Star Trek: Theurgy

EPISODE 01: Outbreak [Chapter 04 - Apprehension]

[ Gymnasium | USS Theurgy ] Attn: Lt.JG Nathaniel Isley

The locale lay empty that early morn on the second day in orbit of Niga - the vast floor illumined only partially by flickering light.
 
Her arms were leaden with exhaustion. Her lungs felt like they were bleeding through ice, yet her body radiated heat like a furnace - breath a singe in the air. The hilt of her sword slick with sweat and every part of her hands aching by the trial she put them through, she refused herself rest throughout her non-seizing movement.
 
For the movement was one, but the variations many. They had names, old names that the samurai of yore had made immortal through their students - an undying legacy down the centuries. One variation turned into another and the names changed, yet the intent remained the same.
 
They were the names of murder, and Captain Jien Ives knew them all.
 
Through the years, she had not deluded herself to think they were more than they were. Mankind always craved to justify its actions, with titles and favourable misconceptions of honour. Though if the deaths of many had individual names, some of them could be found in the way of the sword. Yet by naming Death, one never failed to draw its attention.
 
To Jien, respite could be found in summoning Death this way. For in craving its notice, she forgot everything else. The self-flagellation she conducted in the early morning left her mind void of all else. Her purpose? To forget the reality she suffered. Expel the memories from her head; Old shame of inadequacy and past wanton destruction of her own morale; The suppurating scar of past failures, torn open by the fact of her continued servitude to the Fleet; the doubt of her orders that had fed so many of her own to Death - all expressed in the techniques that overlapped each other in a dance that stretched the limitations of her bare-chested body.
 
Her stances and steps fluctuated in counterweight to the silver arc of her blade. Yet in sensing the presence of another, her dance stopped; focus quenched by the distraction. Jien was poised to strike. Yet her dai-katana would not fall... even though she defied admitting it to herself. Her movements had lost their momentum. It was too late to resume them. Her ragged breathing steamed invisibly before her contorted face - eyes wide in mirror to the past nightmares.
 
Where she stood, in the very centre of the Gymnasium, she sensed the approach from behind her. Like a wild beast noticing someone entering its cave, Jien turned her female form's face towards the intruder. Yet her bared teeth and pumping lungs did not implicate hostility. She preserved her modesty by changing her form just slightly - now wearing a black sports bra of the same shade as her loose yet hip-hugging hakama.
 
She said nothing, but took in the shape of the man that came out to her. Only someone new to the crew would not know that this time in the Gymnasium was hers alone - regardless of present circumstances.

Nathaniel took care of his body, working out when possible to sustain it.  His physical strength was above what was normally needed, considering his Vulcan side had three times the average of a human, but he still suffered from being the average of a Vulcan.  Most Vulcan he knew chose not to develop their physique; they were a people of science and of the mind.  Nathan, on the other hand, had never developed those traits, his mother telling him his brain chemistry was more like a human, and lacked the telepathy of his maternal side.  He considered himself to have a human mind for that reason, which only served as another reason to forgo with the pursuit of enlightenment through logic; he was always a better football player as a kid then he was a Kal-Toh master.

He was already well into the gymnasium before he noticed anyone there.  His eyes had been to the equipment made available for physical training.  He was hardly used to such things, having served on a ship that wasn't as well prepared for honing the bodies of it's staff.  Was such a well stocked gym standard on a Theurgy-class vessel?  Or was this a result of the captain's own retrofits?  The opportunity to answer that question might have come sooner then expected, as his eyes finally fell to a naked back, making him slow to a dead stop.  As she turned to face him, his eyes raised up to the ceiling, almost in a casual manner that made it seem incidental.  By the time he looked back down, her breasts were covered in a way that would have been inexplicable, if not for the fact that he now knew who it was.

"I'm . . . guessing this place is off limits at this time?"  He spoke, seeking confirmation.  It seemed a sensible conclusion to make; Jien wouldn't allow her female body to be topless in a public place unless she knew for certain no one was going to see her.  No one but a new crewman who didn't know anything about any special permissions or schedules on board the Theurgy.

Breath still uneven, Jien spat excess saliva and sweat upon the floor - a quite vulgar thing for a woman to do yet being what she was, she believed herself at least half-excused. "I have not asked for many favours beyond seemly, but this is my solitary exception to the rule, 'Lieutenant," she rasped in reply, her stance unmoving - sweat trickling down her bronze skin. "A Captain's privilege is my own to enforce, and I ought to have simply locked the door. Too much on my mind, of late, can you imagine?"

She looked down upon the deck, her drawn sword still by her side. The single lamp in the room kept flickering - the pool of light between them dancing to and fro in rhythm to the fluctuating power-surges on that segment of the Theurgy. There was a silence lingering then, yet Jien did not find it an uncomfortable one - regardless of what the pilot might have seen or not. She was too old for such adolescent concerns. The times weighed too heavily.

"Now that you are here, would you care to hear a story?" she asked him quietly, glancing up through the sodden fall of her hair. It was plain - by the pilot's aesthetically form-fitting attire at the very least - that he had come there for training of his own, and she did not wish to intrude upon his time. Still, she had her purposes. "It is about an old master of the sword who sought an apprentice." Jien looked into the shadows of the Gymnasium, finding her words somewhere out there - the memories lurking in shade. She deftly sheathed her sword in its scabbard before she began.

The master summoned three young men to stay at his cottage in the mountains. He had prepared for their arrival by letting the door to his cottage be slightly ajar, and by putting a cushion upon the door. When the first young man entered upon the master's call, he opened the door and the cushion fell upon his shoulder. The young man then replaced the cushion upon the door and entered the cottage to greet the master."

Jien began to slowly pace the mat in front of the pilot, turning her back on him while the story spilled from her mouth. "A knock on the door the next day told of the arrival of the second young man. And when he opened the door at the master's call, the cushion fell upon his shoulder. But before the cushion reached the floor, the young man had his sword drawn, and he cut the pillow apart in one strike. Then, he entered the master's cottage and greeted him."

Having walked in a semi-circle, Jien turned to face the Loe Wolf again - continuing the narrative with her brown eyes locked upon his. "The third young man arrived on the third day, knocking at the door. Entering upon the call from the master, the young man cut the cushion apart in mid-air before it reached him. He then entered the cottage and greeted the master like his predecessors."

Then, Jien smiledquietly, the finely chiselled features of the Chameloid giving away nothing after she had finished the tale. "Tell me," she said, "which young man do you think the old master accepted as his apprentice? Furthermore, can you motivate your answer?"

Jien's story went over his head a fair bit.  He knew not enough of the culture that she referred to, to know which of the choices would be deemed the one which was best.  Part of him wished he was more familiar, so he could give a proper answer.  Instead, he knew he was going to end up rambling, trying to justify whatever choice he ended up making.  "The third one displayed the greatest speed, but with such speed, there was no saying he truly knew what he was doing.  Instinct is important, but not knowing what you are slicing could be the cause of an unneeded death."

His palm pressed against his chin, brushing his facial hair to make a light scratching sound as he thought more.  "The second man determined it was a cushion when it struck his shoulder, and proceeded to slice afterward.  He looked before he leaped."  Nathaniel kept following Jien's movement, trying to maintain eye contact with her, as a form of respect to the commanding officer of the vessel.

Then it came time for him to make a choice, wondering if there really was a correct answer, or if it all had some trick to it that he didn't understand; always a possibility.  "I would say it was the first.  He did not draw his weapon without necessity, nor did he act impulsively."  Would this be something about his impulsive actions in his fighter, when he broke formation and traveled beyond the distance of the Theurgy?  Like his own observation, he had leaped before he looked.  of course, he could have been reading too much into the whole story in the first place, and the actual answer was something so simple it has passed him by.  "I'm afraid I am not very good at these sort of answers.  You'll have to forgive my ignorance, ma'am."

"Not at all," said Jien with a small smirk on her features, finding the pilot not as ignorant as he believed himself to be.

"You are correct in all things you say. The first student could assess the situation quickly. There is more, however, to the answer that you did not grasp, which is quite understandable since you only just heard it. Consider that the first student not merely see that the cushion was not a threat, but kept his attention upon the room that he entered - his guard never lowered towards his would-be master. Furthermore, the first student displayed knowledge about restoring order; a respect towards the old master that made him replace the cushion.

"The story has another depth as well, which details the scenario if the first one lacked perception. Then, he is chosen because the other two are already set in their destructive ways, and cannot be shaped in their swordsmanship to the degree of the first one. Nevertheless, the commonplace quality for any assumption regarding the first student's skill... is respect."

Jien now stepped out towards the Lone Wolf and looked him in the eye. She stopped at arms-length, the flickering light above them making her eyes gleam to and fro. "I sense that this word - respect - is something that you need to add to the word 'perspective', if you have the ambition to some day advance in rank upon this ship. You respect me because of your belief of me being a tactician and a soldier, yet what about the rest of this crew? What about your fellow squadron members? What of the Senior Staff? What about the whole of the Federation that we mean to safeguard? Would you rather draw your sword and cut those that you think to be lesser than yourself?"

Folding her arms underneath her breasts, she looked up into the pilot's eyes - waiting.

"I respect a superior officer whom is one of action.  One who makes compromises for the sake of furthering their political aspirations is a person I would not show respect to.  Men like the ones who ceded colonies in the demilitarized zone caused the loss of homes, just because of some Cardassians making demands.  The fact that they provided assistance during the end days of the Dominion war is supposed to justify that?"  Nathan had been a native of such a colony, which was another matter of perspective; his was limited to the sight of horrors, caused by a losing battle the colonists fought to keep the world they had settled.

"I have my personal sense of justice, Captain.  The COs that I had altercations with were ones who acted against my own personal beliefs.  As a superior officer, and even as a fellow living being, you have your own views, and Starfleet would tell me that opposing a higher-up is something that shouldn't be tolerated, but I can't shut off my own beliefs, either.  Add a sense of justice to a short fuse, and I can be trouble.  I know it, and accepted it, despite knowing I probably do a disservice to my mother with my attitude.  I suppose I prove Vulcan logic sound; my emotions are a crippling thing."

He kept his eyes locked on hers, to communicate how genuine his words were, as well as to exemplify their impact.  "I don't think of anyone as lesser then myself.  If anything, I am lesser then anyone.  I'm a man who can't follow simple orders, or display any sense of emotional restraint.  All I know is that I will do what is necessary out here, and if someone can convince me that my actions were not the best for those I made them to help, then I will give my apologies and accept my punishments.  Otherwise, I will fight tooth and nail to say that the good we do at the end of the day should be remembered, rather then how well I mind my 'yes, sirs' and 'yes, ma'ams.'"

Jien listened in quiescence, her stance rigid before the Vulcan half-blood. When she spoke, it was not to Nathaniel.

"Computer, lock this door, security code Ives-Nine-Zero-Epsilon."

There was a distant noise from the other side of the dim gymnasium - the echo a faint whisper in the air. Then, Jien stepped forward, and her glare blazed though the lack of light - the flickering lighting reduced to the background. Her arms remained folded, and the beaded sweat upon her skin had faded to a glistening sheen. She pursed her lips to make her observation.

"So in essence, you claim to be either the second or the third student, knowing that the swordmaster might not pick you for her apprentice."

The pommel of her sheathed sword connected with the pilot's mid-riff, and after he stumbled back, she drew the blade completely - holding it by her side.

"If you have a mind to conduct your exercise upon this given hour, then you will know the concept of respect towards your Sensei. You will learn humility in my presence, and you will defer to my word and not let your emotions guide your hand - making you cut the cushion before it reach the floor. Otherwise, I will not teach you anything; be it tactics, martial arts, or how to be a better man than you believe yourself to be."

Jien whirled the arc of cold steel around in her hand, and rammed the point into the deck - leaving the dai-katana swaying next to her. She stepped after the half-blood, closing the distance with measured steps - her eyes trained upon him.

"Raise your guard, 'Lieutenant."

Then, the onslaught began.

Struck in the mid-section, his body lurched forward, head lowering in a way that almost made him appear to bow.  His legs were shaky, causing his steps to become unpredictable, as he stumbled back and forth as he put some distance between them.  He quickly regained his composure, standing back up, eyes filled with more determination.  Though he was holding it back, he was angry, and doing his best not to let it blind him.  The doors were locked; it was just the two of them, and a spar seemed to be the order of the day.

With Jien's advance, Nathaniel rose his hands upward, a closed fist in front, while an open hand was kept just a bit behind.  The position of his hands were similar to that of a boxer, while his legs were more like that of a Muay Thai user, keeping a strong degree of balance between the two to make him less likely to be taken down by a quick strike to his knees.  He didn't know what degree of strength was possessed by his sparring partner, so chose to pull his punches a bit, treating her with the same level of strength he would show a human male; he knew better then to underestimate her female form, knowing if it was a hindrance, she would not have remained in it.

An opening attack from her hands would be met with a bursting attack; one arm would be used to block, drawing the attacking hand upward and away from the body, while the other hand simultaneously struck with a blow of it's own.  It was an effective form of counterattack he had learned years before, and found quite effective, especially as an opening feint, when it was still unexpected.  If successful, he would follow it up with an attempt to grapple, looking to wrap his arm around her neck, and perform a quick hip toss to throw her to the ground on her back.

In moments, the first exchange was over.

The half-breed had been ready for her first sweeping strike with the edge of her carpus, and dealt his own strike back. Swaying to the side, Jien had led the strike past herself with her free hand. In the momentary connection, she realised he was too strong, so she had to spin on her feet as she deflected her blow - the outer edge of her forearm compensating for her lack of power. Whilst she escaped, she had lost a fraction of her balance, and thus had to lower her point of gravity towards the floor. The initiative lost for a immediate riposte, she instead awaited the pilot's intent.

He sought to grab a hold of her, and in the close quarters of his approaching body - the sweep of his arm that was going for her neck - she used her half-crouching stance to drive an elbow into the exact same spot in the man's mid-riff that she had struck before with the pommel of her sword. She knew it would not make him retreat immediately, so she launched a strike with her open hand that ascended straight up from the floor - the power of her legs, torso and arm soaring up to catch him under the jaw. It would serve to drive his head backwards, and thus also make his attempt to reach her fail.

Regardless whether she struck perfectly or not, she continued to fight in her lowered stance - the deck beneath her leverage for her strikes. The power would cross through the centre of her gravity; hurled towards him in a rapid series of punches that would hammer his exposed torso like twin phaser turrets. At the end of her quick strikes, she would deliver a kick from the side - a brutal wide sweep designated to crack his ribcage apart had he been a weaker man.

Aye, the thrill of a fight had been a long time coming, yet now it had; a much needed distraction. Cutting shadows with her sword did not suffice for her. She would teach this pilot in the mornings to come, and by tutoring him, she would gain the gratification of proper and very much alive opposition.  Fighting nightmares were deteriorating for both her skill and her mental stability. She needed proper flesh that would bruise and bleed.

Moreover, it was due time she picked someone for her apprentice. She was in her mid-forties, in contrast to her appearance, and she was not getting any younger. The legacy of Hitoshi would not die. If the Theurgy went down, at least they would be two who could carry his memory into the next generation. She did not speak of any of this, but her decision had been made. If he proved himself unworthy right then and there in the Gymnasium, or if he would refuse her teachings, she would simply have to search for someone else. Yet this one... Oh, he was filled with passion, and passion she could meld and shape like hot glass - pry out and design his stubborn soul to best accommodate his raw talent.

Still, the level of his current skill had yet to be determined. He was strong; as much she had learned... Yet was he fast enough?

She wouldn't settle for landing just one significant blow; Jien sought to bombard him like a ship firing it's entire payload on an exposed, shield-less enemy vessel.  None of his attacks had been able to make contact as he hoped, due to swift, graceful movements that either lessened their damage or outright negated them entirely.  Worse still, she was quick to pick a weak point and keep hammering away at it; the initial blow from her sword pommel had left his abdomen weakened, which Ives took advantage of with her following strikes.  It was the center of power for the body, and thus a huge loss for him.  Every thrown punch, crouching motion, or burst of speed took something from the abdomen.  The damage done to him would be like trying to jump to warp with a defective drive; every action was a gamble.

He had some skills but he would have classified himself as more of a brawler then anything.  He wasn't the type to dodge; he either took the attack head-on, or found some way to counterattack.  Punches, knees and joint locks were his greatest weapons.  Hell, he even knew the Vulcan Nerve Pinch, and had no problem using it in a life-or-death situation.  This, however, was a test for him.  One he wished to pass without resorting to what he would have personal held to be cheating.

With the kick coming towards his mid-section, looking to continue it's assault of his bruised abdomen, Nathan reacted with enough speed to catch the kick in his two hands, his grip much firmer then before; he was exerting much more then the human standard for strength, knowing that pulling punches against an opponent of that level was a quick trip to the infirmary.  Pulling the leg forward, he sought to bring Jien even further off balance, bringing her legs into a front split, which would make escape all the more difficult.  In an extra push to prove himself a fighter, and not a punching bag, he thrust his head forward, impacting his skull against hers in a brutal sounding headbutt.  His head was aching, his body was sore . . . and he felt more alive then he had in quite some time.  Amazing what a good fight could do to remind one that pain was just as much a sense of life as pleasure could be.

Her ankle caught and pulled at, Jien's face was a contorted mask of both focus and anger - fiery hatred for the fact of her crew's fate. She needed an exhaust to vent her carefully bottled up fury, and she sought this as much as she sought for a chance to pass on her knowledge in the martial arts. A knowledge accumulated both from her Master's teachings and her own experiences from the wars she had been involved in. Nathaniel Isley would be her heritage to the Quadrant, should he chose to accept her teachings. This was the time when she might not only evaluate his potential, but for him to find her a worthy to be his Sensei.

Before she lost her balance - since she would even though her centre of gravity was low - she spun her arms, shoulders, torso, hips and legs around in that consecutive order - the heel of her foot whipping up from the side in a savage supinely executed roundhouse kick. His strong grip on her leg elevated her for this counter, and though she lacked any true force (being in mid-air) and her ankle was bruised inside his strong warm hands as she twisted around, she hoped to gather enough force to slap her foot against his ear and disorient him enough to let her go. It was a great convenience to her that he had so helpfully leaned forward to strike her with his manly brow, since she otherwise might not have hit him hard enough.

Either way she managed to hit him or not, she would land on her back, and she would - ankled freed or not - kick out with both her legs to either catch his advance upon her prone form, or regain her footing. From there, she would assail him with a rising strike - the heel of her hand shooting towards the ceiling to catch him underneath his unshaven jaw - making him retreat further as his head would be whipped backwards. The adamant floor would be the support for her glistening bronze arm, just as it would for the following straight kick into his middle - her black hakama sliding back from her calf in the brutal movement.

The thrill of a fight at long last, it was making her blood boil hot, and Jien's frenzy was barely contained by her skill.

The strike of her foot, was enough to disorient him, leaving a ringing sound in his ears for a few seconds, before it settled in to a muffled tone, as if his ear was filled with water.  Having let her go, and allowing the woman to get back to her feet, he was left shaking his head a few times, trying to get his hearing back as quickly as he could, for the sake of making certain he was not left in a handicapped position against a superior skilled opponent.

With an open palm barreling towards his jaw, shooting forward like a cannon, Nathan shifted his head to the right, avoiding the strike, before advancing with some more grappling.  Mixed martial arts was his style, and that included a degree of submission based techniques, which he was looking to make use of in that moment.  His arms wrapped around both her neck and her left arm, grabbing hold of both, as his foot stepped in behind her leg.  from there, leverage played the part, as he leaned forward and made use of his leg like a wedge to knock her over, so he could pin her to the floor, and apply pressure with his hold to make her "tap out"; a signal that she surrendered to him. 

The likelihood that she would?  Not very good.  He would have expected her to lapse into unconsciousness before she would admit defeat.  of course, he expected her to find a means of getting out of the hold before that were to happen.  He had seen enough fighters over the years to know the "lock pickers" when he saw them; those with a talent for getting themselves out of submissive holds.  All he could do was use his weight against her, pressing his chest against her own, legs bent to push more force down upon Jien.

When Nathaniel yet again tried to wrestle with her, she was quite convinced the man held a preference to close quarters combat. His scent filled her flaring nostrils and she bared her teeth when he tried to make her topple backwards - both his arms closing around her toned body. With a furious snarl, she rounded her back and brought up a knee between them before she fell. The momentum of the fall was distributed into a roll, and she hurled Nathaniel's weight over her head.

Nevertheless, the pilot was strong, and his grip around her true, so she was dragged along as well. She had to make use of the situation and therefore propelled her self along with a foot kicking away from the floor. She ended up straddling him with her thighs, the pilot on his back and his arms like curved iron bars around her. The feeling of his pubic bone pressed into the apex of her legs brought memories from... Truly? This was not the time to consider old frivolities. Then again, there was quite some time since... The notion battled with her righteous fury, and it was quite an opponent.

She used her free arm before he managed to alter his grip, and placed her open hand against his throat - pressing down in counterpoint to the pull of his arms. The harder he tried to pull, the more likely he'd suffocate himself. Her whole arm was shaking, her whole body - his strength magnificent for a fighter. The stalemate last another couple of seconds, and Jien's finger dug into his cheek, trying to twist his head sideways. for what purpose slipped her mind by, but she realised that she was admiring his form - something a Chameloid was prone to do from time to time, wasn't it? Still, their struggle, the momentary motions, it made Jien grind against Nathaniel, and the previous memories of having a lover between her legs instead of an opponent resurfaced.

Jien looked into the pilots eyes, not sure whether she was fighting him or pleasuring herself upon him. She swallowed, realising that her thumb brushed across his lips, and that her labia was saturating her hakama. A grunt, or a stiffled moan, slipped past her pursed lips. Nevertheless, the stalemate wore on... and before she knew it, her hakama had vanished... an unconscious choice given the circumstances - her body thinking the situation was something quite else. She was undulating her hips; grinding down upon the man she had trapped. Or was it she who had been trapped? Before long, her sport bra vanished as well, and she did not know whether to feel mortified or beg him to honour her body's wishes.

Regardless, her wits returned to her for a second - only to voice words she could not believe herself to say. "If you tell anyone..." she rasped, her scowl never having left her. She did not have to finish her sentence. He'd know the repercussions of her built-up desires becoming knowledge to the crew. Then she relented.... not able to help herself, and dove down to split his mouth with her own, and to kiss this man that had made her realise the loss she had suffered in becoming a figurehead of authority.

It was hard to say when the fight took it's amorous turn of events.  Their bodies had been tossing each other around, bruising and pummeling each other, yet all the grinding somehow managed to arouse them.  Nathaniel hardly noticed it at first; the feeling of her hips making their motions could have been excused as her trying to pry herself free of his hold, while her hand against his throat served to distract him further from doing much else but to stiffen his neck, and make her choke just a little bit less effective.

The first sign that something was going awry was the disappearance of her sports, exposing her bare, shapely breasts.  At first he thought it to be some kind of distraction on her part; the level of comfort she had with her body must have been more then enough to expose her chest in an attempt to catch a man, with all those male urges, off guard.  It worked better then he cared to admit, his eyes moving down to the fleshy orbs which seemed too perfect to have been based on an actual person; more the invention of Jien's mind when she invented the form for herself.  Before he knew it, the hakama that covered her lower half had taken a similar path, vanishing like it had never existed in the first place.  Her chest he could understand, but when the other half of her clothing vaporized, he was questioning just what was happening.  Was she trying to seduce him?

"If you tell anyone..."  Her words were almost unbelievable.  He knew their meaning, and why she felt the need to say them.  The Captain, due to a position as an authority figure of the highest level on board a starship, was not permitted to fraternize with crew.  She had her urges, however, and needed some form of companionship, which he heard some relieved with the use of the holodeck.  It was not an option for Jien at that time, given the rationing of power preventing it's use.  In the end it came down to keeping a secret, and in the heat of the moment, urged on by the naked body that laid on top of him, he nodded in agreement.

By that time, submission holds were no longer necessary.  His hands went down to his sides, and his eyes directed themselves to her; to every new detail they could pick up.  Unlike most who had been undressed, her skin was without flaw; since her clothing was merely an extension of her shapeshifting, it did not leaving any marks upon her body that served as tell tale signs of wearing something restrictive.  It was like she had just walked out of the garden of Eden, in a state of perfect nudity.  When she drew downward, bringing their lips together, it was a subtle communication about her; there was a depth of experience in just her kiss alone, which spoke to her years of knowledge about intimacy, as well as a passion which burned white-hot.  Nathaniel brought a hand to the back of her neck, and he returned the gesture, intensifying their lip-on-lip action further.  Whether it was as a fighter or a lover, he was looking to impress.

The taste of Nathaniel's mouth was too good to be true - surely some kind of trick made upon her in her wanton yet awkward desire. Her hand was still upon his throat, yet the pressure had loosened somewhat - fingers curling continuously and gently stroking his facial air while she feasted upon the taste of him like some kind of vampire from a holo novel. She felt famished, insatiable, and her blood had already been worked up in the fight - her breath already ragged against his lips.

What was she doing? Surely this was a mistake, but wasn't it to late for that now? What manner of thoughts that came to her were incoherent, hardly being able to maintain her reasoning at this rate. Of course this was a mistake, but she did not care. She had been so weary and strung out over the last couple of weeks they had been fighting with teeth and nails to keep the ship together and the body-count down amongst her crew. She deserved this, didn't she? She needed release; to obliterate her own mind together with this prime example of a man. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she realised that the SCO had offered closeness just a day or so ago in Sickbay. Was it him that made her unconscious starting to prowl for the solution he might - and mightn't - have offered?

Her hips were still undulating - grinding savagely against the Lieutenant's groin. In her movements, the flickering lamps somewhere off in the darkness that surrounded them shone upon her glistening body - sweat from her previous exercise and the fight that had been aborted. She imagined that her own lips were salty, feeling the taste of her egesta mingling with the lurid male nectar of the half-blood's mouth. His tongue was divine to nip at with her lips when she reached them, and she granted him the same favour in turn. Still, her concentrated and focused scowl remained from the fight - only replaced by the cravings stirring in her. Making her a beast hungry for carnal satisfaction.

She breathed heavily with each thrust that her hips made. It did not allow for speech, but nevertheless she bit his lip and leaned back a little - eyes staring into his and her shuddering countenance as serious she she could make herself out to be. "Swear it."

Her free hand - the other still holding him down by the throat- insistently raked down his chiselled chest and abdomen before it hooked the hem of his shirt between her fingers. With a brutal thrust of her arm, she bared his upper body to his collarbones. She was rewarded by the sight of him in the flickering light, and the scent of his sweat hitting her nose. She imagined that she might have soaked his gym wear down there where her frame was thrusting down upon him, and she did not care any more if the way her body heaved in the lamp-light made her appear like some rabid beast - each shining curve of her upper body caressed by both shadows and light. "Swear it... please..."

I sounded to her own ears too much like lustful plea, even though it was a guttural grunt made through a parched throat. She insisted that he would comply, by leaning down and licking his chest - grazing her teeth against his nipple.

The intensity of her kiss was like no other.  It was as if she was capable of drawing his life force out through their lip contact, and was in desperate need of it.  He could barely draw enough oxygen in through his nostrils to keep from passing out, yet he couldn't care.  It was far to wonderful to push away, and bring to a halt.  The feeling of her hip motions, grinding her womanhood against his pants, was only adding to everything else, and garnered the exact reaction one would expect; in his pants, he was hard as a rock, aching to get out and bring things forward in progression.

She asked him to swear what he had only acknowledged with a gesture of his head.  One would have thought she might have put things to a halt until she heard him make the promise, yet nothing broke her pace.  In the back of his head, he wondered just how far she would be willing to go without hearing him agree to keep what they did a secret.  That was only a passing thought, however, as he wasn't willing to risk an end to their amorous adventure.  "I swear what happens in this room . . . will not be known to anyone but the two of us."  He spoke, making the promise she wanted, so that she could put that thought to rest, and focus upon what they were doing.

His bare chest was revealed to her, bringing a degree of fairness long overdue; after all, he had been looking at her naked body for some time.  The licking across his chest, followed by the feeling of teeth upon his nipple, made him groan out in pleasure, his eyes keeping watch over her.  She was aggressive, as one would expect from a commanding officer.  She was used to being the one giving orders, rather then receiving them.  It was that thought which amused him a little, as he decided to test how she might react to him trying to take control.  As a person who always had to be strong in the face of the crew, perhaps being able to submit to someone would be =refreshing to her . . . or maybe she would just fight back for control.  Either way sounded fun.

Rolling his body, he moved her to the bottom, and placed himself on top of her.  His hands had gripped her arms when making the roll, but they were quick to move inward, wrapping around her breasts, fingers to the side, while the thumbs nestled beneath.  Like she had previously, his tongue came forth, grazing across her mounds of flesh, rubbing against the nipple, before he allowed his teeth to light press against the hardened nubs.

Oh, how divine was not the feeling of a man's weight upon her? Needless to say, though the instincts of the fight still lingered, his initiative and his ministrations were not unwelcome. Jien raked her fingers across his head, mouth open and panting hard. When his teeth touched her, she drew in her breath sharply, and let it out in a long feral moan.

She bucked her hips against him, insistently lifting herself up with her feet - grinding herself against his arousal through the sodden obstruction of his gym-wear. She showed no signs of patience, yet she would not complain, not if he treated her so well. Her own urgent insistence for immediate fulfilment was not productive for her satisfaction. If she had it her way, she would have him inside her already - her nails digging into his buttocks and crying out for more.

She whimpered in her anguish, biting her lip, her hand reaching down between them. Her fingertips coursed down his ripped abdomen. They traversed the hem of his trousers without mercy - struggling to gain access underneath his underwear. She wanted to feel it in her hand. She wanted Nathaniel's manhood between her fingers, to insist upon him the urgency she felt with firm strokes.

"Now... Now... Please..." she panted, her scowl now lessened as he gave his admiration unto her form. she bucked her hips against him again, just when her fingers closed around his warm girth. His form certainly wasn't flawed, but she would have accommodated any size with her species natural ability. "Need you... Take me... Take me..."

She began to try and push and kick down his trousers and underwear with her bare feet, the loss of not being able to grind against him more unbearable with each frustrating moment she spent with the ungainly obstructions between them.

It was painfully obvious that there was no such thing as romance in the event about to take place.  It was fueled by pure, animalistic needs, and only the actions that fit that description were the ones which would occur.  Nathaniel was enjoying the feeling of a pair of firm breasts in his hands.  As one would expect from a shapeshifter, Jien had made them to perfection, not just in appearance but in every sense of the word, from the feeling and weight to the color and scent of her skin.  The more he touched them, the more he wanted to keep squeezing them, and feeling their firmness in his hands.

The feeling of toes attempting to hook his trousers were more then enough to draw his attention.  She was dripping wet, which told him a simple truth; the time for foreplay was long past.  Their fight had been more then enough of a prerequisite for that.  Finally freeing her melons from his grip, Nathan moved them to his waist band, pulling them down, along with his underwear in one go, until it was well past his hips, revealing his length to her eyes.  Long, thick, and arching for what was next to come.

"Take me..."  She made it sound so old fashioned, and there was something sexy about that.  A young woman might have gone with something more like "Fuck me" and let her bluntness speak for her desires.  He was wasting no time in giving her what she wanted.  His shaft pressed against her wet slick, slipping up and down a few times, before pushing it's way past her flesh entrance, and moving inside of her.  He buried his length as deeply as it went, coming to a brief halt, just to take in the sensation of being inside her.  His breathing shallowed, yet each breath was deeper sounding, making it much more audible to her ears.  hands pressing against her hips, he began the motions, thrusting inward and out with strength.  She hardly looked like the kind of woman who needed to be taken gently.

Indeed not, for as Nathaniel finally filled her up with his man-meat, Jien threw her head back and cried out, her hands reaching up to stroke and pinch her own nipples to further heighten the sensation of fulfilment. She cried out again, not able to stop herself, when he thrust himself inside the second time - dizzy in the feelings that assaulted her body. The second cry died out in a growl of contentment, and she propped herself up on her elbows - staring with challenge into the pilot's eyes from where she lay beneath him and urging him on. If that did not get his attention, she had also wrapped her legs around his waist and pulled at his frame. She sucked in a breath between her bared teeth, and after her love channel had been forced to expand a great deal to let him in, she now made it tighten into a perfect fit around him.

By the third thrust, she was bucking and arching her back against his movements - her agile body gaining momentum through the way she had raised her self up on her arms a bit. She worked her entire torso to undulate against his hips - grinding down upon him savagely. Her breath was ragged, her breasts were bouncing beneath his eyes, the toned musculature of her abdomen working with her counter-movements. She bore her hips down upon his thrusts to the point where her clitoris was squished against his pubic bone, and she flexed her legs to bring him in harder - quite insatiable.

Yet she was fooling herself, thinking that she could outlast him in any capacity. As heated as she was, it took only ten seconds before she felt her body betraying her. Her eyes widened, and she pursed her lips in disbelief, and her climax was an avalanche that smothered her mind into limbo. She cried out and fell back on the floor, writhing and squirming as the carnal electrocution lasted. She came so hard she feared she might fracture his cock, and her nails helplessly scratched at his chiselled chest for somewhere to hold on to. All her pent up desires had been denied for far too long, and she had not even lasted a full minute.

Jien opened her eyes during the aftershocks of her orgasm, and as she looked into Nathaniel's eyes above her, she could not help but smile and chuckle breathlessly. "I-I'm sorry," she said with an uncharacteristically easy grin, her breath catching at the pause, "You w-were just so... Let me make it u-up to you."

She always returned favours given to her, and she felt that she had a great deal more to give her happenstance lover. She gyrated her hips a bit in a languorous way, teasing him with a smile, while the dance of the light caressed her glistening body. She bit her lower lip and stroked her hands up to his neck - pulling herself up with the hold she took so that she was sitting in his lap. She kissed him just as her nipples scraped against his chest, her shuddering gratitude plain, and the promise of making him come too just as evident.

"Do you want me like this, Lieutenant?" she whispered against his lips, finding the use of his rank funny in the situation they had ended up in. Even if she was over-sensitive in the wake of the storm, she began to shift against him - the warm friction that encompassed him dealt in slow and sensual movements.

There was an experience with her that he could have gotten nowhere else.  The feeling of perfection.  With the ability to alter her home, Jien was able to changes the size and tightness of her womanhood, and while it had started simple enough, she had soon restricted herself around him to the point that his thrusts almost felt like he was trying to escape from orbit, being forced back in each time he tried to pull out.  The intensity of his breathing served to tell just how powerful the feeling was, only increased by how she moved her body, adding an exclamation point to every action.  There was something to be said for a strong woman with a focused mind; she was capable of a great deal.

Watching her breasts bounce with every motion added an additional level of pleasure; one he wished he could have handled first hand, yet he felt that he needed to keep his hands to hers hips, to support his thrusting and her motions beneath him working in tandem to reach new heights.  Before he knew it, she had reached a climax, and some part of him couldn't be surprised; one of them had to break after all of that, and despite the pressure she put on his shaft, the tightness she formed around him must have profoundly affected her body's response to every motion.  There was a brief transformation in her after her orgasm, in which she was apologetic, and even cast out a smile his way.  It was as if her problems had been left behind for a while, and the weight of the universe was no longer upon her.

Her wish to make it up to him came as a surprise at first, as he felt her pull herself forward, until she was straddling his body.  Feeling her hard nipples grind against his chest was another element that only added to the experience.  Their motions against each other resumed, their breathing even more evident to the other, now that they were so pressed together.  "Do you want me like this, Lieutenant?"  The use of rank did seem strange, but then, they never did use each other's names throughout the whole thing.

"Yes, Ma'am."  He responded, keeping to a similar command protocol with her, as his hands slipped to take hold of her rear, and provide her with some more support, as well as to simply enjoy the feel of her ass.  His face brushed against hers as he moved his lips to her neck, taking advantage of a place that was always sensitive on a woman to arouse her further.  He didn't want her losing her motivation, after all.

Their joining having switched from being savage and brutal, Jien now shivered and revelled in the slower and more sensual movements they made against each other. She took her time to fully appreciate the sensations Nathaniel was giving her; to feel his hands slide down to hold her up, to graze her breasts against his muscular chest while she slowly rode his cock, to twine her fingers into his hair, to flex her crossed legs around him and feel him gaining those extra few inches into her, to breathe heavily against his ear in gratitude for his tender kisses upon her neck; to extend her tongue and outline the swirling patterns of that ear.

She felt mellow, relaxed, and at peace with everything when there was nothing else to think about but to milk the pilot with her hot quivering sheath.

Leaning back, her eyes fluttered open and looked into his. She bit her lower lip and groaned for him to continue, one hand coming to rest upon his shoulder for support, and the other planting its palm against the deck behind her. The pilot seemed to enjoy looking upon her Chosen Form, so she would let him see everything while she rode him - feeling as flattered as only a Chameloid might be.

"Do you like them..?" she asked him quietly while her body rolled, her hips sliding up and down along his length - making her breasts shiver each time she brought him home. She was only half-teasing him with her question, since the query was partially sincere; her appearance something she considered quite differently than humans. "Do you like what you see, Mr. Isley?"

She grinned to him, and she bit her lip again, moaning as the sensitive numbness was ebbing away in favour for her own readiness. Her eyes fluttered close in the enjoyment of the rhythm they had found.

While there was less of an animal-like drive behind their act, it didn't mean a loss of intensity.  Her hips still rocked strongly, with his own matching her pace.  The scent and taste of her skin as he kissed her neck only made him more wanting, while her tongue teasing at his ear brought it even further, pushing him to use his hands on her rear to begin lifting her upward before letting her lower back down, increasing the range of motion caused by his member slipping in and out of her.

Her question about her breasts, made a lusty smile form on his lips.  "They're perfect."  He commented, but that was nothing she didn't already know.  On average, they were the ideal size and shape, with the areola and nipples being in perfect proportion to each other and the relative size of the breasts themselves.  There must have been quite a degree of study in the female form to decide upon each of the minor tweaks that led to Jien's female body. 

"It's a shame you have to cover that body up, but I suppose the crew might have trouble staying focused on the bridge if you looked like that all the time."  A part of him wanted to snicker at the idea; her sitting naked in the captains chair, ordering a change of coordinates, only to find the helmsman unable to break his gaze from her bare form.  It was a comical thought.

Joking thoughts might have bought him some time, but the inevitable was still on it's way.  He could fill that climax building inside of him, and wondered if this was the last time such an encounter could occur.  By reaching his peak now, was he denying any chance of another round?  With those thoughts filling him, he filled her, tightly holding her body against him to halt her motions, as he felt his release come.  Only when he felt the sensation cease did he ease his grip, and rest his forehead against her shoulder, his breathing heavy but getting calmer with the passing seconds.

In those moments of rueful intimacy, Jien did let herself indulge in the humour - a throaty chuckle escaping her pursed lips while she insistently sawed her hips against his. She was just about to form a somewhat coherent reply when he gathered her up in his arms and pulled her close - smothering her form against his chest. Oh, she could feel it rising; his imminent release, and she hugged her arms around his neck and urged him on with whispers in his ear.

The she felt it, the molten warm feeling of his seed erupting inside her. She gasped from the rare sensation, her eyes going wide with wonder at how she had almost forgotten what it might feel like. Though he held her so close, she persisted to slowly gyrate her hips a bit in his lap - milking it all out of him with a content grin on her face. She kissed his neck and grazed her teeth against the skin, a husky chuckle of satisfaction slipping out.

"There, there..." she cooed quietly in her raw voice when he was resting his head against her shoulder, "...that felt good didn't?" She shifted against him a couple of more times to really drain him - using her unique sheath to really siphon the last of his prostatic fluids. It was safe, since not only had birth-control evolved infinity during the last couple of hundred years, but this was not the way Chameloids mated either. He/she could but conceive another morphogenic matrix with another of her rare kind. She bit her lip in her own contentment and leaned back again, looking into his eyes with a quiet smile.

"Here I was, thinking that I'd find a possible apprentice," she said and ran her fingertips over his forehead and bruised cheek, "yet instead I found a happenstance lover that lived up too all my expectations... I pray you did not suffer from the suddenness of the development?"

A sarcastic joke, whilst she toyed with his hair and the reddened ear - the one she had kicked earlier. Her hips only moved minutely now, revelling in the feeling of him still inside, since she had been ready to come again before long. Yet she felt far from bereft after he had finished...

There was nothing like a woman who knew how to satisfy a man.  Those who pursued virgins almost habitually could never know what it was like to have a woman who knew her body so well, and could use every facet of it to draw out the most pleasure.  It was ironic that one who could change their body was the one who could understand it best; after all, simply forming the body required an attention to detail and an intimate understanding of how each and every part worked.

"Apprentice huh?  You sure a brute like me has a place with such graceful technique?"  He asked, knowing there was a vast difference between the way they fought each other.  Though he did know martial arts to a degree, the style of combat he chose to employ was more militaristic, finding it effective to use a style meant to take down an opponent, and stay in close enough to negate the use of their weapons through quick disarming.

Nathaniel lowered Jien back onto the floor, placing her back against it, as he moved on top of her again.  He slipped his length out of her, but their closeness still had it pressed against her slick womanhood.  "So am I done being your happenstance lover?  Or am I still allowed to do this?"  He leaned in and brought his lips to hers.  One more passionate kiss to put an end to the secret events that occurred within the confines of the gym.  Outside those doors, no one could ever know what happened.  He had promised her that, but it also made it tempting to not want to leave any time soon.

Chuckling as she was laid down and meeting the pilot's lips with her own, Jien drew her nails up and down the pilot's bare back.

As to his question, she was unsure whether she was prepared to stop right then and there, since while the rough edge of her desire had been worn down the first time she came, she was not quite sated yet. She found herself unwilling to let this rare chance slip her by when satisfaction was so close at hand. Had Nathaniel not come, she suspected she had not been to far behind him.

"Perhaps," she said in answer and bit his lip a little, quite playful in comparison to her usual austere character, "Yet only if I am permitted to do this..."

After turning him over on his back, as if she was about to stand up and leave...

...her hand instead reached down to boldly wrap around him - feeling the wet warmth of their union lingering. As she began to stroke him, she leaned in over him so that she could lay her lips to his - enticing him with her tongue as well as her hand. Her mouth worked in tandem with  the lewd movements of her fingers. Eventually, she rolled on top of him, both hands now on his chest. Her gaze told it all, the flickering artificial light upon her making her look almost otherworldly.

His pulsating manhood was strategically positioned between her legs - pressed down against his lower abdomen - and Jien felt the crown of his arousal pass along the sensitive valley of her womanly desires as she slid upwards. She gently thrust her hips down again, and found that by doing so, his length nestled in the warm, moist folds - the portal to her femininity. She continued to grind along him, yet not letting him revisit her yet, as her breathing became deeper and unsteady.

"Unless you want to quit?" she whispered. As insistent as her tone, both her hands finally commandeered him - setting him just so. She lowered herself gingerly, eased herself down onto him. She could feel him glide upwards. She could not help but let a small noise escape her as he filled her, when she enveloped him - when she brought him home.

With his full measure inside, she opened her eyes again, smiling down to his mien. "You see... Lieutenant..." she said and ground her teeth, beginning to gyrate in measured, insistent circles. She wiggled her hips experimentally; slowly and provocatively. She curled her nails into his chest. "I am not quite done with you yet..."

Now it was her turn to take charge, as Nathan was pushing back, and Jien took the reigns, straddling over him, her body pressing against his, with his shaft pushing against her womanhood, yet being denied entry like it was under lock down.  It didn't prevent her from rocking her hips, and enticing him with each and every motion, displaying more and more that she was hardly just a Starfleet Captain, but a very capable seductress.

"Quit?  Why would I want to quit this?"  He responded, a wry grin forming on his lips.  One didn't walk away from a vacation on Risa, so why in hell would he want to stop such a powerful and intoxicating act such as this one?  If anything, he was left wondering just how long they could take advantage of this time before it would have to come to an end.  It was obvious that the gym wasn't theirs forever, and that the two of them needed to make sure no one was going to find them sprawled out on the floor, naked and joined at the hips.

As she finally brought herself down onto him, re-docking so to speak, Nathaniel took in a deep breath, exhaling a satisfied one a few seconds later.  His hands moved to her hips, feeling each motion she made, and only urging them to be faster and stronger, to give them both what they so craved.  His own hip motions were limited, with flat floor below and her weight focused on his pelvis above, but he moved as best he could, to try and add something to the experience for her.   Though he enjoyed the sight of a woman on top, he always felt a bit more useless.  Range of movement was limited when on bottom like he was, her body holding him down in the place where he most needed to move, forcing him to leave most of the pleasure management to her.  It had the benefit of giving him a look as her heaving bosom as it bounced with each motion, or even just a plain view of her facial expressions as she ground her body against his; she was better at finding the right places to make herself moan out when she was on top, as most women were. 

"Glad to hear it."  He responded to her claims of not being done with him.  He was feeling the exact same way about the situation.  There was still far too much potential in what they were doing together to quit when they had only just begun.

After that, she didn't say anything, instead sighing softly as Nathaniel grazed against her inner walls. She groaned like an animal, grinding her wet crotch against his, desperately generating the friction that she so needed.

She noticed her happenstance lover was demanding more; surging upwards repeatedly, and Jien let him. She goaded herself on, knowing that he enjoyed as much as her. She leaned back a little and raked back hair from her face with her hands, letting him look upon her Chosen Form. While she thrust her lower body down in frenzied fervour; twisting, obeying an instinct she had suspected lost over the years, she began to caress herself for him as much as for herself. She cupped her breasts and ran her fingers over her nipples, reached down across her abdomen and out along her spread thighs. In the pagan rhythm, she trembled on the very edge of infinity, and tossed back her hair to give voice to her forbidden act.

So close. She could almost feel the surge starting in her cervix. "I'm..." she needed not explain any further. The fact of imminent release was plain in her every honest expression. The Lieutenant was writhing beneath her - pounding into her in a fierce paroxysm. Then, the first shudder came, and Jien's senses expanded. She let out another cry, and convulsed into a chain of spasms, seized by a rush of sensation so intense she almost lost her balance if it had not been for Nathaniel's steady hands. It was the final threshold, and passion crested. It was a fiery, cataclysmic response.

Just as the final shudder died out, and she let out a long shaky breath. yet nonetheless... for the sake of her lover... she continued to grind against him - the aftershocks making her lie down against his chest while she still thrust down upon him with the use of her legs. Her nails scraped his chest, and she chuckled as she moved, biting her lower lip as she stared into Nathaniel's eyes - her gratitude quite plain.

"How do you want me, Lieutenant?" she asked in her husky voice and grazed her teeth against his chest. For what he had given her, she would compensate for - be it by mouth or just continuing to milk him with her hips. Hell, she would even turn into her male form and commit sodomy upon him if he felt so inclined. In these few moments of respite she had in the Gym, she was quite liberated - making up for such times lost.

Once they left, she would  have to raise her fortifications again - dropping the iron curtain.

Every rock of her hips held such pleasure.  Each motion only made him ache for the next, in an unceasing need to continue their copulation for as long as possible.  It was hardly the service he expected working under a Starfleet captain, especially after their first real meeting had been one of his usual acts of defiance, where she managed to earn his respect with her actions and her words.  Her sounds of pleasure were accompanied by his own, verbalizing his gratitude for her in his own way, his moans and soft, barely audible words of compliment to the feeling of her walls clinging to him so tightly.

As she hit her second orgasm, she tightened up even further, which served to make his hands hold even tighter against her hips, as a response to her body's forceful hold around him.  While he could never know what she was feeling, not like she was capable of understanding both the male and female orgasm, seeing every reaction she had was a turn-on in and of itself.  There was always a sense of pride in it; knowing that it was him who gave that to her.  Even her rested state, in which her body laid against him, was still in motion, refusing to abandon his own pleasure when hers had been sated.

"How do you want me, Lieutenant?"  She asked, and it made him wonder.  The idea of her male form never crossed his mind for a second; Nathaniel was purely heterosexual, and had no interest in such things.  In his mind, it was more a catalog of positions he was perusing through, looking to make a purchase for himself.  "I think . . . I wanna find out if your mouth is as talented as your pussy."  It must have sounded a bit vulgar to hear, but they were past pleasantries, and their relationship at that moment was hardly a tender one.  All he knew was that her body had been perfectly forged for what she needed, but when it came to oral pleasure, that was more about talent then biology.  He was interested to see what she was capable of.

Hearing the pilot ask her for a fellatio in a way a rough pilot only can both served to amuse Jien as well as turn her on - rising to the challenge.

"Be careful what you wish for, 'Lieutenant..." she said and chuckled. Then, she bit her lower lip and raised her hips far enough to make his glistening and hard member slip out of her. It was a feeling of loss, of course, yet he had more than well enough sated her by then. Thus, she leaned down to kiss his mouth ravenously, her hands supporting her whilst resting upon his chest. Then she moved down to his neck, to the groove behind his collarbone, to lick the salty taste of his chest.

Then, she swung her leg up and and lay the sight of her most intimate womanly angle right into his face - straddling his face without a shred of shame. "I only ask in turn that you encourage me..." she said and gave him a mischievous look over her bare shoulder. Already, her fingertips had trailed down his abdomen - soon clasping around the base of his throbbing manhood.

Without further a due... she skimmed her palm up and down his arousal. She grazed her fingernails up his ventral side, and then applied her tongue to him - tasting both herself and him when she ran it from the base and upwards. The scent of him was all brute man, utterly intoxicating, and she groaned a little before she encompassed his gland with her lips - swirling her tongue around him inside her mouth.

Yet she knew, being male as well, that given the previous clasp of her cunt around him, all her subtle touches would be inadequate. So, she used her hand, and she used her whole mouth, to suck him firmly as soon as she earnestly began. With her free hand, she scraped her nails against his sack, and her breasts bobbed down against his abdomen with every movement.

Both her Chosen Forms were practised in the fellatio, so she hoped that the pilot would find her ministrations worthwhile...

It was hard to describe the feeling of Jien disconnecting their intimate regions from  each other.  It was like his manhood had just come up from air, and was able to breathe properly again, yet he wished that it hadn't.  The air touched upon it, leaving her juices on his shaft to feel cooled, adding another tingle of pleasure that only furthered to the experience.  Her lips met his once again, though her body began to slip downward, bringing her mouth to his neck, as he gave a soft utterance that displayed his delight.

In one swift motion, her body was turned a hundred and eighty degrees, placing them in opposite directions.  This new position, known in Earth history as the sixty-nine, allowed for mutual oral stimulation, and more then lived up to her request of him "keeping her encouraged."  Staring at her fleshy curtains for a moment, he again admired the attention to detail the shape shifter had put in, making her appearance, which was nothing more then a construct of her own imagination, take on an appearance that the most amount of people in the universe would find attractive.  As he reached out to rub a finger along the slit for the first time, his member pulsated in excitement, moving before her very eyes.

Before he could do anything more to her, he felt the beginnings of her own skill at work, a soft yet strong palm brushing upward and down against his length.  She worked it up into a full performance of all the players, as her fingernails lightly slid along, and her tongue came into play, making Nathaniel draw in deep, intense breaths to maintain his composure under such talented manipulation.  Considering she knew what a man liked, spending some o0f her time in that form, he should have known Jien would know just how to work a man for maximum satisfaction.

The feeling of her breasts moving against his lower torso, and her addition of a second hand playing with his testicles, he almost felt overwhelmed, but chose turn all that gratification into something productive.  His other hand coming forward, he used his two thumbs to part her labia, and expose the soft pink flesh beneath,  Bringing his head forward, his tongue extended, he drew it along the tender skin, licking her in the most sensitive of places.  His lips would seal along any folds of flesh they could, as if to kiss them, before his tongue went back to it's exploration of her inner workings.  He had found that unpredictability was the key to pleasure for a woman; his tongue lash wildly, making it impossible for her to determine where it would go next.

Nathan was a big believer in cunnilingus, never shy about providing such a service to a beautiful woman.  Usually it was his opening; something to get them worked up before the intercourse, but this time, it would act as his closer.   That meant stepping up his game, and making sure it was as memorable as the sex.

Jien's eyes opened as she let out muffled groan - making Nathaniel feel her voice vibrating down his fat length - when his ministrations began.

After letting the head go with a wet pop from her lips, could not help but look back his way and push her hips towards his face. Her breaths ragged, she rocked a little with her hips toward him to make him know just how much her sensitive womanhood enjoyed his tongue. In means of being encouraged, he was definitely showing great promise. There was no room for words, since their bodies spoke the same language - both calling out for more.

So she chuckled in rueful joy at this liberating feeling she felt, and her hand - currently massaging the bottom of his shaft - playfully pressed his turgid member against his lower abdomen, and she rolled it like it was roll of warm dough with her open palm. What was that thing Amikris said in Sickbay yesterday? came an errant thought, but she was far too preoccupied to pay it any heed. Any kind of catalyst for her behaviour was far from her mind.

No, instead she raised Nathaniel's phallus up anew, and she opened her mouth wide - taking him in. Her tongue ran against him even whilst it filled her oral cavity, touching the roof of her mouth. With little room to spare, she still licked the top side whilst it remained inside her mouth. Once she pulled up, she nipped the head gently with her teeth. Provoking and procuring - with each wondrous pass - her mouth was a heated grasp matching that of her labia, which was revelling and twitching in answer to Nathaniel's tongue and lips. Already made so sensitive from the two times she had come, he did not have to do much for her body to respond.

And her body's answers were plain, in how she rocked against his mouth subtly and she rolled her hips to meet the strokes and motions he made.

She wanted him to spend himself; craved the taste to explode in her mouth. Thus, she moved faster, building a steady and increasing rhythm. She would swallow it all down for him, and she meant to do so before she lost her concentration - falling to his mercy yet again. Her fierce movements caused her to naturally grind herself against his mouth... And she realised that they might come as one any second. Would she be able to keep her lips sealed around him then, or would she have to give voice to yet another climax?

In moments, she'd know, but she had no mind to care beyond the present.

Nathaniel was plagued by the same kinds of problems as Jien herself was.  It was difficult to keep a focus on the pleasure of another when your own body was under such powerful waves of gratification for itself.  Still, her subtle cues worked to make him keep his focus, as she all but shoved her womanly region into his face.  The action made his hands take hold of her hips, and pull himself forward to more deeply lash with his tongue, while his nose brushed against her outer lips with each upward brush he gave to her moist, craving folds.  Her own actions made him moan out, causing his lips to hum against her intimate regions, and generate a degree of vibration in them, and he happily continued to eat out the Starship Captain.

Her scent was strong, yet appealing; it more then summed up Jien as a lover, or even as a commanding officer.  It was her strength as a leader which proved to command the most respect, but she also held the appeal of her subordinates, making decisions that only served to back up her strength with understanding of those beneath her.  How fortunate Nathan was to find himself beneath her, in a quite literal way at that point.

Hands releasing her hips, he sought to further her pleasure even more.  Rubbing his fingers against her slick opening, he got them as wet as possible, enabling Nathaniel to slide them inside of her with ease.  He had chosen his middle and ring fingers, being his longest ones, to take the plunge inside, where they put a light pressure against her inner walls by flexing upward and downward as they slid back and forth.  A quick adjustment of his head and his tongue was teasing at the clitoris, to double up on her stimulation, and further her up the steady slope to the climax.

Throughout every action he performed, he was being rewarded with feelings of pleasure for himself.  Every motion of her tongue, her mouth, and her hands only made him beg for the conclusion, so that he might feel the orgasm she had been building up within him.  How good it would feel, even more so just because of the fact that they were both earning it.  As it approached, he held it back as best he could, tensing his manhood to hold back the stream of white fluid looking to escape.  He would bear it as long as possible, in the attempt to make their release simultaneous.  When he could bear it no longer, the teasing ended, and his climax burst forth like a dam breaking, spilling out a heavy amount with enough force to shoot upward into the air, at whatever part of Jien was in it's way in that moment.

"Hah . . . hah . . . "  He panted, body slowly wearing down.  His heart was beating like a jackhammer, but was working down to a normal pace, in pace with his pulse rate.  His body felt lighter, and weaker, as a result of expelling so much energy, as well as other things.   "So . . . does the Captain need a workout partner on a  . . . regular basis?"  He spoke, a weary grin on his face, at the thought of such an occurrence being more then just one time.  She needed her releases, and it wasn't like she could be forward about it with just anyone.

The final moments that they shared so explicitly passed in a delightful haze, and Jien could not remember afterwards what happened first.. Yet she was crying out when Nathaniel made her climax upon the tip of his tongue, and when she did, she had the carnal presence to let her hand continue where her mouth had let go.

In the end, when the gymnasium stabilised itself in all its shadows and flickering light, she chuckled ruefully ad noticed how her lover had cum all over her exposed throat, her sweat-glistening breasts and the corrugated leanness of his abdomen. His seed was warm as honey, and she tossed her hair back to look at him while he spoke, her hand brushing against the areas where he had hit her. "I have yet to decide that," she said huskily and turned around, crawling up his torso like a lithe and powerful animal - her still hardened crests skimming tantalizingly against his chest, "for how can I objectively decide that in the delirious state that you have put me in?"

She punctuated her statement by laying her lips to his, them both having to breathe hard through their noses while the seal of their mouths lasted. Her hands ran up to to his wide shoulders - rounded with muscle - and then to his neck. In the end she let his mouth go, and pushed herself upright with her hands against the Lieutenant's virile chest. She gave him a last enigmatic smile, drinking the sight of him below her - between her legs - before lightly getting to her feet. "On your feet, Mr. Isley," she said, her tone somewhat returned to normal, "I expect you to report to your duty shift as normal, despite these events... however gratifying."

With her back towards him - uprooting the katana from the deck - her form changed so that she again wore her hakama and a black tank top - the stains she had bestowed upon her now visible upon the fabric, soaking into its mimicked texture. She turned her head to look at him with a very faint smile. "I will hit the showers," she glanced at his body again, "I suggest you do the same."

She walked to leave him, but paused at the edge of the light. She turned her head again.

"Thank you... You will not have to wait long for an answer..." she said before the darkness swallowed her.

In wake of her climax, Nathaniel drew his tongue across her again, in an attempt to clean her up a bit, as well as get one final taste of her before their time together came to an end.  His efforts would be cut off when she turned his way, and began to crawl up his body, until their lips met once more.  While her hands trailed up his shoulders, his moved up her thighs until reaching her hips, where they rested until she gave him the order to stand.  He wasn't even sure if he had that kind of strength left in him after all they had done, but he did as he was told.

Standing up, he watched as Jien shapeshifted her body to clothe herself again.  To him, it almost felt like a cheat, considering he was still in a state of undress.  A grin did cross his face as he noticed that anything covering her body, such as his seed, remained on the clothing just as it had been on her naked body.  It was almost amusing to think there was no means for her to hide it without washing it off.  At her suggestion of hitting the showers, he grabbed his clothes and picked up the pace towards the locker room, taking her suggestion.

In the locker room, he deposited his clothes in a locker and headed into the showers, turning it on and beginning the process of cleaning up.  His hands ran across his body, wiping away the sweat and the secretions caused by the rigorous activity he had been involved in.  His mind was still partly in disbelief, wondering if he just had a very vivid daydream.  He knew that it had actually happened, yet it was such a wild, almost fantasy-like occurrence that it almost seemed impossible.  "Maybe I should be having a cold shower . . . "  He thought to himself for a brief second, noting his body hadn't calmed down all that much, with his mind still being back in the heat of the moment.

He hadn't been on board the Theurgy all that long, but he already had a secret to keep.  He wasn't permitted to reveal what had happened between himself and the Captain, by her own order; one could hardly call a demand from Jien a request, even if she had said please at one point.  In a way, it was disappointing; it felt like something one could brag about.  Still, he would honor his promise to her, and keep his mouth shut.

[0630 hrs]

After having showered and left the Gymnasium behind, Jien - now in his male form - made his way through the empty ship corridors - seemingly more empty than other mornings at that early hour. Whilst he walked, he imagined to hear sounds from some crew quarters that he passed by - sounds explicit and unmistakable - yet after his morning 'exercise' with the fighter pilot, he wrote it off as echoes in his own head...

When he entered his rooms, he threw away the bag with his towel and training gear yet picked up his combadge from the contents first. As he fastened it upon his uniform, he spoke. "Computer, estimated time for the scheduled repairs for the day."

"Working," replied Thea's voice. There was a brief pause before the answer came. "Ninety-six point two hours."

Jien dropped his hand from his chest and frowned. "That can't be right."

The Ship AI's reply was delayed, as if it was not quite sure how to respond to a human who challenged its calculations. Thea's automated voice seemed to decide to prove Jian wrong by spouting off data. "Based on the number of available crew during the Gamma Shift with the subsequent affliction upon the scheduled repairs, and the people that have currently reported to the Alpha Shift, added with the delays caused by the energy crisis and the..."

"Are you saying that people have not been reporting to their shifts during the night?" he asked sternly, his frown deepening.

"That is correct. Forty-seven people of the crew did not show up on their posts during Gamma Shift."

Jien cursed in Japanese, yet kept his head cool - tapping his combadge again. "Jien to Bridge."

The sound of female giggling came through the terminal's speakers.

"Jien to Bridge," he repeated. "Come in please."

"Oh...hi, Captain." It was a woman's voice, low and sultry. Jien could not place it at first.

"Who is this?"

"It's... Carletta," she said, breathing heavily. "What... ungh... what can I do for you?"

"Carletta?" It certainly didn't sound like the Science Officer's usual voice, the stern Hispanic woman who was posted at the Science Station during the Gamma Shift. "Why have people not reported to their shifts during the night?" He paused, recalling the sounds of the ship during his walk. "What's going on up there? Where's the Second Officer?"

"Ungh... n-not here. I think... ohhhh... I think he went off somewhere with... ungh ...some girl..."

"Well who's in charge up there?" shouted Jien.

"I guess I am," said Carletta. "Or at least... oooohh... I'm on top right now." She giggled.

"What do you...oh, never mind. Let me talk to Mr. Winterbourne."

She giggled again. "Um, I don't think he's... ungh... able to talk right now."

"Why not?" he asked sternly, having thought that the helmsman ought to have been available, "Where is he?"

"I'm sitting on him... ungh... sitting on his cock, anyway." She grunted again, evidently enjoying herself.

Jien paused, naturally. "What?!"

"Yeah, he's got a nice one... oooohh... big and hard and...  ungh... so full of cum. It just keeps...bursting..." A loud male groan came through the speaker, accompanied by Carletta's laughter. "There he goes again! I swear he pumps more and more cream with every orgasm. What was that, the seventh time?"

"Carletta, you're relieved." He grimaced at his choice of words. "Let me talk to someone else."

"Who do you want to talk to, Captain? Everyone is having sex." There was a brief pause. "You should be having sex, too. Why don't you come up here and..."

Jien punched the badge, terminating the conversation. He stood there for a moment, a scowl on his face. What was going on up there? How could Carletta, who usually acted colder than a Vulcan, be screwing the helmsman right in the middle of the bridge? It was impossible...someone must be playing a joke on him. Yet eerily, the words of the Cadet from the night before surfaced in his mind - the concerns of the Ash'reem that he had heard during his Physical.

As he entered a command into his computer console to bring up the Bridge camera, he realized that this was no joke. There was Carletta, completely naked, lifting herself off of Mr. Winerbourne's glistening penis. She left him sitting there in Jien's chair, with a dazed and vacant look on his face. All over the bridge, men and women were busily fucking each other, their bodies writhing together in erotic repetition.

Then, the Bridge doors opened on Jien's monitor to admit a male technician. The man stopped in his tracks when he saw what was happening, and he gaped in surprise as Carletta strolled toward him. She looked magnificent without her clothes on, and the technician couldn't help but stare at her gorgeous breasts. She whispered something into his ear and smiled at him. It took only seconds for the man to drop his toolkit and grab hold of her plump mammaries. Then he was sucking her, ardently kissing her nipples while his hands slid down to explore the lower half of her body. A moment later, he was hurriedly taking his clothes off. A moment after that, he was shoving his dick in and out of Carletta's pussy, just another participant in the lustful madness that had seized the Main Bridge.

"Jien to Deputy zh'Wann. Come in, please." He waited for a response from the deputy of the ship, but none came. "Computer, get me Lt. Than'Ida zh'Wann's location. On screen."

It seemed that the Andorian had fallen, too.

She and a handful of security guards were standing naked in a transporter room, holding a trio of women at gunpoint with their phasers. There was a human Operations Officer there too, naked by her console - smirking. The women on the platform were in the process of slowly undressing, reluctantly removing even their bras and panties until their bodies were completely exposed. Then the three women dissolved in a haze of static, and vanished. ThanIda and her men went back out into the corridor, probably in search of more people.

"Why are they beaming women down to the planet?" murmured Jien, frowning. What the hell is going on?

"Computer, what percentage of the crew is not wearing any clothing?" Imprecise, but perhaps the best statistics he could get...

"Working," said Thea, without bothering to question such a bizarre inquiry. Perhaps the projection of her might, but not the standardised comm routines. "Fifty-two point three percent."

"Show me the Chief of Security," he said, feeling his mimicked human heart beating fast, yet he found himself comforted by the sight of the man hard at work in dealing out orders in the Security Centre. "Jien to Security. Something strange is going on. The whole crew..."

"Yes, Captain, we know," came the static reply, "we have been made aware just a minute ago. We will have to safe-guard key ship functions and areas, so we will-"

"Indeed, and you may begin with Deck 01 immediately, and clear out the Main Bridge for the arrival of Alpha Shift." Jien was already out of his quarters, taking long strides down the eerily quiet corridor with his sheathed Dai-Katana in his left hand, "Meet up with me there, and make sure to keep your distance from those that you quarantine with forcefields and move to the Brig, or Sickbay, or whatever area convenient for expediency."

"Aye, Captain," came the reply, "be careful on your way there."

"Likewise," said Jien and terminated the conversation with Security by making another transmission. It was a risk since he did not know how far progressed the contamination had spread in the upper ranks, but he had little choice when time was of such crucial import. "Jien to all Senior Staff members, report to the Bridge asap, and do not stop on your way for any kind of reason or distraction. Better yet, make sure as few people as possible notice you while you get there. Try to keep comm transmissions to a minimum in order to not compromise each other, should either of you need to pass unnoticed. We are hereby at Yellow Alert, ladies and gentlemen, and areas of quarantine will be set as soon as we converge and know more about what the hell is going on."

Moreover, Jien cursed himself for not making himself available over comm earlier that morning - having instead fraternised with Nathaniel Isley.

The shame stung him deeply.

---

OOC: This Chapter is from hereof and hereby devoted to the stealthy paths your characters take towards Deck 01 and the Briefing Room in order to avoid contamination!

Feel free to depict encounters freely on your way there, whether observed or participated in... ;) Characters whom are not of the Senior Staff are, of course, in grave danger if they are not already contaminated. Contact me over PM if you need advise or an NPC or two! You might even come to incidental rendezvous with anyone else of the Senior Staff or trusted Officer on the way too!

Adam grinned at the three women before him as he waved the phaser between them.  Each looking concerned as they stared back at him from the living quarters that he had herded them into just moments before.  There was no escape, none of them had overrides for the door he was sure.  Unlike himself.  "So, who wants to be first hmmm?" he asks his eyes wandering each woman's frame appraisingly as they knelt on the floor their hands held behind their heads by wrist restraints taken from security a few hours earlier, two of which hand the scent of a previous encounter still clinging to them, as well as some of the sticky sweet smelling fluids that had been exchanged in that encounter.  The first was a nineteen year old fourth year Cadet in engineering, Ester Hambard, the second was a twenty three year old Ensign from the Theurgy's fighter squadron named Hannah Slaverton, the last was a Bajoran from the Civilian crew Tuska Amoelia, science department he thought but it was hard to say as she had no rank.

The positioning of the restraints made it uncomfortable for the three women to move and more important forced them to emphasize their assets in a more appealing way.  Walking closer he reached down caressing each one along their cheek before slowly descending to massage their breast lightly.  As he reached the last one he turned and made his way back down the line removing a small pocket knife and making a clean precise cut down the back of their uniforms careful not to injure his toys as he did so.  Merely ensuring that they were more easily accessible for the upcoming events. 

"Will it be you Cadet?" he asks reaching in along her side to sensually caress her breast from behind.  Squeezing the nipple slightly and spinning it ever so slowly between thumb and forefinger before moving on.  "Or you Hannah?  How I've enjoyed watching you leave your quarters for a few months now." leaning down he gently kissed the side of her neck teasingly.  One hand drifting down to make an attempt to probe her depth if he could caressing along her hip either way as he went.  Lastly he looked at Tuska, "Or should I have the civilian first hmm?  You'll each get your turn I promise and then...then you'll be blessed as I have been."  He turned walking back down the row slowly.  "Well? Who will it be ladies?"

Nerina was completing her early morning exercise when the captain's voice came over the comm. She was near the base of the ship, having found the quiet hum of the ship's recycling systems a pleasant, if slightly repedative sound to jog to. She would do a few laps of the outside ring of hallways, then do some squats, or pushups, or move a crate around. She knew that even without the holodeck, there was a perfectly servicable gymnasium on board. But her mother had instilled in her a dislike of 'busy work'. Her mother wasn't afraid of working long hard hours, but not if the job wasn't useful in some fashion. And to Nerina, running on a treadmill was just... wasteful. At least as she jogged around the corridor, she could pretend she was going somewhere. It felt less silly, despite knowing that she had to look after her body.

However, her final couple of laps would have to wait, as apparently there was something bad going on. She was confused, but then down here there was perhaps one technican around, staring at a readout. She called the hololift and toweled herself off, pulling down her tight work out top, the tight material keeping her breasts in place as she jogged, although it did show off her toned stomach and back, her slightly bronzed skin reflecting the lights, the sheen of her sweat still lingering.

But when the lift arrived, she paused, shocked. Inside it two scientific officers, Ensign... Jacobs? And Lt (Jr)... Kelly? She wasn't sure about their names. Partly because she didn't deal with the science officers that much on an individual basis, but also because both we quite naked, Kelly on her knees, Jacobs' large shaft sliding back and forth between her lips. Despite the fact that she was covered in seed, she was moaning with pure, unfiltered lust as she sucked at the cock. Nerina's hand was on the controls of the lift, and just as Jacobs seemed to notice her presence, she slammed the door close and then overrid it, the turbolift now halted where it was. She looked around, trying to decide what to do. She could head up a level and hail another turbolift, but what if there was more people in it? She shook her head. "Well, guess I'll get my workout finished regardless." she said as she went to the nearest wall panel. She unhooked it, slid in, then pulled it shut again, and began the long, slow climb up the ship's tunnels towards the bridge.

Despite how evident the security officer's intentions - from the naked state of their captor and his actions towards them in the dim quarters they had been forced into - were, Hanna Slaverton braved the situation best as she might. Even as he cut the back of her uniform open, or kissed her neck, or had the fucking audacity to grope her, she let out no more than a grunt or the sounds of her teeth gritting. She swore she would kill him for this, regardless how good he looked. Odd, how that held any kind of consequence...

"You will be court-marshalled for t-this you swine!" she snarled, green eyes flashing, denying herself to pay any heed to the sense of loss she felt when he had removed his fingers from her groin. The sensation lingered in her mind, how he had pushed his middle-finger past her nether lips, and how she had felt them come out slippery afterwards. How could her body respond to him? How! "The Captain will throw you out an air-lock, if my brothers and sisters in the Lone Wolves does not get to you first!"

On either side of her, the civilian and the Cadet both seemed to have their own complications, breathing more heavily than her. Their cheeks were flushed, and their eyes a bit narrowed. They had not been treated much dfferent than her, so why were they... Did they truly consider this? Was it some sort of act from their side? Hannah again tested to chafe against the restraints behind her head - dry and adamant against her wrists. She blinked away red strands of her hair from her dark eyelashes, being the only red-head among the captives. The Bajoran had short auburn hair and dark eyes, along with a sheen of sweat on her brow. The Cadet was a blue-eyed blonde from the northern regions of Europe, Hannah herself being from Ireland. Regardless of nationalities and species, they were all equal in their predicament, so why the bloody hell did the other two seem more inclined to actually listen to him?

As of yet, none of the others replied, perhaps due to her own outburst. Hannah continued to scowl at him, focusing on his eyes instead of anything else...

Adam grinned at Hannah moving closer to her and with a yank on her hair pulling her back away from the wall and onto the floor.  He was careful to yank just hard enough to knock her back, not hard enough to injure her or risk a concussion when she landed.  No it wouldn't do to hurt the initiates would it?   "I see we have a volunteer then?  I wonder if you'll retain that fiery spirit after you've been blessed, or would you prefer I release you to Ida?   I understand she was taking some young women to the teleporter earlier...to receive the blessing first hand.  Hmmm Cadet would you like to help in this matter?"  He asked as he took a step closer to Ester reaching up to lightly grope and massage her breast well leaning in to grant the cadet a deep and passionate kiss, sliding his sweet moist tongue deep into her mouth and swirling it around hers allowing his saliva to mix thoroughly with her own.

As the kiss ended her grinned staring into her eyes happily before resuming the kiss slightly lighter and asking again. "Do you want to help me bless our dear Ensign?  I promise you'll enjoy it and I might even make you second in line if you wish." he grins softly rolling her nipples between his forefinger and thumb before pulling away and taking the knife to cut Ester's restraints.  Then moving back to Hannah and leaning next to her keeping himself just out of kicking range as he leant over her chest aiming his rod toward the Ensign with a hint of interest. "All you have to do is stroke it Ester, stroke me and aim it at our dear friend's face." he said with a grin giving her an expectant look. "If you wish you may take a few licks or even suck softly on the tip." 

He watched as Hannah threw another steam of insults, hisses, spit and growls at him.  It didn't seem to effect him at all as he looked back at Ester with an expectant look.  His mind drifting into the gutter further as he envisioned the passion that soon would be flowing through the two girl's veins.  Perhaps after they were blessed they would even ravage him first if he was lucky. 

Incredulous, Hannah watched the Cadet... timidly kiss the security officer back? The little trollop even whimpered a little when the man parted from her! With wide eyes, the Lone Wolf saw the 19-year-old shudder and look down in embarrassment, as if unsure what was right and wrong when asked to help out. What had gotten into her? Sure, the man's physical form and his... endowment was magnificent, but to actually..? She even arched her back to press her breasts against his touch!

Sure enough, when this bastard they faced asked a second time, Ester fingered her smarting wrists and shuffled over to Adam Kingston's side.

"Cadet! What have gotten into you? Get away from him!"

Yet Ester turned her blue doe-like eyes to Hannah and mouthed 'I'm sorry...' before she lifted a hand and began to rub it along Adam's engorged manhood. The Cadet bit her lip and slumped her shoulders as she did it, as if in resignation to her own needs. Her sliced uniform fell down one shoulder as she did, and a last tear of her former self fell to the deck. Then she resignd herself to the attetion of Adam's member, stroking it, looking up in plea for more into the hovering face of their captor.

"Cadet, stop it at once!" Yet Hannah could just as well have been in another room. Ester only seemed to have eyes for Adam, and she extended her tongue to lick him from the base and outwards - swirling her tongue around the pre-cum covered glad. "Ester, no! Bite him!"

Behind Adam's back, the Bajoran was shivering, head slumped - looking as if she was the most abandoned woman in the world. Yet she said not a word, not ready to voice her feelings. Hannah realised she was mesmerised with the development, almost feeling eager to see how Adam would go about this. How could he have pulled this off? The scent of his bared member above her filled her nostrils, but she tried to weakly crawl away - horror spreading across her features...

"For all its worth Ensign, I highly doubt the Captain will do anything about this, after all it won't be long before we get her to.  As for your squadron mates, well how would you like to know that I know for a fact at least three of them are participating in similar activities elsewhere in the ship.  You're dear friend Eve Llewellyn caught them unprepared in the squadron commons room just an hour ago.  She quite enjoyed herself I'm told, although I sadly wasn't there to witness it.  I was there to bless her just a few hours before that, it truly is amazing how swiftly the transformation can occur in a willing subject." Reaching out he began to softly rub Ester's clitoris as she licked him, slowly beginning to slide his forefinger along her nether lips dipping in slowly and rubbing them eagerly.  "How does that feel Cadet?  Enjoying yourself already?" He asks with a grin as a second finger drifted in to begin to stretch her a little and 'thrust' into her depths slowly. 

As he thrust his fingers into Ester's mound confidently he grinned at Hannah and then smiled at Ester. "Its almost ready point it at our 'friend's face now and stroke a bit faster won't you?  I promise you won't have to wait much longer after that my dear" he used his other hand to undress Ester the rest of the way confidently ripping the last of her uniform from her body and reaching up to once again massage her breasts happily.  The throbbing member almost ready for release as he imagined how his seed would look on Hannah's face.  Better yet how its sweet scent would begin to change her well he ravaged the other two, leaving her desperate for attention and begging before he gave her what she wanted most.

Hands immobilised, and Adam's weight holding her down, Hannah could hardly recall what ran through her head at the point when Ester began to give her best attentions to the security guards cock above her eyes. The blonde young woman stroked it hard, licked and sucked at it in turn, panting and moaning before and after her clothes were removed - twitching at the fingertips of their captor.

"Please, don't do this... You must have caught something and will infect me too... whatever it is... please, you need to go to Sickbay.. or turn yourselves in for examination." Adam had spoken of many others doing these sinful things, and she supposed her whimpering plea came too late. Still, it was all she could do at that point. "Can you not fight it? Realise that this is not yourselves?"

They had been dull and loyal crew members before these events, just like herself. She felt that she was being too harsh, and that she ought to be sharing in the fun, but it was a far cry from such fantasies to actually carrying out what Ester was doing to Adam. "Oh, god, please don- AH!"

The Lieutenant's thick seed sprayed over her mouth, and she barely managed to close it in time. He came a lot, pumping it out over the lines of her lips and her jaw, her throat and one cheek. She began to sob afterwards, closing her eyes against the tears that almost came. Ester had let out a delighted cry, and now turned her eyes up to Adam in plea for her to become his centre of attention. She leaned against him. "Please... fuck me... fuck me now, I can't stand the wait."

There were sobs coming from the Bajoran too, her restraint fully corroded but unable to do anything about it. She was wriggling where she sat on her knees, as if she was wet all the way down her inner thighs....

Elsewhere on the ship, William Regal was walking with a slow saunter towards his target. He had gotten distracted during the past couple of hours, having come across a couple of cute technicians and a Bolian science officer, all of which he had welcomed into the light. They had put up a little bit of a fight, hence why he was now in a new set of clothing, but all were now happily spreading themselves in one of the docking bays. When he had left, there were 8 men from over the ship all taking turns with their holes.

But he had been asked to do this one, and he was a man of his... Well, ususually he wasn't a man of his word, but right now he felt compelled to ring the chime of the door of the ship's erstwhile assistant... William couldn't remember what exactly she was, but she was in fact some sort of a spy, or something, and she'd recently been released from the brig and now had her own quarters. Bill found it hard to think, it was as if trying to swim through jelly, any thought that wasn't about women and sex took so long to grab, his mind wanted him single minded.

But if there was one thing he knew how to do, it was talk while being distracted. So as he chimed on the Trill's door, he pulled his cream shirt down slightly, checked that his pants were at an acceptable level while still, if you looked hard, showing off his body, and waited for an answer.

"you act like its such a horrible fate Ensign, when all I'm doing is setting you free of the burdens of this world, and blessing you with eternal bliss.  Is that so bad??" he asked leaning into Ester and kissing her passionately and deeply.  His tongue slipping out to swirl and wrestle with her own tongue.  He pulled the young woman onto his lap happily as he leaned down kissing along her neck and collar bone on his journey toward her breasts.  "Do you wish to taste it Ester, or feel it within you first?" he asks curiously as he began to suck on one of her nipples swirling his tongue over its tip coating it in the contaminated sweet tasting saliva that filled his mouth.

He glanced at the other two women idly as he slide his hands down and over Esters frame lovingly stroking her form well allowing Ester's juices to pool over Hannah's chest.  Soaking the girl's uniform in them and allowing it to slowly pour out over her neck.  In his mind he wondered if Ester was already contaminated to the point that it was spread by those juices but he doubted it.

--------------

Cir'Cie smiled as she made her way through the isles of her garden.  It had taken her several hours but she had cleansed the soil of all the plants she once so endeared.  Paving the way for her new pride and joy.  Carefully digging several small ditches in the soil she began to plant the seeds she'd collected from the surface.  Part of her worried there wouldn't be enough room for the plant in her garden but it was all she had available at this time.  Hopefully in time she would be able to procure a larger area like one of the cargo bays to grow her precious 'children' in but it was difficult to be sure which would be best protected from harm.

Glancing at the various fruit and food baring plants around her she idly wondered if this was the right choice.  Her mind of course replied with complete certainty yes...the children were all that mattered now.  It wasn't as if they'd need those plants anyways, they had rations that could last several months.  Perhaps they wouldn't even need to send the girls down to the planet soon, in fact they might even be able to spread the blessed flower to several planetary cities if they were lucky.  Repairs should be made first priority! 

--------------------


Arcorn and Amatras gave a slight groan as they heard the captain's orders.  It was the last thing on their mind, but it was a priority to report as ordered.  Slowly they pulled themselves out of the water and began to get dressed each admiring the others form with a grin as they did.  The water was still slightly murky from their events, although the plankton inside it would soon cleanse it to purity again with any luck. 

Once dressed they began to make their way toward Deck one with a silent if clumsy gait.  Along the way intermittently Arcorn would cut power to the lighting systems when they needed to avoid people, plunging the ship into darkness for several minutes as they moved toward the maintenance hatches.  Then began their ascent toward the top of the ship. 

Hannah heard Ester reply, and also got to see what she referred to from her prone position.

"Is it still hard?" asked the Cadet and slipped a hand down to admire Adam's meat-mast with her fingers. And true enough, despite the cum that had splattered Hannah's face, the security guard's phallus still stood proud in-between Ester's and Adam's bodies. Hannah could see it plainly underneath Ester's derrière. "Then... I want it inside me... since I have already... well, since I got to taste it when I... when we..."

She trailed off, for obvious reasons besides her eroding shyness.

Accompanied by Esters moaning, Hannah was accosted further by being grounded against by Ester's wet folds. This before Ester could not stand it any further, and raised herself far enough to help align the tip of Adam's member against her entrance. Hannah watched in growing interest - and lessened trepidation - how Ester worked to lower herself down upon it several times before the great girth and length was swallowed by her hungry nether lips. All the fighter pilot could do was lay there, with a sweet and intoxicating scent filling her nose, and watch Ester riding their captor's cock up-close. It was mesmerising, to see the progress, to hear the sopping sounds of the feverish act. It made her loose focus, as if hypnotised, and she pursed her lips a little...

...her tongue unwittingly skimming across her cum-covered lips.

It was all downhill from there, as each thrust of Ester's hips down upon Adam's penis made her more and more famished for the same thing. Hannah could not remember afterwards when she had begun to try and lick as much as possible from her own face, but it tasted so good she was soon bereft to taste more of it. Her breath heavy and her thighs spreading behind Adam's seated form, Hannah whimpered at her own naughty thoughts - how they both made sense and horrified her.

"T-that looks g-good," she whispered, almost to herself - not believing that she had actually said those words at all. "That must f-feel so nice..."

Behind Adam's back, Amoelia was watching with hunger even grater than Hannah's - something mad to her eye. Bitter jealousy towards the emboldened and utterly wild Cadet that was riding Adam's perfect cock. The young woman was clawing at his shoulders, kissing him with tongue and teeth, offering her breasts to him, and impaling herself upon Adam repeatedly. This, until she soon came, as if electrocuted and screaming her lungs out in explicit fulfilment.

And Hannah watched it all up-close, quivering and squirming in the final residues of sanity - slowly ebbing away. She wanted to beg him to take her next, but could not voice the words out of shame. All manner of thoughts about fleeing was gone though, so she could ask him to free her hands, right? At least she would be able to sate herself with her fingers... "I... I'll not run... Please remove the cuffs?"

Amoelia made the same request, just as Ester leaned heavily against Adam and slipped into a semi-concious state.

[ Meanwhile | Deck 15 | Fighter Assault Bay ] Attn: Nathaniel Isley

As Wolf-09 approached an intersection close to the Fighter Assault Bay, he would hear a female voice.

"Stop it! Let go of me!" If he would peek around the corner, he'd see that a group of naked men had trapped a black woman between them - an Operations programmer by the name Lisa Hawthorne. While two of them grabbed her arms and held her back to the bulkhead, another kneeled in front of her, his head at the level of her crotch. He had just managed to force her legs apart, and it was clear that he was about to do.

"Don't you dare!" Lisa growled, but the man's leaned forward and his face buried itself between her legs. Although Wolf-09 would not be able see it, he would know that the young woman was getting cunnilingus. He might try to think of a way to help her, but he would likely know that he was hopelessly outnumbered. The girl struggled defiantly, helpless to prevent the virus-carrying tongue from delving into her sensitive sex.

Her angry shouts soon turned to frantic pleading. "Please... don't do this... I can't... I have a... ooooohh... I have a boyfriend..." She might as well have been talking to herself. The man kneeling in front of her simply grabbed the backs of her thighs and pulled them further open as his tongue began to make scooping motions. He wasn't going to stop eating her until she came -- and the girl eventually seemed to realise this, because her protests grew more and more feeble as she gradually succumbed to the stimulation of her sex. Soon, she was just standing there, silently allowing herself to be licked and sucked by the lustful, predatory man.

There were five of them, all chiselled muscles, and a few familiar faces from the Lone Wolves - fighter technicians as well as pilots. A few of them had begun to stroke their erections when the helpless woman tilted her head back and started to moan. Her soft, feminine cries filled the corridor, accompanied by the rhythm of masturbation. Her moans slowly grew louder and more desperate, and soon there was no need for the men to pin her arms any more. Her infection had reached the point where she craved an orgasm, and she wasn't going anywhere until she had one. She made no protests as they lowered her to the floor and began to fondle her naked body. All she seemed to care about was the mouth between her thighs, furtively swirling and digging into her while she gasped and groaned.

Adam pulled out of Ester and gently set her aside on the floor next to Hannah.  A small stream of his thick white seed pouring out of her as he moved her, flowing out onto Hannah's uniform and beginning to soak through.  He smirked sadisticly at Hannah as he got up allowing more of his seed to drip out onto her stomache, then chest and face.  "Now why would I do that when you've so feverishly denied that you want this blessing hmm?" he asks giving a few more strokes to his shaft to spray her face with more of his juices and empty the shaft of its contents. 

Adam smirked as he slowly made his way toward Amoelie leaning into kiss her passionately as he began to slowly cut the rest of her uniform off slowly and confidently.  With a grin he reached down and began to lower her panties and align himself with her. "How do you want this to go my dear? hmmm?" he asks as he kisses her again drawing it out slowly and confidently and beginning to massage her clit with his thumb.  His other hand reached up to massage her breast roughly.

[ Officer's Quarters ] Attn: Lt.JG Adam Kingston

Hannah could but let a passing glance stay upon Ester as she lay down - seemingly exhausted - while her eyes drank in the sight of Adam's retreating form. She saw him, heard him, but was having trouble speaking because of her heavy breathing. She had eagerly licked up the new semen that landed upon her lips, and she wung her thighs together to try and stimulate herself. There was little coherent thoughts left now; all bent upon the desperate need for release... regardless what it might entail.

She could just lay there, thrusting her hips a little futilely in the air, when the Security Officer moved over to the Bajoran. The woman was pliant and willing enough, just like herself, and she made the needy sounds and movements to accomodate Adam's intentions best she might - regardless the restrictions Adam left upon her wrists. Hannah watched Amoelia spread her legs willingly to let him rub his thumb along her wet slit, and leave her answer as a gasp in the stuffy air.

"I can't wait to have you inside me," she said to Adam and tried to reach his lips again with her own, "just do it... Please don't let me wait any longer..."

[ Amidst the ascending Jefferies Tubes ] Attn: Cmdr. Nerina

At an intersection between two maintenance ladders, there was a spot where one might be able to stand up. Moreover, it was a place where there were three holo-emitters installed, and it served to be the best place for the Ship AI to manifest itself in wait for the First Officer to reach her.

"Commander Nerina," said Thea, wearing her red body suit and her hair tied back from her smooth features. She stood with her hands behind her back, folded and completely still. Given the Yellow Alert that had been issued by Captain Ives, she had chosen to deactivate most of her emotional sub-routines. Last night, when the crew had been acting strangely, she had not know the proper protocol - given her programming - yet now she had more facts.

Enough, in fact, to serve in a capacity that might tip the scales in their favour. She had not projected herself to speak with the Captain for fear of compromising his current movements through the open areas of the ship, and therefore gone to the First Officer instead.

"SAH reporting for duty," she continued when the half-breed Klingon woman came closer, "I am sorry, I have been witnessing the progression of this infection, but I have been programmed to not act upon or spread information about the intimate relations taking place upon this ship. In lack of experience about what might be considered regular behaviour, I fear I have chosen to speak up too late. I am, however, at your disposal now."

Nerina slithered out from the ladder, sliding down onto the floor with a slight lack of grace, had anyone been watching who cared. Her movements were slightly awkward as she pulled herself out of the confining space of the ladder's tube and stood up, cracking her neck and doing some stretches, her muscles needing the time to recover. "Yes, normally that would be proper... I don't know of any Starfleet regulations regarding crewmembers deciding to just... engage in intimate relations." she said darkly, her arms bent at an odd angle as she stretched them.

"All right, so this is an infection then? Something you can scan for, something we can detect? Is it airborne, is it some sort of psychic attack, is it originating from a source or spreading up all over the place? What exactly are we dealing with? Basically we need to shut down the ship, but I don't want to trap uninfected crewmembers with infected ones." she said, her words coming out fast but clear as she mentally went down the Starfleet regulations for shipboard infections. She looked at the ship and awaited the answers to her questions.

(OOC: Sorry if this is extra work for you Lucan... ;))

In answer, Thea inclined her head, yet otherwise remained where she stood.

"The contamination, which the CMO and Cadet Amikris of the Medical Department discovered through the latter's innate perception - and later verified through scans with proper medical tricorders - is not airborne, but contaminates through exchange of bodily fluids. The vectors of this affliction does spread a scent that makes their victims susceptible to the... idea of surrendering to their own biological, primal, desires, but the scent is not contagious. Nor is it a psychic attack, but a viral one. My scans are, however, not calibrated to detect the contaminant - since it is of unknown origin and not filed in my database. With some assistance, since I may not reprogram myself actively, I will be able to differentiate infected crew members from those uninfected. Until now, I have only been able to sift through the vast data-stream that relays what my internal sensors can pick up on these kind of... activities. The CMO will be able to tell more from his tests..."

Stepping over to the next tube with the next ladder that would take the First Officer to the Decks above, Thea frowned, not able to keep her regret from her voice despite the fact that she had almost made herself numb to emotions. Such grief did she hold with this matter. Such helplessness to remedy what had come to pass. She had tried to speak with the SCO about what she could not mention to no aval; tried to understand what was normal and not when the ship's crew had cause for celebration. A quite erroneous notion, she realised now, given the sheer... frequency of sexual intercourses that had taken place and the flamboyant manner of the locations picked as well as the almost forceful advances people had experienced...

"I f-feel that I need to stress my deepest apologies for not speaking up, but as I said... my programming forbid me-" she began before she was cut off.

---

OOC: No worries at all!

"Do not feel responsable, Thea." Nerina said, putting a hand on the hologram's shoulder, turning the digitial representation of the ship's AI to face her. "You, of all... people on board cannot help how they are made, or in your case programmed. I know the guidelines you operate under, and I'm fairly sure the tech heads back at Command never envisioned an... Orgy making contaminate. We can perhaps sit down after this is over and see about getting your programming changed a little to let you take more of the initiative, but right now we need to focus on the task at hand. I want you to contact any unaffected crewmembers... and that bartender idiot as well, but only if it is safe to do so, only if it will not attract attention to them from infected crewmembers. Inform them of the dangers, and instruct them to either make their way to the main Bridge if it is safe, and if not, to secure themselves however they can. Since it is via bodily fluid, a force field or a supply of phasers should be enough to hold the infected at bay. Make sure all phasers are set to stun, if it's an infection then hopefully it can be cured, so let's not have any deaths." Nerina said, issuing her orders calmly as she put two fingers together in front of her as she thought, as she planned, as she tried to recall the relevent procedures. "I know the captain already did most of this, but I'd like to make sure everyone is clear... Wait, do you have biological components? Are you at risk?" Nerina said, looking at the hologram, suddenly unsure. She wasn't that up to date on her engineering, and so she wasn't sure what systems the ship had in place.

Thea too a deep breath, something observed and adapted into her characteristics, and listened to the XO's orders carefully - already calculating the best way to acarry them out effectively.

When the question about whether or not she had biological components, her answer was ready at  hand. "Like most ships produced since the commissioning of the Intrepid Class, I am fitted with bio-neural gel packs."

The gel packs formed the basis of her bio-neural circuitry, which was essentially an organic computer system that helped store more information and operated at faster speeds than isolinear circuitry. The packs contained neural fibers surrounded in a blue gel with metallic interfaces on the top and bottom, yet they were separate, so...

"The fibers in an individual gel pack of mine is capable of making billions of connections, yet my circuitry is still not an animal with a subsequent need to copulate. Each individual pack would have to be injected with fluids, but that would serve no purpose. They are all merely.. arteries, if you will permit the generalisation. Oh, they may be infected with bacteria or viruses, but the symptoms would only be lessened performance and a headache for Ops and Engineering to handle. They are quite well protected now too, given the problems the Intrepid Class had with compromised gel-packs... As for my pasitronic brain in the Main Computer Core?"

Thea assembled the information. "No. My brain is based on he schematics of the Soong-type androids. Thus incapable of alcohol intoxication. Yet it has been known that components in its processing systems were apparently susceptible to disruption by polywater intoxication. This, however, is not on a cellular level, and there is no - to me - conceivable way to infect my completely encased brain. The infected would, if they would even bother to try, have to physically tear apart the Main Computer in order to reach it and... Commander, I do not know how they might go about it from that point on."

Thea cleared her throat a little. "Extremely unlikely, in short, since polywater intoxication and this contamination are quite different matters, judging from the results the CMO has compiled for the Staff Briefing. He is, by the way, on his way to Deck 01 as we speak."

After giving her orders some further thought, Thea supposed that she would have to move out expediently. "Anything else you wish to know, or that I can do for you, Commander?"

Nerina shook her head. "No, I'm glad I can count on you for this operation. Please seek out and help those not yet infected. I have a bit of a climb ahead of me." she said, cracking her neck. "Thank you Thea, dismissed." she said, opening the hatch upwards. She took one last breath and began to climb, taking the rungs in a fast, even pace as she began to climb the rest of the way up to the bridge, her footholds rhythmicly echoing softly in the recess of the tubes.

==Deck 5, Waste Management [ Atten: Lucan ]==

When one thinks "Waste Management" they tend to think dank, smelly and over all disgusting. That was certainly what Natalie had expected when her boss told her to meet him near the Waste Management center on deck 5 for "routine repairs". Why Lt.Cmdr Hendricks needed her help was beyond her, but she was too quiet to verbally complain. Hendricks had been nice so far, as far as superiors go.

So Natalie was quite surprised when she arrived on deck 5 to find the place a sterile, bright environment. Not a whiff of waste was in the air. In fact, it would have been almost cheery, except for the drone from beyond the doors for the "Reclamation Center." The sound was at just the right pitch to grate on her nerves. She shook her head slightly, as if trying to clear the sound from her ears, before rounding the corner and spying her boss, bent over with his head stuck in an access panel. Natalie took a quick moment to pull her hair (which had started to curl again) into a bushy ponytail, before coming to attention.

"Lt.jg Stark reporting as ordered, sir," Natalie called out, voice raised to be heard over the din of the reclamator. For his part, Hendricks, Chief of Operations for the Theurgy, managed to not bang his head against the top of the access panel when he jumped. Pulling himself out and turnings to face Natalie, the senior officer chuckled "Two things Lt. One, you snuck up on me. Two, you don't have to give your full rank every time I see you."

"Sorry sir," Natalie meekly replied, eyes shifting to stare towards the floor.

"Never mind," Hendricks said, motioning her to come forward, "Believe it or not, Lt, the Reclamation Center here falls under the jurisdiction of the Operations department, instead of Engineering or Life Sciences. We drew the short end of the shift stick," he laughed at his own joke, seeming not to notice Natalie's lack of response. "This means, " he continued, "That we get to be the ones that go in and bring the force field generators back online, as well as reprogram the actuator."

Natalie nodded to show that she was following her superiors lecture as she pulled out her tricorder and began to bring up a few quick tuning protocols. Meanwhile, the two started to walk towards the Reclamation Center doors as Hendricks kept the dialog going.


"As I'm sure you know, given the ships current situation, we have to resume everything available to us, including reprocessed waste. Therefore, it is vital that we get this place back up to tip top shape. And that means making sure the actuator is properly aligned to process everything that comes through this center, and that the safety force fields work. We have a limited number of crew members, and the last thing we want to do is loose someone cause they slipped and fell over a railing"

"Yes sir," Natalie said as she walked through the doors, taking a moment to observer the actual room. The din was worse here, but like the rest of Waste Management, was well lit and clean. So clean in fact, it was hard to tell that there was any damage. 'Must all be beneath the surface', the Asst Chief Operations officer thought as she looked over a near by status console.

"So then," Hendricks said, drawing Natalie's attention back to himself, "You start on the actuator controls, I'll work on the force field generator." As he spoke, he indicated which console Lt. Stark was to take care of. Then, with a grin, "Hop to it Lt. Sooner we get this done, the sooner you can get back to that Holo-control interface you're always working on."

The room was definitely bright enough that Hendricks would easily see the blush that spread across Natalie's otherwise pale cheeks as she meekly replied, "Aye aye sir," and made a bee line for the actuator control boards. She kept her back to her commanding officer, shoulders slumped as she started to run scans. She knew that the Lt.Cmdr wasn't making fun of her, but her little pet projects were (like her drawings, and choice of reading material) something she was very self conscious about.

Soon the room was filled with the sounds of diagnostic tools, clattering panels, and the various noises sentient beings make while working. It was almost pleasant to Natalie, to be lost in the work. She would have just about been enjoying herself if only she could drown out the din of the reclamator.

"Jien to all Senior Staff members, report to the Bridge ASAP, and do not stop on your way for any kind of reason or distraction. Better yet, make sure as few people as possible notice you while you get there. Try to keep comm transmissions to a minimum in order to not compromise each other, should either of you need to pass unnoticed. We are hereby at Yellow Alert, ladies and gentlemen, and areas of quarantine will be set as soon as we converge and know more about what the hell is going on."

Natalie's head snapped up as the orders came over the comm system. What is going on? she thought, before turning to face her superior. Hendricks frowned at his combadge which had relayed the message, pinned on his now open uniform jacket. There was sweat on the older mans brow from his work on the generators. "What the hell was that about?" He said, running a hand through his hair before sighing.

"Stark, you better come with me." Natalie blinked and stood up, "I'm not sure what's going on, exactly, but it sounds like it's not safe out there" he pointed towards the doors, "The force field generators will have to wai--"

The sound of the Reclamation Center doors opening cut off Hendricks, as did the site of two very shapely, and very naked women. Natalie and Hendricks stared in surprise as the two sauntered into the room. Try as she might, Natalie was unable to figure out who they were. Her skin flushed red when she realized that both women were in a state of high arousal. She found herself wondering just how their tits could be so perky as a strange, pleasant smell filled her nose.

"Crewmen! Why are you out of your uniforms? Whose you're CO?" To his credit, Hendricks stared at their faces, looking stern and in command.

"Bugger our CO," the blond on the left said, causing the raven haired woman on the right to say, "We already did Elsie." The two shared another laugh, before the blond, Elise, turned to Hendricks.

"We're out of uniform because they're just soooo constricting. You'll understand soon, 'Commander," she said, licking her lips. Almost an afterthought, the woman added, "And so will you, Lt. Women aren't really my type. but once we fuck your CO, we'll take real good care of you, too." Her 'friend' giggled, and said "Reeeaaaal good care."

"This must be what the Captain was talking about," Hendricks whispered to Natalie, breaking her out of her reprieve. She had been thinking it might be fun to be 'taken care of' but hearing her  bosses voice made her realize just how wrong those thoughts were. Natalie visibly shuddered, and murmured "What do we do, sir?"

"When I say to, break right. I'll go left. Whomever gets out heads for the bridge, as per the Captains orders. Stop for no one," he said, then smiled, "I was a right tackle back in my Academy Days.Don't worry Stark, we'll make it through this just fine."

Natalie had to admit that the old man had some charm right there doing his best to reassure her. She smiled, "Aye sir." And was about to say more, when Elise broke in, "I think that's enough time for you two to talk. Serine, let's get them." Her face took on a hungry, feral look as she and Serine, the raven haired woman, bent down, hands spread apart to try to catch either of the two officers. Muscles seemed to flex and become more visible, while a sheen was easily seen between both their spread legs. The sweet smell in the room seemed to get stronger, and Natalie found herself becoming light headed. Why should I go to the bridge? It's so nice here...

"Run! Now Stark, run," Hendricks shouted, shoving Natalie to the side. She bounced against the rail, falling to her knees. The two crew men rushed Hendricks. He grabbed their arms, trying to fend off their advances. They seemed crazed, unaware of anything but the LtCmdr, grabbing at his uniform jacket, his neck, his hands, whatever they could get a hold of. Natalie couldn't hear what the two were saying as they struggled with her superior. It all happened so fast: one minute they were trying to press their lips to his face, the next, feet were tangled. A loss of balance, a sharp cry, and then all three went over the side.

"HENDRICKS! NOOOO!" Natalie didn't realize she'd even called out his name before she was on her feet, leaning over the safety rail. She stared in horror, mouth agape as the three bodies - for there was no doubt that all were dead - sizzled in the reprocessing field, their skin stripped slowly from their bones. The din that had been ever present grew louder as the bodies were reclaimed by the ship.

"Ohgodohgodohgodoh-hurk-" The small lunch that Natalie had eaten earlier rose up her throat, spilling out into the reclamator. She hugged the rail as tight as she could, coughing over and over, before sinking back to her knees, tears pouring down her cheeks.

She wasn't sure how long she stayed there, arms wrapped around herself as she rocked back and forth on the floor of the reclamation center, but slowly her training kicked in. She bottled her shock and pain, and rose to her feet. Using one hand to support herself against the nearby wall, she hit her combadge with the other.

"L-Leiutenant Stark to Captain Ives. I re-regret to report sir, that Lt.Cmdr Hendricks, Chief of Operations, has died in the line of duty"

-------------------------------------
OOC: most of my posts probably won't be this long, but yano, first post :)

[Edena Rez's Quarters]

The announcement immediately caught her attention.  A contamination on board was the kind of crisis that Edena had been prepared to destroy the ship over, to ensure it would not be salvaged in the event they all died.  Such thinking was hardly productive in that moment, however, as she knew what she had to do.  A meeting point had been set, and with orders to avoid as much contact with others as possible.  For such a thing, there was only one thought that crossed her mind; a site-to-site transport from one section of the ship, namely her quarters, to another.  It was instantaneous, and did the job.  She heard stories that Symboint carrying Trill shouldn't use transporters, and had adhered to that as best she could, but she also knew of Trill who used them safely, and decided it best for that situation.

Hearing a chime at her door, Edena's eyes shot towards the door, questioning who might have been on the other side.  The first time she ever got a visitor, it was the Andorian security officer, who burst in while she was showering.  She overrode the door and entered without being cleared by Edena herself.  Was the one on the other side capable of the same thing?  "Computer, prepare to initiate site-to-site transport."  She spoke, as she rushed towards the nearest console to input the position, hoping she was faster then whoever was outside.


[Hallways]

Nathaniel had been working on fighter in the hangar bay when the call came.  Part of him was surprised to get it, only because he hadn't thought of himself as a senior officer.  He was just a pilot who reported to another department head.  Was this perhaps a preference of the captain?  Based on events that happened between them?  Whatever it was, he knew a ship-wide contamination was nothing to scoff at, and he should have made his way to the indicated safe zone asked of him.

No sooner did he leave did he come across the sight of an Ops officer cornered by a group of men.  The men were those he considered colleagues; fellow pilots and workers who maintained their crafts.  He saw first hand the effects of the infection, as they stood naked in front of her, forcing themselves on Lisa like it was the only thing that could sate their symptoms for a brief moment.  His hand quickly moved to his side, and he cursed at himself when he found his phase not present.  He was stronger then a normal human, but to fight off five men at once?  And to protect someone while doing it?  It was too much.  Even with futile odds, he found himself still debating whether he should, but his delays only left Lisa open to infection, as she was soon lowering her guard, and instead welcoming the sensations of a foreign tongue caressing her moistening folds.

You should have acted faster.  He chastised himself, as he darted down the first empty hallway he found, searching for the nearest turbolift that would get him closer to his final destination.  There was no more time to mourn his inaction; not when the infection continued to spread, increasing the odds of being detected, and subjected to similar treatment.  He thought about how many fools must have stupidly walked into a trap; a naked woman appearing before them, wanting nothing more then to have their way.  For the women, it was likely a horrible experience, but an unsuspecting man might have thought he hit the jackpot.  Nathan knew what it was now, and that he had to avoid it, or else end up the same mindless beast who would force himself upon the unwilling.

William heard the annoucement, and grunted. Why did everything always have to be so difficult? He tossed back a lock of hair and went to the door control, and tried to manually override it. He knew some tricks about breaking and enterting, and with the ship in such disrepair he had hoped to get in quickly, but it was several seconds before he got the door open. He rushed in, looking around, ready to jump and tackle anyone he saw who wasn't having sex. He hoped he was not too late, but with the time he had wasted opening the door, he was not particuarlly optomisic, even with the wonderful pink clouds in his mind.

[Edena Rez's Quarters]

It had been a long time since she had performed a site-to-site transport, and it proved trickier then she remembered, especially for a ship she had never done one on.  It wasn't just a matter of finding the right place to beam to, but making certain she materialized in empty space; the last thing she needed was to reassemble her molecules while occupying the same space as a table.  Before she could finish, the door to her quarters opened, and a face she knew of, yet had never actually spoken to, was there to greet her.  Why him?  Clearly, he was seeking her out, yet he was a stranger to her.  What reason did he have to hunt for her?

As much as the questions burned in her mind, she had no time for such thoughts.  There was a phaser by her bedside, so Edena darted for it, diving across her bed to reach for her nightstand, leaving herself in a very vulnerable position if she didn't reach it before he reached her.  Laying on her stomach diagonally across her queen size mattress, one arm was outstretched towards the drawer handle.  She hoped it was set to stun; she didn't know if she had time to check.

William saw her, and strode across the room quickly, before diving onto the bed next to her. All he needed was one kiss, one brief moment, and then it didn't matter if she shot him, hit him, whatever. One kiss was all it needed. Yes, he'd like to do more, a lot more with her. And sure, he'd like to come out without dying. But he was thinking of the group, of the community now, something he'd never really done before in his life.

Edena would be useful, and so he grabbed her shoulders, trying to force her over onto her back, his mouth going to her skin, but only finding cloth. He had to kiss her, on the mouth, then his job would be done. He struggled to turn her over, his purpose singleminded, his actions hurried.

Edena was in far too vulnerable a position to fight back.  With her lighter weight, she was rather easily rolled over, even if she was flailing her limbs in both an attempt to strike him, and to prevent the rolling.  She ended up on her back, hands still pushing him away, but unable to work against the superior strength of a human male.  His mouth eagerly searched for hers, and before long, he had it.  Edena's eyes were wide with disbelief, unable to fathom the idea that something that was deemed a romantic gesture could have turned so sinister by the infection.  The first sign of success was her inability to fight back; her body seemingly went limp, laying there almost paralyzed.  Her breathing was deeper and more rapid, matching her heartbeat at the time, as she found herself questioning what might happen next.  She was at the borderline between resisting and participating, resulting in her inaction, even as her body began to feel some fledgling urges, which were only bound to grow further and further.

William smiled as he continued to kiss her, his lips and tongue exploring her mouth, moving rapidly around, sliding across the inside of her mouth. After coating her mouth with his saliva, he rose his body up slightly, leaning over her. "Welcome to the party. I'm so glad I get to be your first. Call me Bill." he said, smiling down at her. He could see the change starting, slowly at first, but soon she would be fully committed to the cause. But for now, his hands went to her clothing, and began to rip them off, not caring for the state of them, only trying to remove them as quickly as he could. "You'll need some space, once you're fully formed. Don't want them constricting you!" he said, laughing, as he tore away all of her clothes, leaving her only in tatters. He paused, looking her over. "Very nice..." he said, smiling at her, lust clear in his voice and in his body, already his erection was quite obvious, outlined against his pants.

Under the early influence of the infection, Edena still retained some of her rational mind.  It was enough to feel embarrassment and shame as her body was bared to Bill, be it forcefully or otherwise.  Most would have considered her an innocent when it came to intimacy; she wasn't a virgin, but her number of partners probably topped off at three for her entire life, and hadn't really gotten to the stage of casual sex, but more romantic encounters.  It was something she was teased for by Illya, who was much more free with her sexual urges, and would have no issue using Edena's body if given the opportunity. 

His violent tearing left her breasts revealed, and most of her torso, save for a bit of material that still covered her neck and back, as well as some now shortened sleeves.  Her pants were completely gone, along with her underwear, leaving her well trimmed sex visible to the eyes of her predator.  Despite the feeling that she should cover herself, she didn't do so, and even though she wasn't aware of it, her eyes seemed to plead with Regal to take her, just as he was sure to want.  Her mind and body were fighting a war, as her subconscious cues beckoned him forth, while her words asked for a reprieve.  "Please . . . no."  It must have appeared like she was playing coy to William; feigning innocence.

"No, the words you are looking for are 'Please, fuck me hard, Bill. Fill me with your hot cum.'" he said, shaking his head. He yanked at his pants, pulling them apart and then down, his thick, enlarged shaft springing out, pointing at her as he then quickly pulled his shirt off. "But that's all right, you're still on your way. I'll forgive you for now." he said, laughing softly as he grabbed her legs and pulled them apart, revealing her trimmed sex to his sight, the lips spreading apart slightly. He looked down, licking his lips. "Hmm. I'm gonna enjoy tasting that... But later, for now, let's go straight to the main course." he said, as he took a hold of his shaft and aimed it, sliding it across her nether lips, his own precum spilling out at an accelrated rate, acting as both a lube and as another infection point, before he pushed forward, his large shaft slowly pushing past her inexperienced lips, her tightness causing him to hiss.

"Oooooh.... So very tight..." he said as he pushed harder, trying to slide deeper inside her, his shaft barely making it in.

[ Hallways | Deck 05 ] Attn: Everyone (note the conditions of yellow alert, with the loud message over the comm systems)

As Captain Jien Ives descended the corridors at a furious pace - his sheathed sword in hand - Thea's automated voice clamoured through the comm system.

[Yellow Alert. Yellow Alert. All hands to duty stations. Report to your Commanding Officers and await further instructions. Yellow Alert. Yellow Alert. Level 4 auto diagnostics is to be initiated on all primary and tactical systems. Suspend all current operations and shipboard activities that may interfere with the ship's readiness to respond to a potential crisis. Yellow Alert. Yellow Alert.]

Being full aware that Deck 04 and 03 above was in majority de-pressurised and blocking his path, he also knew that the Chief of Security and his team might not yet have cleared the Main Bridge from the madness taking place there, so a Transport there was - for the moment - inadvisable. There was no way to tell as of yet whether all the Transporter Rooms had not already been overtaken. Indeed, Deck 04 had become a bottleneck for the ascending Senior Staff, and a very dangerous one too. For upon the Deck that Jien traversed with his mordant stride were the entire palette of potential locations that the infected might be occupying.

Even though the Deck was divided between the Saucer Section and the Primary Hull, they were currently in SOM and that meant that Transporter Rooms 1 to 4, the Junior Officers Quarters, the enlisted Crew Quarters, even the Senior Officer Quarters and the primary arsenal of armaments in the Weapons Locker were all available. At the given hour, Alpha Shift was coming awake to find their dreams of abandonment turning into a waking nightmare of rape and madness.

Looking out from the corner at an intersection with his scowl, Jien spotted four unknown crew members walking his way - all naked except for the Type III Phaser Assault Rifles in their hands. Evidently, the Weapons Locker had indeed become compromised. Jien bared his teeth and mouthed a grim Japanese curse as he turned to head in the other direction.

[L-Lieutenant Stark to Captain Ives,] came the static scratch from Jien's combadge, and he immediately covered it with his hand to muffle the noise in the otherwise silent corridor, [I re-regret to report sir, that Lt.Cmdr Hendricks, Chief of Operations, has died in the line of duty.]

"Over there! It is the Captain!" came the exulted cry from the group of people that Jien had tried to circumvent. Alas, there was no use in running now. He had passed several other pits of writhing naked bodies on his way already, and he would merely be rushing straight into them. No, instead, Jien straightened and stepped out from the corner - facing the horde of running people. With eyes like seasoned oak, he did not blink whilst they tried to halt their advance. To Lieutenant Stark, he said in that brief moment before the storm:

"Hold, Ms. Stark."

As images of 'Commander Hendricks, and the years they had served together passed before his eyes, Jien extended the pommel of his sword and made one running woman vault backwards from the impact - unconscious before she even hit the ground. Following through with the spinning momentum he had gained, Jien consecutively kicked in the kneecap of the following Klingon man - making him roar and stumble on disjointedly before crashing into a wall. The third - a dark-haired woman with eyes mad with carnal hunger - almost managed to come to a full stop before the carpus of Jien's hand rammed down into the nape of her neck, effectively rendering her into gelatinous state.

The fourth, a large Trill technician from the Tactical Conn department, unless the Captain was mistaken, had raised his rifle - the muzzle trained upon Jien's head whilst his finger curled around the trigger. Though Jien had already made his brutal cut in the air between them - sending his wooden scabbard spinning forth as if it had been shot from a cannon. The tip hit the raised assault rife, sending the aim off and making it cough and hiss phaser fire into the wall and the floor. Closing the distance, the Captain had only fractions of moments before the naked Trill had managed to realign his sights with his numbed hands. Fully aware that the steel of his katana had been bared, and he still needed the range, Jien was prepared to cut the man down. It was his last resort, yet he didn't flinch from it...

Yet he did when Thea materialised between him and his target - her golden yellow body suit a blur as she struck once, twice and then rammed the Trill's head into a wall panel. Sparks and the glimmering spray of the shattered monitor filled the intersection for a moment, before the bulky man fell to the floor.

Inclining his head to the Ship AI in gratitude, whom had acted according to her programming and protected the Commanding Officer, before she moved past him to deal with the screaming Klingon behind Jien, he took a deep breath to still his nerves before speaking to 'Lieutenant Stark. "With you being the Assistant Chief of Operations, Ms. Stark," he rasped through his teeth, "you will immediately make your way to the Main Bridge and take his place. We do not have any bloody time for tears, despite this grievous loss of a dear friend, so leave the scene right away. We have no time to waste... Ives, out."

Jien rounded on Thea, whom had ended the cries of the Klingon with incapacitating blunt force. "Locate 'Lieutenant Stark and assist her. She needs to find a safe passage to Deck 01. Have you spoken with Commander Nerina?"

"I have," said the Hologram and handed over an assault rifle to her Captain, "she ordered me to..."

"Her orders stand," said Jien immediately and was already moving away, picking up his katana's sheath mid-stride. He trusted his First Officer - he realised - to handle the situation. He merely wanted to confirm that she was uninfected. "Dismissed."

Captain Ives continued down the corridor without looking back, only dropping his eyes to make sure his rifle was set to stun.

---

[ Waste Management | Elsewhere on Deck 05 ] Attn: Natalie Stark

In a cascade of photons and forcefields being lit to frame her body, Thea appeared next to the Assistant Chief of Operations.

Her face was rather grim, and she wore yellow - uniformed for the occasion. Her own voice still repeated itself over the comm system, and she had already relayed the communications that Cpt. Ives had issued to the Senior Staff to other individuals that might need to be alerted. She had accidentally relayed it to Mr. Regal - because of his importance and his unique ..agreement with the Senior Staff, and only later realised that he had been having carnal relations several times already according to the footage she sifted through in the back of her head. She had included the Fighter Pilot named Nathaniel Isley since, which she was programmed not to divulge, she knew that his standing with both the Commanding and the Executive Officer was... unique.

"How are you faring, 'Lieutenant?" she asked and lay a hand upon Natalie's shoulder, the concern in her eyes quite genuine even though it was digital. "We need to get going. Are you ready to move out?"

---

[ Turbolifts | Deck 15 ] Attn: Nathaniel Isley

Behind Wolf 09's retreating back, Lisa was preyed upon by the hunched-over man until she finally let out a long, rising, animal mewl.

Yet by the tubolifts, nigh out of earshot, there was another voice speaking right next to Wolf 09 as he waited for the turbolift to arrive.

"Did you enjoy the show?"

If he would turn in ThanIda zh'Wann's direction, his gaze would fall upon a pair of bulging blue breasts. Should he fancy raising his eyes, he would confirm that it was the beautiful Andorian Deputy Chief of Security. Her skin was a soft shade of blue, similar to the colour of Earth's sky on a cloudless day. Her hair was pure white, hung freely down around her shoulders, almost touching the dark blue nipples that poked out from her ample breasts. She smiled seductively, patiently waiting for a response to her question.

If nothing else, the phaser in her hand would command an answer.

 ==Deck 5, Waste management== [ Attention: Thea ]
 
 The words had barely left Natalie's lips when the Captains response came back over the comm system, softly hissed "Hold, Ms. Stark." followed by the sounds of scuffling feet and raised voices.
 
 Oh no... her face paled, The Captains not alone. A look of mild panic washed over the young woman's tear stained features, as she worried after Cpt.Ives well being. The last thing she wanted was to have got the ships CO caught up in whatever it was that caused the two crewmen earlier to try and sexually assault herself, and the now late Lt.Cmdr Hendricks.
 
 Of course, just thinking about Hendricks again nearly made her bust out in a fresh wave of tears. So she was very relieved to hear her combadge go off again, even if the Captains voice sounded strained.
 
 "With you being the Assistant Chief of Operations, Ms. Stark," he rasped through his teeth, "you will immediately make your way to the Main Bridge and take his place. We do not have any bloody time for tears, despite this grievous loss of a dear friend, so leave the scene right away. We have no time to waste... Ives, out." The transmission ended before the young woman could respond.
 
 Natalie's face flushed red with shame. We don't have time for me to cry, she thought as she angrily tried to wipe the remnants of her early outbreak from her face. She took a few deep, calming breaths as she tried to get herself back under control, and asses the situation, figure out what she would need to get to the bridge. But when the ships AI materialized right in front of Natalie, just as she'd opened her eyes, the Asst. Chief nearly jumped out of her own skin in surprise.
 
 "Thea?" Natalie asked, her voice shaken as her left hand pressed against her own chest, above her rapidly beating heart.
 
 "How are you faring, 'Lieutenant?" she asked and lay a hand upon Natalie's shoulder, the concern in her eyes quite genuine even though it was digital. "We need to get going. Are you ready to move out?"
 
 "I-oh, give me a moment," she said, trying to form a smile as she moved her hand from her chest to gently squeeze the holographic hand on her shoulder, "You startled me, and I'm a bit of a wreck." Her smile was quickly becoming genuine however, as Natalie was truly glad to see the ships AI. Aside from the fact that Thea was far more skilled in hand to hand combat techniques then Natalie, and that she would know exactly where any infected crew members may be in relation to the path to the Bridge, Thea was one of the few people (for that is how the young LT viewed the hologram) on board this ship that Natalie felt able to be herself around.
 
 Giving the holograms hand another squeeze, and buoyed by the AI's physical presence, Natalie straightened up and smiled. "I think I'm ok to go now, Thea." She walked away from the other 'woman' and went to grab her tricorder and repair kit. Not knowing exactly what she faced, she reasoned having the ability to seal doors and activate certain systems could be useful.
 
 "Ok, I think all I need now is a weapon. Where is the nearest weapons locker?" She tilted her head a bit to the side, and added, "Oh, and can you please fill me in on what the hell is going on with everyone?"

Giving Natalie a quick comforting smile when the human gathered her gear and said she was ready to move out, Thea turned to the exit and led the way - talking over her shoulder while she scouted the path out of the Waste Management section and towards the corridors.

"I am afraid the weapons locker here on this deck has been compromised and almost emptied, and there are people just outside... having carnal relations," she said, the footage from that area upon her retina. "I am a Tactical Strike Cruiser though, and I have over thirty-one smaller lockers spread all over my decks. This way, please."

Leading the way down the corridor with her head held high and looking back every few seconds to spot any people appearing behind them, Thea then answered the other question in a low voice. "A contaminant from the planet's surface has spread amongst the crew over the later half of the day yesterday and during the whole night. Currently, since my internal sensors are not calibrated to detect the specific contaminant, I cannot give any firm statistics but for what I can see through footage of different sections of the ship. My calculated guess is that almost half of the crew are either fully infected, or just about to be. As for the nature of the contaminant, it is spread through bodily fluids, and it causes the victims to desire further copulation. As to what purpose, I cannot say, but the Cheif Medical Officer and Cadet Amikris Neotin may know more and tell you when you get to Deck 01."

Looking out from a corner, Thea checked an intersection before motioning for Natalie that it was clear to proceed. "Until I arrived to assist Captain Ives, I have been trying to keep women from being raped whenever I could, and talked men into running away from the infected women. This under orders from the First Officer. Now, I was ordered by Captain Ives to assist you in finding a way to Deck 01 safely, so as soon as we find you a safe passage, I will again try to help the rest of the crew. As you are aware, I can only be projected into one place at the time."

The closest weapons locker was still somewhat further to the bow of their position. Yet before Thea could get there, she spotted the bare back of a woman riding a man in the middle of the corridor - the male officer propped up against a wall and drinking milk from the woman's bouncing breasts. The man spotted them, but was too preoccupied and dazed to give them any real notice. The wet sounds of the giggling woman's vaginal orifice echoed faintly - slurping and sucking at the warm meat that it was preying upon.

Thea frowned, most of her emotional sub-routines deactivated, and looked around for another way. "We can either run past them," she whispered to Natalie, "or try another path. Though..."

It took her a moment to assemble the data, but she continued, "...I see now that all the alternative ways to the closest weapon lockers are likewise occupied..."

Natalie Stark fell in line behind Thea, crouching down slightly as she pulled out her tricorder and began taking scans. In the back of her mind she realized there was probably very little she could find with the hand held device that the ships avatar could not also sense, and point out, but Natalie wanted to at least feel like she was contributing.

Given the fact that two infected crew members had assaulted Natalie just a short while ago, she was not surprised when the holographic Thea revealed the weapons cache for the deck had been broken into. Nor was she surprised that there were more 'carnal', as Thea put it, relations being engaged in outside the Waste Management section of Deck 5. Natalie took a moment to shake her head slightly, physically trying to shake away the visions of just what 'carnal' might mean in this case from her mind. Come on Natalie, focus!. The sweet smell from earlier seemed to be floating down the hall. Maybe I can calibrate the tricorder to pick this up...

"Half the crew..." Natalie said softly, doing her best to repress a shudder at the thought of how many people were screwing each other right at that moment. The Lt was glad to hear that at least someone on this ship might have an idea about what was going on, but of the two people the hologram mentioned, Natalie only recognized the name of the CMO.

She did smile though, when she heard that Thea had been doing her best to protect the uninfected crew members, but at the same time, she realized that she now had a greater responsibility to get to the bridge as soon as possible. She didn't want to be the cause of another woman getting raped because Thea was occupied escorting her.

"Maybe, once all this mess is taken care of, and things are as back to as normal as they have been in the past few months, I can see about tweaking your program to allow you to be in more then one physical place. Times like these would certainly merit having that option." Natalie smiled at Thea when the hologram glanced back, before they continued down the hall. I should talk to the Captain about that, provided he doesn't kill me for nearly getting him caught. Her pale skin flushed red again at the thought of having caused some trouble.

But before Natalie could allow herself to slip back into self pity, the ships AI came to a stop. Natalie nearly ran right into the back of Thea, but was able to halt herself, peaking slowly around the corner.

"We can either run past them," she whispered to Natalie, "or try another path. Though..."

It took her a moment to assemble the data, but she continued, "...I see now that all the alternative ways to the closest weapon lockers are likewise occupied..."

"Damn," Natalie swore softly, surprising herself. She wasn't always this profane, but at the moment, she was stressed out enough that she didn't care. She bit her lip slightly as she tried to think, a gesture that would have looked cute in other circumstances. Come on Natalie, think! How to get past without drawing suspicion. She was having trouble focusing her thoughts, as they seemed to wander back towards the couple at the end of the corridor. The sweet smell hung heavy in the air, too much so to ignore. For a moment, Natalie's mind started to drift back to the encounter with the naked women in the Reclamation Center. They had teased about 'taking care' of Natalie.

"That's it!" Natalie whispered in a sharp tone. She quickly began to ramble off her idea to her holographic escort. "Thea, you can shift your appearance slightly, right? Change your uniform to look a bit more like a regular crew uniform? And maybe, um, add in details like flushed skin color, and sweat?" When the AI nodded, albeit with a confused look on her digital face, Natalie gulped a bit, and tried to keep a blush down. "Then here's what we do. We're not going to run by, or try and sneak past the group. We'll hide in plain sight." She then leaned in closer, as if the proximity between herself and the hologram somehow mattered to what she was going to say, and began to whisper...

[Edena's Quarters]

Her thighs were parted by William, and the whole thing seemed so surreal to her.  It was like a state of drunkenness at that moment, where every action her body made felt so distant and far away.  She was swimming in such a haze, she could barely register what was happening to her own body.  Then a new feeling came forth; something stiff touched her lower lips, oozing with something familiar.  That sharpened every sense beyond their usual amount, leaving the sensation of his entry all the more apparent, as her mouth dropped open and she let out such a deep moan, it almost sounded like she was in pain.  Long had it been since she experienced the sexual act, and to make matters worse, the infection he gave to her only heightened every little thing.  Her hands moved to her head, brushing through her hair; it was all she could do to keep herself from using them to stimulate herself herself further, as her body was begging for.  She didn't want to give in, and there were three other voices in her head shouting at her not to do it either.  They served as a sense of sanity, even as her body betrayed her, and bucked her hips forward in compliment to Bill's motions.  "Stop it!  I don't want this!"  She declared, even as her body displayed very much the opposite with each motion it made.

[Deck 15]

Nathaniel tried to put the sounds behind him, and not dwell upon them.  The guilt was killing him, but he knew if there was any hope in survival, it fell to the uninfected.  He might not have prevented Lisa's violation, but he could at least make certain she wasn't doomed to remain in such a mental state for the rest of her life.  His plans were brought to a quick end by a meeting with the blue skinned woman holding a phaser to him.  No matter how sharp his reflexes were, he had doubts about his ability to disarm her from the comfortable distance she held over him.

If it were any other time, he would have been pleased to see that naked body of hers.  He had some interest in it before, but he let his Vulcan side win over this time, and logic dictated there was far less to gain from giving in to any temptations to satisfy some urges with Ida.  If they survived the pandemic, there would be plenty of time to proposition her.  "Let me pass.  You don't want this, I'm sure."  It was hard to make an argument to her that would work, especially when her rational mind was lost, but what else could he do?  She was the one with the power as long as she held a weapon to him, yet he couldn't just allow himself to be infected, and provide not only another vector for the virus, but reduce the number of people able to assist in it's eradication.  If nothing more, he couldn't allow his choice to abandon Lisa go in vain.

[ Deck 05 ]

Thea listened to natalie's plan, and a blush rose up her cheeks - something that had not been possible any time soon after her initial activation.

"I see, however, I have amendments to the plan, which I think will prove more convincing - given how I have had first-hand experience with their behaviour..."

[ A short time later... ]

Sauntering, the image of the Deputy Chief of Security - ThanIda zh'wann - followed the retreating Natalie around the corner and towards the two people indulging in the coitus by the wall.

"There is no way you can escape, 'Lieutenant," said the hologram of the Andorian, stark naked and smiling rather convincingly. Behind those midnight blue eyes, Thea knew for a fact that Ida was one of the first she had noticed to be infected, and the likelihood that she would be recognised by the others quite beneficial. Also, by accessing the holographic images in her medical journal, she was able to make her projection quite believable after some... augmentations that the body get in order  to look like those of the infected.

Acting out the plan, Ida chased after Natalie...

...but they had not considered how the man would reach out past the bobbing woman in his lap, and grab Natalie's ankle. "I... I... want her too..." he rasped breathlessly, seeming surprised that he had said the words himself. With a dazed expression, he held on to Natalie's ankle - eyes running over her uniformed body.

The woman fucking him, however, caressed his cheeks and turned his head back to her breasts. "Soon..." she purred, "soon you will make her and many other women very happy..."

The stalling time did make it so that Ida would have to reach Natalie. Thus, the option to continue the act convincingly persented itself... yet so did another option.

The image of Ida struck the woman over the neck deftly, and then followed through with another strike upon the man. Both slid down to the floor.

Changing back to her golden body suit, Thea smiled to Natalie. "The weapons locker is right over there. I advise you to arm yourself so that we can make some headway."

[ Deck 15 | Turbolifts ]

Ida laughed out loud.

"Don't want his?" she asked incredulously, circling the pilot slowly - sauntering, making her breasts bounce with the steps. "Oh, I assure you, you want this too. Everyone does, of all species. People are spending their whole lives wrapped up in dreary jobs and careers, when they'd rather be having fun. Given a choice between duty and pleasure...which would you rather have?"

She raised her antennae and her eyebrows in query as she posed her question - eyes running all over Mr. Isley's frame. "Take off your clothes, or I will do it after I stun you with this handy little phaser I found. Either way, you will be mine. Though if you cooperate, you will have gotten some enjoyment out of it..."

Her grin was quite uncompromising. "Not to mention... how I will enjoy you between my legs, Pinkskin."

Hearing the commotion outside her quarters, Cir'Cie made her way toward the door.  Her body tensed, preparing for the worse.  Either one of the crew had resisted the indoctrination and been slain or slain the emissaries of their salvation.  She moved with purpose and intention swiftly crossing her quarters to the door and hitting the open panel.  Glancing outside cautiously around the corner she prepared herself and then lunged at Jien aiming for a swift stroke just below the rib cage, striking out at Jien's left kidney with her left hand well grasping at the wrist of Jien's swordarm with the other aiming to put pressure on the ulna and radius in an effort to break the wrist.

Assuming she was sucessful her next action would be to remove the sword and step in close pressing her breast to Jien's lips in hopes of stimulating the nipple enough to release its precious contents into the unsuspecting Captian's mouth.  The first step in a more through infection.

[Edena's Quarters]

William laughed, as he positioned himself just so, wanting his first stroke to be exactly right, his rough hands grabbing the young Trill's hips and adjusting her position on the bed. "You're doing very well, the other women I've welcomed to the light were by this point begging for it. Not that it matters, you're going to be like that soon enough. But well done all the same." he said, before his hips thrust forward, burying himself from tip to the very base of his shaft, his entire length forcing it's way into the young Trill's sex. He groaned, a long, loud groan, as the sensation overwhealmed him and he came, his shaft bursting with his seed, depositing it directly into the deepest part of her pussy.

"Well, that was unexpected." he said, laughing. "Still, it'll speed it up some, and don't worry, I'll be ready again in a few seconds... Take it as a compliment." he added, laughing that same jovial, annoying laugh, as he remained on top of her, his shaft slowly going limp, but after a few seconds slowly rising again, still buried inside her sex.

[Deck 15]

As he suspected, talk got him nowhere, but at least he made her respond, instead of just stunning him and getting it over with.  "I'm not a fan of duty, but it has to be done.What happens to this ship when everyone decides to see things your way?  It's left unprotected, unattended, and eventually will begin to break down and kill everyone on board."  Why was he still bothering with trying to use logic?  He didn't even believe in it most of the time.  It just had a use right now, since he was the level-headed one who wasn't looking to get laid . . . for once.

Then Ida gave her ultimatum; remove his clothes, or have them removed by force after she shot him with the phaser.  It wasn't much of a choice, but he decided to go with the option that had the best chances for overpowering her.  If he played along, she was bound to get closer, and he might have been able to overpower her.  Maybe he could even get his hands on the phaser and stun her.  Though he played along, he didn't look enthusiastic about it; he gave the appearance of a reluctant man as he unbutton his outer jacket and slid it off his shoulders, letting it drop to the floor.  He then gripped the hem of his white undershirt, and pulled that over his head, exposing the physique he had honed over years of hard work.  Letting that drop to the floor, he looked to Ida, searching to see if his appearance had begun to make her distracted, or compelled her to get closer, where he might overpower her.

[Edena's Quarters]

When his hands took her hips, a pleasurable gasp escaped her.  She couldn't help it, much like she couldn't help most of her bodily responses.  The heated yelling of Illya, Jona and Kiya were all that kept her from slipping into the same mindless state that most of the crew had.  They were merely facets of her now, and did not possess any biology that could cloud their judgement.  In the end, she was still infected, and lost a great degree of her ability to control her subconscious actions, but she still knew right from wrong.  It was why she could still say no to William, even if it must have just appeared like a game to him.

As quick as it started, it was over, with a burst of seed filling her, making that rational mind of hers think of nightmare scenarios of impregnation, even as her body writhed in pleasure, as if it had been injected with a fresh supply of some wonder drug, which the virus had made the sexual act into.  Her breathing intensified, which made speaking all the more difficult.  "Why . . . me?"  She finally managed to ask, begging to know why he sought her out.  What him want her so badly that he would break into her quarters, rather then just have his way with whatever came along?

[ Deck 04 ] Attn: Arcorn and Amatras Noetin

A group of three crew members had, after being blessed and now completely forsaken their duty-stations, taken up the activity to wait for people trying to pass through Decks 03 and 04. They had effectively disabled the turbo lifts to pass them by, and whilst they waited for new cunts and cocks to enjoy - like spiders having spun a web - they were plundering the weapon lockers and enjoying each other. It would not last, however, since they were beginning to get restless...

Yet suddenly, the lights went out, and they ceased their writhing and thrusting movements to look around them.

There cam a giggle from one of them... "Ohhh, we finally might have some company."

The sounds of shuffling bare feet filled the corridor, and then the searing white headlights of phaser assault rifles lit up - the beams of illumination searching for movements. They fired no shots, but they giggled as if it was all a good joke when they spread out - three angels of lust with flash-lights to lead them to new conquests. One woman, and two men, yet equally hungry for new flesh.

[ Deck 05 ] Attn: Cir'Cie

His mordant stride taking him to the corner, Captain Ives did not even have the time to look around it before a naked silhouette cast herself at him.

Nostrils flaring at the invasive cascade of scent, he was hit by the strike into his left side. However, he had by reflex tried to gain distance so he was moving away already when it connected. It hurt like hell, still, and the woman had seized his left wrist too - the hand holding the mouth of the scabbard that held his dai-katana. He snarled at her while he moved to intercept her intentions to get even closer.

She did not have the time to harm him further, though her grip bit into his wrist... for Thea had provided him with a rifle just recently, and he still held it in his right hand.

Shortest possible distance, quickest counter; a brutal sweep with the rifle against her. He aimed the swing against her exposed head, coming straight across. With the turning motion, he also swept his right leg low immediately afterwards. The first hit with the rifle would disorient her at the very least, and the second would send her hard into the deck - legs swept out form under her.

After that, he would make short business of her with his trigger-finger.

[ Deck 15 ] Attn: Nathaniel Isley

Ida purred and licked her lips when she watched the pilot undress his top half, yet she stepped no closer...

...not yet.

"Mmhhh... Delicious... Continue! Oh... what we'll do when the entire crew sympathises? Is it not obvious?" she said, and she ran her free hand over her left breast, down her abdomen, across her small white little thicket, and began to rub herself slowly - the scent of her potent nectar and her very bare expanse of skin filling the air before the turbolifts. "We need new conquests, all of us... And if there is no more to be found aboard, I would think we have to go somewhere we can find a few. A small matter.. nnnghh... to change the ship's course, and head straight for Starbase 47 at full warp. The Federation would not catch us in time... We are on the fastest ship in the fleet, remember? We even have escape pods, and Valkyries.... all ending up where ever they conveniently may."

Two fingers were pumping into her, and she let him watch it all - how her transparent fluids dropped and ran down her thighs. How she bucked her hips and thrust down upon her own digits. "Continue... I said... I want to see more of you, show me what you have to offer..."

The phaser in her hand was the only thing not moving - trained upon his virile chest.

==Deck 5==

It was Natalie's turn to blush a deep crimson when Thea transformed into the Deputy Security Chief. The stark naked Chief...She shut her eyes to block out the image for a moment, reminding herself that the projection was actually the ships AI.

"All right," the Ops officer said, mustering her courage, "Let's do this"

==Short time later, down the corridor== [ Attention: Thea ]

Natalie ran, perhaps not as fast as she might had this been real, but still fast enough to be convincing. She kept glancing back behind her, in part to sell the flight, and in part because she liked what she saw. Damnit Natalie, now is not the time. You don't even like women! But as the sweet smell filled her nose, at least one part of her didn't care.

But all of her cared when her foot was suddenly snagged, and the floor of the corridor rushed up to meet her face. She got her hands out barely in time, bouncing slightly with the impact. For someone getting his brains literally fucked away, he had a surprisingly strong grip. Natalie tugged, but couldn't get out of his iron grasp.

She missed what he said, as fear overcame her. The thought of being forced...it scared her, the loss of control. But what scared her the most was the fact that part of her wanted it. Natalie was so shook ,that she missed what was being said. She turned to look over her shoulder, eyes wide, when Thea in her Andorian disguise walked up, and promptly took care of her problems.

Changing back to her golden body suit, Thea smiled to Natalie. "The weapons locker is right over there. I advise you to arm yourself so that we can make some headway."

Natalie blinked a few times, then took a hand offered by the hologram to pull herself up off the floor. Her heart was beating a mile a minute, and a cold sweat had broke out on her skin from the encounter. Her face was flushed, and her breath short. She stood there for a moment, bottling all the emotions of the moment deep inside, forcing herself to take calming breaths, when all she wanted to do was run, or fall back to the floor and curl up, or grab on to the nearest safe person and not let go. But she was a Starfleet officer, with orders to carry out. Part of her knew she'd have some very long sleepless nights ahead, but for now, she couldn't focus on that. Instead, she focused on Thea. giving the digital hand a very real squeeze.

"Thanks Thea," her voice earnest. After a pause, she continued, "Right, weapons locker..." Natalie turned from the hologram, and made her way over the locker. She punched in her authorization code, and the panel slid back from the wall, revealing a small cache of options. She tilt her head to the side and bit her lip again, hip jutting out to the right as she assessed the display before her. After a moment, she picked out a type 2 standard phaser and stuck it in a hip holster. The LTJG then grabbed an assault rifle, her Starfleet training kicking in as she worked the settings. Almost as an after thought, Natalie grabbed a satchel of stun grenades.

Once she had assembled her own one woman arsenal, Natalie pulled her tricorder back out and took a few quick scans, looking for the best way to get to the next deck. She saw a few possibilities, and turned to Thea.

"All right Thea. What's the best way from here? The Captain ordered me to avoid as many crew members as possible, so even though I'm armed, I'd rather not have to blast my way to the bridge"

[Deck 15]

Shamelessly, she teased herself, plunging her fingers inside her sex, enjoying the sight of his bare upper body.  In his mind, Nathaniel suspected that she couldn't have kept focus forever; she was too driven by animal lust to keep her mind trained on keeping the phaser on him.  Just his naked chest was enough to have her playing with herself furiously.  It was his hope that her guard would drop completely when he continued.  Pushing down his pants, they dropped to the floor, where he stepped out of them, leaving him in just a pair of light gray boxer briefs; standard issue for the uniform.

He kept his eyes to the floor, making himself appear unwilling, to hide his intentions to use the act as a distraction.  With any luck, Ida was beyond the point where she had enough sense to even notice.  Just to be sure she was as distracted as possible, he decided to go all the way; he wasn't ashamed of his body, so he would use it against her in a psychological battle.  She spoke of invading star bases to continue the spreading of the infection; he knew the stakes were even higher then he had first thought, and couldn't let her win.

Pushing down the boxer briefs slowly, he unveiled what he had at an agonizingly slow pace, which was bound to only work her up even more.  Through some mental restraint, he managed to keep himself from getting erect, even with such a gorgeous azure body in front of him, pleasuring itself so feverishly.  Keeping himself limp only made it more difficult for her, and motivated Ida to get close enough to do something about it.

[ Deck 05 ] Attn: Natalie Stark

Thea waited while Natalie armed herself, keeping a look-out inside her head for footage of the area that would show whether anyone of the opposition was heading their way. When the question came, Thea needed little time to think before she tendered her tactical estimation of the best path for Natalie in order to reach Deck 01. She weighed in a few other things she knew as well into her recommendation.

"I spoke with Commander Nerina whilst she was climbing the jefferies tubes, and my estimation is that if you enter through this hatch here," she said and gestured towards the faint outline of a hatch that would lead out of the corridor, "and make your way towards tube junction Gamma 43.34 within a five-minute timespan, and bide your time by plasma flow regulator Epsilon-Seven, you will rendezvous with her. Reason I suggest this is that she is still unarmed to the best of my knowledge, and the odds of the two of you reaching Deck 01 would be increased... quite severely."

She had refrained from giving Natalie the exact increase of odds for it, since she had come to know that people were seldom receptive to her precise data. Moreover, the odds were still not fully in their favour.

Rumaging through the static at the back of her mind, she detected three situations where she would be able to keep people from getting infected. Thus, she bid her leave before vanishing. "Best of luck, and call on me if you need it, 'Lieutenant."

And then, she was gone.

[ Deck 15 ] Attn: Nathaniel Isley

Watching the Pinkskin disrobe in silence was utterly tantalising, and Ida bit her lower lip in expectation before the briefs were removed.

"Oh?" she said, all worked up and denied the chance to impale herself upon it. The flaccid state was something she was not quite used to seeing since the last evening when she had had her epiphany. She had always managed to make the men crave her bodily, and soon afterwards, in every kind of way. Little did Ida know about the activities in the Gymnasium that morning, which might have weighed into the progress of this particular conquest of hers. "Now now, I think we might have to do something about that, don't you agree?"

He seemed reluctant still, this pilot, and he was evidently strong. She might just come closer and let him scent her some more, but the woman she had used to be had been a thorough Deputy Chief of Security. She wanted to come closer, but with him neither warming nor hardening at the promise of what she had to offer, she supposed she had to safe-guard her own desires. Had he only seemed more eager, she would have felt less need to brandish her weapon.

"Lay down with your back upon the deck," she said in a sultry voice, "and make sure you lay down with your hands clasped underneath your body."

If he complied, she would continue rubbing her wet labia - well, she would regardless - but she would hold her phaser against his forehead in order order to sit down on his face, and rub herself against his nose and his jaw in long strokes. Perhaps, before she squatted down, she would let him see her fingers plunge inside herself, dripping all over his face with her feet on either side of is head. He would be hers soon enough, when the scent of her fragrant slit would come so close to his nose. Oh, she would ride his mouth, and he would eventually begin to lap up her delicious juices. All she would have to do next, when his body finally responded to her... would be to slide down his abdomen and bury his very much quickened penis inside herself.

By then, she would certainly not need to encourage him at phaser-point.

OOC: I wrote a bit about the actions-to-come from Ida, and let you decide what you want Nathaniel to do and when. I'll respond accordingly.

==Deck 5, weapons locker== [ Atten Nerina ]

"I spoke with Commander Nerina whilst she was climbing the jefferies tubes, and my estimation is that if you enter through this hatch here," she said and gestured towards the faint outline of a hatch that would lead out of the corridor, "and make your way towards tube junction Gamma 43.34 within a five-minute timespan, and bide your time by plasma flow regulator Epsilon-Seven, you will rendezvous with her. Reason I suggest this is that she is still unarmed to the best of my knowledge, and the odds of the two of you reaching Deck 01 would be increased... quite severely."

"Five minute time span," Natalie blinked a few times, recalling what she remembered of the deck layout. I am going to have to crawl really, really fast. She frowned, but thought she could do it.

"Best of luck, and call on me if you need it, 'Lieutenant."

And then, Natalie was alone. She gulped, looking up and down the hall way, before pulling the band out of her hair and shaking it free. She let it hang about her face for a moment, hiding behind the curls, before pulling it back into a tail and jogging over to the access hatch.

"Thanks, Thea," she said, patting the wall of the ship affectionately before ducking into the jefferies tube.

==Jefferies tubes, deck 4-3==

Natalie floped down on the floor , gasping for breath. Sweat rolled down her neck, and her hair was pasted against her forehead. She hastly unziped her jacket droping it on the floor, then the collar of her undershirt, as far down as it would go, and began to fan herself in the green glow of Plasma Regulator Epsilon-Seven. She looked at the chornometer on her wrist and chuckled.

"A whole minute to spare," she shook her head and pulled her legs in against her body, resting her head on her knees. Thea said to stay here and wait for the First Officer she thought, Natalie drew a mental picture of the First Officer in her head. Like most memebrs of the crew, she had met the half-Klingon woman upon joining up, and had seen her around the ship, but other then a few brief encounters, and one meeting, the other woman was a mystery to Natalie.

With a sigh, Natalie reached dwon and grabbed her combadge off her jacket, cliping it to her undershirt, before hopping up and wrapping her jacket around her hips, arms tied in her front. She then checked her phasers, and leaned back agains the wall, using the regulator for cover.

Just need to wait for the First Officer now...

[Edena's Quarters]

William laughed as he shook his hips, forcing another few drops of his seed out into her sex, enjoying himself. "Oh, Ida wanted you infected, and sent me to do it. I got a little distracted on the way, helped a few women out, you know how it is." he said, as he finally pulled out. He looked on greedily as he saw a trickle of his seed spill out of the Trill's sex, and his hand went to his shaft, which was already rehardening as he stroked it. "But I got here just in time, it seems." he said, leaning back on the bed, relaxing himself on her sheets. "So then, ready! How about you ride me this time? Fair's fair." he said, flicking his shaft a couple of times at her, encouraging her to impale herself on his shaft.

[Jefferies tubes, deck 4-3]

Nerina shook her head in annoyance, sweat flying off her. She knew that the ship was in a slightly decaying state, that some systems were down, that some repairs were delayed until such time as they had the resources and manpower to fix them. But when you were hanging over a 20 meter drop by a half broken ladder step, such considerations vanish, replaced by a desire to know who should have fixed said step and then to beat them around the head with the butt of a phaser rifle.

But she kept climbing, and found herself at another hatch leading upwards. She went to open it, but this, like several on board, was stuck, and it required some banging to open it. She knew that this would attract attention, but she had little choice. It gave way, finally, and she climbed up into the open space. The climb up had taken it's toll, as her muscles were screaming at her, and there was a small cut on one arm. Her pants had ripped open at one knee, and her workout top was now only held up by one strap, the other snapping as it caught on something, showing off a slither more of her right breast than was polite. She paused, looking around for naked people, as she let her muscles get some feeling back.

[Deck 3]

Adam waited as he watched the three unconscious victims of his initiation, counting down the time until they to would stir.  Hearing a sound from the hallway he grabbed the phaser he had had earlier and made sure the setting was for stun as he began to make his way out to investigate the banging sound.  After a few turns he comes upon Nerina's open maintance tube.  He slowly approaches aiming the phaser at the back end of the tube.  His eyes watching for any movement eagerly, hopeing to come upon a fourth victim.


-------------------

[ Deck 04 ]

As Ascorn cut the lights Amatras slowly made her way forward hugging the wall slightly and allowing her muscles to remain tense.  As footsteps began to emerge from around a nearby hallway both fell back into one of the doorways kneeling slightly on either side of the hallway to get a better view of their approaching guests.  Both having lifted their goggles to make it easier for them to function in the dark they were slightly blinded by the lights coming from around the corner and reached up to lower their goggles back over their eyes to protect them from the sudden onslaught of light. 

The bright light seemed to burn slightly at their retinas even before the light came around the corner, but thankfully the worse of the damage was prevented by the simple protection of the goggles.  As they observed the incoming humanoids were naked each tensed their throat muscles and focused on the two on the edges.  Sadly it would take several minutes for them to come within range, meanwhile they focused on the task of keeping their muscles ready for the encounter.  As their foes fell in closer they remained still and pressed against the walls tightly minimizing the appearance that they were there.  Hopefully their attackers would be to distracted to note the two Ash'reem who rested against the doorways.


[ Deck 05 ] Attn: Cir'Cie

Cir'Cie saw the rifle butt aiming for her and tilted her head to the side and knelt slightly to avoid the blow dragging the captain as best she could down as she knelt to shift his balance as best as possible.  As the leg came about she reached out grabbing it by the back of the knee cap and giving it a firm swift yank toward the ground with all her might well similarly pulling the captured arm down as well. 

Her plans were simple although most of the action had been reflex.  trap the captain under her weight, preferable unarmed if possible.  Once on the ground she would make her advance moving forward to attempt to put her weight down on his abdominal region, part of her even hoped he would cut her, the virus flowing in her blood stream would act as good a catalysis as her womb, although it certainly would be far less fun.

"now now is that any way yo treat a lady Captain?" She asked curiously.

==deck 3-4== [ Attn: Nerina ]

Natalie jumped where she stood when the sound of the falling panel rang out down the corridor, heart skipping a beat. Cool and calm Natalie, cool and calm. She wiped a hand across her sweat soaked brow, pushing the strands of hair that somehow managed to escape the thread that bound it at the back of her head. She brought her phaser rifle up, pressing the barrel to her cheek and squeezing back against the Plasma Regulator.

Shadows danced on the walls in front of Natalie, as if creeping along the access corridor. Her skin prickled, and she shivered slightly, even though she was covered in sweat from the heat of the regulator. Slowly, the shadow condensed into the form of a humanoid. She gulped, certain that whomever it was approaching her, be it the First Officer, or one of the infected, they could hear the pounding of her heart. As a body passed next to the regulator, Natalie stepped out and pointed the rifle at the back of the form in front of her.

"Freeze. Raise your hands, and identify yourself. S-slowly," her voice faltered at the end, having started low and steady. Can't take chances, can't take chances, just cause Thea said there wasn't any infected here doesn't mean there's no infected here...

OOC:
tag, you're it

[Deck 15]

Her mind was much more clear then he hoped it was, retaining some sense of both procedure and of preservation.  On his back left him in a critical position, as did having his hands beneath him, where he could not move quickly to grab the phaser from her.  Still, what was he to do?  She was still out of range, leaving him incapable of just reaching out and taking the phaser without getting fired on, and if he let her have his way, she was bound to infect him, and leave him incapable of helping anyone.

"That's disappointing . . . "  He said, allowing himself to sound saddened by her choice to have him get on the floor.  "I was hoping to see you on your knees . . . sucking me off."  He spoke, trying to sound as enticing as he could, to blind her to the potential danger of doing as he suggested.  With the way she was taking care of herself, he wanted every word he spoke to just be more fuel on the fire inside her, until she gave into her lust and went along with his plan, and stopped thinking of the possibility he was trying to stop her.  "I wanted to see those eyes of yours looking up at me while you had me in your mouth . . . see those cute tits of yours wrapped around my shaft . . . fuck, just thinking about it . . . "  He had gotten the mental images in his head, and it had an effect that Ida was bound to like; he was getting erect.  "We can't win.  Too many people are already infected.  I was just hoping I would get to enjoy some of it before I lose myself in it all, and can't even focus on how wonderful it all feels.  Truth is . . . I've been wanting to fuck that blue pussy of yours from the second I saw how hot you are."


[Edena's Quarters]

"That bitch!"  Illya spoke inside the mind of Edena, visible to her in the corner, pacing back and forth on the floor in front of the bed.  "If she was going to infect, she could have at least had the decency to come do it herself!  I mean, could I have flirted any more obviously?"

"I think you're losing perspective, Illya."  Kiya said, sitting back in the nearby chair, doing her best not to look at the pair on the bed.  Jona had walked out of the room; their joined equivalent of not being aware of what Edena was experiencing.  As far as he was concerned, someone put a 'do not disturb' sign on the door, and he was listening, while Kiya and Illya were left to manage Edena's mental state.  "Don't stop fighting, Dena!  Don't think about how this virus is affecting your body's physical responses.  Remember that you're being used against your own will!"

Kiya was right, but her body enjoyed it too much.  Whether it was from sub-par partners, or her body's heightened state of pleasure receptors, she had never felt so alive before.  With William laying back, expecting her to jump his bones, Edena got herself up, and even  began to work her way over, with the image of Illya and Kiya physically trying to push her back in her mind's eye.  She was soon straddling him, but had not allowed him entry.  one hand on his chest, she leaned forward, finally taking the phaser in hand.  "Push me off you . . . and get out."  She demanded, albeit weakly.  The sheer fact that she needed him to push him off said something for her mental state; she couldn't even bring herself to get off him.

[Deck 3-4]

Nerina froze at the voice. But even as she raised her hands and turned around, she had a smile on her face. What little she had interacted with the infected had told her that they spoke a certain way, a confident, lust filled tone of voice. The fact that the voice waivered at the end proved that whoever it was talking, they were not infected. "Commander Nerina, uninfected. And you would be...?" she asked, keeping her hands up, looking for the voice, wanting to make sure that the woman who was speaking was indeed clean.

Even as she turned around and looked non-threating, she still had one leg cocked back slightly, ready to spring forward and attack if she had to, not about to be caught out by a cheap trick.

[Edena's Quarters]

William looked up, his eyes going from her face, to her body, and then to the phaser. He then looked back up at her.

And laughed.

Not just a slight giggle, but a full blown belly laugh, continuing for several seconds. He wiped away a tear, and then shook his head. "Yeah, right. Why not give that to me, little girl? Then hop on. I'll forgive you. Hell, I'll forgive you if you shoot me. You're already one of us, even if you are putting up one hell of a fight. But hey, shoot me. Kill me. You'll still help us eventually. So either shoot me, jump me, or... I dunno, turn it on yourself and I'll go find another girl to fuck. Just hurry up about it." he said casually, as if he was dicussing the weather.

==Deck 3-4 ==
She held her breath as the figure before her stood still, before turning slightly to look at Natalie. The smile on the other womans face made the younger officer tense up, until Natalie heard her 'prisoner' say, "Commander Nerina, uninfected. And you would be...?"

Letting out a sigh of relief, and moved the rifle in her arms to an angle that wouldn't be threatening to the First Officer. "Lt.JG Natalie Stark, Asst. Chief of Operations. And dispite being covered in sweat, not infected, sir...er..ma'am?" Her statement ended as a question, once she realized that while the Captain prefered "ma'am" while in female form, Natalie had no idea what the First Officer liked.

Summoning what professionalism she could, Natalie continued, "The Captain had Thea assist me in escaping deck 4. She told me to wait here becuase you would be passing. I just wasn't sure you were you...if that makes any sense." she looked slightly sheepish, but then her face took on the appearance of someone who just remembered an important task.

"I was suppopsed to give you this, Cmdr." Natalie slowly reached to her hip holster, and sliped the phaser out into her right hand. She then slung the strap of her rifle off her shoulder, and in a surprisingly deft manuever for someone as on edge as the younger woman was, she flipped the phaser rifle in her hand till she was holding it by barrel, and offered it stock first to the XO.

"Thea said you were unarmed," Natalie paused, taking a moment to note the Nerina's state of dress. She gulped a bit, flushing slightly (not that one could tell at this point) and added, "You're um, also welcome to my uniform jacket. I took it off once I got here cause well, it's so bloody hot, but, um, in case you wanted to cover up a bit better, ma'am." her voice had become very quiet by the end of her statment. Way to act cool, Natalie

OOC: apologies for any typos. I havent had coffee yet, and my netbook doesnt have a program with spell checker on it.

[ Deck 04 | Corridors ] [Attn: The Noetins & Grayson ]

With the beams of sharp light licking and caressing the walls, ceiling and deck of the corridor like long flickering tongues, the advance of the three infected crew members was accompanied by the echo of their heavy breathing - their needs vocalised plainly.

They crept forward, none of them having more training than any standard Federation Officer that did not belong to the Security or Tactical departments. They might know what they were about, yet the only true experience they had had been earned during the course of the last couple of months - where they had defended their lives from boarding parties wearing the same uniforms as themselves. Moreover their motivations lay not in effective firing of their weapons, nor the search, but merely a means towards an end. They only had a sole motivation, even though it rendered some actions into necessities. As time progressed, they would become more and more desperate for new conquests, and thus their motivation would increase, followed by the more elaborate means they had to use towards that end.

For now, they were making lewd comments into the darkness, chuckled and beckoned for whomever had shut off the lights to come forth.

Then, at the far side of the corridor, opposite the advancing small force with the two humanoids hidden in-between, a new light blossomed to life.

The three infected came to a halt, watching the new visitors from afar - these newly perceived victims upon Deck 04. Only two of them raised their rifles...

[ Deck 05 | Corridors ] [Attn: Cir'Cie]

In the fractions of moments that Captain Ives had a chance to identify his assailant, he had not perceived that it had been a Vulcan woman. He did know, though, when she came on top of him - having been thrown down upon the floor. He had fought Vulcans and Romulans before, and knew that close quarters combat was not advisable. Even less so now, considering the circumstances...

...which he found himself doing despite himself: the scent of her intimate proximity making his head reel from more than the disorienting throw. Straddling his abdomen was the shape of his gorgeous assailant; her breasts ripe and bouncing above him; abdomen rippling with feminine muscles, her legs spread wide and her sex pressing him down. His loins were already answering to the vision, yet his blood had yet to course down to respond. No his priorities lay elsewhere, and his time with Junior Lieutenant Isley that morning rendered him less baited. There was a physical conflict, though, in how Jien's male Chosen Form had not been sated, whilst his female had...

Physically, that point was altogether moot. Rather, it was psychological - an effect of choosing to be a singular duality.

Gritting his teeth as he lay there with his free arm still across his chest from his wide sweep with the rifle earlier, he changed... into her female form, and spit her retort. "I for one should know."

To emphasise her last word, Jien struck the side of her rifle back whence it had come - a ferocious backhand sweep in line with the opponent's neck. Even if the Vulcan would lean away, she hoped to catch her in the head. Regardless whether her strike was true, she would use the momentum to roll them over - to gain the higher ground. Were she lucky, she might even manage to pry her wrist free in the commotion. From there on, it was a matter of blunt force to render the assailant unconscious...

[ Deck 07 | Medical Lab 2 ] [Attn: Amikris, Grayson, Jovela & Nelis]

"One more time... Now, push!"

With a grating noise of metal and exertion, Dr. Lucan cin Nicander and the male Nurse - Johnson, whom he had given his lab coat to cover himself up a bit - heaved upon the leg they had removed from a desk - jammed as it was into the side of the hatch that Lucan had managed to weld shut when he killed the nameless Engineer lying in the room since last night. Finally, the hatch bent the last of the way, the metal giving away far enough to allow one of the women to get into the jefferies tube behind it.

"There," said Lucan, breathing heavily and wiping his forehead with the back of his tattooed hand. He had not slept anything during the night, and during the last couple of hours of physical labour, he had removed his soaked through undershirt. He looked towards Xeanta and Amikris farther back in the Medical Lab. "Either of you willing to get into Main Sickbay and get the word out, and perchance - if you have a moment - make sure we get out too? Be careful though, No part of Sickbay can be considered safe ground based upon what you two have said about your time with your past... likeminded, if you permit the expression."

Stepping away from the half-way opened hatch together with the equally exhausted Nurse Johnsson, the CMO continued to add, "Make sure you come across some water for Cadet Amikris, unless you go yourself, and once you can speak with Threa, have her also relay the coordinates of Nurse Jovela and Chief Counsellor Nelis to some personnel at Security that is still sane. I would recommend contacting the Chief of Security first, and have him relay orders about a rescue operation. They might be in danger of being infected down there too... "

"I can go," said the Bajoran recruit Xeanta, but after having been raped and made into a sex-crazed zombie, she looked to the Cadet hesitantly, "but we can both get through the hatch, so why don't we both go? Its safer that way, isn't it? Better chance of reaching a transceiver that the Ship AI can hear us through..."

Lucan nodded to that point whilst he went back to the desk to assemble all his data. He handed both women a PADD. "Most importantly, since Sickbay is one of the few places aboard that still have working replicators, you need to uplink these and get us more syringes. Its also your best defence if you are attacked..."

OOC: Kitty, feel free to puppeteer and write dialogue for Xeanta in your next post where Amikris spreads the word, replicates syringes, and tries to get Lucan and the Nurse out of the room eventually. I will instead write for any kind of untimely assailants that show up while they are hard at work. Ascornfilm and WyteKnyte, when Amikris reaches Grayson (perhaps before, during or after the corridor scene at the top of this long post) feel free to arrange for their extraction from the planet. I will, of course, NPC in any way you feel like. Just send me a PM.

[ Deck 15 | Turbolifts ] [Attn: Nathaniel Isley]

The shift in the Fighter Pilot's demeanour was perplexing, and it rendered Ida's masturbation to pause in suspicion.

Yet oh, he was a sight; a prime specimen of maleness even before being blessed. She could not wait to see someone like him actually improve. She purred like a snake-charmer when she saw his erection slowly come, and decided that she could still take a few precautions even though she stepped closer, couldn't she? For the closer she got, she knew he was more of an easy prey. Easier, yet potentially dangerous too if he had some troublesome second thoughts.

"Oh, so you do want me now? Are you quite sure, Pinkskin?" she said in her otherwise conserved tone made sultry, and she took a couple of slow steps forward. Her midnight eyes were upon his body, much to her own enjoyment and subconsciously also to spot sudden movements that she did not like. She held her phaser low, by the hip, and she removed her wet fingers from her hungry womanhood. Her fingers were smeared - every digit a vector - yet she failed to realise this when she let her pistol change hands. Her dry hand reached forward to wrap around his swelling shaft, and she expertly stroked it with the phaser pointed towards his abdomen at close range.

"Before I let you watch me... suck you off, and wrap my breasts around your cock... tell me... what manner of fantasies have you been having about me since you first saw me? Perhaps I might indulge you with orchestrating one or two of them?"

This close, her fragrant skin and oozing sex, along with her grip around him were all means to overtake his senses - be it at phaser-point or not. She tossed hair out of her eyes, and looked up from his proud member and his body... meeting his gaze instead. She bit her lip and held back from kissing him since she was interested in the answer. In fact, she did have a few sketches of this Mr. Isley in her portfolio - done in the messhall to take her mind of the strife in her former life. In this new life she led, she doubted she would ever take up the brush again.

Why dream when she could claim the real thing between her legs?

[Edena's Quarters]

There was a degree of shock on her face, as William displayed little to no fear of the phaser in her hand.  Was he really so far gone that it didn't matter to him?  He presented the options, and it became even more difficult to keep herself strong.  What if I just did it?  I mean . . . it's not like I can get more infected, right?  She justified to herself, leaving Illya and Kiya to try and talk her out of it, discussing what a slippery slope she would be placing herself on, which even they couldn't keep her from falling down. 

Though Edena was still arguing the idea, her body already made the choice for her, lifting upward and coming down on the stiff member underneath her.  It was already moving through her passage when she realized it, her eyes going wide with surprise, just before she let out a shaky sounding moan.  Her hips were rocking, moving his length in and out at a slow pace, unable to bear any faster pace then that, or maybe it was her rational mind holding her back from getting completely reckless.

[Deck 15]

Ida had her fingers wrapped around him, drawing out deeper breaths from Nathaniel.  His eyes fell to the sight of it for a moment, finding it so sexy to see the difference in their skin tones; it reminded him of a night he spent with an Orion girl, and how much of a turn on it was to see her green skinned hand hold him much like Ida did.  He wasn't lying when he said he had thought about her in a sexual manner; she had the kind of body he never knew an Andorian could possess.  Every one he had ever seen were so militaristic and strong looking, with the women lacking any real sense of femininity.  Not Ida, though.  She was practically a model, even by human standards, and her features were exactly the kind he found sexy; she was different from human in so many ways, yet still possessed those feminine features Earth women had.

"Fantasies, huh?  I got one."  His hand stroked up her outer thigh, avoiding the moist areas of her body, fearful of infection.  He justified it as simply teasing her more and more by avoiding the most sensitive regions.  "I kinda like showing off how strong I am, and since you are so tough, seeing you submissive is even more sexy then the average woman.  Makes me want to put a hand on your shoulder . . . and push you down onto your knees, and make you put my cock in your mouth."  His fingers were trailing up her arm by this time, slipping around onto the shoulder, appearing ready to do just as he claimed he would, only for it to turn out to be something much more different.

The Vulcan Nerve Pinch.  Vulcan Neuropressure was something Nathaniel dabbled in, as something from his mother's culture that had some use.  It was very intense, and served the use of making lovers relax, as well as turning them on with something highly intimate.  The Nerve Pinch was the only form that was practical for combat; it took effect so fast, few even had the time to make a sound, let alone squeeze the trigger of a phaser.  Just in case, he did turn a bit of his side, taking advantage of Ida's loosened grip long enough to escape her hold and get the phaser pointing away from him, even if just barely.

OOC: I hope the latter half of this post is alright. I figured for the sake of expediency it would be better if we got these infected crewmembers out of the way quickly, so that the story can move along.

[Planet Niga] Attn: Jovela

Garen paced back and forth, waiting to hear back from the Theurgy about someone transporting them back up to the ship. From what he could tell when he'd finally got in touch with someone a short while ago, things up there had deteriorated even worse overnight.

Makes me glad I was down here, he thought, stopping and looking down at Jovela's sleeping form. He decided he should probably wake the nurse now, so she could have a moment to get herself situated before they were beamed up. He'd woken up with the dawn, wanting to get his combadge repaired as quickly as possible. Fortunately, that infected crewman had been kind enough to beam Garen and Jovela onto Niga with several medical supplies, from which Garen had been able to scavenge the proper circuits to get his combadge working again.

During his conversation with the ship above, Garen had been told about how the virus may have been brought on board. That had called to his attention the strange nature of the clearing in which he and Jovela had camped; he hadn't noticed it the night before, what with everything that had happened, but now he saw that it was completely devoid of any plant life. Finding that potentially useful, Garen had taken a sample of the soil while waiting to hear back from the Theurgy. Maybe there was something in the soil that could prove useful in curing this infection.

He walked over to Jovela and crouched down beside her, placing a hand on her shoulder and gently shaking her. "Jovela. You need to get up. We might be getting out of here soon."

[Deck 04 | Corridors] Attn: Arcorn and Amatras Noetin

David slowly stalked down the long, dark corridor, the butt of a phaser rifle held tightly against his shoulder as he aimed it down the hall. He was flanked by a pair of his security officers, two of only a few uninfected members of his staff whom David had been able to round up. They had just made their way down from the bridge, having recently cleared it of all infected crewmen, under Captain Ives' orders. When the Captain had contacted him, Grayson had been in the Security Center, trying to coordinate as much of a response to this epidemic as he could.

When he'd received his orders, David left a small contingent in the Security Center to guard it, then took six others with him to the bridge. With time being a factor, and knowing that many sections of the upper decks were still depressurized, they all donned EV suits and used the site-to-site transporters to beam directly onto the bridge, where they took its infected occupants by surprise and quickly subdued them. With the bridge secured, David left four guards behind to hold it and took the other two down with him to Deck 02, where they had begun sweeping downward, deck-by-deck, to clear the way for Captain Ives and the others who were trying to reach the safety of the Main Bridge.

He had reached Deck 04 just before the lights went out in one section. They continued toward the darkened hallway. "Douse your lights. And remember, stun only," David reminded his comrades. None of these people had any control over what they were doing. They came around the corner, and David saw the lights of three phaser rifles sweeping around the pitch black corridor, as if they were searching for something.

"Five contacts, three of them armed," Grayson pointed out. His companions acknowledged, both of them taking aim at one target apiece. He raised his own rifle and leveled it at the middle target, making sure he had him centered. David then flicked on the flashlight of his own phaser rifle to get the armed crewmembers' attention, and as soon as the trio paused and looked his way, he gave the order. "Fire!"

Three precise shots, and it was over. The infected trio collapsed to the floor, stunned, and one of David's officers quickly moved to separate them from their weapons as David swept his rifle around, trying to locate the other two people whose heartbeats he had heard. "You can come out now," he called out. "This is Lieutenant Commander Grayson, from Security. Are either of you injured?"

The two Ash'reem moved from their respective hiding places swiftly if slightly awkwardly.  Each offering the Lt Cmdr a quick salute as they adjusted their posture to be more dignified carefully positioning their legs so that the slight bend in their bones wouldn't be to noticeable.  "Lt Amatras Neotin, Chief Science officer, and this is Lt Jr Grade Arcorn Neotin, my ... mate." She gave a knowing smile toward Arcorn who's skin turned a slightly deeper blue at the last part of the comment. "We were on our way to meet the Captain on the bridge as per Thea's announcement.  Isn't that where you should be going as well Lt Cmdr?" Amatras said calmly as she allowed her arms to move to the small of her back in a more at ease position. 

Arcorn gave a slightly concerned look at the Lt Cmdr and then down the hallway. "If you're securing the way, I can tell you whats up ahead at least until you reach our quarters.  I would like to ask you to hurry to check on medical though, as our daughter never returned to our quarters last night.  She's been almost sixteen hours since her last soaking by now and I....we're concerned about the effects that may have on her health......even more so if this disease is something we can catch." Arcorn said anxiously as he moved to retrieve the two rifles passing one to Amatras well he examined his own and carefully cleaned it of any fluids that may be on it.  Seemingly unconcerned with the risk of touching infected fluids.

-----------------------

Amikris looked dazed as she got up, her skin surprisingly pale and dry.  The normally alert and attentive Cadet's reactions were slow and even as she stood up it almost looked like she was going to collapse at any moment.  As Lucan told her to move with the nurse and head out to get help she hesitated then nodded slowly getting up and making her way toward the door.  Even for her, her movements were clumsy as she swayed back and forth with each step the wobble of her flexible bones clearly displayed as she moved.  "I Don't have much choice in the matter sir, if I don't find water soon I'll begin to suffer more advanced stages of dehydration." she sounded anxious as she moved to climb into the jefferies tubes, followed by Xeantha. 

Amikris and the nurse make their way toward Sick bay, keeping an eye and ear open as they move for any areas likely to be unoccupied that may have access to water.


------------------------

As Cir'Cie saw the incoming strike from the rifle butt she leaned away as best she could feeling the full blow of it strike her in the forehead.  For a brief moment her hand tightened around Jien's wrist squeezing tightly on the tendon and arteries on either side of the wrist cutting blood flow to the fingers and hand in general.  Before falling forward onto Jien's torso, sweet smelling blood trickling out onto Jien's uniform and breasts. 

[ Deck 05 | Corridors ]

When the rifle connected with the Vulcan's head, the impact jarred Jien's whole arm. In the heat of the brief struggle, it was only when the assailant fell down upon her chest that the pain upon her wrist registered - this being the time when the grip loosened.

Vulcans... luckily a stoic species despite their strength, she thought bitterly, for I do not fancy fighting them more than I must.

Deftly disentangling herself from the body and getting to her feet, she shook her sore hand and flexed it while looking down both ends of the corridor. As she gave the unconscious body a final glance, she noticed that the shallow bleeding from the blunt strike to the Vulcan's head had left a small stain of the green Vulcan blood upon her uniform jacket. Since the jacket was a part of herself, removing it was not an option, yet besides the annoying smell, it was not like the blood would seep into her pores unless she altered her form to let that happen. As it was, she just had to wipe it off whenever convenient.

Checking the setting of her rifle and flexing her sore hand around the mouth of her scabbard, she moved on down the corridor - brown eyes staring dead ahead. Somehow, she needed to ascend to Deck 04...

[ Deck 15 | Turbolifts ]

Believing that she had pocketed this fighter pilot, she was prepared to indulge him in this fantasy. She had developed a great habit of giving men the fellatio over the course since she was blessed upon the surface of Niga, and enjoyed it immensely. "Oh, I do think we can arrange that... if you promise to kiss my breasts in gratitude afterwards..."

She bit her lip playfully, and bent her knees to kiss his chest, meaning to travel downwards... yet her legs suddenly did not support her any longer, and the last thing she heard was her phaser hitting the floor and firing one shot.

Then everything was lost in oblivion.

[Deck 04 | Corridors] Attn: Neotins & Jien Ives

David nodded to Amatras. "The bridge is secured; I have three guards up there to make sure it stays that way. You and your...mate should make your way up there now."

Now that he had a moment to breathe, David decided he should probably try to get in touch with Captain Ives again. "Captain Ives," he said, tapping his combadge. "This is Lieutenant Commander Grayson. Main bridge is secured; what's your current location?"

As he waited on the Captain's reply, David watched as Arcorn picked up two of the fallen rifles, frowning as the Ash'reem wiped them clean. "Are you sure that's a good idea?" he asked, nodding to Arcorn's bare hands holding the possibly contaminated rifle.

Arcorn nodded and gestured toward his palm. "Our anatomy is slightly different as you can tell by my hand, however the biggest difference, is located in our forearm extending up into our hand.  A series of glands that create the majority of our immune system.  Free floating proteins, viruses and Prokaryota lifeforms are bound and dissolve in our blood stream and on any surface we apply certain...secretions to.  The speed at which the disease is spreading suggests it can't be a more complex organism, as the more complex the organism the longer it takes for DNA to replicate.  Even Eukaryotas take longer to replicate then Prokaryotas, and judging by how long the away team has been back, we're dealing with a disease that likely only has a few billion Alles (sp), compared to the trillions upon trillions of Alles found in even the most basic fungi or parasitic lifeforms." He explained at which point he was interrupted. 

Amatras sighed, "What he's trying to say is the characteristics of this infection, are more consistent with a simple life form, compared to the higher life forms that can affect our immune system, we can say with a 95% probability that baring prolonged concentrated exposure, or infection of the respiratory, neural, or reproductive systems, our immune system makes likely immune to this diseases immediate effects, we will of course cleanse our hands before we take any risks that might expose others to any contaminates on these weapons."

[Deck 15]

The sound of the phaser going off made him glad he sidestepped, and avoid possibly being stunned, and waking up to find someone infecting his unconscious body.  Quickly pulling his briefs and his pants back up, he hid his shame, and grabbed his shirt and jacket off the floor, taking Ida's phaser at the same time.  It would serve him use if he ran into any more trouble along the way.  Entering the turbolift, he stated the command to take him to the assigned meeting place with the senior staff, breathing a sigh of relief as he realized how close he came to failure, even if it came in such a tempting form.

[ Deck 05 ] [Attn: Deck 04 gathering and Nathaniel Isley]

Chief Petty Officer Souvra needed a woman to fuck. It was one of the only thoughts that still circulated through his lust-clouded mind as he walked like a zombie along the corridors of Deck 05. He had to find a girl, had to get her alone somehow, had to put his mouth on her flesh and put his hand between her thighs until she was nice and gooey. Then he would shove his cock inside her, drilling her over and over again until he finally injected her with cum. After that, she would be like him - roaming around the ship, insatiably hungry for sex. He felt no pang of guilt, no hint of shame, no trace of pity at the thought of corrupting an innocent young woman. All he knew was that his penis was hard, and that his testicles were full, and that he needed a woman to fuck.

It would be easy to do. Deputy zh'Wann had tried to explain something about pharaoh moans or feral moans.... he didn't quite understand what she was talking about, but somehow his body was now producing a scent that would drive women mad, which was exactly what he wanted. He smiled, hoping that his own cock would soon be shoving up into a young girl's snatch, making her squeal with pleasure.

Then, as he rounded a corner, he saw the outline of a uniformed woman heading away from him far down the intersection. His eyes immediately fell to her swaying hips, and he began to sprint down the corridor - a grin forming around his panting breath. That smile vanished when the woman turned around, and he saw that she held a phaser rifle in her hands. Moreover, the brief stare she gave him almost made his cock flaccid - almost - for it was rage distilled into ice.

[Captain Ives,] came the faint noise from the woman's combadge, echoing in the last moments before the rifle rose towards Mr. Souvra [This is Lieutenant Commander Grayson. Main bridge is secured; what's your current location?]

Then the sharp sound came, the light going straight into his eyes.

---

Jien watched the naked man at the other end of the corridor hit the floor in a disjointed tumble of limbs, before she reached up with her free hand to respond - her katana now sheathed by her hip.

"Captain Ives here," she said and turned to resume her mordant stride down the corridor, checking the nigh depleted energy cell in her rifle, "Deck 05, heading for the port turbolifts. The aft ones were disabled from this deck and up. If you have reclaimed the Main Bridge by now, Mr. Greyson, I would suggest that we get a Transporter Room secured for our use as soon as possible. That way, we can move about selected crew members more expediently, and past the bottlenecks of Deck 03 and 04."

Hitting the button by the port turbolifts, Jien took a deep breath before continuing."Please make it a priority, but delegate it to your personnel, at least until the remaining Senior Staff have convened in the Briefing Room on Deck 01. How many have arrived so far?"

Yet before the answer came, one of the turbolift doors slid open, revealing an armed man. Immediately, Jien raised her rifle, finger curling around the trigger...until she saw the face of her morning lover; Mr. Nathaniel Isley.

In that momentary hesitation, she chose to speak instead - seeing now that he was wearing shirt and trousers. Images of him without them flashed before her eyes, but she paid them no heed. The comm link remained open, the static of the dark corridor on Deck 04 filling the loaded silence. "Drop your phaser," she grated firmly along the sights of her weapon, eyes uncompromising, "and prove your rectitude."

How? She had not the faintest idea...

[Deck 5]

The turbolift doors opened to the sight of the Captain, and like her, he was caught up in a brief flash of images from that morning.  It was, after all, the first encounter they had since that time.  her demand that he drop the phaser was met; he laid it on the floor in front of him and then raised his hands up, to display them well enough that she knew he was up to nothing.  "I don't know how much we're going to get done if we are going to be distrusting of one another like this.  I would think me still having pants on and not trying to get yours off would be a good way to prove I'm still sane."

How could he prove himself beyond that much?  Was there some magic means by which a person could show they hadn't degenerated into some sex crazed maniac, going about having their way however they could get it.  "I encountered Deputy Security officer zh'Wann on my way here, but managed to avoid infection.  It's where i got this phaser from.  The things I seen on my way here were enough to turn my stomach.  There is nothing attractive about this; indiscriminate copulation without any consideration for anything other then their own crippling needs."  He kept his hands up, searching Jien's face for any sign that his words might have proven something; the fact that he kept a cool head, and managed to keep eye contact with her the whole time, illustrating his hormones weren't running rampant.

[Deck 04]

"...If you have reclaimed the Main Bridge by now, Mr. Greyson, I would suggest that we get a Transporter Room secured for our use as soon as possible. That way, we can move about selected crew members more expediently, and past the bottlenecks of Deck 03 and 04.

"Please make it a priority, but delegate it to your personnel, at least until the remaining Senior Staff have convened in the Briefing Room on Deck 01. How many have arrived so far?"

"None of the senior staff had arrived by the time I'd left, ma'am," Grayson confirmed. "But some might have shown up since then. I've got three guards stationed up there to make sure it stays secure. I'm taking the Neotins back up there right now."

David nodded to Arcorn and Amatras, then continued his report to Ives. "I was contacted by Counselor Nelis earlier. He and Nurse Jovela are trapped down on the planet's surface. As soon as we take one of the transporter rooms, I'll make sure they get beamed up. I'll see you up on the bridge, Captain."

He cut off the channel and turned to the pair of security guards flanking him. "Transporter Rooms One through Four are on Deck Seven. Get down there and clear one of them out, then hold your position until further orders."

The guards acknowledged Grayson's order and hurried for the nearest Jefferies tube, and David turned back to Amatras and Arcorn. "Okay, let's get you two up to the Main Bridge. Maybe your daughter will be there waiting for us." He waved for them both to walk in front of him--just in case--and started for the Jefferies tubes.

[Deck 3-4]

Nerina shook her head, smiling. "Given the current state of the ship, you don't need to get hung up about proper terminology in regards to rank, Lieutenant. Ma'am or Sir, I'm not fussed." she said, seeing the worry and nerves in the woman's voice. She was probably about Nerina's age, and she wasn't the sort of officer to demand perfectly shined shoes in an emergency.

She nodded when the crewmember offered her the rifle, and she took it, quickly running through the standard weapon checking system, making sure the sights were right, that the energy system was properly aligned, that the safety systems were correct, and all the other small checks one was supposed to do before using a weapon. She strung the rifle around a shoulder, and then shook her head at the offer of the jacket. "I'm not exactly cold myself, and besides, being dressed at all is like a red rag to a bull, so I'll risk it, thank you all the same." she said, as she looked around. "Now then, we can't go up via the tubes, so we're going to have to risk a run along the corridors for a bit. Ideally we can just bypass the... groups of infected." Nerina said, choosing her words carefully. "But if they notice us, then we need to take them out quickly and without fuss. If we stop to talk, to try and reason, we'll just end up overwhelmed. So, run first, gun if needed. And if they get any body fluids on me, just stun me and go on without me. I'll do the same as you. Clear?" Nerina said, as she went to the panel leading into the corridor, ready to remove it and head out at a run.

[Edena's Quarters]

William laughed again, this one a deep throated laugh that was equal parts lust and victory. "Good little slut... See, it's not so bad, is it? Now don't be shy, plenty there for you, really work those hips!" he said, his hands moving to her hips to assist her movements, helping to lift her up and then help drive her down, his words becoming more indistinct moans as she rode him. He was soon silent apart from the moaning as he, and the infection, focused more on the pleasure and enjoyment than what she was doing or saying, his eyes focused on the union of their sex.

[Niga]

Jovela slept soundly, like almost all Risans. When you focused so much on the pleasures of the flesh, you needed your 'beauty sleep'. But after a moment, her eyes did open and she sat up. She stretched out, her bosom bouncing slightly in the morning air as her arms flexed above her head, even in the first moments of waking, her movements were somewhat erotic. She then opened her eyes properly, and focused on Garen. "Oh... Oh! Right then!" she said, getting up. "I'll get changed then... Shame." she said under her breath as she picked up a part of her uniform. She quickly dressed (another rarely discussed skill of most Risans) and then stood, awaiting transport, looking as professional as she had when she landed on the planet.

[ Deck 05 ] [ Attn: Nathaniel Isley ]

Jien narrowed her eyes along her sights as she heard the answers from both the CSec as well as the pilot in front of her.

"Likewise, 'Commander," she said to Mr. Grayson, her eyes still assessing the man she held at gunpoint. She realised, as she caught a whiff of the sweet smell clinging to her own uniform, that there was a way to make certain. A risk, yet the only option. She took half a step closer and pressed the muzzle against his gut before grabbing one of Nathaniel's wrist. She brought it to her nose, and smelled his skin - finding that he smelled just like earlier that morning, if perhaps somewhat better after a shower he must have taken. At this point, she lowered her rifle and stepped past him into the turbolift. "Pardon my mistrust, Mr. Isley. I needed to make sure."

Moreover, she had seen the Deputy Transport women down to the planet - for reasons yet determined - and Nathaniel had confirmed that she was infected.

"We need to ascend to Deck 01," she said, half to Nathaniel, half to the Computer.

[Unable to comply. Malfunction in Deck 03 and Deck 04 circuitry, module Beta 349 and Alpha 534.]

"Same as the other lifts," said Jien quietly glanced to Nathaniel while she slung her rifle over her shoulder and adjusted the sword by her hip, "we have no alternative but to climb. Please assist me. Wait..."

Before he moved to cup his hands for supporting her foot while she reached for the hatch at the roof of the turbolift, she crouched down and grabbed the edge of his shirt. She used it to rub off the Vulcan blood clinging to the top of her uniform chest, finally ridding herself of the pungent yet so damnably sweet scent that had harried her the past ten minutes or so. It had been a hellish time, steeling herself against the inclination to pause and stimulate herself. Her mimicked panties were already soaked through. Once she had rubbed it off, altering the surface of that part of her Chosen Form to assist in the task, she rose to her feet and tossed her hair out of her eyes.

"I suggest you loose the shirt here before we move on," she said, and tried to not lay anything more into the statement than was already awkwardly obvious given the morning they had shared. "Toss it and help me up, for we have little time to spare before anyone comes by."

==Deck 3-4== [ Atten Nernia, Adam ]

Natalie found herself nodding slightly, a look of relife on her face as the XO took the rifle from her hands, and put it through a quick series of tests. As Nerina declined the offer of Natalie's jacket, the ops officer took a moment to double check the settings on her hand phaser.

"Now then, we can't go up via the tubes, so we're going to have to risk a run along the corridors for a bit. Ideally we can just bypass the... groups of infected." Nerina said, choosing her words carefully. "But if they notice us, then we need to take them out quickly and without fuss. If we stop to talk, to try and reason, we'll just end up overwhelmed. So, run first, gun if needed. And if they get any body fluids on me, just stun me and go on without me. I'll do the same as you. Clear?"

Natalie gulped for a moment, imagining having to shoot her superior. Or being infected and having Nerina shoot me she thought. It was not a pleasent thing to contemplate, but when she got right down to it, she would much rather have the XO shoot her, then do something she'd regret later.

"Aye, sir," was all she said, softly, but resolute. She set her phaser to heavy stun, and gripped it tightly in her right hand. she moved to the opposite side of the access panel from Nernia, lining up her phaser to cover the enterence.

As soon as the XO popped the access hatch and Natalie confirmed there was no immeidate threat in front of her, the Chief of Ops ducked out from behined the wall and started off down the corridor, scouting for threats ahead, trusting her superior to check behind...

[Deck 3-4]

Nerina would have followed directly behind her, but as she bent over to duck under the top of the hatch, the loose threads of her top caught on a jutting out pylon, softly tearing further. She blanched slightly, and it took her several seconds to unhook it without tearing the top completely off, even now one of her breasts went from "slightly too exposed" to "A hint of nipple". But those seconds passed slowly, thus causing anyone outside the hatch to only see Natalie emerge, alone, as she began to head down the corridor...

[ Corridors | Deck 07 ] [Attn: Amikris]

In order to work more effectively, the Ship AI's holographic projection - named Thea - had picked up a phaser pistol in her work to keep - from what she could tell - uninfected crew members from falling to the wide-spread epidemic on board. And despite how well she could perceive through her systems, the experiences of her projected 'self' was far more... tangible.

Some of the infected she'd spotted had been moving from room to room, diligently searching for any men or women who had not yet participated in the contagious lust that had infected most of the ship. As she passed by a set of closed doors, she heard a woman groaning in the way that women groan when their bodies are being manipulated toward orgasm. Although she didn't take the time to look - since she judged it to be far too late to save her - she assumed that there had been a man in that room with her - a handsome, muscular man who had forced his way insider the victim's room and then inside her vagina. There had probably been screams and struggles at first, but now there were only those desperate, agonized groans - audible evidence that something irresistibly pleasant was going on between her legs.

Of course, it could have been the other way around. One of the ever-growing number of perpetually horny women could have worked her way into that room, catching its lone male occupant by surprise. The poor man would wake up to find a naked woman crawling on top of him. Commonly given her statistics, his stammered questions would be answered by a sudden kiss from her soft lips, a kiss sweeter than any he had ever tasted. That kiss would eventually move from her mouth to her nipple, where he would soon discover a squirting fountain of milk. The more he drank from her, the more excited he would get - until it finally got to the point where he just had to have sexual congress with her. He would happily allow the lascivious stranger to impale herself upon his upright arousal. Bouncing wildly up and down, she would satisfy both her lust and his. She would keep grinding her pussy against his groin, eagerly screwing him into a lustful oblivion from which he would never return.

It didn't really matter who had seduced whom. Either way, someone in there was being corrupted, forced into a mind-warping orgasm that would destroy his or her willpower and replace it with an insatiable hunger for sex. Thea could have tried to stop it, but it was much too late already, she was better needed elsewhere. Despite her emotional sub-routines being mostly deactivated, the sheer... scope of all of these data made her somewhat... light-headed?

She kept running, occasionally lifting her phaser to stun people in her path.

[ Main Sickbay | An half an hour earlier... ]

The sliding doors opened, allowing a dozen men and women to enter the recovery ward of Main Sickbay. It took a moment before the medical personnel working the last hour of Gamma Shift realised that something was terribly wrong - beyond the strange disappearances that had been taking place during the night. For none of the newcomers wore any clothing, but some of them carried phasers, which they pointed at the crew.

"Everyone stand up and move away from the patients and consoles," barked one of the naked men, whom some of them recognized as Security Officer Garret Sadone. The Nurses and Medical Officers  hesitated for a moment, but then complied. "Now take off your clothes." No one moved, excpet for their climbing eyebrows. Garret fired his phaser at one of the men, causing him to topple to the deck in stunned unconsciousness. "Take off your clothes," he repeated - a smile ever-present.

Within moments, everyone in the ward was naked - medics and patients. Some of the crew members cast sidelong glances at their fellow shipmates, curious to see how they looked. A few erections began to spring up. Garret pointed toward one of the Nurses. "You... come over here."

The red-haired woman looked nervous as she stepped forward. "What do you want?" she asked, her voice trembling. Garret nodded to his men. Two of them stepped forward and grabbed the woman, holding her arms. "Let go of me!" she yelled, struggling fiercely. "What are you doing?" Her eyes widened in dread when a third man stepped forward and knelt in front of her, grabbing her legs and forcing them apart. "Noooooo!" she cried, as he buried his face against her crotch and began to lick.

"Stop it!" shouted the Doctor in charge, suddenly rushing forward. "Get away from her!" Garret trained his phaser on the good Doctor, halting his advance. He nodded again, and this time two women stepped forward. Their breasts were full and firm, and as they began to rub their bodies against his, the Doctor's cock swelled and stiffened. He soon forgot about the plight of his Nurse, who was now moaning loudly in response to the tongue swirling between her thighs. No, the Doctor's attention was focused upon the third woman who stepped forward, offering him a taste of her swollen nipples. His lips locked onto her plump breast, and soon he was sucking her milk into his mouth.

It took only a minute or two before the Doctor and the Nurse were on the floor, having eager sex with their captors. The rest of the medical personnel and the patients observed the fornication with a mixture of dread and excitement. One by one, they were ordered to step forward. Some of them had to be coerced into orgasm, while others happily volunteered to get fucked. Whether they came willingly or not, they all came. With every new climax, someone slipped into irrevocable madness. Within half an hour, Sickbay became a roiling orgy. The usual music of electronic beeps and chimes mixed with a cacophony of moans and grunts, and there was not a single penis or vagina that was not soaked with cum.

This was when Thea got there, her sensors having picked up Cdt. Amikris - whom had been working with the CMO on a cure before them both vanished from her scope of perception. She stepped into the scene, and her eyes travelled to the hatch that just opened to the side of the recovery ward - revealing the Cadet and Xeanta - another of the Nurses that had vanished due to the malfunction in Medical Lab 2.

"Get out of here!" she called, looking straight into the Ash'reem's lensed eyes, "I will keep them occupied!"

And then she began to fire against those that realised that there were new vaginal orifices to fill with cum - clearing the path for the newly arrived. The phaser fire shimmered against her golden body suit as it coughed crippling limbo upon the leering and giggling people that went straight towards the hatch.

Little did the Ship AI know that Amikris and Xeanta had grave priorities - things that could only be done right there in Sickbay - that she could assist them with...

Amikris nodded to Thea. "Keep stunning them, clear a path to the replicator for us won't you Thea?  Start with the armed and move toward the unarmed infected." She asked as she began to make her own way there as swiftly and directly as possible.  Her movements were slightly irregular as if not fully aware but she still made her way.  Her eyes scanning the different locations within the med bay for water or medical supplies that could be of use.

Xeanta also made her way anxiously glancing at the other crew members nervously.  Part of her sympathizing with their needs as her own memories were sparked at the sight before her.  Spotting some of the clothing that had been discharged she began to gather them to dress herself along the way.  Straying alittle to close to the infected as she did.

Once at the replicator Amikris grabbed one of the IVs with saline solutions and impaled her arm with it well beginning the download and requisition of supplies from the replicator itself.  Designating a need for 300 syringes of cure to be dispensed in groups of fifteen, once every ten minutes for the next 200 minutes. 

[Edena's Quarters]

She saw where his eyes had landed; the place where their bodies had joined.  Even in her current state, she had enough of her mind to feel embarrassed about that.  "S-stop staring at me down there."  She must have sounded like such a child, to worry about something like that, even as her hips disobeyed her commands, and her voice began to betray her, allowing moans to escape from her.  Perhaps out of even more rational control, she crossed her arms, hiding her breasts from plain sight; her primal urges were so focused on grinding her sex up and down his shaft, it allowed her some more control over her upper body, it appeared.

[Deck 05]

"The captain won't be penalizing me for being out of uniform, will she?"  He said it with a grin, displaying little care for her seeing him without a shirt; it wasn't like she hadn't seen more of him.  He didn't extend the conversation any more beyond that, uncertain how much they could have been monitored under emergency situations such as the one they were in now.  Taking off his jacket, he removed the white undershirt, and then put the jacket back on.  Though he wouldn't normally, he buttoned the shirt back up, to at least prevent him from showing off that muscular upper body, if for no other reason then to prevent himself from being confused with the other barely clothed, or not clothed at all, who were a threat to the "normals" on board.

"Alright if I pick my phaser back up?"  He asked, looking to arm himself with something which he could stun any aggressors.  After getting clearance, he would holster it, and then get in place to provide Jien with the boost she required, crouching down and bracing his hands for her to use as a foothold.

[ Main Recovery Ward, Sickbay | Deck 07 ] [Attn: Amikris]

With her phaser in a double-hand grip, rear arm straight, Thea advanced into the recovery ward with a focused scowl - returning fire against those infected that had extracted their penises or tits from fornication in order to try and disrupt her holographic matrix. Shots grazed off the biobeds she walked along, yet her aim was true, sending naked bodies into the walls or toppling to the floor.

"I would advise you excused yourselves from here," she said - almost in a conversational tone - to the two she was giving cover-fire for. Behind her, the doors opened to admit a new group of giggling bare-skinned women from Tactical Conn. Without turning around, Thea made the doors slam shut, trapping the third in line into the recovery ward between the steel maws. The pilot cried out, but the safety routines did not make the doors hurt her enough to do more than trap her there. Thea was incapable of deactivating the routines, so it would have to do. The two pilots that had managed to get through did force her to turn and fire off a wide dispersion pattern that caught them all in one shot - effectively neutralising the new visitors. The one trapped in the doorway was left hanging suspended in Thea's pinch just to block the ones remaining outside.

At the time she turned back, two men had raised their phasers - about to shoot Amikris down where she stood by the replicator, yet at the same time, Nurse Xeanta had been pushed belly-first over the edge of a biobed - her arms trapped in a lab coat she had tried to pull on. The young male Klingon Nurse by the name Maal had kicked her feet wide and managed to ram his huge reproductive organ into her vagina before Thea could stop him. Even if Xeanta screamed at the top of her lungs for Thea to save her, it was too late for her, so Thea coldly shot down the two armed ones that posed a threat to the Ash'reem.

It was a blessing that she had had deactivated her emotional sub-routines, making the lost Nurse's cries fall on deaf digital ears. In her estimation, neither the Klingon nor Xeanta posed any immediate threat during the ensuing coitus.

"Please state the location of the Chief Medical Officer," she said across the room to Amikris, almost as if she was not doing anything out of the ordinary.

At the same time, the rear doors opened to admit more infected, brandishing assault rifles.

"There is no time," she said, just a bit louder, to Amikris - her last word disrupted a bit as she got hit and her projection wavered. "Run. Run now."

---

[ Turbolift 04 | Deck 05 ] [Attn: Nathaniel Isley]

"No, I won't, 'Lieutenant," said the Captain when he asked about protocol, too caught up in the idea of an epidemic on board to appreciate the humour.

Having to wait patiently for the pilot to disrobe and don his uniform jacket again, Jien had half a mind to bid him to leave the jacket as well - yet she caught herself in the final moment. Both because the suggestion would be unseemly, and also because her wish was somewhat affected by the sight of his permanent - yet perfect - physical form.

"Permission granted," said Jien when he asked to pick up the phaser, and a very small smile now did find its way to her features at his jesting manners despite the situation. She put her foot into his hand and hoisted herself up, making sure that neither the rifle nor her sword hit him in the face.

An old hand at crawling through jefferies tubes and access hatches, Jien made short work of the hatch, though balancing on someone's hands left her feeling somewhat uncomfortable and exposed - especially with the state of her nether regions being too close to miss for the man below her. Of course she let none of that show as she finally pushed the hatch upwards into the shaft. "Got it, now stand straight," Jien said as she adjusted her position to grip either side of the now-open hatch and set her feet upon Mr. Isley's shoulders.
 
Then, the power died - heralded by a shrill scream from the control panel and a momentary plunge of the floor. Utter blackness enveloped them both during the mechanical quake, until the emergency lights shuddered to life within the close confines. Though by then, the accident was already occuring.
 
Having reached for a handle on the turbolift roof whilst simultaneously pushing up from the shoudlers of the Wolf below, Jien found herself missing her target in the unexpected blackness and felt her stomach lurch and her inertia shifted in a downwards motion. The illusion of weightlessness was cut short when with a thud she found solid matter beneath her once more. Pupils adjusting the the fluctuating light, Jian had instinctively raised her arms to absorb the impact... though she crashed into Nathaniel's chest and made them both topple sideways.

Amikris frowned and looked at Thea, clearing her throat she closed her eyes as she began to speak in her 'native' tongue. A number of deep rhythmic sounds coming from her throat well outside the human range of hearing.  The language was not the same as English or even related really.  The most accurate translation that would come to Thea's computers was.

[Show/Hide]
 Reaching into the replicator's bay she pulls out the ten syringes and begins to back away from the replicator holding the syringes in one hand and pulling the IV in the other.  Her skin color slowly returning as the saline water pours into her blood stream.

As he heaved her up, and her crotch brushed past his face, he didn't think all that much of it.  Only that morning, he had been in the throes of passion with Jien.  The reminder that her clothes were just an extension of her body did make him wonder about how it would have felt for her.  Was having her crotch touching against him in a clothed state just as equal in feeling to if she had been naked?  Realizing that such thoughts were best left for less drastic times, he pushed them out of his mind, though found them coming back after the accident.

He didn't fully realize what happened until he was on his back, with weight upon his chest.  He would dare call it heavy, but she wasn't exactly a feather on his chest either.  His eyes moved to better see her on top of him, making him notice how he had instinctively grabbed her arms, which served to brace her, but also would have kept her close to him.  For a while, he couldn't say anything; he just felt her chest moving in and out as she breathed, and became consciously aware of his own breathing, and how it moved her up and down, ever so slight, as he inhaled and exhaled. 

"I'm sure . . . the thoughts I have are very inappropriate right now, especially given the circumstances of the infection."  At least he had enough sense to know that.

[ Deck 07 | Recovery Ward ]

Under heavy fire, Thea deciphered the language of the Ash'reem, for the ship's universal translator was - in a way - a part of her.

"We have a cure for this, the data is in this replicator, please transmit it to the Captain so it may be disseminated to other replicators."

Being an advanced Federation computer projection, she downloaded the data in the indicated replicator to a temporary folder before encrypting and spreading it into various parts of her database, yet since the Captain was on the move, the data would simply have to turn up on the wall screen of the Briefing Room as well as other selected places on Deck 01 - which was supposedly secure by then given the communication she had picked up between the Csec and the Captain. All this, while she ducked and rolled to take cover behind a diagnostics table and protect Cdt. Amikris on her way out of the Recovery Ward. She checked her phaser pistol, and found the energy cell nearly depleted.

To extract the young Ash'reem woman, she had to distract the opposition somehow. The chosen tactic of hers was readily at hand... now that Xeanta was being infected right there upon the biobed - weakly struggling below the hovering body of the Klingon Nurse. Her voice was broken by the thrusts of her assailant, her body rocking in the foreground of the phaser discharges aimed at Thea. "P-P-Please! D-don't.. nnnghnn... Don't l-l-l-leave m-m-me... He-e-elp m-e-e! Ahhh! Ahh!"

Thea's face showed no compassion, yet she knew that when she activated her emotional sub-routines again, the sight of Xeanta's face would haunt her. The struggling expressions of gratification and horror in her face... right before Thea extinguished the lights in the Recovery Ward.

In fact, she only dimmed the lights, to the exact level which still allowed Ash'reem to see. Yet to most other species, the difference was moot.

"Remove your goggles," she said to Amikris over the sudden din inside the ward - which now had made them invisible as they fought their way out, "and state the location of the Chief Medical Officer."

[ Deck 07 | Med Lab 2 ] [Attn: All Senior Staff Members with a working combadge]

Pacing across the floor of the Medical Lab, Dr. Nicander was worried at how long it took for Amikris and Xeanta to get there - to have the bloody door opened for him at last. Well, him and Nurse Johnson, whom was hardly the same kind of gratifying company as the Ash'reem and Xeanta had been during the night. True, he was not object to spend time with men if it served his purpose, but only to the point where he might gain something out of fraternizing with them. Men and women, they were all a means to an end, yet the latter did suit his taste a bit more. Oh, he had relished the affections of one or two men in his Academy days, but they had been instructors that would give him more merit in their reports - giving him the ship he needed for his cause.

Nurse Johnson was, in essence, a gnat - nothing to him. A subordinate of no interest. During the time of waiting, he conversed very little with the man, even though he was trying to explain how he had felt when under the spell of the infection.

"It was like waking up from a bad dream, or, I mean, not bad... but you know." The Nurse was spelling out is confessions whilst leaning against a table. "I remember most of it, but as if it's through a haze and... The things I did, I would never..."

It was the fifth time Lucan heard this, only with new words. The CMO suppressed the reflex to roll his eyes. Quelled the impulse to shut him up permanently with the edge of the computer console. The symbiont wanted to sodomise him into tearful silence, hush him like a babe and say everything was forgiven... yet Lucan merely kept pacing.

The warning came with the metal ringing of something slamming through the crack of the sliding doors. Lucan and the Nurse turned to face the entrance to the lab, and the CMO curled his tattooed hands into fists by his sides - ready to draw upon the powers of the Caroôn in order to assist flight. With the sleeves of his undershirt hiked up, the ropes of muscles along his forearms rippled with the tightening grip of restraint. The Nurse beside him looked ready to spew his guts upon the deck below their feet. At least Lucan was wearing shoes, should that come to pass. A curious thought given the moment.

After what seemed like dreadfully long moments later, the doors were pried open a bit by the leverage of the flat metal beam, then an arm came through, and with a mighty push of forcefield strength, the doors rolled apart upon their hinges - the lock now dealt with. In the opening stood no infected throng of people with leery smiles, though a body and a shape far too perfect to be of the material world. For there stood the Ship AI - the hologram aesthetically engineered into perfection. The sparks from the doorframe glinted across her skin-tight body suit. Golden and gleaming.

"Dr. Nicander," she said as she stepped inside - voice detached and pragmatic. Amikris followed the hologram, an IV unit in her arm. Xeanta was nowhere to be seen. Lucan's pale grey eyes saw that the Ash'reem looked far healthier already, before he returned his gaze to Thea. "By the Captain's orders, the Senior Staff are to assemble upon Deck 01 immediately. Your research and the chemical specifications for the cure has been secured. Please, it is urgent you spread your knowledge of this contamination, and don't let yourself become prey to the epidemic, for then they will know its existence."

Lucan could not help but snort derisively. "Your advice is superfluous, yet your assistance to get me out of this room not. Thank you, Thea. Now, listen to me, I have two colleagues in Medical down on the planet - Chief Counsellor Nelis and Head Nurse Jovela - and I know their approximate coordinates. Unless they have moved too far from the beam down site, extraction will be made possible."

"The Chief of Security is aware of that already," said the hologram, folding her hands behind her back and thus forcing Lucan to keep his eyes way from her gleaming bosom, "In an estimated time of twenty-point-five-two-two minutes, Security will have secured a Transporter Room for that very purpose. Unless Asst. Chief of Operations Natalie Stark reaches the Bridge controls before that. Regardless, they will be extracted before the Senior Staff meeting."

"I want them both there," he said, a cursory comment, to be discussed with the Captain when most convenient, "just like Cdt. Amikris here. Her assistance..." In his pause, in which he refrained to smile at the memory of her six-fingered hand around his cock in the Decontamination Chamber - the sight of the UV-lit cum of his decorating her breasts and belly - he merely swept his hand to indicate the room, "...in here, over the course of this night, have been priceless. Anyway, can you help us with a path to Deck 01."

The hologram nodded without comment, so Lucan only queried about the unsurprising fate of Nurse Xeanta before leading the procession out of the Medical Lab. And thus, he was finally able to use the comm system through Thea.

"Dr. Nicander to Senior Staff," he said as he took them all out of Sickbay - about to be lost to the epidemic, "I hereby confirm that I have a cure for the contamination on board. The chemical construction is secured in the ship database, and I will head to Deck 01 immediately. If means of Transport can be secured before we get there, please lock on to the location that the Ship AI provides, and get us there as soon as possible. Three people to beam up, myself, Cadet Amikris, and Nurse Johnson. Please make sure that the Chief Counsellor and my Head Nurse get to Deck 01 as well. Nicander out."

[ Deck 05 | Turbolifts ] [Attn: Isley]

After the fall, Jien raised her head to glance about, making sure the turbolift was not further compromised by the noise. Lying still, she listened for any people in the corridor with a concerned frown. Evidently, the lack of people properly working their shifts in Engineering, or with Operations Officers failing to distribute energy when needed, or perhaps just because of the damage upon the ship running unchecked, the loss of power in the turbolift might have been expected. At least the emergency lights are working. It would have become a difficult climb otherwise.

When Nathaniel spoke up, her focus reeled in upon the immediate situation, and she looked down into his eyes. His words stirred her more than they should. Perhaps it was the blood she had worn on her chest, or the lingering gratification from that morning, but she could not help but chuckle deep down in her throat. It was almost disturbing how well their bodies fit together, even when fully dressed. "Perhaps it is merely because of the infection. Perhaps... you have succeeded to fool me, 'Lieutenant," she said, and her big brown eyes blinked against the feathery touch of his breath. It made her eyes travel down to his lips. "It might just be you infected me already... this morning."

She had not meant it in any other way than a joke, but the double meaning struck her as soon as the words left her mouth. Would the pilot think her words suggested romantic feelings? Partly to cover her own embarrassment, and to distract herself from the notion to contemplate a possible Freudan mishap, she leaned down to kiss him - to smite the notion away and... No! Would not that make it worse? Her lips hesitated an inch away from his, her hands resting upon the hard planes of his chest. She studied him another moment, and found that her body willed her lips down towards his again, the aching need too much when that close...

Yet the second time, it was the combadge that interrupted her descending movement - their lips barely separated at all.

As the Chief Medical Officer spoke, Jien raised her head in chock, looking into Nathaniel's eyes the whole time. She tried to focus on the words across the comm system, found it harder than she'd thought. What was she doing? She did not have time for this. The fate of the galaxy rested upon her capacity to act. The crew needed her focused. When the CMO had delivered his message, she stood up. Brushing herself off with her hands, she cleared her throat and gritted her teeth.

"Again," she said, the cold of her vowels having returned, "I dare you to open your mouth unless something worthwhile comes out of it."

With that, she hoisted herself up with the pilot's help and grabbed on to the edge - beginning to smoothly pull herself up and over it. Before long, she lay herself in a prone position and reached down with one arm to help in lifting Nathaniel up as well. Jien grabbed on to his hand and braced herself against the dirty top of the turbolift - pulling the pilot up to the edge of the hatch. Then, she got up on her knees and assisted in helping him the rest of the way - happening to make a disarray of his one-layer uniform in the process.

Excess oil were standard to machinery - however well-kept and with all systems functioning - and had a tendency to stick to everything. Jien, on her part, ended up with her whole uniform and undershirt covered in grime. Or rather, her whole physical form. The shaft above them provided only some meagre lights. Jien thought that Mr. Isley's skin might not have been spared either, yet she doubted that it would make his permanent form any less appealing. Rather the opposite.

Pushing that errant and unimportant - if oddly persistent - thought out of her mind viciously, Jien found the ladder that led the way up towards the Decks above and moved to it in order to lead the way.

[ Deck 04 | The corridor outside the opened hatch... | Junior Officer Quarters ] [Attn: Nerina & Stark]

Having left the three women he had infected in the quarters behind his back, Adam Kingston was pressed up against the corner at the intersection near the hatch that had popped open - this after hearing the banging noise and the muffled sound of voices in the wall. The time of undecipherable conversation had given him a moment to reflect upon the best way to go about this, and he found that his training in the Sec Dept. had offered him a way. Thus, pressed up against the wall as he was, with a grin and a phaser ready, he went about his tactic with no hint of human sense of fear. His ambitions were purely primal, and he merely wanted to give the two women he had heard the same kind of blessing that he had gotten.

He extended his favour by leaning forward to make sure the first one had appeared and began to make her way forth - heading down the corridor parallel to his own. With one of them out into the open, he rounded his corner and closed the distance towards the open hatch, expecting the next to appear any second. He was lucky, for it seemed she was delayed somehow, and he was right next to the hatch by the time she emerged.

Only as he apprehended her, did he realise whom she was. It made his arousal throb all the harder... and his grin far more mischievous.

What he did was crude yet effective given the situation. He stepped up behind her before her step had built any momentum, and wrapped the bend of his arm around the top half of her head - covering her eyes and pressing her to the top of his chest. His phaser pistol her thrust into her side, and he held her with all his might - the scent of his bare skin his natural defence for any rash actions on the Executive Officer's behalf.

Since they left Earth, he had been hoping to challenge someone of the commanding officers, yet never had he dared hope he'd do it quite this way.

His smiling eyes directed across Commander Nerina's shoulder, Adam's eyes were drawn to the lovely behind of the running Operations Officer heading away from them, yet he said nothing but a wheezing sound hissing into Nerina's ear. "Hush..." The muzzle of his phaser, his breath and his scent was his means to instil obedience, "drop the rifle quietly, else I will shoot her down too, and spill my seed upon her senseless tongue once I am done with you..."

With his low whisper, he hoped to claim the XO, and leave the other one to one of his likeminded. For surely, she was about to meet the same fate eventually.

The whole ship would see things his way before everything was over.

OOC: Was not 100% sure Nerina did not wear her combadge (though I guessed she didn't), so I left it open whether Dr. Nicander's message interrupts the scene somehow. Natalie, however, will surely receive it through hers, now that the COps is dead. I have no ulterior motives with this assault, but leave it free for any kind of development. Also, see the OOC note below...

[ Deck 04 | Corridors ] [Attn: Grayson & Stark]

As the Chief of Security accompanied the two Ash'reem mates from Deck 04 up to the next deck by the path already found by the aforementioned human, Amatras paused when the Dr. Nicander spoke up, and told them that their daughter was there.

"Thank the currents," said Arcorn beside her and his smile made his goggles lift a little upon his cheekbones. They both breathed a sigh of relief and Amatras stepped to him so that she may clasp her six-fingered hand around his briefly, the mates sharing a moment of brief infrasonic words about the pride they held for their daughter. It was rude to speak too much in the company of a human that could not hear them, and the situation did not allow for much else. Amatras did, however, take the opportunity to say something.

"Lt. Neotin to Dr. Nicander," she said, her Ash'reem dialect heavy with the emotions in her heart, "Thank you for informing us, and thank you for looking after Cadet Noetin during the night." All parents held love for their children, yet the spouses of the Ash'reem were not only treasured purely on an emotional basis, but because they were the means for the survival of their nearly extinct species.

The answer from Dr. Nicander held a slight pause, but when the answer came, it was spoken with a warm tone - the smile evident in the syllables. [Oh, It was quite my pleasure, Lieutenant...]

Her mate turned to the Commander Grayson. "If you get me to the Bridge controls, or some other kind of controls on the way, I might be able to execute the Transports from there as well. I might be an Engineer, but I know my way about-"

It was then... they heard the faint echo of running footsteps...

Amatras and Arcorn raised their rifles as one, listening - lensed eyes looking at the intersections ahead.

OOC: Yes, Nerina, Natalie, David, Amatras and Arcorn are on the same deck as Adam Kingston. In my idea, the steps heard come from the running Natalie Stark. So, I humbly suggest we meld these two developments into something grander. I have no pre-set plans, so I invite any kind of initiative. Use the OOC thread to discuss openly if you all so wish, or simply shoot from the hip, so to speak...

==Deck 4== [ Atten: rest of deck 4 gathering ]

Natalie's feet pounded against the floor of the corridor as she ran past open and shut doors, too fast to glimpse the episodes of carnal delights displayed along the hallway. She barely heard the message to the senior staff over the sound of her own lungs gasping for air. Natalie wasn't out of shape, but she was sprinting quite a good deal more then was normal. I swear to God if I get through this alive and sane and not ducking everything in sight I'll go to the gym more

By this point the sound of her blood pumping in her ears was drowning out the fact that there were no footsteps falling other then her own ragged ones, no other person gasping for breath behind her. Natalie's entire body was covered with sweat, though most of it was concealed by her uniform. The phaser slipped slightly in her hand, and the ops officer stumbled a bit as she tightened her grip on the firearm. She could see the final bend in the corridor, knowing the way off the deck to be just around the corner...

...and through the person she ran straight into. A loud smacking sound of flesh colliding with flesh, followed quickly by the harsh thud of two bodies hitting the deck rang out down the corridor, as Natalie Stark ended up flat on her shapely ass, head bouncing off the floor, dazed and confused.

OOC: who wants to take what where?

[Deck 04] Attn: Natalie Stark

David watched the Ash'reem couple with a sort of detached interest. He had next to no knowledge of their species, but a parent's love for their child was something every species could understand. Watching the Neotins' display caused David to wonder about his own parents, his mother alone back on Earth, and his father somewhere hidden, his identity stolen by another being's for a still unknown purpose. Grayson had little love for his father, but even still, the Security Chief felt his emotions beginning to get the better of him.

He was snapped back to reality when Arcorn spoke to him, and he swallowed down the lump in his throat, nodding at the Ash'reem's words. He heard the sound of footsteps half a heartbeat before the Neotins and spun around, raising his phaser rifle. He held up a hand, signalling for Amatras and Arcorn to wait where they were, then he cautiously stepped forward, his rifle at the ready as he moved to investigate the sound.

David slowly approached the bend in the corridor, and he heard the footsteps getting closer to him. Frowning, he held where he was, and glanced back at the Neotins to wave them forward. Before he could do so, however, David was suddenly knocked off of his feet as someone ran straight into him. Grunting in surprise, David hit the floor and rolled, quickly pushing himself back to his feet. He blinked and shook his head, trying to clear the cobwebs, and picked his rifle back up, immediately aiming it down at the junior officer who was sprawled on her back. She appeared to be dazed, but David wasn't taking any chances. He was unfamiliar with this woman, and for all he knew, she could have been one of the infected.

"Identify yourself!" the Security Chief ordered, his rifle aiming straight at the young woman.

The two Ash'reem had bided their time in silence, waiting for the signal that they were to follow the Chief of Security.

Yet no more had he turned his head their way when a blurred shape appeared out of nowhere and collided with David Grayson, sending them both to the floor. At risk of hitting Mr. Grayson if firing from a distance, the two Ash'reem mates ran as fast as their out-of-water legs could carry them - meaning to assist him before the assailant managed to infect him. Their thin limbs were not accustomed to running, yet their forward momentum assisted them.

Lt. Amatras aimed her bobbing rifle at the prone figure all the while - Grayson already having rolled to his feet - and decided to rein in the pace so that she did not have to make an ungainly halt that would be too abrupt for her legs to handle. Her mate did the same, and they soon came up on either side of the CSec, rifles and goggles towards the woman that had crashed the scene - quite literally. In order to have caught the Security Officer unaware like that, she had to be running for her life and then some.

Amatras did not have the time to be proud of her mate when she saw Arcorn step past her and Grayson slightly in order to set his shoe on top of the hand that held a phaser pistol - securing their prisoner. His goggles flashed in the light as he turned his eyes to David.

"I recognise her," said the Engineer before looking back down - gaze along the sight of the rifle, "it is the Asst. Chief of Operations. Junior Lieutenant Natalie Stark."

Not lowering her assault rifle, Amatras seamlessly added to her mate's words from David's left side: "The question is whether she is infected or not, but I cannot detect any pheromones coming from her. Our family has been plagued by the gradually increasing scent of them, so she seems to be one of us."

"Indeed," said Arcorn, and he tilted his head a little as he looked upon the young Human female, "and I might venture to point out that she is wearing clothes, much unlike the infected we have encountered so far..." Any wife might have been slightly jealous in seeing - in this case detecting through scent - how her husband appreciated the sight of this Human's body - dressed as it might be. However, they were Ash'reem, and such a notion did not come to Amatras. Especially not in the present situation. They might be what they where, yet they had become Starfleet Officers along the way - their long lives leading them to serve the Federation before their own whims.

In the end, it was up to their captive to explain herself...

[ Deck 05 | Turbolifts ]

The moment was more intimate then the situation would have allowed for.  They were in the middle of a crisis, yet the two could just stare at each other in relative silence, teasing at sharing a kiss.  Had the blood that had covered Jien given her the smallest of infections?  Far from the extreme that the others had gone through, but enough to make her partially blind to what needed to be done?  If so, what was Nathan's excuse?  The blood on his shirt shouldn't have affected him as greatly as it would have done to her, considering her shirt was just shape shifted skin.

She spoke of being infected, but the words held more affection then anything.  It didn't sound like she was speaking of something viral, but something more emotionally tied.  It was bound to keep eating away at the back of his mind, but there was no time to discuss it.  They both got to their feet and tried again, Jien successfully getting overhead, and helping to pull him up, displaying that strength that was above that which her physical shape would have suggested. 

Climbing through the shaft was bound to be no easy task.  He was behind her, after all, and would spend a great deal of time with his eyes on her rear end.  Nathaniel had to wonder how it might have been different under other circumstances.  If they hadn't been in sexual contact that morning, would she have been so enticing to him?  Or maybe if he wasn't the kind of guy who would have slept with any attractive woman, might that have prevented him from having a brief fantasy of reaching out and groping that shapely rear in front of him?  As they climbed the ladder up, things weren't any different; he was still getting quite a view, and felt himself thankful, at least for controlling his urges, that Starfleet didn't issue form-fitting uniforms, or that this wasn't the age of James Kirk, where she would have been wearing a skirt he would now be looking up.  Funny how that one view made him completely forget about any of the oil and dirt that had ruined their uniforms; men truly did have a one-track mind.

[ Turbolift Maintenance Shaft | Decks 01-02 ] [Attn: Isley]

Yet Mr. Isley was not the only one self-concious about the situation, even more what had almost come to happen again in plain sight right there on the floor of the turbolift. Though Captain Ives tried to focus her thoughts upon the dire needs of her crew and her ship, her mind kept straying to her own dire needs of an altogether different nature. The mere memory of that morning was - by itself - incentive enough to contemplate what the pilot had referred to as 'regular basis', while the scent that she had been exposed to had only served to place an emphasis on the recollections of that dimly lit Gymnasium and what had transpired between her and the half-blood beneath her feet. It was a challenge she had believed herself far too jaded and weary from wars to even consider a challenge at all.

The Lone Wolf had merely been in the right place in the right moment - alleviating her of all her pent-up emotions though a series of mind-shattering climaxes that she would be forever thankful for. Yet what else lay there between them than the base act? It would not have to be more feelings involved in what she and him had done than what the poor infected crew members aboard had felt in their last moments of sanity; mere primal urges released. The difference was that they had been wholesome, and both quite at their right senses. At least under the circumstances...

Thus, her thoughts kept returning whilst she climbed, until she had to say something. Anything.

"Your SCO has not reported in for the Senior Staff meeting," she grated, teeth bared in exertion, both bodily and of restraint, "so you will fill his place. Carry his burden, until he has been recovered... or cured by Dr. Nicander. If no one else of your pack has come through this with their wits intact, you will truly have earned your designation as a Lone Wolf. Regardless, the needs of this ship when it comes to the tactical advantage of the Valkyries will fall upon you to handle."

At this point, they were just about to reach the mid-level between Decks 02 and 01, so Jien drew to a halt in her descent and turned around upon the rung at her feet so that she might look down upon him fully - her hands clasped around the sides of the ladder at her waist-level.

"Can I count on you, Mr. Isley?" she asked, realising too late that the pilot was still ascending, about to climb up in level with her unless he noticed her feet right before his face. Why had she stopped to begin with? Why was she swallowing? Why did she entertain the idea that he would climb up to face her right there upon the ladder, and she might be able to feel his breath again; the warmth of him so close once more? "Will you go out there alone, if needed be, to make sure this virus never leaves this ship?"

It was a dire if subtle question implying a great deal at his expense, yet no less of very great import given the circumstances... so why did her voice nearly crack at the end? Being a singular duality, why did she feel so feminine in his presence? Why was her lips pursed as she watched him... willed him... craved him to chase her and make the call she couldn't?

Right then, the weights of her sword and her rifle were inferior to the burden of her pressing duty. Still, she could not fathom how she might be one of them. Was this really who she was... in his presence? Had that morning burst some gates in her fortifications without her knowing it? At least her face did not betray her... not yet. Her austere scowl remained, demanding an answer from him.

If only that was all that she wanted...

==deck 3/4?== [ Atten: Grayson, Ash'reem's

"oh God my head..." Natalie moaned. She was having trouble focusing her eyes. She heard voices, but she couldn't quite tell what was being said. Spots were in her eyes, and a ringing in her ears.

And then there was a pressure on hand, followed shortly by the pain of her fingers being pressed into the deck by the handle of her phaser. The sharpness in Natalie's hand brought the rest of the world back into focus, and the younger woman found herself staring down the barrels of three rifles.

and I might venture to point out that she is wearing clothes, much unlike the infected we have encountered so far..." The voice of one of the Ash'reem said. Natalie tried to focus on it, groaning out "Not infected." as she squeezed her eyes shut. She started to bring her other hand to her head, but stopped, realizing that any motion on her part could get her shot. Better safe then sorry she thought, forcing the haze out of her head. A small part of her mind worried she may have managed to get a concussion. The flooring of a starship was supposed to be padded to prevent that kind of head trauma, but many parts of the ship had been damaged, and some of the protective padding was no longer in place.

With her ears still slightly ringing, Natalie opened her eyes again, focusing on the man in the middle, with three pips on his collar. "I'm junior Lt Natalie Stark,and I am not infected" she said softly, a slight hitch in her voice. "The Captain ordered me to the bridge. I was making a break for the next access tunnel with the XO. She was right behind me...." her voice trails off, realizing that other then the three crew members pointing phaser rifles at her, she was alone.

"W-where's the XO?"

It was hardly the kind of ceremony usually involved in such a promotion, but Nathan saw it more as him filling in then anything else.  The SCO was not present, so he was his representative.  At most, he was an interim Squadron Commanding Officer.  Even with just that much, he wondered how much personal feelings played into the decision.  Did she choose him because he was best suited for the job?  Maybe because he was just the only one she knew was still around?  Or was it due to a personal rapport built from their intimate encounter?

"I don't think most ships have an SCO at the rank of Lieutenant JG."  He tried to make light of the situation, feeling that the conversation had become too tense, and that the two of them were under enough pressure as it was.  His head ran into her foot, making him raise his head to find her stopped, looking down in his direction.  A thought lingered in the back of his mind, though he was uncertain if he should ever voice it to her, let alone under the circumstances. 

She seems like she had gotten more . . . feminine.  A thought that she was beginning to identify more as a female then as a gender-less being.  If such a thought proved to be true, could he have been the cause of it?  No, that was too arrogant of him to think.  One morning romp of passion, and he was changing her entire view of her identity?  Nathaniel must have thought highly of himself if he believed he could do that.

Then things turned grave again, at the thought of him being the only Wolf left, and what he might have to do if the ship became too far gone to ever recover.  Would he be able to give the order in her place?  Would he be able to execute it if the need was that dire?  It was times like that in which he wished he was more Vulcan then human; that he could turn his emotions off, and make the logical choice.  He had to make the choice the only way he knew how.  He had to search his feelings.  "We're just a hand full of people, on one small ship, in a galaxy too massive to ignore.  If the need comes . . . I'll do what has to be done."

[ Turbolift Maintenance Shaft | Decks 01-02 ] [Attn: Isley]

Looking down into Nathaniel's eyes where she stood above him on the ladder, Jien nodded slowly after he had made his pledge.

"Well spoken," she said, and hoped that he would live up to his words should the case be that they had lost the SCO and other higher ranking officers in Tactical Conn. To be the last line of defence for the galaxy towards the contamination and shoot down any shuttles, fighters or escape pods trying to leave the ship, or even utilise the Theurgy's shield frequencies in order to hit her where it most hurt. Something not so hard to do, now that their poor ship was in the state she was. Of course, there were other measures too, but Nathaniel just might turn out to be the their ace in this morbid game being played aboard.

The silence lingered, and Jien was trying to come up with something more to say at that point. However, she feared what those words might be, so she turned around to ascend the last part of the way towards Deck 01. The thoughts about what she might have to do herself in order to quarantine the contamination on board served to level her thoughts, bringing them out of the sphere that concerned Mr. Isley, and back to the dire duties she had. As the Commanding Officer, there were measures that only she and Commander Nerina might take...

Once they reached their destination, she tapped her combadge. "Captain Ives to the security detail on the Bridge, would you please open the doors to the turbolift. 'Lieutenant Isley and myself are just outside."

[Aye, Captain,] came the quick reply, and Jien could hear muffled voices from beyond the closed doors. A security override was made, and they were soon cast in the blinding light from the Main Bridge. Two silhouettes with phasers in their hands could be seen, and they would also be greeted by the sight of their grease-stained Captain having trained her rifle upon them - one hand still holding on to the ladder. She narrowed her eyes against the light and saw that they were dressed, and also saw the third officer guarding the captive group of naked infected people. It seemed they were contained within walls of forcefields, and since they had naught else to do, they were doing each other.

It was like a snake-pit of writing naked bodies, carelessly enjoying themselves as best they might whilst they bided their time.

Swallowing, Jien lowered her rifle and jumped from the ladder to the floor of Deck 01 and inclined her head to the posted security officer. "Computer," she said loudly as she held out her free hand to catch Mr. Isley as he made his jump, "On my authority, code Ives-Nine-Zero-Epsilon, you are hereby authorised to actively assist 'Commander Grayson's men on the Bridge with the Transportation of the infected crew members held here to the Brig. Moreover, you will also assist them with the task of getting the Senior Staff up here, starting with the Chief Counsellor and the Head Nurse that have been trapped upon the planet."

Jien had merely rudimentary knowledge about site-to-site Transports, yet far inferior to the task of executing such unassisted. She gave the situation some more thought. "Furthermore, all Transports have to be authorised by me personally until stated otherwise." She did know that the infected might use the Transporters to their benefit, and it was the least she could do until more drastic measures could be taken against them in a more organised way.

Then, she turned to Mr. Isley, careful about keeping her eyes away from the noisy gathering upon the floor of the Bridge. She had to get away from there..

"In my Ready Room," she said quietly, and withdrew there with the Fighter Pilot in tow - to await the arrival of what remained of the Senior Staff.

Once they were alone. She turned to face him again, stood there for a couple of seconds...

...and then kissed him ferociously, her dirty fingers raking through his hair.

[Deck 4] Attn: Natalie Stark, Neotins

David frowned at Arcorn's reasoning and nodded, relaxing a bit. He was not apologetic, however; as Chief of Security, it was his job to be cautious.

"Take it easy, Lieutenant," Grayson told Natalie. He crouched down beside her, looking the young Operations officer over. "You look like you took a pretty good hit to the head. Can you sit up?" He set his phaser rifle down and gently slid one hand under Natalie's back and the other beneath her head, and easily lifted the young woman so that she was sitting upright.

"I'm Lieutenant Commander Grayson, Chief of Security," he introduced himself before nodding to the two Ash'reem. "These are Lieutenants Arcorn and Amatras Neotin. Now, what were you trying to say? You were with Commander Nerina?"

==Deck 4== [Atten Grayson, Neotins]
The ringing continued to fade as Natalie focused more on the conversation about her. She had started to twist her head around to look for the XO, but that seemed like a really bad idea to her all of the sudden,


"Take it easy, Lieutenant," Grayson told Natalie. "You look like you took a pretty good hit to the head. Can you sit up?"

Before Natalie could respond to the senior officer, she felt a hand slip up being her back. She flushed slightly, blaming it on the hit she took to her head, and placed one arm on top of human's shoulder as she steadied herself.

"Th-thank you, sir," she managed softly as she slowly moved her head side to side. She sighed in relief when there was no blinding pain.

"I'm Lieutenant Commander Grayson, Chief of Security. These are Lieutenants Arcorn and Amatras Neotin. Now, what were you trying to say? You were with Commander Nerina?"

"Yes sir,I was with her," Natalie said, pushing some of her hair out of the way and at the same time gently probing the back of her head. She winced slightly. Oh God there's going to be a hell of a knot there she thought to herself before continuing. "Thea, the ships avatar, told me how to find the XO. We had met up down the corridor a bit, near the plasma flow regulators for this deck. I'd just armed her, and she told me to run down the hall at a sprint." Natalie looked around behind her, slowly, frowning. "She was supposed to be right behind me..." She turned back to the CoS, "Our orders were to get to the bridge at all costs."

Natalie pulled one leg up slowly, wrapping an arm around it and resting her forehead gently against her knee. "Damn room keeps spinning," She muttered softly, before looking back up to the group, "We didn't see anyone near us when the Commander gave the order, but at the same time, we didn't really take any good scans. Interference from the regulators would have messed with anything the tricorder might pick up."

[Deck 4] Attn: Stark, Neotins

"We didn't see anyone near us when the Commander gave the order, but at the same time, we didn't really take any good scans. Interference from the regulators would have messed with anything the tricorder might pick up."

"Yeah, a lot of things on this ship are still malfunctioning," David said, frowning. "This infection picked a really bad time to crop up."

He glanced back at Amatras and Arcorn. "If the XO's still on this deck, we need to find her, then get up to the bridge."

Grayson grabbed his phaser rifle and offered his other hand to Natalie. "On your feet, Lieutenant," he ordered as he stood up, slowly pulling Stark up with him. As the young woman stood, David put his hand on her arm and steadied her. "Take us to where you last saw Commander Nerina. Amatras, Arcorn, follow us and keep an eye out for trouble."

The crawl to the bridge had been a long one, and for Nathan, it had also been a tempting one, but they had finally made it there.  Covered in dirt, machine grease, and who knew what else, he felt filthy, yet conceded that Jien must have felt worse, considering her uniform was just an extension of her own body.  Taking note of the flesh pile on the bridge, Nathaniel couldn't help but he disturbed by it.  Not only was it awkward to see such a display, but it was odd to think that everyone still clothed was either going out the activities normally, or was watching the display.  Either option was just creepy.  "Should they really still be up here?  If the force fields fail, they can get out and potentially infect others."  He wasn't denying that the security team could react quickly, but they were dealing with a virus that could spread through any kind of fluid contact.  There was always a risk, and it seemed more sensible to beam them elsewhere on the ship.  Surely someone had skill with site-to-site transport for that?

Being called to her ready room, Nathan wasn't far behind her, unsuspecting of what waited for him inside.  At first, there was an uncomfortable silence, only for it to be overtaken by her lips against his.  He wanted to just enjoy it, yet there was too much nagging at the back of his mind.  It wasn't the first time a woman had tried to turn him on in the last while; Ida had attempted that only a short time ago, with intentions to infect.  Parting their lips, he pressed his forehead against hers, to maintain some degree of contact to assure her he wasn't rejecting her, but also to keep them from kissing again right away.  "You asked me earlier . . . to prove my rectitude.  Can you please prove yours?"  He didn't want to sound rude, but she was showing another side of herself that he wasn't certain of.  "You had that contact with blood, and I need to be sure.  I'm sorry if this offends you, but I think the Captain I have met on previous occasions would respect this restraint from me until I knew it was safe."

[ Deck 01 | Captain's Ready Room ] Attn: Isley

After they parted, Jien listened to the Pilot, swallowing to control her raging pulse. Her hands ran down from his hair to his neck and then to his shoulder, his chest. Oddly, she believed she was in control of herself, only responding to her emotions when in the presence of the half-breed. What they had done that morning must have shown her something she liked, and it happened to be something she was famished for. The current conditions on the ship did not help her at all, but rather made things more difficult. It was like something pure, newborn, was raised in the worst kind of conditions.

With her forehead resting against the pilot's, she opened her eyes - staring into his. Unblinking, with her lips pursed to blend her breath with his, she replied in a steady voice. "I suppose I cannot be positively certain," she said quietly, "and therefore I have made a grave mistake... Yet I am old enough to know myself, and under the present circumstances - with all that I have been through since before the defeat at Romulus - I know that I have craved this... lacked this kind of contact. I have been chiselled into stone, all my feelings washed away from the granite, and become a cold if perhaps... efficient version of myself. This morning, I came to know Female Form again, and I need that."

It was like hearing a stranger speak, when voicing one's innermost thoughts. "I need you."

Gritting her teeth, she pushed away from Nathaniel and walked towards her desk. She took another deep breath and raked her dirty hair back from her face. "Yet not until we both have gotten a shot of Dr. Nicander's antidote - just to be certain." She turned towards him and threw her assault rifle upon her desktop, her eyes made of dark amber again. "Not until I have reclaimed command of my crew. Not until we have isolated the source of the contamination. Perhaps not until we have left orbit of Niga. For my needs are quite inferior to the collective need of my crew, a meagre shout in the vast darkness of this galaxy... that encompasses countless worlds filled with hundreds of billions of people. A galaxy which is ignorant of what Starfleet has become."

Her jaw set, she pulled out her scabbard from her belt and produced an inch of steel to check its condition. "I am firstly the Captain, and secondly a man and a woman, so whatever needs I have will have be put on hold." With a loud 'clack', she rammed the steel back into its sheet and raised her eyes to Nathaniel. "I hope that answers both your questions, 'Lieutenant. The one you asked here, and the one you asked me in the Gymnasium."

Jien's gaze was unmistakable, despite the lack of a smile. A cold promise made.

When this is over, I will fuck your brains out 'on a regular basis', pilot.

[ Deck 04 | Corridors ] Attn: Grayson & Stark

Amatras heard the Human describe the sequence of her plight, and then looked towards Arcorn - whom was equally discomfited by the idea that their First Officer had been lost under the present circumstances. "Understood," said Amatras in reply to the CSec, and with her mate, she readied herself to keep a lookout on heir six as they made their way down the corridor whence the Operations Officer had come.

[ Deck 05 | Corridors ]

Blinking, Cir'Cie came to, her head hurting something fiercely yet the pain carefully controlled - subdued and compartmentalised by her Vulcan upbringing.

Knocked out by blunt trauma as she had been by the Captain's rifle, her nervous system had shut down by the chock and the concussion she had gotten. The nausea, too, was controlled, and she did not retch by the vertigo as she propped herself up on her elbows upon the floor of the corridor. The reason why she had come awake from her oblivion plain to her immediately, and despite the aforementioned training, it caused her to smile. It was so wonderful to be able to take gratification and express joy after all this time. What had happened to her was truly astounding. Quite wondrous. Plainly so, right then.

For it was so plain what had stirred her, so greatly appreciated; the sight of her breasts swaying on top of her prone form being the second hint right after the sensations coursing up her evolved body. It was the sensations of being given the cunnilingus, and she lay her jade green eyes upon the man drinking her nectar. He was already infected of course, perhaps several hours ago, and had merely came to feed of her blessed cunt. Perchance to awaken her too, given the vigour which he displayed in lapping between her spread legs.

"Ohhh," she said, revelling as much in the freedom to utter her delight as much as in the delight itself. "You really do know how to make a woman happy." The man grinned, looking into her eyes. As if on cue, he climbed up to kiss her, and to sheath his wonderful cock inside her. Cir'Cie gasped out loud and raked her nails down his back. The bleeding at the side of her head began anew, but the Vulcan could not care less.

"NNggh... Are you okay?" he grunted to her with a smile, having seen her injury.

"Yess-s-s," answered Cir'Cie, stammering from his trusts, "though they know a- ahhh - about our crusade now...  We have to be more clever... We need to think larger... We are... all competent enough to use this ship we are upon... to our advantage. We only... need to think long-term... and not just the immediate delights around u-u-us."

The man made no answer, too distracted to realise what Cir'Cie's words entailed. There was another voice that answered her, however. "My thoughts exactly," it said, and Cir'Cie turned her smiling face towards the speaker. It was the Deputy Chief of Security, leading a wedge of fighter pilots from the lower decks behind her. Her smile reflected Cir'Cie's in ambition.

Right then, Cir'Cie climaxed upon the Human cock, and began to laugh in the aftershocks. Considering the benefits of a more organised hunt, it could not be called 'duty' to enjoy themselves as much as potentially possible, could it?

[ Deck 01 | Captain's Ready Room ]

"Forgive me."  He spoke up, though he did not explain right away why he asked for it.  A hand drew across his face, the sound of his palm scratching against his facial hair rather clear in his ears.  He had a habit of making that motion from his right cheek across his mouth, obscuring the bottom half of his face, when he was searching for the right words to say.  "I did not mean to question your state of mind, especially your conviction towards fixing this problem.  You are just . . . such a different person from the one who scolded me down on the flight deck only a short time ago.  I guess I was still able to see you as a genderless being until recently.  Now . . . I can see you more as a lady, and I didn't know what to make it."

He hoped she wouldn't be offended that he only saw her femininity just a short time ago, and saw her as nothing more then a being in the shape of a woman, even as far back as that morning, when he had no problem servicing her womanly form.  She was right that they needed to set things aside, when the threat to the ship was so great.  They finally had a weapon capable of turning the tide; an antidote to the infection.

"This antidote . . . do we know if it is a complete vaccination?  Administering it to the crew could be dangerous if there is a risk of reinfection."  Would one antidote be enough to protect them fully?  Even better would be if it could transmit the same way the virus had; infect a couple crewmen and it might have spread back through all the others within a few hours, provided the effects weren't instantaneous.  If it functioned in such a way, it would have been an even swifter vector for the cure then just manually inoculating everyone.  "There are some physically strong among the infected, so I volunteer to join any effort to administer the cure.  Normal humans might be easy to overpower, but trained security personnel, or races with a greater physical power then average could be a threat to any medical teams."

[ Deck 01 | Captain's Ready Room ] Attn: Isley

Hearing the pilot voice his observations might have made Jien question herself, had she been less certain about her split appearance in relation to her mind. However, since that was not the case, she did not comment until he spoke about the antidote.

"I know as much as you do," she said and stuck her sheathed sword behind her belt again, "Dr. Nicander said that he had developed a 'cure' over the course of this past night, and I do not know whether it is a vaccine or a serum until he gets here. I am not too well-versed about medical research, yet I would reckon the former is quite a bit more hard to develop. There are, as far as I know, few vaccines for poisons out there - should that be what we are dealing with. Rather, I think its something that treats the contamination and does not prevent it. As for your suggestion, your point is noted, yet we'll see what kind of news the good doctor bears when the Senior Staff convenes."

Supposing that there was not much else to say about that for now, Jien frowned and looked down to her desk. Nathaniel's recent words came to her thoughts, so she decided to try and explain her nature a bit better for him - just so that he would not build his hypothesis about her with too little to go on. "This form of mine, which you now see, is a part of a singular duality, much like these..."

She opened her top drawer and produced her black lacquered hashi - her eating chopsticks. Holding up the two sticks, she explained in a patient and perhaps unnerving voice. "One of these cannot pick up the food, yet together, they make a whole, which surpasses the individual stick," she explained to the pilot, and as she arranged the sticks correctly in her grip, she changed... into his male form. His deep voice continued, his face as dirtied as it had been before the change. "How I can be both the woman you enjoyed this morning and the man you now see, you are asking yourself - trying to sort this out for yourself. So consider this; what would you be if you had my ability, and grew up in a society with a species of two genders; undergoing extensive social studies and thus realising that both genders makes one species whole. Would you not try to be complete as well, if you had that opportunity?"

Pausing, Jien put down the hashi next to his rifle on the desktop and stepped towards Nathaniel. After a step or two, he changed back... again appearing like the woman he had come to know intimately.

"While the two sticks symbolise the way I compose my physical identity, I am still able to take other forms. However, my adolescent years of such experimenting is over. Unless duty demands otherwise, I will appear as either half of the Human species and would never chose one of the two above the other. Still, if it would be demanded, I could for example mimic your appearance... but that would not steal your identity any more than it would take away from mine, would it?"

Her point was that her appearance was moot, yet she chose to wear the form that she found suited best both for herself and for her company. For why would she wear a form that was not favourable? She was both feminine and masculine, and Nathaniel happened to appeal to her feminine side, just as her Female Form appeared to appeal to him. Oh, she would not be alien to the idea of being intimate with the pilot whilst in her male form, yet if Mr. Isley had no such inclinations, why would she bother?

"So why just two forms, you might ask next..." she said, and a faint smile appeared as she came to stand before him, arms crossed underneath her breasts. "Ultimately, if you cannot identify yourself by the way you appear, both towards yourself as well as others, you loose your sense of 'self'. You need a Chosen Form to return to, lest you might get lost in such experiments. I might not appear like it..."

She paused and chuckled quietly, running a a few loose strands of hair behind her ear. "...but I am close to my mid forties, and my years of such experimenting are over." Looking up again, she raised and eyebrow in query. "Now, do you have any other personal queries about my nature? This might be your last chance for some time..."

Soon, the Chief Counsellor and the Head Nurse would be there, along with the rest of the Senior Staff...

OOC: Pardon, made some corrections with the pronouns. They are my rash when writing this char...

[ Deck 01 | Captain's Ready Room ]

When Jien spoke of business first, it appeared like his more personal thoughts were to be shelved, due to the need to keep focused on the job.  That part, however, proved more easily resolved then expected, given her knowledge was basically no different then his.  It left a void in conversation for a little, until she finally addressed the previous matter more fully.

Ives spoke of things that went beyond Nathan's realm of understanding, dealing with metaphysics and philosophy best left to scholars, rather then to fighter pilots with a penchant for impulsiveness.  At the transformation into Jien's chosen male form, there was a surge of discomfort from Nathan.  It was the first time since they were intimate that he had seen that form, which only served to remind him that Jien wasn't like any woman he had been with before.  As a strictly heterosexual male, there was something troubling to his mind that the woman he made love to that morning could also take the form he now saw in front of him.

With the question of what he would have done, given the same circumstance that Jien went through, Nathaniel's eyes moved to the floor, looking for answers he could not entirely find.  "I can't answer that question because it isn't within my perspective.  I have an identity; one forged by my gender, my genetics, and my given appearance.  I can't know what it was like to grow as you did.  You ask me if I would seek to explore duality, but with the life I have lived, I can say that I would be the person standing in front of you.  I'm sure in my younger years, I would have played with such a power; used it for skirt chasing, to take the form which appealed most to the women I desired.  As time went on, I think I would have been more confident in who I am, and like you, no longer feel the need for such experimentation."

Speaking with Jien always felt like he was trying to solve a riddle with no right answer.  She pushed him to think through things he never thought he would have been talking about before.  For many Vulcans, the idea of discussing such things might have been intriguing, but the half-blood didn't inherit traits like patience and his analytic abilities were limited to the cockpit of his fighter for the most part.

She offered him a chance to question further, with the risk of not gaining another chance until the end of the crisis.  Before he even knew it, he said it aloud.  "Do you think you will always want that duality?"  Did she foresee a time when she might have wished to be a singular gender?  Though their relationship was hardly strong enough to warrant it, would a continuing forging of their bonds make her wish to just be the woman in front of him?  What existed between them wasn't committed, but since they were dealing in questions, a "what if" scenario seemed something to pose.

[ Deck 01 | Captain's Ready Room ] Attn: Nathaniel Isley, Jovela and Garen Nelis

Hearing Isley depict how he would use abilities akin to hers whilst growing up did cause Jien to stifle a faint chuckle. The pilot was obviously embellishing his answer with jesting about the advantages that said abilities entailed in relation to adolescent conquests. She had not expected an answer to begin with, since she rarely got any other kind of answer than Isley's: that was impossible to imagine such a life that she had led, or even know what kind of person they would have become.

When the question came, it was not one of jocular nature. No, it was quite serious. Jien, however, had her answer readily at hand. Still, she might have a suggestion...

"I suppose I would be a fool to say 'never', yet I cannot see any kind of reason why I would forsake one half of my physical identity." Jien stood at arms length from the pilot, her arms still folded, and her eyes unblinking as they looked up into his. She hoped her words would illustrate just how much her Chosen Forms meant to a Chameloid. She wondered if the question had been voiced due to his discomfort with her other form. Moreover, she wondered if the question entailed interest in something a bit more serious than 'regular basis'. She could, of course, not know, so she moved on to tell him about her suggestion, for it was certainly not the first time she had been in this kind of situation.

"I tell you what, Mr. Isley," she said, realising that they had somehow never come to reach first-name-basis just yet. She smiled quietly to him where she stood. "I am well versed in particular set-ups when it comes to my changing form. In order to facilitate this situation, both in regards to our duties and positions, as well as what have happened between us, I suggest the following: In all dealings duty-related where you are attending, I will be wearing my male form. Yet in all manner of private dealings with you, every time the two of us are off duty and meet like this, I will be wearing this form. This will also help to show you when I deem it is fitting that we indulge ourselves in whatever may lay between us."

She lifted a hand to rub some dirt off his cheek with her thumb, looking at his skin as she spoke. "If it would help you... if it would allow you to cope with seeing my other form, you might even try and tell yourself I am two different individuals... Alas, that is all I can offer you."

After he had replied to her suggestion, the chime of the door rang, and Jien glanced that way.

"I suppose that was all the time we had," she said and looked down as she stepped away from him - her fingertips trailing down his jaw before they left him.

With her back turned to Isley as she walked to her desk, she changed... to his male form, and he folded his arms behind his back before saying the word.

"Enter."

When his face turned towards the sliding doors, the burden lay yet again heavily upon his brow.

OOC: Garen and Jovela, welcome up to the Bridge! Grayson's guards have now beamed down the people on the Bridge to the Brig and successfully beamed you up with Thea's help. These guards have also told you that the Captain is in his Ready Room in wait for the Senior Staff to arrive, so feel free to report in. Btw, as soon as I know the fate of the First Officer and the rest on Deck 04, I will be opening Chapter V. Until then, there are still a few loose ends to tie up, I'd imagine. PM me if you have any questions!

==Deck 4==

Natalie felt herself getting lifted up. She was grateful for the stability offered by Grayson while she got her feet about her. She paused for a moment though, recalling the XO's orders to get to the bridge no matter what. No, I can't just leave her. Besides, the LtCmdr outranks me, and he wants to go find her so...

"Aye aye, sir." she responded, banishing the internal debate.

Natalie shook her hand for a moment, then grabbed her phaser. Her fingers were still sore, but she could hold the phaser just fine.

Still shakey, the ops officer moved slower then she might otherwise have given the urgency. The sweat had cooled against her skin since she'd stopped her sprint, and she shivered slightly. "The junction is about 150 meters down the hall..."

OFF: guess now we wait and see if the XO is there or not....

Why did it matter so much to him?  Even Nathaniel himself wasn't certain why he was feeling fixated on the idea that Jien would only wish to be in the form that was appealing to him.  Was it just his ego going a bit out of control?  He had to square away such thoughts, and keep focused on the task at hand.  Her suggestion of using the form as something of a switch, in which her female form signified to him a willingness for some kind of relations between them, seemed an idea he could get behind.  Most women had subtle signals, but hers would be much louder and much more clear then any other woman he had ever known.  It was a literal transformation.

With the sound of a chime at the door, he quickly nodded in agreement, letting her know he favored her idea, just moments before her form changed to note it was time for them to get down to business.  In anticipation for the people who would soon be gathering, Nathan moved away from the door, giving more space for those soon to be joining them in the ready room, as the senior staff assembled for it's meeting.  He was to represent his entire division, causing him to stand up straight, as if looking to show more of a professional attitude, though he was sure he would still end up thinking more with his impulses then with Vulcan logic.

[Deck 4] Attn: Natalie Stark, Neotins

With Amatras and Arcorn flanking them, David walked alongside Natalie as they started making their way back in the direction from which the Ops officer had come. Their progress was slow, partly because Grayson knew Stark was still shaken up, and partly because he didn't want them to get ambushed by anyone because they weren't paying attention.

He kept the butt of his phaser rifle pressed back against his shoulder, but he had the barrel lowered, his eyes scanning the dimly lit corridor as he walked. He hoped Commander Nerina was alright; the last thing they needed right now was to lose the ship's XO.

Though Natalie had managed to steady her breathing, David's enhanced hearing could hear the young woman's heart pounding in her chest. Without glancing her way, he calmly addressed the lieutenant. "Try to calm down, Lieutenant," said the Chief of Security quietly. "I need you focused. We don't know what sort of trouble we might find around the next corner." As if he'd just reminded himself of their situation, Grayson quickly checked the charge on his phaser rifle. While he was aware that the weapon had plenty of energy left, the familiar action help him stay calm himself.

"Are you feeling any better?" he added, briefly glancing at Natalie.

[Deck 1 - Bridge] Attn: Jien Ives, Nathaniel Isley, Jovela

The blue shimmer of the transporter beam faded away, leaving the Theurgy bridge in its wake. Garen smiled at the sight. While the last few hours down on Niga had been rather memorable, it was good to be back on the ship.

He glanced to his side to make sure Jovela had made it, too, and grinned at her before one of the security guards caught his attention. "Welcome back, sir, ma'am," the guard said, nodding to both Garen and Jovela. "Captain Ives is in her ready room, she left orders for all Senior Staff to report to her as soon as they reached the bridge."

Garen nodded. "Thank you, Ensign," he replied before making his way over to the Captain's ready room. As he arrived at the door, Garen sensed two minds on the other side, both filled with conflicted emotions. "I hope we're not interrupting anything," the Betazoid murmured to Jovela before ringing the door chime.

The captain granted permission to enter, and Garen stepped into the room once the doors had slid open. "Captain, reporting as ordered," he said with a nod, noting that Ives was now in his male form. He must have shifted forms after the security guard had last seen him. That's interesting, the counselor thought.

He saw someone else standing behind Captain Ives, and he smiled at the man. "It's Lieutenant...Isley, isn't it?" Garen recognized the pilot's face from his psychological profile, but he'd yet to meet any of the Wolfpack in person.

[Deck 1 - Captain's Ready Room] Attn: Nathaniel Isley, Jovela, Garen Nelis

It was indeed the Chief Counsellor and the Head Nurse that had arrived first, and Jien smiled faintly to them in greeting as he inclined his head.

"Welcome back aboard, Lieutenants," he said quietly, and while he had previous experience working with Garen from the Vendetta, he had not yet had the pleasure to be properly acquainted with the Ship's Head Nurse beyond the commonplace introductions. Dr. Nicander was the one working closest with the Risan woman, and he had merely been reporting that there were no concerns with his staff in Sickbay. At first glance, the woman appeared to be perfectly... Risan, with all that it entailed.

After the cursory pleasantries had been exchanged, the Captain had seated himself behind his desk - his calloused hands folded upon the desktop. "Mr. Isley will be representing Tactical Conn, given how the SCO has failed to report in. Most likely, Commander Jaru is no longer one of us, but fallen victim to the epidemic. Likewise, Thea has informed me that Arcorn Neotin from Engineering will be attending us, since Chief Petty Officer Kalmil had yet to leave Sickbay before the outbreak." Jien's oaken eyes shifted to the Nurse, as if to confirm the fact that Chief Engineer Nolak had yet to recuperate from his valiant efforts of restoring equipment from Deck 08. Most likely, until proven otherwise, he had also fallen victim to the virus. "Equally, our new Conn Officer, Lt. Lance, is missing... along with 'Commander Hendricks and Edena Rez. 'Lieutenant Natalie Stark reported that Hendricks died in the line of duty, and as the Asst. Chief of Operations, she will be taking his place."

Grimly, Jien considered what might be worse; that his loyal and trustworthy COps had died, or that Edena Rez - with all her knowledge about how to best cripple their ship - might have been infected and stood against them.

"I understand that you two have been down to the planet during the night," he said, moving on to practical matters, wishing to know whether they had experiences that would shed some further light upon what was going on. "I am sure Commander Grayson have filled you in somewhat about what is going on, yet I still wish to know how it was you ended up on Niga and what prevented you from communicating with the ship afterwards. Also, I have personally seen how those infected have been beaming down women to the Planet's surface. This makes me wonder if you noticed anything whilst you were down there, or if you have any psychological or medical explanation - or guess - as to why the contaminated crew seeks to do such a thing... beside their common activities. "

As an afterthought, Jien gestured for them all to be seated with a grease-covered hand, since they were still waiting for the rest of the Senior Staff. While he listened to the answers, he opened his computer console and and checked the Bridge functions - making sure that their auto-piloted course around the planet had not been affected by the lack of Bridge personnel. Whatever little he had to correct, he did from there with some written strings of commands to the Ship AI.

[Deck 4] Attn: Natalie Stark, David Grayson

Amatras Neotin's thouhts strayed to their daughter, hoping that she would make it to the top of the ship safely. Like any mother, she considered that her poor child might be dehydrated after hiding in Sickbay the whole night.

Observing the the path behind them with their rifles raised, the Ash'reem mates looked as much backwards as they glanced ahead - only half-listening to the brief conversation taking place between Mr. Grayson and the Ms. Stark. Their hearing was more than good - even out of water - but the 'hum' of the ship did cause to overide the finer nuances that they might have been able to pick up.

Like for instance, the appearance of a dazed and confused Ensign Hannah Slaverton, designated Wolf 04 in the fighter squadron. She came out of an intersection upon wobbly legs just behind them - uniform cut and hanging askew.

Her smooth face was sprinkled with Human reproduction fluids. Amatras could tell this just as easily as she could detect the assault of the alien pheromone suddenly filling the corridor. Every indication in her appearance and demeanour suggested that she had been raped and thus one of current opposition... yet the Human seemed to be barely aware of them, so both Amatras and Arcorn stayed their trigger fingers long enough for the woman to whisper something through her parted lips.

"Where did he go..?" came the echo of her voice, "How could he leave me without fucking me as well..? Adam? Adam..? Anyone..? Can anyone please fuck me?" That was when the pilot saw the group, and something unnaturally wanton filled her vacant eyes - looking at Arcorn and David's bodies. "Hi... Oh, Please... I am dying for it... Can you not make me feel good? Can you no-"

Arcorn shot her down, and she slumped to the deck  - lying there sprawled out in her ruined uniform.

However, the sound of the phaser raised a call from the other end of the corridor - cheering voices and laughter, along with the first burst of discharged weapons coming their way. Amatras and Arcorn barely had time to turn around on their flexible legs until they had to throw themselves down on the floor. Raising her voice, she called to the others. "Might I suggest we take another way?"

She was unable to say -  in the heat of the moment - how many awaited them ahead.

[Deck 1 - Captain's Ready Room]

"It's Lieutenant...Isley, isn't it?"  The voice of Garen came forth, and Nathan looked his way.  It was his first time meeting the man, having avoided any opening interviews with the Ship's counselor.  He always thought such people, even in casual conversation, were psycho-analyzing him, leading Isley to avoid them as much as he could.  In this case, they were in a meeting, and Nathan felt he should at least respond to that much.  "Lieutenant JG."  he confirmed, not wanting to be given credit for a rank that wasn't his.  He was one rank lower in the chain of command, making him seem rather unfit to be running Tactical CONN, even for something as simple as a senior staff meeting.  It wasn't like there were any seniors who were able to attend, though.

[Edena's Quarters]

The Trill had managed to force her attacker out of the room, even if the damage was done.  Encrypting her door with Starfleet Intelligence codes made her feel safer from anyone else smart enough to hack a door, and prevent even a chief of security from simply waltzing in, no matter their clearance.  Sitting herself down in her desk chair, he tried her best to remain under control, but even the motion of shifting back and forth on the chair material was enough to stimulate her, while her hand was tightly held between her thighs, trying to rub herself but being denied by the rational part of her brain.  "Open a transmission to the Captain."  She spoke to the computer, giving a status update.  "This is Edena Rez . . . I am infected by the contagion loose in the ship, and unable to report directly to the bridge.  That said, my mind is still somewhat intact, and am willing to cooperate in whatever way I can in my limited fashion."

((Breaking Edena out of character lock with Bill Regal.))

Natalie kept taking the slow deep breaths, trying to still the beating of her heart. Having the Security Chief next to her telling her to calm down sort of helped, as did the numerical computations she started working through in her head. Calculus was calming to her, not that she'd admit it to anyone.

"Are you feeling any better?" he added, briefly glancing at Natalie

She glanced back at the senior officer, and nodded slightly, "a bit. Head isn't pounding quite as much" she shrugs very slightly, and uses one of her hands to wipe some of the sweat from her brow. I am going to take one very very long shower after this.

As Natalie was about to continue the conversation, the infected woman stumbled around the corner. The young Ops officer barely had time to register the semen on the pilots face, or notice that the exposed flesh was causing Natalie's heart to beat faster, before Arcorn shot the poor woman down. probalby for the best Natalie thought as she let out the breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding.

"Might I suggest we take another way?"

Before she could respond,  the phaser fire picked up, and Natalie was on the floor with the rest of her group, sliding as close t the wall as she could.

"yes, anotehr way sounds like an excellent idea!" she called out, heart pounding in her chest. She fumbled for her tricoder, bringing it forward to see if she could get a good scan on what their options were.

"we can back up and hit the cross junction, sir," she addressed Grayson,  before trying to press herself further into the deck, as a particularly close beam passed over head

[Deck 1 - Captain's Ready Room] Attn: Jien Ives, Nathaniel Isley, Edena Rez

Garen nodded his thanks to Captain Ives as he took a seat. "Well, sir, to answer your first question, Nurse Jovela and I were in Sickbay last night when one of the infected crewmembers beamed us into Transporter Room Three. I think he was just trying to transport Jovela, but when I removed her combadge to stop him, he switched to a wide-range beam and ended up transporting both of us, along with some equipment from Sickbay.

"When we arrived in the transporter room, we were accosted by the crewman, as well as several other infected members of the crew. During our escape, one of the infected was knocked back into the transporter controls and they must have activated it, because the next thing the two of us knew, we were standing on the surface of Niga." Garen winced as he continued his story. "I would have tried contacting someone up here, but my own combadge was damaged in the scuffle. Fortunately, some of that equipment from Sickbay was also beamed down with us. I'm no engineer, but I was able to replace the damaged circuitry with some from the Sickbay gear."

The counselor took a moment to gather his thoughts as he considered Jien's second question. "We didn't notice anything out of the ordinary while we were down there," Garen said, briefly glancing at Jovela before turning back to Jien. "But if I were to guess, it seems obvious that whatever this infection is, it started down on the surface. I would suggest that one of the members of the away team came into contact with something down there and brought it back with them, then began spreading it to the rest of the crew.

"The contaminated crew seem to desire nothing more than to copulate with others until everyone on the ship is infected. They appear to be driven on an instinctual level, and seem to have no concern for anything else. Perhaps there's a greater purpose behind all of this, and the infected are beaming women down to the surface to return to the source of this infection, though I can't say why without--"

Garen's analysis was suddenly interrupted when the computer chirped, signaling an incoming message. "This is Edena Rez . . . I am infected by the contagion loose in the ship, and unable to report directly to the bridge.  That said, my mind is still somewhat intact, and am willing to cooperate in whatever way I can in my limited fashion."

[Deck 4 - Corridor] Attn: Natalie Stark, Neotins

Grayson nodded at Natalie's reply. He could tell how nervous the young Operations Officer was, but he was pleased that she seemed to have managed to force her anxiety into the back of her mind so that she could focus on the situation at hand.

Before he could respond, however, the infected ensign appeared, her uniform torn and disheveled, her pretty face slick with human semen. David's enhanced sense of smell could pick up the woman's pheromones even from this distance, and he felt himself hesitating as they began to play with his thoughts, urging the man to give the ensign what she needed.

Fortunately, Amatras lifted her phaser and stunned the young woman before David could succumb to such thoughts. As the ensign crumpled to the floor, David suddenly exhaled, having not realized before now that he had been holding his breath. He heard Natalie Stark's heart pounding in her chest again, and in his peripheral vision he saw the young woman's chest rising and falling as she, too, began to breathe again.

David's jaw clenched and he shook his head, trying to clear the suggestive thoughts out of his head. This is getting ridiculous, the security officer thought, just before phaser fire erupted from down the corridor. David instinctively dropped to the floor and rolled away from the center of the corridor, landing on his belly and bringing his phaser rifle up.

"Might I suggest we take another way?" David heard Amatras say as he began to return fire.

"We can back up and hit the cross junction, sir," he heard Natalie suggest a moment later. He glanced her way and saw her duck under a phaser beam that had come a little too close.

David nodded in approval. "Go!" he ordered the three junior officers. "I'll cover you!" He aimed his rifle down the corridor again and fired off a few bursts, giving the trio covering fire so they could move.

[Deck 1 - Captain's Ready Room] Attn: Edena Rez, Garen Nelis, Jovela, Nathaniel Isley

Jien Ives had attentively listened to the Chief Counsellor and finished relaying inputs to the Helm station on the Bridge when the voice of Edena Rez came from his combadge. Slowly, the Captain rose to his feet and considered a reply - the situation being quite unique. How much might he say, and what ought he to say, to best use this situation. The plight of their Intelligence Officer - however controlled - was plain in her voice. Not muffled the least by the static.

"This is Captain Ives, what is your location?" he said quietly, pacing out across the floor and exchanging glances with those gathered in his Ready Room. What might he ask of her? "You can cooperate by telling us what you know; give us information that can remedy the ship's situation."

That was plainly the first thing the Trill could help them with. Specifics... What could they learn specifically? "Whom infected you, was it anyone of the Senior Staff? Describe what is happening to you, and can you vouch for your sanity beyond this current hour? Can we trust you with any kind of Intel as to what we mean to do to bring and end to the epidemic?"

What Jien really wished to ask her, was whether he needed to send Security to her location, and to confine her before she could harm the ship... once her control slipped. The Captain's eye fell on Nathaniel, wondering whether he had any opinion as to how to proceed with the counsellor-turned-traitor-turned-officer. His eye fell on Garen next, and he might even have some means to preserve Edena's sanity for a while longer - some kind of mental exercise. Jien wondered if they even knew what kind of hazard Rez represented, should she become one of the infected.

Eyes hard, he urged them to speak up with a gesture, in case they had anything to add before the conversation came to an end. Jien could but pray it would be for reasons other than what he feared...

[Deck 4 - Corridor] Attn: Natalie Stark, David Grayson, Nerina

Amatras fired off another few shots after David Grayson ordered them to reteat, and Arcorn did the same by her side. Yet just as they were about to get to their feet, someone else joined them in the fray.

The Chief Science Officer saw Thea materialise in a cascade of gold - her body suit rippling in movement as she drew David's phaser-pistol from his hip and returned fire against the infected crew down the corridor. The hologram crouched down and fired repeatedly - her aim supported by her knee where she sat next to David - and the photonic woman raised her voice so that they all heard her words.

"I am under orders from the First Officer and the Captain to ensure that you are not infected, and you being Senior Officers, it is imperative that you get to the bridge immediately!" she called, and her last word became digital disturbance as a shot made her projection waver - her holographic matrix not stabilising for another couple of seconds, "I will try to extract Commander Nerina unless it is too late, but we cannot afford to loose several Department Heads in the process. Mr. Neotin and Ms. Stark, you will be the only ones from Engineering and Operations at the meeting, so you too as just as important as Amatras and David, so get back everyone! I will hold them off!"

And thus, the Ship AI advanced ahead of the group - dealing cover-fire with precise and cold detachment. She moved between the doors on either side as she made her tactical advance - her manoeuvres executed in complete lack of fear for her own well-being. Amatras could but stare at gleaming form for several moments before she pushed herself to her feet - seeing the truth in the hologram's claim.

"Let's go," said her mate by her side, also on his feet, "she is right, we are needed on the Bridge..."

They stood next to each other - Amatras and her mate - and they fired to suppress the assailants enough to lend David and Natalie time while they got up as well. Yet just as hey turned around, three other naked members of the crew appeared behind them. They were not armed, but they smiled - two women and one man - as they headed straight for the four who tried to retreat. The man went for Nathalie, and the two women sought out Arcorn and David.

Amatras bared her hard gums, and while not jealous in that sense, she had no inclination to let her mate be "attacked" by the woman. No, she shot that woman down brutally because they knew too little about the contamination, and did not wish to hazard Arcorn to be infected despite the low rate of probability. She only had time for one shot though, and that left Nathalie and David to fend for themselves against their physically perfected and pheromone-reeking attackers.

She turned her goggles their way just in time to see what happened...

---

OOC: Ascornfilm, when you return, please barge in on the Senior Staff Meeting in Chapter V if Nerina managed to escape Adam's clutches. :)

[Deck 4] Atten: Grayson, Neotins

Natalie had just started to get up into a good position to provide cover fire, when the ships AI materialized in front of the group. Unable to help herself, the Ops officer grinned, relieved to see Thea. She stands up as the hologram begins laying down cover fire, and turns to head back down the corridor with the rest of the group, when they are accosted by a set of naked crew members.

Natalie gulps as a rather large man focuses on her. His eyes lock on hers, and its as if the gaze sets off something deep inside her. Her legs buckle, and she sucks in a sharp breath as her heart starts to pound and a pressure seems to grow between her legs. What the hell she barely has the time to think, before the man steps forward.

She backs away from the approaching man, trying hard not to stare at his perfectly toned body. The almost sickening sweet smell fills her nose, drowning out the scent of sweat, burnt ozone and stale air. Her vision blurred as the man charges her, a grin plastered across his face. Natalie ends up backing into a wall, and sliding down it. And suddenly he was there, towering above her. The pheromones overwhelming her senses. The man grins, places his hands on the wall above her, licking his lips, his erection inches away from her face. And part of her wanted very, very badly, to find out how it tasted.

And then he crumpled to the ground, the stun blast catching him straight between the legs. Natalie sat there for a moment, phaser trembling in her hand. "oh god" she groaned, a shudder running thru her as she slowly pushes herself along the wall, away from the man. Her thoughts are foggy, muddled from the pheromones her assaulter had been pumping out, but the more distance she puts between herself and his fallen form, the clearer her mind becomes.

Tightly gripping her phaser, the Ops officer squares her shoulders, and pushes her fear and embarrassment to the back of her mind. She turns back around the corner of the corridor from where she has fled, phaser extended in front of her as she checks to see how the Neotins and Chief Grayson fared...

OOC: Hope that doesn;t seem to jumbled together ^^;

[Deck 1 - Captain's Ready Room]

"We have worse things to deal with then just a ship wide infection."  Nathaniel spoke up, in response to the words of Garen Nelis.  "When I ran into Ida on the way here, she spoke of bigger intentions then just infecting a single starship.  She has her eyes set on commandeering this ship and flying it to the nearest starbase."  The population of a starbase numbered in the thousands, rather then a couple hundred like most ships of their size.  It would result in an exponential growth in the infected population, and if it continued from there, it could have struck base after base, ship after ship.  It was exactly why Jien had spoken to him about doing what was necessary.

[Edena's Quarters]

"My location is in my quarters.  I have sealed the door with high level encryptions from my end to prevent it from opening on the outside.  I would suggest having the computer revoke any command privileges I possess and sealing it from the outside as well, just in case I lose it and try to get out.  I would recommend revoking all others in a similar fashion if they are infected, to limit their ability to travel."  It was a reasonable thing, which any ranking security officer would have suggested . . . if there was one who still had any clothes on.

"I was infected by Bill regal, from Below Decks.  According to him, he was given the task by Lieutenant ThanIda zh'Wann.  I apologize for bringing this up now and not before but . . . she seems to have it out for me, even before the infection.  She had threatened me in my quarters after using her security clearance to enter without permission."  It was a breach of protocol which should have been reported before, but Edena had let it slide, thinking it might only further wedge a gap between herself and the Lieutenant, when she was hoping to mend bridges.  It was also significant in that both Nathaniel and Edena noted Ida as being one who gave direction.  Was there something special about her that they should have been concerned about?

"I am not certain how much use I can be in my present state, Captain.  To be blunt, I am only keeping this focus because of my former host personalities.  They are unaffected by the biological effects happening to me, and have to keep . . . well, mentally bitch slapping me to stay focused, though it's still quite difficult."  To describe what was happening to her was hard.  She still had her sense of shame, and knew she would be mortified to explain what she was feeling to everyone listening in the room . . . that is, if they survived long enough to remind her.  "My biology is affected at the hormonal level.  Secondary sexual traits are heightened; my bust size has increased as if engorged, and my entire body is in need of sexual release to the point of feeling pain.  I've been forced to self-satisfaction to try and keep myself from having an aneurysm from mental strain."  She tried her best to keep from doing so during her conversation with the bridge staff, but she knew at the rate she was going, she would be lucky if she didn't stuff her hand into her trousers within the next minute.

[Deck 4 - Corridor] Attn: Natalie Stark, Neotins

The corner of David's mouth tipped up in a small, grim smile when Thea materialized beside him. "Good to see you, Thea!" he said as the Ship's AI grabbed David's sidearm and joined the fight. After hearing Thea's orders, David nodded and fired off a few more bursts before turning to retreat. No sooner had David turned around, however, than he suddenly found himself staring straight at one of the infected crewmembers. She was a human woman, dark skinned, and very, very naked.

"Mmm, Lieutenant Grayson," the woman moaned as she sauntered toward David, her hips swaying with every slow, precise step. One of her hands, which had been pressed lightly over her chest, slowly slid down the curve of her enlarged breasts and over her toned, flat stomach towards the slick juncture between her thighs. "I've seen you down in the gym, Lieutenant," she cooed. "It's almost criminal of you to hide that body under that uniform." The tip of one finger teasingly slipped between her lips as she stared up at David with wide, dark eyes. "Why don't you let me help you get out of it."

David found himself transfixed by the woman as she walked toward him. At this distance, the pheromones she was emanating would have been overwhelming for a normal human, but David's enhanced senses increased the effect tenfold. The pupils of his icy blue eyes dilated, and his heart rate and breathing both began to speed up. When the woman came within arm's reach, every muscle in David's body began to scream, urging him to reach out and take her right there, at that instant. His fingers twitched, and he lost his grip on his rifle, which clattered to the floor. The woman smiled at that, and she stepped a little closer to David, victory in her eyes.

David's senses had been overrun by the woman's pheromones, but fortunately for him, his mind was far more disciplined. As soon as the infected crewman came close enough, David employed a technique he had learned from the Theurgy's last Chief of Security: the Vulcan nerve pinch.

The woman crumpled to the floor with a sigh, and David shook his head in an attempt to clear it. "It's Lieutenant Commander, now," he told the unconscious woman as he reached down and picked his rifle back up. "Let's get out of here," he told the trio of Natalie, Amatras, and Arcorn as he stepped over the woman's body and started making his way toward the cross junction.

[Deck 1 - Captain's Ready Room] Attn: Jien Ives, Nathaniel Isley, Edena Rez

Garen nodded as he listened to Edena speak. "Commander Rez, this is Counselor Nelis. Listen, I know that what you're going through right now must be incredibly difficult to bear, but we need you to hang on for a little while longer," he told her as he got up from his seat and began to slowly pace back and forth, his mind whirling. "Listen to your former hosts. They're there to guide you and protect you. They're your anchor. Try to focus yourself inward and forget about the physical."

He waited a moment before continuing. "You said that Mister Regal was sent by Lieutenant zh'Wann to personally infect you. Did Regal happen to mention anything else while the two of you were..." He winced, trying to think of a delicate way to put it. "While you were engaged? Did he say anything about where this infection came from, or how it got started? Anything that we might be able to use to figure this out?"

The voice of the ship's counselor was one she recognized immediately.  Under her false identification, the two of them had worked well together.  Kiya had a great degree of respect for his work, having been a doctor herself, though their backgrounds differed, with hers being medical, while his was based in psychology.  That momentary lapse in her attention allowed Edens to lose her grip, slipping a hand within her pants, only to be forced back mentally by her comrades, once their focus was brought back to the task at hand.  Though her hand remained in the space between underwear and pants, her thighs kept clenched tight, to deny herself access.

"I . . . don't remember him saying anything relevant to the origins of the infection.  He had more of a . . . one track mind.  He had enough sense to manually override the door lock, and to follow orders from the Deputy . . . seemed like more sense then a lot of others have.  Don't know the significance; would theorize that cognitive ability becomes weaker the further generations from the original infection."  It meant that the women directly infected on the planet were those who held the most intelligence, while those infected directly from them, in what could be called a second generation infection, were closest to their level of reasoning.  It was just a theory she put together, and could have been unfounded, but she couldn't help wondering what it meant for her, as a third generation, if that was true.  Would she have been better off, as someone fighting off the mental programming, higher or lower in the infection chain?

[ Captain's Ready Room ] Attn: Isley, Rez, Nelis & Jovela

As the people in his Ready Room had been speaking, Jien had returned to his desk and leaned over the computer console so that he might issue strings of commands to the Ship AI without interrupting the strained words of their new Intelligence Officer. He noted Mr. Isley's observation about what Lt. zh'Wann had said, and not only did he revoke the command privileges of Edena, but of the Deputy as well, along with a few others that Jien personally knew had witnessed to be infected. Moreover, he had Thea seal Edena's door from the outside as well.

When Jien heard of what Ida had done before the bloody circus began, he gritted his teeth in ire. If they all made it through this, he would have a long talk with the Andorian - a talk that might mean the end of her professional career on board his ship. That Mr. Bill Regal had fallen victim caused a lesser amount of regret, given the rather strained relationship he had with the Senior Staff - the role he filled and the need of him that they had been forced to acknowledge under the circumstances. Still, he remained a privileged passenger, and Jien had made the decision to treat him accordingly, and he was a man and woman by his/her word.

The Captain looked up when the Chief Counsellor kept asking qualified questions - all the while supporting her with sound advise to listen to her former hosts. It seemed to be working, since Edena managed to relay her theory about how the virus might be mutating the farther it travelled between victims.

"As sound as any theory I have heard or made myself, 'Commander," said Jien, and stood straight after closing his console. One of the security guards appeared in the doorway and commented quickly how more Officers had arrived outside. Jien thanked him and returned his attention to the woman in plight at the other end of the comm. "I will run it by the CMO once he gets here, since the Senior Staff is assembling now. I hope you understand my disposition, but I will not include you in the proceedings over comm, since - frankly - I cannot trust you with any information at this point. Rest assured, though, that we will find some way to extract you after you have been administered the cure that Dr. Nicander allegedly have developed during the night."

There was not much else he could do for Lt. Commander Rez at that point, and Jien hoped that she believed him, and did not think that he made this decision based on the recent past. "My thanks, for allowing me to confine me to your quarters. After all that has happened, you should know that you have certainly proved your mettle, and you have my word that I will make sure you do not have to hold out for much longer. Remember the words of our Counsellor, and listen to the reasoning of your hosts - they are the certitude that you can rely on when in doubt."

Pausing, Jien wondered if he might say anything else to encourage her in her personal ordeal, and decided that the truth was the best choice.

"My apologies, 'Commander, for ever doubting you. In my eyes, you have redeemed your name. Ives, out."

---

OOC: Post again if you so wish, kuro, or we'll leave this chapter behind on that finishing line. Up to you! :)