Scans

Ilsa Kellerman finally felt like she was coming into her own. Now that the mission had actually begun, all the self doubt, self loathing and anxiety was replaced with excitement and the feeling of adventure. This was the journey she’d been waiting for, and she was eager to experience every part of it.

Not that there was much to do yet; she kept herself busy(ish) checking radiation levels and sun activity.

Most of the days she spent helping the botany crew. Everyone pitched in when the could, as much to help the time pass as anything else. She had been moving the last of the bean sprouts into small pots with sealed bottoms. They all needed to be ready to move in necessary.

There was much debate about how necessary this, in fact, was. Consensus was split between the crew, some of whom felt the plants wouldn’t absorb the radiation, the others who said the food would at minimum be dangerous. None wanted to chance it.

Kellerman blew on her hands to warm them up. The water running through the hydroponics system was cold, and her white and blue suit was wet down the front. It was practically impossible to avoid in her work. Gabriel Alphonse walked in when she was finishing the last of the potting.

“Oh hey Ilsa, how are you,” he asked with a friendly inflection in his voice. She liked Alphonse, he had been a good friend when her morale was so low, and she considered him a friend.

“Good, thanks, yourself,” she responded, brushing some strands of wet, blonde hair off her face.

“Oh good good, I just finished running the latest scan. Results should be ready soon. The botany guys keeping you busy?”

“Very, these guys need to be ready to move,” she said, pulling one last dripping wet plant out of the hydroponic trough. How was the last scan, the one you did this morning?” Alphonse’s face darkened. He scratched at the stubble on his chin.

“It’s, not, not good right now. I think your work is not in vain, but we’ll see,” he said, his voice full of concern. Kellerman turned back to him.

“Should we tell the crew to begin preparing?”

“No, not yet,” he said, sighing heavily, “we’re as ready as we can be. The Plants are almost ready,” he added, gesturing to her work. “No need until it’s time. The guys, they know what to do.” As he spoke, Eric Alain and Min Li walked in, sopping wet like Kellerman was.

“Hey Ilsa, we’re done the other half, oh hey Gabe,” said Li, smiling to both of them. The three of them had been working since the morning, under the direction of Lyndon Carson.

“Oh hey guys,” she said with a smile, noticing Li looking her over with the look Kellerman had come to recognize.

“We’re about to go get cleaned up and go for lunch Ilsa, want to come,” she asked.

“Oh um, maybe in a bit. I’ll catch up with you guys,” she said.

“Ok,” said Li, with a knowing smile, and headed out with Alain. She started to question why she’d decided to not join them. The way Li was talking, Kellerman was confident that they were going to ask her to join them in bed again. Or in the zero-G center of the ship. Her body tingled with the thought. Last time, the sex had been incredible and exotic. She wanted it again.

“So um, the radiation,” she began, addressing Alphonse, still distracted, “it’s bad. Right.” Alphonse smiled.

“Seems that way. Anyway, we won’t worry about it for now,” he said, still looking concerned. “Do you want a hand or something, I could use a task.”

“Well I’m almost done here. Let’s get those carrying cases over and ready?” She said, pointing up the curved floor.” In .4G, she was confident she wouldn’t have needed help.

“Of course,” he said enthusiastically. If he too was confident, it was a one-person task, he didn’t betray it. The two walked over and gathered the first case. They both giggled, trying to carry it together along the ever-sloping floor, up and yet not up, to the plants. When they both reached for the same bin at the same time, their hands touched, and lingered for a moment before they separated with an awkward laugh.

“I wish the sun would make a decision,” he sighed, picking up one side of a bin.

“Yes, this waiting, it makes one tense,” she responded.

“It does,” he nodded as they put down their latest bin. He ran his hands through his dark hair and sighed. His jumpsuit was open, and Kellerman could see the outline of his muscled chest through the singlet he was wearing. They had been spending more and more time together, and she had been noticing his good looks with interest, and the way he looked at her too. The cold air on her wet jumpsuit made her shiver as they were about to move the last bin.

“Cold? I can take care of the rest of this if you want to change,” he told her.

“Ja, it’s freezing in here,” she nodded. She tried to adjust her jumpsuit, and in the process, noticed that her nipples were visible through the material, and she blushed. If Alphonse had noticed, he was being a gentleman about it.

“I can finished doing this stuff,” he offered. Kellerman nodded.

“I’ll go change and we can check the test results after, yes?”

“Yes, for sure,” he affirmed, “it’ll be ready in half an hour.”

She headed out, but on her way by past Alphonse, put her hand gently on his shoulder and smiled.

“See you soon”

Her interest was piqued as she walked up the sloped hallway to her room. She really liked Alphonse, she valued his friendship and his advice, but there was something more. A closeness was developing, she could feel it, and she wanted it.

Her room, like all of them, was cramped and cold. She unzipped and peeled off her wet jumpsuit and tank top. She looked herself over in the mirror, wearing nothing but her white socks and panties. Her messy, damp, blonde hair hung down over her perky tits. The cold prickled on her mostly-naked body. Goosepimples stood on her arms and thighs.

Kellerman smiled and felt a buzz of excitement seeing the small, fading hickey on her inner thigh. Li had put it there during one of their romps while Kellerman sucked on Alain’s thick cock. Seeing it on her leg made her feel so sexy and wanted and she sighed with longing.

“Why didn’t I go with them to lunch,” she asked her reflection, imagining her hands in Li’s short black hair, holding her head on her most sensitive place. She tingled with lust remembering the taste of Alain’s thick cock in her mouth and how Li knew exactly how and where to touch her. She shook off the thoughts and grabbed a new jumpsuit from the chest of drawers.

She loved the sex, she admitted to herself, but she was missing something still. Li and Alain were good friends, and generous lovers, but they were a couple. With each other, not with her. She was conscious of her status as their third, and while she was having fun, she wanted to make a connection, not just have great sex. Judging by her expression, she felt Li knew this, and had assumed Kellerman had a crush on Alphonse.

“She’s always right,” she smirked, pulling fresh, dry single over her head. Alphonse had been such a gentleman as well as a good friend. He hadn’t made a move or made her feel uncomfortable. They had an easy, comfortable friendship. But she wanted more. Kellerman stepped into the jumpsuit and zipped it up. Then she headed out of her room and back to the botany lab.

“Hey Gabe, you ready,” she asked, striding into the room. He was chatting with Lyndon Carson, and both turned to greet her.

“Oh Ilsa, hey, thanks for helping out,” grunted Carson.

“We were just going to check those test results Lyndon,” said Alphonse, “we’ll keep you posted.” Carson nodded and the two headed to the infirmary. “He is worried about the radiation,” he explained as they walked together.

“Understandable,” nodded Kellerman. Her hand brushed his as they walked.

“All dry and warm,” he asked lightly.

“Oh yes, it’s so nice after being uncomfortable so long, though working while uncomfortable is familiar to me, it doesn’t make it more pleasant.”

“Of course yes,” Alphonse said as they arrived at the door. He let her enter first, his hand ever so lightly on her back.

“Still five minutes on the scan,” she said, leaning over the computer. Alphonse nodded. The two sat across from each other in their respective office chairs.

“Any big plans for the day,” asked Alphonse, his voice unserious.

“Ha, yes,” replied Kellerman eagerly, “I’m going to the movies later after a fancy dinner on the town.”

“Oh that sounds very fun. Big date night for Ilsa.”

“You never know,” she laughed, admiring the charming man sitting across from her. She stood and started rummaging through the medical idly supply closet.

“I’m still getting used to this .4G, it’s so strange,” said Alphonse, also standing. “Getting your feet under you is… odd, no?”

“It is,” she said, walking back over to the desks. She stood close to him, pretending to look at the screen of her computer. Kiss me you fool, she mentally told him, trying to will him closer to her. She craved his touch, his hands on her body.

“Ilsa, I uh,” he started, looking suddenly shy.

“Yes Gabe,” she said with a smile, looking into his eyes. They were close to each other, close enough to reach out and touch. She felt her heart beating in her chest, as she willed him closer to her. She wanted him to reach out, to pull her into an embrace.

“I was thinking about…” Alphonse started before a loud chirp from the computer interrupted him. He and Kellerman leaned over the desk, their shoulders touching, to read the results.

“Shit,” she said, seeing flashing red indications on the screen in front of her.

“Heavy solar activity, flaring,” read Alphonse aloud, “estimated time to arrival… fuck!” He straightened up and pulled his intercom out and started typing.

GA: TO ALL CREW, EXPECT SOLAR FLARES INSIDE 30 MINUTES.

“Ilsa, we need to get the plants to safety,” he exclaimed, “right now.” Their intercoms started buzzing nonstop. It was Tara Dayton that responded first.

TD: All crew, get the plants and food into the center of the ship, this is NOT A DRILL.

LC: All available staff to me.

As they rushed to the botany lab, Ilsa Kellerman cursed the timing.