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Shifting Diplomacy

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Initiation

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Disclaimer

Do you have a distinct lack of muscle growth in your life? Has your doctor advised you to have more man-on-man action for a healthier, well-rounded lifestyle? Have you often been concerned that you aren't get enough transformation? Then Shifting Diplomacy - Initiation is for you. _Shifting Diplomacy - Initiation_is specially designed to give the most arousing sexual experience while providing vivid imagery of men transforming into werewolves through sexual acts with one another. Just read to these testimonials:

"Before taking Shifting Diplomacy - Initiation, I never thought I'd like tentacles of any sort but then, wow! It changed my mind!"

_ - Willie Stroker, Professional Masturbator_

"This changed my life. Literally. I love turning into an Orc!"

_ - Ben Dover, Certified Rectum Filler_

"I need more of this in me. I can't get enough of it!"

_ - Jack Off, Transformation Enthusiast._

_ _

Warning: do not take Shifting Diplomacy - Initiation, if you are below the ages of 18/21 or have allergic reactions to M/M sex scenes, muscle worship, mild levels of mind control and transformation. If you are uncomfortable with wolves or Orcs, please refer to our other Shifting Diplomacy products that may suit you better.

Prologue: Dusky Green

Warpspace duration: 2.5 days.

Host mental health variable.

Advise bonding and morale-lifting activities.

******

Lieutenant Ayden 'Snapshot' Burke leaned back in the co-pilot's seat as the dazzling array of swirling lights and shifting colours flashed in front of the Nascent Dawn. It had been a few hours since they had left the Orkish Homeship _Da'makur_after a noble Sporekeeper had sacrificed himself to give them an opportunity to escape. He hadn't given himself a moment to relax up until that moment. Not that he didn't trust Gene, the artificial intelligence that supposedly embodied their entire reality, but he just didn't want to risk anything bad happening since they made an unmapped, unprepared warp jump.

Warp jumps usually took at least an hour to fully prepare but they had made one in about twenty seconds and dangerously close to a black hole no less. That was a recipe for disaster if he ever heard one. He was no warp engineer but he had heard enough horror stories of entire ships emerging from warpspace twisted and with its crew fused to its hull or even coming up completely empty. There were a lot of ghost stories about abandoned ships still singing with warp energies that would claim anyone foolish enough to venture into its confines.

"Lieutenant," came the mechanical voice from the consoles.

"What is it, Gene?" he groaned softly, running a paw down his muzzle.

"I have done the calculations. We will be in warp space for approximately 2.5 days and we will likely emerge into Prydaraen_space."_

The Prydaraen. That was going to be interesting.

Mankind had very little contact with the Prydaraen since they were on the far side of the galaxy beyond Orkish borders. There was some trade between the Galactic Terran Federation and the Prydaraen Matriarchy but they were limited since most of the trade had to take them through Orkish territory and that often subjected convoys to being raided by Orkish raiders. The lion-people had a strict matriarchy where the women did everything and ruled over all while the men often were there for breeding and housework. The women far outnumbered the men with one male being born to every twenty females. Unlike the Orcs, they didn't have a breeding problem. Just a different societal structure.

"Thanks, Gene," he said, leaning back with a sigh.

"If I may offer some advice, Lieutenant?"

"Sure."

"Please retire to your pod. Your bodies were designed to take on lupine form in moments of great stress and sexual activity not during moments of relaxation and quiet. In this form, you are consuming many more resources than you should be and by retiring to your pod, you will revert back to your human form and conserve your energy."

"And I suppose that's something we'll need to do given we're not exactly sure where or when we'll find enough resources to stock back up, huh?" Burke grimaced rising from his seat. "I suppose that's fair. Can I leave the ship in your... erm... Hands?"

"Of course, Lieutenant. I will wake you in eight hours. That is the recommended amount of sleep humans should get daily, correct?"

It occurred to him that he hadn't slept for the better part of an entire day. The past twenty-four hours had him running across an entire Orkish Homeship, fighting spore clouds and a megalomaniac Rootchief. GTF Marines had been trained to endure great hardships and keep fighting for long periods of time but that was within reason. Going twenty-four hours of non-stop activity would be exhausting to anyone, battle-hardened or no. He ran a paw down his muzzle and prised himself from the co-pilot's seat.

He left the cockpit, still getting used to how the hallway no longer veered off to the right into the armoury and then into the airlock. The rest of the Marines and their guest, Poldak the Orc, were gathered in the mess hall, now much bigger than it had been before and certainly big enough to accommodate them all and perhaps more. The empty space filled him with the compulsion to find people or things to fill the mess hall and he spent a second to mildly fantasise on the idea of filling the Nascent Dawn with more people than just its current eight occupants. Maybe form a pack of his own... Just like a real wolf.

Shrugging the thought away, he approached his crew.

"Alright folks," he announced. "Gene says we're going to be in warpspace for about two and a half days. We're not really going that far but because we jumped really close to an intense source of gravity and didn't have time to prepare, we've got to stay in warp space a little longer so we don't accidentally warp into an asteroid or into the middle of a space station."

"So what's the plan,Captain?" asked Specialist Barron 'Sire' Khan, the actual pilot of the starship but like the rest of the team, was utterly exhausted from their recent ordeal. Burke wasn't sure how he knew despite Sire having lupine features but he just knew his fellow Marine was tired and ready to drop.

"We can put the new Dawn through it's paces!" Corporal Wade 'Happy' Mattleigh exclaimed. "We can totally play hide-and-seek in this place now!"

"Out of the question," Burke growled, surprising even himself with his low-growl. Happy ducked his head and folded his ears back in response. "Everyone is going to get some rest. We've been up and fighting for almost a full day and we need to take as much rest as we can before the next shitstorm hits. The crew quarters have moved but you should all have a room each." He glanced towards the titanic red-haired Orc, Poldak. "You should too, Poldak."

The Orc gave him a short nod. "Thank you for accommodating me."

Private Damon 'Stitch' Killigan slapped Poldak's arm as that was about as far as he could reach up the Orc without really stretching. "It's the least we could do after basically abducting you." Stitch's eyes wandered across the huge Orc's vascular arm which reminded Burke of one other stipulation.

"I know you're all guys and need to blow off some steam," he said. "But you can fuck each other once you get a mandatory eight hours of sleep. That's an order."

"What if we need to fuck to go to sleep?" asked Warrant Officer Marcus 'Wildstorm' Aurelius, waggling his eyebrows at Burke. Previously, the big grey wolf had been the biggest guy in the squad but now he was tied with Poldak. No doubt those two would be competing and comparing dicks sooner than later.

"You deal," Burke growled. "Get some rest. All of you. Gene will wake us up if there's any emergencies."

Doctor Ross Carmichael, the only civilian in the squad, quietly raised his paw. "Do we have some food? I'm starved."

"Yes Doctor," Gene responded over the speakers. "We are fully stocked with the supplies given to us by the Orcs."

"I'm hungry too," agreed Happy, leaping up out of his seat. "Hey Wildstorm, think you can cook us up something?"

The big, grey wolf grinned. "Sure thing pup. But I'm not too familiar with Orkish ingredients." He glanced towards Poldak, lifting an eyebrow invitingly. "Think you can help me out?"

Poldak grinned brightly, his cock twitching slightly. "I'd be my pleasure."

Clearly there would be no stopping any fucking. Just another reason why Captain Warner would have been a better leader than him. With a sigh, Burke left the mess hall as the rest of the Marines began organising a small feast. Remembering his former Captain left a pit in his stomach that he wasn't willing to fill with food. With the Dawn rearranged, Gene led him up a short flight of stairs above the main crew quarters which could still fit about ten people but in comfortably sized cabins instead of the cramped spaces that their lupine forms would have difficulty manoeuvring in.

Burke fully expected a second floor of cabins but instead, he was greeted by a single door that led into what could only be considered a captain's loft. The space was about as big as five or six of the crew's cabins and was fully equipped with his own kitchenette, personal shower and bathroom, desk, windows to view the flying lights of warpspace and of course a massive bed with plenty of space all around.

"Is this mine?" he asked, weariness starting to cause his body to go slack.

"Affirmative, Lieutenant," answered Gene. "As the ranking commanding officer, it was only fitting that you have the captain's loft."

Burke wasn't going to argue as he padded over to the bed. He didn't even argue when the hard, almost crystalline pod there opened up for him revealing the pink, fleshy insides. The tentacles on his back slithered out, embedding themselves into the pod and filling him with a sense of security and comfort. He lay himself into the pod, the sides closing up to wrap him in warm semi-darkness as he drifting off into slumber.

New Dawn

Time to realspace: 1 day, 22 hours.

Orc crewmate motivation currently unknown.

Developing loyalty dynamic.

******

Waking up in the womb-like expanse of the pod was both still very alien and at the same time very comforting. There was some part of Burke that just wanted to roll over, shut his eyes and drift back into the warm - albeit slimy - sleep that the pod offered. If there was something he knew about his body, it was that now that he was awake, he wouldn't be able to drift off to sleep again. It didn't surprise him at all when the pod seemed to react to his thoughts and start to peel open with a sound akin to someone tearing into the skin of an orange; that wet sounds of the fibres tears apart from the fruit's flesh.

He was only mildly surprised to find that the hand that reached out to grip the edges of the pod was lightly tanned and human. Just when he was getting used to being a wolf. Though he saw the logic in it. As a human, his senses were not as sharp and he certainly wasn't at bulky. That ensured that he wasn't tearing through as much of his energy reserves. Then again, when he was in his lupine form he was charging around gunning down Orcs.

It was only now that he felt the gnawing hunger that was likely the reason for his waking.

"Gene," he began.

Light erupted from a small pedestal right next to his cabin door. The light formed a bright blue wolf's head with glowing red eyes.

"Yes, Lieutenant?" replied Gene, the wolf's muzzle moving in tandem with its words.

"First thing," he said, lifting a finger. "Hundred words or less." He turned that finger to pointing at the hologram. "What is that?"

"Over the past two hours, I worked with Corporal Mattleigh to create a holographic depiction of myself. Specialist Khan suggested it so that I would be more approachable and not 'just a fucking disembodied voice'. I chose this lupine form as it seemed fitting given your alternative shapes and the fact that this squad's name was previously the 'Lone Wolves'."

Burke shrugged absently at that. "Fair enough. "You mentioned Happy was up? Anyone else?"

"Yes. Everyone else has woken."

So he was the last to wake up. Not a very good impression for a commanding officer.

"I see." He wiped off some of the goo that dripped from his body, a consequence of the pod. "I don't suppose you brought some of our clothes when you upgraded the Dawn, did you?"

There was a soft hiss from his left and one of the nearby walls sprang open, sliding to the side to reveal a full closet. Burke's throat went dry at the sight of the commanding officer's power armour that sat perched on the left side of the closet.

"I took the liberty of manufacturing some more fitting clothing given your evolution did hone your bodies as humans. I also drew inspiration from some traditional Orkish clothing and created outfits for you pertaining to that style."

There was certainly some 'casual' military clothing there including the standard white shirt and camouflage khakis. But there were also some typical earthling clothing such as an electrofibre jacket, shirt and pants that were all built to sense a wearer's body temperature and maintain it at a comfortable body temperature and even more traditional brown leather jacket, sleeveless shirt and shorts. But the Orkish clothing was what stood out the most. The best he could liken it to was a grass skirt or fibrous kilt with a cloak made out of large leaves sewn together. It made sense given that Orcs were completely vegetarian therefore didn't make any form of clothing from animal products.

He had to wonder who would ever wear such a thing as it offered so little protection.

Burke grabbed the standard military shirt and pants before heading to the shower to get the goo off him. As was standard military practice, he washed himself for just about a minute, making sure to go over all the necessary surfaces of his skin and scrubbing down his scalp. It didn't pass his notice that he was sporting a little goatee that clung to his chin. Gene had provided him with a razor and - surprisingly - some shaving cream that the AI mentioned was made from some plants that the Orcs produced. Since Orcs put a heavy emphasis on body hair, it was only logical that they have some decent grooming techniques. Though thinking about the Orcs made him put down the razor as his mind went back to that magical moment that he shared with Poldak.

Blushing a little, he wiped off the greenish foam off his cheeks and got dressed. Shoving his feet into socks and boots felt bizarre after having gone for a whole day barefoot but he wasn't a wolf anymore and the floor felt cold without the protection of his leathery pads.

"Gene," he began, emerging from the shower.

"Yes, Lieutenant?"

"What are the conditions for us to transform?"

"Generally prolonged periods of high stress and arousal will trigger your transformation. I have tied your forms to a few factors in your bodies including but not limited to heart rate, presence of adrenaline, endorphins and any grievous injury. Your lupine forms are much stronger and have stronger regenerative properties than your human forms but it is not advisable to remain in them for long durations as they are effectively like being in a constant state of hyper-awareness not unlike that triggered by a flight-or-fight response. Constant use of the form without rest could lead to damage that may not be recoverable."

"Good to know."

Burke stepped out of the captain's loft, still feeling a little out of place for claiming it as his own and started heading down the stairs to the rest of the ship... his ship. It felt odd even just thinking that as he didn't feel in command or control at all. If Warner were in his position, he would have toured the ship just to make sure he knew every part of it.

"Take me on a tour of the ship, Gene," he said.

"Very well, Lieutenant. Please proceed to the front of the ship, towards the cockpit."

Past the crew quarters were what one could consider the 'briefing room'. Gene called it the 'Preparation Room'. Their weapons and armour were perched in lockers across the wall with the airlock out of the ship sitting opposite to said lockers. A large table sat at the centre of the room complete with a holographic display. The table was big enough to fit at least twenty people and was one of those retractable tables that sank into the floor when not in use. Gene reasoned that in case they needed a quick deployment, they didn't want to work around the table to get to the airlock. Which was fair.

To the right of the Preparation Room was the door into the armoury. Burke poked his head into the large room which was lined with ammunition crates and various pieces of equipment. A standard workshop table sat on the far end of the chamber where Wildstorm was currently messing with some weaponry, back to the door. When the door hissed open to let in Burke, the Warrant Officer turned and gave him a light salute.

"Good to see you up, Lieutenant." Though his stance and greeting was somewhat more friendly than standard military doctrine would dictate, Wildstorm still kept to the dress code. Like Burke, he kept the white shirt and camouflage pants though all pieces of clothing looked so tight across his frame that he was just one flex away from ripping right through the shirt and tearing the pants at the seams. Even as a human, WIldstorm was easily the biggest of them all except perhaps Poldak. It looked like he had shaved recently as well, keeping his hair cropped short and his face clear of any facial hair.

"How are you liking the new Dawn?" Burke answered, returning the salute.

"Got to say, I'm glad to have an actual workshop," replied Wildstorm, turning back around and patting the table in front of him. "Our guns desperately needed maintenance. After all the action we saw, my Miracle needed her barrels cleaned and polished."

Miracle. That was what Wildstorm called his chaingun. Some of the other Marines liked to call their guns names but Burke never named his MAW-14 predominantly because he always considered it a training weapon; something Warner was forcing on him so that he would figure out which weapon style he most preferred and would thus specialise in.

"You've got all the materials you need?" Burke asked.

"We've got a lot of materials from the Orcs. Definitely lots of metals and synthetics but I'm not digging into them too much. We might need them for ship repairs or other stuff. Who knows how we're going to be out here." Wildstorm pointed to a panel to his left which look like a dark green planet with a brighter green grid. "Gene installed these 3D molecular printers all over the ship so that we can create whatever we need as long as we have the materials for it. We can recycle old stuff as well so I'm tearing down non-essential arms and weaponry to maintain the stuff we've got."

"Non-essential arms?" Burke repeated, a little puzzled. "When we escaped McAllister, we only had the stuff we were carrying. Where did all this non-essential stuff come from?"

"The Orcs gave us a lot of weapons. In retrospect, we should have specified exactly what we needed because they mostly gave us a lot of Screwers. If they had given us more power cells and food, we could've easily made it back to Avalon Station."

Was that a dig at him for not showing initiative and vetting what they needed? Was Wildstorm still a little salty about his drive to go to Avalon Station instead of furthering Gene's goal of saving the universe?

"I don't think we'll be going to Avalon any time soon," he admitted.

"What makes you say that, Lieutenant?" Wildstorm asked without turning around. The big soldier's hands were moving across the table but it wasn't clear if he was actually doing something or just appearing busy.

"I don't know how I can explain what happened to the Spear of the Shattered, her crew and her escorts." Burke rubbed the back of his neck absently. "I'm still coming to grips with it. All I know is that if it comes out that we were the cause of the Orc outbreak and thus the loss of a cruiser and two frigates, we'll be court marshalled, dissected and executed all at the same time. Let's not forget that we're responsible for the extermination if millions of Orcs."

The towering Warrant Officer glanced over his shoulder, deep black eyes sympathetic. "You've got to know that wasn't your fault, right, Lieutenant? You couldn't have known Gene's mutations would have done that and you couldn't have known Da'makur would have gone power hungry like that." He turned those eyes towers his right. "And Gene, that's not to say you aren't totally at fault either. You couldn't have known Da'makur was like that."

The holographic image of the wolf's head appeared again, Gene's avatar. "Thank you, Warrant Officer. I bear responsibility for not consulting any of you before engaging in my primary function. You are my hosts and I should defer to your judgement when engaging in the uplifting of species."

"Thank you, Gene," Burke said, turning to leave. "I'll leave it to you, Wildstorm."

He got a shot nod in return. "Lieutenant."

To the right as he left the armoury was the cockpit. Even though he had spent the better part of a day in his lupine form in the big room, it still astounded him how similar it was to the _Nascent Dawn's_original cockpit. There were still the two main seats - one for pilot and the other for the co-pilot's seat. But there were two other seats as well. Instead of facing forward towards the ship's glass windshields, they were facing to starboard and port and had a lot more displays in front of them. Gene explained that they controlled weapons and communications respectively.

Specialist Barron "Sire" Khan was naturally at the pilot's seat which meant Burke was able to park himself in the co-pilot's seat.

"How's the ship?" he asked.

"Much to my chagrin," Sire sighed, his beard now much thicker and fuller than before. "She handles very well. I still don't like the idea of Gene messing with my baby but I'm happy to be flying a corvette."

"She's a corvette now?"

"At least in size."

Sire explained that the Nascent Dawn had a few defensive weapons but nothing that would truly classify it as one of the smaller escort ships in a fleet. One of those turrets, however, was what Gene described as an 'organic-fuelled bio-cannon'.

"A what now?" Burke asked.

Gene's holographic blue, lupine head sprang up between them, erupting from a projector that he was sure hadn't been there in the original Dawn. "It is a weapon that rapidly uses organic matter and transforms it into a high-powered directional energy weapon. I have noted that with seven humans and one Orc, you would all produce an incredible amount of waste that will not necessarily be recycled or used in hydroponics. Therefore, I have created a bio-engine that will convert organic matter into energy for the weapon. It is far less powerful from a capital-class beam cannon as Specialist Khan has informed me but it would at least act as a deterrent."

"So it's powered by our shit," Sire concluded.

Burke snickered softly and settled into his seat. "I guess it's good to be green." He let the joke settle in and when no laughter ensued, he pushed the next topic. "How's our heading?"

"Still in warpspace." Beyond the ship and visible through the slanting glass domes of the dropship, stars and planets melted together into swirling, almost hypnotic lights. "I've got a better idea of where we're going to emerge, though." With a tap of his fingers, Sire brought up a galaxy-wide map and drew a circle with a finger over one of the arms. A red line followed his finger and he gently pushed the holographic display like it was any other screen towards Burke. "We're going to come out on the outskirts of Prydaraen space. Chances are, the cats won't notice us if we get in and out without making a fuss. Assuming we don't appear in the middle of their hanger or something."

"I would recommend we engage with the Prydaraen,"_suggested Gene. _"Our resources, while abundant, will not be enough to allow us to make another jump to Avalon Station_. We will need to restock and resupply. Further, I have already performed an analysis on the Prydaraen species based on what information I've gathered and have a few recommendations on how we can improve -"_

"No!" Sire barked. "Hell no. After you tried to 'improve' the Orcs, you created a fucking tyrant that nearly raped us by _literally_putting his seeds into us!"

"Spores."

"You know what I meant!" Sire turned towards Burke for support. "You're with me on this, right Captain?"

A little irked by the nickname but at least glad he wouldn't burst into tears, Burke said, "He's right, Gene. As we agreed, you need a consensus from all of us if you want to make changes to any species."

"Which is why I am listing the possibilities to you know to make my case. Can you truly form a consensus on a topic that you are not fully informed?"

That was a fair point but Burke was going to delay that decision, at least for the moment. He was here to tour the ship. "The entire crew needs to have read up on the Prydaraen first before you start making recommendations on how they can be 'improved'. I'll assign them reading material but for now, don't tell them anything. We don't want to influence their decision before they fully know the facts."

"That is logical," responded Gene in a cordial tone though it was impossible to tell if it was actually being cordial or just hiding its fury. AIs were hard to read.

Sire mouthed 'thank you' towards him.

"Better how Gene isn't like HAL and can read lips," Burke responded with a smirk, rising from his seat.

His pilot's eyes boggled as he realised, he was going to have to field questions from Gene about the homicidal AI. "Why!?" he demanded but Burke didn't give him an answer and strode out of the cockpit.

He briefly wondered who would man the communications and weapons seats before he passed the crew quarters again. There was a much bigger restroom facilities now - big enough to fit ten crew members showering at the same time with a modicum of privacy and from the sounds of it, someone was using it. He guessed it was Happy or Firman. Past the crew quarters would have been the storage bay and engine rooms but instead he found himself in an actual mess hall. Two long tables stood side by side with plenty of bench space to fit at least twenty men each. Another table was perched on the far end of the room. To the right was a fully-stocked and fully-functioning kitchen. A high ceiling gave the illusion of space and there was even a little stage on the far right for entertainment for meals. Opposite the kitchen was a large metal door with the word 'Hydroponics' drawn across the top.

This was new to him.

GTF ships - even the bigger ones - never had Hydroponic modules. They were considered _incredibly_vulnerable spots on the ship's hull - especially if they relied heavily on natural lighting - and thanks to warp technology, most ships would not need the ability to produce their own food as they could normally just warp into a base and restock there. Some luxury cruise liners may have Hydroponic modules and certainly space stations but never any ships.

He approached the door which slid open a little slowly for him. The smell that came from it - that heady, musky, manly smell with a hint of mushroom immediately told him this was Poldak's space. The module was about the size of his loft but had a ceiling as high as the mess hall. Two levels separated room with the second floor being constructed like a horseshoe with a gap around the centre to allow some of the taller plant boxes to slide between the arms of the horseshoe. Each box was rich with fertilised soil and equipped with mist-like sprinklers that could keep the plants within well-hydrated. Artificial lights ensured that they would all be able to get the warmth and light they needed. At the moment, there was nothing but a few seedlings poking out of the dirt with most of the boxes were empty. There was a large window at the opposite side of the room that spanned the entire wall, giving an unobstructed view of the swirling lights of warpspace.

Poldak, looking as enormous as ever, stood to the left corner, tending to one of the boxes, raking his fingers through the dirt.

"How are you adjusting?" Burke asked, striding into the chamber.

Poldak glanced briefly over his shoulder, his rust-red facial hair trimmed back into a neat beard. Burke's libido stirred within him, causing his cock to twitch and his tentacles to squirm. He pushed those thoughts aside as Poldak gave him a brief smile and dusted off his massive green hands.

"I am doing well, Lieutenant," rumbled the Orc, moving towards one of the wash stations. "It helps to have a purpose. A function."

"I suppose we haven't exactly discussed what we're going to do concerning your future," Burke responded, approaching the Orc. He tried not to stare at the big green ass barely concealed beneath the grass skirt and the wide, muscular back that could barely be contained by that leaf-based cloak. "I want you to know that you're not a hostage or anything like that. Just let us know where you want us to drop you off and we'd be happy to comply. I know a few space stations on the border of Orc-human territory that frequently trade with Orcs so you might be able to catch a ride to another Homeship through them."

The lone Orkish crewmate turned towards him. Poldak had tied back his long, red hair in a neat ponytail, likely to avoid it getting dirty while he had shaved down some of his beard though it appeared impossible to completely hide the contrasting red hair against his green skin. It gave him a bit of a rough, wild 'jungle man' look that elicited images of rutting naked in the forest with their cries of ecstasy shaking the very trees.

"If it is all the same with you, lieutenant, I would prefer to stay."

Burke lifted an eyebrow, momentarily forgetting his arousal and attraction to Poldak. "You would? Why?"

The former guard crossed his big, meaty arms, veins clearly visible against the light dusting of red hair on his forearms. Poldak leaned back against the sink and gazed intently on the floor. "I was without those pods that you slumbered in and we Orcs generally only need four to five hours of sleep to remain functioning." He tapped the side of his head. "It gave me time to think."

The shorter lifespans and higher metabolic rate likely played a part in why Orcs only needed a few hours of sleep compared to the standard eight to nine for humans. It made sense and it also shot him with a pang of guilt that he had forgotten about Poldak not having a pod.

"Even were I to find another Homeship," continued the Orc, "there are still so many of my capabilities that is unknown. Should another Rootchief or even a Sporekeeper learn of my abilities, they would likely try to capitalise on it like Da'makur. The only reason I was able to survive and escape was because of you and your squad."

"It was also because of my squad that shit hit the fan like it did," Burke admitted.

Poldak gave him a light smile. "Perhaps but I do not regret my evolution. I think it would be better if I were to stay with you all and discover more of my abilities than venture off on my own." The Orc regarded him with a cute, prompting look. "If, that is, you will have me."

Some knee-jerk reaction in Burke wanted to reply that he wanted all of Poldak, that he wanted to have the Orc here and now but military training and experience with Captain Warner had taught him to show some degree of restraint. "I'm glad to have you onboard, Poldak. You're an amazing soldier and I'm sure you'd be of great value to us."

Gene's holographic image suddenly appeared from a projector to his right. "Welcome aboard, Poldak. I apologise that your accommodations were not exactly suited to the Orkish lifestyle as they were based off a template from other human starships. If the lieutenant will permit, I can arrange for one of the cabins to be more suited to you? It should be ready within the day."

"That's not necessary," Poldak began.

"No, it's fine," Burke said, recognising a good idea. "Even back on the old Nascent Dawn and our frigate, the Marines added personalised items to their bunks. Something to help them remember home or keep their own identities. If it'll make you more comfortable, go for it. In fact..." He turned towards Gene's projection. "... let the rest of the crew know that they're free to customise their cabins as well."

"Of course, Lieutenant."

"That's very generous of you," Poldak commented. "Back on the Homeship, we had little time for personal affects. Too busy working and personal items often meant resources taken away from the Homeship itself."

"We run things differently here," Burke said with a smile. He padded over towards one of the plant boxes. "What are you growing here?"

Beaming with pride, Poldak approached the very same box which had a few green sprouts emerging from it. "It is a starchy plant we call kalgadi."

"The Orkish Potato. It's supposed to be spicy." He got a smile from Poldak from that. "It grows relatively fast too. What? Two weeks before maturity and harvesting from planting?"

"Correct. Within two weeks, we will be mostly self-sufficient."

He was looking forward to eating something apart from the Bricks and awful coffee that was standard on the old Dawn. Though not a fan of spice himself, he was still looking forward to something different than the bland taste of the Bricks. At the same time, he hoped he wouldn't have to be on the ship for an entire two weeks. Their accommodations may have improved but that didn't change the fact that they were still on a moving starship. There were comforts that could not be replicated in space. There was also the question of what the GTF_would do if they ever got a hold of Gene and the _Nascent Dawn.

"I suppose if you're going to be travelling with us, I should know your skills and expertise," Burke said. "I know you're good with a gun and served as one of Da'makur's elite guards but we've only really worked together about a day and a half. I'd like to get to know you better."

That was almost the same line that Warner had given him the first day they had met, verbatim. It had disarmed Burke when he had first received those words as he had not been expecting such an informal introduction. Warner would then confide in him that the best way to judge a man and know them was when they were at their lowest; when their guard was down, when they were broken or defeated. Bootcamp did all the breaking and Warner wanted to see how his men were when they weren't acting like soldiers. Sometimes he'd get them drunk. Other times he'd act like a goofball around them. He'd even sleep with them if it came to that. But in the end, he got to know who they were.

Poldak let out a thoughtful rumble as he flicked one of the leaves in the plant boxes. "There is not much to say. As an Orc, I am about twenty-five years of age, about midway through my lifespan. At least the lifespan of an average Orc. I am unsure how long my new biology would allow me to live."

"I optimised your cellular regeneration but like most living beings, it is not finite," answered Gene academically. "In theory, you would live to approximately eighty years of age. Longer were proper treatments provided."

"Right. Thank you, Gene." Poldak turned back towards Burke. "I had reached the highlight of my career by becoming a member of Da'makur's elite guard. I had resigned myself to living out the rest of my days in that role."

"What did you do in your spare time?" Burke prompted.

"We Orcs do not have anything such as 'spare time'. Life on the Homeship did not allow it. We must constantly be working to improve the Homeship or we risk starvation and a slow, painful death."

Very generic answers that could be expected from any Orc. Burke wasn't getting through to Poldak and his new green-skinned crew member was still very much guarded. There had to be a way to break down those barriers and get him to open up. 'At squad cannot function if they are don't know their comrades have their back,' Warner used to say. 'Being in a few battles, doing your job is not enough to tell you the guy next to you will lay down their life for you.'

"You can't have been working all the time. What did you do when you weren't working?"

"Eating," Poldak answered with a shrug. "Sleeping. Coping with pregnancy."

Pregnancy... Maybe that was his way in.

"I don't suppose you ever knew your sons?"

Poldak shook his head dismissively. "No. Under Da'makur, our sole focus had to be serving the Homeship and as one of the guard, I could not be bogged down by pregnancy or familial ties. Even Varrin's influence could not change that."

Maybe not... There had to be some way to get Poldak's trust enough that he'd divulge personal information. Then again there was also the distinct possibility that Poldak didn't even have a personality to begin with given where he grew up.

Unless...

"So if you were a guard, how'd you learn to cultivate plants like this? Wouldn't the Homeship had people specifically trained to do this?"

The might red-haired Orc gave a dismissively shrug. "I was trained as a soldier but we were also taught in multiple functions just in case we were needed in other sectors of the Homsehip. Farming and agriculture were my... 'minor studies', I suppose you could say but that was fairly standard for most other soldiers. The manual labour helped develop our muscles, it was repetitive work much like our drills and required very little thought." He threw a brief smile towards Burke before he leaned down and started checking each of the leaves individually. "The vast swathes of farming land also reduced the likelihood of getting pregnant as you were physically separated from most other Orcs who may be spawning."

A slightly better response than the single sentences he was getting thus far.

Maybe it was time to switch gears. Instead of bombarding Poldak with questions, perhaps it was time to relate some of what he learned to himself.

"Yeah Marines are pretty much the same," he said. "The GTF has three branches of military. Well... four technically but the Marines and Valkyries are technically on the same branch. There's the Federation_Navy which is a lot like the grunts. They have the most soldiers and their ships tend to be geared towards supporting all those people. Then there's the Earthguard which is the elite of the elite. They're charged with protecting the core worlds and conducting espionage missions against other galactic nations. They're the best of the best and usually can do _way more than just run and gun. We Marines are pretty much like you. We're soldiers first but we have different specialisations which we use to help run a ship. I mean I'm sure you know Sire is our pilot and Firman is our engineer."

Poldak smiled at him while peering up past the saplings. "Yes, I did notice that. What is Happy's speciality?"

A pang of jealousy burst up from Burke's chest. Why was Happy the first one that he asked about?

"Apart from being the squad's clown?" he laughed slightly. "Happy is actually a navigator and communications specialist. Since the old Dawn didn't exactly have a comms array, that was kind of redundant." Realising just how demeaning that sounded, he quickly moved on. "But I like to think he's got a keen sense of people and could very well be our therapist too. We used to have one but he died on McAllister."

The mood had turned dour and he quickly moved to the next crew member.

"Wildstorm is our weapons and workshop specialist. We all know how to maintain our guns and armour but if there's something that really breaks, we go to him. Stitch is our medic and you probably know that Dr. Carmichael is our... well... Scientist though he's not really a Marine. More like a civilian thrust into the role because of circumstances."

Poldak's eyes suddenly met his. "And what of you, Lieutenant? What is your secondary specialisation?"

His cheeks began to burn. This was the first time Poldak had actually asked about him and he was feeling somewhat flustered. The higher function of his brain scolded him for acting like a school girl whose crush had shown interest in him but the reptilian part, the flight-or-fight response, was giggling away and that was the part that was more dominant at the moment.

"I guess you could say I'm the squad's archivist," he responded, fighting the urge to grin. He tapped the side of his head. "I like to read a lot and Captain Warner used to rely on me to tell him about little things that may be of relevance. It's kind of how I got my callsign 'Snapshot'. He would tell me that I took a lot of 'snapshots' of information but would really miss the important stuff. The name stuck and I guess I'm now Lieutenant Ayden 'Snapshot' Burke."

"So the callsigns you give one another are based on personality traits and are not just code names given for the purposes of the assignment?" Poldak straightened. "That's fascinating. What would my callsign be?"

Sex Spores? Green God? Alpha Orc?

"Greenthumb?" Burke offered lamely.

Poldak glanced at his hand, sticking out his thumb. "Is it... common to name someone based on a feature of their anatomy?"

"No!" Burke exclaimed, holding up his hands and mentally kicking himself. "Amongst humans, when you say someone has a 'green thumb' it means that they're really good at cultivating plants and gardening. You know. Because if you work with plants all day you might get a bit of plant matter on your thumb and it's green so..."

He couldn't believe he was being so flustered by Poldak. As the commanding officer, he should have confidence! Burke was just puffing himself up to regain that position of authority when Poldak gave him the cutest of grins that was accompanied by a faint blush on his cheeks.

"I apologise, Lieutenant. I am unused to your human expressions."

Burke let out a soft whimper, turning Poldak's look of embarrassment to one of confusion.

That did it. He had lost all control over the situation. The best course of action to do was give a curt thanks and leave.

"I -" he began.

"May I be frank, Lieutenant?" Poldak asked. Burke could only offer a shaky nod in response. "I am motivated for more selfish reasons in joining your crew than simply hoping to save the universe."

That was the question he should have asked. Kicking himself mentally for being so stupid.

"And what would that be?" he asked, trying to remain as calm as possible.

"I want to have sex."

Burke had to replay those five words over and over in his head a couple of times before they finally began settling in. It was like he was jump starting his brain, giving it an electric shock but every time he came to the word 'sex', it would just come crashing back down and he had to restart it again.

"Come again?" was all he could manage.

"Sex," Poldak admitted. "Sexual intercourse. It is what I desire most out of this venture."

"No, I get the definition of sex. My question is... why?"

The Orc leaned forward, resting his big hands against the sides of the plant box. "Orcs do not have sex for pleasure. In fact, we do not have what you would define as 'sex' at all. The experiences I had on this ship were... eye-opening. The sensation of being in someone of having someone in you it was..." Poldak pursed his lips, struggling for the definition. "It was simply spectacular. I want to feel that again. I want to _keep_feeling that. The fact that you and your men are extremely virile and that there is a possibility of finding other races to have sex with excites me."

And there it was.

Poldak just wanted to fuck.

There was nothing wrong with that. New experiences could very well be addictive and for a sex-starved race like the Orcs, the possibility of fucking and being fucked by different species all over the galaxy was certainly appealing. But some part of Burke's heart broke at that revelation. There was nothing meaningful in the sex they had. It was just that. Sex.

Strangely, that was exactly what he needed to harden his resolve and straighten his stance.

"I'm glad you were forthcoming with that, Poldak," he said curtly. "I'm sure we can accommodate this request." He gave the Orc a node and began to turn away. "Welcome to the 79th Marine Reserves."

"A moment, lieutenant," came Gene's voice. Burke tried to keep his features still and unemotional though mentally, he was railing in fury at the AI for not giving him a quick escape. "If Poldak is to join us, perhaps it would be best if he too became one of my hosts?"

He jerked back around towards the holographic representation of the AI. "What?"

"Through my hosts, I am better able to sense my surroundings and provide critical data points to my uplifting efforts. It was my mistake to uplift the Orcs en masse the way I did. I was impatient and anxious about the Endspawn's progress when I should have been far more systematic about the approach. As agreed on with Lieutenant Burke, I will not perform any transformations or uplifting without the express, unanimous consent of all members of my hosts. I believe it would be extremely useful if I add you to my list of hosts so that you will be able to provide your insight and perspective."

"Hold on," Burke snapped. "You just said so yourself. You can't transform him without everyone on my team approving it."

"I will not be transforming him. Much like your transformation, I perfected the Orkish race by removing the 'junk' DNA and left much room for improvement in his genetic structure. What I will do is simply interface with him much like how I interface with you and the rest of the Wolves. I can see and sense the world through you and analyse stimuli through you. Further, I can override your bodily functions to assist in combat situations. As a member of the crew, I only think that this will be beneficial."

Poldak shrugged. "I am unsure about the idea of having an alien artificial intelligence in my head but it seems the rest of you are well-adjusted and if this is what it means to be part of the crew..."

"It's not," replied Burke. "Trust me." He glanced towards the holographic image of Gene. "Lay it out for me. Hundred words or less. What do we get and what do you get from this arrangement?"

"Poldak will benefit from a lifeline. Should he be knocked unconscious or be incapable of movement, I can take over and provide assistance. I can also closely analyse and monitor bodily functions to prevent illnesses, injuries and infection as necessary. I will get critical data points for further analysis and extra processing power."

"Extra processing power?"

"The seven members of the 79th Marine Reserves are effectively the 'cores' of my processor. My existence and indeed my capabilities are tied to them. Having another 'core' added will increase my capabilities."

"No offense Gene," Burke said evenly, "but I'm not sure we should be giving you more 'processing power' give what just_happened in _Da'makur."

"On the contrary, Lieutenant. I believe if I had all the data points and greater abilities, I would have been able to foresee this."

Poldak interjected. "We are trying to save the universe. Gene is the key. I would think it is much like a child that needs to be taught and allowed to grow or else it will constantly make the same mistakes over and over again. What if we were to encounter another civilisation and based on its recommendations and our own, we make the same mistakes? We would have no one to blame but ourselves when we look back at this moment and realise, we hesitated."

That was also a very good point. There was no doubt that they would need to uplift other civilisations to make this 'Cradle' that Gene hoped would ultimately push back the Karn. But if they didn't have all the facts, didn't have the abilities to control the infection, then they would just risk another Da'makur.

Burke found himself at a crossroads...

"Open a comms channel to the rest of the ship, to the rest of the team."

"Confirmed," Gene answered and after a second to pause, it said, "Comms open."

Taking a deep breath, Burke began. "Marines. Poldak has agreed to joining our crew on a permanent basis. Make sure to make him feel welcome." He paused for a second. "Gene has made the suggestion of letting Poldak become a 'host' much like the rest of us. This will not only increase Gene's abilities in the hopes of preventing what happened in _Da'makur_from occurring again but also ensure Poldak is part of our network as well. As previously agreed, Gene will not make any actions unless we all have a consensus. What's everyone's vote?"

"Do it," came Sire's blunt reply, surprising Burke. Of all the people on the Dawn, he would've thought Sire would be the one that was most hesitant with the process."Poldak fought beside us and we basically blew up his home. Apart from those Orcs that made it out of the Homeship, he's basically the last and only of his kind. Like us. If he wants to fight with us, I say he needs to stand with us on every level."

"I'm with Sire," agreed Wildstorm. "From a tactical perspective, we still need a representative of his species."

"I have... my reservations," added Ross Carmichael. "Not about Gene making Poldak a host or even Poldak joining us in general but more around the fact that we are increasing our risk factor by adding an eighth member to the number of 'hosts'. If we become used to Gene's capabilities with eight hosts and then end up losing one due to the number of moving parts, would that not cripple us?"

A good point but a moot one. Marines had to take risks and they always watched one another's back. Poldak was nearly immortal thanks to his ability to transform into spores and if Gene could oversee all of that, even were he dispersed into the void of space, there was a good chance that Gene could just force them to collect towards one another again and reform the Orc's consciousness.

The more he thought about it, the more Burke was convincing himself this was a good idea.

"But the benefits outweigh the risks," Stitch countered, likely in Carmichael's vicinity. "Besides, Poldak is a trained warrior and one of the first to be transformed. He knows how to fight. I say we go with it."

"I suppose that's true," Carmichael admitted. "But I still leave my vote to Poldak. Whatever he decides to do, I'll vote for."

"You know I want to do this," Poldak said with a nod.

"Then I say we go for it!" exclaimed Happy, his voice carrying over the speakers and through the ship. He was close by. "Welcome aboard Poldak!"

Burke knew it was just a formality but there was one person he had yet to hear from. "Firman?"

"Do it," came the brusque answer.

A weight lifted off Burke's chest. Not the weight of one whose decision had gone the way he had expected but one who no longer had to make that decision. "Alright. It's decided then. Thanks, Marines. Back to work."

With a nod towards Gene's holographic head, the AI shut off the communications.

"So how do we proceed?" he asked. "Do we need to get Poldak into one of our pods?"

"Not quite," Gene responded. "When I interfaced with Poldak, Garok and Brok in the first instance, I was overwhelmed from controlled all three bodies while simultaneously trying to keep the rest of you in suspended animation and recovering after the initial transformation. As such, I need to approach this systematically. I believe a one-on-one interface and instillation would best suit our needs."

Burke shrugged and turned to leave. "Then I'll leave you to it."

"I fear you misunderstand me, Lieutenant. I need you to interface with Poldak. You are one of my hosts after all."

He went rigid and his throat went dry. "Now when you say 'interface'...?"

Poldak's big, green hand fell on his shoulder, gently gripping it with warmth radiating from the contact.

"Sex. Gene wants us to have sex."

A New Host

Preparing onboarding of uplifted Orc.

Compiling deployment package.

Preparing input ports.

******

"Now hold on!" Burke exclaimed, taking a step away from Poldak. "We can't just jump into sex just like that!"

He got a confused look from both Poldak and Gene.

"I apologise," rumbled the big Orc. "We must disrobe. Allow me to help you with your -"

"No!" shouted the Lieutenant, taking a step away. "It's not like that!" His cheek flushing red, he fought hard to keep Poldak's gaze to avoid looking like the weaker man. "I... I just feel like we need... a _connection_before we have sex..."

Gene let out a soft sound of realisation. "Ah, I see. I believe this is what humans call 'foreplay'. Before you engage in the act of sex, you two need to 'get in the mood'. Arousal does not occur instantaneously, after all."

Not exactly what he meant but it was as good as an excuse as any. "Pretty much. We just finished discussing some pretty heavy stuff so you'll have to excuse me if -"

Before he could finish, Poldak approached him, closing the distance between them until their lips were pressed against one another. Those big, powerful, green hands closed around his waist, pulling them together with their powerful chests pressed against one another and the steady heartbeat from both men pulsating through the thin clothing they wore to beat a rising rhythm. What reservations Burke may have melted away as Poldak's lips smacked and danced over his. His eyelids fluttered, his knees went weak and his own hands glided up Poldak's thick, hairy forearms, feeling the muscles and veins there.

The Orc broke the kiss and used his tongue to slowly trace along Burke's jawline, bringing his lips close to the lieutenant's ear. "Orcs know nothing of foreplay," he whispered softly. "I just want to 'fuck', as you humans put it."

The world abruptly spun as Poldak grabbed his waist and turned him around, pushing him against the nearby plant box, pressing his chest and cheek against the glass. Those hands yanked down Burke's pants, revealing the lieutenant's hard dick oozing with precum. There was no denying that Burke wanted this, his own thoughts getting in the way. Now that Poldak had taken control, however, he was again freed of the burden of choice and let out a soft whine. If there were any doubts left, they faded when Poldak grabbed his dick, squeezing out what must have been a cup's worth of precum in one stroke. He watched over his shoulder, eyes half-closed in arousal as the Orc pulled down that grass skirt and lathered his own cock with the collected precum. While Poldak was certainly producing his own, the fact that he used some of Burke's on fluids had the lieutenant whining and begging for more.

The big, green shaft pressed up against Burke's ass, sliding up the crack and sneakily lifting up the lieutenant's shirt. An opening now available, Burke's tentacles began sliding out from the little tent, betraying his eagerness. They slithering towards Poldak, sliding over those firm muscles, oozing that precum-like substance while simultaneously feeling and tasting the Orc's might frame. It was only through sensitivity of his tentacles that he finally detected the subtle mushroom-tasting odour in the air and how, as they touched his flesh, it rippled with a powerful consciousness driven to fuck and fuck hard.

"You..." he began.

An intense burst of pleasure erupted from his ass. Poldak's thick shaft pushed into his hole, barely pushing past two inches of the thigh hole before meeting resistance. Poldak's thick arm curled around his chest, pulling their torso's together. The Orc's hot breath wafted down his neck and that long, slick tongue glided up his neck, bringing his tusked lips hovering over his ear.

"I have felt the need to fuck for a while now," growled the Orc, pushing another inch into him roughly. Burke bit his lower lip, trying to keep himself from screaming out in ecstasy. "It seemed right that my initiation into the wolves be triggered through you." Another inch in and Burke was bucking his hips into to plant box. He could barely keep himself up.

Poldak's powerful grip across his chest, those broad pectorals cushioning his back, powerful legs straddling his hips and big, fat dick buried four inches into his ass... It was all too much. His skin was afire, prickling constantly like it was on fire. Two of his tentacles slithered around Poldak's huge thighs, curling around them and adding what little strength they could into each of the Orc's powerful thrusts into him. Another one slipped over the those mountainous shoulders, slithering down the valley that was Poldak's back and dripping fluids down the Orc's ass crack. He paused for a moment but Poldak's next words encouraged him.

"Go on," came the deep, throaty growl. "Stick in me. I want to feel you inside of me."

As his breath wafted into Burke's nostrils. That breath carried a faint black and green cloud of spores, one that Burke eagerly inhaled. The spores were warm like the gentle trickle of warm smoke, not enough to make him cough or splutter but more like breathing in humid air. It wafted into his lungs, radiating outward like a hot cloud had nestled in his chest and gently brushing his insides with a feathery, fluffy touch. This was in stark contrast to the hard, muscular form that ploughed another inch into him, bringing him to a total of six.

Burke took a deep breath, leaning into act and for his reward, he was greeted by Poldak's thick and surprisingly flexible tongue being shoved into his mouth. He suckled on the slick appendage, lips smacking against the Orc's with his cheeks lightly brushing up against the powerful tusks. Spores parted from Poldak, travelled from their joined lips and funnelling down into his throat. Spurred onward, Burke pushed his tentacle lightly towards Poldak's ass, the tip just brushing up against the warm, needy hole. He hesitated for a moment but that was when Poldak thrust and pushed another inch into his ass. On instinct, he tensed and that compelled his own tentacle to plunge into Poldak's waiting hole. The Orc broke the kiss, sucking in air between his clenched teeth as he arched his back, eyes squeezed shut. The deep growl that emanated from his thick throat was one of animalistic pleasure.

Burke's remaining tentacle slithered over Poldak's lips, tracing the line of the Orc's tusks as it dripped that addictive aphrodisiac into the broad, kissable lips. Poldak didn't need further prompting and eagerly opened his mouth to let the thick, pink, fleshy length down his throat, filling him with Burke's fluids just as his spores funnelled into the lieutenant's body.

For his part, Burke was in absolute bliss. There was something about being filled by a strong, powerful man while also pleasuring him that filled him with pleasure and purpose. Feeling Poldak's cock throb and pulsate inside of him, each thrust more powerful than the last sated his desire to have a man fuck him. At the same time, between each thrust, he could feel Poldak's dick twitch in response to the squirms and twists of his tentacles telling him that whatever he was doing was equally as pleasurable for the Orc. These dual sensations made him feel strangely... complete and satisfied; like he had found his calling.

As the two men mated, their bodies inching closer and closer to one another with every thrust, Gene went to work.

Using Burke's tentacles like an interface into Poldak's biology, the Genesiseed connected into the Orc's nervous system and began its in depth analysis. At the same time, it began 'uploading' itself into Poldak through the fluids that Burke was secreting into the Orc.

What Gene found startled the alien AI.

The Orcs were much more complicated than first anticipated. Millennia of evolution could not simply be rewritten in a span of a single sex session and the fact that Gene had been so arrogant as to think just a few hours worth of analysis could compress everything it knew about the Orcs and then make a judgement on how best to optimise it despite all its abilities was incredibly naive. There were things that it had missed, evolutionary paths that it could have taken and - most of all - personalities and behaviours that it had never considered before. All of this information was far too much for Gene to process especially since only a single host was interfaced.

For a second, it considered bringing in the others but then it realised that the flood of information had begun and it couldn't stop the flow. Every thrust from Poldak was like fresh injection of a century's worth of evolutionary data. Gene realised all too late that it did not have the space to accommodate all of this data. It was quickly running out of space and as it was trying to 'install' itself into Poldak, much of Poldak's was similarly being uploaded into it.

It needed a solution or it would be completely overwritten!

There was only one thing it could think of doing.

Burke moaned softly as a strange, new sensation began rippling throughout his body. Originating from his abused ass, it was like someone was injecting his butt cheeks with hot fudge, fudge that was rapidly hardening into taut muscle. Poldak had gone completely into autopilot, wildly thrusting into Burke while sucking down on the tentacle that was like getting a blow job for Burke. On top of all these sensations was this new stimulus that rapidly spread across Burke's waist and down towards his cock.

Through bleary eyes, Burke stared down at his own erect cock. Those same eyes widened in surprise as the base of his dick thickened, shifting and undulating as thicker veins began pushing up against the skin, radiating a deep green colour as they pulsed. He bit his lower lip, unable to make a sound while the radiating pleasure like his cock was being filled with solid fire overtook him. He could only watch in awe as his cock thickened and his balls plumped up to the point where they were like two, deep green suns clutching onto the flagpole that was his cock. The whine from his throat became a deep growl with another inch of cock pushing into him. That somehow spurred his own cock to surge outward another inch, the green discolouration shooting up from the base of his dick and surging towards the tip.

The green spread down towards his thighs, thick veins pushing up against his thighs, first appearing as deep, emerald green before that same colour began spreading over the rest of his flesh like the veins were a herald of the transformation. Their touch filled his muscles with pure Orkish might, inflating them while also reinforcing his bones.

Another inch was pushed into him by Poldak and his cock grew a little greener. His abs tightened, a sound like dry bark cracking filling the hydroponics lab. The solid block of eight muscles seemed to harden in place, permanently setting into a brick wall of green. A burst of his dark brown hairs burst upwards from his pubes, shooting towards his navel in a triangle to form a thick treasure trail. The muscles there widened at the same time, his bones broadening slightly for a stockier build. That naturally loosened his ass a little and gave Poldak more room to shove another inch into him.

Again, another inch of his own cock turned green, inching closer towards the tip. He let out a moan, a sound that deepened with every note passed. The spores within him seemed to work their magic within him as they pushed his pectorals further outward, plumping up more until they began straining against his shirt, nipples poking out like spears against the white fabric. That same sound like crackling bark rose from his back, hard mountains of muscles pressing up against his soaked shirt until...

Rrrrip!

The fabric tore right down the middle, falling like snowflakes to the ground to reveal his huge, broad, muscled, green_torso. Burke had always been a personal believer in personal grooming and had undergone a medical procedure to permanently remove the hairs on his chest. But as the Orkish genes began to take over, the hairs on his chest began pushing out of the revitalised green skin. Curly, dark brown hairs rapidly grew out of the plump pectorals, forming a healthy bush that barely left any of the green beneath visible. The crest on his chest almost looked like a bird spread eagled across his chest with a tiny upturned point rising upwards to just where his collarbone met and then two, big 'wings' spreading a little lower and covering his armpits. A small downward facing diamond pointed towards his bellybutton, just _barely kissing the treasure trail that had emerged from his pubes.

Poldak was not spared from the transformation. As his Orkish nature bled into Burke, so too did some of Burke's lupine mutations seep into him. He shut is eyes, waves of arousal and pleasure battering him from all angles. His senses grew sharper, his nostrils flared and his skin burned. The red hair on his head rapidly grew wilder, spreading down his back like a made and spreading out like the branches of a tree, eager to cover his entire, broad back in a bushy, crimson canopy. At the same time, his sideburns flared out, spreading up towards his cheeks and rapidly consuming his features. It was a fight between red and green as his Orkish flesh pulled away from the encroaching hair, his skull and face pulling outwards, retreating from his red fur even as his nose tapered to a point. The two large tusks jutting from his jaw remained and even grew bigger, becoming a prominent feature on his muzzle.

Poldak felt the burst of chest hair against his hands, claws emerging from the tips of his fingers compelling him to rake them through the thick hair. As Orcs valued body hair greatly, he was aroused by the growth all the more which compelled him to thrust deeper into Burke, almost hilting with him completely. Another inch of Burke's cock turned green and he was pushed up against the glass of the plant box. Burke's eyelids fluttered, causing him to miss the growth shooting down from his shoulders. The already broad bowling balls ballooned out to nearly match the size of his pectorals. Thick hairs erupted from his armpits, so numerous and dense that they could not be dwarfed by the massive melon-sized and coloured biceps that were bent and bunched to support his weight against the glass. His triceps, fully defined and flexed were decorated by some veins that trailed over his biceps and over to his forearms which ballooned out with the green colouration. Though there was a growth of arm hair, it didn't really get dense until about a few inches away from his wrists where they grew into almost a fur-like quality, making it look like he had a pair of furry bracers that joined with the hairs on his knuckles and covered the back of his huge, green hands.

The mighty Orc mounting the lieutenant thrashed his head back from side to side, gnashing his newly formed fangs. His thick, red pelt spread over his muscled chest, consuming all of the green of his flesh. Each of his thrusts was met with more and more power as his thighs exploded, bursting with strength as the centre of his mass was shifted slightly with the twisting and changing of his feet. Claws burst from his toes, taking the place of his toenails. The force of the mutation pushed him to the balls of his feet, allowing his heels to jut upwards and reform, lifting Burke further into the air and giving him more leverage to keep his assault.

Another inch and another thrust. Their balls slapped against one another, two pairs of Orkish testicles touching for the first time before one of them became covered in dense, red hairs. Burke's spreading body hair washed over his calves as they inflated and spread over the back of his feet and ended about halfway up his shins. His toes curled in pleasure, his fingers twisting into claws that scraped across the plant box's glass. His thickening precum splattered over the fertile soil in front of him, some of it even splashing on the seedlings.

Though it could not be seen, Poldak's own cock was morphing twisting and changing with each drop of preum he produced. Each time he pulled out, his green dick became brighter, lighter and almost pinkish in colour. The base of his dick inflated, a knot rapidly forming that made each subsequent thrust all the harder. Suddenly, he was squeezing himself again into Burke, forcing himself deeper and deeper as his tapered, sensitive dick spasmed and spewed increasingly thickening precum into the lieutenant.

With one last thrust, Poldak buried himself completely into Burke, his knot pushing into the lieutenant with a satisfying pop. The last inch of Burke's dick was covered in the green flesh, his darker green glands finishing off the transformation with a celebratory burst of precum. As a finale, Burke rolled his neck, eyes rolling into the back of his head. His brow deepened with his eyebrows thickening to give a more brutish appearance. His powerful, handsome jaw widened slightly to prepare for the two tusks that jutted out from his lower jaw and curled upwards towards his nose. Green flesh curled up from his neck, wrapping around his features and pushing out his ears into more pointed, triangular shapes. His jaw cracked slightly, giving him the opportunity to let out a loud, deep gasp as he put his new facial features to work. The goatee that had been forming fully emerged, spreading over his upper lip and joining with the hairs on his chin.

He let out a deep, feral growl. Poldak was only half done. Now that he was fully buried in the Orc, his path was clear. He pulled out halfway, slipping his knot back out and causing a moan from Burke, before thrusting deep and hard, each thrust going in harder and harder with his precum thickening. Some part of Burke remembered just how much Orcs valued body hair and odours and lifted his right arm, hooking it over Poldak's neck. The Orc, tentacle still buried in his muzzle, eagerly buried his face deep into Burke's pits, taking a deep long whiff of the newly formed Orc. Spurred by the scent of the lieutenant, Poldak's pace doubled in ferocity.

It was a surprise that the glass of the plant box could support their weight as the two Orcs fucking shook the actual box and even caused the metal to creak beneath them. The groaning from the steel and their throats joined into a chorus of pleasure, rising in tempo and volume, the climax rapidly approaching. Poldak's grunting was cut by loud pants that grew in frequency and pitch. Eyes squeezed shut, Poldak's body was shaking wildly, his whole body bracing itself for the eruption that was quickly approaching.

With one final thrust, Poldak buried his muzzle deep into Burke's armpit, his cock bursting with his life fluids and his entire body convulsing, putting everything he had into the blissful orgasm that sent his consciousness reeling and his body into overdrive. For Burke, the newly made Orc gasped as he was suddenly filled with that hot, sticky cum. For a second, he wondered if this was what it meant to get impregnated by an wolf-Orc before he remembered exactly how Orcs got pregnant. Before he could think too much into it, Poldak's cock blasted another shot of cum into him powerful enough that he was almost lifted off the ground; at the very least he was forced to the tips of his toes.

The movement caused them both to lose balance and Poldak fell backwards. The original Orc, now a hulking, red-furred wolf, still gripped Burke so as the two of them fell, Burke was still very much impaled on Poldak's cock. When they slammed into the ground, it was perfectly times for Poldak's third shot which sent Burke arching his back and gasping. His ass couldn't take much more and much of the burst leaking back into the invading, green dick. The fourth and fifth blast pooled around them with Poldak panting and thrusting until his tenth shot. Only then did his hands slip away from Burke's waist and the Orc slumped onto the metal floor in exhaustion and unconsciousness.

Burke was left panting and heaving, squirming while still impaled on Poldak's dick. There was a throbbing pressure in his own balls that demanded attention but something was calling him back from that primal haze; that overwhelming desire to breed.

"Lieutenant!"

He blinked a few times. Sanity returned and he became aware that he felt heavier than before. Bemused, he lifted a hand into the air, gawking at the green flesh and growth of hair. "What...?" he mumbled, mind still mostly muddled by desire and lust. "Am I an Orc now...?"

"It was necessary," explained Gene. "Integrating Poldak into the Marines required me to develop a deployment package that would update each of the existing members with my updated system. Unfortunately, I severely underestimated the amount of data that would be required in the package. Maintaining your physical form while integrating the update into your body was impossible given the limited space in your genetic sequence even with the junk DNA I had cleared out. This is purely temporary, however. Once I am able to integrate my system to the rest of the crew, I will be able to better spread the load of the update across all hosts and allow you to shift back into a human."

"Uh-huh..." Burke rumbled, barely paying attention as he turned that green hand towards his painfully erect cock. He began stroking the meat, caught in the fantasy that the hand running up and down his dick was someone else's.

"Lieutenant, I need you to interface with another member of the crew to facilitate the update into them. Please do not pass out into unconsciousness."

His brain only had one thing on his mind; to get off. Already, he was rising up and down on Poldak's cock, pleasuring himself on the still-erect member. "Whut...?"

Thankfully for Gene, the door to the Hydroponics lab opened at that moment.

"Hey Poldak," Happy began, stepping in and smelling of musky soap with his blonde hair still partially wet and spiked up from his shower. "You said you wanted some help with..." The Corporal cut himself off as he saw the two men on the ground.

Inspiration hit Burke and he willingly extracted himself from Poldak, a loud plop resounding in the lab as the big, canine slipped out of his ass. His tentacles pulled out of the unconscious Orc but remained waving in the air and oozing with his 'venom'.

"Happy," rumbled Burke with a saucy grin that he naturally wore despite his restructured jaw. The now powerful, hairy Orc leapt up on one of the benches and lifted his legs into the air. He ran one big, greed finger around the rip of his cum-soaked ass. "I need you the fuck me."

Happy, blue eyes boggling, dropped his jaw. "L - Lieutenant!? Is that you?"

"It is, Corporal," replied Gene hastily. "Integrating Poldak into the network was a greater strain on my current processing power that it bled into the Lieutenant's physical form. Rest assured this is temporary. That said, I need you to comply with the Lieutenant's request so that I may install the new firmware into the part of me that has integrated with you as well."

"Oh..." Happy said, lifting his eyebrows. By the bulge in his camouflage pants, he was clearly getting aroused. "Does it have to be temporary?"

Gene paused for a second. "I suppose it does not. However, I do not wish to force this form onto anyone unless they desire it. There are also some tactical and social disadvantages to becoming an Orc..."

"Oh... Uh, well..." A small smile touched Happy's lips as he began approaching Burke, slowly starting to peel off his shirt. "Can we... like... Turn into an Orc any time we want now? Is that something you can program in?"

"It is... an unprecedented request but I it would assist in my processing if I reserved some some space in your genetic sequence for the ability to change into an Orc. I do not think it would be wise to change at will, however, as this could lead to confusion with your lupine forms."

"Then just make it that we turn into Orcs when we fuck." The grin on Happy's lips was growing broader as he tossed his shirt aside.

"Again unwise. Arousal causes an increase in adrenaline and heart rate which is already tied with your lupine forms."

Happy briefly glanced over at Poldak and licked his lips. "Then what if we change if we fuck Poldak or Poldak fucks us?"

"An interesting proposal. Allow me to do some analysis."

"While you do that..." Happy pulled down his pants, revealing his foot-long cock that was growing more erect with each step he took towards the needy lieutenant. "I'm gonna fuck the lieutenant and become a sexy, hairy daddy Orc." As he said this, his own tentacles emerged from his back and reached out towards Burke's. The long, pink tendrils wrapped around one another, pulling the men towards together as their senses merged, like their minds were blending.

Gene, in the meantime, performed billions of calculations in the span of the few seconds it took between Happy's last words and when the two men's lips collided in heated passion. It weighed the options before it and could not deny that the Orkish form offered greater mobility and stealth options than the lupine forms. The wolf shapes had greater senses and strength but an Orkish form was bulkier and could disperse into spores. There were advantages to both shapes and for the purposes of infiltration and uplifting, it would be far easier to uplift another Orc Homeship if the crew themselves were Orcs. This was an opportunity it could not pass up.

As Happy's long, erect dick pushed into Burke's ass, it came to a decision.

Burke's current form was transient, effectively kept in temporary memory, which was why it had bled into his physical frame. Now, Gene was writing three things into the blank slates of DNA it had purposefully left in the Marine's genetic sequence for further improvements. Originally, these blank sequences were for the purposes of adapting to harsh climates and evolving rapidly. If a Marine was tossed into a vat of acid, Gene would manipulate their DNA to quickly develop an immunity to said acid. But with this development, it drew inspiration from the Orcs to give the squad a few enhancements.

Happy's cock plunged into Burke, the Corporal's body quaking with the intimate contact. Even if Wildstorm was the openly gay guy in the 79th Marine Reserves, it was Happy that was more than eager to stick his dick in anyone who was offering. While he wouldn't solicit others for sex, if they wanted it, he'd give it to them. Since Burke was practically pleading, the blonde-haired Coporal was more than happy to slide his cock in and out of the cum-filled hole. At first, he was a little discouraged with how loose the lieutenant's ass was then Burke squeezed his ass and clamped down on his dick, making every thrust all that more pleasurable.

A deep growl rose from Happy's throat as Burke's tentacles caressed his own. Somehow, thoughts and sensations travelled through the contact with the slick appendages. Happy was instantly hit by the flood of arousal and desire from Burke. He barely got time to register that the lieutenant was pretty damn slutty when he was bottoming before all those thoughts collided with his own and overwhelmed by the compulsion to fuck. Primal instincts took over and he was plunging and pulling out into the newly-made Orc. It was like he and Burke were sharing the same space between their bodies; he could feel his cock sliding in and out of Burke's ass as if he was the one bottoming while he was also consciously reaching up, grabbing Burke's thick calves and holding the Orc's legs apart.

It was through this sensation that he also felt his cock thickening within Burke. Even though he was already fully erect, he could feel it filling the offered ass with each thrust more and more. Burke had to clamp down less and less to get both of them that burst of pleasure from each thrust. The strength of each movement grew with every inch that filled the Orc thanks to the muscles all over his frame filling out. Veins pressed up against his flesh, radiating out from his crotch before being concealed by thick, bright green skin. Lean muscles emitted a sound like tree branches grinding against one another as they ballooned out, stretching his already taut skin further. His shoulders widened, his chest pushed outward and his thighs inflated to give every thrust more and more strength.

Happy didn't have an excess of body hair but with his growing muscles, this was quickly rectified. The darker blonde hairs springing from his crotch grew wilder, bushier and spread out, turning into lighter, more golden-coloured follicles as they spread towards his ripped abdominals and thighs. Against his grass-green skin, the hairs were far more visible even if they only left a light dusting across his broad pectorals. The bush from his armpits grew much thicker, however, bursting out like the rays of a golden sun from underneath his bowling ball deltoids. He didn't get the thick pads of hair on his feet or hands like Burke which only compelled him to press his lips against the lieutenant's feet, running his fingers through the soft, fur-light bushes and pushing the lieutenant's toes against his lips.

His tongue instinctively lapped out at the lieutenant's toes. Burke instinctively curled them, pushing them into Happy's muzzle. Happy suckled on those digits with expert tonguemanship added to the mix. To him, it was like giving someone a blowjob but since his sensations were joined with Burke's, he felt the opposite sensation like he was receiving it as well. That drove him wild, each thrust growing stronger alongside his arousal. The presence of Orc toes in his mouth seemed to trigger the changes in his jaw. His tusks quickly emerged forcing him to quickly adjust how he rolled those toes in his lips until Burke caught one of his tusks between his big toe and index toe, seemingly clinging onto it. That made Happy grunt in pleasure as Burke held onto his tusks while they grew. His jaw reset with a crack and burst of warmth. The blonde hairs on his head remained short but a light dusting of golden hairs formed a light stubble on his cheeks and chin.

His nostrils flared, nose growing bigger to fit his widening features. A strong, unique scent wafted into his new nostrils; it was that musky blend of male, sex and mushrooms but with a distinct twang that just made him think of Burke. It held the sweetness with a spicy edge like someone has mixed in some hot chillies with vanilla ice cream. He realised that he was emitting his own unique scent as one and could smell it through Burke's nose. The mushroom-like edge was definitely the scent of an Orc but amongst it was a brighter, fruitier smell with a zesty tinge like a bundle of fresh watermelon with a hint of lemon.

All thanks to Gene. The Genesiseed had developed a mutation for the two so that they would all develop a unique scent mark that would only be detectable by another member of the squad including Poldak or at least without specialised equipment. It would help them detect and track one another if they ever got separated. Inspiration taken from the Orc's ritual of sniffing one another's armpits as a means of greeting.

With the pleasure of being fucked by two men and having one of those men actually transform inside of him, Burke was easily pushed over the edge. The Lieutenant's entire body spasmed, his back arching as he threw his head back. With a thunderous roar, the Orc blasted streams of cum from his big, green cock, sending it over his head and splattering into the plant box behind him. Some of it even splashed against the glass above his head. Happy felt the lightning bolts of pleasure that rocketed out of Burke almost like he was cumming at the same time. That left him paralysed with the tsunami of sensations crashing around him and leaving him standing there, cock hilted into Burke while the lieutenant came again and again and again and again.

Exhaustion quickly followed as Burke shot his ninth shot. The dark-haired Orc slumped against the dirt, his arms falling limply by his side and a soft moan rising from his throat. His eyelids fluttered. He drifted off into unconsciousness with his eyes half-closed. Even when Happy pulled out of Burke, the lieutenant didn't register. Happy lowered the lieutenant's foot, giving the toes one last flick of his tongue before he took a step away.

"Corporal..." began Gene.

"I know," said Happy with a bright grin.

Still incredibly horny, he spun on his heel, happily swinging his new, meaty arms as he strode out of the hydroponics lab. The door shut behind him, leaving Poldak and Burke in relative privacy. His cock was was aching for some release and he knew exactly where he could get it. A bright smile framed by big tusks, Happy marched happily across the ship, bare, green feet tracking bits of cum towards the front of the ship and straight into the armoury. He was slightly disappointed that he didn't meet anyone along the way but that didn't matter.

Wildstorm's ass would be more than willing.

"Hey Wildstorm," he greeted, casually leaning against the doorframe.

The towering Warrant Officer began to turn, looking confident and casual until he laid eyes on the big, green, blonde Orc before him.

"Happy?" stammered Wildstorm, jaw dropping in surprise. "What -?"

"I'll explain later." He stepped into the room, slamming a fist against the door panel and sealing the armoury to prevent intrusion. "Let's fuck."

Before he could respond or protest, Wildstorm suddenly had Happy's tongue pushing between his lips and dancing around his mouth in that way the Corporal knew drove the Warrant Officer wild. He got that strong mushroom-fruity-zesty scent from Happy and he immediately knew what the Corporal wanted. The Orc's tentacles caressed his flesh, sliding up his shirt and squirming all over his flesh, sending tingles up and down his spine. Wildstorm's cock was instantly erect. That momentary loss of self-control allowed his own tentacles to start squirming out of their pouches. Happy pounced, just needing to touch his own tendrils against Wildstorm's to begin the interfacing. The moment the pink appendages made contact, Wildstorm was blasted by all of Happy's desires like he just been at the heart of a volcanic explosion.

Wildstorm leaned into the kiss, flexing his titanic muscles and giving his shirt that one last push it needed before it ripped right down the middle and left him shirtless. He let Happy's big, meaty hands tear off the sweaty shreds of clothing from him before tumbling backwards towards his workbench. The tools and half-finished guns clattered against the floor as he rested his ass on the bench. Happy didn't even bother to take off the Warrant Officer's pants. The overeager Corporal just shoved his dick right through the strained fabric. With Wildstorm's legs already filling out the garment to the brim, there was little to stop the long, thick Orc cock from puncturing a hole through the seat of his pants and push right into his eager hole.

That was the last straw for Wildstorm's resistances and the grey-haired Warrant Officer was swept away by currents of transformation and sex.

He tore his lips away from Happy, throwing his head back and growling, "Yeah! Fuck me!"

Happy was more than eager to comply as he shoved his cock back and forth into the well-used hole, pushing up against Wildstorm's prostate and, in many ways, pushing out the Orc that was within him. Wildstorm's own cock strained against the fabric of his pants, pushing out and tearing through the fabric. Diamond-shaped tears appeared against the crotch of his camouflage pants, his cock already a dark, moss green and slowly unfurling with only thin straps barely containing the beast. The addition of precum weakened the integrity of the fabric all the more and with a resounding rip, his cock fully burst out of the fabric, flicking wads of precum right against Happy's chest. That offered little relief for his thighs, however, as the growth quickly spread across the already monstrous quads, pushing against the fabric and tearing them at the seams from the inside.

Every wild thrust from Happy was like a cannon shot of electricity from within Wildstorm, each one filling his muscles with mass and strength. He had to reach over his head and grab a low hanging bard just to keep himself steady as Happy jackhammered him. The grey hairs that burst from underneath his armpit grew thicker and more prominent, contrasting against the dark green colour that his flesh quickly turned, a sound like rustling leaves in the breeze accompanying their lustful noises. Silvery hairs burst from his heaving chest, spreading over his torso like a plate of furry armour. It didn't do anything to hide the chiselled abdominals, even helping to emphasise them all the more as they spread across the chest, abdominals and joined with his thick pubes. Of all the Orcs, he looked the most 'wolfish' especially with the thick growth of hair that spread across his quads, calves, arms and back. Strangely, his features remained untouched by facial hair even as his next 'Fuck yeah' erupted from broad, Orkish features.

With the development of his nostrils, he could more easily detect Happy's fruity scent and immediately associated it with the Corporal. At the same time, he got the sweet and spicy tang from Burke, somehow associating it with the Lieutenant without having ever smelled the lieutenant in his new form. There was also the faint heavy, earthy scent that he immediately knew as Poldak's. But over this all, he could smell himself. With a cry, his own scent quickly developed. As an Orc, he had the base of the mushroom scent but it was overlayed by a woody, musky smell like aged whiskey but was also accompanied by a sporty flavour; this was an experienced man that could still keep up with any man half his age.

"Fuuuuck!" he moaned.

Happy was nearing his limit and immediately leaned forward, burying his face right between Wildstorm's pectorals. The Warrant Officer happily bounced them one at a time, squeezing the Corporal's cheeks against his own chest while Happy inhaled his scent. The Corporal's thrusts were getting stronger and longer and -

"FUCK!"

... ended with one last blast that sent hot cum shooting right into Wildstorm's ass. The first blast was a complete shock; he had been injected with hot, white fudge. Then came the flood of warmth and satisfaction that came with being filled with another man's seed; a sensation he was all too familiar with. He was more than ready for the second blast but he was _not_ready for it knocking the already weak-kneed Happy back. Half of the shot burst into his ass while the rest propelled the Corporal back a few steps. Then came the third blast with splattered Wildstorm's ass and erect cock. The next bursts streamed from the blonde Orc's cock, flying out in long ropes that splattered all over Wildstorm's face and chest, soaking into his silvery hair and blending his scent with the musk of cum. Wildstorm's tongue pushed out between his tusks, trying to catch some of the flying cum as much as he could.

Back in the hydroponics lab, both Burke and Poldak's still erect dicks went rigid, their balls churning. Both men, still unconscious, went rigid, letting out silent gasps as their cocks fired off another series of shots as if celebrating the completion of another member of the squad. Happy slumped onto his ass, eyes open but unseeing. He wavered for a few seconds before toppling onto his side, a goofy satisfied smile on his face and his eyes sealed shut.

Wildstorm licked his lips. He wiped some of the cum off his cheeks with his thumb, stared at the sticky, white goo for a second before shoving it into his mouth.

With a grin, he hopped off the workbench.

"My turn."

Orkish Study

Upgrade partially installed into hosts.

Noting eagerness of hosts to install updates with little resistance.

_Unique scent markers appear to be a success. _

******

Piloting a ship especially one drifting through warpspace could be very boring. In essence, it was really just Specialist Baron 'Sire' Khan sitting in the chair watching dials and graphs flicking about in front of him. It was an important job. There were various technologies that could easily rip a ship out of warpspace and if that happened, he'd have to grab the controls very quickly or they could ram into an asteroid or find themselves in the belly of a hostile ship. Normally, he would have others to take shifts with him but given that the 79th Marine Reserves had been reduced to six people and two civilians, no one else could pilot the newly upgraded Nascent Dawn.

Well... that wasn't entirely true.

He could entrust the ship's controls to Gene but he still didn't trust the AI. Trusting anyone who could spontaneously take control of your mind and body and was only restraining itself from doing so on a promise was a recipe for disaster.

Speaking of which...

The holographic image of the _Genesiseed's_chosen avatar appeared beside him in the little nook between the pilot and co-pilot's seat.

"For the last time," growled the copper-skinned pilot. "I am not going to give you control of the ship so I can 'rest my eyes'." Sire absently scratched at his beard which had advanced from thick stubble to a full-on beard in the span of a a day. He had the uncanny ability to grow facial hair like his follicles were on steroids. Even if he used the finest razor in the morning, by the end of the day he'd have a thick stubble. At the same time the following day, he'd have a full beard again. It was his superpower. Given that he hadn't shaved since escaping McAllister, he was sporting a very thick beard now. Thankfully, his beard had a sort of 'limit' and stopped growing after a certain point, clinging to his jawline, so he didn't have to worry about sporting facial hair like Gandalf any time soon.

"That is not what I wanted to warn you about," Gene responded.

"What is it this time?" he growled. "Are my blood sugar levels low again?"

"No. Lieutenant Burke, Corporal Mattleigh and Warrant Officer Aurelius have all be transformed into Orcs."

Suddenly, Sire went rigid and stared at the AI with wide eyes. "What?"

"Please do not be alarmed. This is part of the process of integrating Poldak into the squad. Poldak's genetic differences was too much to be integrated into the entire host system without some compensation and adaptation from the existing hosts. This was unprecedented and as I continue to process this data, everyone in the squad must be turned into Orcs to ensure compatibility."

Sire snarled in frustration. "So yet again, you transform us without our permission."

"I did have permission. The entire squad agreed to make Poldak into one of my hosts. This is one of the steps."

"But you didn't tell us that!"

"I did not know it was necessary."

Sire groaned and slumped back in his seat. "So what? I'm next?"

The deep rumbling confirmation came from behind. "You bet your sweet ass your are."

He looked over the shoulder of his seat and watched the titanic, dark-green-skinned Orc casually glide across the cockpit and park himself in the co-pilot's seat, dwarfing the cushions with his enormous frame. There was no denying that this was Wildstorm. The silvery body hair gave that away. The scent Wildstorm gave off; that scent of aged whiskey and freshness of aftershave was distinctly the Warrant Officer's.

"You look good in green," Sire said, leaning back into his chair. There was no denying that his cock was getting hard just breathing in the Orc's scent. He couldn't help but wonder how he smelled like even as his eyes slowly drifted down Wildstorm's sculpted chest that was covered in that soft pelt of silvery hair down to the monstrous dick that stood so erect that - even sitting down - it was at a forty-five degree angle to Wildstorm's solid eight-pack abs, defying gravity.

"Think you'd wanna join the rest of the pack?" Wildstorm growled seductively. There was something about those words rolling off that broad jaw and past those tusks that made Sire mentally scream 'Hell yes' but his own preferences also held him back.

"Fuck. You know I'd kill for a body like that."

"But...?" Wildstorm prompted, waggling his eyebrows at the pilot.

His callsign 'Sire' had been granted to him in a sort of ironic sense. Before he entered the Marines, he was part of a big family. The 'Khan Dynasty' as his father used to say, consisted of all boys - eight of them - with Sire being the youngest. All seven of his older siblings grew up to be great successes from owning their own companies, becoming CEOs of wealthy corporations to even becoming prominent political figures. But Sire had no aptitude for any of those. Joining the marines was the best thing he could do but when the members of the 79th Marine Reserved learned that he was that Khan, they gave him the callsign of 'Sire' in mockery of the idea that he was royalty amongst them given how the rest of his family was effectively part of the elite. That gave him a push to better himself in ways that none of his family would ever conceive. Building his body through the Marines was one such method.

He often worked out with Wildstorm because the 'dad' of the squad had always been the biggest of them all. However, he avoided the Warrant Officer's 'post-workout' rituals because of that lingering inferiority complex that told him offering his ass up to someone was tantamount to being someone's bitch and at the bottom rung. He didn't count the times he got fucked during their first transformations. That was all Gene.

Another reason he didn't trust the AI.

"But I ain't gonna be bent over and fucked," he said resolutely.

"Don't think you need to be." One of Wildstorm's tentacles gently stroked his neck, causing him to tense all over which only made his cock leak. "I just need to get close and you're gonna go green." He gave that sly wink that Wildstorm was known for, an inviting shut of his left eye, a coy lop-sided smile and the slight tilt of his head that screamed, 'Come and fuck me'.

Sire was finding it very hard to resist. If it was Gene's influence that was spurring him on or just the fact that he really needed to blow off some steam, he found himself caring less and less. Some part of him didn't want to give the AI what it wanted but at the same time, his body was aching to feel that sweet release that came from shooting a load.

"Fuck it," he grunted, pulling down his pants. "How're we doing this?"

Wildstorm beamed at him brightly and reached down towards his erect dick with that huge, green hand of his. It caused him to blush that the massive fingers closed around his cock so easily and nearly caused it to disappear within his grip but any feelings of inadequacy quickly faded when Wildstorm's tentacles began sliding up his legs and over his shirt. His hands closed around the armrests of his chair as Wildstorm's tentacles passed his nipples, sending shockwaves of pleasure throughout his entire body. His own tendrils wiggled out of his back, joining the Warrant Officer's as they curled around his body like vines growing to encapsulate him.

Then Wildstorm began stroking.

Sire grit his teeth together, thrusting into the towering Orc's hand. There was so much pent-up pressure in his body that he already found himself on the very of erupting but there was something keeping him from cumming. That load pooled towards his cock, building and building uncontrollably. Within seconds, Sire was sweating bullets with some of his sweat dripping into his eyes. He had to shut his eyes as he tried to keep himself from cumming too soon. His fear of being seen as inferior was the only thing keeping him from erupting at that moment which worked well in tandem with his change. The stress on his cock grew exponentially, pushing at the walls of his dick and against Wildstorm's mighty grip. Just as Sire thought he would explode, he was teased by that sensation when hot cum barrelled up his dick, rushing towards the end of the tunnel only for that same tunnel to race ahead and lengthen. He gasped when the dark, green helmet of his uncut cock shot past Wildstorm's fingers and squirted a cup's worth of cum onto his chest.

"Fucking shit..." he hissed, squirming beneath the embrace of his and Wildstorm's tentacles. His shirt somehow remained completely intact even with all the writhing tendrils beneath it and his muscles heaving with every thrust. There was an overwhelming sense of power and accomplishment that flooded him as Wildstorm began stroking his dick, each lap causing his member to widen and lengthen. A cocky smirk crossed his features, shining beneath his full beard and flushed cheeks.

Another jolt of electricity and power shot through his body. Veins like green lightning arced from his crotch and raced up his body. Teeth gnashed together, every muscle in his body tensed as pure Orkish might raced through his body. His nostrils flared, turning a faint green. His sense of smell expanded with the growth and he became more acutely aware of Wildstorm's scent even detecting how it had been Happy that had first fucked the Warrant Officer. He could tell that Happy hadn't been the source of the transformation to begin with but the original Orc's scent was buried beneath the complex scents and muskiness to clearly identify. He also became aware of Wildstorm's own need.

He reached out towards the Warrant Officer's cock, his arm stretching and thickening enough for his fingers to grasp the mighty Orc's dick. His strokes quickly followed Wildstorm's pace, hot precum drooling over his hands. Each stroke filled his body with more and more strength. The green of his skin was like a physical gauge of that power, spreading down from his shoulders, crossing onto his biceps and spreading towards his forearms. Those thick, green veins vanished beneath the green skin. A loud tearing noise heralded the eruption of his deltoids from the confines of his shirt. His tentacles slipped and slid over Wildstorm's, the suit of pink flesh hugging his frame tightly even as his body inflated and grew green.

Sire threw his head back, letting out a moan that grew deeper with every note that erupted from his throat. His jaw cracked, making room and reshaping for the growth of two, mighty tusks. His nostrils flared once more, breathing in not only Wildstorm's unique scent but his own. There was the same smell of wild mushrooms that all Orcs shared but then there was the muddy flavour like grass after a summer's storm. A sharp salty smell cut through the mud, leaving a lingering taste on his tongue. Sire's eyes sprang open just as his skull finished reshaping into the brutish Orkish brow.

The overwhelming need to cum still radiated from his dick and he could sense it as well through Wildstorm's vigorous strokes. His own mounting need was battering at the dam of his resistances. There was a near constant stream of cum pouring out of his dick and he could feel Wildstorm's own seed churning through the mighty, silver-haired Orc's balls. There was a surreal sensation where both their minds were seemingly processing the information from both bodies simultaneously, creating a constant loop of stimulation and reaction. The powerful need to orgasm was a singular orb of power between them, a reactor that was threatening to meltdown. They had to direct the power towards one outlet but both men needed to cum so badly that they couldn't decide whom should get to feel that blissful moment of release.

In the end, Wildstorm pulled rank. An unspoken command, a growl of authority and Sire released his grip. Wildstorm let out a deafening roar and his body went rigid, veins popping all over his body. The huge Orc's cock erupted with seed, fuelled by the desire from both lustful men. The torrent of seed crashed down upon the Warrant Officer like a wave, coating him and the co-pilot's seat in the first shot alone. The next few shots splattered the ceiling of the cockpit and even splattered a little over to Sire.

It took Wildstorm slipping into unconsciousness for the pilot to realise that he hadn't even been in full control of his own body. He felt Wildstorm's grip on his limbs loosen and his own fingers released the Orc's cock at the same time that Wildstorm's hand released his dick. That moment of realisation, that he had not been in full control was both frightening... and a little arousing. He watched his superior officer cum over and over again, eyes gazing off in the ceiling and letting out soft, gurgling grunts with each shot.

Sire extracted himself from the stick seat, rising in his new Orkish body. He absently scratched his cheek, smiling softly at the full, curly beard that clung to his cheeks but a little bemused at the lack of body hair on his chest. There was, of course, a light dusting on his arms and legs but his broad, chiselled chest was surprisingly sparse. Perhaps it smacked of his personal doubt and lack of 'manliness'. Such thoughts were quickly pushed aside as the neediness of his dick demanded attention.

"Gene," he rumbled. "Who is the closest crew member that hasn't been turned yet?"

"That would be Sergeant Major Firman. He is currently in the showers."

Sire grinned through his tusks. "Good."

He shucked off his boots which were now too tight for him. It didn't matter if he trailed cum through the ship or if every step was met with a loud squishing noise. He wanted Firman to hear him coming. As he strode out of the cockpit, he noticed the cum leaking out of armoury. There had been a momentary flash in his consciousness when he felt Happy, Burke and Poldak all cum at the same time. There were some philosophical questions around that but he didn't have the time or brain power to think of them just yet.

He was drawn towards the crew quarters. Instead of taking the steps up towards Burke's loft, he took them down towards the showers. The showers were an open communal shower, no stalls for privacy. The only stalls were reserved for the toilets. Firman's broad, chunky body was only partially hidden by the mist caused by the hot water. Sire was more than capable of striding across the tiles and injecting his cock right between Firman's ass cheeks.

"I need to cum so badly," he moaned into the Sergeant's ears, his tusks lightly brushing Firman's earlobes. "Don't fight me, buddy."

Firman gave him a soft smile, turning his head slightly and kissing one of his tusks. "Took you long enough."

There was no resistance, no questions. Travis Firman had always lived by the doctrine that you hear more when you aren't the one doing the talking. Whether Happy knew it or not, he had passed Firman on his way to fuck Wildstorm since the showers were between the hydroponics lab and the armoury. The sounds of Wildstorm's pleasured cries was enough for Firman to know what was happening and he had retreated to the showers - the one place where Gene didn't have a holographic projector - to wait his turn. While he was somewhat disappointed that Wildstorm hadn't come after him next - since he _was_the third highest ranking officer in the squad - he was more than happy to receive Sire's dick.

The Specialist had always been a constant companion both on the field and in the sack. It helped that Sire was always trying to prove himself so having someone he could dominate was a boost to his ego especially when that someone was bigger than he was. Firman would've been happy to bed Happy or Wildstorm as well but he knew Sire the best.

And Sire knew him.

He knew that he loved having his ears licked and nibbled which the newly-made Orc happily obliged as his long, fat duck buried into the Sergeant's ass. Firman was pressed up against the tiles as warm water drizzled down over them, soaking into his red hair. With each thrust, his body convulsed, shooting out in all directions. As Sire pressed on his prostate with his cock, it was like he was pressing the 'grow' button. Unlike Burke or Wildstorm who were lean to the point of having shredded abs, Firman had a bit more 'dirty weight' and that reflected in his growth. The green skin that spread over his form, shooting out from his cock, spread over his belly. The muscles there hardened, giving a clear outline of his abdominal muscles even if those muscles curved over his belly. If ever there was any doubt of the presence of those bulging muscles, they were erased when bright red hair spread over the valleys they made and burst like a tree in bloom over his pectorals. Those hairs curled as they grew, somehow resisting even being doused in water to maintain their twisting shapes.

The green that spread over his skin only for those same red hairs to quickly accompany it. Those hairs didn't grow dense like Wildstorm's but remained a lighter collection almost like a faint red aura that clung to every inch of his taut, emerald flesh. It spread over his shoulders, down his arms, over his thighs and to his calves and all over his back. Though they grew denser around his forearms, calves and chest, the rest of his body was dusted lightly with the hair. Thick, red sideburns spread down his jaw, rushing down the line of his jaw as that same jaw widened to accommodate the growth of his tusks. They met at his broad, cleft chin, forming a bright red chinstrap beard that contrasted against his green skin.

Firman's own dick throbbed, swollen balls beating against his muscular thighs. Caressed by Sire's tentacles, he could _feel_the pilot's desire to cum radiating through his body like an infection. It was a fire that was spreading through his body, sapping his limbs of strength and pooling it all towards his dick.

But before he could find the joy of release, Sire hilted deep into him and let out a titanic roar. Hot seed poured into his ass like someone had stuck a firehose into him and turned the dial to max. Firman was slammed hard against the tiles, momentarily sliding off Sire's rod. The Orc gave chase, determined not to let a drop of seed fall into the tiles below. The Orc with the fully beard heaved and huffed, almost letting out soft canine whines as he emptied his balls into Firman. Sire's grip was strong, his tentacles like iron chains and his hands like metal restraints. They didn't give Firman any chance to move even thought eh Sergeant desperately wanted to cum at the same time.

There was a limit to everything, however, and even Sire's impressive load had to end some time. With a soft moan, Sire collapsed against Firman, drifting off into unconsciousness. Firman's keen, pointed ears detected the orgasms of some other members of the crew and he guessed that the other crew members had also reached climax. With a smile, he waited until Sire was completely unconscious before moving. He twisted the knob of the shower, ending the torrent of water.

Then, gently, almost like a father setting his son to bed, he extracted himself from Sire and caught the pilot in his arms. He carried the unconscious Orc towards one of the benches and set him down. Even though he was fully erect, he took the time to grab one of the towels and gent rub down Sire's glistening, green body of water so that he wasn't cold. He even had time to dry his own hair before he decided that it was his turn to pass down the gift. He gave Sire a light kiss on the cheek, bringing a smile to the often grumpy pilot, before he strode up the stairs, completely naked, and up the main level of the Nascent Dawn.

He knew exactly where he needed to go next.

Burke had never made it past the mess hall and hydroponics but if he had headed past that, he would have ended up in the mostly unchanged cargo bay which would lead to the engine room. It was here that both Stitch and Dr. Carmichael were currently categorising the supplies that the Orcs had given them. Firman paused for a moment before he headed down the steps into the cargo bay. He had detected the strong scent of wild mushrooms that had been emanating from him the moment he had stepped out of the shower. He caught Sire's unique scent and it was only when he was on the first floor that he caught his own scent which was stronger on the musk and held the faint metallic twang of grease and steel. Remembering how the Orcs used their scents, he lifted his arms over his head and let his scent start to permeate the cargo bay on its own. In fact, the more he tried and thought about it, the stronger his scent became. Part of him wondered if he could dissolve into a spore cloud if he wanted but now was not the time to test it.

Down on the cargo bay, Stitch was the first to detect the scent as he set down one of the big crates. "What's that smell?" he asked.

Carmichael lifted his head and sniffed the air. "Do we have a fuel leak or something?"

Both turned towards the steps and saw Firman at the same time.

"What the...?" began Carmichael.

Firman grinned, striding down the steps confidently before beckoning both men towards him. His tentacles emerged from their sockets for the first time since his transformation and his scent grew stronger for it. The effect on the two men was instantaneous as they immediately began to pop boners. Even though there were questions in their eyes, Carmichael and Stitch were inexplicably drawn towards the Orc.

"Firman...?" mumbled Stitch, his hand caressing Firman's big pectoral. "Is that... is that...?" His eyelids fluttered as he plunged his nose right into Firman's armpit. "... you...?"

"Sergeant..." Carmichael mumbled drowsily. "What...? What happened to... to... you?"

Firman didn't answer.

He just closed his arms around the two men who were licking and slurping at his pits, pulling down their pants with his hands and then plunging his tentacles deep into their asses.

Epilogue: Furballs

Update complete.

Time to realspace: 1 day, 2 hours.

_Direct location of emergence determined. _

******

---

For what seemed like the second time in just a few hours, Burke woke up in his pod. There was again that overwhelming temptation to remain within the warm embrace of the pod and just drift back to sleep. Duty, however, prevailed and he slowly extracted himself from the pod, sitting up and stretching as he did so. The clutches of sleep were slowly shrugged off and his tentacles extracted themselves from the pod to slide into his back.

He glanced at his hands. Back to being that soft tanned colour.

He wasn't an Orc anymore.

"Huh..." Glancing upwards, he said louder, "Gene, are you there?"

Gene's digital avatar appeared near the door of his loft. "Always, Lieutenant. How may I be of service?"

"How's the rest of the crew?" he asked, removing himself from the pod and resting his goo-covered feet on the mattress of the bed resting beneath.

"Slowly waking. The upgrade I created to accommodate for Poldak's integration into the system took a lot out of them. And me."

"I can imagine." Burke shuffled off the bed and stretched again. "So does that mean we can turn into Orcs now? Can Poldak turn into a wolf?"

"Unfortunately, no. All your genetics had already been optimised at the time of transformation. There would not be enough genes in your current shape to allow for a third form. While it is entirely possible for me to add further chromosomes and links to your genetic sequence, this would require possibly upgrading your DNA from a double helix to a triple or perhaps even quadruple and that could cause problems further down the line especially with the consumption and interaction with other double-helix-based creatures."

Surprisingly, Burke found that he understood that. "Pity. I would have liked to see what it was like to be an Orc for a little longer."

"That is still possible. While giving you the ability to shift to and from an Orc at will would be impossible, I was able to use 1% of the blank junk DNA I had found in the human genetic sequence to be susceptible to a very specific spore variation that is emitted by Poldak and others that have transformed into Orcs from the squad. These spores will trigger a transformation that will overwrite your human forms in favour of an Orkish one. You will still be able to transform into your lupine forms, however, which will act like an anchor and reset switch. Once you turn into a wolf and then switch back, you will be back into your base human form. Similarly, exposure to your secretions will transform Poldak into a lupine form but his base will always be an Orc."

He stared blankly at Gene for a moment. "That seems needlessly complicated."

"No one ever said genetics was simple."

"Fair enough." He finished his stretches and moved towards the bathroom to get showered and get the goo off him. "Anything else I should know?"

"Yes. I have implemented a unique scent system amongst the squad. You will notice that everyone, including yourself, now emits a unique scent. This scent is only detectable by the squads and those who use specialised equipment though they would need to know what to look for to detect these scents. Your sense of smell will allow you to easily distinguish the rest of the squad from these scents, allowing you to track one another."

The warm waters of the shower felt good on his skin. It was actually a surprise how smooth his flesh was. Maybe the goo had a sort of moisturising effect. Even stretched over the hard muscles, his flesh felt smooth and fresh. It only made it easier to feel the popping veins and muscles beneath.

"Anything else?" he asked over the rush of water.

"These mutations have not seen practical use. Please feel free to let me know how they work and how they test. I will made adjustments as necessary."

Good. Gene was realising and coming to terms with the fact that it was not infallible and that it's 'gifts' were unnatural. It meant that it realised that millennia of evolution could not simply be 'improved' in an instant.

"Thanks Gene."

"One more thing, Lieutenant."

Burke shut off the waters and stepped out of the shower. Again, he noted the presence of his goatee and again, he decided not to shave it off. He thought he looked good and it wasn't like they were an actual military squad anymore.

"What is it?"

"We are approximately one day and two hours away from emerging from warpspace. I have successfully determined where we will emerge."

Burke stopped putting on his shirt and stared off into the vague direction of Gene's avatar. "Where?"

"We are going to emerge on the outskirts of Prydaraen space. We will be approximately 6 hours away from the nearest inhabited location which will be Prydarean retirement station known as 'Evergreen Mills'."

That was both a blessing and a curse. Prydareans were a very commercial race who generally took the approach of making sure that it was their core worlds that were the most well-defended and protected as opposed to their borders which was generally what the GTF preferred to do. That didn't mean that they didn't leave their bordered undefended either. In fact, there was a rumour amongst humans that Prydareans purposefully placed their aged males on these retirement stations on the outer edges of their controlled systems for the express purpose of being a first line of defence.

Being a highly matriarchal society, it was the women amongst the Prydareans who constantly worked and maintained the society. They were the elites and men were just used for breeding. Men were bred and trained until they reached their peak - about 25 years of age - where they were expressly used for breeding for the next generation. After they reached 40 years of age, they were considered 'retired' and sent to these retirement stations to whittle away the rest of their lives. Women remained in the core worlds, governing, trading and whatever else they did. Apparently, when the Prydareans advanced into space, they also developed both cloning and artificial insemination technology. Men were considered a dying luxury.

So if they were emerging near a retirement station, it meant that it would only be filled with ageing male Prydareans. It would be a coin toss whether they would be eager for a fight to inject excitement into their otherwise dull lives or welcoming.

"Call a squad meeting," he announced. "We need to brush up on Prydarean customs and get ready to trade with them. Get me a catalogue of everything we need from them as well."

"Affirmative."

Burke took a deep breath and straightened, regarding his reflection in the mirror.

Once again, they were going to encounter a difference species. He had to hope it would not turn out the same way it did last time. Gene was far more cooperative now and openly speaking with them so he had to hope they would not unwittingly uplift a tyrant like Da'makur again. That is if they even wanted the Prydareans' to be uplifted to help with the Cradle...

Burke shoved on his shirt and stepped back out of his bathroom.

"Here we go again..."