Burial

Hans Hermann tried to wipe the sweat from his brow, but his hand instead hit the faceplate of his helmet, and he cursed under his breath. There were a lot of things he imagined he’d be doing when he joined the Green Mars Corporation, but handling corpses was emphatically not one of them.

He unbuckled the seat belts holding in one of the corpses on board the SpaceY vessel. The name tag on her chest read ‘JANE MATTHEWS.’ Under the faceplate of the helmet, her face contorted and frozen in an expression of pain. Hermann picked up the stiff, lifeless form and placed her next to the others, in a neat row on the floor, waiting for the drone to collect them.

“Hey, where’s the fueling port,” asked Min Li over the radio in Hermann’s helmet.

“By the left landing leg, I’ll show you,” answered Ilsa Kellerman.

The team, which also included Colby Smith had arrived the day before along with a couple work drones. The ride in the Rover was long and uncomfortable. Every square inch of storage space had been used for equipment, and while the rover had four bunks, it was crowded as hell with all four occupied.

Hermann cursed the assignment. Smith was working on the fuel plant, Li on flight systems and refueling, Kellerman on stores, leaving just Hermann to account for the crew. Outside, one of the drones had dug a mass grave and was placing the bodies in it. He tapped the name of the latest corpse into his datapad and then moved to the next. He was unbuckling a Stewart Rose when he heard footsteps on the ladder behind him.

“Hey Hans, how’s it going,” came Kellerman’s voice through his right ear, the one he had setup to receive private radio calls.

“Oh it’s fine, I am just… processing bodies. Fuck!”

“I’m sorry Hans it should have been me doing that, I’m… used to it I guess,” the tall medic said as she looked at the line of bodies.

“Or Elizabeth even,” Hermann retorted gruffly.

“No that’s… no,” said Kellerman quietly. “She’s, well, it was bad enough for her don’t you think?”

“SpaceY,” Hermann spat, and Kellerman nodded in response. Nobody was happy with the assignment; however important it may have been.

“Look, we’ll be so set for supplies when this is done. It’s shit but we’ve secured a spare rocket, food to last a year, a spare rover, everything. We can do so much with all this,” Kellerman said, repeating what they had all been briefed before departure. Hermann nodded.

“This row is the last of them anyways,” he said, trying to stay positive. Kellerman patted him on the back and headed back down the ladder.

Hermann finished the work, another four more stiff, frozen SpaceYs processed, then he headed back down the ladder and out to the rover to rest and get some food. He cast a sad eye across the pit outside where a drone was laying the bodies of their rivals in the sand, then he walked sullenly to the rover. The small airlock of the rover hissed and cycled and he stepped in.

“Hey Hans,” said Colby Smith cheerfully when Hermann walked in and removed his helmet. He ran his fingers through his sweaty hair, sighing with relief at being able to wipe the sweat from his forehead. His eyes stung with sweat.

“Hi Colby,” he said as he unbuckled the gloves, then boots of his suit. He pulled one glove off, then the other, and explained, “fuck,” loudly when he bashed his free hand on the bunk. “Fucking fuck!”

“Rough day Hans,” asked Smith softly.

“Fucking shit day. Why the fuck am I the one hauling bodies. I am a man of peace, of love, not a FUCKing undertaker,” he ranted, rubbing the sore spot on his hand.

“That looks sore,” Smith said sympathetically.

“It is. Where are the others?”

“Well, Ilsa is getting the medical supplies accounted,” Smith said, counting off the people on her fingers as she spoke, “Li is up getting the flight computer active, and I am here cus I’m done with refueling.”

“Good, good,” Hermann responded slowly, the exhaustion starting to creep into his body. Behind him he heard the airlock hissing and wondered who was coming in. The inner door opened, Min Li walked in and started to take her suit off.

“Hey guys, we’re ready to fly,” she said cheerfully. Her mood, Hermann, thought, reflected the lack of corpses she dealt with today.

“Sweet,” exclaimed Smith, “tonight?”

“Tomorrow, I think,” Li said, “I’m going to call up base when Ilsa gets back and confirms she’s good to go.”

Hermann was cooking dinner when the airlock hissed once again, and Kellerman appeared in the door. He had to move out of the way as she slid past in the narrow corridor of the rover to her bunk, and started to take her suit off.

“Sorry Hans, there’s not enough room on this thing,” she said after he slid back over to the stove and continued cooking, then added: “that looks sore,” and pointed at his hand, which was reddening.

“Yes, I bashed it on this bitch ass shelf,” he said, gesturing at the offending furniture.

“This place is so damn small. Let me see,” Kellerman said and gave his hand a quick examination. “You look OK. Nothing broken I think.”

The cooking, nothing more than warming up bags of rations, was soon done and Hans began handing them out to the crew members. Li was up front in the driver’s seat.

“Thanks Hans. So Ilsa, are you done accounting the medical stuff? Is there anything else you need to do before launching?”

“No, all fine with me,” she said, shaking her head.

“Good, let’s get out of this graveyard,” said Hermann impatiently as he distributed the rest of the food and sat on his bunk.

“Yeah seriously. Poor Hans had the worst job of all,” Kellerman said sympathetically. The two other women both nodded.

“I can’t believe all this concern and worry about SpaceY and now look at us,” said Smith. “So much for them I guess.”

So much for them indeed, thought Hermann. The vision of Jane Matthews’ face intruded into his memory, and he shook his head as if to physically shake the thoughts away. He felt sad, thinking about the pain that woman must have gone through, ****, gasping on her final breaths. He felt no similar feelings remembering the SpaceY CEO. He’d found him, purple and frozen like the others, looking calm and asleep.

“It figures he would feel nothing,” he muttered.

“What’s up Hans,” asked Li.

“Oh… it’s nothing,” he said, and reclined on his bunk, his rations uneaten. Memories swirled around in his mind.

“So who wants to ride on a SpaceY rocket tomorrow,” asked Li.

“Sounds dangerous,” chuckled Smith. “I hear them things will kill ya.”

“That’s what I hear,” Kellerman responded. Hermann said nothing, feeling in no mood for levity.

“Ok, I’ll probably take you along Colby, if nobody has grand ambitions,” Li said. The two other women nodded along, and she stretched. “Fuck I’m tired. I’m gonna call up base then head to bed.”

Hermann’s mind was still swimming as he laid on his bunk. The others were busy eating and chatting, Li was talking to base on the radio, but Hermann wasn’t paying attention. He took off his sweaty jumpsuit and tucked himself under his blankets in just his underwear, his whole body, aching.

“Sam’s been acting weird for a while now. Since before we landed actually,” Smith was saying to Kellerman.

“Did something happen,” Kellerman asked.

“Well,” Smith began, before pausing coyly, “we uh, may have um, hooked up with Tara.”

“O-M-G, really,” breathed Kellerman, he eyes wide. “Like, both of you?” Smith nodded.

“Alright, roger, over and out,” Li said into the radio headset before placing it down on its holder. “What’s got you two all worked up,” she asked the two grinning women.

“Colby and Sam hooked up with Tara,” burst Kellerman, blushing.

“Oh my god shut up,” giggled Smith.

“Really,” Li asked, unzipping her jumpsuit, “that’s so hot.”

She walked over and stepped out of her jumpsuit, letting in fall around herself. She only wearing socks and white cotton panties underneath. Hermann admiring her small, perky breasts, and brown nipples. She laid on her bunk, then blushed seeing Hermann.

“Oh shit sorry Hans, I forgot you were there,” she said, making no effort to cover herself.

“Oh it’s fine with me,” he chuckled, “besides we have all seen… everything.”

“Not a lot of privacy in co-ed showers is there,” giggled Li, then looked at Smith and asked; “soooo Colby, how was it?”

“The threesomes? Epic,” she said with a grin. “She knows how to please a woman I can tell ya.”

“Heh, I can vouch for that,” said Li, smirking.

“Really,” Smith asked excitedly. “Like, recently?”

“No, when I was recruited, she and I hooked up and yeah… it was hot as fuck,” Li said, her hand drifting slowly up her mostly-naked body.

“Do you think Sam’s being weird because you guys have been hooking up,” asked Kellerman, who also had stepped out of her sweaty jumpsuit, but unlike Li, was wearing a white singlet under it.

“Yeah, I dunno, I guess, maybe,” Smith said, hesitatingly. “It’s like, well, I kinda wonder if just him and her have got together or something.”

“Would that be a problem,” asked Li.

“Maybe,” Smith said, her face a picture of confusion. “I don’t really know. Like they had sex, I know, I was right there and loved every part of it. So like, it’s less the sex I guess and more if he’s lying, I guess.”

“That makes sense,” said Li nodding.

“I know I didn’t hook up with anyone by myself,” chimed in Kellerman with a grin.

“Wait what do you mean,” asked Smith, raising an eyebrow.

“She means me and Eric,” giggled Li, who was absentmindedly tweaking her left nipple.

“Oh my God,” gasped Smith, eyes wide. “I thought I was the bad one here.”

“It is not bad, to engage in sex, my dears,” piped up Hermann, who was laying on his bed, listening to the conversation. “Far from it, it is the holiest thing one can do with another.”

“It’s not bad like, judgement,” Smith said, somewhat indignantly, “bad like, sexy bad.”

“I understand this, but it is funny, how we consider what is bad, isn’t it my dears? What constitutes bad,” Hermann asked, rhetorically.

“So um, what constituted, bad, for you three,” asked Smith, who raised her eyebrows at ‘bad.’

“Oh well, um,” began Kellerman, who was clearly thinking about it before answering, “I think it was uh, Li going down on me while Eric used my mouth.”

“Mmmm I enjoyed that too,” smiled Li.

“How are things with Gabe Ilsa,” asked Smith. Hermann could see Smith’s dark nipples were hard and clearly visible through the thin material.

“Really good,” Kellerman responded, smiling. “I’ve been kicking myself for waiting so long to get with him, honestly. He’s… he’s great.”

“A new relationship is a beautiful thing,” Hermann observed. Laying on his cot, could feel the sexual tension in the air as he spoke. All three women nodded.

“I wish me and Sam had that energy still,” sighed Smith.

“I hear you Col,” Li said softly. “What do you think would help?”

“I dunno, but…” Smith said, then paused, and stood up. She pulled her singlet over her head, and Hermann watched intently as her big, soft breasts jiggled as she did so. She stepped slowly over to Li and kissed her. Li’s hand travelled instantly up to Smith’s tits and Hermann watched her little hand tweak and massage Smith’s nipples.

“This is… unexpected,” Li gasped when they broke the kiss. Before Smith could respond, Li lowered her face to Smith’s chest and started suckling eagerly on her erect nipple. Hermann watched Li’s hand travel down to her crotch and slide under her panties. He felt himself getting hard.

Li slid back and away from Smith, stood, slid her panties down and stepped out of them. Hermann admired her smooth pussy, with just a little line of black pubic hair above her clit. Li placed her hands on Smith’s hips, and dropped down to her knees, pulling Smith’s underwear down and off as she did. Hermann watched as Li pushed Smith back onto the cot and slid two fingers inside her. He could tell she was already wet, and she moaned softly when Li penetrated her.

“You taste so good Colby,” purred Li between her thighs. "Sam is missing out today."

“So fucking hot,” groaned Kellerman, who promptly pulled her top off to expose her pale, pert breasts, and started to play with her nipples. Then she pushed her panties aside and Hermann watched her fingers slide past her short pubic hair to her clit. He knew he was rock-hard under the sheet of the cot, and his hand instinctively slid down to his cock.

“Oh god ohh fuck,” cried out Smith, who held Li’s head down between her thighs and bucked against her.

“I don’t…. mmmm, I don’t think anyone eats pussy as good as Li,” moaned Kellerman, while watching Smith orgasm.

Li sat up, smiling. Hermann could see her lips were shiny with Smith’s orgasm when she looked over at him.

“You can stroke it if you want Hans, we don’t mind,” she said softly, watching his hand moving under the sheets. "You earned it after today," she added, then she climbed onto the bed and swung her legs around Smith’s into a scissoring position.

“Mmm oh fuck,” moaned Smith, who wrapped her legs around Li’s, “enjoying the s-show Hans?”

“You three are so beautiful,” he groaned. His eyes flicked between the two women, wrapped around each other and humping against each other, moaning, and Kellerman, whose fingers were fully inside herself.

“Cum for me babe,” moaned Smith, who then kissed Li deeply. In the corner, Kellerman cried out in orgasm as she furiously finger fucked herself. Hermann could see her juices run down her fingers as she came and could hear her wetness. Then still gasping, she stood up and moved over to stand behind Li and started playing with her tits. That tipped Li over the edge, and she screeched out in orgasm, bucking her hips hard against Smith, who started to cum again.

Hermann couldn’t take the pleasure anymore, and the sight of these two gorgeous women cumming against each other sent him over the edge. He gasped and shuddered as hot jets of cum spilled all over his fingers and onto his belly. Li looked back and giggled seeing the mess he just made.

“Enjoy the show Hans,” she cooed, still gasping with pleasure.

“Looks… looks like he did,” panted Smith. Hermann nodded, and stood awkwardly to go to the bathroom to get cleaned up while the two women disentangled themselves. When he returned, Li and Smith were laying next to each other in Smith’s cot, and Kellerman was on hers again.

“I love the warmth in this rover,” sighed Smith happily. Hermann nodded. The dashboard said it was 24C, which was almost ten degrees warmer than the habitat.

“Me too,” agreed Kellerman. None of the crewmembers got dressed but instead enjoyed the warmth on their naked bodies. Hermann looked at the two naked women embracing each other and felt a pang of jealousy. He had fun yet he wished he had could have been more involved, but it was clear to him that he had only been invited to watch.

“So tomorrow,” Li said with a sigh, “I’m gonna fly out in this bird and uh, Ilsa, I think you should come with me. The boss gal told me to use my discretion, but she did say she wants her medic back asap. That cool?”

All three crewmembers nodded in approval. Hermann had assumed he’d be riding the rover on the way home. He didn’t mind; he liked seeing the sights of Mars. Besides, flying around in spaceships might have been Li’s passion, but he was no fan.

He stretched out on his narrow cot and pulled the thin sheet over his naked body. He felt sated, and relaxed. He was sore, tired, and spent, but at least the memories of what he’d had to do all day had finally left him.

Hans Hermann went to sleep quickly, but visions of Jane Matthew’s frozen, pain filled face haunted his dreams. He woke with a gasp in the night and felt hot tears streaming down his face.