The Alternate

by Jay Kohl

  For the most part she’d spent her time hiding in her lab, processing samples from the flight station, trying to figure out why they seemed to be far lower in motility than at the research station. She’d been wondering whether it might have something to do with the fuels in use there. Or was it the location, so close to the propane lakes where they extracted those fuels? Or was it perhaps the slightly lower oxygen levels…the complexity of synthesizing adequate oxygen on a moon that had a mostly nitrogen atmosphere meant that optimum levels were produced only where needed? If mankind was to survive, these questions needed to be answered.

  She glanced up at the time readout. She was due to have the scan for fertilization in a couple of hours and she couldn’t help feeling apprehensive. What if she was pregnant? Would Professor Stone want her to stay on Titan? And what if she was and she chose one man, only to find the father was the other? Was fatherhood even important? Until now, she wouldn’t have said so. It had been over a hundred years since people lived in family units. Women could cohabit or live alone by choice. Numbers and space restrictions meant men always cohabited. Children were reared in special educative nurseries.

  Since being with both men, the notion of family had invaded her thoughts whenever she hadn’t been concentrating on her research. So much so that it kept her awake during the few hours allocated to sleep. And then, when she did manage short snatches of sleep, she dreamed.

  The door chime sounded and she looked up at the screen.

  “Damn,” she muttered. Both men stood outside and no doubt the sensor had already told them she was in. Resignedly, she pressed the release.

  Marcus entered first, grinning broadly.

  “I suppose you are both here to plead your case,” she stated in a businesslike manner as she turned for the small kitchen area to order refreshments. She didn’t really want them to see that she’d become somewhat emotional about her choice.

  Brad and Marcus exchanged a knowing smile.

  “You could say that,” Brad replied, and took her hand.

  “Whatever your choice, we have decided to give you more pleasure than you’ve ever known,” Marcus added as he took her other hand.

  One on each side, they took her lapels and slowly drew her lounging suit aside. Each man cupped a breast, before bending down to lick her nipples. They hardened instantly and she let out an involuntary gasp.

  “Why are you doing this?” she asked as they straightened, drew the suit farther apart, dragged it off her arms and down until she stood naked before them.

  “Because we want you,” Marcus answered. “Together.”

  “Soon, once the choice has been made, we’ll be separated. One of us will be left behind. But before that happens, before we know who stays and who goes, we wanted to share something that cannot be taken away. Something that won’t be tinged with regret or the sadness of separation.” Brad’s words were barely above a whisper, but they pierced her heart.

  “But—”

  Brad shut off her objection by covering her mouth with his. His lips were full and soft and hot, and she melted into the kiss as if she’d lost all command of herself. Dreamily, she let him tilt her head back and unbalance her as his tongue completely filled her mouth. Then, as she began to relax, she felt heated hands separate her legs. She squealed into Brad’s mouth as Marcus’s lips covered her clit and he began lick deep inside her folds. His tongue wove lazy circles and she suddenly felt lightheaded from all the competing sensations. Her legs began to quiver.

  Brad sucked her tongue and flicked her nipples relentlessly until they burned, while Marcus’s tongue pushed in and out of her. His fingertips swept up and down, nudging her anus before returning again and again to rub her clit.

  For long minutes she became little more than a puddle of sensation. Every part of her body thrummed and ached and buzzed until she felt she might faint.

  Unable to stay upright any longer she let Marcus catch her as her legs folded beneath her. Placing her on hands and knees, Brad moved to release his cock in front of her face, before guiding her lips to him. “Suck me,” he ordered gently.

  She obeyed, taking him deep into her mouth. Behind her, she felt Marcus’s stiff cock nudging her entrance. Hot fluid dribbled over her then his warm hands spread the fluid over her ass cheeks, thighs, and finally her core. His hands taunted and tantalized until she thought she’d beg for him to finish her, but with her mouth so full all she could do was squirm. The stimulant in the oil made her nerve-endings hum, and when he pushed inside her channel she found herself coming almost instantly. Sucking hard, she worked her lips even as her clit pulsed and her back arched.

  Brad’s come rushed into her throat, and she heard him cry out her name and fall away from her before the frantic pumping of Marcus’s cock stole her attention. He reached underneath her and found her still pulsing clit, rubbing and circling to wring out more pleasure than she thought she could endure. The entire universe seemed to focus on that one, burning spot. Tension built inside her until she thought she might scream. Suddenly he slammed into her and stilled. Then came the hot rush as he exploded with his release. Her climax erupted almost painfully a split second later.

  Darla groaned and crumpled to the floor, utterly spent. She could barely breathe. She was vaguely aware that Brad sat back on his haunches, leaning against the wall and wheezing as if he’d just run a marathon.

  Behind her, sprawled against the settee, Marcus heaved in deep breaths.

  When her heartbeat calmed she sat up, looked at both men then shook her head. “If you thought that was going to help me make the choice, you’re sadly mistaken.”

  Marcus sat beside her and took her hand in his. “Actually, we were thinking you could take both of us.”

  She dropped her head and sighed. “I wish. But Professor Stone has made up his mind and in the eight years I have known him, I’ve never seen him change it.”

  “But surely—” Brad began before she cut him off.

  “He won’t. He doesn’t. He thinks he’s some kind of god and whatever he says has divine origin. I made the suggestion yesterday, if you must know. And it was like talking to a titanium wall.”

  Marcus let out a tortured breath. “Well. There goes that idea, then.” He glanced over at Brad, who merely looked away.

  “When do you need to tell him your choice?” Brad asked.

  “Tomorrow night. I am to dine with him and Dr. Foster…who will be accompanying the mission.” She dropped her head back against the settee and closed her eyes. Sex with that man now seemed more than just distasteful. He was probably ninety Earth years old—perhaps more. Frail and balding. His skin looked a little like the leaves of the staindrop plant: translucent and slightly yellow. He probably tasted sour like they did too. Unlike many men who used enhancers to prevent the ravages of age, Dr. Foster appeared unconcerned. If he did use them, then he was even older than she thought. What little time she’d spent with him had shown he was so focused on his work, virtually nothing else mattered. If she was extremely lucky he wouldn’t be interested in mating. But then again, Foster had always been a stickler for rules and one of those rules was regular mating until conception takes place.

  Puffing out a breath, she stood. “I’m due to have some preflight testing in less than an hour.” Picking up her discarded clothing, she went to the bathing cubicle and left them to find their own way out.

  Chapter Four

  “So, Dr. Wynter, has the current cycle proved successful?” Professor Stone asked as he poured desalinated Europa cherry juice into her vial.

  As he awaited her answer, Dr. Foster studied her as if she was some kind of specimen in a jar. An unforced shudder of revulsion raced through her gut—would he do the same when they mated? Would he watch her like she was part of his research?

  She directed her attention to Stone. “Not as yet. I believe the lab will deliver the results to me tonig
ht. I’ve told the techs I’ll be here.”

  “Good, good,” he replied. “And have you decided on which man you’d prefer to join the mission?”

  “No. I’ve found it very difficult. They both have positive and negative elements in their DNA. I suppose it’ll depend on whether fertilization has occurred with either.”

  Foster nodded eagerly. “One day we might be able to avoid physical contact altogether and simply create embryos in vitro like they once did on Earth. That would be so much more beneficial and preclude such carnality that is required now. My research says the ionosphere has some effect. If the mission target has an ionosphere which comprises different elements, we might just…” He trailed off, as if considering some new theory he’d never thought of before.

  Darla ignored him. “Well, until then, we must carry on as we have. I’m more worried about the decreasing number of female births. Each decade it lessens. I just hope the new station will allow for a more equal gender distribution. As a matter of fact, I’ve happened upon a virus that looks promising.”

  Stone pressed the button for the final course of food gel to be brought to the table. “While I am dubious about the use of viruses to manipulate DNA, it’s getting to the point where we face extinction. We must try every avenue,” Stone said. “We will pass all your research on to other scientists.”

  Foster turned to address Stone. “You know that my research here is complementary to Dr. Wynter’s. I can stay behind, finish her research and go later.”

  “No,” Stone said, a little too quickly. Darla looked quizzically at Foster. Perhaps he would support her if she tried to convince Stone that both Brad and Marcus could join her on the first pod.

  A lyrical chime interrupted the doctor and a commchip popped into the box alongside the table.

  “Ahh, that’ll likely be your results, Darla.”

  She gestured with an open hand. “Please, you can do the honors, Professor Stone.”

  Stone retrieved the chip and placed it into the spinner. The hologram lit up the room.

  “Congratulations, my dear,” Stone said after several moments. “You’ve done very well. The new station will be off to an excellent start! Twin embryos. Females. Fraternal…and, from DNA analysis, it appears one was fathered by each donor male. That will make choosing more difficult. Had they both been fathered by a single donor, you’d have selected the father to accompany you of necessity. Proven fertilization makes for likely repeated success.” He turned to her and gave her a fatherly look. “Now your choice is more vexed.”

  Darla’s whole body went hot, then cold, before her hands slid downward to cover her belly. Twin daughters! She’d never imagined it would happen to her. She’d always been a researcher…the gravity of motherhood hadn’t really entered her mind until this moment. She had to swallow hard to keep the sudden well of emotion from erupting outward.

  “We could go with my earlier suggestion of taking both,” she said deliberately avoiding their other dinner companion. “If Dr. Foster prefers to stay behind anyway…”

  She darted a surreptitious look at Foster, who appeared to be smiling his encouragement. He opened his mouth to speak, but Stone jumped in before he could utter a word.

  “I’m sorry, Darla, but that is impossible.”

  He said no more and Darla didn’t challenge him. He had his reasons, she knew. And no matter how unpalatable, she had to abide by his decision.

  “Well,” she sighed. “I don’t think I can choose. Who do you think is a better match, doctor?”

  Stone glanced across at Foster, who seemed miles away, and raised one eyebrow in question.

  “Oh, ah, you want my opinion?” Foster muttered before lapsing into another moment of silence. “As I see it, the dilemma is this. Nord DNA has proven stronger on Titan in terms of live female births, but we won’t know if this will also be true for our new colony. Determining the reason that NatAm births are more vulnerable here is one of the lines of research I am following and might have a bearing on future missions. On Ganymede, the NatAm DNA is dominant even though the overall population is much lower. So scientifically, this will be an unknown. But culturally, if we are to preserve NatAm DNA on stations like Titan, we’d be best choosing such a specimen. Both choices are valid.”

  Stone studied the hologram again. “Survival of the species outranks racial and cultural considerations, however. On current evidence, if you don’t have a preference, Marcus Olsen must be the first choice. I will inform the men if you’d prefer.”

  Darla nodded, she’d been wondering how she was going to break the news. Earlier, after their latest encounter, Darla had been more confused than ever. As her hand crept down to her abdomen to the place where new life was even now growing, she resented the fact that she’d have to separate two men who obviously cared about each other, and who she’d come to care about.

  This choice will hurt them all. If only…

  Chapter Five

  It was dark, but she felt his presence anyway. She knew he’d come to her—he wouldn’t be able to resist. His heat floated across the room to wrap around her skin like a tender caress. But she also knew that this was an illusion. Tenderness was not on his mind. He was angry with her. Tenderness could never be on his mind because she’d shattered the future. She wondered if Stone had informed them of her pregnancy, and their paternity.

  She waited for his first touch, lust and hurt each vying for supremacy in her confused mind.

  It came in the form of a long, slow sweep of his splayed fingers that ranged up her back, along her spine, and came to rest at the base of her neck. The tingles it caused almost made her cry out from the sheer sensuality of it. The heat in his hand would have burned her had she not already been so hot herself. She’d been unable to sleep—the humidity of the night of the second eclipse permeated the whole station and she’d lain there for what seemed like hours, waiting for him to exact his revenge.

  She knew, even as his fingertips drifted back down her spine, she should be fighting her desire and sending him away. The decision was made, no matter what she felt.

  But all she could do was sigh when his hand came to rest on the swell of her backside above the line of her panties.

  He sat beside her, the settee dipping as his weight crowded her. She could feel his sleek, bare legs as his thigh came to rest alongside her hip. Her breath caught when his hand moved to trace the edge of her panties. He ran his fingertips back and forth till goose bumps rose across her skin.

  “What do you want?” She tried to make her voice sound demanding, but it came out weak and uncertain.

  He laughed and slipped one finger under the edge to slide slowly down the crevice between her buttocks. She stiffened and tried to turn.

  “Don’t move,” he commanded as he leaned over her. “You already know what I want. It’s what you want—what you’ve wanted every time we’ve been together.” His finger slid lower and she clenched her ass cheeks in an attempt to prevent him finding access.

  “Now, now,” he whispered in warning. “Relax—fight me and you’ll get more than either of us bargained for.”

  Again she tried to turn, but he lowered himself over her and pressed an open-mouthed kiss on her shoulder. “Stay exactly where you are—I guarantee we’ll both enjoy ourselves more than ever before.” With that he pushed the tip of his finger into her ass and she nearly leapt off the narrow couch. Her whole bottom quivered at the unfamiliar invasion, but at the same time she felt juice spurt from the place where she really wanted his finger to be. She groaned.

  “Yes, that’s it—I knew you’d like that.”

  His mouth worked up to the back of her neck as his finger slid slowly in and out her anus. Then there were two fingers, moving in a slow rhythm, each time pushing deeper and harder. Then suddenly they were gone and again she groaned—this time at the loss of sensation.

  “Don’t worr
y, we haven’t finished yet.” He began peeling her panties down. “Lift,” he ordered. And she found herself doing it as if she had no volition of her own. She needed to separate her legs slightly as he dragged the panties down her thighs and suddenly his mouth, warm and wet, was on her bottom. He drew his teeth over her cheek then his tongue licked the place he’d grazed. She had to bite her lip not to squeal when his tongue darted into the crevice and touched her anus so suddenly it was gone almost before she registered the fact.

  “You like that,” he declared, as his fingers and tongue began to work in tandem. He pressed his thumb inside, and again she felt the shock of invasion. No one had done this to her before and she wasn’t altogether sure she was enjoying it.

  “Please, can I turn over now?” she asked in a soft plea.

  “Soon,” he murmured as he slid his other fingers farther down to fill her core. The sensation of his thumb in her ass and his fingers in her channel nearly drove her crazy and she began arching against his hand, wanting to have his fingers deeper inside and out of her at the same time.

  He swiveled around and lay beside her, half on top of her, and she felt how hard and big he was as he pressed against her thigh. She wanted to hold him, to feel him, but the way he had her positioned she was unable to move, and the rhythm he had set inside her robbed her of the strength to argue. She felt like she was melting. With each slide of his fingers she found herself arching more. She wanted him to touch her clit—that was all it would take to send her screaming over the edge, but he wouldn’t do it. Each time she curved up to his hand he pulled back and instead pushed his thumb deeper into her ass. The muscles there tightened and quivered and she thought she might come anyway, just from the rawness of the sensation.

  He moved over her farther, pressing his weight on her back and she felt his thick rod pressing at her back entrance. She moaned deep in her throat and arched back in invitation.