Drift - 02 - Endless Shadow

Story by Leo_Todrius on SoFurry

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#2 of DRIFT

Commissioned and conceived by dariuswhitefur

Written by Leo_Todrius

Isolated, stranded, adrift through the cosmos...

Dustin Steinbar is an explorer cut off from his people, clinging to his love of exploration, his natural curiosity and the desire to stay alive. There is no telling where he might up or what interaction he might have with the cultures he comes across. Only one thing is certain - he lives on, hoping for a new place to call home, someone to love, or a fresh discovery to embolden his exploring spirit.


This is a bit meatier of a chapter. We delve deeper into the mythos, see more alien races and meet some fairly menacing folks. Very intriguing chapter to write!


_ DRIFT _ (Endless Shadow) Written by Leo_Todrius Commissioned by Dariuswhitefur

[January 31st, 2092]

Quiet silence and a psychedelic view... it was the eerie existence of traveling in quantum phase. Even traveling faster than light, it was hours or even days between stars. It gave Dustin a lot of time to think, as well as a lot of time to do things unrelated to thinking. Dustin rested in his command chair on the Drake's bridge, leaning back, panting gently as he maneuvered a blade of an aloe plant above his groin, squeezing carefully. The blade began to ooze its clear juices down onto a very red, very irritated, very aroused canine member... a member with no protective sheath.

It had been months since Dustin left Thola but his body hadn't reverted anymore. He was no longer quite human. His short cropped blond hair did nothing to hide the hairless canine ears extending back and up at a slight angle. His wiry, thin body was now quite hairy. His chest was covered in so much hair it essentially was a patch of fur that remained from his transformation, but his arms and legs weren't much behind.

Dustin would have accepted the changes with relish if not for one thing. Canine cocks didn't soften, they retracted into a sheath when not in use. Without a sheath to protect it, he was always horny and always sensitive. Thankfully the aloe provided a recourse from both. Dustin moaned gently as the cooling salve flowed down his rod, his green eyes slipping shut. Dustin curled his hand around his cock, sliding it up and down, stroking himself off with the aloe acting as lube.

The human's mouth slowly parted as he panted, his tongue hanging out over his lips as he worked his man meat more, lifting his hips up into it, hearing the wet squelching of his hand and cock coming together. Soon the base of the tapered cock began to swell, the two sides bulging out like a tennis ball cut in half. The knot felt amazing, though Dustin wished he had someone to share it with. He tried to ignore the fact that he'd been all but banished from Thola, imagining running with the dogs in the field, humping each other and sniffing butts at the finest cocktail parties. It would have been an interesting life...

Dustin groaned, feeling his orgasm build, his brain tingling and his cock throbbing until it all came together in a moment of blinding brilliance. His balls tugged up, his shaft pulsed and yellowed canine sperm sprayed out across his stomach and chest, staining his shirt. Dustin couldn't help but to keep his mouth open, catching a few salty, musky drops on his tongue. He sighed in relief, going limp in the chair. He may have longed for a boyfriend but at least he could manage himself right.

As most men tended to do, Dustin began to surrender to the looming unconsciousness that came with orgasm. The blood had left his brain and there wasn't enough to focus. Rather than forcing the blood to return, Dustin started to relax, going limp, glad that his ship had artificial gravity. Cleaning cum out of the instruments would have been an impossible task.

The minutes passed and everything remained in silence. An aurora of green and blue splashed across the windows as the Drake pushed through the interstellar medium, though one small screen on the control panel snapped on, waking from its slumber. While many of the ship's systems now relied on the architect technology given to Dustin by the Guardians, the ship's radio receiver was still autonomous.

What had triggered the receiver was clear. Out of the general haze and static of the universe, specific pulses were emerging. They had patterns and rhythms. The computer began its analysis, but before the tones were translated, there was more data. Wave patterns appeared on the screen, then stereo outputs and finally fuzzy video images that were badly decayed. It was like fast forwarding through the development of a civilization.

"SETI protocols have been activated. Initializing broad spectrum analysis. Redundant pathways to archival data opened. Data cache temporarily expanded." The soft, automated male voice of the Drake announced. Dustin's eyes snapped open in shock as he looked around in confusion. More of the control panel screens were turning on, though many simply flashed the Seti symbol. Dustin sat up in his chair, wiping the cum off of his chin as he realized what had happened, grinning.

Dustin reached out, checking the data logs, his grin growing brighter and brighter. While the Guardians had given him a cursory guide to the child races out there, the Drake had stumbled onto the fringes of a society they had not been looking for. Decades, even centuries of broadcasts had been radiating out into space and the Drake had plowed through them faster than the speed of light. They had radio, television, even wireless internet data that spilled out into the cosmos from powerful satellites.

"Interstellar medium cleared." Drake stated. Dustin looked up to see the aurora of dust fade away as the ship dropped back below the speed of light. They had pushed through the void between solar systems before arriving in the safe space orbiting a star. The Drake's systems began scanning the solar system, the screen showing a red giant star and fourteen planets. Only two planets fell into the habitable zone for life and one of those was barely on the fringes. Thankfully the signals that the Drake had intercepted came from the fifth planet.

"Well hello there..." Dustin murmured softly, pushing his shaft carefully into his pants before zipping up. The Drake had adjusted course, drifting toward the fifth planet. As they approached, the sensors gave more useful data about the planet itself. Dustin swallowed gently, "Drake, planetary profile." He whispered.

"Breathable gasses nominal. Radiation and contaminants higher than normal but within acceptable parameters. Planet body is tidally locked to resident star, resulting in higher geothermal reactions. Strong evidence for technologically advanced civilization." Drake rattled off. Dustin coughed a bit in surprise. A tidally locked planet, it was the stuff of imagination. One side of the planet always faced the sun, one side always faced away and in the middle there was an eternal strip of dusk.

"Have they sent any transmission yet?" Dustin asked.

"There are so many transmissions emanating from the planet that it is difficult to sort through them all... but... only one message has been repeated numerous times. Displaying." Drake replied. One of the screens crackled before filling with a crystal clear, high definition image of a humanoid alien. His skin was midnight blue and instead of hair, his scalp seemed to extend to a mane of rubbery blue dreadlocks. Neon yellow eyes blinked and nostril slits flared.

"Repeat: Unidentified ship, you must submit your LL-225 Discourse paperwork or vacate this stellar system. You have twenty units to respond." The alien stated. Dustin reached over, opening a channel.

"Drake to, um, controller. Message received and understood." Dustin replied. The alien signal disappeared, replaced with a data stream. Some of the blue crystalline edges around the computer console glowed faintly before going dormant again. The screen in front of Dustin filled with the details of a form. Dustin beamed, "Paperwork... The first sign of an advanced culture." Dustin murmured, moving to start filling out the form as fast as he could. He was excited to do what needed to be done in order to land on the planet beyond, discovering an alien race for the first time on his own terms. ****

The approach to the planet and entry into its atmosphere had been amazing for Dustin. The dark side of the planet was glacial, the light side having small seas of lava and vast deserts... and in the center of it all was a ring of civilization living in eternal shadows and constant wind. The Drake had fought a rather impressive head wind just to reach the Port he had been directed to, but it made sense. Air from the hot side of the planet naturally drifted to the cold.

The Drake's ramp hummed gently as it lowered, the steps folding up into place. Dustin had seen a lot on his approach, but nothing compared to the first view with his own eyes. He moved down the steps, setting foot onto the landing platform before he turned and looked at the vast city beyond him. There were towers of steel and glass, glowing with their own internal lights. There were neon signs and holographic advertisements. Space ships zipped through the atmosphere while down lower monorail like vehicles moved around seamlessly suspended from elevated tracks.

As impressive as the city was, however, Dustin's eyes had drifted to the locals... and a sight he had not expected at all. While he saw several aliens with the head tentacles like the one he had contacted about his paperwork, there were other species as well walking across causeways and bridges, sitting on benches in artificial parks spanning the gap between buildings. The planet wasn't just advanced, it was a cultural nexus for multiple worlds. Dustin moved forward, intent on heading deeper into the wide world before him.

"Welcome to Io, may your stay be prosperous and enlightening." Came a faintly artificial sounding voice. Dustin turned, gasping as he saw the source of the voice. Standing at the edge of the platform was a metallic skinned, glowing blue eyed artificial being emblazoned with the symbol of a sphere with two arrows curving around it. Dustin gazed at the being, watching the wind whip around black ribbed tubes that hung from his head like a simulation of the native species' head tentacles.

"I'm Dustin Steinbar, an explorer." Dustin said with excitement.

"Welcome Dustin Steinbar, explorer. If there is anything you would like to know, please ask." The android replied. Dustin nearly missed the android's question, studying how well articulated his mouth was and yet how basic his eye ports and nose slits were.

"Can you give me a brief synopsis of Io's function in the galaxy?" Dustin asked. He had experience with trying to get specific answers out of Artificial Intelligence units.

"Io is the technological jewel of the child races. While most worlds were seeded with class one architect technology to aid evolution, Io possesses a class three core, allowing us to advance at a much faster rate. A core dictate of Chut culture is to share access to what we have, and thus Io's function as the premier interstellar commerce planet evolved." The android said happily.

"So you are Chut?" Dustin asked.

"No, the Chut are Io's native population. The cho are their artificial creations meant to assist those in day to day life. Some consider the Cho to be a grandchild race to the Architects... though studies are still pending on our classification." The android said freely. Dustin grimaced at that. Android rights was not an issue he had expected to come across. Still, he was on a commerce planet... and it had been some time since he had a chance to go shopping.

"What currency do the marketplaces use?" Dustin asked.

"Galatic Udo are accepted as universal currency, however the bulk of Io's business is conducted with negotiations of practical resources ranging from base elements to fabricated creations." The android replied.

"Well, I guess I better see if I have anything onboard that you guys don't have much of..." Dustin grinned. The android did not respond to that comment. Dustin took a breath before heading back to the ship. He had to have something of value... What good was it to visit the galaxy's best mall and not be able to buy anything? As Dustin moved back to the ship, the android turned to watch him go.

"Thank you for visiting Io." The android said simply. ****

The monorail swept across the surface with silence and ease, the trip so relaxing it threatened to lull Dustin into a slumber... but he was still too excited. Over night he'd become relatively rich, at least for the moment. The key to Dustin's success had come in the form of Palladium, a metal that had been so sought after in Io's past that almost all traces of it had been used up. Even a small amount from the Drake would be enough to revitalize older technologies for posterity. For Dustin it meant having the means to shop.

Dustin had been traveling south for almost a half hour when the monorail slowed to a stop. He had already filled his cargo hold with exotic alien plants, foods and a small assortment of electronics. Each trip took him further away from the Drake, but there was so much to see. Dustin rose to his feet and moved to the door, waiting for them to open before he emerged into the largest marketplace yet.

A wave of sound hit Dustin all at once, the sound of a thousand people talking at once. It was a stark contrast to the silent monorail trip, but more than that, the wave of sound came with a dull, throbbing ache in the back of Dustin's head. It sounded like a mish-mash of sounds, clicks and warbles. The pain in Dustin's head intensified for a moment before it simply faded away. Dustin took a breath and lifted his head again, realizing the sea of sound was now a sea of English.

Dustin was well aware of the translator implant the Guardians had given him. He just never realized it would have to catch up to all the distinct languages spoken in a place like this. He was relieved the pain was gone at least. Dustin moved forward again, looking around at everyone that had gathered. Even if he had no money, seeing the variety of people there would have been its own reward.

The human passed several Chut and their Cho androids, he even saw some canine Tholans moving about with their tails held high... but there were other beings as well. One particular gruff looking alien stood at six feet and five inches tall, a short muzzle on his face with a black nose. Dark grayish brown fur covered most of his body but he had a thicker, bushier light brown fuzz along his jaw line almost like a beard. What made him most impressive to Dustin, though, was that instead of hair, sharp looking porcupine like quills pushed out of the back of his head, continuing down his neck and back and getting even more dangerous as they grew. Even the alien's clothes were tailored to expose all his quills.

Dustin moved past the porcupine alien, so entranced that he bumped into someone else. He turned to see bright yellow eyes, whiskers, a pink triangular nose and a wide grin. A sandpapery tongue licked plump, pink lips as a gentle purring came out of the feline's chest... a chest covered with eight ample, rounded breasts barely contained by a nine piece bikini. The feline's tail whipped about behind her.

"Like what you see?" She asked.

"Uh, very nice, but sadly no time." Dustin said, trying to skirt past. The feline seemed disappointed but continued to strut her stuff, moving around. Dustin glanced over her shoulder, watching her go before he stopped, trying to take in his surroundings more. He stood in what was for all intents and purposes an indoor amphitheater but instead of having people in the stands, they had merchants and holographic displays. Three story tall columns of light portrayed what was being sold, allowing customers to walk up and make offers on anything and everything they wanted.

Dustin walked around, seeing sales for space ships, metals, food, toys... but back in one corner he saw something familiar. Dustin pushed past several aliens, trying not to step on any toes or tails or fins before he came up to the base of the display. He gazed up with green eyes at the larger than life projection of a crystal cube. While it could have appeared to be a cube etched with sharp lines, Dustin knew that it was much more than that... The crystal was capable of emitting energy, the lines were integrated circuits and it was impossibly complicated.

"What we have here, gentlemen, is a Class zed Architect genetic builder. Safe, stable, reuseable. This particular trinket hales from Hekarr, used to seed the planet those many aeons ago. But why, why do you want this, you might ask yourself? Perhaps you are a Hweo, far away from home... You've dabbled in the genetic markets, you've changed a few too many things and it is time for the annual nesting. You can't go home to mother with those extra arms... This device will let you reset yourself." The merchant grinned wide.

Dustin looked around, trying to see who reacted. It was the porcupine aliens that seemed to respond the most favorably to the sales pitch. Dustin guessed they were the Hweo from Hekarr, though he had no idea what the annual nesting was. He looked back at the Chut merchant, occasionally looking at the hologram of the device itself. He'd learned about the classes of Architech, how each step up allowed the technology to evolve itself into better, faster, more complex systems. The fact that the gene builder was a class zero meant that it was inert, unchanging. Perhaps that was part of the appeal.

"Or, perhaps, you're another race... A Saguine that dreams of a body that's a little more solid, a Ferra wanting to be a little tougher. This Gene builder is a chance to have a fresh start, a clean template as a Hweo. There isn't a bad way to use this, the only question is how much? Opening bid is fourteen thousand Udo." The merchant said. Dustin's heart sank. He had less than fourteen hundred Udo left to his name. So much for feeling rich.

"Oh, I know that face..." came a silky, deep voice that caused goosebumps to stand up on Dustin's skin. Dustin turned, looking at who had addressed him. The being that approached was unlike any others he had seen in the market place. He stood a few inches taller than Dustin, at least six foot two. His skin was the color of carbon and his long hair was as silver as platinum, tied back into a loose ponytail.

As if those features weren't unique enough, the man had glowing purple eyes with horizontal iris like those of a goat. His black, muscled arms were traced over with tattoos that glowed a bright, radiant blue light. They almost matched the opaque blue horns that rose from his temples, curving out and up just a little. The figure came to a stop a few inches from Dustin, gazing into his eyes and Dustin couldn't help but gaze back, at least until he felt a pressure on his leg. Dustin looked down, watching a black tail with a demonic looking spade tip curl around his ankle. A clawed finger reached out, lifting Dustin's chin back up so they were eye to eye. Dustin couldn't help but imagine the man as some sort of demonic drow.

"It's the look of someone that lost the auction before they even started... But you don't need to be rich to have fun, though from your appearance I suspect you already know that." The man grinned, reaching to stroke one of Dustin's ears. Dustin couldn't stop himself from moaning before he blushed. Despite the pleasure, he knew a pitch when he heard one.

"I take it you offer fun like that?" Dustin asked. The dark skinned man shrugged.

"Offer is a bit of a strong word. Consider me more of a guide, but then again it looks like you've stumbled across some changes I've never seen before. Tholan ears, the soft innocent face of a sanguine, but what... There's something indefinable about you." The man said, entranced by Dustin. Dustin swallowed a bit.

"Before we get into my life's story, how about introductions? I'm Dustin Steinbar, and explorer." Dustin said. The dark skin man grinned.

"I am Elixzar Utikomtrey, at your service." The drow like man introduced, though the last name gave Dustin a pang of a headache. He wasn't sure, but he had a distinct feeling the translator implant had to work harder to make that string of sounds intelligible.

"Do you have a nickname?" Dustin asked hopefully.

"You could call me Elix maybe, or Zar..." Elixzar offered. Dustin beamed.

"I like Zar, like the Czars of Europe." Dustin said, though when Elixzar looked baffled, he blushed, "Supreme monarchs from my world's distant past, like a king or... president?" Dustin offered, hoping the idea would translate. Elixzar gave a sheepish, surprised smile.

"Like a king... No one's ever considered me in those terms before. I kind of like it. Zar it is." Elixzar replied. Dustin was so relieved he'd stabilized the situation, but with that stress gone it gave him enough time to think.

"So you're an expert in genetic changes?" Dustin asked. Zar puffed up his black chest, making it rather apparent through his black and blue shirt that he had a double set of pectoral muscles.

"More than just an expert. I've spent three years navigating the genetic black markets, as well as the more official fare out here." Zar said.

"So it isn't all just Architech? More than just inert gene builders with a locked change?" Dustin asked. Zar chuckled a bit.

"Oh they aren't all inert, the viceroy of Vortalla just bought a class four gene builder. Programmable, modifiable, built in with a genetic reset option even if you don't have a sample of untampered DNA. Went for the price of a large moon though. But yeah, only the expensive stuff is Architech. But... you don't know about the black market?" Zar asked. Dustin took a soft breath.

"I'm not from... around here, I'm from the forbidden planet." Dustin whispered. Zar's eyes shot wide and his jaw dropped, revealing much to Dustin's surprise that he had a glowing blue forked tongue. Zar quickly tried to recover.

"Do you know how much your template could be worth?" he whispered.

"It's already tampered with, Tholan..." Dustin replied. Zar shrugged.

"They don't have to know that... Take enough samples, sell them spread out enough. It'll be the next best thing to a Utopian pay day." Zar said with excitement. Dustin had to admit, he liked Zar's energy and enthusiasm and despite knowing he was trying to finagle a buck, he liked being around him.

"So on this black market, do you get to pick specific changes? Cause... I'm looking to do a specific modification, sort of a sheath." Dustin admitted. He was tired of his cock being exposed all the time. Dustin smirked.

"Of course... I mean you got your pick. Tholan sheath, Hweo sheath, Ferra sheath, or even a designer sheath... I mean they even have some Cho tech that makes it vibrate in there." Zar chuckled. Dustin grimaced at that.

"I think I spend enough of my time aroused." Dustin blurted. Zar slowly grinned more at that, licking his lips.

"Do you now?" he asked. Dustin blushed.

"Well, not just that change. What about... I don't know, piercings? Maybe some cool stuff like your... your..." Dustin was interrupted by a long yawn and then a slight whimper before he shook his head, "Your tattoos?" he asked. Zar disregarded the question for the moment, looking at the human.

"What hour are you at?" Zar asked. Dustin looked confused.

"You mean what time is it?" Dustin asked. Zar smirked.

"You are a real off-worlder. This planet doesn't rotate, there is no night and day, there is no set shift for people to be awake. How long have you been awake?" Zar asked. Dustin reached into his utility vest and fished around before coming out with his small tablet computer, checking the ship's chronometer.

"Oh wow... twenty three hours." He murmured. Zar considered. While not an extremely long time, he knew every world and species was different.

"Where is your ship?" Zar asked.

"Uh... pretty far away." Dustin replied. He liked Zar, but he didn't want to give anyone the idea of stealing the Drake to piece it out for parts. Zar shrugged a bit.

"Well, if we are to be partners, you're welcome to sleep at my place." Zar said, offering a hand. Dustin was surprised by the rather universal gesture before he reached out and took it, moving to shake it. What Dar did instead was pull on the hand until Dustin fell into him, allowing the drow to lean down and kiss him.

Dustin was caught off guard by the kiss, but even more by the incredibly sweet, honey like saliva that oozed into his mouth. He took a small swallow and then a larger gulp. Zar pulled back slowly, a string of honey connecting their lips before Zar licked his and smiled, turning to lead Dustin to the monorail. Dustin followed after, almost entranced by just what surprises his new partner had.

"So what species are you?" Dustin asked as they moved. Zar tensed a little at that.

"It's a long story, one I think we better save for after you get a little rest." Zar said. Another monorail pulled to a stop, the doors opening. Zar lead Dustin on and the two moved over to the bench, settling down. Dustin lifted his head to take one last view at the marketplace. The doors slid shut and all the sound of a thousand voices died away as the marketplace slid out of view, replaced by open cityscape.

All Dustin could hear was the faint hum of the engine and the wind blowing across the side of the monorail. He looked out at the horizon, a horizon looking ever like dawn with a gleaming edge of gold. Wind turbines spun gently from tower tops, collecting what energy the vast network of solar collectors didn't on the bright side of Io. The sudden quiet, the comfort and the beauty were all too much for Dustin. His green eyes had heavy lids as he struggled to stay awake, eventually failing as his eyes closed and his head rested against Zar's shoulder. The demon drow reached up, petting Dustin's short blond hair, smiling to himself at how adorable his new friend was. ****

Dustin hadn't had such a good sleep in months, perhaps ever since he left Earth. He had been lost to the world, but eventually his consciousness returned. The first thing that filled his mind was the sensation of sleeping on a cloud, holding him aloft without any pressure. Then came the sinfully slick silk sheet draped over him. Dustin was used to sleeping with more covers, but he wasn't uncomfortable at all. The room was quite toasty warm... and then Dustin realized he didn't know what room he was in.

His green eyes snapped open and he looked around quickly. He was in what seemed to be a one room rectangular apartment. The wall to his right was a digital display, showing a live feed of a vast and hot desert lined with arrays of solar collectors glinting silver in the reddish orange light. The wall to Dustin's left was also a display, showing a vast mural of an expansive beach with turquoise waters and ivory buildings. Whatever it was, it wasn't Io.

Dustin sat up slowly, the sheet sliding down his bare torso. He turned, looking at the wall the bed was against. It was a window overlooking massive support columns keeping the interwoven layers of the city up, but even on the lower levels there was just as much light and a stream of monorails moving around. Dustin took a breath and turned, slowly smacking his lips, tasting a faint remaining sweetness to his lips. That was when he remembered the kiss.

The human wrapped his arms around his stomach, hugging himself a bit in memory of it all... of Zar. He sighed wistfully before he continued to examine the apartment. The wall opposite the bed was blank, a dark brown. There were slots that appeared to be something like a sink, maybe a microwave or a clothes washer. There were network cables running all over the floor and a book case full of little vials of distilled liquids. Dustin was about to slip out of bed when the door shifted from opaque to transparent and Zar stepped through the barrier, carrying a box. He glanced up with his glowing purple eyes, grinning again.

"You're up, I'm glad." Zar said, "Do Forbiddens usually sleep that long, or were you just catching up?" Zar asked. Dustin looked around before he saw his vest on the dresser. He reached over and pulled out the tablet, spotting the time clock at first, though the Drake had broadcasted a system update as well.

"No, thirteen hours is excessive. I must have been catching up." Dustin replied, "And my ship filled its database... I guess it is as curious as I am, but that means I have to add more data storage to my grocery list." Dustin mused, hesitating, "And my race calls themselves Human."

"Pleased to meet you, my human friend." Zar grinned, setting the box down. He opened it up and started pulling out more vials, setting them on the shelf before he set what looked like a transparent Chinese food box of metal rings off to the side. Dustin slipped out of bed, moving over in just his blue jeans, lifting up the box to examine it. There were gold and silver, chrome and black, jewel encrusted and etched. There seemed to be every sort of ring and plugs as well.

"So you said your species was a long story?" Dustin asked after a moment. Zar looked over, his brows lowering a bit.

"I don't know, you might be just as curious as your ship." Zar smirked.

"Well, if you're not ready to tell me about that yet, tell me something else about you then. What's the artwork on the wall here?" Dustin asked. Zar grinned a bit at that, setting his crate down before moving over.

"It's an artist's rendition of the planet Utopia. I suppose in a way, your world and Utopia share a similar fate. Both are off limits to all the child races, but while yours is forbidden by the ancients, Utopia is forbidden by all of the species in the agreement." Zar said.

"But it looks so beautiful..." Dustin murmured. Zar nodded.

"I am sure it is, and it certainly was. Utopia was one of the first worlds seeded by the Architects. It was an ocean world, rich with resources. Their culture thrived and because their technology had to work in the vacuum of space and the extreme pressures of the ocean, they had better shielding than any other species. Their ships were considered to be invulnerable... but they died out, the only child race to go extinct. Whatever killed them made the other races quarantine the planet. No one is allowed there, but... I still can dream." Zar smiled.

"Dream of what?" Dustin asked.

"Going there, finding just one ship. I'd be set for life, no more scraping or scrounging ever again." Zar said. Dustin smiled at that.

"It isn't a bad dream. Maybe one day they'll lift the quarantine, you can be one of the first to go there and make your fortune." Dustin smiled.

"Maybe so, but today we start making our own fortune. Are you up for a quick trip to the gene bank and then the black market?" Zar asked.

"As long as it means getting myself a sheath and maybe some other fun souvenirs, I'm all for it." Dustin paused, "Do you think they sell extra doses?"

"Are you going to give someone else a sheath too?" Zar asked in surprise.

"I could explain, but it's a long story." Dustin smirked, holding the explanation of his genetic drift as ransom.

"Fair enough. Maybe when we're ready we'll swap tales." Zar said fairly.

"And maybe more saliva." Dustin said dreamily. Zar chuckled at that, heading to the door. Dustin lingered behind just long enough to dig through the box of rings before he pulled out three gold hoop earrings and slid them into his pocket, jogging to catch up to Zar. ****

While the upper levels of Io were fit together like a lattice of steel, glass and cement, the lower levels seemed to be catacombs carved into silicate stone. The tunnels were long and vast networks of stores and residences filled out the space. While the lower levels were less awe inspiring, they were no less vibrant. Holographic advertisements littered the walls, save for where ultraviolet graffiti interrupted the projectors. Just as on the surface, countless species mingled together, though Zar had taken Dustin to a notably less savory neighborhood... not that Dustin was complaining.

While feeling less safe for his own well being, he couldn't help but look at the aliens that populated the black market. Many had glowing tattoos like Zar, though each species took it their own direction. Some of the Chut had glowing head tentacles while one Hweo had managed to convert every quill on his body to bio-luminescence. Members of the reptilian species, the Rax, had given themselves glowing horns and tails. In addition to the tattoos, there were piercings galore with rings and plugs and spikes through eyebrows, nostrils, nose slits, lips, ears and even a few horns. For the first time since leaving Thola, Dustin started to feel rather plain.

"Are we almost there?" Dustin asked hopefully. Zar chuckled again.

"Eager to become something new?" Zar asked.

"Well, I want to fit in a bit more, maybe try on some of these earrings from your place." Dustin said, sliding them out of his pocket. Zar glanced at them before smirking.

"You picked those out yourself?" Zar asked.

"Yeah, why?" Dustin asked, wondering if they had some meaning.

"Three is just a lucky number. Well, a number for getting lucky... It's complicated. Want me to put them on you?" Zar questioned.

"Don't we need a piercing parlor or something?" Dustin asked. Zar looked confused. Dustin decided to clarify, "A place to make the hole in my ear to put them through?"

"Oh no, they haven't had to do that in hundreds of years... Which ear do you want them in?" Zar asked. Dustin thought back to the old traditions of earth, the meaning of placement, the nearly forgotten taboo of being gay.

"I want them all in my right ear." Dustin grinned. Zar nodded at that, guiding Dustin back against the wall. Dustin gasped as he was backed through a hologram, feeling a faint tingling across his back and sides. Zar took the rings from Dustin's hand and moved, sliding his finger along one edge until a gap formed. Zar brought it up, sliding it into place on Dustin's right ear. Dustin took a breath, steadying himself for the pain before Zar let go. The earring closed, puncturing Dustin's flesh, but instead of pain there was a strange rush of adrenaline and a pleasant stiffness, almost as if his ear was momentarily aroused. It was hard to describe, but the stiffness and arousal in his ear translated into a trickle of pleasure down his spine until Dustin was forced to adjust his pants a bit.

"One down." Zar smiled, moving on.

"What the... the fuck? Why does that feel good?" Dustin panted.

"Did you want it to not?" Zar questioned.

"No, it's just... even this is advanced." Dustin murmured. Zar grinned at that, moving to slide the next one into place. Dustin leaned against the wall in a haze of projected light and energy, breathing slowly, feeling a sense of euphoria. His eyes scanned the far wall, seeing advertisements for what seemed to be a popular drink, for trinkets, even a wanted poster for a lizard, though it was hard to see his features since he had a muzzle on and blinders over his eyes. Even the threat of such unsavory characters seemed limited as the second hoop earring sunk into his skin, then finally the third.

"How's that?" Zar asked gently.

"Wonderful..." Dustin murmured. Zar smirked at that, reaching up to flick the earrings. They jangled together before swinging to a stop again. Dustin shuddered, his canine cock feeling quite ready to go. He looked at Zar, about to pounce him when Zar suddenly went stiff, turning to look down the tunnel. His eyes widened.

"Not here, not now..." Zar murmured, looking at Dustin before he grabbed his wrist and tugged him along. Dustin was yanked out of his euphoria as the two all but rushed down the tunnel. Dustin had never seen Zar anxious like that, though he hadn't known him for very long. Zar's eyes eventually settled on a small alcove of an empty shop. Zar pulled Dustin into the nook and pulled tight. Dustin was about to ask a question but decided it was likely safer to stay silent.

For a moment, Dustin heard absolutely nothing. The hall was silent, unoccupied... but then came a tapping, the tapping of something hard like plastic or metal on cement. The tapping grew louder, echoing down the hallway, coming closer and closer. Zar closed his eyes and even seemed to hold his breath. Dustin didn't know if he should do the same, but his eyes widened as a long shadow fell across the cement before them... and then the shadow caster moved past the alcove.

The only word that came to Dustin's mind was insect... But on a scale Dustin had never seen before. The massive creature was covered in black chittinous exo-skeleton plates, covering everything from his mantis like head with four yellow goat like eyes to his sharp mandibles, all the way down his chest and thorax tipped with a scorpion like barb. While less humanoid than the other child races Dustin had seen, there was a vague semblance of humanity in the alignment of the head and torso, but even that had significant changes.

The insect had four arms extending from a double set of pectoral plates on his chest, as well as four legs centered on his long thorax. The only trace of hair was a silver Mohawk extending through the armor on his mantis like head. His mandibles chattered for a moment as he seemed to sniff the air before moving on, heading down the tunnel before the sounds disappeared. After a few moments Zar exhaled and then gasped for breath. Dustin was stiff.

"What was that thing?!" Dustin asked in a harsh whisper. Zar grimaced.

"That... is a Kadian, like me." Zar murmured. Dustin looked dubious. Zar sighed, "I told you it was a long story... I was banished from my home, forbidden to ever return, but when they cast e out they did more than take my homeland. They took my extra arms, they took my exoskeleton, they took my identity... And I figured without that, I might as well have fun with my body, turn it into something truly mine." Zar explained. Dustin felt an ache, a sorrow and sympathy, but beyond everything else, he knew the pain of losing one's home world.

"I'm... exiled from my home too. The Guardians forbade me to return, said I'd contaminate my culture with knowledge of what was out here. It was exploration or death." Dustin explained. Zar smiled a bit.

"I like what you picked, and not just because I got to meet you." Zar said with a smile before he brushed his hands together, "Now, enough with this reminiscing. Let's get you to the design suite." Zar grinned. ****

Dustin had been a little surprised how much like a tattoo parlor the design suite was. He'd been escorted into a room with pictures of satisfied customers on the wall. There were posters and books of designs to choose from, though they were designs for body parts as well as tattoos. Dustin had been escorted to the chair by a Hweo artisan, the porcupine man looking rather manly. His quills had red tips to them, managing to wear what looked like a gray sleeveless wife beater shirt. It showed off his furry gray arms which pulsed with ribbons of red light, though Dustin was drawn to his face more than anything.

The artisan reminded Dustin of a pet gerbil or hamster... gone bad ass. He had fifteen silver piercings in his furry, pointed ears, ranging from a ladder of rings to a thick bar through the top of the lobe. His jaw line was covered with bushy brown fur that dropped down into a braided goatee at the chin. A special pair of glasses rested on his muzzle, the orange lenses overlaying his actual view with data from the sensor chair, a chair Dustin was on.

The chair itself was completely transparent and had large panels missing. It was barely more than a frame to support Dustin's weight, but his spine and ass and legs were completely accessible... and naked. Once more, it seemed, Dustin had to strip for his coming change... Not that Zar seemed to mind. Zar had gone first, showing Dustin how easy it was. The Kadian had used his share of the fortune to rework his internal organs to process food easier as well as to massage anything that entered his body. He'd added a few bands of blue tattoos to himself and... much to Dustin's surprise, he'd let the flesh of his cock meat turn from black to an eminent glowing blue. Dustin had been so impressed that he opted to have the same thing done, at least sort of.

"Wow... You really are a unique one, aren't you?" The artisan murmured, circling around Dustin. Dustin watched the buff porcupine, wondering why he wanted to hug him so much, even if that would end in disaster.

"Yeah, but we've got my genetics on file, more or less. Worst comes to worst, maybe we can track down a gene builder." Dustin said.

"I'll give you a gene chip with the record of the changes, in case you need to push any of them back, though it's only possible to go back with some of the smaller changes." The artisan explained. Dustin said nothing, knowing he was the exception to the rule. His only hope was that some of the changes would stick.

"I'm ready whenever you are." Dustin said. Zar grinned at that.

"Ever eager, I like that in my boys..." The artisan murmured, moving to bring the needle closer to Dustin's arm. Dustin worried a bit, not knowing if he should expect euphoria like the earrings or pain like needles usually implied. He hadn't decided what to do before he looked over and realized it was already in his arm, a bubbling cocktail pumping into him. Dustin looked at the insertion point, watching curiously. A faint glowing blue hexagon appeared on his right shoulder, emitting its own light by using phosphorus in his blood stream.

Just as Dustin started to question the symbol, a wave of euphoria washed over him, the human's back arching as his muscles twitched and throbbed. Even his canine cock fattened up, growing more erect than it had been before. As his knot swelled at the base of his meat, his nipples fattened and grew erect as well. Dustin's fingers curled around the edge of the arm rests as he moaned, looking with half lidded eyes at Zar.

Zar grinned and knelt down between Dustin's legs, sliding up closer. His lips parted and his forked tongue emerged, the two tips sliding around to either side of Dustin's shaft. He began to slide the tongue up and down, the forked flesh acting like some sort of soft, wet hand to stroke him. Dustin panted harder, unable to keep his eyes open during the pleasure, even though he knew he was missing the excitement.

The first changes were subtle, starting at Dustin's scalp. His short, almost spiked blond hair turned a faint sea foam green at the base before turning a distinct Persian blue. The color worked from the root to the tips, but it didn't just change his hair to one uniform shade. It had all the highlights and dark spots of real hair, making it look as though he'd been born with cerulean hair... and the hair was just the start.

As if someone had changed the tint to Dustin's body, his hair and fur started to turn blue as well. It started at his extremities, changing the thick hair on his feet and legs, then his arms. It swept inward until only the thick fur on his chest remained blond, then even it shifted to sea foam green and then blue. The coloring was complete, down to every follicle on his body. Zar reached up and traced a hand through his furry blue chest before tweaking one of his nipples.

Dustin gasped out loud, his eyes snapping open. As he gazed at the ceiling, his green eyes shimmered and began to shift, the green in his irises parting as if clouds were being burned off by the sun, revealing a violet purple beneath. Dustin panted hard, a hand lifting to grab onto Zar's head, pulling it tighter to his groin. Zar began to bob his head up and down on the sensitive cock, though he went cross eyed watching the changes start to affect it as well.

After months of having a furious red canine shaft, Dustin's cock flesh was beginning to shift. The skin strengthened a bit, taking on a more rubbery texture despite remaining slick. The red started to darken to a purple, then a blue. For a few moments the color change looked unhealthy, as if the flesh wasn't doing well, but with each slurp from Zar, the cock started to grow brighter - not just in tone, but actually generating its own light. In a few moments Dustin's canine cock was glowing as brightly as Zar's tattoos.

Zar was so turned on by the glowing shaft that he sucked even harder, slurping and suckling as if his life depended on it. His forked tongue teased the tapered cock's urethra, making Dustin mad with pleasure. He panted hard, grunting sharply, but then his ears twitched as a strange new sensation crossed over his groin. There was a pressure, a feeling of looseness and then a new pressure just behind his knot.

New tissue was generating around Dustin's lap, a furry blue sheath growing in at its dormant state. The sheath filled out, stretching around the base of the cock, ready to receive it once Dustin was no longer in his sexual high. Dustin felt a wave of relief spread in his mind. Maybe without his cock eternally exposed, he'd be able to get some work done... though with Zar on his groin like that, a small part of him never wanted it to end.

The Hweo circled around Dustin, watching the human change, ambivalent to the sex act his other customer was performing. It was a fairly common sight, after all, when one was getting genital modifications with a partner. While Dustin and Zar had been privy to the physical appearance of the changes, the artisan had been watching Dustin's genes changing, the double helix fracturing and recombining. In some ways the process had been as easy as he expected it, but other genes seemed to have a hard time combining, forcing into the mesh. He moved over, sliding a strap around Dustin's arm. A nutrient gel began to pump into Dustin's arm, providing necessary resources for the change to continue.

Dustin's chest rose and fell with his breath, but while it rose distinctly with each inhale, it wasn't shrinking much with each exhalation. Dustin soon realized the reason came with the throbbing growth of his pectorals and abdomen, his normally flat stomach crossing over with rich muscle. His arms soon bulked up as well, his biceps and triceps growing distinct. His shoulders tightened and thickened, even leg muscles swelled. Dustin hadn't specified those changes, wondering if they were side effects... or if Zar had interfered. He was heavily leaning toward interference from Zar, especially as the changes continued.

Another wave of euphoria washed over Dustin as his balls began to feel fuzzier, the same blue fur that covered his sheath spreading over his balls as a tingling sunk in deeper through his body, focusing on the area around the prostate. His glowing blue cock began to pulse, leaking ivory white precum down Zar's throat. Zar gulped at it and slurped until Dustin called out, his back arching one more time as orgasm caught him by surprise. He felt a spray of cum enter Zar's mouth, followed by another and then a third before he went dry... but he had a feeling once his body got used to the new balls, he'd have a lot more to give. Zar licked Dustin clean, pulling off before licking his lips, grinning.

"How's it feel?" Zar asked. Dustin murmured gently, going limp in the chair.

"It is amazing..." he whispered softly. He hoped the changes would stick, but if they didn't... he knew he'd get to have the pleasure of being modified again. In a strange way Dustin knew he could get addicted to the modifications... Maybe try a new species every month. He let out another moan and laid back in the chair, trying to reclaim his senses before they set off again.

[March 20th, 2092]

Dustin yawned and stretched as he climbed out of Zar's fluffy bed, padding over to the sink. The wall above the sink shimmered before it became reflective, showing Dustin. After a month and a half on Io, Dustin was starting to fit the culture more. He'd neglected to shave, taking on blue stubble, a thick blue mustache and a soft pointed blue goatee. He knew he'd go back to having a smooth face eventually, but he had fun playing with his appearance. He'd even curled the tips of his mustache like a hipster on a few days to amuse Zar, though the attention he'd gotten from the Hweo had increased dramatically.

The human reached over, opening a jar. He dipped his hand into the clear gel before he worked it through his blue hair, working it into faint spikes that drifted toward the back of his head. He gave himself a big grin, loving how wild he looked. His underwear started to glow in the crotch as his cock peeked out of its sheath. Life was most certainly good, though made better as jet black hands slipped around his chest.

Dustin looked down, expecting to watch Zar just play with his nipples. Instead, he saw the glint of metal just as Zar slipped two hoop rings over his nipples. The metal punctured through the erect nubs and locked, making Dustin's chest feel like it was orgasming. To his surprise, the nubs began to swell longer and thicker, aching with sexual pleasure. Dustin nearly fell to his knees but Zar caught him, flipping him around.

The Kadian grinned before kissing his fuzzy faced lover, probing his mouth with all the eagerness Dustin had come to expect, though Dustin was a bit worried about how swollen Zar's tongue seemed to be. Despite that, the human humped back listlessly, wrapping his arms around Zar tightly. They'd been open with their affections since Dustin had arrived on Io, but something was different in the last few days... Zar was so much flirtier, so much more forward. Conversations always seemed to drift to sex, then sex acts... not that Dustin minded. He was hornier than he'd ever been. Dustin moved to suck and bite Zar's neck, wondering if Kadians could get hickeys. Before he could find out, there was a faint buzz from the door.

"Awww, Fhit." Zar murmured. Dustin's brow furrowed in confusion. He'd heard the expression a few times since coming to Io. He was starting to wonder if his translation implant couldn't decide between curse words.

"What is it?" Dustin asked softly. Zar looked back, smiling at Dustin.

"Just a business appointment I forgot about, nothing to worry your blue head over. I'll go take care of things. You just find a way to occupy yourself." Zar said, flicking Dustin's new nipple ring, making him moan again. Zar looked at his lover for a long moment before he turned and stepped through the barrier into the hallway, his heart sinking as his worst fears were confirmed. He reached back and locked the door behind him, looking up at the pair of 'men' waiting outside.

The people that had come to visit Zar looked nothing like any of the other child races. Their faces were stony and emotionless, looking like a ceramic veneer. Where the stiff, perfectly shaped purple lips ended, a gap in the cheeks opened up to reveal long jaws full of serrated fang like teeth, giving the sides of their faces appearances almost like zippers. The same pattern of revealed teeth followed seams along their forearms and feet as well, giving the very real sensation that any part of their bodies could open up and lacerate someone. Even their chests seemed to have a vertical seam down the center with the occasional black fang sticking out.

"Elixzar, it has been four days... You still have not rectified the situation." One of the being said in a cold, hard voice.

"I've been trying, but I mean... You know the markets." Zar murmured.

"We know the material markets grow more inhospitable by the day, but there is one trade that never runs cold." The second murmured. Zar shivered gently. He'd been afraid to tell Dustin for days, but now he feared he may never have the chance.

"You assured us those samples were of an entirely original race, but what do we find upon closer examination? It is tainted with common mutt DNA, Tholan traits thrown around everywhere. The sample is barely good enough to pick specific genes out for the black market... and you owe us a lot of money. So the only question is... do you have it?" The man asked. Zar swallowed before shaking his head.

"No, I don't..." Zar whispered.

"Then you have a choice. Hand over the human. We'll give you a little more time." The other creature offered.

"I can't hand him over to you; I don't know where he is. Maybe he isn't even on planet anymore." Zar lied.

"Wherever he is, it won't be long until our injection runs its course and he'll be a drooling, needy sex slave. For you, I think, time is up." The slaver said. Zar tried to back away but one of the slavers grabbed Zar, the other giving him a fresh injection. Zar grunted out sharply, his jaw hanging slack. His swollen formed tongue began to grow and swell more, the center pushing out and rounding, the tips disappearing into the flesh. The tongue soon was as thick as it was wide before a small slit appeared in it.

With each passing moment, the tongue looked less like a mouth organ and more phallic in nature, pulsing with blood and vitality, coated in sweet saliva, stiff and hard and soon dripping its own juices. With the tongue cock taking up Zar's entire mouth and sticking out past his lips, he looked far more helpless. His eyes started to cloud over with need.

One of the slavers leaned in ever so slowly, his hideous jaw opening up before a black tentacle like tongue slipped out, coiling around Zar's cock tongue. With a few squeezes and strokes, Zar's eyes clouded over with a sexual haze and his shoulders slumped. The slaver pulled back from his entrancing kiss before he chuckled, grabbing Zar by the collar before dragging him along down the hallway toward the waiting transport.

[March 24th, 2092]

Only once before in Dustin's life had he enjoyed such highs of pleasure and then such bitter despair. Elixzar had been the first person in his life he had felt a true connection to, a longing and a need, a love. He felt like he had stepped into some sort of fairy tale, falling in love with a drow, but it had to be the middle of the fairy tale. His prince charming had been missing for four days, leaving no word or reason. Dustin had briefly wondered if Zar had left him for some greater fortune, but people didn't just up and leave their apartment one day for a new life without taking anything.

Dustin had gone to the security detachments only to find that they weren't very optimistic about a missing person's case. Apparently it happened so often that they had given up entirely. After two days, Dustin had returned to the Drake. He installed the upgrades to the ship to alleviate the full hard drives and then he ventured out again, checking every marketplace he could get to. After another long day of searching, Dustin moved back across the tarmac slowly toward the Drake again, tapping his tablet computer. The ramp hummed as it lowered in anticipation of its pilot.

The week had not treated him well. His blue hair was messy, his blue beard was unkempt, his fur was a bit mangy in spots... there were even stains of pent up juices in his pants, the human refusing to indulge without his mate. Worst of all, Dustin was sure that he had caught whatever bug Zar had, feeling his own tongue stiff and swollen, his saliva oddly thick and slick. Dustin briefly wondered if it was some strange STD with lethal consequences. What if Zar was dead in some space gutter somewhere?

Dustin stuck his tongue out to check it, but to his surprise it was longer than it should have been. Dustin reached up to squeeze it with his fingers, but as he did, he fell to his knees. He panted hard, feeling the sexual charge filling him still. A fat, pink human cock seemed to be sticking out of his lips, covered in his own saliva. Dustin was confused, scared, and quite horny. He knew it could be some form of mutation from all the genetic tampering, but he had a cock tongue... and he was a man... and there was only one thing to do.

Dustin knelt just outside his ship, stroking his cock tongue with his hand, panting as his actual cock pushed out of its sheath, throbbing in time with his heart. Drool leaked down Dustin's lips into his blue beard as he hand fucked his cock tongue, thrusting it in and out of his grip faster, moaning hard. Even his nipples seemed moist with anticipation, his body sweating. He groaned louder before his head arched backwards. A silky, uniform white liquid sprayed out of his tongue, splattering all over the cement before him.

He felt amazing, but to his shock the sexual need wasn't gone. If anything, he was even more horny, needed more. He grunted softly, reaching to grope his groin. What kind of orgasm left you more pent up afterwards than you were before? He had tried to hold off in memory of Zar, but his body was insisting. His glowing blue cock ached like it was about to break off and there was only one solution.

Dustin slid his hand into his pants, groping and fondling himself. It only took a few pumps before he was cumming in his pants, but the steady orgasm wasn't a relief. The only relief was the act of sex itself. Dustin knelt there, out in the open, cumming in his pants and mouth, unable to do anything else. He panted, feeling so scared and turned on at the same time. His violet eyes lifted up as he saw movement.

At first he thought it was Zar, seeing the familiar black skin and silver hair, but something was wrong... His horns were rounded like those of a cow, the demon spaded tail was tipped with a pointed phallus tip instead, His shirt was gone, revealing his double pectorals, his nipples so fat and swollen that it wouldn't be hard to imagine them resembling dicks. The figure moved over and knelt before Dustin, reaching out to pet his pierced ear.

"Dustin, I'm so sorry..." Zar whispered gently. His speech seemed slurred a bit, ten Dustin realized he too had been given a cock tongue.

"Whub... Whub..." Dustin grimaced, panting before he tried to control his mouth appendage more, "What happened?" Dustin asked.

"My deal backfired; I wound up owing the slavers guild... a lob - lot of money. I couldn't pay. I wamded to make sure I took the fall alone, bub I was too weak." Zar explained, his speech heavily distorted by his modified tongue, "They said if I came to you, convinced you to come with me, they might let us stay together, at least through reeducation." Zar said softly. Dustin looked shocked at that.

"Sex slaves? That's what they're turning us into?" Dustin asked, his anger increasing his focus, making it a little easier to speak.

"I'b so sorry Dustin, I tried to find another way..." Zar whimpered.

"There is another way, we're at my ship, we can just go..." Dustin whispered. Zar shook his head.

"They have weapons trained on us and the ship." Zar murmured. Dustin looked hopeless for a moment, looking around, trying to spot the slavers wherever they might be... but instead he saw the Cho android, standing patiently, waiting to welcome people to the planet. Dustin thought of the conversation they'd had, about Io and how it was unique...

"What class of architect technology do they have?" Dustin whispered. Zar looked confused at that.

"Class one, same as everyone..." Zar replied. Dustin grinned faintly at that.

"Not everyone. Trust me." Dustin said, reaching out to take Zar's hand. Zar entwined his fingers with Dustin's before nodding faintly. Dustin sprung to his feet and Zar followed suit, the two bolting for the ramp to the ship. The air suddenly smelled like a coming rain, the ionization increasing as bolts of pink light hit the tarmac, sending sprays of cement chunks into the air. Dustin and Zar moved up the ramp, even it was hit, the metal going molten at the point of impact before rapidly cooling. Dustin slammed his fist against the controls, the ramp pulling up. The steps clattered a bit, one of them not being able to fold properly anymore but the ramp sealed itself.

"Wow, 'dis shib if amaving..." Zar murmured, not controlling his cock tongue as well. Dustin ran up the hallway, heading for the bridge. The ship suddenly lurched, yellow lights snapping on to start spinning. The double doors parted and Dustin nearly vaulted over the command chair before dropping into it.

"Emergency departure procedures, kick start the ion reactor." Dustin commanded. Control panels snapped to life as the engine growled into high gear. Navigation started plotting escape vectors through the windows left by the corridors of traffic in the atmosphere. The ship shuddered again, nearly rocked off of its landing gear.

"Vessel impact. Heat shielding reaching critical levels." The Drake's voice announced.

"All the more reason to get out of here. Cut power to inertial dampers twenty percent, I need the reaction time." Dustin replied, feeling his raging libido ratchet up despite the fear and extremity of it all. It was one thing to be in a fire fight, but another to fight the urge to masturbate while doing it. He initiated an escape course, the pearl colored ship darting off of the tarmac, rising off into the atmosphere. As it climbed, a glistening black craft lifted off of a roof top, the front of the ship covered with countless curved obsidian spikes. As the Drake advanced upwards, the other craft followed.

"How the Fhit did we survive that?" came Zar's voice as the double doors opened behind Dustin. Zar moved in, panting hard though he suddenly grabbed onto Dustin's command chair as the inertia pulled on him, threatening to drag him backwards.

"I took a risk, guessed that new class five architect would trump class one tech, even if it had a long time to evolve... though it seems it is a fairly close match." Dustin said, looking at the heat tolerances of the impact sites. The thinning atmosphere just to the port side of the ship rippled as there was another near miss.

"Even if we can keep from getting blown up, they are going to keep coming after us, they have a presence on nearly all systems." Zar grunted.

"Do they respect the Guardian treaty? Do they go to forbidden worlds?" Dustin asked quickly, watching as Io's atmosphere cleared around them, the stars becoming brighter.

"We can't go back to your world, the Guardians will destroy you..." Zar replied. Dustin grinned gently.

"Not my world... Utopia." Dustin whispered. Zar's eyes widened, though the ship shook violently again, this time audible klaxons going off.

"Heat shielding penetrated, micro-fracture of pod eight." The Drake's voice stated.

"Who is he?" Zar asked, looking jealous.

"It's my computer... Would they go to Utopia?!" Dustin asked, having no time for jealousy. Zar considered.

"They wouldn't risk it for two slaves... It's too dangerous." Zar replied.

"Then we're going there. Give me the coordinates." Dustin said, gesturing to the navigation panel. Zar pulled himself around the command chair, nearly falling over as the ship shuddered again with a grazing blow. The black skinned man gazed at the control panel, waiting for his own translation implant to interpret Dustin's language before he entered the coordinates. Dustin wasted no more time, slamming his hand down onto the quantum slingshot. The last particles of Io's atmosphere folded around the ship like a swirling veil of fog before the ship lunged forward faster than the speed of light. There was a moment of clarity around the ship before the aurora splashed across the bow.

Dustin groaned gently, leaning back in his chair, panting hard. He'd never been in a fire fight before... but then again he'd never fallen in love with a black market genetics dealer before. Dustin looked over at Zar, at his beautiful carbon black skin and silver hair, his glowing blue tattoos and his horn nubs. Dustin couldn't help it, he was still in love... though that didn't stop him from gasping as he felt something slither up the leg of his jeans.

The human glanced down, seeing it was in fact Zar's phallus tipped tail moving up his pants. Dustin blushed gently as he felt it curve under his ass cheeks, probing at his ring of muscle before it wiggled its way in. Dustin moaned harder, his body going limp as he was filled. Whatever the slavers had done to them both, it seemed they were destined for sex now... and his body was ready.

Zar continued to pump more tail cock into Dustin as he moved over, climbing up onto the captain's lap. Clawed hands carefully unzipped the jeans, revealing a furry sheath and the glowing blue cock. Dustin pushed a loin cloth out of the way, revealing a matching blue cock before he started to hump Dustin, grinding their flesh together. Dustin tried to speak but Zar leaned in, their lips meeting in eager reunion.

Dustin pushed his cock tongue into Zar's mouth, only to feel his partner's appendage sliding into his. They pushed them forward and back, face fucking each other with their tongues. Their saliva was thick and musky and sweet. Some tiny part of Dustin's mind wondered how the changes were even possible, how the organs worked and how they produced juices. It couldn't be semen, but whatever it was tasted great... but then he realized he was over-thinking it all. He was a sexual, carnal being with the lover of his life... on a long trip through the stars alone. It was going to be the best trip of his life.

Soon Dustin moaned, his tongue releasing his silky white faux semen into Zar's mouth, but Zar had the Kadian equivalent. His tongue pulsed and throbbed before a thick stream of honey sweet goo poured into Dustin's mouth. Dustin gulped at it, then gulped more and more. It coated his throat and made it feel warm, then it pooled in his stomach, but before long he simply couldn't contain it all.

The more Zar poured, the more Dustin failed to drink. The semen leaked out of his lips, sprayed his chest and coated his blue fur. Dustin grunted, pulling off of the shaft, leaking gold kadian slime from his lips. It seemed that Zar had quite a few glands to produce so much of the fluid. Dustin tried to lick his lips clean but his cock tongue made it impossible so he merely moved back to kiss Zar, sharing the sweetness with his lover. Zar returned the kisses, hugging his fuzzy human boy toy.

On the display, the sensors tracked the diminishing broadcasts of Io, pushing outward through hundreds of years of broadcasts. It was almost like traveling back through time as the tentacle headed Chut reverted from space travel to atmospheric travel, then cell phones, then land lines. The transmissions lost color and then disappeared entirely, replaced with radio music... and then silence. The Drake had pushed out into the pure silence of the void, the two lovers finally alone.