“It’s true, I’m a Metamorph.” She replies, her voice now flat and monotone. “But it’s not what you think!”
“Really?” You snarl. “Because I think your presence on this side of the treaty boundary is an act of war!”
“No.” She implores you. “We are refugees! My race has been all but wiped out by a mysterious disease. We fled our territory before it claimed our lives too. We simply want to live!”
“So why the deception?” You reply. “Why not request asylum? Instead, you’ve infiltrated an important tactical target and impersonated personnel. That seems damn suspicious to me.”
“We couldn’t be sure that the contagion wasn’t manufactured and deliberately introduced by your people.” She objects.
“That’s pretty paranoid.” You reply.
“Genocide isn’t without precedent.” She shrugs. “However, I regret our deception and implore you now to grant us asylum.”
Grant her asylum
Shoot her
“It’s a little above my pay grade, but I’ll see what I can do.” You tell her. “Come out of there and you can reciprocate my good faith by telling your people to stand down and release their captives.”
“Thank you.” She smiles, swimming towards the edge of the pool and pulling herself out. “You have my word that my people and I will cooperate fully.”
An hour later, a security team has joined you from the Ranger, the Metamorphs have been confined to a holding area and the captives have been released. The real Amy Newton walks towards you.
“My plan worked then!” She grins broadly as she joins you.
“It did.” You smile. “I guess the Metamorph had to interrogate you and you slipped in some lies amongst the truth to give her away.” She nods.
“I’d have loved to have seen the look on your face when she started flirting with you.” She chuckles, before her smile fades. “You didn’t go along with it, did you?” You arch an eyebrow and smirk for a moment before slowly shaking your head.
“I’ll admit I was tempted.” You smile. “But no, I didn’t.” Amy breathes a sigh of relief. “You don’t have to look so relieved.” You mutter.
“You know it’s nothing personal.” She replies. “It’s just that… I…” Her words tail off, her eyes flicking from your face to something behind you. Following her gaze, you glance over your shoulder. Another team from the Ranger has arrived, among them the attractive Ensign Anderson, her blonde hair hanging down past her shoulders in ringlets.
“No fraternising with my crew.” You growl with a wry smile. “Though you’ve got good taste, I’ll give you that.”
“A little young for you, Commander.” Amy chuckles, her green eyes flicking back to you.
“You know, I think I prefer your doppelganger!” You reply with mock indignation. “Anyway, I’d better get back to the Ranger. The Captain will be expecting a full report.”
“So long, Kyle.” She smiles. “And thank you.”
Continue
“If you were being truthful then you should have come to us first.” You growl. “I’m sorry, but I can’t take the risk that this deception isn’t the opening gambit of a full scale invasion.” Your finger tightens on the trigger and the energy blast hits the Metamorph in the chest. She writhes in agony, a garbled scream filling the air before she melts into the pool, leaving just a purplish stain in the clear water. Moments later, you hear a strange unearthly battle cry as the other doppelgangers run towards you. You take cover behind a low wall as blaster fire fizzes past you, scorching the face of the wall and the floor around you. As you return fire, the hours you spent on the target range pay dividends as you pick off the enraged Metamorphs one by one until all that remains of them are gelatinous purple puddles on the pristine white walkways of the facility. With the threat dealt with, you reach for your communicator and report in to the Ranger, requesting another team is shuttled down before beginning a search for the real station personnel and hoping they are still alive.
Hearing their shouts, you find the real crew locked in a secure area within the refinery. They all appear to be alive and unharmed and you feel a pang of guilt as you wonder if the Metamorphs intentions were honourable after all. You spot the real Amy among the captives and her eyes widen when she sees you.
“My plan worked then!” She grins broadly as you join her.
“It did.” You smile. “I guess the Metamorph had to interrogate you and you slipped in some lies amongst the truth to give her away.” She nods.
“I’d have loved to have seen the look on your face when she started flirting with you.” She chuckles, before her smile fades. “You didn’t go along with it, did you?” You arch an eyebrow and smirk for a moment before slowly shaking your head.
“I’ll admit I was tempted.” You smile. “But no, I didn’t.” Amy breathes a sigh of relief. “You don’t have to look so relieved.” You mutter.
“You know it’s nothing personal.” She replies. “It’s just that… I…” Her words tail off, her eyes flicking from your face to something behind you. Following her gaze, you glance over your shoulder. A team from the Ranger has arrived, among them the attractive Ensign Anderson, her blonde hair hanging down past her shoulders in ringlets.
“No fraternising with my crew.” You growl with a wry smile. “Though you’ve got good taste, I’ll give you that.”
“A little young for you, Commander.” Amy chuckles, her green eyes flicking back to you.
“You know, I think I prefer your doppelganger!” You reply with mock indignation. “Anyway, I’d better get back to the Ranger. The Captain will be expecting a full report.”
“So long, Kyle.” She smiles. “And thank you.”
Continue
Something definitely feels off and you decide you must get to the bottom of it, even if it costs you a friendship.
“Damn, that felt good!” Amy smiles.
“It was.” You reply, backing away to the edge of the pool. “And a little surprising.”
“Oh?” She chuckles. “Why?”
“On account of the fact you’re a lesbian and have never had any sexual interest in me whatsoever.” You growl, reaching out to the side of the pool and grasping your blaster from your crumped uniform and turning it on her. “Now, who or what are you because you’re certainly not Amy Newton.” Her smile vanishes and she slowly raises her hands. Your eyes widen as her body shimmers and quivers, her features fading until she is a featureless, gelatinous figure.
“A Metamorph.” You growl. “I thought so. We’ve been at peace for seventy years! The treaty was clear. You stay on your side of the galaxy and we’ll stay on ours. Your presence here is an act of war!”
“No, no, it’s not like that!” She objects, her voice strangely flat and neutral. “We are refugees! A disease has swept through our star systems and decimated us. We were running for our lives!”
“You could have contacted us, requested asylum.” You tell her. “How can we be sympathetic when you’ve invaded one of our facilities and impersonated our personnel?”
“We couldn’t be sure that the contagion wasn’t manufactured and deliberately introduced by your people.” She objects.
“That’s pretty paranoid.” You reply.
“Genocide isn’t without precedent.” She shrugs. “However, I regret our deception and implore you now to grant us asylum.”
Grant her asylum
Shoot her
“If you were being truthful then you should have come to us first.” You growl. “I’m sorry, but I can’t take the risk that this deception isn’t the opening gambit of a full scale invasion.” Your finger tightens on the trigger and the energy blast hits the Metamorph in the chest. She writhes in agony, a garbled scream filling the air before she melts into the pool, leaving just a purplish stain in the clear water. Moments later, you hear a strange unearthly battle cry as the other doppelgangers run towards you. You take cover behind a low wall as blaster fire fizzes past you, scorching the f
ace of the wall and the floor around you. As you return fire, the hours you spent on the target range pay dividends as you pick off the enraged Metamorphs one by one until all that remains of them are gelatinous purple puddles on the pristine white walkways of the facility. With the threat dealt with, you reach for your communicator and report in to the Ranger, requesting another team is shuttled down before beginning a search for the real station personnel and hoping they are still alive.
Hearing their shouts, you find the real crew locked in a secure area within the refinery. They all appear to be alive and unharmed and you feel a pang of guilt as you wonder if the Metamorphs intentions were honourable after all. You spot the real Amy among the captives and her eyes widen when she sees you.
“Kyle Chase, you son of a bitch!” She smiles. “I guess I owe you one!”
“I think I just gave you one.” You grin.
“You didn’t actually…” Amy shudders theatrically. “My God, Kyle, you really will screw anything!” She shakes her head in disgust before sighing. “Well, I guess my cunning plan worked. I knew the Metamorphs were mimics, not mind readers. When she interrogated me, I had to be careful not to be too obvious and weave a few lies into the truth.”
“Such as embellishing our relationship.” You nod.
“Exactly.” She smiles. “I knew that if she attempted to seduce you, alarm bells would be ringing in your head. I just didn’t expect you to…” She screws her face up in disgust.
“…Get inside your panties.” You finish.
“Enjoy it, Chase. It’ll be the closest you’ll ever get.” She smiles before her eyes drift from your face to something behind you. Following her gaze, you glance over your shoulder. A team from the Ranger has arrived, among them the attractive Ensign Anderson, her blonde hair hanging down past her shoulders in ringlets. “Though she might stand a chance!” She chuckles salaciously.
“No fraternising with my crew.” You growl with a wry smile. “Though you’ve got good taste, I’ll give you that.”
“A little young for you, Commander.” Amy chuckles, her green eyes flicking back to you.
“You know, I think I prefer your doppelganger!” You reply with mock indignation. “Anyway, I’d better get back to the Ranger. The Captain will be expecting a full report.”
“So long, Kyle.” She smiles. “And thank you.”
Continue
“It’s a little above my pay grade, but I’ll see what I can do.” You tell her. “Come out of there and you can reciprocate my good faith by telling your people to stand down and release their captives.”
“Thank you.” She smiles. “You have my word my people and I will cooperate fully.”
An hour later, a security team has joined you from the Ranger, the Metamorphs have been confined to a holding area and the captives have been released. The real Amy Newton walks towards you.
“Kyle Chase, you son of a bitch!” She smiles. “I guess I owe you one!”
“I think I just gave you one.” You grin.
“What? You didn’t actually…” Amy shudders theatrically. “My God, Kyle, you really will screw anything!” She shakes her head in disgust before sighing. “Well, I guess my cunning plan worked. I knew the Metamorphs were mimics, not mind readers. When she interrogated me, I had to be careful not to be too obvious and weave a few lies into the truth.”
“Such as embellishing our relationship.” You nod.
“Exactly.” She smiles. “I knew that if she attempted to seduce you, alarm bells would be ringing in your head. I just didn’t expect you to…” She screws her face up in disgust.
“…Get inside your panties.” You finish.
“Enjoy it, Chase. It’ll be the closest you’ll ever get.” She mutters before her gaze drifts over your shoulder as Ensign Anderson wanders across the room behind you. “Though she might stand a chance!” She chuckles salaciously.
“No fraternising with my crew.” You growl with a wry smile. “Though you’ve got good taste, I’ll give you that.”
“A little young for you, Commander.” Amy chuckles, her green eyes flicking back to you.
“You know, I think I prefer your doppelganger!” You reply with mock indignation. “Anyway, I’d better get back to the Ranger. The Captain will be expecting a full report.”
“So long, Kyle.” She smiles. “And thank you.”
Continue
“Thank you, Captain.” You smile. “Of course, I’d be delighted to attend.”
“Excellent.” She returns your smile. “It’s settled then. Nineteen-thirty hours in my quarters.”
“I look forward to it.” You reply before leaving her office.
The door slides open, a dark haired woman standing in the doorway of the Captain’s quarters.
“Hello Sofia.” You smile politely. The Captain’s wife is of Spanish descent and while the accent has been lost over the generations, she has retained the olive skinned complexion, lustrous dark hair and dark brown eyes of her ancestors.
“Hi Kyle.” She smiles as you lean into her, your lips brushing each other’s cheeks. “Come on in.” She stands aside and you step past her into her quarters. The lounge is comfortable with one wall dominated by a large window, the stars twinkling against the inky blackness of space beyond it. There is a small kitchen area to one side, a dining table already set with three places and a candle flickering in the centre. The Captain, out of uniform and wearing a stylish if conservative dress, stands with her back to you, stirring a sizzling frying pan. She glances over her shoulder as you enter.
“Good evening, Captain.” You smile.
“Please, Kyle,” She replies, returning your smile, “Call me Elizabeth in here.”
“Okay… Elizabeth.” You nod, feeling strange to be addressing the Captain with such familiarity.
“Sit down and make yourself at home.” She tells you. “Dinner’s just a few minutes away.”
“Wine?” Sofia smiles as you sit at the table. She is a little shorter than Elizabeth and perhaps ten years younger. She too is wearing a stylish dress, though hers is a little racier, the blue fabric clinging flatteringly to her body with a plunging neckline that shows off her curves.
“Please.” You nod, taking a glass from her and sipping at it as you admire the spacious living quarters. You guess that’s a benefit of rank as well as allowance for the Captain having her spouse aboard. Sofia sits opposite and Elizabeth serves up a few minutes later before sitting to your left.
You enjoy the meal, chatting pleasantly to Elizabeth and Sofia and drinking several glasses of wine. Once the plates have been cleared, you notice the two women share a glance and you can feel a nervous tension in the air. Sofia reaches for her wine glass and drinks deeply from it before her eyes meet yours.
“Kyle.” She smiles awkwardly, clearing her throat. “While we’ve enjoyed your company this evening, I have to confess that we have an ulterior motive for inviting you here tonight.”
“Oh?” You reply, raising your glass to your lips and sipping at the wine.
“Yes.” She continues. “My wife and I enjoy a very active and satisfying love life…” You splutter into your wine glass and blink in surprise. Sofia blushes in sympathy and Elizabeth chuckles nervously. “But while I prefer women, Elizabeth has broader tastes and from time to time, craves a need that I can’t fulfil.”
“I see.” You nod, feeling your face burn with embarrassment while simultaneously you can feel a tingle of arousal as you anticipate where this is going.
“We occasionally invite someone to join us in our marital bed to satisfy this need.” Sofia continues, glancing at her wife and reaching out to clasp her hand.
“And on this occasion, we’d like that someone to be you.” Elizabeth blurts out.
“You’re under no obligation of course and we would completely understand if you’d prefer not to.” Sofia tells you.
“And whatever you decide, we would ask for your complete discretion, given the circumstances, rank and all.
” Elizabeth adds. “But we really hope you’ll agree. I think it will be a night you won’t soon forget.”
Agree
Decline
“Captain, I appreciate the invitation, but in all honesty, I’m a little uncomfortable with this.” You reply slowly before glancing at Sofia. “Even with your blessing, it sounds too complicated for my liking.” Elizabeth winces and the two women glance at each other, a brief though awkward silence hanging in the air.
“I respect and understand your decision.” Elizabeth finally nods sadly. “My apologies if we’ve made you uncomfortable. I hope this hasn’t had a detrimental effect on our working relationship?”
“Not at all.” You reply. “And I hope I can still count you as a friend as well as my Captain.”
“Yes, yes, of course.” She smiles, the tension leaving the room. “Let’s open another bottle of wine and say no more about it.”
Another hour later, you walk a little unsteadily along the corridor towards your own quarters. The door slides open and you step inside, collapsing face down and fully dressed onto your bed. Your alcohol addled mind replays the indecent proposal and you smile, imagining how things could have panned out if you had agreed. Still, you know you made the right decision. You are an officer and a gentleman and such conduct would have been unbecoming both of a Captain and a first officer.
The next morning, you stand on the bridge alongside the captain as the Ranger drops out of hyperspace.
“We’re on the very fringes of Earth Alliance space.” Captain Madison murmurs. “Just us and empty space from here on.” It’s hard to believe this is the same woman that had attempted to seduce you just a few hours earlier as she has returned to the business-like and professional captain with whom you have served for so long.
“Contact to port.” The navigation officer announces. “Slow moving and on a parallel course.”
Planet of the Valkyries Page 10