The Space Freighter Libereco - Navs Goes Home - Part 1

 You are sitting in your seat, charting out the path to go from Sankta Koro to Brila Monteto with a side trip to Ciela Ripozo. According to your official log the Libereco is returning from the Rim after being an independent medical charter (at least that is the official story), so there shouldn’t be any issues with the Uggos while traveling through the Core.

Helm taps an icon on the main vidi and a voice comes on, “You are approaching Sankta Koro air space, please transmit your ship ID and destination.”

“Sankta Koro planetary control, we are the independent freighter Libereco, linking our information.” Helm says and nods to you. You tap your vidi screen and the information including your in-atmos flight plan is transmitted.

In a moment the voice comes back on. “Freighter Libereco, you are cleared to drop off your passenger. Remember that if you change your status to ‘Cargo Transport’ you must file a new request.”

Helm is about to respond but you tap the icon first. “Understood Planetary Control. We are completing our charter mission and taking crew rest afterwards. No cargo is to be hauled, in accordance with SG rules and regulations.” You respond in an almost automatic manner.

“Very good. Proceed to the landing terminal”

You tap the intraship-link, “We are on approach to the main planetary terminal.”

Helm guides the ship in, hitting the landing thrusters, and turning off the artificial gravity.

You feel the inertia on your body as the thrusters and planetary gravity work against each other. He pushes the thrusters a bit higher to slow your descent even more, slowly circles the landing pad and then touches down.

“You are so sexy when you do that.” You say to him and he puts everything into ‘standby’ mode.

He smiles and winks at you. “You just like the feel of real gravity on your body again.”

You unstrap, stand up, and kiss him on the cheek. “If we had more time here, I would show you how much I appreciate it.”

He kisses you back but keeps in his seat. “Skipper said that we are only dropping Kurgio off. Do you have the next leg plotted?”

You tap his screen, and your next flight path loads. He looks at it. “That’s a pretty easy run. Ciela Ripozo and then loop to Brila Monteto.” He turns to you. “So you really are going to visit your parents. Are you going to introduce me to your father?”

You lean on him and whisper in his ear “Oh Yes, I am going to bring you home so I can show Komandanto, the man who convinced his little girl to leave the service and run away with him.”

You hear him give a nervous swallow. “Really?”

“My sexy man, I love you more than anything and want to show you to my parents, and prove to them that I am doing all right.”

He smiles a bit more confidently. “Besides, it isn’t like we are seeing my father. He basically disowned me for leaving the Academy.”

“Navs, Helm. The ramp is back up. We are ready to go.” Skipper calls up on the link.

“Yes, Captain.” You respond and strap back into your chair.

Helm taps the icon, “Planetary Control, this is the freighter Libereco, requesting permission to launch.” he says as he transmits the flight plan.

“Libereco, you are clear to launch. Stay to your flight plan and good luck.” The voice says.

He hits the thrusters and you feel the g-forces press against your body. Even when you know it is going to happen, you never feel ready for it.

Minutes later the pressure eases. You check the status and hit on the artificial gravity. “Skipper we are clear. Next stop is Ciela Ripozo.” Then you unstrap and start to leave the cockpit.

“Where are you going?” Helm asks.

“If you check the path, it’s a day trip to get there. I’m going to grab a snack and a nap.”

“And leave me here all by my lonesome?” He responds like a little child.

“Maybe later, if you are a good boy, I will give you something nice.” You say with a wink and blow him a kiss.

Down in the galley, Cookie is scrolling through recipes on the vidi. “Hi Cookie, got anything to snack on?” you ask

“Hey Navs. I think I still have some biscuits and jeleo from matenmango.

You go to the cooler and pull out the jar of jeleo. It’s a mixture of berries. It smells and tastes so good. Then you take the sack of biscuits from the bread box.

You slather some on a biscuit and walk over to her. “What ’cha doin’?” you ask between bites.

The large woman taps the screen, then scrolls to the next item. “Looking at what to make for our next mango. I just need to make sure whatever I pick, we have everything to make it on hand.”

“Why don’t we just pick up more stuff at Ciela Ripozo or Brila Monteto, or one of the stations in between?” You sit down on a stool close to her and pull another biscuit from the bag.

“Oh we can. And some of the items will be cheaper here in the Core. But I’d rather hold off until we really need to.” She says as she is focused on the screen.

You spoon some more jeleo onto a biscuit and then you remember Cookie once told you about her childhood.

Unlike you, she was from a Rim planet that was brought into the Core, by relocating and ‘civilizing’ the ‘hill people’ and ‘free holders’. UGA Ataka Sipos glassed the dwellings from orbit and had the UGA planetary organizers work with terraformers to ensure that the planets were properly set for civilized colonization. New families with official credential and authorization were brought in and made these planets proper members of the Core.

All the ‘free holders’ and ‘first ones’ were relocated to existing Core worlds and given jobs and education.

You think for a moment. “If you want, I know some of the good trade markets on Brila Monteto. Meko probably can find you what you want on Ciela Ripozo. If you give us a list we can do the shopping, and you can stay here.”

She looks up from the vidi. “But aren’t we just dropping each of you off to visit family?”

You realize that you aren’t as hungry as you thought so you seal up the bag and set it on the table. Then you close the jeleo jar and go put it back in the cooler. “We are, but a quick shopping trip won’t cut into things. I have been to Ciela Ripozo too if Meko says he’ll be too busy. There is a large market near the cargo landing terminal.”

She taps the screen again. “I’ll think about it.”

You place a soft reassuring hand on her shoulder and leave the galley, heading for your quarters. Everyone knows you are from a milita familio, but no one holds you responsible for acts that members of your family might have committed jaros ago. You don’t want to think about how either your father or Helm’s father might have commanded the ships that relocated her and her people. You know that your parents were probably too young to be in command of a ship, but that doesn’t excuse that they are part of a system that caused a lot of pain for “the greater good”.

You see Meko, checking one of the access panels. “Hey Meko, are you excited about going home?”

He smiles at you brightly, “You bet. I sent a link to my cousin. He’ll meet at the landing terminal.”

“Can you switch it to the Cargo terminal? Cookie might need us to get a few things at the interplanetary market.”

He closes up the panel, and secures it, then he reaches into his pocket and pulls out his midividi. Tapping the screen, he sends out a message. “Do you know what she needs to pick up?”

“I dunno. She was looking at various recipes. Let’s ask her.” You say as you turn back to the galley with Meko in tow.

“Hey Cookie” Miko says as you both enter. “I sent a link to my cousin, and he will meet us at the Cargo Facility at Fokalurbo on Ciela Ripozo. That’s the largest interplanetary market in the area.”

Cookie looks away from the vidi, and cocks an eyebrow. “You don’t have to do this. I can have Skipper file a ‘refuel and resupply’ plan. We don’t need to take you away from your family.”

“It’s not like that at all. Roberto loves to go through the market at Fokalurbo. That’s were we get the best parts for his parent’s repair shop. If it wasn’t for us watching the ships load and offload cargo there, we might never have gotten the ideas to be ship’s engineers.”

You look at Meko, “Is your cousin an engineer like you?”

He smiles broadly, “No one is an engineer like me. ‘Beto’ is a really good mechanic though. He talks about signing on with a ship, but his parents really need his help keeping the shop going, or at least that’s my thought.”

You nod and then turn to Cookie. “You don’t have to come along. Just give us the list and we’ll do it.”

She wrinkles her brows, “What makes you kids think that I trust you to get quality nutrajvendejoj? You might be able to trade for things on the rim, where choices are limited, but I don’t trust you youngin’s.” she says with a smile and a wink.”

“Ok.” You say slightly confused. “I thought you didn’t really want to come back to the Core.”

“What’d you think a thing like that?” She asks, her ‘hill country’ accent trying to creep in. 

“You were really quiet after that planet with the asteroids and wrecks.” You say in a soft tone.

She leans back in her chair for a moment. “Oh.” She says with a long pause. “I’d have liked to stay with Kris. Her set up reminded me of what my Granp and Pa built.”

She gets up and grabs a mug, fills it at the instahot spout, and drops in a tea cube. You silently watch as she stirs the dissolving cube into the hot water then sips it. She has a sad look in her eyes. “As beautiful as it was, my place is here.” She says, sips and then focuses on you and Meko. “Besides who’s going to cook for you?”

Meko starts to raise his hand, “I can cook..”

But you take his hand, “We can all assist in the galley but no one makes mangoj like you do. I’ll make sure the heading has us landing at Fokalurbo.” You say as you pull Meko from the galley to let Cookie enjoy her tea and finish making her lists.

“But I can cook.” Meko tries to say, though you quickly remind him of the time he tried to make Cookie’s gulaso without using her recipe, and it was almost inedible.

“Anyone can make a mistake with the seasonings. She doesn’t label everything clearly.” He tries to say in his defense.

You kiss him on the cheek in a sisterly manner, “You keep telling yourself that. I’ll tell you when we are on approach.”

After making minor adjustments to the course and adding a “refuel and resupply” addendum to the plan, everything is ready. Helm hands things off to Skipper, and for the next few hours you go back to your cabin, strip out of your coveralls, and lie in each other’s arms. You playfully stroke the soft hair on Helm’s chest. “How do you think Kurgio’s doing?” you ask.

He softly caresses your ass. “He’s with family. He’s probably alright.”

“Do you think he has to explain things like I’ll have to do when we see the Komandanto?”

“I don’t know. I heard his father was disappointed he was a ‘ship’s doctor’, but that’s who’s dead, so he won’t be arguing with him.” He says.

You lift your head up and kiss his mouth. “You are probably right. So should we continue just snuggling, or do something a bit more vigorous?” You ask in a playful tone.

He sighs and holds you firmly. “Let me rest for a bit. When we get close to Ciela Ripozo I am going to need focus on landing. That’s a really busy port.”

“I can land us if you don’t feel you are up to the task.” You say, still in a playful mood.

“Are you questioning my abilities to fulfill tasks?” He responds with a wink.

“Maybe. Maybe I don’t think you can focus enough to give me what I want.”

“And just what is that?”

You reach down into his shorts and grab his soft prick. “What I always want.”

He hugs you tightly and kisses you. In true form, he licks you to an orgasm and lets you stroke and suck him until he gives you a hot load of his ‘lakto’.

Skipper’s voice comes across the vidi, “If you two are done, we are making our initial approach.”

“I’ll be up Skipper” Helm says as he pulls back on his coveralls.

“Do you need me?” you ask.

He kisses you, “No. I got this. If you are going with Meko and Cookie, you should probably get cleaned up and dressed. Or do you want to walk into the market smelling like fresh sex?”

“It was only oral. This time.” You teasingly respond.

(If you enjoyed this, return tomorrow for the next part of Navs’ story. If you enjoy my writings, leave a comment, follow and subscribe. See you next time.)

The Space Freighter Libereco - Kurgio is Called to the Core - Part 5

After you have seen the headlines for the third time, you hear the door unlock and Mateo walks in. “Hey, Ionny. Anything interesting?” he asks as he sets down his small travel-bag, sets his minividi on a charger, and pulls a bottle from the cooler. Unlike the water you were drinking, your brother grabs a beer.

He collapses into a lounger near you and takes a sip. “I’m a little surprised that Charlie isn’t down here.”

“She is probably resting. We ‘worked out’ when I arrived. Used her bedroom and then took a shower.” You say as you lean back in the living room sofa.

“I’m glad I timed it right. I would have hated to walk in on her again.” He says in an almost bored tone.

You lean forward, “What do you mean ‘again’?”

“You saw for yourself. She is an attractive woman, who knows what she wants. If I’m on shift, she has a full run of the house. I do the same in her place.” He responds.

“So she does this with other guys?” You ask, though in the back of your mind it makes sense. She seemed very comfortable and relaxed doing it.

Matty leans forward. “It isn’t the other guys that I mind. It’s catching her with family where I get irritated.”

You were sipping your water, and cough as you try not to choke. “Family. You mean Pacjo? Charlie was fucking our father?”

“Actually, I think he was fucking her at the time, but yes.” Matty explains.

“Does Panjo know?” you ask as you lean forward and lower your voice.

“About Charlie, probably not; about most of the nurses and assistants that worked with him, probably.”

You know you have been away for a while, but you aren’t sure how you didn’t know about your father’s infidelities. It’s not that you are a prude, you were raised with an understanding of sex and marriage being separate things but after being on the Libereco for so long, you got use to couples that were exclusive, or at least mostly so.

Matty sets down his beer. “But you didn’t come here for Pacjo’s sex life. Why are you here?”

You stand up for a moment and collect your thoughts, slowly pacing around the living room. “You are right. I am here to find out about his kankro. How did it go undiagnosed and why weren’t you able to treat it?”

“Ok. First, grab yourself a beer and sit back down.” Matty says and he moves the lounger into a sitting position.

You pull one from the cooler, take a sip, and then walk back into the living room. The beer is the first one you’ve had in the Core since you left. It tastes smooth, cool, and almost pure. Out on the rim, you drank mostly tea but would have something stronger when it was time to celebrate. Most of the time it is alcohol that was locally made and not up to UGA purity standards.

You sit and face your brother. “Ok. Tell me.”

“Pacjo was officially retired. He only worked in the clinics from time to time to help out and earn extra valutos.”

You nod at that, confirming what Panjo told you.

“He was also having sex with a few of his assistants before or after shift. I don’t think there was any romantic feelings with them, just physical sex.”

“Sort of like Charlie?” you ask.

He sips his beer and nods. “Yeah, like that. Think back to your Sociology classes. ‘Marital partnering in the UGA is for the creation and raising of families. Sex outside of that partnering is highly encouraged so long as it is done as a recreational and physical activity for the health benefits of all involved’.”

You nod and continue “Yes, ‘Romantic partnering is a biological drive and should be pared with Marital partnering for couple stability.’ Yes I remember that from Medschool. So you are saying that Pacjo was just being a good citizen and exercising his right for sex outside of his marriage?”

He sets down his beer again. “Yes. Panjo does too, apparently. At least according to her medi-log.”

You want to be shocked and surprised by this, but all of the UGA values you were raised with just lock back into place. Marriage is separate from sex. Something that the more religiously minded types have fought against and fled to the Rim.

“Ok, but what does all of this have to do with his undiagnosed kankro?” you ask to get back to the topic.

“Well, apparently when he was supposed to be going in for his physicals, he was using his professional authority to modify his medi-log. Instead of getting examined by either the medi-comp or another doctor, he would come down, have sex with an assistant, log the time as a medical physical, and give himself a clean bill of health.”

You shake your head in disbelief. “That was selfish and stupid. He was jeopardizing his stamp and his status as a doctor.”

“It wasn’t until he was feeling weak and tired, that I had Charlie give him a full work up.”

You wrinkle your brows in a confused look. “But you just said that Charlie and him..”

“That was here. Not in the hospital. Charlie, once she is in the building, is a total professional, and apparently immune to Pacjo’s charms. She diagnosed him as Stage IV that spread though his system. It probably started either colon, testes, or bladder. But by the time we found it, there was little to do but keep him comfortable.”

You still must have that confused look on your face as you ask, “But why didn’t he see an oncologist?”

Matty picks up his beer and finishes it. “He did. Afterwards when they offered very little hope, Pacjo asked for me to become his personal physician. We tried a couple rounds of gene replacement therapy, but there wasn’t really any healthy tissue to use. It had spread to most of his systems.” He bows his head for a moment. “Panjo and I agreed we would do what we could to keep him comfortable for as long as we could. She was the one to administer the fina pafo. He selected the date and the location. She administered it, and I declared him dead, with Charlie as a medical witness. He was at peace and it was beautiful.” Matty says raising up his head with tears in the corners.

“I’m sorry I missed it.” You say after a moment of silence.

“It’s okay Ionny. You and Pacjo fought and argued before you left. I don’t know if you being here would have really changed anything.”

He stands up and looks at the time. “I was going to make something to eat before I go to bed. Are you hungry, or do you want to take the metrooj back to Panjo’s house?”

You wipe the unshed tears from your eyes and stand up. “I’ll stay. How about I cook for you. I’ve learned a few things out on the Rim.”

Both of you look at what he has in the cabinets, pantry, and cooler. You have all the ingredients to make kokido alfredo. Your brother’s cooker is larger than the one on the Libereco, but easier to use. You cut up the kokido breasts and throw them in the pan, quickly cooking them. Matty measures out water and noodles for you, which you add to the hot meat. Finally he melts some fromago into a sauce, which you stir into the mixture until it is all creamy.

“That smells good! Can I have some?” you hear Charlie say as she comes down the stairs.

“I made enough for leftovers. That’s what Cookie normally does.”

“Who?” your brother asks as he grabs plates and silverware.

“Hand me a serving bowl and I’ll tell you all about the crew of the Libereco.”

You dish up and eat. During the meal you tell about your life on the Rim, as you listen to both of them tell too.

When it is done, Mateo grabs three small glasses and a bottle of Unicum. “Welcome home.” He says as he fills the glasses and offers you one.

You sniff it. The strong herbal scent reminds you of traditional holiday meals and your father offering toasts in a language long since forgotten.

You hold up your glass, “What would Pacjo say?”

Matty smiles “I could never pronounce it, but Panjo’s people would say ‘E ku’.”

You and Charlie hold up your glasses and say “E ku.” The strong herbal liquor burns the back of your tongue and throat as you sip it.

Charlie’s glass is empty, and Matty refills it. “You did it too fast. We aren’t back in Medschool.”

You continue. “Yes, this is a traditional drink from Pacjo’s heritage, and you sip it after a meal, during times of celebration.”

“Before we continue, how much longer do you have before you start your next shift, Charlie?”

She looks at the time, then at the bottle, and sighs. “Let me finish this one, and I’ll go to bed. I have my alarm set to get me up in time. You two can continue without me.”

“E ku” you say raising your glass towards Charlie, then sipping a little more.

When everyone’s glass is done, Charlie goes to bed and you and Matty clean up.

“You know, Ionny, you don’t have to sleep on the couch. You could ask Charlie for some more hospitality before morning.” He says with a wink and a grin.

“No. I have enjoyed this. Just catching up, remembering some of the traditions. You seem to be doing well here.”

“I am. As well as a UMP doctor can in the Core.” He says with a smile.

“I see, but this isn’t the life for me. Tomorrow, I’ll take the metrooj back to Panjo’s house and spend a few days with her. My Captain gave me a window of time when she would be ready to return. I’ll send a link then.”

You spend the next few hours talking and drinking, which alternates between beer and water. Matty listens as you talk more about the crew. Asking questions from time to time about why you aren’t sleeping with Cookie, Skipper, or Navs. You explain that Skipper has a lover, Oficiro Lee, a Maristo; and Cookie, she is a friend, and prefers sex with women. As for Navs, she and Helm are exclusive. Vocal, obvious, and open, but exclusive. They are all like family. Even Meko, who can be like an irritating little frateto.

You stare off into empty space and say. “They are like family.”

(I hope you enjoyed Kurgio’s story. It took longer than I originally planned. If you did; leave me a comment. If you enjoy my writings, follow and subscribe. I try to post new stories every Friday.)

The Space Freighter Libereco — Kurgio is Called to the Core — Part 4

 

Your brother’s house is very similar to your parents.  “UGA really standardized everything in the Core. Almost to the point of making everything the same.” You think to yourself.

Using your minividi, the door unlocks and opens.  The vidi in the living room turns on and starts showing local news and weather.

“Matty is that you?” Calls a female voice from another room.

 “Hello?” you respond loudly.

A woman wearing exercise clothing walks into living room. She pulls audiloj from her ears and taps her minividi.  “Oh, I missed Matty’s message, earlier. You must be, his brother Ion.” She walks closer and extends her hand.

You shake hers.  “Yes, I’m Ion, but he hadn’t mentioned you. You are…”

“I’m Charlie.” She says with a smile.

“It’s been jaros since I talked with my brother. Are you and he?”   

“Oh, no. I’m a colleague from Suda Okcidenta.  He lets me stay here when I need and he stays at my place there when he needs.” She explains as she heads to the kitchen and grabs a bottle of water from the cooler.

You follow her, watching how shapely she is as she moves. “That makes sense. No fast metrooj going between the continents. Are you working at the local clinics?” you ask.

She sits on a stool in the kitchen, crossing her ankles. “Yeah, every few months I do a rotation to help out up here, and Matty does the same. UMP is still trying to increase the number of doctors on the planet, but other planets have greater needs. I’m lucky that I am only bouncing between continents. I’ve heard of whole med staffs who are bouncing between planets.”

You realize that you could use a drink, so you open the cooler and take a water. “At least in the Core, UMP is trying to keep things stable.” You say as you take a sip.

“That’s right, Matty said you’ve been on the Rim. How does that work?” she leans forward genuinely interested.

You walk around the kitchen, explaining how you are part of an independent crew going from world to world, making cargo runs and that you offer medical help when needed.

“That sounds like a lot of work and very little stability.” She says as she stands up and stretches.

“By the way, did I interrupt your workout?” You ask nodding at her attire.

“Yeah, I finished a full day shift and wanted to workout to relax.  Matty won’t be home for a few more hours and I thought I would work up a good sweat.” She says putting the cap on her almost empty bottle. “Do you work out?”

“All the time. In space, even with artificial gravity, I still need to keep the muscles strong and flexible.” You respond.

She reaches out and squeezes your bicep. “Mmmm that feels solid. I think I can find some of Matty’s workout clothes if you want. I’m always happy to have a ‘workout buddy’, to help me focus.”

Her hand feels good on your arm, even through the fabric of your shirt.  “If he has a shirt and shorts, that will work.” You say as you pull off your long sleeved shirt that you are wearing.

“Wow” she says as she looks at your bare chest.

“What? I’m not really built, just toned.” You respond.

She step walks closer and rubs the soft curly hair on your chest. “I haven’t seen anyone with body hair. It feels so soft.”

You chuckle for a second. “I keep forgetting about that. Our ship uses water recycling and reclamation, so we don’t use sonic showers or sonic cleaners for most things.”

Excitement enters her voice. “You mean you have hair other places on your body? Maybe we should work up a sweat in my bedroom?”

You remember what your brother said about ‘making yourself at home and enjoying local hospitality’ “Lead the way.”

She goes to the back of the house, and you follow. As she does, she pulls off her top and sports bra, revealing that her dark tan is all over, at least all over her torso. Her dark hair is in a ponytail that goes to the back of her neck.  

She enters her room and turns and faces you. She pulls down and steps out of her workout leggings. Her tan is all over her lower half too. “You must enjoy the sun.” you comment.

She straightens up, fully naked. “Oh yes. I enjoy going outside and letting the sunlumo tan me all over. Natural vitamin D, is a UMP recommendation for everyone.” She says walking closer to you. “You must not be getting enough. You are lighter than your brother.” She rubs your chest and reaches to help undo your trousers.

You lean forward and kiss her mouth. Her lips are soft and damp, warm and alive. As good as cybersluts are, they don’t compare to a live human.

She unfastens your pants, and you push them down. She reaches into your briefs.

“There’s soft hair there too.” She says.  Dropping to her knees, she pulls them down, freeing your hardening cock.  “Mmmmmm I like how you look.” She says running her fingers though your trimmed patch of pubic hair and grasping your shaft with the other hand. You feel her warm breath across the tip and then you feel her tongue as she slowly licks you.
“I forgot to ask. Are you a Generalist or a Specialist?” you say trying to distract yourself from how good she feels.

Before she answers, you feel her take you into her mouth. A mouth that is warm, wet, and has a gentle suction. She pulls you free and strokes it, using her saliva as a lubricant. “Medically, I’m a generalist, but when it comes to the bedroom, I’m a specialist.” She then sucks you again, but firmer this time. You also feel her fingers along the crack of your ass as she plays with your anus.

You place your hands on her head.  “You are good. But if you don’t want me to finish quickly, then let’s move to the bed and let me show you my ‘specialist skills’.”

She takes you deeper into her mouth and you feel her nose rub your pubic hair.

You grab a handful of her hair. “Let’s switch for a moment.” You say, breathing harder.

She releases and smiles up at you. “Ok.” The she stands up and kisses you. A kiss that is harder and more passionate than you kissed to her.

She backs up and lies down on the bed. Her firm ass near the edge, allowing you full access to your beautifully smooth pussy. You spread her legs and kiss the inside of her right thigh. The skin is so smooth and warm. You slowly kiss your way closer her labia. Her lips are so wet and ready. 

“Mmmmmm you are a specialist too, I see. Doctor.” She says with a playful tone.

Using the tip of your tongue, you slowly lick up and down the folds of her outer lips, going around and across. Then you slowly lick between the inner lips. She is so damp. You lick up and use your fingertips to pull back her hood. You lick around and then softly suck her clitoris. “You are better than your brother at that.” She says.

You know it isn’t a competition, and even if it wasn’t true, she wouldn’t say so, while you are going down on her.

You suck it firmer and use the tips of your fingers along her lips, lubricating them with her juices. Once your fingers are wet, you slide them in. Going a little in and then out.  Each gentle thrust, you go a little deeper. You alternate licking and sucking her clit.

You feel her fingers in your hair, grasping and pulling as she enjoys what you do.

Your fingers are now fully in and so you work them in and out, twisting and trusting, faster and deeper. 

“Ooo fiko”  she moans as she climaxes around your fingers. You stop sucking her clit and lick her wet pussy, so you can taste her pleasure. You are so hard now and stand up. You rub the head across her wet open lips, and then thrust into her.

“If you enjoyed that, then you’ll enjoy this.” You say as you grip her strong, toned legs and fuck her as hard as you can. She grabs her hard, dark nipples and pulls them firmly. “Yes….just… Like….that…” she pants. You are working up a sweat as you are almost done too.  You feel the pleasure moving though you, as you pull out, and stroke your lubed shaft. Shooting your semen all across her bare mound and flat belly.

She releases one nipple and rubs her clit in small fast circles, using your cum as lube. In a moment, she tightens her thighs around her hand in pleasure.

Stepping back you look for a towel.

She sits up. “You made a mess on me.” She says in a mocking tone.

“Yeah, I was looking for a towel or rag.” You respond.

She gets up and takes your hand. “As much as I love the feel of your body hair, it is time for a sonic shower.”

She hands you a protective cap for your head, and then places one on hers. She leads you into the stall.  She then hits the button. You feel the sonic heads direct the sound waves that removes the top layer of your skin and all of the body hair with it. You grew up using one of these, but after a jardeko of water showers, it feels different. When it turns off, Charlie hands you a towel to rub on your skin, removing any loose skin left behind. When she steps out of the stall, you hand her a towel. As she rubs it along her skin, she looks at you. “I think I liked the body hair better. Maybe when I finish my shift tomorrow, I will have you come by and compare.” She says with a wink and a smile.

You get dressed and then head to the living room. You watch the news and weather on the vidi until Mateo gets home.

The Space Freighter Libereco - Kurgio is Called to the Core - Part 3

Stepping off of the cargo ramp, you look at the red sun low in the sky.  It has been jaros since you were here. The landing terminal is all plasteel and duraglass.  The curves of the buildings are supposed to give it an organic look, but that makes it look so artificial and fake. Out on the Rim, you had a mix of prefab and hand made. Here, it is all so industrial but made to look natural.

As you enter the terminal, your minividi beeps. Skipper sends a voice link. “We’re leaving, once we are cleared to take off. Reach out if you need anything.”

“Will Do. Safe travels.” You say as you shift the strap of your bag, higher on your shoulder. 

The signs point to “Planetary Arrivals” and “Planetary Departures”. A smaller sign on the arrivals side points to “Intraplanetary Transportation”.

At the Arrivals desk, a friendly woman greets you. “Bonvenon al Sankta Koro. Cu ci, tio estas via unua visito, kaj cu vi restos longe?”

You hold your minividi against the reader and it pulls your information.

“I’m here to visit my family.” You respond in flawless Esperanto.

“Dankon. Guu vian restadon.” She replies as your planetary access is granted on your minividi. You give her a quick smile, which she returns with a long practiced familiarity, and motions you to move before she says, “Sekva” and helps the next person.

You walk past the Medical Access office and flash the “All Clear” stamp on your minividi. If you didn’t you would have had to answer a long questionnaire and receive, robotically, whatever shots you were missing.  While still on the Libereco, you did all that in advance, and made sure you were medically cleared. That last thing you wanted was to be placed on a “medical hold” because you forgot a shot or didn’t properly record it on your medi-log.

You follow the signs to the intraplanetary transports.  They always remind you of large bugs.  The flying ones are like libeloj, and the land ones are like skaraboj. 

You go the large round passenger door of a flying one. “Where would you like to go?” the computerized voice asks you.  There is a human in the driver’s seat too, but he is basically “emergency backup” if the computer fails.

You give him the address of your childhood home. “Very good. We should be there in approximately one hour.” The voice responds as you put your bag in the luggage space and strap in the seat. The large door closes and the engines power up.  The large flapping wings start to move and vibrate until they generate lift.

You lean back in the seat and close your eyes, feel it ascend, and drift off to sleep.

When you wake, you are circling over the family home as the ship verifies that the neighborhood landing pad is clear.  “We will be descending in 5 minutes, please prepare yourself.” The computer voice announces.

It touches down softly and gently. When the engines pause, the voice says. “Please take all of your belonging and exit the craft.”

You unstrap, get up, grab your bag, send a few valutos as a tip, and wave to the human in the cockpit. He gives you a lazy “thumbs up” and then checks his vidi for their next passenger.

The house is a short walk from the pad, so you are home in minutes.

It looks almost the same as when you left it. Standard UGA construction. Not too big nor too small. Environmentally friendly and plugged into the local grid.

As medical professionals your family made a comfortable living, similar to UGA teachers or other necessary planetary civil servants. The Core is “fair and structured”. At least that is what everyone believes.

You hold your minividi to the electronic lock and the door opens. Your mother is walking into the foyer.  “Ionny! You made it.” She says as she hugs you tightly. It has been over 10 jaros since anyone called you Ion or Ionny.  Ion Ladipo Novak is your full and official name. But you prefer Doc or Kurgio. Ion seems like it belongs to another person.

Your mother kisses your cheek. Her naturally dark skin contrasts against your lighter tone. She then steps back.  “Let me look at you. You mustn’t see any sunlumo. You have gotten pale.” But she then squeezes your arm.  “But you keep in shape. Good. I worried that you’d let your muscles atrophy with all that space travel.”

“Panjo, you know we have artificial gravity on the ships. And I spend a fair amount of time planetside on the various Rim Worlds.”

She kisses you again. “I am so happy to see you. Your brother will be too. Go put your bag in your room. Then come down and we can catch up.”

You hug her tightly again and then walk upstairs to your old bedroom.

The door is open and you see your old furniture: a durasteel frame bed, a faux wood dresser, a plasteel desk and matching chair, and of course your old wardrobe. The place you played in as a child.

You set your bag on the bed. You will unpack it later, because you want to know what happened to your father, so you head back downstairs.

Your mother is sitting at the dining room table, sipping a mug of coffee. “Ionny, do you want some coffee or do you still drink tea?”

“I still like tea, Panjo. Do we have some in the kitchen?” you ask, realizing that your mother wants you to sit and drink with her, like she taught you kids to do when there was something serious to discuss. 

In the kitchen, you easily find a mug you preferred when you lived there, an old style, hand-thrown ceramic mug. Perfect for tea or coffee. Then you find a box of tea cubes. The mixture of herbs and seasonings that your father preferred, and you learned to like.

Instahot water fills the mug and the cube quickly dissolves, creating the hot, fragrant mixture you enjoy so much.

You sit in a chair close to your mother and set the mug on the table. “Panjo, what happened to Pacjo? How did he die?”

She takes a slow sip of her coffee, then sets it down. “Kankro.” She says.

You sit back for a second and think “Cancer? That doesn’t make sense, not with all of the technology available.” You reach your hands and grasp hers.  “What kind of Kankro? And why didn’t it get found during his physicals.”

Tears well up in her eyes. “Ask your brother. Matty treated him before he died, and knows what happened.”

You feel confused. Mateo is a very good doctor but not an oncologist. Your frateto is a general doctor, doing rotating shifts at various local hospitals. “Tell me what you know.”

You say holding her hands more tightly.

“After your father and I retired, we talked about traveling. Visiting other parts of the Core, and maybe even seeing some of the new Rim.” She pulls her hands free of yours and takes her coffee mug. She sips it again before continuing. “He started volunteering at some of the local clinics, which were shorthanded, and staffed by Medi-comps.

“We have one onboard the ship, but I never use it. Pacjo told us to never trust them. Go on.” You say taking a moment to sip your tea.

“UMP paid him for his time, on top of his pension. So we were saving up the valutos to take a trip. It was easy money for him, just verifying that the Medi-comps diagnoses were correct before patients should follow them.” She continues.  “After a few months of doing it, he seemed run down and tired all the time. I asked him to get a physical at the hospital. They said it was stage IV and spreading through his system.” Tears run down her face.   

“Why didn’t it get caught earlier?” You ask genuinely curious.

She took a tissue from a dispenser near her and wiped her eyes and face. She then paused for a moment. “You should ask your brother.”

You sip your tea and wonder what isn’t being said.  It seems like your father was keeping secrets from your mother. You finish your mug, get up, go to rinse it in the sink. You see the sonic scrubber and use it to clean the cup, then set it where it was.

“It’s been years since I use one of those.” You say aloud. “Our ship is an older one and has a water reclamation and recycling system.”

“None of that here.” She says, following you into the kitchen. “Water is for cooking and drinking. Welcome back to the Core.” She finishes her cup and then cleans it, too. Quick and efficient, just like UGA proclaims everywhere.

“I’ll unpack and then link with Matty.” You lean and kiss your mother on her cheek, “Thanks for the tea, Panjo.”

 After hanging things up in the wardrobe, and putting things in drawers, you sit on your bed and look at your minividi.  You could link with your brother but you aren’t sure if he is working, or even awake right now. He might be on the other side of the planet, if he is even on Sankta Koro. You stare at the blank screen. You have too many unanswered question concerning your father. You close the door to your old bedroom and sit down on the bed. You tap your brother’s name on the contact list. In a moment his face fills the screen.

“Ionny! Panjo said you might send a link. From the look of the background, you’re home.”  He says, the collar of his scrubs and coat are just visible.

“Frateto, are you at work? If you are busy, this can wait.”

“Ionny, don’t call me that and, I won’t call you maljunul.  I thought we outgrew all of that.”

You smile for a moment. “Of course Matty. Or would you prefer Doctor Novak?”

“If we both ‘Doctor Novak’ each other, we won’t get anywhere.” He says with a wink and a smile. “So what do you need, Ion?”

You sigh for a moment, realizing that the playful banter is over. “Realistically, I need answers. You were Pacjo’s doctor? What happened?”

His eyes glance off screen. “I’ve got about 5 more hours on shift. Why don’t you take the metroo over to my place.” He taps his screen and an address and access code are added to your minividi. “Make yourself at home. Heck you might even enjoy the hospitality of some of my neighbors.” He says with a grin.

“Ok. Will do.” You say. He taps his screen closed before you can say anything else.

 You tell your mother you are going to Mateo’s house. You hadn’t seen it but he invited you over. She kisses you and says “Be careful.” All of a sudden you feel like you are a 10-jaro old kid going out to play at the local park. You shake your head at that and walk to the metroo.  You had been away from the Core for so long, you forgot that metrooj run all through the planet, connecting communities with a clean and easy way to quickly move lots of people. When you are at the statio, you look at the map on the vidi. Tapping the screen, you see which lines you need to take to get to your brother’s house, or at least to his city and neighborhood.

You download the information onto your minividi and board the tube. Minutes later you are at the main city station.  This line continues where you need to go so you wait a moment and then you are in his city.  Your minividi shows you how far you need to still walk to get to his house. “I forgot how easy somethings are in the Core.”

(Come back for the next part of the story.)

The Space Freighter Libereco - Kurigo is Called to the Core - Part 2

 

While the ship is planetside, you are standing on the gangway and watching as both crew and colonists unload the cargo. It is all in non-descript boxes, but Cookie scans the code on each box, and ticks off on her minividi. You have your emergency bag beside you, and are waiting in case something happens. More than once, you have joked with the crew that if this ship was in a story or a video, something would go wrong all the time and you would have to patch up blaster burns and bullet holes, but it is reality, and people just want what they paid for. No cheating or double dealing. If they did, then no independents would service them, and SG would enforce their shipment with Maristos. That is something that no “Free Holder” out on the Rim really wants.

You watch Skipper shake hands with the lead of the trading team, as Cookie gives a “thumbs up” to her. Everything paid for was received. You sigh and pick up your medbag to put it back in Med Bay.

“Doc.” You hear Cookie call. “When you are done, meet Skipper and me in her cabin.”

“Will do.” You say as you walk away and hear the ramp of the cargo bay lift up and close.

After putting the bag away, knock on the open door of the captain. “Skipper, you wanted me?” You see her sitting in her chair with Cookie sitting on the bunk.

“Doc, Shut the door.” She says.

You close the hatch behind you, “What’s up? This looks serious.” you ask in an extremely curious tone.

Skipper pulls up a star chart on one of her Vidis. “We need to take you to Sankta Koro. That will take us through a lot of main shipping lane checkpoints.”

“I’m sorry about that Skipper. Should I find a commercial transport or…”

Cookie interrupts. “No need. We just need to have you sign agreement where you have chartered us as ‘non-standard medical transport’.”

“Yes” Skipper continues. “You have spent the past few jaros visiting and providing routine and emergency care to rim system colonists.”

Cookie gets up and clicks on another vidi. A multi-jaro log fills the screen. It has dates and locations already filled in. Some have your stamp next to the entries, and others are various colony stamps. “This is your medi-log. It has your name and not the Ship’s Doctor title on it. Keep the Libereco Med Bay log separate. While we are traveling though the Core, this is your medi-log.” She explains.

You give both of them a confused look. “Why?” and then it dawns on you what they did. “As a charter, you have reason to travel to various planets, and wouldn’t require SG stamps. You aren’t carrying cargo; you are ferrying me from place to place. I got it.”

They both nod. Cookie points out the dates and the star chart lights up. “Anyone verifying our travel logs will show that we went to each of those worlds and the dates coincide with an entry in your medi-log. Most were routine “health checks” but in those few cases where you gave medical attention to someone, we used your entry from the ship’s medi-log and copied it.”

“Wow! That’s brilliant. Is there anything else you need from me?” you ask.

Skipper pulls up a prefilled financial statement, “I need you to sign and say that you paid us these amounts on these dates.”

“But where did I get the valutos for that?” you ask.

“From the colonists you provided treatments for. Remember, it’s the Rim. If you want to charge for services, you can.” Cookie says.

“But I would never…” You try to protest, but realize you have to show that you are paying the Libereco and it’s crew somehow. “Ok. I get it. I’m charging the colonists, the same they paid for whatever we delivered.”

Cookie sits back down on the bunk, smiling. “Yep. It balances our books, explains our travels, and makes you look like a medical hero.”

“Ok.” You say and sign the statement.

Skipper gets out of her chair and shakes your hand. “Thank you, Doctor. As of now we are officially working for you. We will set a course for Sankta Koro, as per your official request.” She says as she nods at the last entry on the log “Travel to Sankta Koro, due to request from family member.”

“All of that should keep the Uggos happy.” Cookie says with a twinkle in her eyes.

You are a couple of days from a saltopunkto. Once you get there the pordego will jump you from the Rim to the Core lanes. You spend that time reading Cookie’s log entries. They are mostly true. You try to remember the things that are exaggerated, in case you have to explain them. Then you modify your Med Bay to look more like a traveling doctors facility and less like a ship’s doctor’s bay. You adjust and place more emergency trauma kits in easy reach, and pack two large bags with ‘standard colonist needs’.

When you are about done, you hear. “Wow! Kurgio, you really changed things around.” Meko walks in, looking at how you rearranged everything. “Why? Was there something that wasn’t working for you?” the curious mechanic asks.

“No. But if you are my Medical Transport, I should have things better set to reflect that.”

“Ok.” But Meko gets a serious look across his face. “Is this going to change what or how you do things?”

You realize that he is doing that “plan for every emergency” thing that makes him such a good mechanic. “No. When it comes to ship board emergencies, nothing has changed. This layout makes it easier to go and grab things to take off ship.”

The young mechanic nods, then quietly says “I’m sorry to hear about your father. I’ll make sure we get you home.” He then turns and leaves.

Right before the saltopunkto, there is a Maristo inspection station. Skipper has you stand by in the Med Bay, watching on your vidi and ready to respond if needed. You hear Skipper come across the link, “We are the Independent ship Libereco, chartered as Medical Support for a UMP doctor working the Rim.”

You hear a bored Maristo respond, “Transfer your logs but prepare to be boarded.”

“Will do.” Skipper responds, but you click on the link.

“Oficiro, is this really necessary? I have an official request calling me back to the Core. Specifically, to Sankta Koro.” You transmit a copy of the message from your mother.

He reads it, opens the log that Skipper sent, glances at a few entries, then quickly closes both.

“Go through. Sorry to delay you, Doctor.” He says, still with a bored tone to his voice.

You strap yourself into the chair in Med Bay. You hate going through a pordego. You know the theory behind it, that subspace is opened and the ship passes through and comes out the other side. You know that, medically it doesn’t do anything to you, but you always feel like it does something to you. In your mind you imagine being pulled and stretched, and passing through a tiny hole until you are in normal space again. If you were to monitor your vitals, it would show that nothing really happened. The ship just moved from space through subspace and back into space, all because of the technology of the saltopunktos.

On the other side of the pordego, you once again hear the Skipper say, “We are the independent ship Libereco, chartered as Medical Support for a UMP doctor working the Rim.”

Another Maristo, with the same bored tone and a look that made almost the twin of the one on the other side. “Transfer your logs but prepare to be boarded.”

“I really didn’t miss the bureaucracy of the Core.” You say to yourself as you unstrap and repeat what you did, again.

As you move through the Core systems, there are more stops and checks. Being an independent freighter, it’s like having a big target on your back, and everyone wants to check you out. Skipper and Cookie were right that listing them as a “chartered transport” shuts down most of the questions from the Maristos. Your Med Bay gets searched a couple of times, along with the main cargo hold. When one oficiro sees the animal pens and cages, collapsed and set aside in the hold, you and Cookie explain that on some rim worlds there are animal diseases too, and the pens are used for quarantine purposes. He quickly steps back and then leaves.

“Kurgio, We will be in orbit of Sankta Koro soon.” Navs says on your vidi.

“Thanks.” You respond as you finish packing. You take a week’s worth of clothing, and download most of your valutos from your account in the ship’s vault.

Skipper knocks on the open hatchway. “Hey Doc, are you almost packed?”

You look at her with a slow smile. “I think so. I’m taking my share of the profits. I have no idea how expensive things will be planetside.”

“I figured as much, when you asked me to connect the vault to the system. When you finished withdrawing funds, I disconnected it again.” She says as she steps in and looks around. “It’s going to be strange without you here.”

You look at her as you seal up your travel bag. “It feels strange to be leaving. Even for a short trip.”

You take a moment to realize you have been onboard the ship for over 10 jaros. “Wow, Skipper, I hadn’t realized until now how long we’ve been doing this.”

She gives you a sad smile, “Yeah when you signed on, It was just Cookie and me.”

“We picked up Navs and Helm a few jaros later, and then we added Meko after that.” You comment in a sad wistful tone.

“We’ll put down at the main planetary terminal. Will you have someone meeting you there?” She asks in a slightly professional tone.

“Yeah. I’ve been sending links back and forth. My mother will send an intra-transport. Will you guys be okay?”

She looks around the Med Bay again. “Yes. Navs wants to see her parents and Meko said something about family on Ciela Ripozo. So after you disembark, we have places to go. Once we drop you off, we are a ‘recently released charter, allowing her crew to take some much needed leave in the Core’.”

You pat your bag, “I packed enough for a week, but I am going home. Is a week enough for the crew to do what they need?”

She turns and places a hand gently on your shoulder. “Is a week enough time for you to do what you need?” she says in a soft tone.

You really hadn’t given it much thought. “I’ll send you a link if I need something different than a week.” You respond placing your hand on hers.

Helm comes on the vidi. “Skipper, we’re in orbit. Shall we request a clearance code?”

“I’ll be up in a second.” She says and taps the vidi, closing the link. “Are you ready or should we orbit a few times?”

“I’m ready. Let’s land.” You say.

She nods and leaves.

(Come back for the next part of Kurgio is Called to the Core. If you enjoyed this, leave a comment. If you enjoy my writings and stories, Follow and Subscribe.)

The Space Freighter Libereco - Kurigo is Called to the Core - Part 1

 

“Shit. What’s this?” you ask as you see a message pop up on your minividi. Your ship, the independent space freighter Libereco, pulled into a supply point after months of supply runs. As ship’s doctor, you have had a pretty easy time of it. A few scrapes and busted knuckles, and even the occasional STD to treat, but all in all a pretty easy time, as a ship’s doctor. As a member of the crew, that’s a different thing. You have helped negotiate and deliver more than a few supply runs, and of course, once a colony or settlement heard that you are a doctor, they come out of the woodwork to get looked at.

It’s ironic, if the colonists stayed in the Core systems, medicine would be free and available. All preventive medicine and treatments are overseen by the Union of Medical Professionals, or UMP, (you always hated how that sounded. “Ump” which rhymes with “hump”, “thump”, and “chump”). In the Core systems, the costs of medical treatments are paid by the taxes and duties paid by everyone. It’s a good system, but you know there are those who don’t agree with it, which is why they moved out to the Rim.

Your minividi is blinking that there is a message for you and it appeared when you connected to the stations network, so you could check for news and updates. But this message isn’t from the ship or Skipper but from the Core.

Everyone on the ship just calls you Kurgio or Doc, but this message is addressed to your given name, something you haven’t used in jaros. You download it and disconnect from the system and set the minividi for “stand alone” mode. You use the minividi’s shield program to check and see if it is a fake or a scam. It says that there’s nothing harmful on it, and by disconnecting from everything, there’s no way to “back door” something onto it. You open the message. It’s text. You expected a video or something, but it is just written message. A letter.

“Son, there is no easy way to say this, but your father is dead. The funeral will be next week, but I doubt you will get this in time. I don’t know how long it will be until you open this. I know your father and you disagreed about your choices. But he is dead now. Just come home. Your loving Mother.” At the bottom of the message are your parents’ official UMP codes. You could scan them to verify their authenticity, but you recognize them.

“Shit” you say out loud.

Meko comes up behind you, “Anything wrong?”

You turn and look at the ship’s mechanic, a young wiry guy, who sometimes irritates you. But this time the look of concern on his face is genuine.

“I need to talk to Skipper. I need to go home.” You say blinking back tears in your eyes.

You walk through the ship and knock at the Captain’s Quarters. “Come on in.” you hear her say.

“Skipper, I need to go home. I got a message calling me back to the Core.” You tell her, trying to keep a steady tone to your voice.

“Are you sure it’s legit? We aren’t registered with the SG, so I don’t think your name is connected to us.” She says with a slightly defensive tone.

“Skipper, I don’t think it was directed at the Libereco. If it would have been, Oficiro Lee or someone official would have sent us a link. I think it was set for me.” You explain the best you can.

She is silent for a moment. “Ok. We have to deliver these supplies to the client. Then we can go to the Core systems.”

“Thanks, Skipper.” You say and turn to leave.

“Kurgio, have Cookie check the message. She’s good at spotting fakes. If it is legit, she should be able to tell you.” She says in a softer tone.

You nod and head for the cargo bay.

Cookie is doing an inventory of the supplies as Helm and Navs unload the intraship transport. “How is it going?” you ask.

She doesn’t look up from her minividi, “I think we are good. Everything seems to be here. Do you need something Doc?”

For some reason a nervous feeling moves into your throat and you swallow it down. “I got a strange message. Skipper suggested you check it when you have time.”

She quickly glances up at you, “Head for the galley. I’ll look at it when I’m done.”

“Can we do it in the Med Bay?” You ask in a slightly serious tone.

She nods. “See you there, once I’m done.”

You connect your minividi to the ship and put the message on the Med Bay’s main vidi. As you reread it, you can almost hear your mother’s voice. “Damn it.” You say to yourself, as you lie in the reclining med couch.

A little while later Cookie knocks at the open hatchway. “Doc, you need me to check something?” In her hand she is carrying two steaming mugs. “Here, I made a cup of your herbal tea. You sounded like you need a little something to help relax.”

You sit up and take it from her. You breathe in the warm aroma and then take a sip. It is hot but tasty.

She looks at the main vidi. “Oh damn, Doc. Your dad’s dead?”

You take a deeper sip and swallow. The hot tea burns the back of your throat a bit as it goes down, but the pain makes it all seem more real. “Yeah, it looks like it. Skipper wanted you to verify the UMP signature stamps.”

She touches the screen and pulls up a toolbar and clicks on a tool near the Stamp Verification tool you could have used. “Do you have any doubts?” she asks.

You take another sip and slowly shake your head.

She taps the screen a couple of times, reading the results. “This was a month ago. The dates and data check out. If it’s a fake it’s better than what I can make. It’s got not only UMP code, medical license number, but the verification of the hospital they were assigned to. Even in retirement that doesn’t leave your code.”

“What’s that?” you ask as you stand up and look closely at the screen.

She taps the verification tool again and shows you the codes. As you read it, their names, status: retired, then you nod and say “Yes, that is the hospital they both worked at.”

“Your mom is a doctor?” Cookie asks in surprise.

You shake your head, “No, she worked in hospital administration, so part of the UMP.”

Cookie nods. “That makes sense. Good to know.” She takes a sip of her tea. “Did Skipper say when we are going?”

“Right after this run. When the client pays, we’ll head to the Core.” You say as you close the letter. You pull up a blank document and put your UMP stamp on it. Without the tool it looks like a digital UMP Stamp. But by using the tool she had opened, you read the data. It has your real name, your license number, title of Ship’s Doctor, assigned to Freighter Libereco.

“Cookie, Can you remove data from a stamp?” You ask.

“Doc, I can do a lot of things, but that’s your Medical Stamp. That authorizes meds, treatment, hospital access, and everything that the system will allow. If I alter it, it could damage your permissions.”

“But as it is, it could be used to trace me.” You say, tapping the screen.

“You aren’t on the run. You are a ship’s doctor, and a member of the Libereco crew. What’s the issue?” She says with a tone of confusion.

“I’m probably just being silly but, I didn’t think I could be tracked. I thought I disappeared from the system.” You respond.

“No, Doc. As much as we try to tell ourselves we are ‘free holders’ living on the rim, we are in reality, plugged in. We skirt the law, keep our heads down and don’t attract attention. ‘To live outside the law, you must be honest’. That’s what we do.” She says tapping off the tool and closing your blank document. “You said this went directly to your minividi when you connected to the station. If it was looking for our ship, it would have loaded when we landed. This message was waiting for you and you alone. Probably on all the supply stations’ networks.”

“One last question. Who can read the Stamps the way you just did?” You ask genuinely curious.

“Anyone with a code verification and scanning program. Maristos, Cargo Chiefs, Admins, and anyone who needs to verify that a Stamp is legit at a deeper level than just a surface verification. Out on the rim, it’s not done much, but…”

“But back at the Core, it’s done all the time. Got it.” You say now that you understand.

Now it makes sense that your mother would place both her’s and your father’s Stamps on the message so you could verify it is real.

You finish your mug. “Thanks Cookie, and thanks for the tea.”

She takes the empty mug from you. “I’m heading back to the galley, so I’ll take it. Is there anything else you need?”

“No, nothing you can help with.” You say.

Over the next couple of days, You spend as much time exercising as you do anything else. Between using the treadmill, lifting weights, and the resistance machine, you work out to remove stress and tension, as much as you do to maintain muscle mass and bone density.

Helm comes by as you are on the treadmill, wearing a pair of tight shorts and a form fitting shirt. “Kurgio, are you doing okay?” he asks as he gets on the resistance machine.

“Yeah, Helm. I’m just trying to relax a bit. It’s been jaros since I was back at the Core.” You say, as you jog at a steady pace, wearing a similar exercise outfit, good for wicking sweat from the body.

“I’m sorry to hear about your farther. Were you close?” Helm asks.

“Not really.” You say in an almost distracted tone.

He adjusts the tension on the machine and then starts doing arm repetitions.

“How about you?” you ask to try to shift your focus.

Helm switches arms. “My father was a Komandanto on one of the big Ataka Sipos during ‘Unification and Civilization’, so I didn’t really see him much.”

“Damn” you say as you wipe some sweat off of your forehead with your towel, still jogging. “So your father glassed colonies and relocated them? That must be tough.”

He switches the machine so he can do crunches. “I didn’t really know much about that until I was at the Academy. I just knew he was away, and working for ‘the greater good’.”

You slow down your pace to a walk. “Wait a second, you graduated from the Stela Floto Academy? Why aren’t you piloting an Ataka, Armea Transporto, or a Krozipo?”

“Kurgio, I never said I graduated. I said I was at. So was Navs.” He says as he starts doing crunches.

You continue walking to cool down as he does a couple of sets. Then he switches it to work his legs.

“Are you deserters?” you ask in a low tone.

He laughs. “Nothing so exciting. We fell in love, and both decided to fail out together. We heard that independent freighters didn’t ask questions so we took a risk, and lucked out.”

“So why didn’t you just finish and graduate?” you ask genuinely curious.

“We both came from military families. We knew the life, and what would be asked of us. When our families enrolled us in the Academy, we believed in the cause. “Unity and Civilization”, but as we learned more and got closer to finishing, we just stopped trying. We both knew we had the skills and knowledge to make it on the Rim, so we both washed out.” He starts working his leg muscles. “What about you?”

You have learned more about Helm and Navs in the past 20 minutes than you had in the past couple of jaros.

You step off the treadmill and stretch your legs. “My parents wanted me to work at one of the Research Hospitals. I was slated to work at the Emergency Trauma facility on Sankta Espero, but I turned it down.”

“Holy Shit Kurgio, when you said Core, you really meant Core. Hell I thought we were going to Luma Vojo or Ciela Ripozo. Does Skipper know we have to go to Sankta Espero?”

You wipe the sweat off of you, and sit down for a moment. “Actually my home was Sankta Koro. So, we will have to go there when we finish this delivery.”

“Damn. We might as well be visiting Brila Monteto too. Hell, Navs’ parents would probably love to hear that she isn’t working as a whore in a Pleasuredome.” He says in a darkly sarcastic tone.

“Who’s a whore at a Pleasuredome.” A familiar female voice asks. Navs is wearing a tight exercise suit. She sees both of you, sweating and she gives a wolf whistle. “You both look so sexy all hot and sweaty.”

You know she is just being playful as she goes over to the treadmill and starts with a warmup walk.

“On that note, I’m heading back to Med Bay. You two have fun.” You say.

“Not too much fun. Skipper threatened to strand one of us on the next planet if she caught us having sex on these machines again.” Helm says.

“But the showers are still okay, my love.” Navs says with a wink and an exaggerated shake of her hips before she speeds up.

You shake your head chuckling to yourself as you leave. “They really are just horny kids.” You think to yourself.

(Come back for the next part of Kurgio is Called to the Core. If you enjoyed this, leave a comment. If you enjoy my writings and stories, Follow and Subscribe.)