If Earth Should Die Before I Wake

Mary Grace took a deep breath and exhaled. She met River's eyes with her own, determined, willing to try this, not just for the sake of the Hawking's crew but for mankind in general...She was going to do this. Curiosity would overcome hesitation. "I'm ready." she whispered, more to herself than the Captain.

With a salute she turned on her heel and marched herself to the port door, her finger print and palm computer code matched up and identified her as acting senior staff. The door opened to admit her then shut behind her. The tube she walked to the outside pressurized door seemed interminably long but it was only about two and a half meters in length. To her surprise, the process which should have been necessary to open this door became moot as it opened on its own, pulling her out of her comfort zone and into the interior of a split second sealed space bubble with such speed she was left breathless, not from a lack of oxygen but from surprise at the quick and efficient process which was almost magical in its execution. "Wow!" Mary breathed, her voice echoing within the empty sphere. Looking through the glowing membrane, she could see the concern in River's face watching her from the ship viewport, so close the women could read each other's expressions despite a layer of Hull, space, and unknown alien vessel membrane separating them. Mary Grace waved awkwardly, her smile indicating that she was alright for the moment.

Now, to see what would happen next...Mary looked around the bubble and wondered if it would take her to the alien ship. She couldn't imagine what sorts of things this advanced race could teach her.
 
Ray had been working on the array for a little while. He had managed to straighten the antennas and weld them back in place and was now working on the satellite dish. He had the robots hold it in place while he did some delicate welding. Ten minutes later he had finished and he moved out from underneath the dish. He grinned inside his helmet and looked over the small array. The rest of the antennas were slightly out of alignment but they would work with a bit of retuning of the equipment inside. He didn't want to risk snapping off the thin tops when it could be done another way.

Ray got the robot to pick the welder back up and then he checked his oxygen supply. Still plenty so he decided to set off for the nose of the ship. It was time to check the shielding on the most vulnerable part of the ship. Hopefully it had held up but if not he was going to have to strip some from other areas. Maybe he could find something from inside the ship to layer on top of broken areas but he doubted it.

He would also have to check for hull breaches. The more he could repair the less power would be needed for shields and maybe they could project one in front of them to give them a better chance. Well time to get on with it. Unhitching himself and the Cruxis robots he began the long slow walk down the hull.
 
Rivers watched as Mary Grace as she whispered “I’m ready” saluted and turned. Such dedication, love and courage. The nun and her had a common bloodline and she was reminded of the folklore she had been told of a very distant family member from way back in 21st century. She came from the same part of Ireland and like Mary was a nun. She’d been told that back in the old days when humanity still fought wars over religion this nun had dedicated herself to rescuing child victims. There was something in the total dedication in Mary Grace that made Rivers recall those stories.

The last word she heard her colleague utter was “Wow!” and then she was gone, Rivers couldn’t help but wonder what she would return with. But the captain’s duty wasn’t just to the young sister. She was also responsible for the other crew members, especially Ray who was risking his life. The computer told her Ray had completed his task and was now proceeding to the hull. She reached for the communicator “Acting Commander Rivers to Engineer Green!” Rivers recalled how she was trained never to use first names when she had to be authoritative “Engineer Green I thank you for what you have achieved, but you are not, repeat NOT to risk your life in trying to ascertain the damage to the hull.” Not receiving a reply Rivers interrogated the computer “Computer, make contact with the robots and get them to beam images of what Engineer Green is doing.”

The computer flashed for a few seconds and then displayed an image of Ray Green making his way to the hull. Again she sent an order “Engineer Green, I will not allow you to risk your life any further. You are a very brave man and I have the highest admiration for you. However that whole hull structure is unstable and I cannot allow you to risk your life on it. RETURN IMMEDIATELY! Rivers Out!”
 
A section of bubble membrane rose up, liquid-like, yet different, it fluidly shaped itself into a form roughly resembling a glistening, transparent lounge chair.

"Sit here." A voice said. When Mary looked around she was still alone. The voice repeated, this time she heard it reverberate off of the bubble walls and felt it within her mind.

She sat.
The "chair" accommodated, adjusting to the shape of her...then she began to sink into it up to her waist before it 'solidified ' once more. She felt like a fly caught in amber. She was stuck...trapped
..."Hey!" She called out, resisting the urge to panic.

"For your safety and comfort restraint is necessary." Said the voice.

The bubble uncoupled from the Hull of the human ship and Mary Grace prepared herself for alien space travel. She looked out into space beyond, readying herself for the sight of am alien vessel...

...After backing up about three feet it stopped and turned dark. Mary Grace wondered what was happening. She could no longer see outside the bubble from within although anyone looking from a certain port window of The Hawking could see in. They could see the "chair" completely envelope Sister. Mary Grace to the neck, and something of it fold down over her face... her expression of abject terror visible as something element in this changeable material melted away the fabric of her clothing and clung tightly to her like a second skin, even entering places she'd promised herself she'd never allow to be touched again... Her nerves fired, registering every sensation from agonizing pain to total bliss before going temporarily numb from literal sensory overload. They'd learn to adapt to the new layer, an intelligent biomesh clinging to her, connecting to her nervous system and Bio pathways...It was a tool, a gift from their more advanced benefactors. It would enhance her learning and her performance of her craft. She'd. Literally have the healing touch! Once the lessons and simulations began to run in her mind using a new neural interface for telepathic transmission,Mary Grace tried to focus on absorbing the new material but couldn't fully get over the sense of violation and the raw nerve it struck with her.
Altered without warning.
Was her being there considered consent?
Mary Grace was learning so much during the telepathic link, though, things within minutes it would have taken ten years of normal human medical school to touch on, yet she already felt nearly expert...She relaxed into the experience and focused her mental energy into absorbing knowledge and skill far beyond her station.

Outside the bubble any viewer would see the naked human floating inside the bubble, expression one of nearly overwhelmed curiosity mingled with apprehension. She was im an odd situation but unharmed.

******Guy*****?*** turned one of the security monitors from the ship to keep a constant eye on her within the odd alien sphere. He told himself it was to monitor her safety...her being a hot, naked lady completely viewable from any angle wasn't high on his other list of reasons...ok, maybe top five. No one was aware of his visceral reaction to
the sight of her body. He could look if he wanted...If the aliens had not wanted them to see her he thougt for sure they could change her visibility at any moment. For now he simply enjoyed the show. He always had had a thing for red heads...
 
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Ray heard the Commanders message but he wanted to keep going. The shields really needed to be checked and of the people that could space walk he was the most expendable.
"Ray to Captain Rivers. I know you are only looking out for me Captain, but if those heat shields are not checked then the whole ship could be put in danger. This is something we can not leave up to the robots and of the people who can space walk and do the repairs I am the one you can easily afford to loose. Trust me Captain I know what I am doing. I really don't want to die out here either but it is better for everyone if I take this risk. However if you order me to I will come back in."
 
Rivers was amazed at Ray’s response ‘… I am the one you can easily afford to lose. Trust me Captain I know what I am doing. I really don't want to die out here either but it is better for everyone if I take this risk. However if you order me to I will come back in’. This brave man was prepared to risk his own life to save the rest of the crew. It wasn’t something she had never heard before during training modules but this was the first time she had ever contemplated it in real life. Suddenly she was confronted with a situation few admirals had encountered during years of command. Now in the space of a few seconds she had a decision to make.

Full of admiration for Ray Green Rivers took a deep breath before replying “First of all Engineer Green … Ray … I want to commend you on your bravery and disregard for your own safety so you can save others. You and Sister Mary Grace will be mentioned in my log. I also admire your willingness to obey my orders without question.” Turning to the matter in hand she continued “You are wrong if you think I can afford to lose you, someone with your capability and courage is priceless. However I will not order you to return. Instead I order you to inform me the minute you feel yourself in any danger and I’ll come out with you. Is that understood Engineer Green?”

While she waited for a reply Rivers became aware of her own position. Apart from the ‘crush’ she had had for one of the male lieutenants when she learned ‘unarmed conflict’ and her ‘girl crush’ on Admiral Kathleen Phillips she had never had feelings for any one, male or female. But courage and rebellion inspired her and for a brief moment she found herself ‘caring’ about Ray’s safety because … She had no idea why so she dismissed the thoughts from her mind. But why was her temperature rising and her pulse beginning to increase?
 
Ray smiled inside his spacesuit. It was a nice feeling having people appreciate you. First Sanne and now the Captain. "Don't worry Captain. At the first sign that it is getting too dangerous I will come right in. I have the two Crixus robots out here with me as well so I will not be taking any chances. And Captain, Thank you for your concern. Ray out."

Ray resumed his trek towards the front. So far the hull looked fairly solid but from what the Captain had said there must be some weak points. Calling up a schematic, he projected it into the space in front of him then added his position onto it. Sure enough he was approaching one of those areas now. He could travel around it but it would take time and eat up precious oxygen, or he could walk carefully across. Ray decided on the later but he positioned the robots two feet apart and ran safety lines from both of them to him.

He began to walk carefully across at a slow steady pace. The section was only ten meters wide but it took 5 grueling minutes before he was safe. The robots came over one at a time and except for a slight buckling under the last one they made it. Ray checked the schematics again and saw there were no more weak points between him and a section of the shields but there was a hole he should check out. It led to a cargo bay and hopefully not everything inside had been ejected into space before the force field had been activated.

Ray and the robots began their long slow walk towards the hole. It should take them another twenty minutes as long as nothing else happened. Ray made a note to check his oxygen tank when he got there. He was glad he had thought to bring spares along. This looked like it was going to be a long day.
 
Rivers watched as much as she could via the on-board Capua Computer which showed mini images of what the two Crixus robots were picking up in their camera beams. She was worried about Ray Green and feared he might overstretch himself.

Snapping herself out of it she concentrated on checking the life support stats from the computer and was pleased to note all were functioning as well as they could under the circumstances. Still feeling hot she wondered how Sister Mary Grace was coping.

 
*Wow guess it is just us at the moment*

Ray finally got to the hole and examined it. It was about 7 feet tall by about 12 feet wide at it's widest point and had ragged edges. Looking inside he saw that there was still cargo left in the hold but it had been strewn all over the floor in some cases while large boxes and crates had been moved and now lay stacked or jumbled in corners and across the floor in heaps.

Ray moved back from the hole and checked his oxygen tank. He had ten minutes left but thought it best to change his tank now. Luckily the suit was designed for this and he called over one of the robots. Opening it's rear hatch he grabbed one of the spare bottles he had stored in there earlier and reaching down the side of his suit he unzipped the side pocket near his belt where the tank was stored. The small cylinder was about the size of his forearm and fitted down his calf. It was an easy matter to click one out and put another in and that is what he did. He zipped up the pocket again then put the old cylinder in the slot the good one had come out of and closed the hatch. Checking the readout he saw it now read 100%.

He motioned for the welder again and set to work. He had to make an even hole so he could spray the sealant. If he left any sharp edges it would cause the seal to rupture and burst so he had to be careful. The force field would expand to cover the hole as he cut as long as he kept it close to the edge. If he cut too far away from it though he would cause another decompression and probably blow himself out into space. Firing up the welder he began the task of repairing the hole.
 
The main Crixus 141 remained in the command room alongside Rivers. Not designed to feel emotion he couldn't begin to understand the tension between Rivers and Mary Grace or the feelings that might exist between the captain and Engineer Ray Green. He was however aware of the oxygen switch and the danger Green was putting himself in.

Turning back to the ship computer he sent signals to and from himself and the main frame in nano seconds. Turning to Rivers he said 'Commander, Engineer Green has exchanged one of his oxygen cylinders and is now proceeding to repair the hull and the force fields'.

Waiting for the next exchange he saiid 'I would expect him to succeed but if he doesn't do you want me to arrange a rescue mission?'
 
Natalia wished she could wipe the steady beads of sweat that gradually ran down her forehead, but inside her suit she was unable to get any of that relief. The sparks from the welding torch lit up the room, a large portion of the bulkhead slowly getting removed from the outer wall. So far enough metal to make a large shark cage lay at her feet, piping that was beyond repair and metal structural supports. Without pausing, she stepped back before kicking the freshly cut metal, it clanged to the floor loudly before she pushed it aside.

Crawling forward, she knelt on the floor, getting into an uncomfortable position to begin cutting the next pole that was in her way. Occasionally the bulkhead creaked, but she was just getting into this job and wouldn't stop until her way to Security was clear.

Hours passed by, as the other crew went about their own business. Natalia had no idea of the sister getting taken by aliens, or of Ray's work outside. There was only her, this load of metal and Security. Sometimes people said she was stubborn and hot-headed, but her Captain once said that was what made her a good leader.

Suddenly, the pole gave way, falling aside to open up the rest of the hallway. It looked like heaven. The large blue neon sign, 'Security Department', shone through the smoky haze caused from using the welder.

"Computer, vent this section, give me a run down on ship integrity within Security..." she said into her suit's mic.

Within minutes she anticipated entering her office, opening up her storage locker and collecting personal files on everyone she had lost, and suiting up for battle. Even if nobody else seemed to think about protecting the ship, Natalia was there to ensure that it remained a safe place...even from it's own people.
 
Ray spent about twenty minutes trimming up the hole. He had cut as close to the edge as he possibly could and now it looked smooth. He motioned for the other unit to move forward and he took the nozzle of the sealant foam and began to apply it evenly over the breach. The foam came out as a paste that then spread itself out over the force field searching for the edges of the ship and forming a solid seal. Ray put on a rather solid layer considering the size of the hole. The ooze leveled itself out and then began to harden. He knew that within two hours it would be just as hard as the surrounding material.

Packing away the gear he looked at the readouts and moved forward again. He could do some little spot patches on his way that wouldn't need the welder and be at the heat shields in fifteen minutes. Hopefully they were in good shape. If not he was going to have to perform a miracle of some sort.
 
Rivers was worried about Ray, how he was coping and after what seemed like for ever she radioed through “I think you have done enough now Ray. I want you to return now and take some refreshment”.

Going to her private quarters Rivers found a bottle of wine she had been saving for very special occasions. She would give it to Ray as a ‘thank you’. She hesitated … Maybe he would even share it with her.

For a moment she let her imagination run wild and found an excitement building deep within her at the very thought. Instantly she dismissed it resolving to be professional
 
Ray heard the captains voice but he couldn't respond at the time. He had just made it to the first of the Heat shields and they actually looked pretty good, A few had been damaged but he could fix them easy. He got one of the robots to simply apply some muscle and bend them back in place and he welded them down. He walked back and forth along the large stretch until he was approaching the nose cone. Everything was looking great. He had performed a few minor repairs but their shields were A Ok.

As he got to the front though he saw a major problem. A large hole had been blown in near the forward landing gear. He moved forward and saw that it was actually in front of the landing gear and had not damaged it so that was good. It had taken out a sizable chunk of heat shielding which was bad but fixable. The problem now was were the electronics effected.
Ray peered inside the hole and saw a mess of wires. There were still plenty connected to each other and a lot looked intact but some was destroyed and he couldn't tell what was what. He filmed everything he could think of and then backed out. He had done all he could. He couldn't repair this hole until he knew whether or not he needed to get in here and fix it.

"Captain Rivers this is Ray. I have completed my repairs and inspection and am coming back in. ETA 45 minutes. I will report to your quarters then."

Ray turned and began the trek back to the airlock.
 
Captain Rivers this is Ray. I have completed my repairs and inspection and am coming back in. ETA 45 minutes. I will report to your quarters then.”

“I understand the power is off in your quarters Ray. You’ve done us proud so please make your way to my personal quarters and relax. You can even take a shower if you wish.”

Rivers checked the computer to see if there was any sign of news from Mary Grace as well as the ship’s stats. Everything seemed to be in order so she communicated a link between the command centre and her quarters. Once back in her own room she placed the bottle of wine on the table before ensuring the shower was clean and equipped for the engineer.

A signal was sent informing her the air lock was in use and she stood, adjusted her hair, lightly perfumed her cleavage and waited. The buzzer from outside told her Ray was outside and sitting down calmly she answered “Enter”.
 
It had taken Ray almost an hour to make his way back inside the ship, get changed out of the suit and store everything. He then sent the Crixus units back to work on cleaning out the passageways to the cockpit and wiped himself down with a towel. He knew he should grab a shower first but the captain had asked him to report to her first so he would do that.

He walked down to her personal quarters and pressed the alert buzzer. He heard "Enter" and opened the door. Captain Rivers was sitting in her chair and his eyes widened a little. She must have done something with her hair or something because she looked absolutely stunning. He realized he was staring and quickly entered and smiled. "Hello Captain. You wanted to see me as soon as I was back inside. I was able to fix a few things while I was outside and most of the heat shielding is good but there is a problem near the front landing gear. Other than that all is good. We will be able to land without too many problems."

He smiled at her and sat down in the chair across from her. "I must say you are looking very nice captain. I also apologize for my appearance and...well ah odor, but you did say immediately," he blushed.
 
Rivers was a tomboy from birth but had enough femininity to want to look and smell her best so after she had gently perfumed her cleavage she adjusted her hair. Apart from her two crushes while in training she had no experience of relationships at all devoting herself completely to her career as an officer.

Yet as soon as Ray entered her quarters she sensed him staring at her in a way no one had ever stared at her before. She felt a quickening of her pulse and a tingling in her spine as she involuntarily licked her lips. Suddenly aware that Ray might have noticed her reaction she was relieved when he broke the silence “Hello Captain. You wanted to see me as soon as I was back inside. I was able to fix a few things while I was outside and most of the heat shielding is good but there is a problem near the front landing gear. Other than that all is good. We will be able to land without too many problems

Rivers nodded and smiled as Ray sat down and continued “I must say you are looking very nice captain. I also apologize for my appearance and...well ah odour, but you did say immediately

Rivers noticed he was blushing and there was an awkward silence where her mouth suddenly felt dry and she was certain she was also beginning to blush. She smiled at the word “odour” and was grateful for the distraction his humour brought. “That’s fine Ray … I expected that which is why I’ve said you can take a shower here. At least my shower is working.” She stood up and made her way to the shower unit. “I have clean towels and a large bath robe you can wear while you unwind. I also have some fatigues you can wear while your uniform is cleaned.”

Making her way back to the centre of the room she pointed to the bottle of wine “And when you are decent you can take this with my personal thanks for your bravery and you can share it with whoever you like.” Rivers smiled again and wondered who that lucky person would be.
 
Ray was dumbfounded again. The Captain had thought of him that much and was willing to go out of her way to allow him to use her own personal shower unit. Then she was providing him clothes and a bottle of wine. He blushed and then blurted out the first thing that came to his mind.
"Would you stay and share the bottle with me Captain. I would be honored if a beautiful woman like you would share a drink with me." Realizing what he had just said he blushed a bright red from his neck all the way to the tips of his ears.

He mumbled something under his breath and escaped into the shower unit. What had he done. Had he just hit on the captain? Quickly undressing he jumped in the shower and washed himself clean. He was used to having quick showers and as this one was not designed for a modified person such as himself it was rather small and he quickly got out. At least he was clean now. He threw on the robe and was shocked when it barely covered his important bits, She must have got a normal one forgetting his size. Oh well he would just stand up and make no sudden movements. He left his clothes in the cleaner compartment and walked out again.

"Thank you for the use of your shower Captain. It was nice,"he smiled.
 
Would you stay and share the bottle with me Captain. I would be honoured if a beautiful woman like you would share a drink with me

Rivers wondered if she was hearing right, had Ray just described her as ‘beautiful’? She hadn’t a clue as to how to handle it and her heart skipped when she noticed his blush. As her heart pounded Rivers realised Ray Green was coming on to her, no one had ever done that before and she had no idea how to handle the situation. Thankfully Ray changed the subject, muttered to himself and then went into the shower.

Being the captain, even an acting captain brought with it a lot of responsibility and Rivers took her duties seriously. While Ray was taking his shower she switched on her monitors to ensure there was no serious matters that needed her attention. After checking there had been no news from Mary Grace she checked updates on the various life support systems and only when she was satisfied all was as well as it could be she went to her cabinet and got two wine glasses and a cork screw. Cork screws were only used for decorative purposes but she felt she needed one tonight.

Ray emerged from the shower sooner than she expected and when she heard him say “Thank you for the use of your shower Captain. It was nice.” She turned to see the bath robe barely covered his athletically tone body.

Smiling she said “You must forgive me Ray, I forgot to get a ‘male’ bath robe.” What was wrong with her? Here she was alone with an intelligent virile hunk and she was apologising. Pointing at the wine glasses and the bottle she said “I’ve never been good at using cork screws, would you do the honours please?” She turned and sat down on the setae and waited.

River’s mind was full of a combination of excitement and fear. What was going to happen now? Was Ray going to make a play for her? How would she respond if he did? More important should she tell him this was all new to her? And if … if they did … if they did do IT … what would it be like? She knew there was still a very good chance that their ship would implode and if it did she would die intact never experiencing a moment of passion. Her day dream was ended when Ray placed a glass of wine in her hands. She accepted it, smiled and said “The computer and the robots are ensuring all is well while we rest and relax but if an emergency arises I will be signalled immediately. So …” She hesitated “So … this is our time, our personal time. Until we are back on the bridge we are just two crew members. In private my friends call me Alex. I’d like you to sit, enjoy the wine and tell me about yourself.”
 
Okay Ray couldn't believe this. Captain Rivers, no Alex was actually going to share the wine with him. He had been shocked enough when she had agreed but now this, and she wanted to talk to him. He wasn't sure what to do. Sure he had had a few girlfriends back on earth but they had been no great lookers, nowhere in the league of the captain or Sanne and now both of them had been talking to him as equals. Alex even seemed to be flirting with him. Well hell he would go with it and see where it led, after all he had not had a woman since his body had been enhanced.

Sitting down he had to quickly pull the robe down or Alex would have seen a lot more of him than was decent. She might have remembered fatigues but she had forgotten new underwear. He was naked underneath the robe. Sipping his wine he began to tell his story.

"I grew up in a middle class family. I was a 5th generation builder working on high raised buildings. What is known as walking high steel. I basically grew up with a tool belt around my waist. When I heard about the program for the workers I thought about all that wide open space for my family and me and I jumped at the chance. Oh I don't mean I am married or anything I mean my mum and dad and sisters and brothers. They deserve to get off that polluted planet and have a good life. Anyway I was accepted and passed all the interviews. Heck I knew more than half the people interviewing me. Then all those injections and machines. They weren't fun but hey they sure made me better at my job. I guess they will probably help out where we are going too."

He looked at her and blushed again realizing he had talked so much. "So what about you Alex. What is a beautiful woman like you doing on a spaceship out here?"
 
Rivers enjoyed relaxing with the wine as she listened to Ray’s story. When he mentioned the word ‘family’ she nearly switched off thinking he was married with children. Many of her friends had experienced the heartbreak of a broken marriage brought about by their partners being unfaithful while on a long mission and she was not going to be party to anything like that. As she began to search for a polite escape route she heard the words “…I don't mean I am married or anything I mean my mum and dad and sisters and brothers. They deserve to get off that polluted planet and have a good life …” Suddenly her admiration for Engineer Green increased a hundred fold because he had put himself through all this for his family in the same way as he had risked his life to try to save the crew. Her mind was brought back to the ‘now’ by his final remark “So what about you Alex. What is a beautiful woman like you doing on a spaceship out here?”

It was the second time he had referred to her as being ‘beautiful’ and as she held his gaze she felt an excitement building deep inside her. Normally she would dismiss it but for some reason she wanted to see how far this would go. Noticing the bottle was nearly empty she stood up, went to the cabinet and brought out another, different from the first but just as calming. Without a word she passed it to Ray who opened it, poured two glasses and handed one to Rivers who sat next to him and began speaking.

“It’s a long story” she began “but I’m proud of what I’ve achieved because so many thought it was impossible for a woman to do this. From my earliest childhood I always played with the boys, football, cricket, tennis, rugby. My parents were worried at one time but they soon realised they had a tomboy as a daughter. At age 12 I applied to enter the junior space academy and passed my entrance exams with 99%. If I had remembered Mercury was the both the hottest and coldest planet in our system I would have hit perfection.” Rivers took a drink while holding Ray’s gaze and continued “I graduated with three A 1s and applied for the flight division of the college. There I learned unarmed combat but was considered too young for a junior commission. I practiced and practiced and reapplied only to be told a woman could not compete with a man. So I challenged the lead unarmed combatant to a fight to prove myself and I won. The fleet had to accept me then and the rest is history. My friends still laugh when they recall my graduation and commissioning because it was the first time I had worn a skirt in living memory. I hate the things, so restrictive.” She noticed Ray smile and she smiled back before saying “I’ve still got it, it’s hanging in my wardrobe in my bedroom.” Again they exchanged smiles and she continued “I had hoped to captain my own ship one day but never dreamed a disaster would bring it about so soon.”

As Rivers spoke there was a crackle on the communicator and she stood, walked over to the base unit and examined the rear circuits before shaking her head “This is a job for you” she smiled and walked over to where Ray was sitting, reached out her hand and pulled him up. Taking his glass out of his hand and placing it on the table she looked deep into his eyes before saying “I’m still young and inexperienced in so many matters. There are a lot of things you can teach me!” The silence seemed to go on for ever as she waited his reply.
 
Ray was sure of it now. He had just been propositioned. Looking at her he felt himself go beet red again but he was definitely not going to let this opportunity pass him by. "Alex I would love to teach you everything you want to know. You can call on me any time you want some hands on experience with anything you don't understand. I promise to be a good and patient teacher and to go at your pace." He grinned. Boy if there weren't enough double entendres in that speech he would eat his engineering license.

He smiled at her and then looked over at the communicator. It was an older model and looked like nothing more than a plain old small speaker unit sitting on the desk. "So do you want me to examine your box?" Suddenly he blushed bright red as he realized what he had just said and how it could be taken in the context of their conversation.
 
Alex I would love to teach you everything you want to know. You can call on me any time you want some hands on experience with anything you don't understand. I promise to be a good and patient teacher and to go at your pace.” Rivers felt her heart jump into her throat as her mouth ran dry. What did he mean? Had he worked out that she was innocent? That she was untouched? Had he worked out that she was now desperate to know what it was all about? Any doubt was removed when he added “So do you want me to examine your box?” Or … Or was he responding to the fault in the unit.

Rivers noticed the blushing in Ray’s face and knew it was matched by her own. “Come … Come and have a look” she said as she beckoned him over. As they both looked down on to the unit Rivers saw it was just a loose wire which she adjusted immediately but as she did her hair brushed Ray’s and she stopped and looked him in the eye. Her mind went back to her college days when she had learned how her friends had one by one been deflowered. On each occasion in the girly conversations only women have she had heard the accounts but sport and study were far more important than anything else in her life so passion had passed her by. O she had an occasional crush but nothing more or less. But now she was ready because she did not know if they would get out of this and she was not going to die a virgin. Holding Ray’s gaze she knew she could not ask for a better teacher.

As she looked into Ray’s eyes Rivers whispered “You know don’t you?” Before he could answer she said again “You know I know more about the star systems in the fourth quadrant than I do about what happens next!” Realising there was now no turning back she said slowly “I want it to be you!” With those words she drew him into a kiss and felt his bath robe slip open.
 
Ray reached for Alex and returned her kiss. He kept it light but passionate and then he felt his robe slip open. He had a quick choice to make. Grab it and startle her or let it open and try to distract her. He chose the later. He put his hands on both sides of her face and forced her to look in his eyes as he started to slowly kiss her lips. He started softly with feathery light touches, then increased his pressure until he was properly kissing her.

Finally her breathing had deepened and she had slipped her arms around his chest hugging him to her. He allowed his mouth to open a little and ran his tongue along her lips. Her eyes opened in surprise but then closed again and her lips parted allowing him access to her mouth. He started slowly to introduce his tongue into her, teasing the tip of hers until she started to respond and explored back. Soon she was kissing him back as much as he was kissing her and soon they had started to kiss hot and heavy. He finally broke it off and looked her in the eye. "Alex if you want to go further we should head into your bedroom first." While she was thinking he quickly tied his robe back up. He didn't want to scare her just yet.
 
Rivers thought her heart was about to leap out of her chest as it pounded like a drum. She had heard about passionate kisses but never imagined they would be anything like this. What was Ray doing? He was holding her face and as he did so he was licking her lips with his tongue. Shivers of desire coursed through her soma as Rivers felt the uncontrollable desire to open her mouth and let the intruder in. As she did she felt her mouth being possessed and she was suddenly aware of a hardening in her nipples as they yearned to be touched. Overcoming her embarrassment she allowed her tongue to enter Ray’s mouth and as she did there was a warmth, a damp warmth in her most private part where nothing, not even her own hand had ever been.

Slowly Ray broke the kiss and whispered “Alex if you want to go further we should head into your bedroom first.” Rivers froze for a moment because she knew her bedroom would be the point of no return. As she pondered she felt Ray adjust something and wondered for a moment what was happening. Pulling her head away she lowered her right hand and grasped Ray’s left and slowly, deliberately she made her way to the bedroom door, opened it, led Ray in and closing the door turned, faced Ray and kissed him with a desire she never thought she had.

Slowly she broke the kiss and led Ray to the bed knowing she had reached tipping point and whatever happened her days as a maid were behind her. Opening her love bruised lips she asked in a whisper “You know I’m a virgin don’t you?”
 
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