by Eric Vall
“This vaccine,” Sef’sla hissed hesitantly, “it stops people from contracting the virus?”
“Well, we give them a weaker version,” I clarified. “Then their body gets stronger and can resist the real version of the virus. It’s not perfect, but it’s worked before.”
“This is amazing,” she murmured. “Think of all the people we could save with such technology!”
“You don’t have vaccines on Proxima V?” Akela asked, and her brows pulled together in confusion.
“No.” Sef’sla shook her head. “We have many treatments for ailments, but we do not have something to prevent them.”
“It’s pretty incredible what technology can do,” I said. Vaccines had been invented back on earth a long time ago, but I wouldn’t tell her that, not right now. I was sure she’d read about it eventually. Besides, most of the first vaccines were incredibly rudimentary, even going so far as to inject live viruses into people. Medicine had come much farther along than that by now.
“How many injection thingys do we have?” Neka asked as she bounded over to my side.
“Two,” Akela said matter-of-factly. “I didn’t want to reverse all of our tissue samplers in case we needed them in the meantime.”
“Good call,” I told the silver-haired mechanic.
“So, when can we go to the village?” Neka asked as she bounced on the balls of her feet.
“We will need at least two hours to create the vaccine,” Omni said over the ship speaker.
“Two hours?” Neka pouted, and her orange ears drooped atop her head.
“It’s alright,” I assured the cat-girl as I reached out to pull her close to me. “They’ve been fighting this thing for three years, another two hours will be okay. How about we make some lunch for everyone while they work?”
“Mmmm,” Neka moaned, and she licked her lips. The promise of food was always enough to cheer her up, and I reached up to rub her ears as we headed back out toward the bridge.
Two and a half hours later, Neka and I sat on the bridge once more, with our bellies full from lunch. The cat-girl napped in her seat, and her ears twitched as she dreamt.
I, on the other hand, browsed through more data about the Gelm, and I even had Omni run a check through the intergalactic internet to see if there was anything else mentioned about the species of Zalia. There were a couple of articles, but nothing provided any further insight into the people, so I also had Omni run scans to map out the land for us.
The AI was unable to find any sort of electricity around, which only solidified my thoughts that the Gelm had not come far in the way of technology. I’d hoped the village we went to was rural, and that there was a possibility only part of the civilization lived without technological advances.
As it stood, though, it seemed we would have to deal with the magic and miracle thing for a while longer. If we could get the Gelm healthy, that was what mattered for the moment, and we would worry about the oncoming Corporations later.
After all, they would all need to pay the Almort in order to use the wormholes anyway.
I heard the whoosh of the bridge door, so I turned around to see Akela and Sef’sla in the entryway. The mechanic somehow had black smeared across her face, as she always did when she’d been working on a project, and her bright violet eyes regarded me with happiness as she gave me a wide grin.
Sef’sla stood beside the mechanic with a similar expression, and the princess was absolutely stunning, especially when she smiled. Her long, deep green hair hung down past her shoulders, and the flight suit she wore hugged each of her curves.
As I stared at the two women, I couldn’t help but feel my attraction grow. Not only were they incredibly intelligent, but they were also sexy as hell.
“Rise and shine,” Akela said as she made her way over to Neka and me.
“Is it time to go?” Neka yawned and rubbed the sleep from her bright, yellow eyes.
“Yup,” the mechanic answered, and she grabbed the cat-girl’s arm to pull her up.
“We have completed the antibiotic and the vaccines,” Sef’sla announced. “We have plenty for the whole village.”
“No sense in keeping them waiting, then.” I grinned.
A few moments later, the four of us stood on the loading ramp ready to head to the village. We also had a hover carrier with us that hauled the antibiotics, vaccines, and the administration devices.
I felt Neka’s tail wrap loosely around my wrist, and I turned to smile at each of the women before we stepped off the ramp.
We navigated the terrain easily as we made our way back to the village. Sef’sla’s newly made sunglasses shielded her eyes from the bright light, but to me, it was a welcome sight. While Proxima V had been beautiful in its constant state of twilight, I’d always loved the warmth of a sun and the light it cast on the new planets I came across. I’d thought this planet was incredibly dull looking from above, but with the light shining on it from the dual suns, I could see the beauty in the foliage, and even the ground seemed to almost sparkle as we walked.
Once we reached the village, we found Lorn waiting for us with what appeared to be the whole of the community gathered around the water well. It seemed word of our medicines had traveled fast, and the Gelm were eager to feel better. The inhaler was passed around as we approached, and I was glad to see the Gelm were able to get some relief while Akela and Sef’sla had worked on the medicine.
The amount of Gelm that surrounded the water well was almost astonishing. It seemed to be two hundred or so, and I could see there were males, females, and even children. The children were much smaller than their adult counterparts, but still stocky, and with tiny nubs on the top of their heads instead of full-grown horns.
“Miracle healer!” Lorn shouted when he saw us approach. “You have returned!”
“Yes,” I chuckled, “and we’ve brought medicine for you all.”
The small male let out a joyous cry, and those who were not coughing matched it to show their excitement.
“We need to separate them,” Akela ordered as she got down to business. “Those who are sick and those who aren’t.”
“Yes,” Sef’sla hissed and nodded her head. “It will be much faster to administer this way.”
“Right,” I said, and I turned back to Lorn. “Can you have your people form two lines? One for those who are sick, and the other for those who are not yet sick.”
“Most certainly,” the male said with a small bow, and he turned to speak to his people.
“You should administer the antibiotic,” Akela told Sef’sla.
“Are you sure?” the Almort princess hissed, and her brow furrowed. “You helped as much as I did to create this medicine.”
“I helped a bit,” Akela chuckled, and her violet eyes sparked with joy. “You earned it. I’ll do the vaccines. It will go faster this way.”
“Alright,” Sef’sla said with a grin, and she placed her hand on Akela’s shoulder. “Thank you, sister.”
Akela blushed and looked down, but I heard her mumble something like “no problem.”
The lines began to take place, and I was saddened to see about seventy percent of the village was already infected.
“Why don’t you go first, Lorn?” I suggested once the lines were ready. “You can show your people there is nothing to be afraid of.”
“I do not believe they are frightened,” the small Gelm male said with a smile. “They have seen what your medicine can do. I will go first, but only if you are sure you have enough medicine for each of us.”
I smiled at the male, since he’d already shown himself to be a great leader. He’d been wary of us when we first met for the sake of his people, and now he was ready to sacrifice his own dose of medicine if it meant everyone else got one.
“You are a good leader,” I said as I reached out and gently put my hand on Lorn’s small, round shoulder. “We have plenty of medicine for all of your people, though, so don’t worry.”
“Of co
urse,” Neka purred next to me, and she wore a satisfied smile on her face. “Akela and Sef’sla made sure we even had extra.”
“This is wonderful news,” Lorn gasped. “Thanks be to the gods.”
“Come here.” Sef’sla beckoned with the small gun looking device in her hand. “I will administer the antibiotic.”
Lorn stepped toward the Almort woman, and she gently lifted the sleeve of his long brown coat so she could press the device against him. Then, a second later, she pulled it away.
“It is complete,” she hissed with a smile.
Lorn looked at her with wide eyes, and then he turned to me, and I nodded.
The blood and tissue samplers looked like small, silver, old Earth pistols, but the barrel had an extremely small claw that came out and retrieved the sample easily, then stored it within the gun to be retrieved later. The device was equipped with a self-cleaner that automatically occurred between each use, but instead of the claw retrieving blood and tissues, Akela had instead transformed the device so it implanted a small dose of the antibiotic stored in the gun. It seemed a simple enough modification, for me to understand at least, though I knew I would never be able to do such a thing myself.
My mechanic truly was the best this side of the galaxy.
For the next half hour, I watched as Akela and Sef’sla administered the treatments. I’d taken the inhaler, since we needed to see how well the medicine worked, and by the time we were halfway through the lines, those who still waited for their doses had begun to cough and wheeze once more.
Neka gave me the sad, kitty cat eyes at the sound, but I shook my head and kissed her forehead. We needed to be sure the antibiotics were working, and we couldn’t do that if we allowed them to use the inhaler. While the aerosolized steroid worked for a short time, it would wear off eventually, and if there was anything that needed to be modified for the antibiotic or vaccine, we needed to know immediately.
I watched as Sef’sla injected a small Gelm female child with the antibiotic, and the girl wheezed and hacked while her mother held her small, gray hand.
The shot was over soon, and I kept a close eye on the child. After a few moments, her cough subsided, and she no longer appeared to have difficulty breathing.
It seemed the medicine was working.
So, I continued to watch as Sef’sla and Akela patiently injected each Gelm who came before them, and the women were beautiful and serene as they administered their unbelievable creation they’d made only earlier today.
Sometimes, it baffled me how incredibly talented each of the women were.
Neka leaned against my arm and purred, and she was obviously happy the treatment appeared to be working, so I leaned down to kiss the cat-girl on one of her soft, orange ears.
The sun began to burn a deep orange just as Sef’sla finished with the last of the Gelm. The whole village was obviously improved, and the scans Omni had run indicated most of the sick had already regained normal temperature and vital signs.
Even though the treatment worked incredibly well, we still reminded all of the Gelm to drink plenty of water and to eat well that evening. Lorn assured us he would keep a close watch on all those infected, and we left him with a communication device in case he needed to reach us for an emergency.
After that, we headed back to the ship for the night, but we promised to return the next day to check on the sick, as well as bring the village some much needed improvements. The first would be the water well, since I simply despised the rudimentary thing. The Gelm shouldn’t have to work so hard to gain the thing that sustained life, and I wanted to make it readily available to them. Besides, drinking plenty of water would increase all of their chances of survival.
It was somewhat dark when we arrived back on the ship, and I practically pulled Neka along by the tail as she lazily dragged her feet. Akela and Sef’sla seemed tired as well, but not nearly as much, though I wanted to be sure they all ate something before bed. It had been a long day, with plenty of walking, and they would need sustenance for the evening.
Since Neka was so tired, I led us to my captain’s chambers first to drop her off, but I looked over to see Sef’sla was half asleep on her feet, too.
“Alright,” I chuckled as I pulled both of them by the arm. “You two lay down here. I’ll make us some food and be right back.”
Akela watched with a playful smirk from the doorway as the other two women laid on the bed and immediately passed out from exhaustion.
“You can stay with them,” I told the mechanic. “I’ll make us dinner and bring it back here.”
“Nah.” Akela shrugged. “I’ll come with you. I want some of those Almort berries.”
“Okay,” I laughed.
I led the mechanic to our kitchen and began to make plates of food from the fresh Almort produce and fish we’d been gifted before we left. Akela had modified the freezer we had on board so it kept the fruit fresh indefinitely, and it was always just as ripe and juicy as I remembered it being on Proxima V.
As I worked, the mechanic snacked on berries while she perched on the countertop next to me. Her mouth was tinted red from the luscious fruit, and I had to pull my eyes away from her lips before my thoughts got the better of me.
“It was a great thing you and Sef’sla did today,” I said as I laid out some fish for Neka.
“Eh.” The mechanic shrugged again and popped another berry into her mouth. “Sef’sla and Omni did most of the medicine part, I just modified the tissue sampler. Medicine isn’t really my forte.”
“Even so,” I said. “The modifications you made helped move the process along that much more smoothly. You are one sexy, brilliant woman, Loric.”
I added the last part with a grin and watched as the mechanic blushed and looked down.
She glanced up at me from under her long, silver lashes, and I felt my heart rate jump as my pants grew tighter. Then I couldn’t help myself, so I reached out and pulled her face to mine, and her lips were sweet and tangy under my own.
Akela was stiff at first, but then she grabbed hold of the front of my flight suit to pull me closer.
I slid between her legs where they draped over the counter so I could press my chest against hers. Even with her perched on the counter, I was still half a head taller than her, and I reached down to place my hands on her slender hips as she wrapped her arms around my neck.
The mechanic’s lips parted under mine, and I pushed my tongue between them to taste her sweetness. She bit my lip in return, then kissed her way along my jaw and down to my neck.
My erection throbbed behind my pants as her mouth sent shivers down my spine, and I reached around and ran my fingers up her stomach. I could feel her ab muscles tense underneath my touch, and it only made my desire that much more intense.
Finally, my fingers slid under the black tank top the mechanic wore, and I heard her gasp next to my ear. Then I cupped her full breasts, and I could feel her already taut nipples press against my palms.
I groaned as I pulled the mechanic’s shirt over her head, and I stared down at her exposed breasts with awe. Her smooth, pale skin was soft under my fingers, and her small pink nipples jutted from her full breasts, already erect and ready for my mouth.
I kissed down Akela’s neck, and the silver-haired beauty threw her head back and moaned in pleasure. I heard her breath catch as my mouth reached her tight, pink nipple, and I paused for a moment to breathe against her skin before I pulled the bud of flesh into my mouth.
Akela arched her back and thrust herself further into my mouth. Then she wrapped her fingers through my hair and held me in place while I licked and sucked on her soft skin.
After a moment, I couldn’t take it any longer. I could feel my erection throb painfully against my pants, so I quickly undid Akela’s pants and yanked them down to reveal her soft, black panties.
I reached up to capture her mouth again, and her lips parted instantly under mine while my hand made its way over her stomach and down to the top of h
er crotch. Then the mechanic moaned into my mouth as I slipped my hand inside her undergarments to feel the wetness that had accumulated there.
She was already soaked, and I let out a groan when I felt her.
“God,” I panted. “You’re so wet.”
“Only for you,” Akela moaned, and she ground her pelvis against my hand.
I slipped one finger inside of her first, and we both let out a gasp. I quickly followed up with a second finger, and I felt her pussy twitch tightly around me.
“Fuck,” I breathed as I slowly slid my fingers in and out to prepare her for my thick cock.
“Oh, please, CT,” the mechanic begged. “I want you so bad.”
The admission drove me wild, and I felt my erection twitch in response. So, I slid my fingers out of the mechanic, and then I pulled her down from the counter, spun her around, and yanked her panties to the floor before I kissed my way back up her legs.
Akela wagged her ass at me as she bent further over the counter.
“Please give me your cock,” she moaned, and she looked back at me with heavy purple eyes and parted lips.
She didn’t have to ask twice. I unzipped my flight suit, freed my member, and thrust inside of her in one smooth motion.
We both gasped as I filled her, and I took a second to catch my breath before I pulled myself out slightly, then thrust in once more.
“Ohhhh, wooooowww,” Akela cried out as I filled her again, and I grabbed the silver-haired beauty by the hips and began to slide in and out of her while both our breaths grew ragged.
“Do you like that?” I growled as I slammed my cock into her tight tunnel.
“Yessss. Soooo muuuucchhhh.” The mechanic’s legs parted further for me, and I groaned as I slid in deeper. A moment later, though, her body tensed, and she arched her head back in pleasure as her pussy grasped and released my cock in a wave of ecstasy.
“I’m coming!” she managed to get out. “Come with me, pleasssssseeee!”
I was never one to deny my women, and her words were already pushing me toward the edge, so I let myself relax and didn’t resist the tidal wave coursing through my pelvis area.