Human names were so annoying. That was the young aliens thoughts as she considered what to call herself. This thought only made her wonder if she could really call herself young. She was far older then several human life spans after all and in truth she wasn't female as humans understood it. Her species used a series of energy waves in order to identify themselves whenever speaking with one of their own kind. Humans couldn't do that though so she really needed to come up with a name one that would fit the physical shape that part of her had taken in order to accommodate her first face to part of her being meeting. When they had spoken together she had been assigned a number to use that had been fine. At last she couldn't keep the annoyance from showing on her face and she settled on the name Shia for these purposes.

As he walked through the station Brian looked out the massive window. With no atmosphere he could see far further into space then he could planet side. He was going to be seeing a lot more of that most likely as he checked his holoterminal. He was rather surprised whenever he found a message waiting for him. “I have settled on the name Shia for the sake of our interaction. I apologize that it took me so long to settle on a name a human could pronounce Brian.” The name immediately struck Brian as strange he could swear that he had seen it before. It wasn't just that he had seen it though but it seemed like something he should be aware of. That didn't stop him from responding to the message.

Shia felt Brian's response in her head. “Thanks. I never liked using those numbers to refer to you it seemed too impersonal. I'm currently heading towards your location. I admit I'm surprised that you have to stay in the high security section of the station.” Too impersonal? Did that mean that he wanted to be more personal with her? The thought made Shia grin and she reached up pushing up on the underside of her breasts both enjoying their feel in her hands and the feeling of them being touched. She hoped that she had duplicated the human form sufficiently for the desired interaction. With so few human female crew on the station to use as a template she wondered if she could be considered a beauty or not. It felt like she should do something more as Shia felt her breasts. Replying to Brian was a given. Her memory filled in soon enough and she gave an audible giggle being certain to vibrate the air properly to produce a human vocal response.

It was clear Shia wasn't human. No matter how lengthy of a message Brian sent she would always respond within a few seconds. He had even sent her videos to watch only to gain a near instant response. “I look forward to becoming more personal with you as well. Your officials felt the need to confine me after they couldn't analyze the structure of my exterior. Skin! I mean skin.”

As she finished responding to Brian Shia covered her face for a moment making her exterior covering turn slightly more red and warmer as if blood was running to it. In truth she was embarrassed. It was hard to consistently refer  to her physical make up in terms that humans would use. She knew he was here at least as she could hear the station giving him the standard warning for entering the high security zone. Especially about how the creature's contained within were considered living weapons by human standards. She supposed that was true as she considered her abilities compared to a humans. It was nice whenever the door opened and Brian stepped in.

It wasn't hard at all for Brian to find Shia. Even without his holoterminal to guide him she was the only other person in the room. It was nice to see the form she had taken on. Brian knew enough about Shia to know what he was looking at wasn't her true form. Her hair was a brown blonde that had been done up in a bun. He could swear that he saw another woman with such a hair style just as he entered while the color he didn't recognize. She had clearly taken on the form of a tall woman guessing her height at one hundred ninety centimeters with cat like eyes looking back at him. It seemed clear she had copied the frame of one of the female engineers as he noted her rather thick forearms and the way her upper biceps bulged.

The station did have an entertainment area and he wondered if she had copied the chest, waist and hip ratio from one of the dancing girls. Her skin was clearly that of a son worshiper or someone who had made use of a chemical tan. Given how perfect it seemed Brian was certain that either Shia had polished the tan she copied or the person it belonged to had used chemical means to obtain it. All together she had taken on quite a striking form. “Well it's nice to finally meet you in person Shia.”

“Yes this terminal I mean I am glad to meet you in person Brian.” As she spoke Shia began to walk towards Brian her legs naturally following the pattern she had observed one of the dancing girl's using. The men on the station seemed to enjoy that pattern and she assumed that Brian would as well. As she moved though Shia couldn't help but wonder if she should shut down some of her other functions so she could devote more processing power to speaking with Brian. Typically she only dedicated a very small percentage of her mind to speaking with other species due to their slow processing time but she was making stupid mistakes. Clearly her emotions were creating a greater load on her programming. “I'm sorry if I seem out of character but my exploration and recovery partner recently chose another path then me and it has left me agitated.”

It was likely that agitated actually meant sad in this case. He knew that space exploration could be a lonely profession even with a well programmed virtual intelligence. “Well I've been educated in several biological fields and studied the law in terms of locating and recovering new minerals and life forms in terms of human law. I believe that's more important though is we at least seem to get along.” Brian wasn't certain what to think as Shia came to stand next to him and took hold of his hand. He could feel her warmth immediately and noted the soft texture of her skin. She had clearly chosen to copy the healthiest skin she could find in the station.

“It is true that it's more important that you and I get along. Brian you know those laws only pertain to human controlled regions of space and the bulk of exploration is outside of any species control.”

“I know. It does provide us a safe haven to return to so long as we follow those laws though. Plus it makes dealing with human ran or friendly cooperation far easier. Shia I've been wanting to ask for a while though. I know that you officially identified yourself as a deep space species but that's really just saying that we haven't had enough interaction with your species to learn much about you. Could you tell me what kind of species you are?” Brian nearly jumped out of his skin as he felt Shia lean against him while still holding his hand and felt the side of her right breast pushing into his body.

Brian's heart was speeding up. That meant he was enjoying himself. Analyzing the chemicals that were being released in his body Shia was certain he was feeling pleasure with her contact. “No. We don't have a human word for our species but we're talking about one we could use. We use a form of energy wave in our communications and never had verbal speech patterns so we don't have words as you would understand them. For the most part we're trying to come up with a name you can speak that doesn't sound silly.”

Some species were strange to say the least. Brian couldn't help but grin as he imagined a species powerful enough to remain in the high security section of space stations arguing over what an appropriate name for them is. For them to be worried about their name sounding silly to humans was enough to make Brian grin. They were still a lot of things that he didn't know about Shia but he had been in communications with her for over a year. Her partner had quit some time before and sense then she had been seeking out a companion but not having a good time of it. “So could I get a final agreement to my contract?”

“That is wise. You'll travel with me for thirty of your standard days during which time we will both evaluate living accommodations and comparability.” As Shia spoke she found herself altering her hold on Brian's arm causing it to rub against her breast. The simulated human response was quite pleasant and he seemed to like it as well. “During that time you are to devote eight to twelve of your standard hours assisting me with data processing, examination, basic class one repairs and upkeep of the ship and finally you're to assist me in preparing legal documentation and examination. If at the end of those thirty days I find we aren't compatible or you do not agreement to the renewal of your contract I am to return to you to any class three human station within human controlled territory.”

As Brian listened to Shia talking about his pay, compensation for injury, his responsibilities to her and conditions for reprimand he found it hard to focus. The feeling of Shia's body pushing against his own and the slight movement of her chest against his side was proving rather distracting. He also noticed that the tone of her voice had been changing sense she had began speaking. It was taking on more and more of an innocent quality that he only just now was beginning to notice.

“Do you accept these terms?”

“What?”

“Brain do you accept these terms of our contract.”

Immediately Brian realized how distracted he must have been. He was hearing every word Shia said but apparently he hadn't been listening to them. He wasn't ready to admit to that though. “Sure. I accept those contract terms.” Brian was a bit surprised whenever he heard a delighted yelp and felt Shia take hold of his shoulder opposite to where he was standing. Before he knew what was going on she had spun him around and wrapped her arms around him squeezing her body against his. The feeling of her breasts pressing into his chest even through their clothing was almost enough to make him ignore the strength in those arms. As they resumed walking together he did his best to hide his developing erection.

“Thank you Brian. I've been needing a new companion for so long. The conversations were wonderful but that's no substitute for more direct interaction.” As she spoke Shia leaned forward and turned slightly so that she could look into Brian's eyes. The slight shifting of her position resulting in her chest and legs brushing against him while meaning he was looking down into her eyes.

The smile on Shia's face was something else. Despite the awkward stance Brian actually found himself leaning into Shia as his body responded to her touch, voice and form. It took a moment for him to remember that she wasn't human. It still took a great deal of will to restore the strength to his legs and begin pulling away to create some space between them. “I'm grateful for this opportunity as well. So are we going to see your ship. I hope you don't mind but I want to make sure you have what is needed to sustain long term human life before we leave.”

“That would be a good idea. You need to be comfortable on my body. I mean ship!” Immediately Shia felt herself blushing again. Perhaps it wasn't just her emotions. Simulating the chemical workings on the human brain also was having some influences on her. At least Brian seemed to approve as Shia noted his biological reactions and took a look down at his pants. She could see clear signs of male excitation and felt herself grinning even more despite the blush.

At first Brian didn't know what to say. Just how effectively had Shia duplicated the form of a human female? Did she even take the time to form the sexual organs? It was a strange thought. As he took a moment to look down at what she was looking at though Brian let out a slight yelp. The constant physical and verbal stimulation had its influence and he felt himself pressing quite firmly against the front of his pants. Unfortunately there was very little he could do to conceal this fact and he suddenly was very grateful that it was just him and Shia in the high security section of the station. What he really needed to do was get her out in front of him now. “I see. That's good. So please lead the way.”

Instead of releasing her hold on Brian Shia gave his arm a gentle tug being careful to keep human strength tolerances in mind. She didn't want to harm him after all but the structural strength of the human body was so low. At times she felt they really needed to be more aggressive with their biological modifications to strengthen their bodies. “The high security air lock is this way. Did you leave your supplies with storage?”

“Yeah. Just let me send the information and.”

“Already done. They will be delivering your items to me shortly. Well your supplies should be there even before you. We are there.” A sigh escaped Shia and she found herself leaning her head to the side against Brian's shoulder for comfort. It was actually relaxing as she felt a chemical response in her brain. This human like form responded very well to touching someone she found to be good company. “It's no wonder you humans like to touch those you find pleasing so much your bodies respond very well to it. I can't wait tell I have you inside of me. My last partner was pleasant but his species didn't like my touch as much and I had to partly isolate myself from him to avoid causing damage.”

Inside of her? Well it wasn't like Shia could force him to have sex with her. She couldn't force him legally at least. This notion quickly flashed into Brian's head and he remembered what she had said about the law. Shia wouldn't do that to him though. He had been getting to know her for quite some time and she was a kind person. He was sure she wouldn't resort to rape. Perhaps her species was used to thinking of sex as a more casual matter then his own? “I. I see. So did your partner ever get inside of you?”

“Constantly but there was never a real connection during those times. You see he is a telesi. We got along quite well for a while but I guess I just burned him out.”

The name was immediately recognizable by Brian. The telesi were a psionic species that could supposedly get along with any species. This was because they tended to form mental connections with others and saw each person as a mind rather then paying much attention to their physical body. They did not like to be in crowded environments however as the constant flow of thought could be overwhelming to them and supposedly some had been isolated from their own species as their thoughts were too powerful. Unfortunately thinking about this wasn't helping Brian with his erection as he continued to be very aware of Shia's body. “I see. So did you read the latest edition of crimson gate?”

“Yes and it's starting to get really interesting! Normally in your cultural media vampires are set up to be the villains, melancholy cry babies who don't work to fix their problems or things that completely forget the notion that being a vampire is suppose to be a curse. I like how in this case though they have the vampires working to help defend the humans not out of kindness or some benevolent reasons but because if the humans die then the vampires will starve as well.”

“That is interesting but I was glad to see that the constant exposure to the humans has began to remind some of them what they once were. Julia has regained a lot of her kindness since the beginning.”

“That may be true but you can already see how the author has set her up to be betray or some kind of miss understanding. Just consider how Edward is starting to behave towards Nadia. It's clear that he has feelings for the both of them while Julia's feelings are far more developed. I just hope that they don't end up deciding that humans should be with humans as that would automatically deny the notion that vampires have any humanity that might be restored. I suppose that I'm a little biased towards such thoughts.”

Now Brian felt himself relaxing. It wasn't uncommon for other species to be interested in the culture and art of another species. Brian had been making recommendations to Shia for several months and she had in turn did the same for him. She had even shared several forms of media from other species. “Well if that did happen what would stop Julia from just turning him into one of her own?”

“Well you know that would bring the wrath of the vampire high council down on her as she would have turned a human without permission. Besides that might result in him hating her oh but it would be a good revenge. That would mean by their own reasoning in that case they can't be together. Did you happen to like that music I sent you?”

“It was really nice. I had my virtual intelligence do a search but it couldn't find where the song originated from which was really surprising. I even shared it with a few friends.” Once again Brian found himself pulled more firmly against Shia. Since they had been walking he had been slowly scooting away but apparently she had noticed or his words had surprised her.

“That's wonderful! I'm not surprised you don't know what species it came from. I wrote it myself while observing a solar storm. It was as if the energies were singing to me and I felt so inspired I had to create something from what I heard. So are all those your belongings?”

Brian was quite surprised by Shia's question. He could see his supplies waiting for him just outside of a heavily built airlock. He also noted two heavy assault turrets that seemed ready to open up on them at any moment. “They really don't try to make high security species feel welcome do they?” It actually surprised Brian whenever he looked at Shia and she had a confused look on her face.

“Well they don't want us wondering around but they gave me a nice big room to wait in. It's not like you're using lethal weapons either. Most species use more then stun cannons when they want to insure. Oh! Those aren't mean to be stun cannons are they?” As she spoke Shia took another look at the guns that had greeted her upon her entrance. “Um well. I'm sure those weapons would be very frightening to most species.”

“They don't worry you in the least do they?”

“Well if they started shooting me that would mean I'm not welcome here anymore and that would worry me.”

At first Brian didn't know what to say so he looked outside. “What made you decide on that design for your ship? It sort of reminds me of an egg with some of the sections cut out.” Brian actually found himself a little surprised as for a moment it looked like the outer frame of the ship had been made to ripple as if someone was flexing a muscle beneath it.

“It's a nice organic shape that provides for good force distribution over the entire structure. It also gives me a primary focal point of strength to slam through something whenever I need to. So are you ready to see the inside of it?”

“Sure, just let me get.” Brian found himself going silent as Shia walked over to his luggage and easily lifted it from the carrier. “Is the self propulsion system in those bags on?”

“Not at the moment. I hope you remembered to bring some media for entertainment. There will be times we're outside of communication range with any civilized species and if nothing is happening it can become very boring.” As she walked Shia was glad that Brian's species was advanced enough not to make carrying his luggage awkward though they were still quite heavy. At least it would have been heavy to him without some kind of aid. To her they were so light she worried she would forget that she was carrying them and possibly shatter the handles. “Now Brian so there isn't any confusion this isn't all of mysee..hip. We'll be meeting up with the more of it soon.”

“Wow you must have been successful to afford a ship large enough to carry this one.” As he spoke Brian was following Shia upon the hatch to her ship opening up he was rather surprised by the scent that hit him. It wasn't the sterile air of the station that he had grown accustomed to. “Wow that smells really nice.”

“Thank you. I tried to think of what would make the journey more pleasant for you so I altered the composition of the air. I wanted a scent that would help excite I mean please I mean be pleasant to you.”  Shia was actually glad whenever she felt Brian coming closer to her. As she stepped inside the ship she heard him following behind her before quickly coming to a stop. “Is something wrong Brian?”

“It's the flooring. It looks like metal but it sure doesn't feel like it. There is a give here.”

“Well yes. Walking around on hard metal flooring is hardly pleasant and in all honestly the click can become very annoying.” As she spoke Shia could feel herself growing more excited. Brian took a few more steps inward and she found herself closing him in a little more then she had intended. This resulted in an increase in what would pass for her pulse and she felt a ripple run through the walls.

“That is amazing.” Brian felt his heart jump a bit as he noted the walls flex slightly. “Did those walls just move?”

Both Brian and Shia knew the answer to that. “Indeed. The material the walls and floor are made from isn't actually a metal as you might understand it. It's well. What's a good way to put it.” As she spoke Shia placed a hand against the wall and began to slowly move her fingers over it. “Let's just call it a living metal that can adapt to a wide variety of situation and purposes.”

“I've heard of things like this on earth.” As he spoke Brian couldn't hide the shock in his voice and couldn't resist reaching out and touching the wall. He could feel the warmth that radiated out from every section of the wall. “They're some organic parts for cyborgs that have surpassed the mechanical ones. They cost a fortune though so only governments and a few of the wealthy can afford to have them grown but your species is making entire ships from this technology.” Brian could swear her heard Shia purr as he was running his fingers against the wall but it didn't seem to come from the right direction.

“Yes. We don't have much use for simple metals and make a great deal of things from what you may call living metals.”

“That is amazing Shia. Well you  have the breathable atmosphere down quite nicely.” As he spoke Brian continued up to stand next to Shia who was still holding his belongs.

“That isn't all. Come this way and we'll I'll prove to you that I have everything on this ship needed to keep a human comfortable and alive. I can't actually show you to your room as that has to wait until we leave for the larger ship. There is a temporary one room here though.” As she was speaking Shia continued to lead Brian further into the ship. It was hard for her to contain her excitement whenever she would feel him touch her body. It had been so long since she had company that she had began to seriously miss it. The fact that Brian had proven to be a good friend during their communications helped add to it a great deal.

The ship was a bit larger then Brian expected and it took them longer to reach the first room. The door would have been impossible to make out if it wasn't for the markings around it. Once they neared it though the door opened up but rather then a swinging door he was surprised to see it open as if it was an artery. “I see so this is the.”

“The hygienic room. You have your potty. I hope you don't mind but instead of using paper or the such to clean your bottom it uses a stream of fluid. You also have your bath which can be used for a rain style shower or a mist. Personally I really prefer it whenever the mist style is used. A sink. Would you believe I forgot that the first time I had someone here? Not that it took long to fix but it was very embarrassing.”

“Why didn't you already have a sink? Don't tell me you don't wash your hands after using the well as you put it the potty.” This was perhaps the first time Brian had seen Shia looking annoyed and it was hard not to laugh. Her bottom lip seemed to drop down and her cheeks were made to puff up as she looked back at him.

“Well it's nice that you're already comfortable enough to tease me even if you're being mean. I'll have you know my species uses a different type of waste removal then you humans. These facilities were put in entirely for other species.”

“I see. Well it's good to know I don't have to worry about anyone barging in on me while I'm getting all clean.” Brian almost jumped backwards whenever he noticed the smile that appeared on Shia's face. Predatory was a good way of describing it even if her voice returned to the sing song tone it had been.

“Yes and be sure you get very clean. Now come this way and I'll show you the dining hall. I gathered some items that I believed you would enjoy and I stored some nutrient cells that you could also process should the need arise. Well you could process the cell after it had received some processing itself but it's good for you.”

“Huh? Um let's wait to see what you have in mind.”

At least Shia was nice enough to keep the restroom near the dining hall. It was a very short walk to it and now Brian found himself holding a bright purple cube. “I don't believe I could bite through this.”

“No. Not like that but just take a little of this.” As he spoke Shia retrieved a long thin syringe from the same storage locker that had held the cube and injected it into it. “Now wait a minute. Do you feel it warming up?”

“Yes.”

“Okay wait a minute and once it goes soft take a bite. It should be about as consistent as bread. The compound I just injected the cube with is breaking it down into a state where you could digest it. I can't store it that way though as then its shelf life is cut way too short.”

Nodding his head Brian took a moment to look around. The dining area was clearly meant for a small crew. There were two tables in the room each capable of comfortable seating four people and five if you wanted to cram them in. The seats were actually connected to the table which rested atop a central pedestal. “Can those seats be adjusted for different heights.”

“Of course. Just come over here take hold of it just beneath the seat and push up or pull down.” As she spoke Shia demonstrated for Brian raising the seat up for a height clearly meant for a child and then lowering it down far enough for a very tall adult.

It made sense that the seats were connected to something. Whenever a ship had to run furniture could easily end up being thrown around. It was just safer to have it all anchored down. The cooking area or what he supposed was the cooking area was a large flat stone like surface. One thing he noticed as well was none of the cabinets were meant to swing open.  Rather they all had the same artery like way of opening. It made since though. You didn't want a weak cabinet opening up and smacking someone while the ship was really moving.”Shia what would happen if I ate this nutrient cube before it was quite ready?”

“You'd be fine. You would need to drink a lot of water and you would urinate a lot but even if I injected you with a small dose of the enzyme used to break down the cube your life wouldn't be in immediate danger provided you were given enough water.”

Nodding his head Brian finally risked a bite of the cube. Sweet with a sour outer layer was the first thing that came to his mind. “It taste fruity.”

“I'm glad you like it. At least that means if something happens to the human rations you won't hate your food.”

“I don't know about that one. I don't believe I could eat these for every meal.”

“Oh shush. If we were stranded with no other food you'd eat them after two days of no food and be happy for it.” As she spoke Shia waved her hand dismissively. It wasn't like she meant for Brian to always be eating her nutrient cubes. “Hey Brian. There is one thing I wanted to ask. I'm not good at cooking human food and sense I have some of it on hand I was hoping you could cook a few things for me.”

“I'd be happy to. I did say I wish you could taste my cooking before.”

“Thank you!” As she spoke Shia found herself wrapping her arms around Brian. She had been preparing herself for this meeting so she wouldn't accidentally kill him. Still she found herself giving him a firm hug before she could think too much and felt herself blushing whenever she finally released it. “I mean. Thanks. Okay. We've covered the hygiene room and dining. I suppose we need to cover medical and recreation then you can confirm my request to depart.”

“It's no problem. Now how about that medical center?”

“Sure. I admit it's somewhat different then what you would find in this region of space. If you want you could strip down and test out the healing chamber.”

Did Shia have any idea what she was saying? Brian couldn't help but wonder if she was teasing him as she once again took hold of his arm and began to guide him away. He had to remind himself that this kind of talk was typical for Shia as he had noticed over the year. “Shia did you take on a form similar to your former companions?”

“Yes I did. I like to insure that my partner isn't just comfortable with my presences but enjoys it. I want you to enjoy looking at and feeling my body because I enjoy looking at and feeling yours.” As she spoke Shia brought her face closer to Brian's in order to give him a better look into her eyes.

“I. I see. So you're not the type that only prefers her own species? We humans are pretty delicate compared to you from what you're saying.” It was a relief whenever Shia began to walk again. As attractive as she was Brian wasn't certain if becoming intimate with her would be safe. He didn't want to end up having his back broken even if the medical tanks could heal him. Plus from the way Shia was talking far worse could happen. Thankfully she wasn't trying to strip him.

“My species can change our shape and even our composition in order to adjust to a situation. So we don't have a very solid set of criteria for what we find physically attractive even amongst our own. What tends to be truly exciting to us is the exchange of information and interaction. Debating those stories with you and trying to figure out the future happenings. Receiving new stories from you made me so excited.”

“I. I see.” It was becoming clear to Brian why Shia had burned out her last partner. If she liked exchanging information quite readily she must have wanted him to keep a psionic link with her open constantly. Even a species that was naturally suited to using such powers must have been overwhelmed after years of living in such an environment. Now with the tone of her voice he couldn't help but wonder if she might have been doing her species version of masturbation during some of their conversations. The notion that while he was talking to her she was playing some kind of sexual game hadn't really occurred to him.

As she brought Brian into the medical center Shia turned to face him. “The tank you see on your side filled with the red fluid is actually a healing tank.” As she spoke Shia brought several bladed appendages down into the tank. “In the event upon entering the tank you need anything set or removed these will take care of it. Say for example your face had been crushed and the bone wasn't structured correctly. Those appendages will help with the actual placement. As long as your brain is intact though this tank will restore you well more or less. Clearly if your head was the only thing left of you then well it would have to take some liberties with your body but I assure you they would all be medically sound.”

“Are you serious? Even the nano machine baths back on earth can't do that. I guess I shouldn't be too surprised though. Given what you said about living metal this probably isn't much trouble for you.”

“Well your bodies do use a very simple design. It's pretty easy to repair with the right tools. If you want a more mundane medical treatment you can set on that table and let me take care of you. I assure you I've studied your biology very carefully and am capable of tending to most of your needs even without the tube.”

“I see. Shia what happened to my luggage?” As he spoke Brian remembered the luggage Shia had been packing.

“I still have it. Oh! It's in the eating area. Would you like to go back for it?”

“No.” Before continuing Brian had to take in a deep breath. He had often imagined shape shifters and the idea of a partner that could take on any form you liked was nice. However, he always had issue with what one might consider their true form. The notion that the body he was touching was just a suit and the real person was something far more abnormal had never set well with him. “Hey Shia I've been wanting to ask. The form you're using now. Well what would happen if you were knocked unconscious? Would you change into something else like those werewolves I sent you stories about?”

“No. It takes conscious effort on my part in order to change my form actually rather then the reverse. I'm not holding back a true form as you might put it.” For a moment Shia went silent giving a slight sigh. “Actually when I think about it I don't believe you could say I have a true form. My true form is currently whatever shape and structure I've chosen to take on. Wow I haven't looked like when I was born in a very long time.”

“So you don't consider the form you had at birth your true form?”

“No! No. No. That body was way too vulnerable and small. I'm not even willing to risk taking on that body again. It just leaves me too vulnerable to being killed.”

As Brian listened to Shia her response actually wasn't helping him control his body. With the notion that he ran the risk waking up next to some with unpleasantly shaped creature killed his mind was free to roam and his body to respond. “I see. So would you say this is your true form?”

“Oh no. If you'd like later I can give you a better idea of what my true form is. This though. Well this is the form I considered suitable for waiting for you at the station.”

“That would be appreciated. Okay Shia. I guess the only thing that's left is the recreation area and living area but we really won't see those until we meet up with your main ship. I'm not sure what good I'll be to you but I'm ready to go.” As he spoke Brian was quite surprised to feel a sudden shift in acceleration as if they had suddenly began moving at very high speeds. “Shia did you feel that?” Before he got a verbal response from Shia Brian once again found himself wrapped up in a hug.

“Yay! Don't worry about being useful Brian I know they're plenty of fun things you can help me with. As for moving.  Yep! Now that I have your agreement I'm taking us to the other ship. This is going to be so much fun!”

So she was networked with the ship and didn't have to be at the controls to direct it? Brian was actually a bit taken back by this though on further thought it seemed rather silly. With everything else she had shown him it wasn't surprising that she had a mental link with the ship. “Is there anyway we can go so that I can see the main ship from the outside?”

“Yep! This way and I'll let you look out the eyes. I mean viewer.” A slight giggle escaped Shia as she gave her head several rabid taps with her fist. “Happy makes brain not think very well.”

This was strange. Was this another way Shia was teasing him? The way she talked it seemed like she was hiding something. Given that she wasn't a human it wasn't strange that she would make some mistakes but there were other things to. His aw and penis had been doing a good job of keeping his head from working but there was something nagging at him as he followed her out of the medical center. There had been room enough for eight people to set at the dining area but was this ship really large enough in order to house eight people? It could depending on the size of his room he supposed. At the same time though was there only one hygienic room? “Shia do you have any other hygienic rooms on this ship?”

“No. There is just that one. As you're the only exploration assistant I'm taking on I didn't see much need to accommodate other species on this ship.” Shia felt certain she'd said something wrong as she noted the change in Brian's brain activity and his body.

“Then why was the dining area set up to hold eight other people?”

“In the event of company or extra passengers we didn't plan for. The crew section is spacious but there is also some more economy spaced sleeping areas in the event we take on some unplanned passengers. In this business you never know what you're going to find. I really couldn't have a hygienic area for every species that we might encounter though.” As she spoke Shia noted Brian's biological signs. He was calming down once again. She really should have been more careful with the dining area and gave it the look that it was meant for a small crew instead of a large but she had wanted Brian to be comfortable.

“Sorry about that Shia I suppose I'm getting a little edgy. One of the things we studied is the dangers of making a contract with well a high security species. It's not like we're going to be in human controlled space where help is ready to rush to my aid and even if we were I'm not sure it would matter with a high security species.”

“Oh I remember talking to you about that! Remember how I jumped your case for even considering making a contract with a imaldon? You wanted to write a paper showing the steps you could take to diminish the risk so that you could make contracts even with one of them. I spent three of your hours talking you out of the idea and instead switched you over to why you should never make a contract with a imaldon or at least not with their current culture.”

“Yeah and my teacher loved some of your points. Though I can't help but think I turned the bulk of my classmates against an entire species.” A slight chuckle escaped Brian as he sped up a little bit to walk beside Shia. The moment he came within arms reach he felt her arm take hold of his and suddenly he was pulled back against her body without explanation or even comment. He was beginning to think she really meant it whenever she said she enjoyed the feel of his body.

“Brian this may not help you relax but keep in mind. Oh. That probably wouldn't comfort you at all if I said that.” A slight giggle escaped Shia as she looked into Brian's eyes. “I thought I had something for a moment there but now I believe it'd just make you less comfortable.”

“Oh what is it?”

“Well in all honesty if I am some depraved, amoral or cruel being then it's already too late for you to do anything about it. You were really out of your safe zone the moment you stepped into the high security section of the station with me. I do consider you a friend though and I find benefiting my friends very enjoyable.”

“So don't worry about something you can't do anything about. Well that makes sense in this situation. I've wanted to ask though. You mentioned that your ship is sort of a living metal. After how you took control of the ship I can’t help but imagine this ship is kind of alive. With how you're networked with your ship, I believe it must have a primitive mind at least for it to understand you. That can explain some of the mistakes you made while talking. Being linked to it must really feel like its part of you doesn't it?”

Had she revealed that much already? Shia knew she had made several mistakes but perhaps directing it mentally was more of an error then she realized. She was certain that she had given Brian a bit too much information. “I hope that doesn't make you uncomfortable. I know some people don't even like the concept of a ship made from living metal.”

By now Brian believed he was getting a better idea of what he was dealing with. The notion of a ship that could be considered alive was a little strange to him but Brian was adjusting. They were still some things that were nagging him especially given how Shia had been talking. What was he overlooking? The ship was made from a living metal like what some people used on earth if they could afford it. This was clearly more advanced then what he had heard of though and Shia was networked with it. “Shia can you feel what's happening to or even inside of the ship?”

She had said far too much. Brian was well on his way to figuring out more then what Shia wanted to reveal just yet. He had already agreed to the contract but she wanted to give him a little more time to get comfortable with what she had told him before she revealed more. Openly lying to him wasn't what she wanted to do despite that and she wasn't prepared to do it either. “If something was to strike the ship with enough force to do damage I would feel it as you would feel your own body being injured. Proportional to the amount of damage caused naturally. That is one reason it's good to have someone who isn't networked with the ship helping me to control it. My connection to the ship gives me a reaction time that other species can't match even if they think as fast as I do. Unfortunately it's very hard to fight effectively whenever you're practically screaming in pain.”

To this Brian gave a nod. “I see! So it helps to have someone to fly the ship in emergency situations while you're coping with the injury. Well I should be able to do that. I brought some drive with me in the event of an emergency.”

“What! You're not talking about those temporary augmentations made by Azian industries are you?”

“Well yes.” The energy Shia put into her voice actually surprised Brian. Azian had some of the most advanced augmentation serums or drive humans had. You couldn't use them constantly but recovery was very clean and damage minimal.

“No. Absolutely not. I've been studying your human biology for a while now I've got something far better for you with none of those nasty side affects.”

Brian's first instinct was to ask Shia how she did that. Then he remembered what she had said about the healing tank and the level of technology of the entire ship. His body was primitive in her eyes. “Well could I see the data on it before I need it?”

“Sure. I hope you don't mind but we're already at the bridge.” As she spoke Shia opened the door leading into the bridge still feeling silly. She had been so worked up by the notion Brian would be using such inferior and dangerous drive types that she had already removed it from his bag and processed it. Naturally she couldn't tell him that without him asking more questions.

Now Brian knew that Shia was trying to keep something hidden. That or was she baiting him into figuring it out? If she was hiding it she wasn't doing a very good job of it. It actually felt like she was playing a game with him trying to get him to figure something out. This thought actually made him smile as he stepped onto the bridge and was a bit surprised by what he saw. Centered in the room towards the back was what one would consider the captain's chair with one terminals up front and one off to the right side. “Shia I know you don't need a large crew given how capable your species is. So why are there two terminals other then the captains?”

Now Shia was made to smile as she pointed towards what Brian thought was the captain's station. “Primary station for you to use. It has the fastest network with the wrest of the ship and even allows for a telepathic connection. The one up front is for the event that such a connection isn't maintainable or safe to maintain while the one to the side you might call manual. Unlike the other ones it depends entirely on a hardline that runs throughout the entire ship.”

“Huh? I thought you used the center one.”

“Brian I am networked with the ship. My controls are entirely contained within my head.”

“I see but Shia there is a bit of a problem. You know whenever I signed up I informed you what type of control systems I've been trained how to handle.” Brian didn't get to finish before he felt Shia pulling him towards the center station. “Shia I have no idea how to handle a system like you described.”

“Which is why I'm going to begin teaching you now while I'm in full control and won't let you do anything like slam us into a planet or star.” A slight chuckle escaped Shia as she finally released her hold on Brian and effectively shoved him into the central area. She felt an immediate tingle inside of her head and a slight rush as she prepared to network with another living being more directly then just talking. It was hard to keep herself from moaning. Exchanging information was one way to experience another living being and touching was to. Connecting your minds together even on a basic level was far beyond that and she felt her skin growing warm as her tongue ran along her lips. “Now just put your hands on the railing to help steady yourself for the first time and relax.”

Brian knew Shia was getting excited by the change in her voice. He didn't get a chance to look back before he felt like something was pinching his head. The pressure released moments later and he was glad that he was holding onto the railing as new information began to enter into his head. Letters and numbers that he didn't recognize but understood their meaning began to appear in front of him. This wasn't his knowledge and he knew it but who's knowledge it was he wasn't certain of. Was it Shia's knowledge or was it the ship's knowledge? “Wow. Okay wow this feels very strange.”

Thank goodness Brian was busy processing all that information. Shia couldn't help herself and gave a low moan while pressing one of her now free hands into her right breasts. She loved the feeling of a friendly mind opening up to her own. She had to be careful how strong of a connection she formed or she would end up baking Brian's untrained and unprepared mind but it was nice to feel even this level of stimulation. “Brian. There is a lot of features I can't open up right now but we can begin the basics.  To begin with I'm going to teach you how to see the most important things that I see.”

Shia's words felt different now. It was like they were going strait into his mind rather then his ears hearing sound. He had a good idea of what she meant by processing information. The amount of information being provided to him was far beyond what he had received during training. He would need to learn to handle all this information. “Where do I start with all of this?”

“First let's begin with the basics. What you're seeing now is actually everything that's happening around us for.” Shia found herself going silent and she had to bite down on her thumb for a moment as she felt Brian adapting. He had been thinking about what he was seeing as a strait forward view but now understood it as fully three dimensional. The shift in his awareness caused a shift in how her mind was interacting with his and she had to fight back a moan. “You're a quick learner Brian. Mm it feels so good to have you touching my mind like this.”

When Shia had first met him she had been quick to take hold of him. She had also mentioned she enjoyed the feeling of someone she liked touching her body and touching theirs. She was clearly into stimulation. Now something else became clear. Shia had mentioned that she was linked with the ship and the controls were in her head. On top of that she had warned him this terminal may not work if she wasn't mentally capable of sustaining it. Of course he wasn't just interacting with the ship he was actually touching her mind. This was enough to startle Brian slightly and he tried to turn to look at her. His body wouldn't move.

“Don't panic Brian. Your mind is just devoting most of its functions towards interacting with the ship. You probably haven't noticed it yet but you can't see through your own eyes either.” Shia's cheeks were flush as she took in several deep breaths and moved her hand to her breasts. Pinching her nipples through the material of her dress she was delighted with the response of her body. A low moan escaped her as she felt Brian adjusting again and seeming to calm down. That was a good sign. If he had panicked whenever he touched her mind and not relaxed it would meant their partnership would be a short one. “You're doing good Brian. I know this is a lot to take in for a species that isn't used to having a telepathic connection with another being.”

“It's a little frightening to be honest with you. That and a little humiliating.”

Now it was Shia's turn to be surprised. “Why humiliating?”

“You mentioned that you had to be careful not to bake my brain didn't you?” Brian could actually feel Shia's laughter run through his body and actually lighten his spirits a bit.

“Brian. There is no species known to you that could directly interact with my mind and not have their brain fried if I wasn't gentle. In time you will learn to interact with my mind and I can remove the safe guards. Now Brian I want to ask you. What is the first thing that you see far to our right?”

Brian wanted to nod his head and tried to look in that direction. Instantly he felt himself slipping and the information became more and more obscure to him. “Shia what's going on?”

“You're trying to look to our right Brian stop that. You need to remember that you're constantly looking in all directions whenever you're interfacing with this terminal. Stop trying to see with your eyes and. Oh that's nice. Just focus on feeling for a little bit.” Shia could feel her skin tingling as Brian once again began to adjust. The information feed from his mind directly into hers was wonderful. Her last partner wasn't capable of giving her nearly as pleasant of a information feed as Brian was doing. As Shia felt Brian's mind engulfed in her own she found herself leading back against the railing that surrounded the terminal and lightly grasping it in her hands.

He wasn't just looking in front of himself. He wasn't just looking behind himself, to his side, below or above himself. He was looking in all of these directions at once. The thought was strange to Brian. Even his experience with detection equipment hadn't prepared him to literally see in all of these situations. Shia had described it like feeling and that made sense in some ways. Your skin could detect activity from any direction though its range was very limited. It was working to some extent but his vision still seemed foggy. He soon could see the object Shia had mentioned earlier but instead of trying to see it he tried to feel what was there as if he was walking through a dark room. How was it still there? “Shia is that a ship?”

“Yay! You're doing good Brian.  Yes that's actually what we're going to be joining up with soon.” As she looked at Brian she was made to giggle. She could feel a wetness between her legs and knew she needed to get this out of her system before he tired of being networked with the system. “These human bodies really are designed for pleasure even if they are delicate.” Giving a sigh Shia stood up and began to walk towards Brian. “Okay Brian I'm going to begin closing out the connection between you and me before you begin to suffer. You're going to be leaning on me whenever you return to your natural senses okay?”

“What do you mean suffer?”

“You're not used to this and while you can't feel it this is taking a toll on your mind.” As she spoke Shia took hold of Brian and had him lean against her body. She knew it was a bit pushy but she couldn't help but bring his head against her breasts as she supported him. “Okay Brian I'm going to start shutting down the pathways one at a time. Just lean into the first thing you feel. I'm sure you'll like it almost as much as I do.”

“What?” Brian didn't have time to get an answer. A sudden wave of dizziness hit him and suddenly he felt like he was falling. There was something soft and warm pressing against him though and he instinctively leaned into it. The dizziness increased again and the amount of senses that were flowing through his mind began to rapidly decrease. It now was becoming clear that he was switching back to his own body's natural detection systems and it was taking a few moments for his mind to adjust to them. “Shia. Shia I believe I'm going to be. Oh. That feels better.” Now Brian could feel a pressure against his stomach but he wasn't sure what it was.

Shia smiled as she pressed her hand against Brian's stomach. She had actually given him a very moderate sedative which calmed his body down. “Don't worry Brian I'm holding you against myself. You're not going anywhere.”

Couldn't she just say that she had him? Fortunately his body didn't seem to be responding like it had before though in his current condition Brian couldn't be certain that he wouldn't find himself carrying a hard on when he could see again. At least his vision was coming in now and he found himself looking at an expanse of lightly tanned, rounded and very smooth looking flesh. The fact that he was looking down into Shia's cleavage registered moments later as did the fact his head was pressed against her breasts. He couldn't even begin to pull away though as his legs refused to follow instructions. “I can't move my body.”

“Don't worry Brian. Your body will be back under your control in just a moment. See?” As she spoke Brian had already began to stand up again and Shia had once again taken hold of his arm. In part to insure that he couldn't escape. “I have some good news for you as well. While you were practicing I developed some drive just for you.”

“What? It's not even been a day and you're saying you have developed an enhancement drug for me?” Despite everything he had seen so far Brian was having trouble believing this. Upon looking at Shia's flushed face he immediately forgot the drug and almost jumped backwards. She had told him she enjoys interaction but the look on her face seemed to be that of a woman who had done far more then some cuddling. Did she even realize the way she was breathing? The thought brought Brian's eyes to her chest which were still heaving as she seemed to be simulating human behavior. He didn't know what to think whenever Shia pulled him even more firmly against herself.

“That's plenty of time for simple work like this! Now come with me and I'll show you to your room. You'll need to tell me if I textured and scented your bed properly. I tried to prepare to provide the most pleasing wresting experience possible. Unless of course you'd like to try the drive I prepared for you. It includes a enhancing recovery feature which would allow us to continue with your practice.”

There was that tone again. “Shia I hope this isn't going too far but you mentioned you really enjoy interaction and I'm guessing that includes mental. From the way your body is responding though this seems to be sexual for you.”

“Hm. I wouldn't call it sex. It is a very pleasurable experience but I don't know where to put it. It exist somewhere between a hug from someone you're very fond of.  A hug that perhaps involves nice big breast pushing into your chest or even swallowing up your face like these can.” As she spoke Shia reached her free hand into her shirt and pulled it open slightly more so given Brian an even better display. “And sex. The level of the interaction and the time determines which one is leans more towards.”

Shia's vague answer wasn't helping Brian as he was left to wonder which one they had been going more towards. “I see. Then what is sex for your species?”

“Are you talking about reproductive sex, pleasurable sex or a strong expression of fondness for the other person sex?” As she spoke Shia intentionally slowed her pace forcing Brian to slow down so that he could better look at her face.

“Romantic sex is what I'm thinking.” As he spoke Brian had to massage his throat in order to help the words come out. He didn't want to misread Shia's intentions or move into something that was too personal but she seemed quite prepared to be intimate.

“Well for that we would need to be involved in what the other species would consider romantic sex first of all. So you would need to be fondling my breasts and either have your penis inside of my vagina or some other sexual interaction. While at the same time for my species aspect of it we would need to have a mental connection open similar to what you had on the main terminal. Except it would need to be a more open and powerful connection then the one you were using just now. To put it in terms of sexual interaction the level of connection you had a short while ago would perhaps be like standing close to me.”

“That was only standing close!”

“Well I'm not sure if that's entirely accurate comparison. Perhaps more like seeing me at a distance or just hearing me.” A slight giggle escaped Shia as she noted the look on Brian's face. “You humans have such delicate hardware that I really have to be careful while your adapting to interface with me.  You can wrest in this room here.” As she spoke Shia stopped and opened up the wall to reveal Brian's temporary sleeping area.

Brian's first instinct was to go into the room but he immediately came to a stop and took in a deep breath. “Shia before we step into the sleeping chambers there is something I want to talk to you about. How do I put this?” Brian knew right now that if they were any men on the ship he would have serious trouble speaking his mind about this subject. Part of him wondered if this was really what he wanted to say. He also had to be mindful of how he said it to avoid hurting a friend’s feelings. “Shia we've been talking a while and I consider you a friend. After all I'm sure you wouldn't have invited someone to touch your mind if you didn't consider them a pleasant person.”

“Yep!”

That was adorable immediately flashed into Brian's mind as he noted the very happy with herself look on Shia's face. His penis immediately tried to tell his mouth to shut up but his brain kept it going. “That's good to know Shia. I also consider you a friend, a dear friend, but I’m having doubts about how your specie understands the boundaries of friendship”.

“Why are you having those doubts? Is there anything wrong?” Shia already felt Brian was trying to put some distance between them. Immediately she disliked the idea as she rather enjoyed how her body responded to his touch. This resulted in her pulling herself even more firmly against his body in an attempt to change his mind.

“I’m not sure if this is your intentions but well you've sort of been rubbing up against me most of the time I've been here. I would appreciate a little more space.” As he spoke, Brian could already feel Shia tightening her hold on him. She was so close that he could hear her heart pounding. ‘If she had duplicated such organ, what others could she have duplicated’ raced in his mind as he looked below her and imagined what could be between those creamy legs. Brian quickly shook those thoughts to keep his mind focused even he knew his body will be hers if she asked for it.

“But it feels good!” Shia protested as she never imagined he was going to ask her to stop holding herself against him. Could she possible misread him? Every biological indicator was telling her that he enjoyed the touch as well. So why was he rejecting it?

Now Brian felt himself beginning to sweat. Shia was right it felt good. It felt very good and the scent of her hair was almost intoxicating only growing more so as he felt her head leaning against his. The feeling of something brushing against his hand drew Brian's attention for a moment and he was surprised. Before Shia's hair had been tied in a bun. Now it had become far too long to turn into such a small bun and become strait such that even while her head pressed against his her hair could reach his hand. Was she modifying her form to appeal to him? “Well yes it does feel good but. I. I well. This type of behavior is meant for couples in my culture.”

“Oh! How silly of me… My behavior must be making you uncomfortable” As she spoke Shia had to stop her hair from wrapping around Brian's wrist to avoid letting him go. This body truly was meant to respond to pleasure. It became even harder as she began to loosen her hold on his hand and try to straighten back up. “So our current relationship doesn’t allow such touching?” she said with a pout on her lips as she drew small circles on his arm using her finger.

“Not for two people that are going to be working together.” The look Shia gave Brian almost melted his heart. The slant of her eyes had changed slightly becoming more catlike and her lips still had that adorable pout. Coupled with the view of her cleavage it was hard to take. “Besides Shia, I can understand you might be over stimulated after going without a partner for so long. I know you enjoy interaction but none of our conversations would have led me to believe it's this addictive for you. I really want to be your partner, but I don’t think I’m ready to be your lover” By now Brian had his space as he noted Shia had backed off though with a pouting look.

This was strange to Shia. She had partners before but they didn't have such a confusing response to her stimulating them. Brian's body was telling her that he wanted to be stimulated and she was enjoying it to so she had done so. Now his mind was telling her that he didn't want her to behave in such a way despite admitting that it had felt good.  “Okay but.” As she spoke Shia felt her expression changing from pouting to concerned. “Brian I can't help but touch you after all the entire ship is alive and my mind is connected to the entire ship.”

At first Brian said nothing but gave a slight nod. “That's true I guess you can even feel my foot steps.”

“They tickle!” Despite the situation Shia couldn't help but smile and her energy came out in her voice. She was glad when she saw Brian smiling to.

“That's a bit different then how you were rubbing up against me. I believe.”

Did Brian realize that even the covering to his bed was part of the ship? That she would be embracing his nude figure throughout the entire night if he chose to sleep that way? Shia doubted that he was considering that fact and chose not to mention it as she pouted back at him. “So, does this mean we can’t become a couple?”

“How about we live and work together for a while and see how we feel about one another after that? It may turn out that after a month you may not even want to be near me and most assuredly not want to network your mind or stimulate your body with me.”

“Oh! I like that!” Shia 'ssmile couldn’t have been bigger as Brian’s words made her human heart really beat fast. “I understand we don't have strong enough feelings of fondness for one another to allow for such touching because we have only had very limited interaction up till now, but if it turns out that after a month I still want to touch your body and network with you, can I touch you like we were a couple?” As she spoke Shia had to resist the urge to move closer to Brian once again. She could feel the stimulation to her human body diminishing and she didn't like it.

“Well. It will be hard to resist with a body like yours… I mean… not that the form you've chosen isn't extremely beautiful but…”

“I can make it more to your liking!”As she spoke Shia forgot herself for a moment and stepped forward. She wasn't quite touching Brian but she was very close. Such that he could feel her body heat.

Shia was giving him that pout once again. As Brian looked at her he realized something. Her lips had been a deep red before but now had shifted to a softer pastel pink that he found simply wonderful on a woman. The eyes, the hair and the lips she was clearly capable of adjusting her looks to suit his desires.  “Shia this is a lot to take in and we humans. Well we  take some time to resolve our feelings. You've given me an awful lot to consider after all and I need time to let it settle. If we become a couple, I will like it to be for the right reasons. Being a couple is a serious commitment for me”

“Oh! This is human culture responding instead of just biological signs! You're thinking about the long term success of a partnership, friendship and maybe more!”As she spoke Shia felt her excitement building once again. Brian was doing a wonderful job of repressing his basic biological responses in order to improve the odds of long term success.

Brian almost jumped back as he noted the expression on Shia's face. A huge smile had formed on it while her skin had grown flush with excitement. He could literally feel the heat radiating from her body and suddenly wondered what had happened to make her so happy. “Shia are you alright?”

“I'm better then alright I'm so excited this body can barely endure it! I've been stimulating you visually, audibly, tactilely and even your olfactory senses! Yet despite your every biological response being positive you're resisting the influence due to your ideas! Do you have any idea how few species have the mental capacity for their mind to override so many powerful biological responses!” As she had been speaking Shia  actually found her body starting to tremble. The possibility to interact directly with a species that could have conflicting opinions and ideas within their own being was always delightful. The stronger these conflicting ideas the better and for Brian's mind to override his biological responses was enough to make her exuberant.

Brian could swear he felt the temperature in the hall increasing as Shia's body seemed to radiate energy. Tiny droplets of water began to appear on her skin and seemed to ripple as it flowed over it while he could swear he felt the pounding of Shia's heart in the hall. The entire situation brought something of a grin to his face. The fact that she was responding this strongly to effectively being told to wait made it all the more surreal. “I see. Well then I hope you don't mind but I'd like to spend some time resting. I know we haven't done much but this has been rather draining.”

“Okay! I'll let you know whenever we reach our destination. If you need anything speak up and I'll be sure to hear you.” As she spoke Shia gave a slight nod and leaned forward bringing her face closer to Brian but not closing the gap between the two of them. This also served to give him a wonderful view of her cleavage. Even if she wasn't allowed to touch him using the same method she had been that didn't mean she couldn't make use of his visual, audible and olfactory senses.

It took far more willpower then Brian wanted to think about to turn and force his body into his room. As the door shut behind him he felt like his heart was going to leap out of his chest and like his penis wanted to murder his brain. “Settle down you two we have an entire month to get to know her.” As he spoke Brian immediately realized he hadn't asked to be shown around the room. It didn't matter much as he noticed the storage units with his belongings laying next to the bed. As he looked around one thing did strike him as strange almost immediately. There was no lights in the room but rather the light seemed to radiate from everywhere in the room even the flooring.

Shia felt Brian as he settled down in the bed. She already realized that she had forgotten to show him the performance enhancers but chose not to bother him. Overriding his bodies biological commands and networking with her mind had left him drained. For the moment she would let him wrest. A sharp gasp escaped her as she felt Brian's hands squeezing her flesh. She had been careful to adjust the texture of his bedding to provide just the right level of stimulation. It seemed to be having the desired affect as she felt his hands lightly messaging her flesh.

This was a strange material. As Brian settled into the bed he could swear that it was moving in to engulf him. Combined with the scent and the temperature the material actually did a lot to comfort him as he closed his eyes. As he took in the scent of the bed he was made to remember what Shia had told him whenever he entered the ship. She had scented the air rather then having the sterile air that would be found in most ships. This was different from what he had encountered then reminding him of Shia's hair. Despite his exhaustion Brian found his body responding to the scent as his fingers began to press rhythmically into the material.

A low moan escaped to Shia only to be followed by a slight giggle shortly after. Brian had said he wasn't prepared to have her rubbing herself against him however he didn't say anything about him rubbing himself against her. With Brian drifting off Shia let the rumble move throughout the entire ship the walls themselves responding as Brian teased her body. She hoped that he would have some interesting dreams.
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Brian felt rather strange as he set up in bed. It wasn't that he felt bad. Indeed he felt rather good but it was this fact that made him feel strange. Typically whenever he first woke up he felt like washing his face off and perhaps giving his upper body a wipe down with a damp rag. He felt the need to brush his teeth and he felt a little groggy. None of that was there as he found himself turning to the side and immediately realized he had no quilt or other object covering his body. He hadn't noticed it the previous day but the bed had no form of covering that he could think of. Had the light been on all night? “Shia are you there?”

“Of course I am Brian. I'm glad that you're awake. There is something I wanted to show you. Would you be so kind as to come to the entry way?”

Much like the light Brian felt like Shia's voice had come from all around him. As if there was a speaker situated in every part of the room. Yet he couldn't see nothing to indicate such a device. For all he knew the walls themselves were vibrating the air to generate the sound waves he could hear. “Sure but how long was I out?”

“You were out for eleven of your hours. You must have been having a very nice dream.” As she spoke Shia couldn't help letting some of her excitement slip into her voice. She had rather enjoyed interacting with Brian in his unconscious state even if he didn't remember it. She had of course upheld her agreement not to rub up against him using the same methods as before but this had been his doing.

“Wow. I didn't realize I was that tired. But Shia could you tell me. I'm not sure how to ask this but. Why do I feel so clean?” By now Brian was out of bed and surprised that he still had his clothes on. He had been so tired that he forgot to take them off. “Oh darn! Shia could you give me a little time to get cleaned up? I guess you made me feel a little too comfortable and I forgot my hygiene issues.”

“No need to worry about that Brian. Unless you need to make use of the toilet I've already seen to cleaning your body while you slept. My waste removal systems removed all the organic and none organic debris from your body including shed skin cells  and other matter. You really couldn't be any cleaner externally then you are now. They also tended to the inside of your body just a little bit.”

Immediately Brian felt a little awkward as he stepped out of his room. “You mean like a nanospa?”