What It Takes Ch. 01

"This isn't a hobby!" I said loudly, "This is..."

"This is space," Tara said, as though that meant something. I gaped at her, unable to even begin to think about how to respond. "There is no law here. The normal rules do not apply. If this had happened on Earth...I might have a different reaction. But we are on a long-term space mission, and things happen. I've seen weirder shit than you've ever imagined. What you saw was...nothing."

"It's wrong," I said in a weak voice. How could she not see that? Tara shrugged again.

"Hundreds of years ago they would have said that Hilaria being my lover was wrong. Now it doesn't matter," she said, casually noting a relationship that I had thought was secret.

"Those things aren't...even close to the same. You're both humans..." I said. But I didn't know what to add. I buried my head in my hands, running my fingers through my hair. I started shaking my head. If I'd ever doubted my decision to quit, I didn't now. These people were insane. If I stayed in this line of work, I'd go insane too.

"Oh good morning Dr. Alton," I heard Tara say. My blood ran cold and my heart froze for a moment. I sat up quickly and turned to look over my shoulder. Dr. Alton had just walked into the mess hall. She'd evidently showered. She was clothed...beautiful. It was like nothing had happened. She smiled brightly.

"Good morning Captain, I hope I am not late. It took me a moment to get here after Luna got me. Had to freshen up," she said. As she spoke the last few works she winked at me. I could see the alien sperm on her lips in my mind's eye and I shook the image away. All of the conflicting emotions flowed back to me at once. For reasons I didn't fully understand, my nipples grew hard and I felt embarrassed.

"Not at all," Tara said gently. She was speaking to Dr. Alton like she was a normal person. Then she rose quickly, "Let me get you a cup of coffee." Tara and Dr. Alton moved over towards kitchenette. After she left, I sat with my head bowed for a moment. I felt Hilaria's eyes boring into me. I looked up at her and I could see...disgust. Not with Dr. Alton. But with me. She spoke quickly.

"Do you know why I have been with CTA for 15 years and I still haven't had my own command? Why do I keep volunteering to serve under Tara when I could make three times as much as captain of smaller craft? Do you think it is because Tara is some sort of maverick pilot?"

"I don't know," I said, feeling shocked and cowed.

"Tara is...gifted at many things. But she is a merely a competent captain. I keep coming back and taking less money because I would have gone insane 8 years ago if I had to do this in the Earth way. If I had to wait to get home to my husband every three years before I could feel something. I stay with Tara because I know that when I need to, I can wake her up from her cryosleep and have a night together. Maybe that doesn't seem like much of a stretch to you. Almost normal. But it wasn't normal for me when I started. I never thought... but I didn't question it when it happened. Because this is space. What is normal in space covers a much wider area. Do you understand what I am saying?" She looked at me intently as she asked.

"No," I answer honestly, "Nothing makes sense today."

"It means this: people who survive out here, doing what we do... people who figure out how to get mentally tough, they do whatever they have to do to survive. Dr. Alton, at least, has figured that out." Her eyes accused me and I dropped my head.

End Part 1

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YKN

P.S. I do one edit of my work and I try to be thorough. But I figure when it comes to handing out free erotica, you all would be better served getting it fast (if a little rough), than waiting for me to polish it like I was getting paid for my work. So, in short, I know there are some errors and I don't really care that much. Don't complain about the soundtrack in your porno, don't sweat the typos in your erotica. Thanks.

YKN