Chasing Zari down...

"Gideon?" Zari whispered. "Anyone around the corner?"

Zari squirmed on the spot; now she was stationary she was sure to keep one hand over her pussy, fidgeting with her back to the wall. She stayed a step away from coming into view of the next hallway.

With one arm over her tits, she only occasionally turned, half-daring herself to move on and take a look, but always pulling back.

"No, Miss Tomaz," Gideon chimed. Zari breathed a sigh of relief, and tiptoed on as fast as she could.

She was not going to be seen naked again, she kept repeating that over and over in her head. Ok, this thing had given her some kind of compulsion to leave her room, but that didn't mean she was just going to run into full view.

"Gideon?" she whispered again when she came to the next turning.

"No one, Miss Tomaz."

That time she turned into it, sparing a nervous glance over her shoulder.

After far too much of that she made it to the kitchen, faltering just outside the door, pressing her back to the wall. Doing her best to stay silent, Zari inhaled. So close now.

"Anyone?" she whispered.

"Mr Rory is currently in the dining area," Gideon chimed back.

Zari bit her lip to stop from shrieking, and hurrieldy looked from side to side. Wait, there!

She heard a grumbled 'whassat,' distinctly Mick's voice, from behind the door as she stumbled away. As soon as she could Zari crouched behind a loose maintenance panel, sitting and ducking her head down to avoid bumping it, curling up.

So long as he didn't walk towards her and get the urge to peer at knee-high gaps...

Zari held her breath, cheeks burning. Oh god, oh god... She shivered slightly, nervously suppressing a whimper. Mick of all people might be about to see her running around stark naked...

Nervously she stroked her totem-necklace with one hand. Thankfully the spirit hadn't tried removing that, or maybe it just couldn't. Either way it felt warm, vaguely comforting, if not comforting enough to make being seen naked a pleasant prospect.

She swallowed and waited for the sound of Mick's footsteps to depart.

Then she exhaled in relief, panting slightly. Still, she didn't stick her head out of the gap.

"Gideon?" Zari said. "Anyone in the hallway or room?"

"No one now, Miss Tomaz," the AI answered.

It figured. Mick was probably meant to actually be helping Sara and John with her... situation, but of fucking course he'd take a break for a snack at the exact time Zari needed to-

No, no, stay calm. She swallowed, slowly pulling herself out of the gap; she'd have stretched if not for her efforts to stay covered. Then, quickly, she tiptoed into the dining area.

"Gideon, one apple please," she said. "Quickly."

Just satisfy this ridiculous craving she'd been given and get back to her room, easy. She waited impatiently, squirming.

It was worse being naked out here. She spent plenty of time in the dining area, both for meals and catching up. To be here in her current state... Zari swallowed, glad of the distraction when the food was finally synthesized.

She reached into the gap and withdrew the apple, taking a bite-

And nothing. Her eyes widened; oh god no.

This was artificial, created. A perfect duplicate, but it was still essentially fake. Christian and Muslim descriptions of Eden might vary, but she was pretty sure neither featured timeships dispensing fruit.

Apparently her craving was for real fruit, from a real tree. Which meant-

Zari swallowed, nervously putting the apple down. Which meant leaving the ship. Still trapped as she was, barefoot and naked and more embarrassed than she'd ever been in her life.