M-3. Rapture and Afterglow

When did I first realize I had feelings for Sveta? When did the incredibly dense ace pilot Miette first feel the pangs of love?

Hmm, that’s a difficult one to answer.

If I’m being honest, I was enamored with her from the beginning. I’ve always been a rebellious girl, even while serving as a pilot. I didn’t get on well with Laria, or the Captain, or any authority figure. I did just enough to keep out of trouble and let my piloting skills speak for themselves. But Sveta was something different from all those cold professional soldiers who surrounded me; she was a bundle of warmth and energy and fun. She was also incredibly cute. Her and I clicked instantly.

She was equal parts vulnerable and powerful. Her vulnerability came from being cast adrift in this strange world with no memories, and under constant threat of alien annihilation. I could see just how scared she was at the beginning, and it’s a testament to her courage she didn’t break down under the pressure. Her power, conversely, came from her attitude; bright and spunky, sociable and genuine. She had a smile that would melt anyone’s heart.

Especially mine.

When a relationship develops slowly and naturally, you don’t always notice it. Every day becomes a little happier and more intimate, a little brighter. Because the changes happen gradually, it seems nothing more than a budding friendship. And then, before you know it, bam! You’ve acquired a life partner without even realizing it.

If I had to pin it down to a single catalyst, it would be when she acquired that android body. Is ‘android’ the right word? Gynoid? Calling it a ‘doll body’ feels a little weird. Well, whatever the terminology, being able to interact with her physically added a whole new dimension to everything. From the start, she craved contact, like a pet. She was always clinging to my arm, and I scratched those cute cat ears of hers in return. It seemed like an instinctual response.

She was by my side nearly every waking moment, surgically attached to my arm. I became used to that presence, that touch. And, in only a few short weeks, I suddenly couldn’t imagine living without her.

It’s insidious, when you think about it. Adorably insidious. She must be a supervillain.

The epiphany came when she transferred to a brand-new Gravity Frame, the SVGF-X23 Lisichka. To move into the new computer core, she had to completely shut herself off for about an hour while the data was copied. Zehra explained to us the process was completely safe, with almost no chance of failure. Even so, I saw fear in Sveta’s eyes. She had been through two deaths and reincarnations, so even the distant specter of a third frightened her. I held her hand tightly as she powered off, hoping the gesture would reassure her.

I’ve been through more battles than I care to count. I’ve seen fleets torn apart, friends die in horrific ways, and humanity slowly be consumed by the void. But even after witnessing all those horrors and growing numb to them… that hour when I was without Sveta was the longest hour of my life. As I held the hand of her lifeless android body, my mind went dark places. I couldn’t bear to lose her. I couldn’t bear to live without her.

Why? After I’d seen so many die and lost so much, why would losing her be any different? Why did I care so much? Why did even a single hour without her manifest greater pain than anything I’ve ever experienced before? That’s when the realization hit me, like a floodlight illuminating my brain and exposing thoughts I had only glimpsed at. Suddenly, I knew the truth.

I loved her.

A thousand gears clicked into place. It was like I had attained enlightenment.

When she came back online, safe and sound, my heart practically leapt out of my chest in joy. I played it cool at the time, but I knew I had to tell her. I just wasn’t sure how. As everyone keeps reminding me, I’m not very good at this ‘romance’ thing.

A few days later, the opportunity finally came. I’m not much of a planner, and I tend to act spontaneously. I live moment-to-moment. So when we were standing there in front of that Christmas tree, with soft carols playing in the background, I realized the moment was perfect.

I confessed. Very poorly, I might add.

Imagine my surprise when she stated she had been feeling the same way, and she had lured me to that tree to confess to ME. Somehow, our feelings headbutted into each other, and left us both dizzy from the impact.

I’m not a very spiritual person, but in the afterglow of that moment I was almost willing to believe in something greater. God, Buddha, karma, the Christmas angel, or whatever… something or someone was clearly watching over us. That moment was too perfect to have been sheer coincidence.

*****

When I told Sveta all this, she laughed. She thought it was the funniest thing in the world.

“Hey!” I said indignantly. “What’s so funny?”

“Sorry, sorry! I just can’t believe how perfectly it all came together. We were both blindly rushing towards the same conclusion. Great minds think alike!”

I stuck my tongue out at her. “Dumbass minds, you mean.”

We were sitting on a park bench together, near the Christmas tree. The rest of our little family had since taken their leave, sensing we’d like some alone time. There, amid light and music, we snuggled.

“You know,” Sveta said, “one of the reasons I picked this avatar was to try and woo you. I was aiming for something cute that would stir your protective instincts.”

“Well, it worked like a charm. The cat ears and tail really helped too… although they did make me see you as a pet, too.”

“Aren’t I a pet? A catgirl you just want to spoil, ~nyaa?” She made a pawing motion with her hand.

I groaned. “It’s so overkill that it works. Only you or Zehra could pull off something outrageous.”

“Or Vicky! Maids are pretty outrageous!”

“Hmm.” I digested that thought for a moment. “It’s not so much that she pulls the maid thing off. She just has the sex appeal to demolish the absurdity of the whole thing. She blows past reason or logic, and straight into horniness.”

“Ahahaha, true. You know…” she leaned in close to me, and whispered in my ear, “I got this physical body because I wanted to get closer to you as well.”

“And it was a roaring success.” I replied, grinning.

“And this body is… fully functional.” She waggled her eyebrows while emphasizing those two words, temporarily channeling the spirit a horny old man.

I sat up straight as a bolt of lightning shot up my spine. My face grew hot. “You… you mentioned that earlier. That means you have…”

“All the bells and whistles, yeah. Would you like a demonstration?” She was smiling like a sly fox.

I placed both my hands on her shoulders and looked her straight in the eyes. “Sveta. To be completely, one hundred percent clear. Are you asking if I want to have sex with you?”

Her own face flushed at my frankness. “Yeah.”

I didn’t even have to think about it. “Absolutely.”

*****

An hour later, after saying our goodbyes to everyone and taking the elevator-tram back to my quarters adjacent to Zehra’s lab, we eagerly undressed. Sveta, to her credit, had paid attention to EVERY detail when creating her holographic avatar. Looking at her, my entire body flushed hot.

Now, I don’t mean to brag, but I’ve been around the block a few times before. I’ve had the chance to engage in carnal activity with people of many genders and persuasions, and I’m skilled at a variety of techniques. What I’m saying is, I’m a pretty good lay.

Sveta completely blew me out of the water. I don’t know if it’s because she had years and years of experience in her previous life, or because her android body gave her finesse and reflexes beyond human ken. Whatever the source of her skills, she played me like a fiddle.

Her fingers, her tongue… she was exquisite. I haven’t squealed like that since my very first time. And one of the nicest things about a robot partner? She never gets tired. I came four times that night, each more intense and nerve-shattering than the last.

When I finally fell asleep, awash in my fluids and entangled in my sheets, it was almost morning.

*****

Sveta and I stumbled out into Zehra’s lab around noon. Sveta gently woke me up and reminded me I had a scheduled patrol shift in a few hours. In addition to becoming my girlfriend and partner, she also served as my alarm clock.

Vicky and Zehra were having tea when we staggered out. Thanks to her ability to freely control her holographic projection, Sveta still looked prim and proper. My hair was a complete mess, and my nightshirt was rumpled. Zehra took one look at me and smiled knowingly.

“You two had fun last night, gao~n.”

I rolled my eyes and grabbed a bag of tea. As the caffeine kicked in, I noticed that Zehra and Vicky were both pretty sloppy as well, and had goofy grins on their faces. There was an aura of satisfaction clinging to them, along with an unmistakable smell.

“Looks like you two had fun as well.” I teased. Zehra and Vicky just looked at each other and shrugged, not even trying to deny it.

“Whoa, REALLY?!” Sveta exclaimed. “My ships are becoming reality?”

“Huh.” I remarked sarcastically. “I thought you were a giant robot. Are you planning on becoming a ship next?”

“No! I was referring to the practice of shipping, where you take two characters and…” Sveta launched into a long explanation about something incomprehensible, and we all just ignored her.

“Anyway,” Vicky said, “I hope you don’t expect me to clean up your quarters today. I’m sure they’re rank.”

“Hey!” Zehra objected. “It’s the duty of every maid to clean regardless of the circumstances, gao~n!”

“I will respectfully refuse, Mistress. I may have lost my dignity, my pride, and even my chastity to you, but I refuse to clean up another couple’s sex juices!” Vicky stood firm.

Zehra was indignant. “Hey! You lost your chastity to me WAY before the maid thing, gao~n! You were the one who propositioned ME, remember? Back in 2053, when you came into my quarters wearing a slinky cocktail dress, gao~n?”

Vicky turned scarlet at that remark. “M-Mistress! Don’t reveal such things in front of everyone!”

“You’re the one who decided to mix work and pleasure, gao~n. Don’t act all innocent now!”

Those two sure have a complicated history. I wonder if it was originally a hate-fuck that turned into something more?

I tuned out their lover’s spat and turned back to Sveta. She was still babbling incoherently. “So you see, the official ship name for Vicky x Zehra is either Vicra or Zehky, depending on who you imagine as the top in the relationship…”

I sighed heavily and sucked down more tea.

Just then, there was a cacophonous boom and the entire room shook violently. Equipment and junk flew everywhere, and one of the walls cracked. The force of the impact sent all four of us tumbling out of control.

“What the hell?!”

In the chaos, Sveta’s Gravity Frame broke free of its restraints and slumped forwards towards us.

“WHOA! WHOA WHOA WHOA!!” Sveta shrieked while quickly powering up the Frame, stabilizing it. She spun her android body towards me, grabbing hold of my arm and pulling me to safety right next to her cockpit. She used one of the Frame’s hands to intercept Vicky and Zehra, pushing them next to me. She then opened her cockpit hatch. “EVERYONE INSIDE, NOW!”

We all hurried inside, and she sealed up her hatch. There was a second loud boom and half of the lab wall dissolved. The air in the lab blew out into space, along with everything inside. If we hadn’t been protected by Sveta’s armor plating, the whirlwind of debris would have cut us to ribbons. Sveta quickly threaded her drive fins, keeping us in place.

“What the hell was THAT?” I asked.

“I don’t know!” she responded. “Comm channels are a mess! I can’t make anything out!”

“It felt like a meteor impact…” Zehra mused. Vicky was trembling, white as a sheet.

I grit my teeth and slid into Sveta’s cockpit chair. “Fucking hell. Sveta, take us outside that hull breach and steer over to the bay where the Radiolaria is docked. Take it easy with the Gs, nobody is suited up.”

“Roger that.”

As we exited the gaping hole, surrounded by a swirling cloud of debris, a bright blue light flashed all around 433 Eros.

“The energy shield?” I gasped.

“The Tektites must have deployed it, gao~n. We’re under attack.” Zehra said.

“No shit.” I spat, despite myself. Given the tension, nobody begrudged me the outburst.

The shield flared brightly as something huge hit them. The energy of the impact was dissipated throughout the entirety of the protective bubble.

“I’ve never seen that kind of attack before.” Vicky said, trembling.

“I have.” Sveta said grimly. She brought up an image from her rear camera, showing a massive crater on Eros’ surface that hadn’t been there five minutes ago. “Look at the impact pattern. It matches a large kinetic weapon.”

“Does that mean…” I picked up on Sveta’s implication immediately.

She nodded. “The Sarcophage are copying the Sveta Maneuver.”

“Shit.” I pounded her controls. “I knew they were adapting quickly, but this is just insane.”

“Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.” Sveta remarked dryly. “We’ll be inside Radiolaria’s hanger in twenty seconds.”

I looked at the crater and bit my lip so hard I tasted blood. Just when I was feeling some small scrap of happiness, the Sarcophage swooped into ruin it yet again. Now I understood perfectly Sveta’s frustration when her shoulder massage had been interrupted by an attack. That same frustration now tinged my vision red.

Guardian angel, huh? Merry fucking Christmas.