only purpose will be to recruit and obey....recruit and obey...”
Kolkata’s words echo in her brain as ripples of pleasure lap along the shore of Anna’s mind. Her eyes become trance like as she stares straight ahead. With the latter’s help she sheds her free will along with her clothes until she is clad only in her tank top and panties. Goosebumps proliferate down her arms and legs, but it feels so nice being here with Kolkata and her Mistress. If only Nikki and the captain could learn to give themselves up so freely...
“She wants me to consecrate you...” Kolkata kneels at Anna’s feet.
“Yes...consecrate me.”
Tender kisses work their way up Anna’s legs until Kolkata stares at her snatch. She feels the heat of the older woman’s breath as they tickle her hair. Without saying another word she spreads her legs to let the scientist in. Yes...Yes..this is what she’s always wanted...
The room shakes. The brain jar collapses to the floor with a resounding clash, leaving ooze and shards of glass in its wake. The women snap as though waking from a deep sleep. They glance around the laboratory half-awake, half-asleep, groaning.
“What the—?” Anna’s fog lifts. “Why is it so cold in here? And what are you doing down there?”
As the situation dawns on her she pulls herself away, sighing and muttering excuses about work and ‘the mission’. They pair glances at each other awkwardly as they scramble into their clothes, wondering how they could’ve allowed themselves to fall into the Vang brain’s trap.
“That was a close one.” Kolkata mumbles. “I’ll never touch another brain again. How are you?”
“Fine.” Anna recovers herself. “Let’s not speak of this in front of the others, ok?”
“You got that right.”
The pair split up as they enter the hallway, wasting no time to hurry to the bar.