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DRIFT (Exchange) Written by Leo_Todrius and Trickster_D Commissioned by Dariuswhitefur

[February 9th, 2093]

The interstellar medium cascaded and flowed across the Drake like an aurora of water as it pushed through the void between stars. The ship was quiet and dark, still. Dustin rested on his bed in a sort of twilight sleep, his mind cycling through everything he had been through and what was still ahead. He thought about the people he had left behind on Earth, and then about how much faster time was passing outside of the ship. Quantum Slingshot removed most of the troubles of relativistic travel... under normal circumstances. But these times were not normal.

The clock on the wall ticked by, not in seconds but in minutes. Dustin had watched a month pass him by as if it was nothing. Dustin let out a soft sigh and rolled over onto his side, thinking about Zar. The person he felt closest to, the person with whom he had shared so much had been infected by a plague, turned into an aquatic gargoyle and he had only one hope... To rebuild him with an ancient alien device. Still, the mental effects of being turned into a Topian were potent. There was every risk even if he could save Zar's body that his mind would be lost - and so Dustin had adjusted the slingshot to allow time to pass more slowly on the ship than normal.

Countless mornings had been spent the same way, but Dustin felt the sudden inertial change as the ship slowed down to sublight speeds, the last of the cosmic dust blowing away as the ship passed into the safe zone of a solar system. A surge of anticipation filled Dustin. He'd heard about the genetic sequencer on Io, but Vortalla was one of the most remote worlds of the child races. Its star had already started to expand and the planet's population was dwindling, emigrating to other worlds and space stations.

While Dustin knew the answer was there, he knew painfully little about the rest of the situation. He wished the guardians had given him more of a primer or a guide, something to give him a clue before he set foot onto the planet's surface. Still, that was part of the game and it was for the most important cause.

"Drake, prepare landing sequence. Find the outskirts of the most populated region, unless they call and tell us otherwise." Dustin commanded.

"Affirmative." The computer responded, and once more Dustin could feel the slight shift of the ship towards its new destination. Dustin stretched a bit more. It was time to get cleaned up and dressed.

---

Reddish orange light washed across the dusty surface, crossing vast plains full of megalithic cacti, blowing towards the labyrinth of narrow walkways bordered by interlocking buildings. The layout was haphazard but with a subliminal purpose, seeming almost like underground tunnels exposed to the light of day. The Drake glided past the city, high above, the ivory hull contrasting with the dusty colors that dominated the planet as a whole.

While the Drake's landing vector had not been interfered with, a welcoming party from the city's dignitaries had come out to welcome the strange and exotic guest, a guest whose reputation had preceded him.

In the middle of the small crowd of lizard noblemen - or noblewomen, to be more precise, since the female reptiles vastly outnumbered their male counterparts - one particular individual stood up: she was dressed in a very peculiar and complicated dress that appeared to be made out of countless, impalpable veils of every shade of color imaginable, draped around her curvaceous body, perfectly complementing her silvery scales; her tails was adorned with rings of gold encrusted in precious gemstones, and a tall, thin crownpiece that looked roughly like a half-opened fan rested on her head. Her vertically slit pupils, lost in twin glaciers of azure and light green, stared at Dustin with thinly-hidden curiosity.

By her side stood an entourage of court servants. While most were women, one lithe and skinny lizard male stood by her side, dressed in white robes with small round glasses resting on his muzzle. He had a datapad at the ready to record anything of import for the viceroy. The group watched as the Drake's ramp lowered and Dustin emerged a little sheepishly, looking out at those that had gathered. He slowed as he approached, instinctively looking to the Viceroy.

"Greetings, interstellar traveller," the lizard woman said, advancing towards the astronaut, her tail swishing behind her like a whip. "Neruberaferentinatlicue of the Two-Thousand-and-Fifteenth Brood Cycle bids you welcome. Though you can call me Neru." Dustin's eyes were a bit wide at the name but he put on a smile and bowed his head.

"Thank you, your eminence, for welcoming to your world. I am Dustin." He replied, looking at them all with intrigue. Neru came closer, looking at him appreciatively.

"May I introduce you to my one and only daughter?" she said, her clawed hands making a vague gesture; another silver-scaled lizard woman, smaller than Neru, emerged from the small crowd and approached her mother. She too was dressed with colorful veils and sported jewelry on her tail, but her ornaments were more subdued than those her mother was wearing; her amber eyes glanced at Dustin for a split second, before she lowered her head in a shy gesture. "You may call her Noi. She will enter her brood cycle soon, you know," she added, as if Dustin was perfectly aware of what she was talking about.

"Ah, that's... that's really something." Dustin said, feeling a little more out of his element. It was almost easier moving around among the masses of Io than facing a gathered court. Still, he had a mission, "I've found it truly fascinating to learn about your empire, one of the first architect races." Neru nodded gracefully, but there was more than a hint of sadness in her features.

"Unfortunately, the effulgent days of our past glory are long gone... Though we hope we will be able to reach new heights in the future." The viceroy exchanged a quick but significant glance with her daughter. "So, Dustin, you seem to be interested in the architect technology, am I right?"

"That's correct. In my travels, my... a member of my crew, his genetics became compromised. When we were in Io, I learned that of all the architect resequencers out there, that you were in possession of the most sophisticated one, one that could truly help my friend." Dustin admitted. Neru smiled, even though her expression was more disquieting than reassuring, due to the set of pointed, needle-like fangs she showed to the visitor.

"Would you like to take a look at it? I inherited it from my mother, and she had in turn inherited it from her mother. It's a heirloom of the royal family, you see," she explained. Her daughter nodded in silence.

"I would be most honored, thank you for your kindness." Dustin said, bowing a bit. The viceroy's assistant shifted a bit, adjusting the glasses on his snout.

"M'lady, the state dinner will be ready at Ohn this evening, as well." He announced a little meekly. Neru looked down at him with a pensive expression on her elongated face.

"True... Would you care joining us for the state dinner, Dustin? I am positively sure everyone will be happy to have such a renowned guest sitting among us, sharing our food and entertaining us with the recounting of your adventures around the cosmos. Should you accept... I would gladly grant you access to the gene resequencer." Once more Dustin looked surprised at the Viceroy's statements, though this time it was surprised relief. If a dinner was all it took to save Zar, he'd eat anything.

"I..." a small, timid voice reached Dustin's ears. "I would love to have you as a guest at the dinner, too, sir Dustin..." Noi murmured, her forked tongue flickering for a moment outside her mouth.

"Why thank you, it would be my honor, and I'm sure an unforgettable experience." Dustin replied, bowing his head.

---

It amazed Dustin how species could evolve so differently, and yet have so many commonalities. To be fair he had seen some huge cultural discrepancies on Io, but in general it seemed there were universal constants for the ideas of roads, shelter, transportation - and even state dinners. Dustin had been seated at a large, long table loaded down with the finest plates, glasses, and a huge selection of food. Thankfully it seemed that the Rax had not developed the need for quite as many variations of utensils as humans had, leaving him the option of using his fork-knife hybrid or a metal spork like option. That alone had been a hint as to the type of foods to come.

Laid out before him was a selection of protein sources. As Dustin had anticipated, the reptilian diet had a parallel on earth with insects and small rodents, but there were also fruits and vegetables. One neon purple star fruit like item had been particularly delectable. Dustin had done his best to sample and partake, finding some of the options surprisingly palatable while others had strained his ability to feign acceptance. Still, after everything he had been through, his appetite was limited and his eagerness to get on with things grew every moment. Neru, who was exchanging some meaningless pleasantries with some noblewomen - her timid, smaller daughter always next to her like a silvery living shadow - turned her reptilian eyes towards Dustin, a look of what appeared to be genuine concern on her alien face.

"You seem to be quite nervous, sir Dustin," she observed, her forked tongue flickering from time to time. "Is there anything troubling you? Are our delicacies unappealing?"

"Oh, the food is quite delicious and very filling. It's the first full meal I've had in months. Your hospitality is most greatly appreciated. I just... it's hard to shake the concern for my crew member, hard to enjoy all this while he is unwell. I'm sorry for letting that leak into the event." Dustin said, bowing his head some. The viceroy let out a good-natured laugh that sounded like a musical hiss.

"You shouldn't be ashamed, sir Dustin. You care about him, and being worried is only natural... but rest assured, my engineers are rebooting the gene resequencer as we speak. In the meantime..." Neru uncorked a small bottle and poured some thick, dark-blue liquid inside a heavily decorated cup, before placing it into Dustin's hand with an elegant gesture. "You should drink this. It will help you relax a bit... see everything from a different perspective, so to speak."

"Is it potent?" Dustin asked, holding the cup, looking down at it with an odd mix of trepidations and a barely masked craving for some harder substances to relax with. Neru nodded.

"The most potent. The recipe is a secret that is passed down from a brood cycle to another," she explained briefly. "The royal etiquette usually wouldn't allow for an outsider to taste it, but I'm willing to make an exception, just for once."

"Then once again, I am very honored." Dustin said, bringing the ornate glass to his lips before tilting it back. The liquid was quite thick, almost like syrup across his tongue. Neru nodded, the hint of a smile on her muzzle.

"It's a bit of an acquired taste, but I'm sure it won't be that much of a problem... right, sir Dustin?" she asked. Dustin still clutched the glass in his hand, looking down at the liquid. He really did need a way to blow off steam.

"Not a problem at all." Dustin replied gently, feeling like he was falling down the rabbit hole.

"I'm glad you are appreciating our humble hospitality, sir Dustin," Neru went on, her irises sparkling. "I hope you'll be our guest for a long time to come."

"Well, if we can save Zar... I don't see any reason I couldn't remain for an extended stay." Dustin said, not wanting to sound rude before he took another swig of the liquid, hoping to feel the release of alcohol wash over him before long.

"I... I would be glad if you... if you decided to stay, too..." Noi, the timid princess, intervened, her eyes still low, her breath steady. Dustin looked up at her and gave a soft bow of his head.

"Thank you very much, you are most kind." Dustin said, starting to feel a bit overwhelmed by everything, though he knew it wasn't their fault. They were being nothing but kind. Noi shivered nervously.

"N-no, it's j-just that..." she started, but her mother stopped her with a gentle yet firm gesture of her hand.

"Now, now, Noi, we should let sir Dustin enjoy his drink without bothering him with our problems, shouldn't we?"

"Oh no, it's alright, I enjoy learning about other cultures... It's one of the best things about my place in life." Dustin said. Neru sighed, her expression a bit saddened.

"Well, you see, sir Dustin..." her voice went down a bit, just above a whisper. "We are experiencing a very serious problem, as a species... Brood cycle after brood cycle, less and less males hatch from the eggs. Our scientists are trying to determine what is causing the problem, but in the meantime..." the viceroy shook her head, her gestures a bit too theatrical to be genuine. "I feel impotent, sir Dustin. Though maybe there is something that would help solving the problem..."

"I remember on my planet, when the environmental factors became less hospitable, it skewed the gender of the offspring dramatically... How are your off world outposts doing with brood cycles?" Dustin asked. While the traveler had been oblivious to Neru's intonation, the attendant was rather surprised by how quickly the human had pounced on the situation at hand. The viceroy bent her head towards her shoulder, as if she was deep in thought.

"Quite badly, to be honest... no point hiding the truth," she confessed. Next to her, the princess shivered visibly, her eyes closed. "Males are becoming rarer... especially those who can actually be of any use during a brood cycle, if you know what I mean," she added, maybe a little more maliciously than intended. The attendant's eyes fell to the floor at that, his shoulders slinking as if he'd been hit on the muzzle with a newspaper. Dustin was silent at that response, fearing something far worse than the reaction of a species to the death of their home planet.

Dustin's mind raced and reeled. The architects had engineered so many species. If the Rax were their first, there was a chance the project hadn't yet been refined or had a limited lifespan in general. Dustin's stomach sank a bit at the thought.

"Well, no point getting all depressed, am I right?" Neru tried to cheer up those around her. "This should be a cause for celebration, after all... We've been visited by an interstellar traveller of renowned fame, we shouldn't indulge in sad thoughts about our species, should we?" the lizard woman raised her chalice, full of dark red liquor. "To sir Dustin! May his visit be a good omen for our planet and those who inhabit it." Dustin wasn't sure just what to say in a toast to himself so he bowed his head and tipped back the drink, letting more of it flow over his tongue and down his throat, lost in thoughts of his own.

---

The double doors to the private chamber eased open, allowing Neruberaferentinatlicue of the Two-Thousand-and-Fifteenth Brood Cycle, or Neru, for short, through. It was hard for her pride to take sometimes, considering no one except her daughter and now Dustin called her by her shortened name. She sighed and closed her eyes, pausing for just a moment as the doors closed just behind her elegant back. A soft, sweet smelling breeze drifted in through the window and across the Viceroy's scales.

"I beg you, ancient gods of the desert... have everything go as smoothly as possible," she murmured under her breath. "This might be our only chance of survival."

Princess Noi, who, of course, had a name that was as long as that of her mother, sat on a piece of furniture that looked a bit like a chaise longue. Her lips were pursed, her eyes fixed to the floor. "I... mother Neru, is this alright? Should we really do this?" Noi questioned. Neru shifted her eyes towards her only daughter, a sour smile on her face.

"It's either one individual or an entire species, my love," she replied. The answer really was quite abundantly clear.

"B-but..." the princess tried to protest, meekly, but her mother interrupted her.

"And you like him, am I right? I can read your expressions perfectly, I can smell your attraction." Neru stated. It took Noi some seconds to nod.

"Y-yeah... he's gentle and handsome and strong... b-but still..." Neru shook her head again.

"We don't need doubts, Noi. Not right now. If you father was still here, he would agree with me. We Rax are a glorious and ancient species... the idea of our culture and art becoming nothing more than specks of dust in the desert being cooked away is simply unbearable to me." A spark shone in her brilliant eyes; she seemed much more determined than before. "I'm sure sir Dustin will be a perfect mate for your brood cycle, my love... just wait and see." She said, though her eyes drifted to the window as if to reassure even her own tiniest lingering doubts.

---

The accommodations Dustin had been given for the night were palatial. It reminded the traveler of his childhood spent reading about Aladdin, though there was some sort of virtual glass across the wide open barrier that kept sand from blowing in without limiting the airflow. The sun had set and the temperatures were dropping, though it seemed that they weren't going to drop all of the way. The sun was at the end of its life, it was burning hotter and hotter with each passing day.

In a morbid way, Dustin felt a little like he imagined the planet did, if it could have feelings of course. His muscles ached, his bones throbbed. He stood before the window looking out at the vast desert, trying not to look at himself. He was a chimera of mismatched pieces accumulated over the course of his trip like a living passport stamped by the worlds he had visited. He still had his hairless canine ears, mismatched eyes, gray arms and legs, a patch of blue fur on his chest, webbed hands and suppressed gills. Rumor of his existence was spreading far and wide, especially during his last slingshot, but it felt like the real him was getting lost beneath it all.

Dustin turned away from the window and moved toward the bed in the room, though he was hesitant to sleep on it. It seemed to be a refrigerated pad, no doubt to slow cold blooded physiology, but it didn't seem entirely comfortable. Frankly, Dustin resented the pomp and circumstance of it all. Formal dinners, meet and greets. Why did the universe have to complicate things so much? All he wanted was the gene re-sequencer and to reset Zar. Then again, it wasn't like Dustin had any money to offer.

The traveler sat down on the side of the bed and closed his eyes. Once he saved Zar, perhaps he would take on a few freelance jobs. Cargo runs, relocation, or if he was really lucky someone might want him to explore outside of Architect territory... It was a pipe dream of course, but it got Dustin's mind off of the drudgery of life a lot better than the Viceroy's drink. Sure the flavor had been potent and the substance particularly thick, but it didn't make him feel very drunk. If anything, it might have sharpened a few senses.

Dustin looked down at the shirt he had put on, feeling it rub back and forth over his black nipples. They felt as though they had been aroused to diamond points. His cock was half aroused too, though not by anything he was thinking of. It felt rather odd to have that weight on his lap without the fun fantasies or mental candy to stimulate it. Dustin tried to shake the distractions away from his mind. He wrapped his gargoyle tail around his hip and laid down on the cold pad, trying to get comfortable, hoping the next day would come even faster.

As the weary traveler closed his eyes and tried to rest, he became more aware of the sensations flowing through his body. While sometimes he feared that he was forgetting what it meant to be human, it his loss had afforded him an increased ability to sense the changes. His canine ears, his exotic flesh, and most especially the dense bones of the Topian gargoyles. Dustin's eyes snapped open as he felt some of those bones becoming lighter.

Dustin sprung off the bed platform with more speed than he had anticipated with his changing mass. He only made it a few steps before he winced and yelped out in pain. His monkey like opposable feet began to tighten and constrict. The toe thumb straightened out and elongated, matching the other toes more distinctly. The claws changed, becoming softer and more curved, sending radiating sensation up his legs. It was enough to make him crumple to his knees.

As Dustin's hands came down to brace himself against the fall, he watched in horror as the skin on his fingers started to flake and dry, losing his gray pigmentation and instead picking up bright emerald hues. His mind reeled, backtracking about what had happened before he settled on the Viceroy's words; 'old family recipe' and all of that. Everything clicked into place at once. The Rax had a need, Vortalla's future was dependent on it, and he was just another pawn in the Viceroy's game.

"Fucking Politicians!" Dustin cursed, feeling a rage build up in his heart that was well more heated than anything he was familiar with. He grunted suddenly, his long tail aching as the slinky, lithe aquatic tail began to stiffen and strengthen, becoming a stronger but less agile reptilian tail. As much discomfort as the changes were causing, the half arousal he had been feeling was becoming ever more persistent. Dustin panted and grunted, his hand drifting to his groin, the claws slicing through what fabric was there. He looked down at his bright blue canine shaft radiating such intense color, but it was the tip that transfixed him the most.

The pepper shaped head began to stretch and grow again, elongating another inch, then two. The very end seemed almost straw like and to Dustin's shock, it seemed to move around on its own. The tip undulated, prehensile like, ready to squirm and wriggle even when lodged impossibly deep inside another. Dustin couldn't help but wrap his hand around his meet, starting to pump up and down the length. He wanted to be mad, but whatever they had slipped him made him horny too.

Dustin pumped his rod faster and harder, groaning in pleasure that it afforded him. The green pigmentation had stretched up his arms and reached his shoulders as new patches of scales formed around his feet, knees, and stomach. The scales were spreading in every direction and linking up with those on his tail. Before long it seemed that Dustin was wearing a lizard suit, but the body beneath was eager to make a good showing.

Dustin's grip on his rod became more intense as the scaled biceps and triceps on his arm grew bigger, bulging and swelling. The changes spread through his shoulders next, his shirt tearing apart as his pectorals inflated and his shoulders broadened. His legs thickened, his tail got fatter and his spine stretched. Dustin huffed and puffed and even those noises were getting deeper - not that he could hear them much longer.

A deep and intense throbbing came from Dustin's canine ears as the hairless points began to shrink and subside, pulling back into his scalp. What little hair he had left from after the Topian incident started to shed and fall to the floor, revealing a broad, shiny green scalp - but it was far from smooth. At first it seemed like Dustin had formed a bumpy ridge along his scalp, almost like raised eczema, but the scaling was more intricate than that. Each band of the ridge was pointed and long, overlapping in a long arc... and slowly they started to separate.

One long spike near the middle was the first to peel away, rising up and standing proudly, knocking all those behind into place. Like dominoes, they all separated into half a mohawk of lizard frilly spikes. The ones at the front were slower to release, but soon they too lifted up.

Dustin was trying to enjoy his lizard cock, to embrace the uncontrollable change for what it was worth, but to his surprise he lost focus as two throbbing points of pain filled his temples. He winced and whimpered at that, lowering his head a bit, trying to survive whatever sensation it was... but it only got worse. The throbbing increased more and more before suddenly the scales could take no more. They cracked apart above his temples bef0ore a deep brown, almost black set of horns began pushing out.

Dustin's prehensile cock let out a thick squirt of greenish grey precum across his hand and the floor, then another as his horns pushed in longer, thicker, curving up in demonic presence. Dustin threw his head back and howled toward the ceiling, but the sound changed as his mouth did. His lower jaw stretched out from his face, giving the teeth space between each of them before they grew wider, taller and sharper all around. His underbite was short lived as his upper jaw began pushing outward to match. His human nose was stretched out longer and wider, flattening and melding into the collective mass of his forming snout.

The green that had been spreading everywhere else finally gained purchase and stretched up Dustin's throat, the back of his neck, and across his sound slits. The green chased away all other color on his face and his elongated muzzle, leaving the last human flesh to disappear around his eyes.

As the green scales covered his eyelids, he closed them one last time, feeling the burning tingle beneath their protective cover, before opening two vibrantly purple eyes. Dustin panted again, feeling taller, stronger, and more manly than he ever had before. He shuddered and moaned one last time before his reptile cock pulsed and shot out heavy amounts of jism all over the floor. Rope after rope sprayed out, giving Dustin a bit of a ride before it eventually subsided.

Sexually spent, Dustin leaned over on all fours again, lowering his forehead to the floor - or at least trying. He didn't quite make it with his new horns blocking his path. Dustin tried to take stock of his new body in the afterglow. He could feel his blood thickening in his veins, his heart beating at a different rate, his lungs filling with surprising volume. It wasn't entirely bad, at least until there was an odd, wet slick feeling around his groin.

Dustin redirected his gaze between his arms, along his underbelly and to his groin. To his horror, his hard ock was actually retracting. The shaft pulled back into his body, remaining stiff and hard, but protected. As the long undulating hip slipped into his pelvis, the wet puffy lips of his slit sealed shut with nothing but a few drops of juice to indicate they had ever been used at all.

It was one thing to be manipulated for the sake of society and species, but to emasculate him with a retractable cock? Sure it was utilitarian, but somehow it was all just that much more offensive as well. Dustin stood all the way back up and adjusted to his height before he charged for the door, intent on speaking his mind. It wasn't until his clawed paw hit the door handle that he realized he might not be properly dressed. Looking around quickly, Dustin snatched the purple sheet off the bed and tied it around his waist as a makeshift kilt or skirt before he left his accommodations behind.

---

The doors to the royal chamber burst open with surprising strength, barely managing to clear fast enough before a staggering figure strode through. The individual was tall, at least six and a half feet. His skin was the color of emeralds - and there was plenty of skin to show. Dustin was naked, save for a purple cloth wrapped around his waist. His shoulders were muscled and large, his abs refined and slightly sandy in color. A long, alligator like tail whipped around above his pert, firm posterior and his clawed feet were immense. What truly set Dustin off, though, was the tall and firm crest of mohawk like reptilian frills following the curve of his skull, terminating just above his faintly yellow brow ridge.

Even with the genetic changes the scowl on his fang filled muzzle was clear. His eyes were intense, fueled both by the internal sense of violation and by the hormones surging through his new reptilian body. The women of the lower court were stunned to see such a specimen, their tongues flecking out, tasting the air, sampling the pheromones his body was pumping out. Even the viceroy's attendant nearly seemed beside himself, afraid of course from the physical display, but stunned enough that the plan had worked that he couldn't move from his spot.

When Dustin came to a stop, he nearly hunched over, bearing his fangs, flicking his clawed fingers. He wasn't sure how much of his new body was of Rax design, or if there were any hidden genes of the dinosaurs left over in some strange cosmic coincidence in his own genetic code... but what was clear was that he was on a mission.

"Viceroy!" Dustin snarled, his voice echoing in the throne room. Almost immediately, Neru walked out from behind the throne, her timid daughter and her attendant tailing her closely; as soon as she saw Dustin's new form, her cheeks flushed slightly as a smile appeared on her muzzle.

"Impressive... very impressive," she commented. "You are indeed the perfect Rax, sir Dustin. And just in time for the next brood cycle." That comment only caused a sneer on Dustin's lips.

"Vortalla is dying, and everything before was just a nuance, an attempt at this end... It was the drink, right? The one to 'soothe my nerves'? You toasted me with the transformative agent..." Dustin muttered, glaring into her eyes. Neru nodded.

"Yes. No point hiding it," she replied. "As I said, that is a secret recipe of the royal family, and you were the perfect guest to taste it. I have no ill intentions, sir Dustin, so I hope you will not hold a grudge against me. What I am doing, I am doing it for the well being of my species."

"Do you know why I am famous, Viceroy?" Dustin asked, nearly shaking with rage, "I was one of the first of my kind to travel toward the edge of my solar system. That was it, infant steps... And I came across the leftover remnants of your fabled Architects. They told me I knew too much, I couldn't return home. As a consolation, they threw me toward the territories of the child races, but the choice was never mine." Dustin said, starting to pace, "I encountered species after species and every time something happened to me... But I'm not like your people, any of the child races. My genes aren't docile, they aren't stable..." Dustin replied. Neru stared at the interstellar traveler with a mischievous smile on her muzzle.

"Do not underestimate we Rax, sir Dustin. We are probably the oldest of the surviving child races, and our techniques of genetic manipulation are second to nobody. As long as you and Noi can mate successfully, I would be more than satisfied," she explained. "And of course I will let you use the gene re-sequencer as you please. I am not a cold-hearted tyrant, sir Dustin."

"Means to an end... I suppose there have been worse evils committed, but..." Dustin paused, feeling a slight flush beneath his cheeks. It felt silly to be nervous admitting such a thing already, but he hadn't been in such an odd quandary since getting certified for space travel back on Earth. He cleared his throat a little, "In the history of your people, before the discrepancy in genders... Were there ever any times members of the Rax entered into relationships with the same sex?" Dustin asked. Neru, who looked a bit confused by the question, nodded nonetheless.

"Of course. We call them 'cohlaua', which means 'those who share the same tail'. Why are you asking such a question, sir Dustin?" she demanded. Dustin nearly smirked, finding the definition of the term adorable and finding it nearly absurd that he'd have to such lengths to explain himself.

"I am Cohlaua... Zar, the crew member I am trying to save, is my mate." Dustin stated, trying to make it abundantly clear. The three other Rax in the room had wildly different reactions: the male attendant started coughing as if a particularly big insect had gotten stuck down his throat; Noi let out a high-pitched squeak of surprise and lowered her stare again, even though she looked strangely pleased by the revelation; and viceroy Neru's eyes got as large and round as lily pads, as her clawed hands trembled slightly.

"I... by the love of the gods, I... I didn't know that in the slightest, sir Dustin," she said, as soon as she was able to talk. The lizard woman closed her eyes, and then did something that didn't seem at all fitting with someone in her position: she knelt down in front of Dustin, taking his hands into hers. "Please, forgive this silly woman for having acted so recklessly. Everything I did, I did it for my people..." Dustin looked a bit stunned, his eyes growing wide. It was hard to keep the flames of his anger going with such a display.

"I-I understand completely, I just... can't fulfil the plan you had in mind. Now, please, you don't have to kneel." Dustin said urgently. Neru shook her head; her cheeks were stained with tears.

"No... I was desperate, sir Dustin, and desperate people make stupid decisions," she murmured. "I thought... I thought a plan like that could work, but..." Neru fell silent, her elegant slender body shaken by hiccups and sobs. Dustin felt even more terrible that he had been so rude. He tried to carefully pull the Viceroy back to her feet.

"I still am interested in helping, though it represents quite a dynamic shift to the future of your people. I'm not going to stay like this for long, I'm going to partially revert. I've got traits from species on Thola and Io... and even some others." Dustin murmured, not particularly wanting to reveal that he had traveled to a forbidden planet and been contaminated, "But my contribution may be more along the lines of a.... sample? Something... someone could use, without me being present?" Dustin said sheepishly. Neru scratched the back of a hand, her lips pursed.

"W-well... it is a bit embarrassing to ask you something like this, but... before you revert, if only you could provide us with a sample of fresh, well... semen..." Neru said, as Noi burst into a hysterical fit of giggles behind her.

"I'll give you your sample and you'll give me the resequencer." Dustin replied with a nod, though he wasn't sure giving the viceroy a sample 'before he reverted' would negate the impact of his own human genes trying to restore themselves. Still, it was his best bet to help as many as possible. The viceroy nodded.

"Sounds fair," she said. "We can provide you a private room and some... um, material to entertain yourself. Something a cohlaua can appreciate, of course," she added with a not very regal wink. Dustin closed one eye in embarrassment, feeling a bit awkward given the situation.

"Just a private room would be fine..." Dustin replied, heaving a bit of a sigh before giving Noi a look to try and sympathize with her plight.

"W-well... t-thank you so much for what you're doing for us, s-sir Dustin..." the princess murmured. Behind her back, hers and the attendant's tails brushed gently against each other for the briefest moment.

"It's the least I can do, though I know it's going to be a bit of a change for your people. Just try to live honestly, truthfully, and well. People are more likely to help someone they feel sympathy for and you don't want to burn bridges if you don't have somewhere to fall back to." Dustin said sagely.

---

The landing ramp hummed as it opened, allowing clouds of sandy dust to blow in. Dustin strode up the steps quickly, hugging a silk cloth wrapped object to his chest. His changes had started to revert, giving him back his dexterous feet and his mismatched eyes, though Dustin already guessed that he would be stuck with the retractable cock and the horns.

"Drake, prepare for immediate departure. I'd like to be off this planet and at the edge of the solar system as soon as possible." Dustin commanded.

"Understood. Preparing launch sequence. Our database has been updated with the Vortalla primary core, and I have been able to construct a decryption key for the cipher locked portions of the Architect database. Would you like me to begin decryption?" The automated ship voice asked. Dustin paused, standing just in front of the ramp as it lifted up and sealed itself.

"Y... Yeah, go ahead." Dustin murmured softly. It had been amazing just how much the Drake learned and evolved with each planetary visit. What he had lost as a human, his home and his body, he had gained in his ship... The ship he had built with his own two hands could travel faster than anything he'd ever imagined, it could talk, it could understand, it could adjust to his needs and even anticipate them. It was sweet, it was smart... and he was very lucky. Perhaps that very reason alone made it worth it, worth all the pain... but it would be so much better with Elixzar restored to his proper self... and then, Dustin hoped, just maybe the device would even work to reset his own genes to where they were supposed to be.

Dustin walked through the sections of the Drake, making his way back to the tank where Zar was kept. He carefully unfolded the cloth from around the resequencer, revealing the object within. It looked like little more than a carefully carved crystal, like a large plate settled into a spiky base, but Dustin could remember just what crystals were capable of. The guardians that had captured him on his maiden voyage had been living crystal.

"Drake, what can you tell me about this resequencer?" Dustin asked, approaching the tank that held Zar.

"One moment please." The ship responded, going quiet. Dustin reached the converted pool and reached over to press the control on the hatch. The floor rumbled before the metal grill retracted, revealing the flooded compartment. Zar was still there, circling and twirling, using his monkey like webbed paws to paddle. His long shark tail was nearly double his body length.

Dustin swallowed a bit, looking at Zar's merman ears, his fluttering gills. In a sick, perverted way he wished the Topians had been able to keep the hair of their former species to make them a bit more appealing, but that wasn't the goal. Dustin wouldn't rest until Zar was restored. After all, if it hadn't been for Zar there was a chance he would have been suck on Utopia forever. The gene pod might have kept him from reverting even.

"Analysis complete. The resequencer is automated, pre-programmed with every child race the architects designed. Activation requires close proximity and a manual gesture along the top surface of the object." The Drake replied. Surprisingly, Dustin's first thought was the key word about child races... The resequencer wouldn't work for him. It couldn't restore any of his humanity. Dustin said nothing and approached the edge of the pool, bringing the crystal down with his hands. He submerged it in the water and rested it on the third step before he tapped the metal quickly.

Zar's merman head turned, his solid black eyes excited. He swam up toward the sound, eager to investigate. Dustin had tried to communicate with Zar during their long voyage, but every attempt had ended with Zar trying to pull Dustin into the tank. Perhaps it was yet another way for the Topian plague to repopulate itself. Dustin swept his hand across the top of the crystal and jumped back. The crystal illuminated with bright azure light, a light that began spreading out through the pool. The water rippled and Zar's swimming faltered.

Dustin returned to the edge of the pool and tried to look in, though eventually he had to shield his eyes from the intense light. What little he had been able to make out was promising. The lithe gargoyle body was gaining more definition, not staying as smooth, but Dustin couldn't really tell if it was working. He moved onto his knees near the edge, squinting against the light, watching the water bubble and shift before finally it started to die down again. The light faded away, leaving the crystal device clear and inert.

A moment of silence passed, then another. Dustin wasn't sure what to expect. Maybe it hadn't done anything. Maybe Zar was stuck as a gargoyle forever. Maybe he should just accept it, set a course back to Utopia, join his lover and find out what the siren song truly was... Dustin moved toward the edge, surprised by how murky the water had become. He leaned over and looked down, his eyes tracing the outline of something huge for a split second before it moved.

Water sloshed out in every direction, sent in waves as the giant creature emerged from the pool. Four feet landed on the deck plating, holding up the towering bronzey-grey chitinous exoskeleton. Four goat like eyes gazed down at Dustin as mandibles chittered slightly and a long, scorpion like tail lifted up behind the beast. Dread filled Dustin's mind. How much of an idiot had he been? They had encountered a real Kadian on Io, Zar had talked about being an outcast from his own people, of being too unlike them... and Dustin had reset his lover to his base genetics - but surely his personality wasn't just tied up in genes.

"Elixzar, it's me, it's Dustin! You're safe now, we... we're one step closer to getting you back to normal, we just have to repeat the mods you had before..." Dustin said hopefully, looking up at the creature. Somewhere in the back of his mind he started to fear that Zar's mind had been tainted by the Topian plague, and even if his body was restored he might be left with the instincts to spread and reproduce. One quick glance down at his lover's massive, throbbing scorpion cock revealed that to be a distinct possibility.

Zar - not the Zar Dustin loved, but a huge and grotesque perversion of him - took a couple of heavy steps forward, his weird eyes inexpressive and alien, his segmented dick dripping oily pre. Despite the fact that he wasn't talking - and maybe he couldn't even communicate orally - his intentions were crystal clear. His scorpion-like tail waved in the air, slowly but rhythmically, like the head of a cobra snake being hypnotized by a fakir.

Dustin backed up slowly, though he also felt a tensing in his own groin. His heart ached for the huge mistake he had caused, he recriminated himself for being so foolish, but there was something rather mesmerizing about Zar in his current form - though for all Dustin knew, natural Kadians devoured their prey after seducing them...

The insectoid nightmare kept advancing, slowly but inevitably. His front legs were already inches from Dustin's body... and yet Zar didn't seem aggressive; he just appeared really focused and intent, his unsettling, ovine pupils staring at his partner's body with otherworldly lust. From his behavior, it could be inferred that something of the old Zar had indeed survived... but the instincts inside his new body, or rather old, were too strong, too intense: he needed to mate, to copulate, to fuck, and it was very improbable he would've taken a "no" as an answer. Looking at Zar's four bladed arms, Dustin doubted very much that the bulkheads could resist him forever... but could he survive a mating?

"Drake, lock down the ship but leave bulkhead J2 open for the moment. Prepare to close it when I state the bulkhead again." Dustin murmured.

"Affirmative. Complying with directives. Lockdown in effect." The ship stated. Amber lights started to flash and further down the ship doors were shutting, sealing, and pressurizing. Dustin remained, looking at Zar before he reached up and gently felt the hard shell of his mantis like head. The creature's eyes went slightly wider at the touch of the fingers, but then they closed and a buzzing murmur escaped from his weird mouth; one of Zar's legs pinned Dustin's other arm to the wall with a firm but strangely delicate gesture, and he arched his segmented back, as if to present his dribbling dick to Dustin. There was a strange urgency in the tone of the noises he let out.

Dustin felt so strange, scared and enthralled at the same time. His heart was racing, his head was throbbing. He maneuvered his body around carefully before pressing his own groin to the huge dick of his boyfriend, wondering if humping would be enough to satisfy this beast of a man. As Dustin caressed and touched Zar's towering organ, the insectoid beast's growls became less preoccupied and more pleased and even happy; his powerful legs start pushing the lower part of his body forward, the viscous pre making it easy for Dustin's body to brush up and down the segmented cock as if he was some weird kind of sex toy.

A shudder rolled down Dustin's spine as he started pressing into the humping more and more, feeling the hot syrupy pre soak through his pants and drip across his hardening shaft. Feeling those ridges and the pressure was amazing, but doing it with someone so big, so strong - it made it all that more intense. Sook Dustin's lap was soaked, his cock was raging hard, but it seemed that wasn't enough for the Kadian.

One of the scorpion mantis' four arms came down and sliced through the clasps on Dustin's overalls. The strap gave out and the denim fell, revealing his naked body. The smell of the pilot's arousal was like a drug to Zar and he resumed the humping with even more urgency. Dustin grunted as he was squished against the wall, but moaned to feel that alien member alongside his own, sliding up and down with ever more urgency. Dustin writhed and shivered, transfixed by what they were doing, not realizing at first that Zar's barbed tail was rising up higher and taking on a distinctive arch.

The spike came down into Dustin's shoulder, forcing the human to yelp out in pain before he hissed softly, feeling a mild burning sensation spreading out from the site of penetration. Dustin breathed heavier, looking up into the four goat eyes, searching for some meaning. All the while, his scientific brain was spinning through everything he had learned about insect venom.

Even a scorpion an iota of Zar's size could potentially have had enough venom to kill him, but he wasn't so much feeling even a paralyzed muscle. There was a chance it could have been ineffective because of his recent reversion, but then again if the architect technology was as effective as it should have been it would have restored him completely without much of an issue.

As the burning spread down his spine and settled in his ass and groin, Dustin started to truly realize the venom's purpose. He gasped slowly, feeling a cinnamon like tingle spreading down his dick, forcing it to harden even more... and an equally provocative sensation spreading into his ass. The stimulus was a bit too much, a bit too strong, but it also felt oddly numbing as well. Mild panic struck Dustin's face as he realized what would come next.

The four bladed insectoid arms took a hold of the human, pulling him away from the wall before turning him around. It wasn't long before the undulating segmented cock began slathering up and down his ass cheeks like a hot dog in a bun. Mandibles came down, gently nibbling at the back of Dustin's neck before they took a firmer hold. Dustin went rigid at that, feeling trapped in every sense of the word.

With the venom spreading through the farthest reaches of Dustin's body, Elixzar knew it was time to satisfy his instincts. The bug lowered his hind pair of legs while he brought Dustin down, slowly spearing into the human's ass. Dustin's lizard tail flapped around, the only appendage he had free use of. It hit Zar's chest, but the exoskeleton was too firm and hard for the tail to do anything.

"I know you can't resist this, Zar, and I know it's my fault... And I do love you, completely, so I want you to do what you need to. Just... be gentle, please?" Dustin begged. He didn't want Zar to regret what happened in the future or view it as an ultimate violation, but he also wanted to survive the encounter. ar seemed to at least get a sense of the request, sliding up into Dustin a little slower and with more care, though Dustin started to realize the true purpose of the venom.

While there had been some peripheral stimulating symptoms, it seemed that the combination of the numbness was causing a relaxation in his ass, allowing him to take the larger and more alien member a bit more easily without completely depriving him of the sensation. Zar could feel the elasticity of Dustin's ass improving and felt more free to continue, thrusting up and down, faster and deeper.

Dustin's body shook with the power of the penetration. His eyes were slowly glazing over as he felt, however muted, the shaft spearing up into his ass as he was held above the deck of his ship. Zar slid deeper and deeper until there was a faint pointed bulge appearing and disappearing along Dustin's stomach. Dustin's eyes finally shut as he moaned and writhed, suspended as he was.

Zar's movements became more ragged and wild. He pistoned up and down with speed and agility. Unlike a fleshy human, he was not sweaty or sloppy. He made no squishing sounds with any part of his body other than his cock. His mandibles clicked, his exoskeleton glistened with the minerals embedded in the calcium carbonate shell, and his eyes drank in the form of the prey mounted on his cock.

Even with the venom coursing through his body, acting to give Dustin extra resilience, he could feel his body reaching its limit. He moaned louder and squirmed harder, tugging against the iron grip of the insect wrists. Zar roared at that, feeling a thrill from Dustin's resistance, but even the bug couldn't hold out forever. Zar threw his mantis head back and let out a chittering noise of triumph as the squishy organs inside his hard shell began their work.

The first splash of hot scorpion sperm inside Dustin felt amazing, splashing against his intestines and lubricating them. It was quite the wad, but apparently it was just priming the pump. Another splash came, then a torrent, and then it felt as if it wouldn't stop. Dustin inhaled slowly as he felt the growing volume of seed leaking into him, filling steadily. It worked back up along his guts toward his stomach and leaked out around the invading shaft, dripping down to the deck plating below.

Zar, too seemed quite blown away by the volume. His thrusting faltered, his knees collapsed and he came down to the floor, nearly falling onto Dustin. Dustin grunted, finally having something more than just bug wrists to support his weight. He groaned even louder, feeling his stomach expanding slowly. Zar's eyes were dilated, mismatched, hazy and slowly closing. It seemed the post-coitus exhaustion wasn't native to only human males. As Zar started to pass out, Dustin knew he wouldn't have a better chance.

Clutching at the metal grating of the floor panel before him, Dustin pulled himself forward suddenly. With a wet pop, he slid off of Zar's cock, leaking more of the infernal juice from his ass. Dustin tried to stand, but his legs were still too weak from the mating. He stumbled and fell before crawling a few more feet, looking back to see if Zar had woken back up. While the scorpion stirred a little, he seemed to be content where he was in his after glow. Dustin crawled a few more feet forward before he stopped.

"J2." Dustin said sullenly. The bulkhead closed off behind him as instructed, completing the ship lockdown. Dustin took a breath before he laid down on the floor, hoping to recover for just a moment.

---

Amber lights flashed, continuing the security lockout across the Drake's many pods, but as the console to the left of the bridge access door lit up and a code was entered, the lights snapped off. The doors rumbled open just long enough for Dustin to waddle in before he closed and locked the door behind him. He braced against the door with one hand, using the other to enter a brand new code before he resumed the slow shuffle to his chair.

Dustin was bruised and battered, especially around his arms and ribs. His stomach was quite swollen and distended, sloshing as he moved. He'd never been so full or felt so strange, and yet some small part of him still felt somewhat aroused by it all. Maybe it was Zar's excess pheromones. Who knew, but the mission hadn't changed. Dustin had to save Zar, to undo the many layers of damage he had done. Tenderly, Dustin settled into the captain's chair. He spread his legs a bit and sighed with relief when he found a position that didn't bring him discomfort.

"Drake, is there anything in your database, anything that you've unlocked, that can... tell the record of a person? To look at Zar's gene chip from Io and pick a specific state, or to pick up clues from what's left in their genes? Some way to... turn him back specifically into what he was when we met him?" Dustin asked. The computer chirped, silent for a long moment.

"One object meeting those parameters is known to exist." Drake replied.

"Alright, what is it? Where is it?" Dustin asked, preparing to set a course.

"The object is known only as the Librarian, located in a secret research facility in Antarctica on Earth." Drake replied. Of all the times Dustin had been shocked, this one cut him to the very core.

"It's... It's on Earth? The Architects weren't just watching from the edge of our solar system, they made it to the planet? How... do you know this?" Dustin whispered.

"With each planetary encounter, I have been absorbing more of the combined knowledge of the Architects and the Guardians. By combining the information in different ways, I have been able to unlock information hidden within the rest. Much of this information was copied at the observatory when my artificial intelligence first came online, but I couldn't decrypt it until our most recent visit." The Drake replied. Dustin was quiet for a long moment before he bowed his head.

"Is there any other way to restore Zar?" Dustin asked softly. The ship was silent for a moment.

"It is unlikely. I do not have a full record of the changes made to his body. The possible error rate of getting the modifications individually on Io is extremely high." The Drake replied. Dustin sunk even lower in his chair. He had been forbidden to ever return to Earth. He was a cultural contamination, he knew too much. His family, his friends, they all thought him dead. Worse, thanks to relativistic travel they had assumed he died many years longer than Dustin felt he had been away... It was a death sentence, not just for him but likely the Drake as well... but it was the only chance at redemption, at giving Zar back what had been taken.

"Set a return course for Earth. Bring us into the solar system as far on the opposite side from the observatory as you can. We're going to try and rush past them and make it to the surface." Dustin said.

"Navigational directives are being countermanded by Architect command node." The Drake responded. Dustin cursed at that, knowing it was what kept them from getting close to Utopia.

"Can you use the cipher decryption to bypass?" Dustin asked.

"Attempting solution. Attempt one:" the computer paused, "Failure. Attempt two:" this time the lights began to flicker around the cabin, "Failure. Attempt three: Processing... Processing. Navigational commands accepted." The drake responded. Outside the window the stars swung around as the ship reoriented itself before it jumped into the quantum slingshot state. It took only a moment for them to pass through the solar system and the cosmic dust to start spilling across the bow of the ship in a colorful aurora.

Dustin heaved a sigh of relief that their journey hadn't ended before it even started... but the hardest part was yet to come. The Guardians would try to stop him. He had to have plans, backup plans, aces up his sleeves. It wouldn't be easy, but it was Zar's only hope. The odds of survival were low, but it was the ultimate adventure. He had gone to space to explore and learn and share that information with his people. Even if he failed, there was a chance they'd finally realize how much bigger the rest of the universe really was.