Heavenly Bodies

by Celine Chatillon

  Published by Mojocastle Press, LLC

  Price, Utah

  This book is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to actual events, locales or persons, living or dead, is completely coincidental.

  Heavenly Bodies

  ISBN: 1-60180-007-X

  Copyright ã 2006 Celine Chatillon

  Cover Art Copyright @ 2006 S.L. Carpenter

  All rights reserved.

  Excluding legitimate review sites and review publications, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, is forbidden without the written permission of the publisher.

  Copying, scanning, uploading, selling and distribution of this book via the Internet or any other means without permission from the publisher is illegal, punishable by law and will be prosecuted.

  Available online at:

  http://www.mojocastle.com/

  Dedication:

  To my readers… I do it all for you.

  Heavenly Bodies

  Spicy Sci-Fi Tales of Love and Pleasure

  Links to Stories:

  PlayMate

  Alien Seduction

  Diplomatic Relations

  Heavenly Bodies

  PlayMate

  “Damn it! He’s late. What the hell’s the matter with him?”

  Crossing her arms, Lelia Clayden anxiously paced the corridor in front of the hanger dome airlock. She hated herself for whining over something as inconsequential as the postman arriving two hours late. But when your only biweekly flesh and blood visitor is the postman, then his tardiness becomes a great cause for concern.

  It wasn’t like she was about to run out of atmosphere or food supplies if Del Tourner didn’t show this week. Oh, no. The Outer Worlds Mining Corp stockpiled its asteroid outposts with more than enough nutrients and sufficient oxygen generators to allow a staff of one hundred to breathe fresh air for one hundred years or more.

  But food and air alone weren’t enough for a bored, solitary asteroid miner, Lelia had realized ten months into her stint. There were the psychological and physical needs that erotic vids and rechargeable vibrators couldn’t meet...the need for frequent face-to-face conversation and simple skin-to-skin human contact.

  The need to connect with a lover and get laid properly now and then.

  She gritted her teeth and growled, “Damn it, Del. If that worthless Hak Shanesi held you up on your route, I’m going to tell Hak I’ve terminated our cybersex relationship now and forever. And I really do mean it this time.”

  She sighed, kicking the wall beside the airlock for good measure, then stomped back into the control center. What would it look like if Del caught her cursing, frowning and pacing in front of the airlock door when he did arrive? She’d look pretty stupid and childish. Lelia had too much pride to ever leave that impression on any of her fellow Outer World employees.

  She settled down at her desk, busying herself with the chemical analysis of this morning’s robot-mined load of ore. One thing she enjoyed about working by herself was that she never had to deal with idiots who screwed up reports, or were slow at finishing their part of a project. The pay was pretty damned good, too. After her three years were up, she’d have more than enough credits squirreled away in the bank to buy that deep space cruiser she’d had her eyes on for years. Maybe then she would become the postman, doing the rounds of the asteroid belt, dropping off supplies and providing a quick fifteen-minute human contact to all those lonely, desperately hungry-for-humanity souls.

  Fifteen whole minutes. That really sucked, Lelia decided. If she thought her job was trying at times, Del was only allowed a quarter hour at each outpost to offload supplies, retrieve ore, deliver mail and be on his way to the next rock to repeat the process all over again, week after week after week... The only time the poor man got to sleep and eat was while he traveled between stops. Too bad he didn’t have a partner to ease the tedium of his constant journeying.

  Too bad he didn’t have her.

  “Fraternizing with fellow employees is allowed if it does not disrupt operations,” Lelia mumbled the company code, pushing a button to speed the ore to its next step in the processing cycle. “Those idiot Outer World execs are full of shit, and they know it. We can talk about sex over the com screens all we want, but we sure as hell can’t act out on any of our mutual fantasies, since we’re stranded millions of parsecs from each other. Great setup for romance that is.”

  The proximity sensor sounded. She jumped to her feet.

  “Incoming spacecraft,” Bilgee, the computer, announced in his usual bland manner. “Spacecraft identified as Outer World Mining Corp Vessel Alpha-Six-Niner. Pilot requests immediate docking privileges.”

  “Let him in, Bilgee. Let him in.” Lelia threw up her hands in disgust at the delay. “Pressurize the hanger as soon as he’s touched ground. Turn on the ore pumps and swing them to his port side. Advise onboard inventory comps that there’ll be an extra metric ton of processed ore for transport this week. And turn on the microwave for thirty secs on high.”

  “Very good, sir,” Bilgee replied.

  When the airlock pressure light turned green, Lelia pasted on a smile and sauntered toward the ship, acting cool, calm and unruffled as usual. No way did she want Del spreading gossip among the other asteroid miners that she couldn’t handle the stress of a solo operation and ruining her future chances of promotion within the corporation.

  No way did she want him thinking she was a love-starved female miner eager to jump his bones.

  “Lelia, how good it is to see you again.”

  She vigorously shook Del’s offered hand. His long, dark fingers felt like velvet in her grasp, his captivating grin sparkling a vivid white, a marked contrast against his milk-chocolate complexion. His tall, lithe frame seemed to hover over her like an angel looking down from above. The man was heavenly, simply heavenly to look at… She wondered if under his bulky, utilitarian gray jumpsuit, his body matched his stunning facial features.

  Lelia swallowed hard and shook the cobwebs from her mind, refocusing her thoughts on the business at hand. “Thought something had happened to you there for a moment, Del. Any problems?”

  He shrugged, running a palm across his shiny, bald pate. “I ran into one slight problem.” His full, deep baritone with its melodious, lilting accent made Lelia wet with anticipation. “The ore pump clogged over at Zed Lido’s place. It took nearly forty-five minutes to get it running again. I’m going to have hell to pay if I can’t make up the lost time by the time I’ve finished the circuit next week.”

  “That’s too bad. I’ve double-checked my pumps and they’re in fine working order, so you’ll be on your way before too long.” She nodded toward the galley area. “Want a cup of coffee and some fresh cinnamon rolls before you head out again?”

  “Thanks, Lelia. I know I can always depend on you.”

  For eight and a half glorious minutes, Lelia sat at the galley counter, entranced as Del eagerly consumed—and then complimented—her mouth-watering cinnamon rolls and fragrant, hand-ground coffee. He took one last big gulp, finishing off his snack by slowly licking the frosting from each of his long digits with a curious tongue.

  Her clit throbbed and her pussy muscles twitched with excitement. With his large hands and feet and those strong, broad shoulders, the man had to be equally endowed where it counted, right?

  She bit her tongue hard to bring herself back to reality.

  “Hmm…” He inhaled the coffee’s steamy aroma and sighed. “The spiciness of these rolls really add something to the richness of your brew. You’re a great cook, Lelia. It’s a pity you can’t host a party sometime.”

  “Yes, isn’t it.” She
swallowed a groan, cranking up the intensity of her smile. “I did play hostess once for a few hours to a contingent of miners passing through on some long-term deep space assignments. But they could have cared less for my cooking.”

  “I find that difficult to believe.”

  “It’s true. They were much more interested in borrowing my bathroom. You know how challenging it is to bathe properly in zero-g onboard a spaceship.” Lelia sighed, imagining what Del would look like in a zero-g shower…or her shower, for that matter. Damn! She had to get over this schoolgirl crush, for both their sakes.

  Del threw back his head and laughed. The music of his mirth touched the very core of her, sending a wondrous tingling racing throughout her frame. How she could make love to this man, if only he could stay put for longer than a quarter hour!

  “So, it was more of a ‘slippery when wet’ get-together?” he joked. “Sounds very interesting. You had a good time, then?”

  Blushing slightly, she shook her head. “Unfortunately, it wasn’t a very interesting experience for me. They were all into each other—quite frequently, too, as I recall. If I was into same-sex relationships it would have been great, but I can’t help it. I much prefer the company of a man who chooses a woman as his sex partner over another man.”

  Del lightly touched her hand. Dizzying sensations instantly warmed her. She slowly licked her lips, looking deep into his dark, soulful eyes. If she didn’t know better, she’d swear she was experiencing an orgasm right on the spot.

  But then he took a deep breath and pulled his hand away, averting his gaze. “I sympathize with you, Lelia. Do I ever—”

  “Ore onloaded and supplies offloaded. Securing hatches,” Bilgee interrupted abruptly. “Ship’s comp readying for take-off. Pilot, report to duty for pre-launch checklist.”

  “Thank you, Bilgee.” Lelia and her visitor stood reluctantly. “Well, I guess that’s it for this biweekly visit. It’s always a pleasure, Del. Is there anything else you needed to pass on to me?”

  “Just your junk mail, and…” His voice drifted away as he placed the letters on the counter. He headed down the narrow corridor toward the hanger airlock.

  Lelia followed closely behind him in breathless anticipation. “And?” she asked.

  “I just wanted to pass on my little secret for getting through those long, lonely nights.”

  “Your secret?”

  He swung open the airlock portal, grinning at her puzzled expression. “Yes, my secret. It’s this: sometimes it helps to have an imaginary friend.”

  * * * * * *

  “Hak, why aren’t you answering? What’s with everyone today? Everyone’s so damn late…”

  Lelia hailed her nearest asteroid-neighbor for the hundredth time. Just as she was about to give up, his brash image snapped on the wall-sized comp screen.

  “Hey, how’s it going, sexy miner lady?” By the disheveled state of his metallic-blue-dyed hair and his bare chest, it appeared Hak Shaunesi had started their cybersex session without her.

  “About as well as can be expected. Del Tourner was late with his delivery today, and you’re slow to answer. I’m beginning to think it’s all part of a conspiracy to drive me insane.”

  Hak slumped in the desk chair, closed his eyes and moaned. “Yeah, it’s a conspiracy all right.” He shifted his position slightly. “Oooo, that’s good. Take all of it in your mouth, babe.”

  “Just who the hell is with you?” Lelia slammed a fist on the counter. “You know the rules about sneaking visitors to a mining outpost aboard a freight vessel. What are you trying to do—get Del fired?” A dagger of regret twisted in her heart at the thought of never seeing the attractive postman again.

  “Mmm, yeah, that’s good…real good.” Hak drifted a little lower into his chair. The camera panned down to catch the top of a platinum-blonde head bobbing up and down in his lap. “Don’t worry about Del. He’s not in trouble. My companion here ain’t human—she’s a PlayMate. You know, an android sex worker?”

  “A PlayMate?” Lelia’s anger instantly faded. “You mean she’s a holographic-projecting robot?”

  “Uh-huh.” Hak moaned again. “And she’s a million times better than any vibrator or suction device on the market.”

  “How in the known universe can you afford one? They cost a bundle to rent when you’re on the Pleasure Planet.” Lelia’s eyes narrowed and she looked askance at the diverting image on the comp screen. “Come on, ‘fess up, Hak. Are you embezzling funds from the corporation on the side?”

  “Nah, that’s the great thing about it. They’re all on sale this month. Pleasure Planet is buying new models and needs to make room for them, so they’re selling slightly used PlayMates dirt cheap. I’ll send you the downlink with all the info. You gotta get yourself one, Lelia. They’re fantastic.”

  He thrust his hips forward and groaned loudly. “Oh, yeah…slow up a moment, babe, so I can pass the good news on to my dear neighbor.”

  The android did as instructed, pulling back. The big-breasted hologram stood to the side of his chair, pleasuring her pussy with stiletto-length red fingernails. Lelia watched with fascination as Hak typed in the link with two shaky fingers, his red, swollen cock practically filling the lower half of the comp screen. Lelia touched her pussy, finding it practically drenched. She immediately clicked on the link and settled back in her chair to watch the infomercial.

  “No, they’re not free to a good home… but for a small price, you, too, can own your very own PlayMate! This month, and this month only, Pleasure Planet Enterprises is liquidating its inventory and selling slightly used Playmates at ridiculously low prices to any deep space volunteer…

  Yes, you heard that right. Any person who works in deep space and cannot regularly visit Pleasure Planet or any of its subsidiaries is eligible to purchase one of our patented holographic courtesans.

  Completely programmable, your PlayMate can look like any of a million celebrities, or that special someone of your own choosing… Shipped in a discreet brown paper-wrapped container, we’ll gladly rush a PlayMate to any lonely deep space worker out there in need of friendly companionship. Don’t delay—act now!”

  Lelia inputted her mailing information and credit account number and clicked the ‘rush delivery’ button before her better sense could take over. Hak was right. Such bargains seldom presented themselves. She had to make the most of this opportunity.

  PlayMates were among the latest development in three-dimensional holographic technology, and they could be programmed to fulfill other functions besides sexual gratification. She reasoned that she could program hers to act as a second mate when she started piloting her own space cruiser. Yes, purchasing a PlayMate was a sound, logical, reasonable business idea.

  Lelia touched herself again and groaned. Who the hell was she kidding?

  The infomercial dissolved, revealing Hak fucking his leggy, platinum blonde PlayMate as she lay spread-eagled across the com console.

  “Harder, Hak, deeper...I can’t get enough!” the PlayMate cried.

  Had the thermostat gotten stuck on sauna? Lelia wiped the perspiration off her forehead, then quickly stripped off her work clothes before stroking her clit in earnest. She couldn’t help but feel a bit envious of Hak as he rammed his rod deeper between the PlayMate’s gaping legs.

  His thrusting rhythm increased. Soon his breathing became as ragged as Lelia’s own. “It’s gonna be a big one,” he cried, spying Lelia’s self-play on his comp screen. “I hope yours will be, too. Just watch.”

  Hak pounded his cock hard into the holographic whore, throwing his head back in a primal scream of ecstasy. So intense was the climax and so violent their thrashing about that the pair landed on top of the com link switch, cutting the nightly cybersex session short.

  But Lelia didn’t care. The exquisite agony of her own orgasm exploded at that very moment, shattering her mind into a million stars.

  * * * * * *

  “Mel or Denzel?” Lelia bit her lip in thou
ght, scanning through the millions of celebrity images flashing across the comp screen. “Mel or Denzel?”

  Pleasure Planet Enterprises had emailed a ‘PlayMate Personalities’ file to her within minutes of confirming her order, but it had taken her almost two weeks to focus her preferences. It wasn’t that she couldn’t program a different personality into her PlayMate if she tired of it, but she wanted the first time to be special.

  Unique.

  Memorable.

  At last she narrowed the list down of possible candidates to two twentieth-century vid actors who had always held a special place in her heart, Mel Gibson and Denzel Washington.

  “I could always program Denzel first, and when I’m tired of him pumping into me, I could switch over to Mel.” She giggled. “But maybe I should have Mel take me first in that great leather biker outfit he wore in Mad Max…”

  “Incoming spacecraft,” Bilgee announced, interrupting her sexy musings. “Spacecraft identified as Outer World Mining Corp Vessel Alpha-Six-Niner. Pilot requests immediate docking privileges.”

  She jumped up from the com console and raced toward the airlock. “At last!”

  It wasn’t until she caught sight of Del Tourner’s smile that the full reality of the situation sank in. What would Del think when he handed her the package? Would he even know what was in it?

  Lelia swallowed the lump in her throat, telling herself to act natural. Of course he wouldn’t know what was in it. Pleasure Planet said in their advertisements that it was mailed in a discreet brown carton. Besides, her private mail wasn’t anyone else’s business, was it?

  “Hello, hello,” Del murmured, pulling something from his mailbag. “It seems you’ve got a first class package, Lelia. Lucky you.”