Crew Complement

Name: Dominic Joachim Pytri
Rank: Ensign
Age: 19
Field: Communications, linguistics 

Open Frequencies

Hey all, 

It seems I've been fucking up my posts. Pictures and text get repeated and postings get pushed back, and but for a keen reader emailing me I wouldn't have even noticed. So a big thank you to IR! 

The mistakes have been rectified, and hopefully I caught them all. 

Laters!

Kit 

Respite - Part 10

Doctor DeSelle was shaking his head when Commander Stone entered the the doctor's private office. It seemed to him these days, whenever he saw the doctor he would looked confounded and stressed out. Stone realized that no amount of medical training could really prepare you for space. Even for a well-trained tactical officer like himself, Stone has had to find other ways to accomplish his mission. Flying by the seat of his pants is not a philosophy or a discipline that Stone was comfortable with. But out here amidst the stars, he just had to adapt. Stone nodded to the other men in the room, Captain Hunt and H'loor.

“Have you ever seen anything like this H'loor?” DeSelle said barely acknowledging Stone's presence. He stared impatiently at the T'aal reading the medical report on a holoscreen.

“Not like this, but it is not unheard of,” said the H'loor. “Some species of plants on our home planet have been known to crossbreed to form a new species.”

“Is this what is happening to Marcus Landrey?” asked Stone who took his place next to the doctor.

“This is the scan Lieutenant Nostir took of Landrey before taking his helmet off,” DeSelle pulled up a new projection, then he tapped on the controls and overlaid it with another scan. “This one he took an hour later before you left the planet. Look at how rapidly his body has been altered.”

“Into what?” asked Hunt.

“If H'loor's right, somehow, whatever that was introduced into his system is changing him. Oddly for now, only certain biological functions of his body seems to be affected.”

“They are morphing into some sort of hybrid?” Stone moved the medical projections around trying to understand them.

“I can't tell from these scans but the worst case scenario is that he may be completely and irrecoverably transformed to live and thrive down there on the planet.”

“Can't anything be done? Maybe there's a way to filter out the invading organisms and save him?” Stone wondered out loud.

“Perhaps, but we would need to study the plants that stung him to get a better picture, when the second landing team returns we could -”

DeSelle was interrupted by a knock on the door. Stone answered it and the rest of the men looked on as he talked to a cadet in hushed tones. From the expressions on the young cadet's face, the men had a sickening feeling that the news was not good. At last Stone nodded and closed the door.

“We have a problem,” Stone sighed heavily when he spoke. “The second landing party was supposed to have returned an hour ago, and they are not answering our hails.”

…

“They are calling for me,” said Marcus Landrey, his mouth agape and his eyes wide and wild. He turned in every direction as if trying to determine the direction of a voice.

“What? Who is calling for you?” Lieutenant Harrow frowned and tried to hear what the trooper was hearing.

Landrey jumped off the rock and Harrow noticed how easily he did that, almost like he knew these rocks and moving around them was second nature to him. His nimble nude form landed on the ground below in seconds and he took a few moments to look around. Landrey then took off towards the horizon. Harrow ran after him but soon he found that he couldn't keep up, his environmental suit weighed heavily down on him and restricted his movements. After a while, he found himself bent over trying to catch his breath. When he looked up again he realized that it was too dark to see clearly. And Landrey was gone.

…

“We have remotely accessed the landing barge's onboard computer, and this is what we know,” Commander Stone stood in front of a group of his tactical officers and Ground Command troopers. “The barge left the planet at 14.35, ship's time, and was on route back to Starlight. Half an hour later it returned to the surface and the landing party left the craft with its systems running. As far as we know, the barge is still operational.”

Stone paced the briefing room with his hands behind his back. “We now know that there are living organisms on the planet that has the ability to change and or modify our bodies. The first sign of infection is when our respiratory system is compromised. This could explain why the landing party left the barge before they could shut down the engines.”

Stone called up a holoscreen which laid out their mission. “The plan now is to find a way to return to the planet, save our crew members, or if they have been compromised, find a way to help to them. We also need to bring back samples of the plants so that we can study them. We have to do all this, without being infected ourselves.” Stone paused. “Questions?”

“Sir, not really a question sir, but...” Private Nick Nelson's voice softened when he realized everyone in the room had turned to look at him.

“Continue private.”

“Perhaps we can utilize the drones we've deployed around the planet. Set it to scan specifically for the plants.”

“Good thinking private, but you must know that during our previous encounter with the plants, our scans are useless in picking them up.”

“Maybe we just need to pick a really barren place to land. Set the drones to map out and search the terrain for wide open plains. We'd have tactical advantage when we have time to react should something approach us.”

Stone nodded. He was impressed.

“Nelson, draw up a plan, we'll talk in an hour.”

…

Crew Contact

Lights out at 2300 hours. That's when the fun begins.

Crew Complement

Name: Peter Nathan Felton

Rank: Lieutenant junior grade

Age: 23

Field: Geology, microbiology 

Respite - Part 9

Sergeant Marcus Landrey head was swimming. He realized that his body was swaying back and forth so he quickly secured his footing on the boulder. Behind him the sun was almost gone, just a soft glow that divided the sky from the vast and empty ground below. A soft wind brushed through his short-cropped hair, picked up the few longer strands and made them dance. The expression on his face wasn't as serene.




Landrey's eyes were wide in horror and confusion. He was glued to the holoscreen projection Lieutenant Harrow was showing him. He could barely recognize himself, and he searched the image for anything that was still familiar.

His skin had turned pale, he had noticed it before but had chalked it up to nerves, or perhaps the light on the planet refracting differently. He had no idea that he was almost blue now. Ridges had formed on his forehead; an elliptical circle that ended between his eyebrows. When he looked closer, he realized that his eyes had turned to a dark shade of red, and his pupils were almost indiscernible from the rest of his eyes.

He touched his face, then looked at his arms and legs. He didn't know what else to say and so he didn't say anything he just stood there with his mouth open. He turned slowly and faced the dim glow over the horizon. Tears stung his eyes and rolled down his smooth boyish face. Then he felt Harrow's hands on his arms, gently stroking him.

The wind picked up again, gently caressing his bare skin. Landrey let Harrow touch him, it felt good, comforting somehow. Harrow hugged him from behind, and his arms tightened around his body.

“It's gonna be okay you know? I'm sure the doctor will find a way, I mean, we have a lot of technology on our hands, not to mention the T'aal. Besides...”

“You are doing it again,” Landrey sniffed.

“What?”

“Your jabbering.”

“Oh... but you know what I mean right?”

“Yeah.”

Harrow's gloved hand slipped between Landrey's arms and caressed his torso, brushing past his nipples and his across his belly. It felt good. Landrey wondered if this were any other time, would he consider this a come-on?

The two of them stood silently and watched the lights in the distance fade.

…

Open Frequencies

Been quite swamped with some stuff. Respite will resume later this week. To make it up to you, enjoy these pictures!

Crew Contact

Lieutenant Commander Brian Alders wanted a workout and headed to the ship's gym. There he met Private Marty Alvarez, and they sweated it out all afternoon. 

Crew Complement

Name: Alfred Daniel Wilson
Rank: Lieutenant junior grade
Age: 20
Field: Horticulture, terraformation 

Respite - Part 8

Nick Nelson felt a sharp pain on his back. He wanted to cry out but his mouth was covered by Carter Colfax's lips. He tried to back away in a different direction only to bump into more ornaments. It was difficult to stumble into a room, Carter's room, while kissing passionately.

Nick heard more things fall and break when Carter pushed him up against the wall. He fought to find his way to Carter's bed, just to minimize the damage to his quarters. Carter didn't seem to care. Nick felt his strong hands on his waist lifting him up and setting him down on a table. The same determined hands then found their way under the young trooper's uniform and started pulling, tugging, and ripping it.

“Don't you want to do this in the bedroom?” Nick managed to say when Carter moved the kissing to his neck.

Carter responded with a grunt. Nick felt a hand shoved between his legs and seized his balls. It hurt a little but Nick didn't stop him, he just tightened his hold around Carter's neck. He spread his legs and the fingers continued probing his genitals, eager to feel every fold and every hair between his thighs. A lone finger dug into his anus, rubbing the tight ring of muscle that contracted when stimulated. He heard a tear and then more rips, he didn't need to look down to know that his uniform was being destroyed.

Carter lifted Nick from the table without looking away from him. Nick wondered if this was what they called make-up sex.

Carter carried him into the bedroom. Before they reached the bed, Nick made a sudden move. He landed on his feet and as Carter was still finding his balance, Nick kicked his feet out from under him. Carter grabbed onto Nick as he fell. He had the air knocked out of him when the trooper landed on top of him. Carter was thankful they landed on the giant cushion he kept near his bed. Then they both started laughing. Nick hid his face on Carter's chest, his body shaking from the giggles.

“What did you do that for?” asked Carter when he caught his breath.

“To make sure you're doing this for the right reasons.”

Carter cupped Nick's face with both hands and drew him closer. Then he kissed him. Gentler this time. More intimate. More affectionate.

Nick stuck out his tongue and Carter drank from it hungrily. They didn't need to stop their lip-lock to continue stripping the remaining bits of their uniform. Once the two were skin to skin, their body heat permeating the others', Nick pushed himself between Carter's legs.

He had made love enough times with Carter Colfax to know that the man didn't like to get fucked. The very few times Nick's plump penis got in, Carter had made a fuss, if not during then shortly after sex.

Nick positioned himself and pushed his erection up against the opening. He felt the anus pushing back on his cockhead.

“Are you doing this for the right reasons?” asked Nick Nelson again.

“I'm giving myself to you kid, that oughta tell you something.”

“What are you trying to prove?”

“That I'm giving myself to you.”

Nick was moved, he sucked on his own lips and looked at the smiling man under him. They kissed again. Harder this time. More affectionate than before. Nick felt Carter's anus relax and his cock slid into its warm interiors, there was no resistance after that, there was no flinching, only a smile on Carter's face.

Nick fucked him, slowly at first and when the lust began to build his pace quickened. Nick never realized how glorious the silky anus felt wrapped around his cock. He had always been too focused on just getting it in, making Carter submit to him. But it felt different now. He burrowed all the way in and felt the anal walls caress his organ. When he pulled out completely the gaping hole twitched, calling for his cock to return to its embrace.

Nick reached down to find that Carter was hard. This was not common too. He masturbated him and tried to synchronize his movements; matching every dip and withdraw with every pull and push of his hand. They didn't need to check with one other, their bodies jibed, their stimulation matched and when Nick came inside Carter, he felt ropes of cum spurt from Carter's cock and landing on his belly.

Their cocks were still sloppy with cum when they walked to the bed. Nick climbed in and went on all fours. He looked over his shoulders to see Carter standing behind him. The lieutenant collected some of the semen on his stomach and smeared it on Nick's anus. He then pushed his cock in.

...

The landing barge hovered over the empty plane stirring up a cloud of fine sand. In the vanishing light the vessel was cloaked in silhouette. The shadows on the ground below was disturbed by the pools of light from the bow of the craft as it descended. The barge levitated ten feet from the surface, it extended its landing struts before finally touching down and shrouded itself in a mist of sand.

The doors opened and ten men, armed and snug in their environmental suits, exited the barge. The man in front checked his onyx to confirm the coordinates given to him by the previous landing party. The lights from the craft illuminated every speck of settling debris and the men hand to repeatedly wipe their visors to see. Carefully they approached the area their crewmate was attacked.

They turned on the headlamps on their helmets when they reached the rock pile. It was getting dark fast, and their lamps only allowed them to see a few feet ahead. They slowed down their approach noting the sharp rocks that they had to navigate around. The group, made up of biologists, medics and security personnel climbed the rock that Sergeant Landrey had scaled up a few hours ago. This would have been a quick climb during the day but in the dark, they could go only as fast as the man in front of them moved.

When they reached the top of the flat rock they pointed their lights and their riffles around. There wasn't any vegetation in sight – no bush, no shrub.

There was a slight sound. Rustling. A sound so benign that one would dismiss. That was their mistake.

A tactical officer got off one shot and then silence. In a matter of seconds, all ten men were taken down. When the shock subsided, they were left groaning, hugging the limbs that had just been stung. The pain ebbed eventually and the men struggled to their feet and headed towards the barge.

A few minutes later the craft was airborne and it climbed the planet's atmosphere.

A few thousand kilometers later, the barge turned back and landed once more.

The barge's engines were still going when the doors burst open and the ten men stumbled out of the ship tearing off their helmets and environmental suits, coughing and wheezing violently.

In the darkness, the ten men lay on the ground sucking in as much air as their lungs could fill. For the first few minutes they inhaled the fine dust on the ground, but they didn't care. The relief from being able to breath again was overwhelming.

One of the men flipped himself over. On his back, he could only see an unfamiliar sky sprinkled with stars and constellations he didn't recognize. His view was obscured in intervals by his breath in the air. He turned his head and looked at the unconscious crewman next to him. He felt his body shutting down too. He tried to reach him, but he couldn't move. Before darkness took him, he managed to utter just one word.

“Colin.”

….

Crew Complement

Name: Jude Griffin 

Rank: Lieutenant Commander

Age: 34

Field: Communications

Crew Complement

Name: Enrico Joseph Biachi
Rank: Lieutenant 
Age: 28 
Field: Tactical

Respite - Part 7

“But nothing happened!” protested Carter Colfax.

“Then what's with this guilt all over your face?”

The empty cargo bay was far away from everyone's earshot. Colfax had caught up with Private Nick Nelson and they ended up there having their first argument.

“What look?”


“Oh you can't even hide it, so just drop it will you?” Nick raised his voice and it echoed through the bay.

“I think you're blowing this way outta proportion Nick.”

“Blow what? I don't even know what happened. Oh this is pointless, I need to head back to the barracks.”

“Wait!” Colfax grabbed Nelson by the arm, a little firmly than he would have liked to, but the in the heat of the moment he didn't notice his grip.

“Do I need to remind you how good a soldier I am? I can break this arm in two places, bust both your kneecaps and fracture that pretty nose of yours faster than you can say “torpedoes away”.

Colfax let go.

“Nick, honestly, honestly, nothing happened. We kissed...we were making out but I pulled away, and then kinda, sorta ran out of there in a hysterical sorta way. I went back to apologize and that's when you came in.”

Nelson said nothing. He turned but didn't open the door. “I would have like to see that,” he said finally.

“See what?”

“You running hysterically.”

…

Lieutenant John Harrow sat up in his tent. For a moment he didn't know where he was. The metallic interiors of the giant tent reflected the illumination from the lantern next to him creating a dazzling light play. Harrow rubbed his face clearing away any doubt that he was actually awake. Everything that had happened in the last few hours came back to him. He and Marcus Landrey were alone on the planet waiting for the landing party to return. Landrey was given a mild sedative and he must have fallen asleep as well. Then it occurred to him. Where was Sergeant Landrey?

He picked himself up, grabbed his riffle, snapped on his helmet and got out of the tent. He tapped his scarab. “Landrey, where are you? Respond.”

He got only static.

Harrow tapped on the tent door and waited for the airlock to release. It seemed to take forever. He walked around the campsite and was about to widen his search parameter when he saw Landrey standing on a rock and looking at the desert sunset. The young trooper was completely naked and when Harrow got closer, he noticed something different about him.

Landrey turned when he heard Harrow climbing up behind him and smiled. “Hey, can you believe how beautiful ...” he started but stopped noticing the horrified look on Harrow's face. “What? What is it?”

Harrow didn't know what to say.

“What?” asked Landrey again.

Harrow tapped on the settings on his onyx, pointed it at Landrey and took a picture.

“I think you should see this,” said Harrow and projected a holoscreen from his wrist device.

“Oh my g...” Landrey instinctively felt his face and touched his head. “What the hell is happening to me?”


...

Crew Contact

Commander Travis Hill likes to de-stress at the end of a long shift. Lately, Ensign Noel Mullien has been on hand to help relief the tension.

Crew Complement

Name: Justin Kim Dae-Min

Rank: Lieutenant junior grade

Age: 23

Field: Medical, bio-science