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The Dark Spot

Erol's Story #1

By Danath [email protected] danath.sofurry.com

Commissioned by and characters © Vishki. vishki.sofurry.com

* * *

Erol's sharp claws slid across the vixen's shoulders, securely pinning her down against the bed. She moaned up at him, though he knew better than to believe those grunts were genuine. She was good, but not that good.

The alligator's hips plunged forward, penetrating her again and again as her small fingers slid across his bumpy, scaly forearms. She cooed at him, urging him on. He closed his eyes and concentrated as he felt his erection descend inside her. He was fully engorged, ready to pop, but not quite yet. Her claws pricked his skin and her insides tightened around him, but he shifted slightly and kept going. No tricks would make him reach his climax any sooner than he wanted. She may be experienced; he was more so. His long snout hung above her and she turned her face away. They never wanted to kiss and he never tried.

It was another ten minutes before he relented to the growing need. With a deep groan, his pent-up lust exploded. She moaned as his right hand moved to her chest, groping at one of her full, mostly artificial breasts. She squeezed around him again as he came and he shivered with the pleasure it brought.

Another minute went by before she not so subtly squirmed beneath him. He eased off her and landed on his back on the well-used foam mattress. The light fixture above him flickered as he turned his gaze towards the window. Erol closed his eyes as he listened to the prostitute stand up and dress. He heard the click of her claws on the table as she scooped up his card and swiped it across her comm, then walk to the door.

"You know how to reach me next time, stud," she said, though he knew, as always, the affectation punctuating her words was mere showmanship. There was no feeling or longing here; it was only business.

"Yeah."

Then she was gone. Erol watched the stars out of the window, waiting for his breathing to return to normal. The gator's body was sated, but his mind was not. The light flickered again.

Cheap hotel on a cheap starbase in a cheap sector. Work was scarce, but he had some savings. Hookers were the only expensive things on the entire base and, unfortunately for Erol, he had a fairly active sex drive. Rolling onto his side, he opened his eyes and looked at his little room. His cock flopped onto the bed, still leaking; he ignored the mess as his eyes roamed. There was his gun case propped in the corner next to the bathroom door, holding the only thing he truly cared for. The rifle inside was a beauty, scarred and nicked. More than once he'd been told the gun had more personality than he had.

There was a small table near the door with a lamp, a dresser, and a closet. The furnishings were bare, mostly metal. Wood was unheard of on starbases. He inhaled through his nostrils, scenting the recycled air, already scrubbing out the scents of sex and sweat and vixen. He hoped the next job put him on a world - any world - where the air was fresh and dirty and exciting. Starbases and spaceships got old real quick.

Erol swung his legs over the side of the bed, turning his back to the vista of stars. He'd been lucky to get a view at all. Most bases didn't have rooms on the outer edge, reserving that space for non-essential storage rather than wasting the credits to install viewports. People felt safer having an interior room, too, but Erol knew if a starbase experienced a breach, there weren't going to be many safe places anyways. The view was worth the risk.

The gator's comm buzzed. Erol had stashed it in the dresser before the prostitute arrived. He'd been robbed before and hadn't enjoyed it. The reptile dealt with sex the way he dealt with everything else in his life: with complete control over all the variables, or at least as many as possible. The gator didn't like uncertainty. Getting surprised while setting up his rifle for a long-range job on a desert planet two years ago had cost him a finger when a pair of guards showed up on a regular patrol the briefing hadn't mentioned. He'd only just had the credits to spare to get a new one grown last month. Reflexively, he gripped his hand. The new flesh was slightly paler, lighter in color, though he'd been told it would blend and be indistinguishable with time.

He stood and walked, still naked, towards the dresser. The gator was tall, almost seven feet, though he tended to move with a hunch. Starships were not built for people of size - it cost too much to make things comfortable. He'd banged his heavy brow on more than a few bulkheads. His long tail dragged behind him as he reached for the comm and tapped on the screen.

A new message from a possible employer. He scanned the text quickly. Standard offer, though the client was requesting a long-term contract and a face-to-face ahead of time. That was unusual. Erol was well-known among the sort of people who hired mercs that interviews were generally not necessary. Still, the salary offered was above average. Well above average, in fact. It was downright generous.

He tapped in a reply and got a response a few moments later asking for him to meet in one of the base's bars in an hour. Erol tossed the communicator on the bed and headed to the shower. The water, recycled like everything else on the station, washed his green skin clean. He turned his head upwards, letting the liquid slide over the leathery tan skin under his long jaws. The tan continued down his neck, spreading over his powerful chest, before slimming back down on his hard, flat belly, and eventually disappearing between his thighs. His cock hung free, sheathless, supported by a pair of meaty balls.

Erol was male and proud. Naturally fit, he had good muscle tone, unlike most of his species, who tended to be slimmer and sleeker. Erol was broad, thick, more like a log than a twig. His muzzle was long, but blunt at the end, proportional to the size of his head. Without eyebrows, his eyes usually appeared beady and black, though nobody on the receiving end of his stare ever complained, and those on the receiving end of his long-range rifle never complained again. Despite his appearance, Erol wasn't vain. He was large and tough and muscular because the job required it, not because he wanted to impress anyone. The only vanity he allowed himself was a small tattoo of a feather on his left shoulder. It was a simple, minimal image, inked in black only, and he kept its meaning to himself when asked.

As the last of the soap drained, he stepped out of the shower and toweled himself dry. Atmospheric condensers sucked moisture rapidly from the air, sending both it and the used bathwater to be purified and recycled. Nothing was wasted on a station.

Erol dressed in a pair of dark brown pants and false leather vest, sans shirt. He liked the ancient-Earth cowboy look. It threw most people off, which gave him a tactical advantage: if they don't take you seriously, they'll more than likely underestimate you. The belt held both a short, sharp serrated knife and a weather-beaten pistol the gator carried for situations where the rifle would be too unwieldy. After locking his room securely, he made his way down the narrow corridors, past the flashy signs and various shops, so that he was barely on time to the meeting. His communicator buzzed as he walked in. A brief glance at the screen pointed him in the direction of the person he was to meet. When a meeting was set, the two comms would work together to show where the other person was. The technology came in handy in cramped, crowded, and noisy bars like this one, where a broad variety of merchants, mercenaries, and military grouped together.

Erol spotted a saber-toothed lion sitting by himself at a table near the back. Another check on his comm confirmed that was the captain of the ship who'd sent him the message. The lion wasn't as tall as Erol, but in very good shape, from the look of him. He wore a dark purple jumpsuit with pale white lines crossing the chest in the form of an "X". Erol noticed both the large pommel of a knife or sword and a holster for a pistol of some sort hanging from his hips. The gator's eyes scanned the crowd around both himself and the lion automatically, assessing any potential threats and calculating escape routes. Old habits die hard.

Satisfied things were as they seemed, Erol dropped unceremoniously into a chair in front of the saber-toothed and held out his hand.

"Erol."

The lion nodded and took his hand in a firm grip.

"I'm Bo. You read the contract?"

Erol nodded. "Yeah. Seems standard. Why the request for long-term, though?"

"To join our crew, we require certain... arrangements."

The saber-tooth grinned, revealing twin rows of sharp white teeth to either side of the fangs that jutted down over his bottom lip; the twin fangs reached just to the end of his strong chin and were spaced widely enough apart to give him little trouble eating or talking, it seemed.

"What kind of agreements?"

"Let me ask you a question first," Bo said. "Are you gay?"

"No."

"Would you care if you were?"

Erol's expression didn't give anything away, but internally, the question confused him. He didn't care who fucked who. Gender and species meant little compared to the person underneath. Anyone could stab you in the back: male, female, gay, straight.

This question, though, was different. It wasn't "Do you approve?" or "Would you sleep with another male?" It was, instead, whether he'd care if he were.

The lion's dark eyes didn't leave his face as he considered his answer. After a few more moments of thought, he came to a conclusion. It wasn't, to him, a surprising conclusion, considering his opinions - or rather, lack of opinions - on sexual matters.

"I guess I wouldn't."

"Why not?"

Bo's smile remained constant.

"I like to fuck females, right? That's all that is. I'm straight 'cuz that's what I like," Erol said, leaning back. "If I liked to fuck males, then that's all that is. I'd be gay 'cuz that's what I like. It's just who you are, so if I were gay, I don't think I'd be pissed about it or nothin'."

"Good. If you decide to accept this contract, that would be a requirement."

Erol laughed and leaned back in his chair.

"I don't think it's quite that simple," he said. "I've played gay, sure. Done bodyguard work before that required a little discretion. But no, I sleep with females."

"Perhaps I should explain. First, though, how about a drink? On me, since this meeting is likely running longer than you're used to."

Erol nodded. He was beginning to think the lion was a little space-addled, but a drink's a drink. Couldn't hurt to hear him out. No other work coming in the foreseeable future, anyways. Bo used his comm to send their order to the bar; a server came by a few moments later with two large mugs. Erol took a swig from one and smiled.

"The real stuff, huh?"

Bo nodded. "Yup. I don't like the fake shit."

Synthetic alcohol would get you drunk, but it lacked a certain... realness. The gator had never enjoyed it much. Real booze cost more, but it was also more satisfying. It was the difference between a real plate of freshly grown hydroponic vegetables and the fast-grown nutribles common in cheaper establishments.

"Okay. So," Erol said, after enjoying another drink from the mug, "if you hire me, I've gotta start enjoying the company of males."

"It is a requirement, yes. Let me show you something."

Bo leaned forward and pulled part of his dark brown mane to the side, revealing the skin beneath, just behind his ear. A small black circle rested half-submerged in skin and hair.

Erol leaned forward. "Is that...?"

Bo looked up and smiled. "It is."

"Heard they were hard to get. More than once I've figured they must've been some hoax a scientist dreamt up."

"They're real and worth every penny."

"Also heard they're hard to remove."

Bo shrugged. "As hard to remove as anything that burrows into your skull and rearranges your brain."

"Yeah, that's the other thing I heard. They do funny things to your head. Make you think different."

"Well, if by funny, you mean limited telepathy and shared awareness, then yes. Anything else you've heard about them?"

Erol shook his head.

"The real reason they don't see more use is that they do, in fact, make you gay. Nobody knows why or how, but once it's implanted, a gay person stays gay and a straight person switches sides," Bo said. He took a drink of his beer. "Personally, I think it's the telepathic connection. It's strongest with males connecting to males and females connecting to females. Once the implant is out, some people return to their previous sexuality. Most don't."

"Were you gay before...?"

"Before I got the implant?" Bo asked. The corners of the lion's muzzle twitched and a faraway look came into his eyes. After a moment, he spoke again. "No. I was like you, always chasing females. Thought I'd found the one more than once, and one time we were both sure of it. But anyways, now I'm gay. I 'enjoy the company of males,' as you put it. Two of the other three on the crew were straight before they got their implants."

"You don't go for women at all?"

"I like to think I can still appreciate a female's charms, but my interest now runs strictly towards my own gender," Bo said. "You may be wondering why I'm explaining all this to you in the first place."

Erol leaned back in his chair, analyzing the lion's business plan. It was in his nature to look for flaws in everything, whether it was security on a consul ship or logical errors in a deal offered him by a merc. "The thought did cross my mind that a straight male could simply get the implant, then avoid..."

"Having sex with males?" Bo said, his smile returning. "Sex is mandatory on my ship. It strengthens the telepathic connection we share with each other, heightens the shared awareness, and promotes camaraderie. It makes us a better team."

Erol nodded. "Sounds like a pretty sweet setup. You complete more jobs more efficiently and get as much ass as you like at the same time."

The lion chuckled knowingly as he took a long drink from his mug. He set the glass down heavily on the table, exhaling with satisfaction. "The real beer they got here isn't too bad, huh? To answer your question, yes. It's all consensual, of course, but there is quite a bit of it going on. I'd say it's the crew's favorite pastime."

"My favorite pastime is getting paid."

"There's that, too."

Erol picked up his comm and opened the contract. The pay was good. It was a two-year contract; renewable year-to-year with pay increases and bonuses. Any medical needs would be covered by the company, plus vacation time.

"What kind of jobs do you typically do? Why go to all the trouble of turning me gay? I know there's mercs that swing that way already. Why not get one of them, save yourself this conversation?"

The lion pressed his fingers to the underside of his jaw. "How many people are at the table behind you?"

The gator didn't hesitate.

"Six. Three males, three females. All six are armed with pistols. Two have knives. None exhibit aggressive tendencies, though I think the pink-haired rabbit is fucked up on sugar juice. The white fox slipped something into her drink a few minutes ago; nobody else at the table noticed."

"That's why I want you on my crew. Extreme situational awareness. Tactical ability. You can shoot a gun. You can follow orders. You know when a situation is going to hell and you know how to get out of it. You're careful, and you're not going to fuck up situations like a punch-clock gun-for-hire would."

"That's it?"

That feline smile returned anew, and Bo brought his mug to his lips as he spoke to hide it. "No. The crew informed me they find you very attractive."

Erol suddenly laughed. "First time I'm getting hired for my looks."

"Not just your looks, but it did influence the decision to offer you the job. My ship completes contracts regularly. As it shows in your contract, you get paid a percentage of each in addition to your base salary. There's no termination fee if you decide to quit, though you'll have to return any ship's equipment, including the implant."

"Let me think about it. To be honest, it all sounds a little too good."

Bo smiled and took another long drink from his mug. When he set it down, it was empty. The sabretooth's eyes narrowed on Erol's features. "Don't get confused, Erol," he said. "We do the jobs other people can't or won't. We put ourselves in extreme danger for a bit of coin. We work for governments, private individuals, and corporations, and we have many enemies who don't appreciate the thoroughness of the jobs we do." The lion paused and pushed his mug away. "The person you're replacing was killed by a Harlington drone."

Erol frowned.

"Ah, so you're familiar with that particular bit of unpleasantness."

The gator nodded. Bo's lips tightened.

The lion's eyes closed for a moment. Erol understood the feline's visceral reaction; even a hard-bitten merc knew there was bad news and then there was bad news.

Erol waited for a few more moments before speaking again. "Why tell me this?"

"So you know the dangers. Not just the physical danger. There are other kinds of wounds we may be more susceptible to because of the way we work."

The lion paused. Erol watched Bo's muzzle tighten. It was barely there, but the gator saw it. Deep emotion. And the lion hadn't yet said the dead crewmember's name. The gator began to feel uncomfortable. He was a loner by nature. He'd been with people when they died, but he felt no long-term, deep sadness, even if he did miss some of them. This display of emotion was discomfiting.

The lion's lips pursed slightly. "You've been around. I don't need to tell you what the life is like. What my ship offers is a little variation. I was first mate for several years before I bought out the previous captain, and I strongly believe the camaraderie we share on board gives us an advantage."

Bo drained the rest of his mug, burped once, and wiped his muzzle with the arm of his purple jumpsuit. "If you're interested, we leave tomorrow at 2100 hours. Decide by then - you'll get your implant here on the station before we go. If you have any questions, you have my comm ID. I'll send you some files on the rest of the crew and some examples of the work we do."

Bo stood up, nodded, and left. Erol sat at the table alone. The gator thought about the offer as he slowly drank his beer. He pulled his tail in under the chair as a few drunks stumbled by. The offer was tempting... but he had to be gay? He thought back to the vixen who'd recently taken a few hundred credits off him and tried to imagine her as a male. No breasts. Cock instead of pussy.

Nah, didn't work for him. Erol finished his beer and stood up. Still, it sounded like the chip would alter him to appreciate the male figure more than he currently could. And if he didn't care who other people fucked, why should he care who he stuck it in?

The gator grinned, remembering someone he'd met a long time ago. She'd described herself as a radical utilitarian-existentialist. Her philosophy came down to avoiding harm through acceptance: if it doesn't hurt, but helps, why not? Erol had appreciated the zen of it at the time, especially when she got into his bed for several nights in a row. Her philosophy had been quite fun to explore between the sheets. Maybe this job offer was just cosmic karma reaching across the stars from where she was now.

The seven-foot gator pushed his chair away from the table and stood up. He walked around the backside of the table that he'd counted for Bo earlier. As he moved past the white fox, he grasped the vulpine's wrist in a flash, too quick for the fox to react. The smaller male flinched and squawked as a small, self-dissolving bag of white powder fell onto the table. Sugarjuice, probably mixed with some other drugs. The pink-haired rabbit laughed uproariously at the back of her paw.

The other two males at the table looked from the bag to the pink-haired rabbit, now babbling into her drink, and then back to the white fox. After an exchange of meaningful looks, both males reached for their knives. The other two females fingered their pistols, scowls on their muzzles. The fox whimpered, clutched at Erol's vest, and looked pleadingly up at the larger male, but froze when a sharp point tickled the fur under his chin. Erol released the fox's wrist and walked out of the bar. He didn't look back.

* * *

"Welcome to the Steuben, Erol."

Three days had passed since Erol met Bo in the bar. The gator didn't remember much of the previous two. Currently, he felt much better. His hand reached up to the side of his head where a small, black circular disk barely protruded from his bumpy flesh. A quick recovery on-ship while heading for the next job. Now he was on the deck to be officially introduced to everyone.

Erol had tossed and turned for hours during the night after he'd met with Bo. At one point he reached for his comm, intending to call up the prostitute from the previous night. But he hadn't. He'd left the comm in the dresser and returned to bed, thinking about how Bo looked talking about the merc he was being hired to replace. The way the lion's jaw had tightened. Erol wasn't sure what that was. The look on the lion's face was unlike anything Erol could remember. He'd spent so much time dealing with business, with the impersonal, cold-hearted cruelty of the world he couldn't remember the last time he'd seen an honest emotion. Drinking a beer with a merc captain was the most intimate personal relationship he'd been part of for years. He'd decided at that moment to join. It was impulsive; normally he would never take a job without having time to do proper background research. But something about the lion's jaw, the flash of sadness in his eyes... Erol knew it was going to be different. He wanted different. So here he was.

Captain Bo stood in front of the rest of the crew. Erol recognized them all. He'd been able to do some homework before the deadline. They were professionals. He may not have met them in person before, but he knew reputations.

There was Rex Trap, a skunk. Known to have an IQ of over 180; kicked out of several major universities on at least three different worlds. Specialist in electronics and computer systems. He was about five and a half feet tall, no more than 130 pounds. A white lab coat hung down around his hips and draped over his bushy tail in the back. The skunk wore a plain black jumpsuit underneath. Various pens and small instruments poked out of a variety of pockets. He regarded Erol with some interest, eyes roaming up and down the gator's stocky frame.

Next to him was Tan Lo. Erol's lips turned slightly upwards. He'd heard of the otter before and hadn't known he'd be a member of the crew before checking after his conversation with Bo. Tan Lo was notorious across several systems for his spectacular escapes. The otter was slippery as they came. One time he'd strolled out of a hi-max station looking for all the world like a vixen. Rumor has it he'd slept with the warden, who testified later that there was no possible way the vixen he'd been with was a male. Tan Lo was slim, slightly androgynous, but with tone under his sleek brown fur. He wore a loose red jacket and black pants.

The last member of the crew, Smithy, rarely left the ship. He was the pilot and engineer who kept everything running. The orca regarded Erol coolly, no hint of emotion on his face. He was broad-shouldered, but stood with a slight hunch from leaning over consoles his entire life. The funny thing was, "Smithy" had no background that Erol could find. The orca was truly off the grid - a feat rarely achieved in the modern era.

And then Captain Bo. The smilodon's fangs shifted as the lion smiled and extended a paw to Erol. The gator nodded and reached out, shaking Bo's paw before moving along to the others and introducing himself.

Bo was a bit of an enigma as well. He had military records spanning several campaigns with a few different governments, but the records ended about fifteen years ago, when he was in his mid-20s. He'd resurfaced as a crew member and eventually captain of the Steuben. The gap in the records didn't bother Erol. He had a few things he'd hidden away as well.

Erol had to admit feeling some awkwardness for a whole other reason entirely, though. He knew the implant was going to make him appreciate males in a whole new way once it was fully activated and integrated into the existing neural connections between the four crew members, but it was strange to meet them all, knowing that one way or another he was going to end up between the sheets with them.

The gator grinned as he noticed Tan glancing down at his crotch. He leaned in close until Tan looked up. The gator winked.

"Don't worry. It's big."

The otter laughed loudly and slapped Erol on the shoulder.

"Nice. Lookin' forward to it, big guy."

Bo shook his head. "One track mind. Okay, listen up. We're leaving. New mission. Pay will be around fifty each."

The hatch closed behind Erol. The gator glanced at the sabretooth. "Only fifty? Doesn't seem worth it."

"Fifty thousand, stud," Tan said. The otter slipped an arm around Erol's lower back. He barely came up to the gator's bicep.

"Fifty... thousand?" Erol whistled. That was half as much as he'd made the entire year previous.

"I'll brief you all in three hours once we're underway. Smithy, get us moving towards Anapolis. Tan, you'll assist Trap. Time to link up to our new crewmate."

Tan nodded. "I'll show you your quarters first." The otter reached down to pick up the gator's rifle case, but frowned at the weight of it. "Nevermind, you can carry that. What's in it?"

Erol smiled. "Just a gun."

"Huh. Here, I'll carry your other bag."

All of Erol's belongings besides the rifle could fit in a medium-sized duffel - a few changes of clothes and a couple trinkets, mementos, and photographs. He followed Tan to his room - each crewmember got their own bunk, a luxury for such a small ship. The room was small, less than 10 by 10 feet, but more than enough for the gator.

"Communal showers and bathrooms in the middle of the hub. We're on the second deck - all the cabins are here. Workout room is next door. First deck has the bridge. Subdeck's got all the engines. Basic layout."

"I'm familiar with it."

"Good. Let's go turn you into a raging homosexual, sailor."

Tan smiled at Erol and turned, sauntering out. The gator's right eye ridge lifted. Was the otter... flirting?

He followed Tan down the corridor to the small medical room. The corridor ran in a ring around the Steuben, a classically-designed saucer-shaped ship designed for speed and maneuverability. Rooms radiated off the main corridor, so none were truly square, but slightly wider towards the outer hull. The bathrooms and showers were in the middle of the corridor, accessible from two doors on either side. Short ladder-like staircases led to the first deck, which had a similar setup, with the bridge in the middle. Rooms for storage, equipment, and ships systems ran in a ring around the outside. The subdeck was smaller, consisting of only the inner room. The engines were protected by the thickest part of the hull. The weapons on the ship were enough for defense, but lacking in any serious firepower. Steuben was designed for flight, not to fight.

The skunk followed them in and bid Erol sit on a stool in the center of the room.

"Should only take a minute," he said.

Erol waited patiently as Rex poked at the implant a few times with sensors. The skunk checked the connections, then typed at a console for a few minutes.

"Nearly done."

"Complicated procedure?"

"No, but unless you want to hear a bunch of words you don't understand, you won't make me walk you through it."

Erol nodded. Rex would probably be just as lost if Erol had to explain to him how to scan a crowd for troublemakers. Better to the let the experts do their jobs.

"All right. Here we go."

Erol waited, but nothing happened.

"I don't feel anything," he said at last.

"What, you expecting a rain of stars and glitter and shitty dance music?" Tan asked. The otter leaned on Erol's backside. The gator felt small claws tease down the back of his neck, tracing over the small bumps and irregularities in his thick hide.

"Well... no... I guess. But I thought I'd feel different."

Rex stood up and glanced at him. "Everyone reacts differently. Your brain takes time to integrate the new inputs. You should be able to... ah, here. Let me try this."

Can you hear me?

"What the fuck?" Erol said, standing up. He heard the skunk's voice inside his brain. It wasn't really hearing. But he knew the skunk's words without hearing them.

Calm down, stud.

That was Tan. He could differentiate somehow. Each "voice" in his head had a tone that matched the source's personality, as though his brain were automatically assigning how the person sounded when speaking without him needing to think about it.

It's a little strange at first, but you'll get used to it.

This time, he felt a brief emotion in addition to the words. Amusement?

"How do I... talk back to you?"

Just think, came the thought from Rex. Your implant will process and broadcast your thoughts to the person you wish. You can also broadcast on a spectrum to reach us all.

Erol tried to say "Hello" to Tan, but the otter shook his head.

Not getting you, stud. Don't worry, you'll figure it out.

"So what do I do until then?"

Rex shrugged.

Practice. In the meantime, let's go to the briefing.

The briefing took place on the bridge. The day of the operation was in one week. Erol leaned against the wall near the door, arms crossed over his chest, as Bo sat in the captain's chair in the middle. The gator always felt awkward on the bridges of ships, mostly because he knew so little about them. He could fly a small shuttle, but he was no engineer. Smithy was at the large, curved console in the front of the bridge; a large viewscreen dominated the wall in front of him, displaying various system information and a real-time view of the outside fed from cameras implanted in the hull. There were no viewports on a spaceship like this one - they would only detract from the ship's structural integrity. Rex and Tan were at smaller consoles to either side of Bo. There was no seat for Erol, but then, he wasn't hired for his piloting skills.

"So, in conclusion, simple job, but dangerous. A good test for our new gunner here." The lion turned his chair towards Erol. "You okay with hi-alt drops?"

Erol nodded. "I can do them. Never met anyone who liked 'em."

To perform a hi-alt drop, a person would get into a container - typically a modified torpedo shell - and was fired from a ship in orbit. The shot could be either gentle to allow the planet's gravity to pull the person in, or high velocity to get them to the surface as soon as possible. The shell would break away at a certain, pre-programmed height, leaving the person in free-fall, able to parachute down to the ground. The problem was the weightlessness. Ships and stations had grav-generators. Erol didn't like being without gravity. He also didn't like the crowded, cramped torpedo shells. He was a big guy and they didn't have much space. Mostly, he didn't like having less than two inches of steel separating him from the cold, infinite vacuum of space or the fiery inferno of a planet's atmosphere during entry.

Bo nodded and turned back towards Smithy.

"We'll drop him at 8. Ten minute descent. Tan will be in place at the rendezvous to get him out. Rex will deal with security. Got it?"

Rex asked a few questions about the security systems they'd have to hack through. Erol's attention drifted and he found himself staring at Tan Lo. The otter was turned half away from him, facing the sabretooth on the captain's chair.

The gator's eyes focused. Tan Lo's fur. It was particularly shiny. Soft. He hadn't noticed it before. Unbidden, memories of the otter's short, blunt claws tickling the back of his neck returned. The gator shifted his feet as he felt a small throb in the pit of his stomach. That was... unusual.

Erol... are you paying attention?

The gator's head snapped back to the sabretooth. Bo nodded at him, though the telepathic rebuke was unmistakable. Unprofessional, Erol thought, disgusted with himself. Getting distracted over... over a male.

The realization hit the gator suddenly. So... it was happening. He risked a glance back at Tan.

_Curious?_Tan sent. Of course the sneaky otter noticed Erol peeking. Erol couldn't help the smile that crawled across his long face.

How big?

The gator focused on Bo as he discussed computer systems with Smithy and Rex. Back to business.

Come on, stud. How big?

Erol tried not to let his smile get any bigger. This was ridiculous. He felt like a blushing teenager meeting his first crush.

Okay, okay. Strong silent type. I got you.

Erol noticed Tan's thick brown tail slowly sway back and forth through the hole in the backside of the chair. The tip curled up and wiggled back and forth.

I've got money on you, you know.

Erol remained still, trying not to let his green skin darken.

See, Bo's the biggest on the ship, but I think you're bigger.

Tan was really interested in size.

I've got 100 credits on it with Smithy.

So, the orca was interested too. Erol's eyes darted over to the... handsome... male. Handsome? How quickly did this implant work?

How about a peek after the briefing?

Bo turned and stared at Erol as the gator doubled over coughing, then glanced at Tan. The otter innocently studied his console.

The sabretooth rolled his eyes. "Tan, go get Erol outfitted with gear. He'll need a visor, camo, and rations for the time he'll be waiting planetside."

"You got it, boss."

The lithe male jumped from his chair and grabbed Erol's wrist as he passed.

C'mon, stud.

Erol nodded and followed Tan into the corridor. They walked around the hall to one of the storage units. As Tan rummaged through containers and boxes looking for the right equipment, he chatted with the gator.

"So why'd you want to switch teams?"

"Switch teams?"

"You know... play for the other side?"

"Oh. To be honest, I don't really care which team I play for."

Tan's head poked up from behind a large square container. "Really?"

"You were gay before you came on board?"

"Yeah, I'm the only original. The other three learned it like you."

"How'd they handle it?"

"I signed up after Bo, so I don't know about him. Rex was fine after a few days. Smithy was under the covers with Bo before an hour went by. Everyone reacts differently, so who knows? Some guys turn quick, some take longer. The flux in your brain will make you pretty horny, though. That happens to everyone, though some people get it stronger than others. Rex never had much of a sex drive even when he was straight, so he claims he didn't get much of a surge, but don't listen to him. I couldn't walk for two days after he joined the crew."

Tan scrambled over another container and hung off the side. His legs and rump pushed into the air as he dug around in another box. Erol stared at the male's backside and waving tail and felt another throb in his gut.

"Ah! Here it is!"

The otter slid backwards onto his feet holding a clip-on visor. It would fit any standard helmet and feed Erol information from the ship on a secure, undetectable frequency.

"What do you mean, a surge?"

The otter didn't stop searching.

"And this... Everyone who gets an implant gets the surge... and this... It's what we call the initiation phase... and these... you're gonna get a boner like you wouldn't believe, trust me. Happens to everyone, gay or straight. Sometimes it lasts an hour, usually it lasts a couple of days. Here, this too."

Erol ended up with his arms full of packs of rations, first aid supplies, firestarters, tent poles, outdoor sleeping mat, communications equipment, and more. He shook his head and tossed half the stuff back, keeping only the visor, a few packs of nutribles, and the small first-aid kit. He also kept the small camo-generator. It would help him blend in with the surroundings.

"Don't need anything else," he said. "Too much gear complicates things."

Erol's eyes drifted over the otter's body again. He found the male attractive. Quite attractive. The implant was doing something, because he was thinking thoughts he'd never had about other males. They weren't the same kind of feelings he had for females, but similar. Different, but not in a bad way. Like how it had felt when he'd replaced the grip on his gun. It worked just as well, but it was... different.

Like what you see, stud?

Erol blinked and realized he'd been staring.

"Sorry."

No need to apologize. I've been staring at you since you came on board.

Erol smiled at that. "Oh?"

The otter stepped forward and reached up with both paws. He grasped the edges of Erol's vest and tugged them straight, then smoothed them out. His belly pressed forward as he tidied up the gator's clothing, putting some pressure on the bigger male's crotch. The gator's eyes narrowed and his lips tightened as he felt the firmness of the otter's stomach. His cock thickened slightly in his jeans, twitching enough he was sure the otter felt it.

You just say the word...

Erol's fuzzy thoughts coalesced in that instant. So... this was desire for another male. It was new, but familiar, similar to how he'd lusted after particularly attractive females. But it was different, exciting... the gator reached down with a hand and slid his palm across the back of the otter's jacket and pants, until his fingers wrapped around the male's rear and squeezed firmly.

"And the word is?"

Tan's paws reached up and pulled Erol's face down, making the gator lean over. Firm, fuzzy lips pressed into his and the gator's eyes widened.

Anything you want it to be.

The kiss lasted for a while. Erol closed his eyes eventually and slipped both hands around Tan's hips. They were wider than a female's would be. The differences were there, but only excited him further. He could feel his maleness twitch again and groaned into the kiss as the otter's belly undulated against it teasingly.

You sure you're ready?

Heat built in Erol's body. The gator didn't know if it were legitimately his own feelings or the implant or some combination of both, but he also knew it didn't matter. He had to have this otter.

The gator tightened his grip and lifted the male up into the air. Tan grunted and wrapped his legs around Erol's thick hips as the gator pushed him into the wall, grinding against him. The bulge in his jeans pressed into the otter's own growth as the kiss continued. Their tongues swapped saliva as their breathing quickened.

Not here... let's go to your room.

Reluctantly, Erol set the otter down. The male took a few deep breaths and grinned at the big gator as he walked out of the small supply room. Erol glanced down at his crotch - the shape of his erection was clear. He tried to adjust himself before following the otter, but gave up when he remembered the other three crew members were still on the bridge. Nobody interrupted as they made their way to Erol's bunk.

The heat continued to rise in the gator. He breathed heavily as he walked into his room, following Tan, and slapped the hatch shut. Tan gasped as he felt Erol hug him from behind; the gator's bulge pushed into his lower back. The otter's paws went out, flat to the wall, stabilizing himself, as the gator's lips and teeth worked over his ears and neck. Tan shuddered, moaning occasionally, as the gator's fingers explored the unfamiliar form. He'd never been so intimate with another male before. Erol wasn't sure what he was doing was right or not - until he felt the connection between him and the otter grow stronger.

"What..." he said, his voice a rasp. He clutched at Tan as he felt a surge of emotions that weren't his own.

It's the connection... when we have continuous physical contact, it strengthens the bond, makes communicating easier. It can transmit emotions more strongly... and other senses...

A wave of pleasure crashed over Erol then. It wasn't his pleasure, he realized, but Tan's. When he rubbed his fingers across the smaller male's chest, he could feel the pleasure it brought to him. When he squeezed Tan's nipple through his clothing, the gator could sense the excitement. And when Erol's hips pushed forward, grinding the thick bulge against Tan's lower backside, he could experience the same thrill Tan felt. The otter was really beautiful, Erol thought. The gator's hands rubbed across the male's thick, smooth pelt, brushing the fur between his own rough fingers. He could feel Tan's muscles shifting beneath the layer of subcutaneous fat some mammals had. It made him feel plush, soft, warm, all qualities Erol was unused to in a partner. The way the otter moved, the way he felt, even the way he smelled... the gator was noticing things he'd only thought about in females. Yet they were just as applicable to someone of his own gender. Had he allowed his sexuality to bias him? Maybe he'd be more alert to subtle things males did after he spent more time in intimate situations with them.

The otter's heated groan distracted Erol from his tactical thinking. Tan squirmed around, turning to face the gator. Eager paws pulled at his vest, letting it fall of his shoulders. Flat, soft paws pressed into his hard, scaly chest, feeling the leathery, tough skin. The otter smiled up at him, fingers exploring the gator as the gator explored the otter.

Damn, but you've got some muscles, stud... I better start you out slow...

Erol's half-lidded eyes closed completely as the otter slipped from his grasp, dropping to his knees. The gator pressed his hands flat to the wall as he felt fingers undoing the buckle on his belt. He could feel Tan's excitement. The shared emotions only made his own arousal deeper, and when Tan finally tugged down his pants and underwear, his erection popped free to stand at full mast. The light green shaft ended with a slightly tan crown, with a pair of baseball-sized orbs hanging underneath, drawn up tightly to the base of the shaft. Through the connection, he could sense Tan's eagerness at his size.

I think you just won me 100 credits.

What came next was unlike anything Erol felt before. He'd had blowjobs, of course, but never one so eager. Tan's tongue danced on his tip, flicking and teasing, making his cock twitch and jerk. The otter's smooth paws gripped the base, squeezing gently, stroking occasionally, as the smaller male gradually wet down the length. Erol moaned and shivered, trying not to thrust as he leaned over, head hanging between his shoulders, watching the otter open his muzzle wide.

Faint suckling noises drifted up to Erol as he felt the otter's muzzle wrap around his member. He thought he'd be too big for the otter to fit much of him, but Tan surprised him. The gator's knees trembled as his erection throbbed. He reached down with one hand and placed it on the back of Tan's head, gently pushing him down further, until he felt his tip hit the back of the otter's throat. He pulled his hand away, but Tan grabbed his wrist and replaced it.

C'mon, Erol... don't be shy. I can handle it.

Erol straightened up, grinning widely. Both hands went to the otter's head and he leaned back, looking down at the handsome male's wide muzzle. The otter stared back up at him, eyes half-closed.

Well, if that's what he wanted...

Erol started slow, gradually shifting his hips back and forth. He'd never done anything like this before - the women he hired would only do this while he was lying down. Now he understood why. His large green hands could wrap nearly entirely around Tan's head. He could force the otter on him to the point of injury, though that wasn't what he wanted. This was, Erol realized, a show of trust.

What are you waiting for? came Tan's impatient thought.

Erol tried to mind-speak, but the otter didn't show any sign of receiving his thoughts. "I don't want... to be... too rough," Erol gasped.

If I thought you were going to be too rough, I wouldn't be here. Now act like a male and get on with it!

To accentuate his point, the otter's paws wrapped around Erol's heavy balls, squeezing them firmly and giving them a few good tugs.

The gator growled and thrust forward, pumping his shaft into Tan's willing muzzle. The otter's heavy breathing, gasps for air, filled the room as Erol worked his cock in, over and over again, pumping to the back of the male's throat before relenting, pulling free. He grabbed the hair on the top of Tan's head and pulled him back. Gazing down at the male, he used his other hand to guide his tip to the otter's lips. Thick pre-cum dribbled down Tan's chin before the gator teasingly pushed forward and pulled back, not allowing Tan to get a proper taste.

You tease...

Erol laughed and relented, releasing both hands so Tan could do as he liked. The otter's tongue dragged up the underside of the gator's length as his paws groped those giant orbs. Erol breathed heavy, hard, fast, rocking back and forth on the balls of his feet. A sudden thought struck him, however, and he abruptly pulled away.

The otter let out a disappointed moan as a strand of clear pre-cum hung from the tip of Erol's shaft to his lips. The gator smiled and reached down, hooking his hands under Tan's armpits and hoisting him up to his feet. The otter let out an "Oomph!" as Erol pushed him on his back onto the bed.

A few moments later, the otter was naked, having wriggled out of his clothes. Erol stared at the lithe, toned male. Flat chest, smooth belly, dark brown fur... and a thick pink erection. The gator's shaft throbbed as urges swept through him. They were definitely his own urges, but also alien, in a way - he'd never felt things like this before.

The heat in his loins built up hotter and hotter, stoked by the squirming, moaning male on his bed.

Descending onto Tan, Erol covered him completely. Their hips met; the gator's thick erection was much larger than Tan's, though both were proportional to their own bodies. Tan gasped as he felt the weight and strength of the gator's heavy body on top of him and spread his legs, wrapping them around Erol's dark green hips.

Their muzzles met. Erol could taste himself for a few moments on Tan's lips before it faded. It didn't bother him. His arms wrapped around the otter's chest, holding him close, tight to his own broad and fur-less body.

Take me.

It was a demand, not a request. The otter's short, high-pitched squeaks and gasps echoed in the air as Erol adjusted himself. He wasn't quite sure how to do it. His thick erection drooled pre-cum into the soft, plush fur on the otter's rump.

Just... go slow...

Erol felt the waves of heat radiating from Tan, the emotional messages being sent and received both ways through their telepathic connection. Erol couldn't verbalize, but he knew the otter received at least some of the pleasure he was feeling. The otter cried out as Erol's tip pressed forward; the gator paused, waited, before pressing in slightly deeper. He could tell exactly what Tan wanted, what the otter needed, from moment to moment, and adjust his behavior to match. The otter's cock squeezed into Erol's belly as the gator's thickness invaded gradually, artfully stretching the tight male rump.

The gator closed his eyes, focusing on the pleasure both he and the otter felt. It was so unusual. He couldn't have put it in words. Being in tune with another person's thoughts... knowing and sharing in their pleasure as they shared in yours... it made the experience spectacular. There was no doubt from Erol: this was incredible.

His cock throbbed, spurting more pre-cum, lubing the otter's rump and then some. The male shivered and twisted until Erol grasped his wrists and pulled them up above his head. Tan's ankles locked above Erol's backside as he pushed in firmly.

"Yeesssssssss..."

Erol wasn't even sure who hissed out their pleasure as he sunk in deeply, filling the otter with every inch. Tan squirmed and squeezed, body rippling against him, arms stretched far above his head. The gator pulled back and pumped in slowly, grinding the otter's rump open for the thick maleness. Tan tipped his head back, exposing his neck; through their connection, Erol knew what the otter wanted, though being a reptile he'd never understand the primal emotions a bite to the neck could elicit in a mammal. He opened his jaws and turned his head, biting gently down on the thick fur around the otter's neck.

Tan's hips lurched upwards, bucking hard into the immovable object on top of him. As Erol's thrusts continued, gradually speeding up, the otter's squeaks grew louder. Erol shut his eyes, tensing his jaw as he felt a new sensation surging through their shared connection. It was powerful... electric... overwhelming. Though it grew gradually over several moments, as Tan's hips lurched again, the shock of it caused Erol to arch his back, pulling his jaw away from the otter's neck. Both males cried out as Tan's orgasm rippled through them. The shared pleasure exploded in Erol's mind; he bucked forward, grinding in hard, deep, into the clenching otter's body. The warmth and tightness quickly brought him over the edge. A few moments later, Tan's muzzle opened with shock as Erol's orgasm spread through them. Whatever control the gator had built over the years, the otter had destroyed in a few short minutes.

Erol panted hard, laying still on top of the motionless otter as their thoughts gradually untwined. The shared emotions were strong, but manageable, except at the height of their pleasure. At that moment, Erol couldn't be sure what he'd felt was his and what he'd felt was Tan's - it was incredible, the level of the merging, the amount of information passing between them.

That... was fantastic.

Erol didn't bother trying to reply mentally. "Yeah... is it like that... every time?"

Tan sighed and closed his eyes. He used his paws to tickle up and down Erol's shoulders and neck. The gator grunted and shifted, pulling back slowly. Tan's paw clutched his shoulder more tightly as he pulled out; when the tip popped free, the otter's squeak made the gator smile.

I'm not gonna be able to sit for a week.

"You can lay here while you recover. I'll keep you company." Erol surprised himself with that. He was used to being alone after sex, but having this warm, lithe, virile male in his arms, tight against him, feeling the otter's heaving chest, his rapid heartbeat, so close, sending off pleasurable heat... If this was cuddling, then maybe it wasn't so bad.

"Tempting as that is," Tan said, switching to vocals, "I doubt the other three are going to let me keep you all to myself. I'm pretty sure they sensed us in here. Your implant is already damn good at broadcasting."

"Broadcasting?"

"Every implant works differently on different people," the otter explained. His paws roamed over Erol's chest as he spoke. "Some people are better senders than receivers and vice versa. I'm good at sending and I can receive pretty well, especially in close range. Broadcasting is sending to everyone nearby at once. I can't do it so well. But you... I'm pretty sure everyone on the ship experienced the lust you felt. It was... intense."

"Is that a good thing?"

The otter's hips rolled forward and Erol turned onto his back, holding the otter on top of his broad chest and belly, hands stroking the male's lower back.

"Very good thing, stud," Tan said, a churr coming from deep in his chest. "Very good."

Neither spoke for several minutes as they enjoyed the calmness of the moment. Erol hadn't felt anything quite like the contentment he was feeling now in a long time. What he'd just done had been very... satisfying. Much more than when he'd last been with women, though that vixen... she'd been faking most of it. Tan wasn't. Maybe that was the difference.

A question rose in Erol's mind and he posed it to the otter.

"Why did I join?" Tan repeated, lifting his head and twitching his round, brown ears. "I guess I was tired of running by myself. You must have heard of me before?"

Erol nodded.

Tan flashed a cocky grin. "Good. I like my reputation to proceed me." Small brown paws teased under Erol's neck, feeling along the bumpy tan skin. "Anyways, I guess I had been running by myself for so long that I wanted something different. Bo gave me a chance and I haven't regretted it."

"But you were already gay."

"So? I won't deny that wasn't an incentive." The otter pressed his forearms into Erol's chest so he could look the gator in the eye. "I like males, Erol. Judging from what you just did with me, so do you."

"I didn't mean..." Erol started, but the otter laughed and pressed his lips lightly to Erol's.

I'm just teasing you. Don't worry. Just... be yourself. Whatever that is. Bo trusts you and that means I trust you. We're all friends here. We look out for each other.

The otter's expression darkened slightly as he pulled his muzzle back. "I wouldn't give that trust up for anything. They accepted me for who I am. The sex is great, but it's not what's really important. At least, not to me." Erol was a bit ashamed when he realized what the otter was admitting. He'd made assumptions about Tan from the moment the otter had flirted with him back on the bridge. There was more to this small, soft furry brown male than met the eye. Tan's large eyes stared straight into the gator's soul and Erol's fingers tightened on the smaller male's lower back.

You'll have to decide what's most important to you, Erol. The implant may have made you gay, but it doesn't change who you really are deep down.

Erol wondered at that. Did it change people? Would it change him? He'd heard of Tan, but had never met the small otter before. Stories were told about the otter: he was rash, brash, flamboyant, exciting, a rogue's rogue who could never be caught. Yet here he was, Erol not having been aboard more than an hour, and they'd been - and were continuing to be - incredibly intimate. Tan allowed the much larger, more physically powerful male on top of him, trusted him to not hurt him...

"But you started out gay and you still changed after the implant?"

Tan's fingers pulled Erol's muzzle down for another kiss.

It wasn't the implant that changed me.

The otter didn't say anything else - verbally or mentally - as he leaned back and shifted position slightly, letting his rump and tail slide down over Erol's thighs. The big gator's thick shaft throbbed over the reptile's hard belly. Tan grinned down at him as his paws reached for the fat meat and pulled it up, holding it firmly against his own erection. The otter wasn't small, by any means. He wasn't as large as the gator, but Tan was also about two feet shorter. Were they the same height, the otter may well have outclassed Erol by several inches. The gator groaned as Tan's hips slowly thrust, grinding their erections together, slick with pre and cum, both lengths warm, shivering, throbbing in the otter's skilled paws.

Erol knew Tan was deliberately distracting him from further questions, but the gator didn't mind. He wrapped both arms tightly around the smaller male and pulled him close, squeezing him tightly as they shared a kiss - another pleasure he hadn't enjoyed in many years. The otter shifted, claws scraping on the gator's tough hide, hips sliding down, rubbing his lower belly and cock along Erol's erection.

Enough talk... came the pleased thought from the otter.

The big gator smiled as Tan sent him all sorts of naughty, pleasing, heat-filled thoughts about what they'd be doing for the next half hour.

"Only a half hour?" Erol snorted.

The otter's squeaks and moans filled the room as Erol's claws easily moved him into position atop his hips. His tip nestled under Tan's tail, and one of his hands gripped the otter's erection. Tan closed his eyes and panted hard as the gator watched, fascinated at the feel of Tan's thick shaft throbbing against his palm.

Tan picked up on the gator's thoughts and opened his eyes.

It won't bite...

Erol grinned and slipped his hand up and down the wet length. Tan shuddered as the gator's tip flexed, grinding back in under his tail.

Lust swelled inside the gator, stronger than before. Was this the surge the otter mentioned? How long would it last? As more pleasure built up inside him, he felt the otter transmitting his own pleasure and tried to do the same. The reciprocal action was met with a high-pitched keen. Tan's hips jerked and a string of pre-cum roped across Erol's paw. The otter's chest heaved and his paws clutched at Erol's chest.

Erol! Take... take it easy! I can feel... so much...

The gator tried to stop sending and the otter slumped forward, breathing hard. He was grinning, though, and his eyes cracked open.

"You sure know how to treat a guy right... wow..."

"Sorry... I was just..."

"No, don't worry. You're doing just fine, stud... I was just... unprepared," Tan said, his voice a low churr of pleasure. "I hadn't realized you were already surging so high. You might be a natural broadcaster, by the way... wow..."

Erol grinned and slid a hand over Tan's chest before it slipped back down to the otter's erection. His own cock ached, hard and throbbing, flexing inwards at the smaller male's rump. He felt hot, aroused, whole body on fire. He probably was surging, but he didn't tell Tan it was less from the implant and more from him. The otter was just so sexy... Erol wondered what it would feel like when the surge really did kick into high gear.

Take me, stud...

The gator nodded. The next few days would be interesting, he decided.