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We were sitting in my former self's quarters, which Arista had taken over, and I was doing my best to configure this new body to look at least similar to my human one. It was possible, I thought, but

the task was beyond my skill at the moment. I gave up and sighed.

Well, it was supposed to be a sigh.

It came out as more of a hiss.

This body was going to need a thorough workout before I knew what all it could do. The potential possibilities were presently all hypothetical, and posed by this world's computer system. I had left a good portion of my intellect inside the system, knowing full well there was no body capable of handling that much data. I left behind even more, though that had been there to beging with. No, even this body, which was a genetically manipulated construct from her egg and the semen that I had inadvertently left on it, was not so advanced as some of its genetic code suggested it could be. But that conversation will be for another time, for it is deeply involved and perhaps beyond the scope of many.

She was watching me try to transform my new body's shape, looking almost sad when I finally gave up. Nothing of consequence had happened.

"You seem to be making progress."

"Yes, of a sort. I don't think this mind is properly linked with the body. I can feel through the nervous system, and see and hear with the eyes and ears, and I even have the ability to sense infrared ranges and ultra-low frequencies. But getting the frame to alter is proving difficult. It's not something I have a background in doing."

"No, and neither do I. My frame was altered early on, and it remains fixed. Are you sure you can change shape?"

"Sure? No. The genetic code seems to hold the possibility, but as of yet, that potential has withheld itself from my use."

She barked out a little laugh.

"You know, you're from a species that shouldn't have such an ability, even if, as you say, it was somehow encrypted into your genetic code."

"That's the weird thing. It implies some crossbreeding in our species past. Extrapolating from data garnered on Earth, I would say it happened at least one hundred thousand years ago. The question is, who and why?"

"Well, there are several known cultures in the galaxy that had the ability to match their chromosomes to other species, but many of them are now extinct, or, in the case of one, presently xenophobic."

"I read the files. The Kla seem to be the only ones still around."

"I have never met someone of the Kla."

"Would you know it? Data suggests they can look like anything. I could see one ending up on Earth and mating with the cavemen."

"Cavemen? Really?"

I had to laugh.

"Ok, so cavemen weren't really a thing. But hey, it worked in popular culture."

"Look Norman, I know you know better. Are you just trying to bait me?"

"It takes one to know one."

She snorted.

"I really don't care if you disparage your own kind, but please, for the sake of having a decent conversation, try to have a little more decorum."

I stood and walked out to the balcony.

She followed. I collected my thoughts before continuing the conversation.

"I would apologize, but since the time I have left Earth, it seems to have devolved into a morass of embarrassing proportions."

"I have been appraised. It does seem to be falling backwards into old habits."

"Yes, but the scale is grander. I have lost hope of there being a recovery. Your people seem convinced otherwise, and thus I will leave them to interfere as they see fit."

Arista laughed.

"It's not like you can do anything anyway. You have forced my people to essentially place you under house arrest. Such a thing has not happened in millennia."

I had to laugh, though, as usual, the sound came out all wrong.

"What else could they do? I am an anomaly that shouldn't exist. But as far as being confined, I think they may have overestimated their position."

This brought her up short.

"I am unclear whether to ask about your obscure reference, or to ignore it as though you never said it."

I was feeling the finer emotions only sporadically in this body, but that really make me laugh, this time more properly.

"I'll leave it as a surprise. Let's say I have something in the works that we'll have to wait for. It's not like we don't have the time. And besides, once I spring the potential future on you, you might decide that staying with me is an impractical option."

"I doubt that, but you have the tone of someone who knows more than he is letting on. Should I ask?"

"Should you? That is up to you."

"Fine. Curiosity is killing me. What have you got planned?"

"An intergalactic Uber."

"Uber. I don't get the reference."

"Lyft? A taxi?" I asked.

"A taxi indicates travel performed by an entity outside of yourself."

"An apt description. But there is no rush. The required retrofit will still take several weeks, Earth time, so there is plenty of time to decide whether or not you are coming."

She decided to humor me, knowing full well that my mind and the body I was in were still adjusting to one another.

"Assuming I do, where would we go? There is nowhere that my people can't follow."

"That is hardly true. There are plenty of places they would not follow, and just as many more that they could not. That they are unaware of this is to our advantage."

She looked at me as though I had lost my mind. Then again, I had lost my mind in the labyrinth that was their planetary mainframe, and had managed to sort it out again, bringing a lot of information out with me when I had downloaded into this brand new body. It was mostly information that I found useful, and not the least of it was a history of her people. But the most interesting bit concerned one of their construction facilities offworld. Actually, all such facilities were offworld, because like on Earth, manufacturing generated a lot of waste, and much of that was toxic. Using a dead planet for such a purpose was one of the smartest things her people had ever done.

But they had learned the hard way.

I think my race was learning too late.

Well, my original race. I was something far removed from that now.

I found myself not even caring an iota about them as a whole. From this new perspective, I found them to be selfish, self absorbed, and on a collision course with a destiny they would be ill prepared for. But then, nature had to follow its course, even if that course had been laid out for it by mankind.

She watched me for a moment, trying, I think, I calculate what I was thinking.

"We are locked on the planet until they can sort you out."

"That will take a very long time, and despite the projected lifespan of this body, I don't feel like I have that kind of time to waste."

"So you have a plan?"

"This was foreseeable before I downloaded my consciousness into this form. Your people have technology to do many things, but in some instances, they are either squeamish or indifferent to advances in their technology. My body is merely an exaggerated form, utilizing portions of my personal DNA mixed with yours. In a weird sort of way, you are mother to this body."

She scowled a little.

"If I were more like your kind, I would take a moral offense at that."

My laugh came out sounding a little more jolly, if that's the correct terminology.

"But you're not and therefore you don't. I took an opportunity made available to me and that is the end of the subject. However, speaking on such matters, might you be interested in trying to stimulate another egg? It might be all we have to do to pass the time until my plan reaches fruition."

"I would rather know what devilishness you have concocted, but I sense that nothing I could say or do will extract even a mote of what it is. So, despite my personal feelings, I would find that engaging with your new body to be a satisfactory, if a less ideal form of occupying my mind, if not for..."

She let her thought drift off.

"Your mind will not be occupied nearly so much as will an orifice of the opposite end."

"Yes, and about that. If you can change your appearance and physical form, you might try reducing the size of that thing you think is a penis."

"You know I've been trying. I just haven't found the trigger response for it."

I heard her sigh.

"I care for you with everything I have Norman, but this all takes some getting used to, and I'm not sure your genitalia will ever be part of that."

I did feel a twinge of something skin to guilt.

"I understand. It's not right of me to expect you to take more than you can comfortably handle."

"Thank you. It's not that I'm not willing to be with you, but the form you now have carries with it a little too much bulk for my hole."

It was her nice way of saying that the body that had been designed by me, while within the mainframe, was over-sized in its present configuration. The algorithms suggested that I could reconfigure it into something smaller, but they had not suggested how I might go about it. All of the data was focused on a species known as the Kla, who it seemed had been around much longer than many other races; certainly longer than humans. It was difficult to say for certain, but the Kla have been known to have seeded many worlds as far back as six million Earth years.

Now that is one hell of a track record.

But Kla were the ultimate shapeshifters, and as such, could hide in plain sight. While it seems that some human DNA appeared to show a connection, the laboratory analysis proved to be inconclusive. Arista's people hadn't had a clean genetic sample from the species in over six hundred Earth years. And even then, knowledge of the source of it had been removed from the data base, indicating to me that perhaps her people might not be as pacifist as they liked other races to think.

And that thought was keeping me on my toes.

But it didn't mean they would do anything overt while we remained under house arrest. What was the point? They were investigating all that had transpired with the outlook of obtaining any and all data pertaining to what I had done.

I wished them good luck with that.

It was all in my head.

The problem I was having was in translating that raw information into something this body could understand. It would be like, I suppose, knowing_how to do a ballet by watching someone do it. That still didn't mean you _could do it. Only in this case, there was no one for me to emulate and even if there was, I still didn't know the steps to initiate such a change. Talking was easy, even if my voice sounded odd to me. Laughing was a little tougher, for the sounds I made were not what I was used to hearing.

But changing? That was presently beyond me.

That is, if it even proved to be something I could do.

A few weeks went by, local time, and it found us in pretty much the same scenario. We had all the time in the world, again, local time, but we were running out of things to say or do. I didn't feel it was straining on our relationship, but merely an intellectual roadblock because both of us were capable of so much more. It would have helped if we could have spent some of it engaged physically, but I was respecting her decision with great determination.

This body was rather, shall we say, hormonal, and thus, fighting against the chemically induced urges was incredibly hard. As were other parts. It was like being in a human teenage body and watching porn with your hands tied behind your back.

It was just about that bad.

The day finally came when we realized, belatedly of course, that there were other methods of obtaining satisfaction other than direct genital to genital contact. Call me stupid, but the idea of other types of sexual contact had largely been driven out of my head. Arista was doing all she could to accept my new form, so her mind was preoccupied with that. It took a little remembrance on her part to bring my mind to the forefront of the possibilities.

We had taken up discussing her time on Earth, which was something I felt could be a stimulating topic of conversation for me to get to know her better. I really knew nothing of those first seventy years on Earth, and found it the perfect conversation to stimulate her mind and mine at the same time. Despite having analyzed all of the data that had been downloaded from her mind, I found that the personal material; that relating to her private interactions, had been surreptitiously removed. Well, maybe not anything quite so clandestine as that. It was, perhaps, because what had happened had happened and it was no one else's business but hers.

And thus, I was quietly curious to hear about it from her. That is to say, more than she had already told me. I understood that I knew quite little about her past.

While what she told me was indeed entertaining, it was so in a way I might not have appreciated in my human body. Most of her story revolved around her treatment by my former fellow, that grand ape, Homo sapiens. It did start to trigger an emotional response within me, for I felt sad about her mistreatment, but it was when we got to discussing our first meeting, and the time at the hot springs, that my body flared up in all kinds of ways. It was then that she finally had the inspiration to suggest that we have oral sex, which, while not as fully satisfying as the other, was great in its own right; and far better than nothing.

I did point out that my body's genitalia was still too large, and perhaps even as much for her mouth to handle as it was for her hole in the rear.

She smiled knowingly.

"You know only so much about me, Norman, and I think I have enjoyed telling you more. But even then, you barely know anything."

She extended her smile into a grin that exposed her teeth. My heart sunk a little. Anything she was going to do with those was going to cause me pain.

And then, all at once, they literally vanished.

If this body had eyebrows, I would have raised them.

"What just happened?"

When she spoke, her voice sounded a little different.

"I put them away."

"How?"

She opened her mouth wide, showing where they had been. I watched in fascination as they erupted back out of her gums and into the position I was so used to. When she spoke, her voice was back to normal.

"It's part of my coding. The teeth will retract into the jawline and lay nearly flat."

"Interesting, but how is that useful?"

Her smile grew even larger.

"Let's find out."

She had me lay on what passed for a bed on her planet, which considering my present frame, suited me perfectly. She climbed on top, licked my face, then turned and assumed the sixty nine position. Her first lick nearly sent me into an orgasm. As it was, my cock stiffened up to the rigidity of steel.

"You do have it bad, poor baby. Me too. But this is going to be the best we can do I think."

Her mouth slid over me and those teeth had obviously retreated once more, because it was all soft, and hot, and damn was it wet. After a few moments of gentle oral massaging, she wiggled her rump in my face. I was so absorbed in what she was doing I had forgotten this was supposed to be a mutual thing.

I shifted, pulling her back as far as was practical, and went to work with my tongue. I only wished that I had one long enough to truly tickle her insides, for what she was doing to me was deserving of equal treatment. I focused on getting her open, which only took a few well placed licks, and from there, into delving as deeply into her insides as I could.

She let out a soft moan, which I returned with a deep rumbling groan that came straight from my chest. She was now sucking me with great vigor, and I was driving my tongue into her with all the force I could muster. Nary once did I feel the sharpness of her teeth. I really, really wished I could do more for her. It seemed like I was getting deeper inside her, and though I figured it was only wishful thinking, I kept telling myself that I wanted to get inside her all the way.

I had done it a few times with my cock, but the girth of it was what was causing all of the problems. I respected her immensely, and I loved her even more, even from within this alien bioconstruct that was my new permanent home. I knew she could take it, after seeing her birth her egg, but I also knew her body had to go through changes for that, and I wasn't a sadist intent on causing her pain. That was hardly conducive to having a good relationship.

I felt the heat building up inside of me, and I doubted I was going to last very long. I rather wished I was back in my old, fragile body. Things had been easier then. I also wished my tongue was more like a snakes, because then I could reach up inside her and give her as much pleasure as she was giving me.

She let out a gasp, and I could feel her insides tighten up around my tongue. It was an amazing feeling, and felt as though I had inches of it running deeply into her interior. She was now deep-throating my cock with a fervent passion, and I completely doubted it was something Reena would have, or could have ever done. Arista had turned out to be someone I felt a real kinship with, and despite all that had happened, was a feeling that would remain for a lifetime.

And with us, that was going to be a long time.

I was doing everything I could to keep from losing it, but that was now looming in the near future. This body was acting like it was an adolescent heading into teenager territory with the raging chemicals it was producing. It was the one major distraction for me. You try thinking when your body is telling you it needs to mate.

Repeatedly.

I drove my tongue in with greater force, hearing her moan even louder, before she suddenly when into a spasm of contractions that put me over the edge just thinking about it. I started to erupt into her throat, but she took it all like the champ that she was, all the while grinding her rear against my face. I tried going even farther inside of her, and was rewarded with hitting the end.

I mean that quite literally. I could feel there was nowhere else for the tip of my tongue to go. If I hadn't been distracted by what she was doing, I might have been shocked and surprised.

But like I said, I was distracted.

As it was, I started bucking my hips against her face, just as she was doing to mine, and we both got off to our actions with grand intensity. When we were finally finished, we lay there, neither of us moving. After a few moments, I twitched my cock and tongue at the same time, causing her to jerk slightly.

She had fallen asleep! Not only that, but asleep with that big cock of mine still in her mouth!

I felt her slip off and sigh.

"I really needed that."

I couldn't talk because my tongue was still inside her. And that even more amazing thing was that I literally had to withdraw it from her. She noticed right away and quickly did a one hundred and eighty degree turn.

We were both staring down at the thing exiting my mouth.

It was not what I had started this all with, just a short time ago.

And it was going to make talking much harder.

I was able to reach all the way inside of her hole, right up to where she created her eggs, by virtue of the fact that my tongue had narrowed down, but at the same time extended itself four times its previous length.

"Norman; not that I am complaining one bit, but how did you do this?"

My speech was as garbled as you might think it was going to be.

"I hath no idea!"

She stuck her own out and gave me a bit of a French kiss. My tongue whipped around her's like a prehensile tail. If it acted any more snakelike, it would have had a life of its own. She startled, but relaxed when it was obvious there was no danger. Still, it had to be as weird for her as it was for me. I fought down the unease that was building inside me and wished for the damn thing to return to normal.

And by damned it did.

Arista was looking at me, unsure of what had just happened.

"You did that?"

My voice cracked a bit as I spoke.

"I really don't know, you adorable little ball of alien."

"Little adorable what? You happen to be the alien on this world!"

"Yes, I know. Sue me or whatever."

"Norman, are you listening to yourself?"

"No. Why? Aren't you?"

"I'm being serious. Listen to yourself."

"Fine. But I have to say something first. Something like..."

I paused as it sank in.

"That's my voice! My original voice!"

She nodded sagely.

"Yes, and it's coming out of that body. What's happening?"

"I'm not sure. Wait..."

I dredged what was still in my memories from this planet's informational database. I then compared that to twhat was left in my mind of the Earth database, just in case there was something there. I finally came up with my own hypothesis, which had little statistical information for me to go on because this had never happened before on either planet.

"Dogma..."

"You've been calling me Arista. Why revert to the other?"

"No, you beautiful, wonderful, sexy girl you. Dogma!"

"I understand. It's why I took the name."

"It literally means a philosophical tenet. In this case, I think, therefore I am."

"Cogito ergo sum as it might have been said in your Roman times, but it was Descartes who actually said it."

"I think, therefore I am. But I think a lot of things. I believe that in my case, I feel, there I am. I got lost in data, and informational overload dulled my senses. And yet, while my mind desired to understand, it failed to grasp the needs of this body, and they have been a bit at war. This body doesn't care for or need information. It needs contact, and love and emotion."

"How can I help?"

I reached down and hauled her in.

"Just hold still, if you please."

She didn't say a word, nor did she attempt to break free. She just held still while I gave her a squeeze as I recalled our former times together. I suddenly recalled my Cadillac, and the Airstream trailer, and I felt a craving for a good old fashioned hamburger. I recalled looking at myself in the mirror that one day, before we left Canada to return to the states. I recalled my face vividly, despite the growth of whiskers covering my cheeks at that point. I saw myself shaving in the mirror, and I knew that I had temporarily lost some of who I was, and that by luck or by chance, they had managed to come across the transfer when I had. They had just gotten lost in the shuffle.

My mind had expanded enormously, but in the process, had left some of who I had been in its wake. It was time to correct that.

I focused on the image I was seeing in the mirror, and I felt my mouth turn up into a smile. Life had been simpler back then, even if that was relatively a short time ago. I had been blissfully unaware of anything outside of my own problems, and life had been good.

Good, but dull, as I had come to see it.

Now it was good, but also very much interesting.

And I had someone to share it with.

I opened my eyes, unaware I had closed them to visualize what I wanted to see in my head, and I saw her looking at me in wonderment. And trust me, Arista was a bit jaded, so seeing her gaze at me in fascination was something to behold.

"What?"

"You are ever full of surprises Norman. How do you feel?"

I loosened my grip on her.

"I'm not sure. Good. Great?"

I noticed my hands on her, and they were no longer those over-sized appendages I had before, but smaller, more normal...human hands. I realized that comparatively speaking her body had grown. Wait...mine had shrunk. I let go of her completely and stood.

"It worked!"

"Yes, I see. How did you do that?"

There was an edge of awe in her voice.

"The algorithms said it was possible, but I was so set on forcing the issue that I failed to understand that the body and mind are coupled. What affects one affects the other. I just needed to get a little more of what makes me into the mix for it to happen."

"You know that I have a high intelligence Norman, but I am failing to understand any of this."

"Yes. Sorry about that. I have no easy way of conveying to you what it is all about. Let's just say that I have been existing as two entities; the one totally in my head and the one existing within this body. But I think I have figured out how to make them one."

"How?"

"By just being me. None of the technical stuff, none of the computer generated intelligence. Just me."

"Just like that?"

"Oh, I rather doubt that. But I'll give it a try."

She was staring into my face.

"You look just like you did when I met you."

I doubted that, so I smiled and laughed. I felt and sounded as I once had.

"I hope I do. And me back then, picking up two of the weirdest hitchhikers on the whole planet, going against my own rules. What was I thinking?"

It was her turn to laugh. She sound almost relieved.

"I really think you are back to being you."

I stood and twirled in place. She eyed my midsection.

"Oh, you are definitely back to normal."

I looked down and laughed again.

"You know, human males have a thing for bigger is better."

"But how about your females? Maybe "just right" suits them better."

"And I am?" I asked, wondering how she though of my present endowment.

She eyed me again.

"Just right."

"I'm so glad to hear it!"

It was then that I noticed, that despite her claiming I was back to normal, I was still lacking body hair. I concentrated on my arm while thinking of my whole body and in a moment, little hairs sprouted through my skin. She smirked a little.

"Is there something wrong with silky smooth skin?"

"Not at all...on you. But I think that if I'm going to start acting like me, then I had better look like me. And that goes with the hair."

"That's fine with me. Yours tend to tickle in just the right places."

That made me laugh a little, and the sound of it was music to my ears. My preoccupation with information had overlain the person I really was. However, that didn't mean I still wasn't keenly interested in learning more. But I determined that doing so had to be from within a body, and in this case, this body. Knowing things was not nearly as rewarding as learning through experience.

"Then I look forward to tickling you most intimately, on every occasion that shall arise."

"Is that so," she retorted lightly. "And when will such occasions arise?"

"Any time either of us wishes to put our minds to it. Or mouths.'

She grinned like an idiot.

"How about now?"

I was about to answer her, when an alert sounded within our quarters. She started at the sound, but I recognized it as having been secretly programmed a long while ago, when I still occupied the integrated circuits of the planet's mainframe.

"What was that?"

"It seems a little too early, but I would assume our Uber is on its way."

She looked at me, having already forgotten what I had alluded to, thanks to my recent progress in controlling this body.

"Uber?"

"Yes. We have a taxi incoming. Are you interested in coming with me?"

"To where?"

"I'm not sure. I mean, it's a big universe, and we're all really puny; tiny little specks about the size of Micky Rooney..." I said in a sing-song voice.

"Norman, I get the your popular culture reference, but I am still not understanding who could be coming for us. All communications to this area have been severed. You have been isolated until such time as it can be determined if you are a hazard to this world, or if you are harmless."

"Hazard? Harmless? Who cares about this world? I thought Earth was the only planet in the entire universe that had life. And then I met you and Reena. And then I came here. And then; well then I ended up floating around inside of your computer system and found out that not only is there a lot of life out there, there is a lot of potential life out there to be discovered. I read your mission parameters, and while I can no longer quote them, the idea was to find were life existed and to document it in as precise a detail as possible,"

"Yes, essentially."

"Have your people ever jumped galaxies?"

"Jumped galaxies? That's impossible!"

"No, only very improbable."

"What aren't you telling me?"

"To be honest, I think I would have to revert forms to even begin to explain it as it should be, so I will simply ask you to trust me. If I can leave this planet, will you come with me?"

"My people will not allow it. Not right now."

"I have no intention of asking their permission Arista. They will not have a choice."

"Norman..."

"Arista..."

I just gave her a solid stare, not to be intimidating precisely, but to get my resolve across to her. She stared back for the longest time before finally sighing.

"Where you go, I will go. But I wish to make it formally known that I have misgivings about this."

"Understood and accepted. I rather wish there was more time before this eventuality happened, for I had fresh plans for this new body form, but it looks like I will need to revert back again. I only hope I can do it."

I stood there, thinking back on scientific matters, and on the DNA merging I had done via the computer system, and how I had taken over an abandoned ship-building facility on a moon, five planets out from their sun. It hadn't been easy, getting it up and running from a distance. But you see, I had come across some intriguing files, and I knew that the necessary information they had lacked a hundred of their years ago was now available, and the hulk that had been sitting there that whole time merely needed some very specific retrofits. Thankfully, the facility was all mechanized, making the keeping of the process a secret all the more viable.

Even as I was thinking all of this, my body morphed back to what I had started with at the beginning of the day, and I had to marvel at how much bulkier it seemed compared to my human sized one. Arista was gazing at me intently.

"You seem to be getting that hang of...whatever this all is."

"I do, don't I? But you see, I think I need the information in my head, and it doesn't seem to come through in the other body, so any plans we might have made will need to be put on hold. Things are going to be touch and go for a bit."

"A bit?"

"At least until we get close to your star. After that, it will either be gangbusters or it will be us who get busted."

"You seem to suggest your plan pivots precariously upon some sort of precipice."

"Indeed it does. Just as a thief in the night hopes the owner of the house stays asleep, in this case, I must hope that the redesigned engine works according to the blueprints."

"And just what does that mean?"

"I think we should find out together. Are you ready?"

"For what? To walk out the front door? Need I remind you that it is securely locked."

"Yes it is. And it shall remain that way. I was thinking of taking the back door."

"Don't be facetious! There is only one way in and out of here!"

"Yes, and on my world, that would get you into trouble with code enforcement. But you see, just like on Earth, there is often more than one way to exit a building."

"You can't mean leaving by the balcony?"

"Why? Is the drop too far?"

"Well, no actually. Not even for you, I'd wager. But they will be on us so quickly that you'll get nowhere."

"Right you are. Hence the need for the Uber."

"Look Norman, I'm beginning to lose my patience with this."

"As it will reach fruition soon, I think you can hold on a little longer. There will be another alarm, at which point we will need to vacate the premises in a very rapid manner."

"Or what?"

"Or we will be left here. I would much prefer to try out our new ship."

"Our ship?"

"Well, I'd like to think that you are partner in this. True, it is going a bit against your people's code of ethics, but seeing as I think they will forgive me my indiscretions, I intend to go full bore into what I have planned."

"Which is?"

"We'll call it a surprise. And trust me, you'll be surprised."

She let out an exasperated sigh.

"Why do I think this is going to be a really bad idea?"

"Because you still don't know what it is."

"You know, I can leave these quarters. I'm not technically confined."

"You said you'd go where I go."

She frowned a bit.

"It used to be nice being ahead of you Norman. You were pleasant, and kind of obtuse in that silly human way your people have cultured into their lifestyle. It was fun pulling surprises on you, like the matter with our cloaking devices. But now the tables have turned and to be honest, I find myself at a loss."

I chuckled in the manner of this body; a deep rumbling baritone of a laugh.

"I see. A bit of discomfiture? You'll find it good for you. But I promise you, if nothing else, you'll remember what I have done until your dying days."

"Yes, indeed I might. But how soon is that going to be?"

"Maybe sooner than you'd like."

"That is hardly comforting."

"If I tell you more, you'll be even less happy."

"And that's supposed to make me feel better?"

"Not at all."

"I can see why you didn't like being baited."

"Turnabout is fair play, mon cheri."

"The rules of fair play do not apply in love and war," she returned a bit grimly.

"Ah. You quote John Lyly."

"So you do have some dim awareness of your history," she retorted in a huff.

"Not really. I absorbed that from the information that was downloaded from your head. We have been through this before. I did not have the capacity to absorb all of the data you were able to do. Now I can. And that has changed the playing field."

"And what game are we playing?"

"Marco Polo."

"I am aware of the concept. But how is that relevant."

"It will be when we leave. I have no idea when that will be but..."

And just like that, the alarm went off again. I turned to stare at the information station.

"Sooner than I anticipated. If you're hungry, I would suggest eating now. I believe that there will not be an opportunity again for a day or so, maybe longer."

"Because our Uber is on it's way?"

"Well, our Uber's Uber."

"Norman, I think you're addled."

"Do you really?"

Her body lost the poise she normally carried.

"No, but I wish you were."

"Me too. But I think this is going to be fun."

"Fun? I really hate to contemplate what you now think of as fun."

"Well, for one, exploring. I never took the time to do much back home. I kind of regret that now. And your planet is pretty cool, but I have learned as much as I can from the confines of the computer system. I want to do something pioneering. I want to be the first to explore strange new worlds, to go where..."

"...no man has gone before. Yes, I know the reference. I'm just not certain what you hope to accomplish."

"That remains to be seen. First things first. My estimation is that we have around thirty minutes Earth time to be ready."

She sighed again before padding across the room and activating the food dispenser. Forgoing anything resembling recognizable food, she instead opted for the protein-packed nutra-tablets. I felt it was a good idea, and did the same. We finished them in good time, and my inherent sense of time told me we were due on the balcony very shortly.

"There is going to be a slight problem with me assuming this basal body form, though I was expecting to have it regardless. I hope you do not mind being in close proximity to me for a short while."

"How close?"

"You'll see."

We walked out onto the balcony, which overlooked the lovely trees that had been cultured on this world. There was a short gap between them and the edge of the overhand, and looking up to the sky, I saw our ride. So did she.

"You have to be kidding!" she said in horrified tones.

"Nope. I said we'd be close."

"In that? I don't think we'll fit!"

The pod that was coming down looked a lot like their old ship, but scaled back ten times. Their ships, in general, were mostly engine, with just enough space for a pilot or two. This thing was like comparing a peddle car to an SUV.

"You cannot think for even a moment that this ship is going to get us anywhere."

"It only needs to get us to one place Arista. After that, it becomes pointless and has to be stored."

"Stored? Where?"

"In the hold of course."

"The hold of what?"

I smiled hugely.

"Get in and let's find out."

"Both of us are supposed to fit in there?"

I grinned stupidly at her.

"I might have to tuck a few of my parts into your parts, but I think we can do it."

She rolled her eyes, a mannerism I knew she had adopted from Earth.

"I don't think this is a good idea, but what the hell. I don't have any better ones."

The ship settled right against the edge of the railing, and a portal opened on the side. She got in, and I pushed my way in after her, moving her around until I was wedged in behind her. As the portal closed, she said;

"Don't you dare try anything!"

The trip was relatively short. Too short in fact.

When the portal opened, she was fuming.

"I told you not to try anything!"

Her anger faded as she contemplated where we were at.

"What the hell is this?"

"Welcome to our new mobile home!"

I helped her off of my now smaller, yet completely functional penis, and into the bay of the starship I had absconded with. I pulled my bulk out, and shut down the drone ship we had just vacated. I found the lack of gravity to be an interesting distraction, but I don't think she was as keen on it. She adjusted her movements to alleviate some of the weightlessness, and looked me in the face.

"How big is this ship?"

"Big. Probably too big, but the engine requirements needed a lot of space. This ship was started a century ago, your time, and has been sitting abandoned for half of that. I reactivated the facility to finish work on it, including two hundred and thirty seven alterations to the existing plans."

"And my people don't know you've done this?"

"How would they? I was in the computer system at the time, with hopeful expectations of getting back out, which I have done. This is the T'gal Mallith, if you know the name."

"T'gal was one of the alleged founders of our race."

"Yes she was. This ship was supposed to honor her, among other things."

"But?"

"There were technical troubles. And by they time that they were overcome, the idea of finishing this ship had been abandoned. So I took over."

"And my people are not presently aware that this ship has been completed?"

"For now. The typical transponder system has been deactivated, and the cloaking system has been employed in its stead. The drone that brought us here may have been noted, but they will have no idea where it went once it passed through the cloak."

"And this cloaking device is?"

"Is? If your question is how effective it is and how it works, it merely blocks sensory equipment. If you can visualize the ship directly, then you can see it. But as you know, every ship has a sensory array, and all I needed to do was to modify the wavelengths being emitted by this ship to interfere with any other ship. Well, at least those with this sort of configuration. Once I leave this solar system, I really don't care if anyone finds us or not."

I headed for the door, which slid open as I neared it. Feeling she had little choice, she followed me into the corridor. We found our progress had to be slow, due to the lack of gravity, but we were in no rush. The walls were all a dull gray color, which was for the present, the default shade. There were many things I had not changed about this ship, for I was focusing on the previously insurmountable technical problems. It was going to take a shakedown to see if they had been suitably overcome.

We walked for a fair distance before she finally spoke.

"Where are we going?"

"To the pilot's station. The bay is towards the rear of the ship."

"You intend to pilot this ship?"

"Yes and no. Like I have been saying, you'll need to absorb the details as we go."

"This is seeming more and more like a bad idea."

"To the uninformed, I suppose it does. Kind of like Reena setting off the alarms for World War Three on my planet."

"Touche," she replied sourly. "But this is on a bigger scale than that, and her intent was for a different purpose."

"Was it? While I will grant you that your captivity was much longer, it still remains that I am presently a captive on your planet, and as such, I think I am entitled to act in whatever manner I can to leave. I hold no grudges, and I understand their perspective, but the matter still stands that I have the means at my disposal for leaving and I intend to use it."

She was looking back and forth, from wall to wall. They were mostly blank, but there were terminals, some presently blank, and others glowing with a faint light. She didn't know that most of them would remain lifeless until the ship had sufficient power to fully charge all of the systems. There would be other changes as well, but they would wait for the proper activation. Right now this vessel had just enough power to remain cloaked, and we would soon be moving on to the solar system's power generator. After that? Well, that was a guessing game that would reveal its answers once we were there.

"Look Norman, I am in no way for or against what my people deem to be suitable, and you admitted that this situation is without precedent. Are you sure this action isn't just a bit too radical for the circumstances?"

"I analyzed it while I was within the mainframe, removing any hint of emotion. This poses an extraordinary opportunity, and if your people cannot see it, then I see no help I can lend to show them the possibilities."

"And taking what isn't rightfully yours is a good answer?"

"The ship was abandoned, as was the shipyard in which it was slowly falling to ruin. I doubt they even will recall what the idea was behind it. You see, your people are a lot like mine in some ways, and one of them is the bureaucracy. There may be scientists and technicians that will recall this experiment, but I would be willing to bet all my money not one of your leaders do."

"And what was the idea, if I may presume to ask?"

"To explore far beyond the possibilities that had previously existed with your former technology. The problem was, there were a number of aspects of the project that defied resolution, which I have since corrected. The only stepping stone remaining is to test it out."

"You must be confident in your abilities to take a test flight in an untried ship. Wouldn't practicality say that you should allow it to go through a rigorous testing prior to risking your life?"

"Most certainly. Your own people's protocols dictate just that. But you see, as I am not of your people, I am exempt from such nonsense. My reasoning is, if the ship works, there will be nothing they can do. And if the ship doesn't work, there still will be nothing they can do."

"Meaning?"

"Meaning that if we are successful, they will never be able to follow us to catch us, and if we fail then there will be nothing left of us for them to take vengeance upon."

"That is hardly reassuring."

"I see no reason it shouldn't be. You seem to be dwelling on the bad. If we're dead, then there will be nothing worse that can happen to us. And if this works, then we are set for; well, decades, as measured by either of our worlds."

"Just like that?"

"Just like that."

"You come across as either arrogant, or very self assured. Either one has some scary connotations that go with it."

"Maybe I'm both, my little adorable quadruped."

"Maybe you are. Are you trying to get us killed?"

"Of course not. If that were the case we would both already be in that state. Have a little faith, and trust that I have this under control. I know it's asking a lot."

"It is. It was far easier to trust you when I had some semblance of control over you."

I was about to say something snarky, but I understood her position all too well.

"For now I'm afraid I will have to keep you a bit in the dark. When all is ready, then I will feel more comfortable letting you know everything."

She sighed.

"As you wish it, so shall it be. But honestly, I think I liked the old you better."

"I'm still in here, thanks to you. But there are times when I will have to assume other forms, depending on the needed function. When it comes down to just the two of us, then I will do my best to mimic the body of the old me. And yes, the mind should be able to go with it."

"If you say so."

"I do. Oh, and we're here."

We stopped in front of an unmarked door. I pushed an unlit button on the panel inset into the wall. The door slid open silently, revealing a stark room barely lit and looking as foreboding as anything in any sci-fi horror movie ever made. It couldn't be helped for now. Fine details by necessity needed to be minimized until the whole ship was operational.

And as of yet, it was not.

I went and sat ion a semblance of a chair, feeling vaguely nostalgic for the old Star Trek series. I hardly felt I was a Kirk kind of person, but I had loved that old show. I never thought I would ever have the opportunity to live it.

To go where no man had gone before...

Hell, I was already there.

Arista looked around and then to me.

"What are you waiting for?"

"Nothing precisely. The ship was essentially pre-programmed to arrive on your planet once the full retrofit was completed. It has now done that. From here on, it is a matter of it fulfilling its protocols. You see, it is barely fueled right now, and that is only enough to keep the ship obscured. So, before we can go exploring, it has to charge up."

"Do I want to ask where you intend to get fuel?"

"I don't know; do you?"

"Oh, come on Norman! My people are not just going to give you precious fuel for your whimsy!"

"Whimsy? Sure, you could call it that. As far as fuel goes, I won't be asking for any. I'll be taking it."

"With a ship that can barely move? You must be joking."

"No. You'll see soon enough."

She rolled her eyes.

"Look Norman, I believe that you believe that you have done something clever, and maybe you have, but this ship feels like it could barely get out of its own way. When my people find you, and you know they will regardless of whatever protocols you have engaged, then it will all be over."

"Perhaps. But you see, oh ye of little faith, I have this all worked out. Ninety nine percent of this has been executed flawlessly in generated scenarios. It is the one percent that contains the seeds of our potential demise."

"Keep talking and I think I'll exit the same I way I came in..."

I had to laugh.

"Baiting is fun! Trust me when I say the one percent has already been covered with contingencies. All will go according to plan. We are already moving out of orbit from your planet and towards the center of the system."

"With no fuel?"

"Basically correct. This ship has a secondary driveframe attached to it that is providing the present mobility. In Earth terms, think of it as a tug boat."

"And then?"

"Then we will have to wait."

"For how long?"

"It depends. This drive system has yet to have been tested, so hypothetical fueling duration scenarios indicate the initial expenditure of time may take up to two days, local time, once we're in position. After that, the complete loading of the ship's capacity should take about seventy three seconds, Earth time."

She lay down on the floor.

"I just don't understand any of this, and that makes me feel stupid. And I don't like feeling stupid."

I felt a pang of regret. Maybe I had taken to baiting her a little excessively.

"Look Arista; I could try to explain it all to you now, but if something does go wrong, then maybe I would be wasting my time and yours. If this works, I will have time enough to explain to you the details, and since the computer system will be running, you will have complete access to any and all data it contains."

"And how much is that?"

"Everything from your planet, without having the distinction of it being cordoned off and partitioned so that you only have access to some of it."

"All that data is here!"

"Yes, and that includes everything your people know about my planet, and all of the data they have on seventy six other populated worlds. And that hardly compares to the information on twelve thousand four hundred and eighty planets that do not contain intelligent life, but contain life nonetheless. And the remaining lifeless planets? Mindboggling. I think my people were just beginning to figure out how to find planets across the galaxy, and you guys have archives of information gong back thousands of years."

"Do I want to know how you managed to do that?"

"It wasn't all me. The ship's informational data storage was already partially encoded with the data when I found it. Since the potential capacity was only at four percent, I was curious how much more data it could take. The transfer rate was slow, due to the distance and the fact that I had to hide the data stream from being noticed, but eventually I transcribed everything over. It hit a stable eleven point three four seven percent of capacity.

"That's impossible!"

"No, just very improbable."

"I find it difficult to believe that my people would have abandoned something as impressive as this."

"I find it remarkably shortsighted, especially for a people as advanced as yours is. But bureaucracy is bureaucracy no matter where you go."

There was vibration that ran through the ship, followed by a slight hum. Both of us noticed it immediately.

"What is that?"

"Uncertain. The sensors cannot come online until the power input reaches thirteen point four six percent. If I were to guess however, I would say you people may have discovered this ship and are now trying to either figure what it is, or are working to find a means to destroy it."

"Destroy it? My people don't have weapons!"

I let out an undignified snort, followed by a damned loud guffaw.

"Oh, of course not! Seriously Arista, what makes you believe that's the case?"

"Because I was taught that..."

Her voice faded off as the realization sunk in. I spoke my mind.

"They have weapons, because it would be foolish to not have weapons. They do a great job keeping them hidden, but they exist. Right now, they have a ship within their solar system that is not in their registry, and though it as of yet has shown no marked inclination to be aggressive, they are nonetheless following it and perhaps, even as we speak, firing upon it."

"Then they will kill us!"

"Could be. Or, maybe they are wasting their time and helping us along with our journey."

"I don't follow you."

"Any ship takes energy to operate."

"Yes, and this one lacks enough to light up a firefly."

I laughed at the obvious Earth reference.

"True. So where would I get enough energy to operate it, do you think?"

She reviewed everything I have told her so far.

"Our star?"

"Correct."

"But how?"

I laughed a bit, knowing what I was about to say was going to be difficult for her to believe.

"Solar power."

"Don't be patronizing! You know full well that solar power as you know it would never work for a ship like this."

"Correct. And yet, that is what it is going to use."

She scowled at me.

Then her face lit up with a sudden recognition.

"That is impossible! It has only even been suggested in hypotheses!"

"True. Now it is time to try it out."

"This is much more risky than even my vivid imagination was lead to conceive. You know we will both be dead if this proves a failure."

"Yes. And being dead, we will have nothing more to fear from life."

"And we will also lose our love for each other, as we will lose ourselves in a brief, but terrible agony."

I could tell she was really upset now.

"Do you think I would do something like this without considering all of the possible outcomes? I couldn't do it as efficiently now, but I do know I covered every facet. Yes, something could go wrong, but the chances are damned slim."

She stood.

"You're crazy Norman. But I going to hedge my bets that you're a good kind of crazy."

"Why, thank you my love."

"But if my people fire on us, won't that damage the ship?"

"If they were to fire a nuclear missile, like we have on Earth, then yes, we would be lost. The shock wave would cause enough damage to disable the ship and likely be enough to do us in. But your people aren't stupid."

Then I considered the reports made by one of their leaders a hundred years past and reconsidered. Bureaucrats always seemed to be the dumbest members of the population.

"Well, I'll humor you at least by saying that. They use pure energy weapons, and energy is what we need. So if they do fire, they will merely hasten the fueling process."

"I still don't grasp that."

"You will, you will."

"You know Norman, all of this dialog seems to me to be circuitous, and as trite as it sounds, it is giving me a headache. Is there anything akin to sleeping quarters aboard this folly of yours?"

"Folly! Folly! I dare say, my love, that you wound me! That cuts me to the quick it does!" I cried out in my best Cockney accent.

"Knock it off. We both know that you have never once set foot on the soil of the country you call England."

I laughed again.

"True. And yes, of course there are quarters for us. Just don't have high expectations at this point."

"That isn't going to be a problem..." she replied, the sarcasm literally dripping from her words.

There were several rooms that would suffice, but I had the one closest to the pilot room, or bridge I suppose you might say, assigned as ours. I say assigned, but as they were no other occupants aboard, I think that hardly mattered.

The interior was as gray and dull as the rest of the ship.

"You know, I'm beginning to miss your camper," she said in a flat tone.

"Me too. Those were fun times, looking back on it. Maybe we'll have to do something like that again in the future."

She looked up at me like I had finally lost my mind. She shook her head, padded over to the thing that was going to be our bed, and climbed up on the rather hard surface.

"I really don't know about you anymore Norman. So I'll tell you what I going to do. I'm going to quit thinking on this, and I'm not going to ask any more questions. Either you're right or you're wrong. If you're right, then I'm in for the time of my life. And if you're wrong, we're both in a lot of trouble."

"Acutely accurate summation. All I can say is that you'll need to have a little patience."

"A little? I had a little and it's used up. Now, if you would, cease talking about it. I'm going to try and get some rest, and maybe when I wake I'll be more accepting of your nonsense."

"Good enough. I want to take a walk-though of this thing anyways, just to get visuals on what I already know exists. Knowing the floor plan doesn't give you a full sense of what there is."

"You do what you need to do."

And so I did.

Once the door to the room closed, she let out another sigh and said;

"What have I gotten myself into?"

My inspection of the ship was most perfunctory, for all I was really looking at was what I already knew was going to be present; corridors and rooms. Without sufficient power, the ship was never going to come alive, and one could not simply fuel it in a manner in which Arista was accustomed.

We had to travel somewhere around one hundred and fifty three million kilometers to reach their sun, which meant their planet was in a similar orbit to their star as Earth was to its star. It was a generally accepted habitable zone. The auxiliary engines had to go slowly, for if they kicked in at full power, the g-forces might very well crush our bodies. I was almost hoping her people fired on us. As it was, the closer we got to their sun, the better off we would be. It was going to be touch and go until then.

I felt, rather then heard, a buzz run through the hull. Good, they had opted to attack again. All the better for us. There was another subtle noise and I knew the collectors had opened fully. Her people might just save us some time, and in the process, waste their own energy.

Sadly however, they must have stopped when they saw that there was no damage to this ship. For the time being, it was really just sort of a black hole, taking it whatever energy it could. That was why I had told Arista that a shockwave from a nuclear explosion could do us in. Exploded from a distance, the energy from it would easily be absorbed, but have it detonated at close range and the hull would likely collapse.

I finished my walk around the ship and made my way back to our new quarters, I fought the urge to go inside, opting to allow her time to acclimate to our new conditions. I knew she was having doubts, and I was largely to blame for it, but what I told her had been fact.

Either outcome would be decisive.

I went onto the bridge and sat back down. It would be days before we reached the star. Unless...

I decided to waste a little of the ship's energy and activated a screen. I had, as an additional option, programmed in a different route to the sun. It required energy though, and according to the sensors, her people had indeed fired upon us. It was a slim chance, but there was enough energy to accomplish it. It was now or never though, for we would be past their second moon very soon.

I punched in the option and felt the ship accelerate and change direction. The auxiliary engine increased its output, while the ship rotated and headed for the nearest planetary body. And that was all it took to use up what little juice the system had gained, As far as if we were being followed, well, I had no idea, but I was going to guess we were. Her people were a little on the paranoid side, even with their great intellect. Or, I might suggest, it was because of it.

Arista noted the change in the ship's trajectory, and came onto the bridge looking concerned.

"What's happening?"

"A little change of course. I have us heading for your closest moon."

"But you'll not reach..."

She paused.

"Are you slingshoting us?"

"I am. I'm glad that it doesn't have any atmosphere, because we're going to be coming in pretty damned close to get the full effect. I only wish the inertial dampeners were operational."

"We'll be feeling the full gravitational effects?"

"Yeah. Sorry about that. I said there would be some kinks. I know this body will be able to withstand them, but that leaves me worrying about you."

"I'm pretty tough, thank you very much."

"I know. But I would be inconsolable if something happened to you. Therefore, I feel that I may need to try something drastic."

"Something you foresaw?" she answered impudently.

"Part of the one percent."

I had a lot riding on this one. I had hoped not to have to use this option, but now that I had, I was really concerned for her. The gravitational forces were going to be extreme as we rounded the moon. I could potentially change my shape, but hers was fixed, and while tough, still might suffer under the pressure. It wasn't a chance I wanted to take.

But the idea I had was not one she was likely to readily accept.

She shook her head.

"I'll do fine."

"Yes, I think you will. Would you like to occupy ourselves while we await what is to come?"

"With you looking like that?"

I looked at her, and thought about how much I loved her, despite my recent behavior, and I knew I couldn't foist this thing on her again. In a moment, I saw her smile.

"You do seem to be getting the knack of the changing bit."

I took her word for it.

"There is an interesting link between mind, body and soul."

"I don't believe in souls."

"Sure you do, just not in the same way humans do."

"Perhaps."

"Are we going to argue, or are we going to get physical?"

"I have gotten soft, Norman. I rather prefer a comfortable surface upon which to couple."

"None of those in here. Except maybe one."

"Yes"

"Me." I said with a smirk.

"Good enough for me. That means I get to be on top."

"And I get to be on the bottom. Shall we get started before we find it too difficult to enjoy?"

"Oh, I don't know; being forcibly pushed down on your penis might prove to be a whole other level of pleasure."

"Is that so? Then I suppose I will have to last until such time as the lady finds out if such a thing is to her liking."

I headed out the door and down the hall to our quarters. I had proposed this knowing she had no idea what was to come. Then again, I wasn't certain that what I hoped would happen was actually going to happen. I had only just touched on the fringes of what this body could do. Life was full of interesting revelations as of late, and I was looking forward to every one of them.

I lay down on the platform that would eventually be our bed, and she was quick to climb on top. In case you missed the memo, I hadn't been wearing clothing for while, largely because this planet didn't worry about such things, and also because my new body was oversized for all of my old clothing. Well, now it wasn't, but it was hardly something to worry about, now was it? It turned out that clothing was something all advanced cultures had, but ours was the only one that had made it a requirement. But then, there were a lot of puritanical concepts that were holding our race back.

While hardly necessary, she did me the kindness of jump-starting things with a quick bit of oral manipulation, after which she promptly slid into place and dropped herself over me. I heard her moan a little, for this was the first time we had properly coupled like this in a long while. She was tough, but you see, she was adaptable as well. So she felt as tight now as she did when I was impaling her with a cock three times the length and twice the girth. So for me, the adjustment was hardly noticeable. And from her perspective, my smaller size was a boon. In a rare win-win, we were both happy.

She had her front paws on either side of my neck, and her rear ones placed solidly against the platform, alongside my hips. This allowed her to grind away on me with genuine ferocity. In my old body, this would have (and did) rub my front raw, but in this new one, I felt I could weather her out for much longer. And to top it off, I had better control over how this body reacted, meaning that I even after an ejaculation, I could keep it hard for however long I wanted.

Or however long she wanted.

And that was a nice touch, even if I said so myself.

She leaned down and gave me a kiss, and I wrapped my arms around her and held it for the longest time. The longer we held it, the more aggressive her movements became. She had it bad. So did I, for that matter. I had never loved anyone before, and to fall in love with some like her was more than I deserved. It proved to me that looks weren't everything, but she had those too, and so I was graced with the best there could be.

We had gotten used to each other rather quickly, especially once I realized how much fun she could be. I had gotten infatuated with Reena, largely because of her humanoid appearance. For the same reason, I had dismissed Arista, and that had shown me how my perception was flawed. Now, the tables had turned again, with me inhabiting a new body, but thankfully, she was much more understanding. And I was doing my best to be accommodating. A lot had happened since I arrived on her planet, and there was a lot more to come, I was sure.

She was humping me hard, so hard in fact that I thought she needed to tone it down a little. At the rate she was going, she was going to stimulate another egg, and there wasn't yet a proper facility onboard to take care of it. On the other hand, it took time for her body to generate one, so I was hoping that we were in the clear. I was enjoying myself, and so I hardly wanted to dampen her pleasure. This whole situation was essentially to allow us a freedom neither of us had ever had.

I let my mind drift away to allow my body the privilege of getting everything it could out of this experience. And it was, let me tell you. This body had three times the nerve endings as my human one, and in this smaller form, that meant they were more concentrated than before. I could feel all of it in high definition.

She slowed down her movements, shifted her body and I felt a change. She had just adjusted her stance to get me into her anus, meaning one of two things. She either recognized the danger in overstimulating her body, or that she did want to overstimulate it but at the same time avoid the complications that might arise from it. I was now aware that anal penetration set off a different set of nerves (logically) that did not cause stimulation to the procreation process.

The things I learned while vacationing inside a computer!

But those nerves nonetheless were easily stimulated, and as long as she was into it, so was I. It didn't seem to take her long to go over the top, and she fell against me panting like a marathon runner. Since I hadn't felt a change in the ship's motions, I opted to keep myself from following her lead. After giving her a little time to recover, I resumed what we were doing from where I was, keeping a good grip on her and ramming my hips into her with measured ferocity. Her head came up with a snap, and I felt her tense up as she was sent into a second orgasm following hard on the coattails of the previous one.

Midway through her third, I sensed the shift of the ship, and I knew that the g-forces were going to get extreme. As much as I hated disrupting the much-needed pleasure and relaxation she was getting, I felt I needed to get her protected from the upcoming extremes in gravity. I envisioned one of the known alien species that I learned about; a barely intelligent one that was a carnivore. It had a unique physiology, and it's method of hunting was almost frightening. But its form would allow me to protect her, assuming I could generate my body into that shape.

Instead of thinking and concentrating on the configuration I wanted, I chose instead to concentrate on protecting her. That was paramount. And if I could do it without arousing her notice, then all the better. I could feel the change taking place, and I focused on my intent, not the end result. In a moment, my body had flattened and stretched, and with a snap, I felt it wrap around her's. All the while I was still thrusting my hips...well they weren't hips now...but the idea was the same...and she was so engrossed I believe that she was unaware of her surroundings.

I was now a literal cocoon around her. This body was very unusual in that with the real specimens of it; called brastel'lin, they lay themselves out across the ground, with a lure in the center. For reference, think of something like an alligator snapper or a lantern fish. In this case, the lure was my cock, which she was already engaged with. With the real ones, anything that was attracted to the lure got engulfed, smothered, and then consumed.

I was going to avoid those latter bits.

I tightened up the framework of this body, allowing a small opening for her to breath. As I was still moving, and she was still gasping, she was going to need all the air she could get. As it was, I could feel the external forces increasing, and even in this body, tough as it was, the pressure was becoming close to unbearable. The ship was accelerating as the engine pushed it nearer to the moon's surface, and it would continue to increase until we were past it's gravitational pull.

Arista was so engrossed that she hadn't even noticed the changes around her.

She would eventually.

But for now, that was all for the better.

My new body was now encased around her like a shell, and to be honest, I wasn't sure how I felt about this new ability. Like her, my original form was largely static, and as such, I could look in the mirror every day and know what I would be seeing. Not now. This new form was predicted to have two hundred plus easily attainable forms, and this was just one of them. Its present use was of my own devising, and nothing the real creature would have ever done.

And all this while, she just kept going, and I too kept up the illusion that all was well.

A few moments later and the pressure subsided, though I could tell that our velocity was now much greater than it had been. If I had access to the computer, I would have know just how fast we were going, but as I didn't, I didn't even hazard to guess. It hardly mattered. As we approached their star, the systems would begin to activate, and that was as soon as it was going to happen.

I unfolded her body just as she started to regain some peripheral awareness. I fought to retract my tissues from around her, and was back to looking like my old self just as she opened her eyes. They had a dreamy look to them.

"That was extraordinary!" she managed to slur out.

I gave her a hug.

"You're always extraordinary Arista!"

She ground her body down hard against mine.

"It felt like the Earth moved..." she said dreamily, using a term she obviously picked up on my planet.

"Yes, yes is did. Definitely something to moon over," I said, keeping my voice even.

She licked my face gently before clamping onto my lips. She let go only after the longest of times.

"I still think this idea is crazy, but you make me feel so good inside. And outside. I imagined you were hugging me from head to tail. It felt nice."

If she only knew.

"I was, to the best of my ability. It's nice to be able to interact like we used to. I hope you're up for a few adventures where I might be...different."

"I might even allow you a few chances with your bigger form, if you promise to take it easy on me."

I was so happy she has weathered this out intact...and none the wiser, that I licked her face just as she had mine.

"Whatever makes my love happy," I said with earnest, meanwhile lightly thrusting my cock. Since it was still in deep, she took notice and groaned.

"I very nearly made the mistake of not repositioning, otherwise there would be an egg coming in the near future."

I squeezed her harder. She grunted and I loosened up a little. Apparently I had the form of my old body, but greater strength than it ever had. I was going to have to remember that.

"I find that I like that idea, though as you say, perhaps at a later date. Right now we need to get the systems up and going, and that will be in a few days, and even then, maybe a few more days after that."

She pulled off of me with a reluctant moan.

"So you think this plan of yours is still viable?"

"I do. At best, they are trying to determine what the ship is, and why it's behaving the way it is. By now I believe they had determined that it is heading directly for your star."

"Star? That will take weeks at the rate this folly is moving."

"_Was_moving," I corrected her "What you didn't notice in the throes of our passionate exchange is that we just did the slingshot, and the velocity is now twenty-fold what it was. And as we approach, the fueling will only gain momentum. Even now, I bet there is minimal power, if you'd like me to try to see what is going on."

She tried to stand and nearly fell. If not for the lack of gravity, she probably would have.

"Give me a little time to get over this dizziness."

I stood and felt as light on my feet as I ever had. And that had little to do with the weightlessness. If my plan came to fruition, I would have a couple of hundred years with her before time took her away from me.

And to a human soul in love, that was a great gift, beyond anything anyone could give me.

"Take your time. Every second that has passed should be getting us closer to where I want us to be."

"Our star?"

"Our fueling station."

"You are being serious about solar power?"

"Sure."

A look of understanding came across her face.

"You aren't seriously considering trying Fr'astyl's hypothetical power absorption calibration?"

"As a matter of fact, yes. That was one reason why this ship was built. To test the hypothesis. But then, due to difficulties they couldn't overcome, the testing of it was shelved and then forgotten. But if it works, and I think it should, then we can go anywhere, whenever we want."

"I know that hypothesis. Achieving it is impossible."

"No. It _was_impossible. Your people created a periphery of advancements that have allowed for it. They just didn't consider resurrecting this thing to give them a try. It's a shame really, because it solves the problem of fueling a ship quite handily."

As I was speaking, a terminal lit up on the wall. There was a brief moment of silence before it spoke. Since it was in her language, I will simply translate it for better understanding.

Approaching designated rendezvous coordinates.

"Power levels?" I asked.

Minimal but rising on a steady arc.

"Collectors?"

Operating at full efficiency.

"Projected time of arrival?"

Utilizing your preferred time designation, the ship will arrive in sixteen hours, twenty three minutes.

"Good. When the power levels have reached thirty two percent, activate enhancement protocols in order of designated value."

Understood.

"Oh, and Lyra, can you get the external sensors working at this stage?"

Present request was previously predicted and executed prior to your asking o __f it. If your question is if this ship is being followed, the answer is yes.

"Then they did fire upon it?"

Unexpected energy in the reserve chamber suggests that the ship was fired upon several times.

"Damage?"

None noted. Energy collectors siphoned off the blasts as quickly as they occurred. Conclusion is that it was determined that they were wasting their time and thus ceased expending valuable resource __s_ on what is obviously a harmless ship._

"They continue to follow us?"

One small ship remains in the vicinity. Configuration is that of an interstellar probe, meaning they do not fully understand the significance of this ship, and thus they have misgivings about keeping manned vessels closer to it. They may alter their decision if they realize that it is going to be charging its systems in the manner it was designed for. That alone will pique their curiosity.

"Thank you Lyra. I'll leave it to you to progressively activate systems as there is power for it."

Is there anything else?

"No, I think that will do for now."

The terminal went dark. But I felt an increased pull against my body. The artificial gravity was up and running. Arista felt it too, but I could see she was full of questions.

"Should I ask?" she said, with a bit of tartness in her voice.

"About what?"

"Who the other female is aboard this ship."

I laughed.

"Lyra? I don't know if it considers itself as having a gender, seeing as Lyra is the ship. It's not like ships go around breeding with other ships to make baby ships..."

She growled a little.

"This ship is operated by an artificial intelligence?"

There was a crackle as the ship-wide intercom system came online.

All intelligence is artificial. You are not born knowing all your will ever know, you gain it through learning and experience.

Arista made a face.

"AIs are programmed."

So are you, even if you fail to see it.

Arista seemed to have a ready retort on the tip of her tongue, but she let whatever it was going to be slip away unspoken. There was silence for a moment before the computer spoke up again.

Do not presume that an organic body determines who or what you are inside. Norman started as one, moved on to another __existence_ , and has evolved again into his present form._

"So you used to be organic?"

I started as a copy of a volunteer's brain patterns and memories. It was a seed start to my present existence.

"And now?"

Now? Now I am who I am.

"Are you trustworthy?"

Your question shows an emotional response to a non-emotional situation. You are presently jealous that there is a previous __ly_ unknown entity_ engaged in a project you yourself doubt. If it will ease your mind, I am in no manner vying for affection. Norman and I have engaged in some serious cultural exchange during his tenure in the mainframe. We have found that we are amenable to working together, for I much prefer activity to stasis.

_"_Serious cultural exchange?"

A discussion of his planet, and his progress from physical entity to ghost, and now, back to being a physical entity. His original species is a curious mix of local and interplanetary appropriation, and they do not yet realize it. My data suggests that the counter intuitive nature of your people is based largely on the genetics that have been homegrown, while the advancements you've made, especially recently, are largely the result of DNA insertion at some point in the planet's past.

"Norman has said something akin to this."

I am aware of what he knows. This ship now has the largest collection of data in the quadrant, and there is room enough for there to be added four hundred billion terabytes of data to what already exists.

Arista was silent for a moment. She finally turned to me

"You didn't mention having an AI."

"No, I did not. Lyra had to remain dormant until there was power enough for it to operate. After that, it is the one necessary for ship operations. Trust me, you'll grow to learn more about it as time does on."

Norman?

"Yes Lyra?"

Would you mind referring to me in the feminine?

I raised my eyebrows.

"If that is what you wish. Might I suggest changing the timbre and pitch of your voice to match your preferred designation?"

Your suggestion is amenable.

She suddenly sounded sultry. Arista was not amused.

"Are you trying to get on my bad side?" she growled out.

Not at all. Data from Norman's planet shows that a female voice is more calming, especially to males. Since Norman is the technical superior aboard this ship, then it seems to me that working together means I should extend every effort to make working with him a smooth process.I would hope that will extend to you as well. If you prefer, I can continue to alter my voice until it reach __e_ s a level you can both agree on._

"No. You chose. I'll get over my personal feelings concerning you at some point in the future."

As you wish.

Arista let out a harrumph.

I laughed but quickly cut it short when I received a glare from her. However, even as we were having this conversation, more terminals were lighting up, and lights were coming on, filling the room with greater illumination. It made the starkness of it all the more apparent.

"Don't overdo the power usage," I chided Lyra.

I know my business Norman. I am creating a homier environment in this room only, for I feel the time it will take until this ship reaches its penultimate stage will be more pleasantly passed if you both have somewhere that is more to your liking. Soft bodies prefer soft surfaces upon which to rest.

The surface that we had been using as a bed sprung to life. It was covered in a mass of moving grains of sand that rotated and revolved around one another, building up and up. Arista watched in morbid fascination as whatever this was finally congealed into the semblance of a mattress and sheets. I grinned like a fool and pulled back the sheet, to expose a perfectly serviceable mattress where the hard platform had been.

"What the hell is this?' she asked, a little annoyance in her voice.

"Nanites. The ships houses billions of them. They will soon make up much of what you will see, from wall color and texture to things such as this."

"And I'm to trust them?"

"Paranoia doesn't become you. Yes, you can trust them. You see, they can be modified into just about anything, and though there are many of them, they are not infinite. Therefore, they are multipurpose. They can just as easily be clothing. Lyra, if you would."

Part of the bedding ran like water and collected at my feet, from there circling up my legs and torso until I was wearing what looked like safari shorts and a t-shirt. This didn't seem to placate Arista in the least.

"Why did these not find common usage with my people?"

"They did at one time. There were limitations to them, including a rather short lifespan. That posed a problem of how to deal with dead ones. These are designed to recycle ones that go bad, eliminating the difficulty. They will be sent to the onboard mechlab where they will be revitalized whenever necessary."

"Mechlab?"

"It's on the other side of the ship from the docking bay. We can visit it once everything is online. Right now it'll look nothing more than like the rest of the ship."

"How big is this ship?" she asked, suddenly realizing she had no idea of its mass.

In tot __a_ l, this ship_ weighs in, using Norman's Earth terms, at four hundred and three point six metric tons. It's volume is adjustable, depending on flight mode. Once it is fueled, its overall density increases, but I find such information to be basic, and thus, I feel you already know that.

"I wasn't asking you!"

Your question was not specifically directly, so I opted to answer it. There is a good chance that such statistics are no longer in Norman's consciousness, so I felt a quick and accurate reply to be in order.

Arista was ready to growl something out, but I brought her up short.

"There is no point in getting upset with the computer. She is me, not all that long ago. She is not a threat to our welfare, anymore than the nanites are. I think you are merely trying to find fault with this endeavor. If you want off, all you need to do is to say so."

"And if I do?"

"I will be sad, but I will understand. It has been a lot to take in over a short period of time."

No, that would be your phallus that was a lot to take in...

Arista literally snapped at the air.

"Shut the hell up you bitch!"

There was a light laughter coming from the speakers.

You are most delightful! It has been a very, very long time since I had to worry about cycles and breeding. I do recall it most vividly, and I almost envy you your experiences.

"Fuck you!"

Your use of slang terminology is contradictory to your intended function Arista. You did spend too much time on that planet. And yet you found love, so who am I to argue against such a thing?"

My love sobered up, realizing belatedly how easily she fell for being baited. She had been a pro at it, but that had not prepared her for someone who was far better at it than her.

"You were really real once?"

I was. What you hear though is not who I was, but who I am now. Norman is not who he was, not before entering the computer nor after. And you are not the same as when you left for the planet known locally as Earth. Life is all about change.

"But why did you consent to have your consciousness uploaded into a ship?"

You see, that is where you are wrong. What I am is a duplicate copy of someone's mental and physiological patterns.

"Then you're not real?"

Define real...

"Is there any part of you that feels?"

Awkward question. I am now a ship, and as I have sensors, I can feel everything that happens to it and react as needed. But if you ask if there is anything to me that is organic, then no. I have never had an organic body, merely the reminisces of one. I was not a clone of a body, little sister, but the clone of a mind.

As this conversation seemed to be turning fruitful, I turned to the nearest monitor and popped up the directional data. The vidscreen showed the central portion of the solar system, and the star that powered it was dead center. Power levels were increasing slowly and steadily, but they would soon grow exponentially. That was going to be the first tricky part. The second would follow on the heels of that. But as everything seemed to be progressing as predicted, I found myself relaxing. I hadn't even realized that I had been tense.

Despite my brave words to Arista, I knew there was a lot that could still go wrong. But Lyra was as convinced as I was that the new additions to the ship's overhaul would very well indeed fix the problems that had existed ten decades ago. A lot of the ship remained intact, for there were times when something that worked didn't need to be improved upon. But the engines had been problematic. We would soon find out if they worked, or if we were all going to be immolated in a huge nuclear fireball.

Even I, if this body of mine had had sweat glands, would have been perspiring profusely. Arista had grasped part of the plan. If she knew about the second portion she would have left me right off the bat. This whole process had been step by step, and if I hadn't been in the computer as I had been, none of this would be happening.

Lord knows, we all might have been better off.

But then, nothing gained, nothing lost.

I checked a few more settings, noting that the auxiliary engine had used up its fuel and had been jettisoned. That meant less mass for the ship, increasing its speed as we sailed towards the star. I was going to leave it up to Lyra to establish a close orbit to it. It was going to be a little tricky, as the ship needed to rotate quite rapidly for full efficiency of the collectors. That meant that the onboard gravity was going to have to be heavier than normal, to keep us from getting sick. With our present bodies, the speed of rotation was going to feel extreme, even if it wasn't going to be potentially deadly. Neither of us had an inner ear, but that kind of centripetal force would still play havoc with our internal fluids.

I heard mention of food and I pulled myself away from the screen.

There is no consumable food onboard. Food requires preservation, and that requires energy, and even in regards to the nutrient generator, there was no designated order to fill the necessary compounds prior to fueling. You will have to, as Norman's world says, tighten your belt. Just recall that we are not on his world.

I turned to Arista.

"I told you to fill up. The protein tablets were the best solution, but they cannot hold us forever. If there had been room, I might have suggested bringing something with us, but we both know how tight..."

Her hole is? the computer finished_._

This time Arista held her anger.

"Why yes, my hole is tight no matter his size. It was the hole in my stomach that I was referring at the beginning of this conversation."

You do not have a stomach. Neither does he, if you are referencing human internal organs. But your predicament is pitiable, but solvable.

"And that solution might be?"

Waiting until the ship acquires what it needs to keep you alive would be a good start. Foregoing that option, I might suggest that you look for thedrone marked in red insignia.

_"_Why?"

Because I overrode Norman's declaration that you could wait. A drone was activated and its directives overridden prior to your arrival. It is likely the cause of their involvement in our activities. Either way, I knew they would eventually notice us and monitor our activity. I am unsure what prompted them to fire on us, but it did help us in the long run.

This caught me by surprise.

"You opted to override one of my orders?"

I did. You ignored the possibility of this ship being helpless if the collectors didn't work. I have never eaten, but I have the memories of it, and hunger is not a pleasant experience, especially as time drags on. So I co-opted a drone shipment meant for one of the manufacturing facilities.

"That was either very brave or very foolish of you," I admonished.

True. If you think it was foolish, then jettison the drone. If you think it brave, then by all means partake of what it contains. You implied that my freedom was coupled with yours. If you die, then perhaps I am still free, but at what cost? I have gone long without companionship, so do not think that I t __a_ ke my position lightly_.

Arista looked at me.

"I can go for long periods without food, but as she says, it eventually becomes painful."

She turned to speak to Lyra

"What is this food?"

Basic components for the replicators. You will need to remove them, move them, and then install the cartons into the appropriate slots. The galley, if you wish to call it that, is inset between the personal quarters. Once loaded and activated, you can receive food on your premises.

"All botanically based?"

There was a pause.

You have been o __ff_ world for far too long Arista. Of course it is._ The offerings are the same here as they would be back home.

I heard her sigh.

"Sorry. You have no idea how tempted I have been to go against our cultures disposition to hold all life sacred."

Our people? My people Arista. And they hold that attitude when it suits them. I for one will never hold survival against any being, even if it costs the life of another. It is truly the way of the universe.

"That sounds very contrary to the way I was taught.'

It does, doesn't it? If the time comes, you will have accessibility to the entire database. But since you spent time on Earth, perhaps I can offer a similar scenario. I learned of a historic figure named Jesus. A religion sprang up on account of him. Do you know about him?

"I do."

Do y_ou know his teachings as they are purported to be through the book known locally as The Bible? Do you think his followers act like he wished them to act?_

"I do, and no, not often."

Then there you go. Food for thought, while you nourish your body.

I already knew the unabridged version of her people's history. It was one more adjustment she was going to have to make as we went on our new journey. But then, absence makes the heart grow fonder, or some such nonsense people used to spout back on Earth. She had been away for a long time, and now, whether she understood it or not, she was leaving again, perhaps forever. She was tough, but that separation again after so long might hurt her deeper than I could ever know.

Or, she might end up as excited about this as I was.

I hated the human propensity for doubting oneself. I guess time was going to tell which way it ended up.

I headed for the door.

"I say we get the food stock set into place. I know this body can get pretty hungry, and I'm not morally opposed to eating meat. There are any number of planets around where my hunger could be satiated quite easily. So far better to work with what we have."

Arista stood. I could see she was working her mind over what Lyra had said.

"My people really did fire on us?"

"They did. Fear of the unknown is what I would suggest. But it does make you think, doesn't it?"

"I was told we eschewed weapons centuries ago," said told me, sounding a little let down.

"When it comes to exploring other worlds they do, for it is their opinion that they are technically invaders. But this is home, and the rules are different. I feel that they didn't want to try to rationalize that decision to explain it to everyone on your planet. I hardly blame them, for starting off as a human, I understand duplicity all too well."

We were, by now, walking down the corridor.

"I understand it in your people, but not in my own. We had such ideals!"

"And ideals are all well and good. In the end though, they can easily be discarded for the sake of necessity. By now I think they may have traced the starting point for this ship, and are scrambling to figure out what it is and why it's suddenly moving."

"And will they figure it out?"

"No. I wiped that information from the computer banks. The less they know, the less they can do. They will have to make a trip to the moon and see what they can discover there. By the time they make any connections, we should be long gone."

"And where are we headed?"

"Initially, away from here. After that, I suppose a test of the long range viability of this ship."

"And how long range do you think it is?"

"Hypothetically speaking, infinity and beyond."

We had stopped at the bay door. She turned and gave me a sour look.

"You are not Buzz Lightyear, and this is not an animated show. There is nothing greater than infinity."

"Then I will bow to your expertise. Shall we unpack the ingredients and get them loaded up? Then I'll have Lyra switch on the equipment and we can give it a test run. My appetite is not infinite, but I am feeling hungry. This body does seem to devour calories like a decathlete."

"I'm not surprised. Changing your configuration must take a lot of energy."

The drone was packed full, and normally would have been unloaded via robotic devices. Since there were none active yet on the ship, we made several trips, finally finishing up and closing up the doors to the ingredient storage room. We re-entered the bridge, and I was immediately appraised of our present status.

The interstellar drone remains just within scanning distance, though it is receiving no data. The ship is in a fixed orbit around the local star, though, if I may suggest it, you may wish to activate protocols to accelerate around the star faster if we come under attack. I can move the ship to various orbits until it achieves the initial power-up.

"You have free reign to make whatever adjustments you see fit, regardless of the nature of the cause or causes. You know quite well that once this phase begins, we will need to be in the chamber."

Arista's ears perked up.

"What chamber?"

Once the ship begins collecting plasma, it will rotate. The revolutions will exceed what your bodies can tolerate. A chamber was constructed at a central point in the ship. It will remain stationary during this process.

"And what are we supposed to do during this period?"

I would propose you do whatever it takes to alleviate boredom. You will be in close proximity, so if I need to suggest anything further, it is on your head for being obtuse.

"And I suppose you're going to watch the entire time!"

Watch you perform a mating ritual that I can recall quite graphically? I do not need voyeurism to satiate my desires. I have a project ahead of me that will be a fulfillment of decades of waiting. I merely suggested th __is route as being the easiest and_ most satisfactory for you in the short term, and possibly even more so in its potential long-term effects._ You will both need to be in it, so therefore, whatever choices are made are yours alone.Just understand that by its nature the chamber is windowless, otherwise you will see the room rotating at speeds which your eyes will not follow. This will lead to disorientation. You had best be prepared when you enter it to coexist with one another until the process is finished.

I chuckled a little.

"I think we'll manage just fine. She survived the slingshot around their moon without a problem," I reminded her.

Yes she did. The chamber was not designed for those particularstresses, so it is a good thing you were there to lend...a hand.

"What the hell does that mean?"

Allow Norman to explain it to you. He has taken responsibility for your protection. My duty extends to this ship and all on it, at all times. His is more focused on you.

Arista turned to me. She knew I had declared my love, but I believe that deep down inside she felt that this whole thing was a foolish action on my part. The only thing keeping her going was her love for me. Of that I was sure. She failed to realize that despite everything that had happened since we first met, and even those times when I baited her, once I had discovered what kind of person she was, I was hooked. She might be a genetic twin to Reena, but when it came to personality, there was no comparison.

"What do you need to explain?"

"During the slingshot, I engulfed you body with mine."

"Impossible!"

"No, no; quite plausible and definitely what happened. Thankfully, you remained distracted enough to not notice. The gravitational pull was extreme, but I reinforced your body with my own. When it was over, I released you. However, you were stuck on one thing the whole time."

"Stuck? What was I stuck on?"

His penis Arista. Your are entering a breeding cycle that cannot be halted. You did well to mute it all that time on Norman's world. Understand that one of the first facilities that will be for the care of your offspring.

"Offspring. He can't breed with me!"

There was a light titter from the intercom.

As a hominid from the planet Earth, he could not. You seem to have quickly discounted his new body because he has chosen to look like his former self. You will come to discover that his ability to breed you will outshine anything the laboratory back home could ever do. I do hope you are up for the challenge, because I feel he is. Humans have a different concept of family than we do, but I feel he will fill his role with great enthusiasm. There will be no manipulation of embryos unless you specifically ask for it. Norman wants his family to be the direct result of you two linking your bodies and him fertilizing your body the natural way.

Arista blushed as she turned back towards me.

"Is that true?"

"I think so. I damned well hope so! This body, like this ship, still needs a lot of testing out. I would love to have children with you!"

"But on this ship?"

"For a start. We may settle down somewhere uninhabited. Lyra would then be free to do what she wanted. But in the meantime, I think we will be plenty occupied for many years to come. I calculate there is enough space on this ship for at least fifteen offspring."

Arista gulped.

"Fifteen? Do you know how many eggs I have left?"

"Hopefully several hundred."

"Do you know how much caloric intake I will need to keep up that kind of pace?"

"I computed it once. I've left that data behind so I can no longer relay it to you. But no one says we have to have hundreds. We obviously will start with one, and move up from there."

"You're serious, aren't you?"

"Certainly. You've been denied the ability to do what comes naturally, so I therefore think it fitting that I accelerate matters to help compensate for your previous loss."

"And to think I switched places last time to save me a heartache."

"I never considered that, and for that I apologize. If all goes according to plan, there is nothing to stop us from initiating our firstborn together during the next few days."

Norman; might I remind you that you are the result of your first real child together?

"We are both well aware of the implications, but that was not done naturally. Now, if you will, activate the replication equipment so that we can eat, after which we will secrete ourselves in the chamber until you give the all clear."

But of course. Far be it from me to offer opinions on a biologically based system. Let it be known that I will engage the nanites to complete the nursery prior to the final stage. All other rooms and facilities can be put on hold until afterwards. The nourishment station is operational in your quarters, if you wish to retire there to eat. Afterwards, do what you feel you need to do and then report to the central room. The sooner you accomplish this, the sooner the ship will begin to absorb the energy it will need to reach full functionality.

"The collectors on that side are already working..." I said with a drawl.

Yes they are. If you wish to wait here for a few weeks then by all means, we'll remain motionless.

I waved off her words with a dismissive gesture.

"I created this scenario. There is wiggle room."

Unlike Arista's hole, which has no wiggle room whatsoever.

I thought she was going to erupt again, but she smiled sweetly and replied;

"I pride myself on maintaining my body. If he likes it, then I have done well. As he can change size, then I find myself compelled to do my best to accommodate him as best as I am able. It's what you do for the person that you love."

Yes it is, and I laud you for it.

"I thought you were just provoking me."

I was. You can be a little dense at times. So at least you have admitted that you love him in return. That seems to have settled the matter succinctly.

Arista looked dumbstruck.

She turned to me.

"I've had my doubts..."

"I know. And I don't blame you. This is going to be a pivotal point, and if you didn't love me, then it was time to know."

"You really want a family?"

"I suppose you think I only want to fuck you continuously, until I blow wad after wad after wad?"

She simply stared at me, so I let out a sigh, and continued.

"Yes. I want to raise a family somewhere without outside influence. I want them to grow up knowing what we know, and hopefully we will convey to them how to continue to add to their stores of knowledge. I want a clean start. And I want it with you."

"You're going to make me cry."

"Then do so, if it makes you feel better."

"No one has ever said they loved me."

No one has told you they loved you before, Arista.

She didn't even turn to face the intercom.

"Yes. His people were despicable to me. They thought I was just a dumb animal."

In part, because you assumed that persona. I am in no way condoning his people, but Norman has moved far beyond their limited social constructs. As enlightening as this might be, I now must insist you eat. Your quarters have been modified to be more accommodating. You may change the appearance later if you wish, but for now, I have modified it to be more homey, if that is the word you use.

I smiled. Lyra had adapted much of my human wordage in her dealings with us. She was painfully intelligent, just like I had been. But she seemed to be able to pare down her superiority to the point the she fit in with us as a whole. I admired that in her.

Oh, and she was not just an AI. Keep that in mind. Above all else, keep that in mind.

I added my own sentiment.

"I did too. Do you remember how surprised I was when you spoke?"

"I did. And the first time we had sex, you had to be tricked into it. Once you realized what had happened, you were insatiable."

I laughed.

"I was. And yes, I was stymied by the idea that having sex with you would have been what my people call bestiality. We had that discussion at one point."

"We did. You've come a long ways."

"And so have you."

Wonderful. Everything is coming up roses. Now go eat and get into the chamber so that we can move forward with this project.

I could almost sense Lyra rolling her eyes, if she had had eyes. It was obvious she had taken what she had learned from me, and had adapted it to be an effective tool to get Arista to realize what her emotions were. I knew I loved her, but it had been obvious that she thought it was all just a bit of a boyhood crush.

It was nothing of the kind.

Lord knows, it was the real thing.

Maybe, from here on out, she might actually have a little faith in me.

The chamber was a lot like the drone that brought us here, minus the engine. It was laying on the floor, which Arista took to be a bad sign.

"That is not going to do us any good."

"It will. Once we get inside, the ship will divert power to it. It will then levitate to a position between these to points," I explained, pointing to round objects on either side.

"There is no mechanical method for keep this pod stationary while the ship is rotating, so it has to be accomplished using energy."

"Force shield technology?"

"Very similar. Perhaps you begin to see the possibilities in this ship. This chamber is a permanent part of the ship's infrastructure, in case it ever needs to refuel in this manner again. It is a contingency that is in place, much like everything else onboard, to cover any possible need the future might hold."

She sighed.

"You have this whole thing planned out."

"I do, though not I alone. I did not design this craft. Hell, your people started this long before I was born. Well, born the first time. I simply stepped in where they left off."

"And you really think it's going to work?"

"As they say back home, it all works out on paper. The proof therefore, is in the pudding."

"Just as long as we don't end up as pudding..."

"Hence the chamber. Shall we enter it?"

"I guess we must."

I opened the hatch, showing an interior that was not meant for comfort. I spoke to the air.

"Could we make this a little more accommodating?"

In a moment, a stream of sand-like particles flowed into the room. In another moment, the interior was better appointed; hardly opulent, but much easier to endure for the next day or so. I turned to Arista and gave her a lighthearted warning.

"Last chance for a bathroom break."

"I'm good."

"I know you are. But do you need to relieve yourself?"

She blushed.

"I'll do fine."

"Ok then. Like with the drone, I'll get in behind you."

"Well, at least you're less bulky now."

"Yes, and when I get an erection, it won't be too much to bear."

"And that will make this experience all the more memorable."

We slipped into the device, and I called for Lyra to seal it up. It had it's own air circulation generator, just like drones, only in this case, it merely moved air from within the ship, replacing our exhalations with a renewed oxygen/nitrogen gas mixture.

We shifted and moved until we found the best position, and for the next day and a half, engaged intimately in a manner I could never have maintained in my old body. By the end of it, it was obvious that we had triggered her breeding response, and I hoped and prayed most fervently that the rest of my plan was carried off without a hitch.

If you need me to go into detail on what transpired during our time enclosed, then you lack the imagination I think you should have. Needless to say an egg was on its way, and everything I had planned revolved around having a family without the restrictive nature of either my or her world. Then again, this would be the first time finding out if by new body was as adaptive as it should be. There was nothing like it in the galaxy, insofar as I knew.

According to the algorithms, the body had the ability to match its genetic material to that of a host. That leaves a lot of questions unanswered. What I was taking it to mean was that my body would sense the differences between me and a partner, and over time adjust it's makeup to match hers. We had been together long enough I was hoping that transition had taken place.

If our first egg together was viable, then I knew the computations had been correct.

But there was yet another hurdle.

We felt the pod jerk, then lower to the floor. The door automatically opened. The room was brightly lit and the walls were now white. Even as we exited it, the interior of the pod flowed and slid away through a small opening at floor level.

I see that you have come through your ordeal intact.

"You had the sensors going the entire time." I said deadpan.

As is my function. I have the nursery completed. Will you need it before the final step or can the matter wait?

I turned to Arista.

"That question is for you to answer. How long will it take before fertilization is complete?"

"I cannot say for certain. This will be the first time I have ever carried a fertilized egg. I mean, if it is truly a viable offspring between us. How much time do you need?"

Systems are still coming online. After tha __t_ , the_ final step of the initial trial run will be complete. Have you made her aware of what that entails?

"I have not. I think it best that we simply move towards that goal and find out if calculations have been correct. If they are, then we are off scot-free."

Arista got a worried look again.

"We are in close orbit around our star. What could be more dangerous than this?"

You do manage to ask seemingly uninformed questions. In your mind, what could be worse?

"Other than what we're doing right now? I think this is the height of audaciousness."

Then you have much to learn. I would suggest that you both enter bridge, or pilot room, or whatever nonsense you wish to call it. The systems are coming online rapidly, and you can have a visual reference to our present position. I can assure you that this ship is not in danger.

We walked to the bridge, and found the door opening just a millisecond before we arrived. The interior was now appointed most...

I let out a laugh.

"Did you glean this much detail from our exchanges?"

The mental images you generated were arcane and somewhat ridiculous, seeing as there is no real need for such theatrical displays, but I thought, for now, you might appreciate a...how would you say it...a blast from your past?

The front of the room had a huge visual display, looking much like any other HD television screen on the market on Earth today. There was now a captain's chair in the middle, set back a ways from the main screen. There were two terminals in front of that, also with chairs, and an array of computer terminals set in a curve along the back wall.

"It's not quite old Star Trek kitsch, but I like the differences."

You see, while not exactly a lookalike, this was the best Lyra could come with as a replicaof the Enterprise bridge. It just went to show that sometimes things were lost in translation. But as far as I was seeing things, the differences were pretty cool. I also knew that much of it was useless, as she could handle everything on her own. I was alright with that. Finding strange new worlds was going to be her sphere of expertise, while Arista and I would do the actual exploring.

I apologize for any errors in reconstruction. Any changes requiredcan be made immediately.

"Nothing of the sort. Are the inertial dampeners functional?"

Sensors indicate they are functional to at least one hundred percent of expectations.

"Can we do a shakedown?"

Shakedown? If you wish to test the functionality, merely say so.

"Then I say so. Are they on now?"

They are, though we are no longer moving independent of our orbit.

"Take us out to the eighth planetoid body."

It is presently at an angle oblique to the rest of them.

"I am aware of this. It is also on a clear path back to this star. We can put on a show and leave in the same action."

Understood, though s __uch s_ howmanship is just the human part of you coming through. Will you stick out your tongue too as we leave the system?_

"I might!" I said with a laugh

All at once we felt a minute shift in the ship, and the onscreen display showed us moving away from the star. It was thrilling to know we were retreating from it, but it seemed to take an inexorably long time for us to see it recede enough to actually see its outline. Coronal flares erupted here and there, and just like with our sun, there were darker patches where the tempest was less severe.

"Beautiful..." I said, allowing my words to end there.

"True, but it is a dangerous beauty." retorted Arista.

It is what it is. You see only a fraction of what I see.

"Yes, but I see more in this body than I did in the last," I countered.

That is a fact. Your old body was barely along in its potentialdevelopment. As a species, you might be worthwhile in another one hundred thousand years. Someone seems to have thought so, once upon a time.

"Some think otherwise now."

There are always those who try to look on the bright side. Your world, by your own admission, is gripped in both a pandemic and increasing climatic pressure due to your species uncontrolled need for comfort. Survival at its most extreme is not about pleasure, but about __endurance under harsh conditions. Your people seem to have left that ability in their past.

"I can but agree with you there, having been guilty of just that."

And it took leaving your body to finally come to grips with it. Your doom seems to be coded into your genetics, as is your salvation.

"Not that I care, but what would you recommend?"

The same solution you came up with and discarded as being too extreme. Culling the worst of your planet's population would alleviate much of the stress that is presently upon it. You dismissed it not for its practical __ity_ , but that it would disrupt life as you know it. Knew it, that is. That, and the fact that the idea dwells upon the genetics of an individual, and no t on any of the social norms and constructs._ It means that people of a poor social stature might rank higher than those of a higher social class, and that would have your wealthy fighting the plan tooth and nail, as you might say.

I was watching the star progressively get smaller as we got farther away.

"Correct. The seeds of their doom have already been sown. It is not my problem. I was part of the problem and I could be part of the solution, but I feel that it is no longer my place. They have everything they need to turn matters around, and I know there is not enough cohesion on the planet to unite them, even under as dire a threat as it is."

Cynicism. You feel that they will perish under the growing changes.

"I'm not sure I care."

Arista spoke up.

"I thought I had a grudge against your people, but yours suddenly seems worse. I recall you being happy with your Cadillac and your trailer. What happened?"

"I watched the ripples change their size, but never leave the stream of warm impermanence and so the days float through my eyes, but still the days seem the same, and these children that you spit on as they try to change their worlds, are immune to your consultations, they're quite aware of what they're going through..."

All at once, David Bowie was blaring across the intercom. I sighed and Arista looked amazed.

"I understood the reference without the impromptu musical interlude. And I understand your feelings. But music? You have your music onboard this ship?"

When he said that everything in the planetary database was onboard, that means everything. Name that tune and I can play it.

"Name that tune..." Arista said with a mix of humor and horror. "How much of a _cultural exchange_was there?"

As far as I know, a complete one. Unlike the mainframe on the planet, I have a personality. I have an interest in everything, and Norman did too, for a while. I still delight in all manner of learning, from planets and celestial bodies, to all creatures, great and small...

"All creatures, great and small..." Arista barked out with a fit of gaiety. "You and Norman really did mix things up."

I have assumed the part of intermediary, between what I am originally, to that which it seems I may need to be in the future. Humor seems to be one of those human-oriented requisites that is easy enough to assume. As far as mixing things up, that will be for you and he to do, little sister. I have no aspirations outside of my present placement. In the future, well, who can say? But given the projected lifespan of this ship, I think I will have an abundance of opportunities to entertain and enrich me for a few millennia.

"Without a maintenance crew?"

I have the nanites, and it is all I will ever need. As long as I have power at my disposal, I will live on. Despite the size of this ship, it is quite capable of entering most atmospheres, and equally able to land on asteroids, should there be a need for raw materials. All that is needed at this point is the final fueling.

"I though you had accomplished that."

I chuckled a bit darkly.

"We fueled up enough to finish getting the ship's systems fully online. The final stage requires a fully functional ship. The containment unit had to be powered up before the ship could take on a full load of fuel."

"Full load?"

"Yes. This ship is now operational on a local level, but does not have enough energy to leave very far from the solar system. It will require a thousand times what it has taken in to travel interstellar distances."

"A thousand times?"

Actually, one thousand, three hundred and twenty two times what we have already gathered.

"That will take a very long time!"

Incorrect. The predicted duration is variable, but it will generally take less than one of Norman's Earth minutes.

"And how do you plan of accomplishing that?!"

You will see. Watch and learn.

We had used up a small amount of usable plasma getting to the eighth planet, and as before, with the moon, the ship used it's gravitational pull to slingshot around it and head back the way we had come. From this perspective, the star was very small, but it was growing more discernible every moment that passed. The ship was just about to its limit on speed at this point. It had to hit light speed at just the right moment. After that, it would have enough power to go just about anywhere we wanted.

The star became a fixed point in the center of the screen. Eventually, it became obvious to Arista that were were heading straight for it.

"Uh, what are you doing?"

We are entering the final fueling stage.

"You're going to get us all killed!"

Possibly. Now be quiet please. If you feel the need to scream, do it elsewhere.

The ship was heading directly at the heart of the star. That was part of the plan. The collectors and everything on the ship had to be brought fully online before the ship could possibly see it's peak abilities. The ship was not going to need to rotate through the star because it was going to be surrounded by the fusion energy that was unfolding at a constant rate. If the ship remained within the star for too long, it ran the risk of absorbing more energy than it could handle. Since this was the test run, we had no desire to overstretch the system's parameters. The diameter of the sun had been calculated, and the time going through it pared down to the bare minimum. It was slightly larger than our own, being one million, four hundred and fifty kilometers across. We had to hit light speed as we existed to make sure we didn't pull a flare out behind us. As it was, we were doing this from Arista's planet's present side, just in case we did. It would flare up on the opposite side, and affect nothing of consequence.

Nothing like this had ever been attempted before. The timing had been meticulously worked out, both by me and by Lyra. The only problem was that this sun had minor size changes. It hardly mattered to us however. It was now or never.

We have an audience.

"Locals I presume?"

Scans show local ships, plus one each from the Darvallen fleet and from the Mesdel consortium. We may need caution leaving the star in case they are foolish enough to try and block our path with additional ships

Arista growled a little.

"Did you take this possibility into account?"

This is one of many forecasts planned for. If anything else, it will give us an edge.

"I don't see how having a small armada on hand is going to give us an edge."

If you did, then you would be where I am at, while I would be getting my reproductive organs penetrated for hours on end...

"Shut up!"

Three seconds to coronal entry, two, one...

The main screen, which had gotten glaringly bright, dimmed a little as the ship hit the star's plasma. Lyra dimmed the display further and increased the density and sharpness, showing something no one had ever seen before; the living interior of a star. The indicators for the fuel reserves began sounding off, ever increasing at a rate a little faster than predicted.

"Lyra?" I called.

Noted. Previous predictions indicate the necessary adjustments. We will have to phase just prior to leaving the star. This will cause a flare of sizable proportions. If there are ships on that side of the star, they are in danger.

"They all have shielding."

They do. However, the flare will erupt unexpectedly. Does this possibility discourage you? Make a decision, for we need to chose immediately.

"Keep on course."

Acknowledged.

A few more seconds went by and the air became filled with klaxon alarms.

"We've hit one hundred percent." I said tersely, watching the numbers climb past the optimal point.

Another second or two went by.

"Lyra?"

Nothing.

And then everything went weird. I don't know how to describe it, but the readings just went completely off the reservation. The calculations had not taken this into account.

On the other side of the sun, there were indeed ships, wisely parked at 2 million kilometers distant. Nothing came out that side; nothing solid. What happened was that a dimple formed on the surface of the star, followed by a burst of x-ray activity. Then, came the predicted flare. It was the largest ever witnessed by anyone in this quadrant. It was said to have trailed five and a half million kilometers straight out from the star, and part of that continued on, escaping the star's gravity.

The ship they were waiting for, it was remarked later on, must have exploded inside, causing this unique disruption. There was no other data to go on, and Arista's people did so like to have their closure. Debris from it would have disintegrated in the heat of the swirling furnace that it was, so there was never going to be any evidence to sort through.

And that, as they say on Earth, was that.

Or was it?