XTC 2.2

It was a much different crew than last time. Unlike the Johnson, Gina discovered that she was one of three women on board. Besides herself, there was the captain and the doctor. There were also three men—the engineer, and two men euphemistically called wreckers, whose job was primarily to dismantle whatever they found and bring back anything valuable (the actual purpose of the ship).

The Quickie was a salvage ship, which meant that, while it had a cargo hold for bringing things back in, the ship was nowhere near the size of the Johnson, and a considerable portion of it was taken up with just the engine and the fuel needed to power it. Its full name was the Kitty Quick, but apparently, no one ever called it that. She got to meet the captain on the dock before boarding. The woman was a tall brunette with short-cropped hair and the kind of posture Gina would have killed for. Her uniform looked as stiff as the ship's hull. She was studying a tablet and frowning when Gina arrived. The frown instantly turned to a smile when she noticed the tech's approach.

"You must be Gina. Been waiting for you."

Gina was surprised and had to fight not to show it. With the woman's demeanour, she'd expected last names and titles all the way. Was this an attempt to show that she was casual and approachable?

"That's me. Reporting for duty. Hope I'm not late."

"Not at all. We're just in the midst of final preparations. Everyone else is already aboard."

Gina grimaced. This wasn't the first impression she'd wanted to make. Despite the captain's assurances, she may not be late, but she obviously wasn't early... and everyone else was already working.

"I hear you served under Captain Peters," she said.

She made it sound like she'd signed up for military service. Actually, at first, Gina thought she'd asked if she'd served Captain Peters, which was a thought even less palatable.

"I was on the Johnson Long with Captain Peters, but I was definitely not under him in any way."

The woman stared at Gina like she'd grown another head. She half-laughed, a choked guffaw, unsure if the tech was making a joke.

"Not my type," Gina added.

She finally let go, abruptly bursting into a belly laugh. Now it was Gina's turn to stare. She didn't think it'd been that funny.

"Captain Peters," the woman said, extending her hand.

"Yes... Captain Peters," Gina confirmed.

The woman chuckled. "Is my brother. I'm also Captain Peters. Welcome aboard." She chuckled at Gina's expression as she tried to digest this and offered her hand. "Your file gives a glowing review of your time on the Johnson. It says every single piece of equipment was in top shape, stores organized and catalogued, and you even managed to make a few improvements. That's not even mentioning your work with the android. Apparently, you've achieved more progress than the company's tech department. They couldn't get it to so much as look at them, never mind follow them around."

Gina gave her a hesitant smile, unwilling to accept the praise. She honestly didn't remember doing much maintenance on the Johnson, she'd been so obsessed with the android. She certainly didn't organize and catalogue anything. She wondered who did. She couldn't picture Rod doing it, and most of the rest of them probably wouldn't know how. When did they get out of their pod, and without her knowing?

"I understand you're just with us temporarily, that you're some kind of robot expert on assignment. It's good timing. Our last mech tech just retired and you come personally recommended by Reimer herself. Don't worry, I won't hold that against you." Her smile suggested she'd just made a joke. "You'll have your work cut out for you. It's a salvage ship, so we carry several industrial robots."

The captain turned and headed up the ramp, leaving Gina to hurry along behind.

"We rotate duty in shifts," the captain informed her. It was welcome news. "The wreckers will stay in stasis until we reach our destination, since they have the lion's share of the work once we arrive. I take the first rotation, with Huang, our engineer. You'll take the second half, shared with the doctor. Per usual, if there's any emergencies that can't wait, either the computer or one of the crew will wake the necessary personnel. Any questions?"

Gina shook her head, stunned and amazed by the efficiency on the Quickie, compared to the laziness and inequality she'd experienced on the Johnson. The captain settled into her chair on the bridge and reviewed something on a screen she pulled up from the side of the arm. The engineer was already there, checking readings of his own. He turned out to be short, middle-aged, and quiet. Salt-and-pepper lightly frosted hair that framed a bespectacled face. He seemed to be a bit shy, barely able to do more than stare when Gina said hello. But the deep crow's feet and laugh lines told her that he was obviously friendly and hadn't let the stress of his job sour him. Before Gina could think of something to try to draw him out, Captain Peters spun her chair back round to face her.

"Everything looks like it's going smoothly. We should be right on schedule. Before we get underway, there's someone I expect you'll want to see. He's in the workshop."

A wave of excitement washed over the tech, but before she could say anything, the captain shooed her away with a wave of her hand, smiling at her. Glancing at a ship's map, Gina quickly hurried to her work station. She tried not to show her excitement in front of the rest of the crew, but she couldn't help herself. The engineer laughed and the captain shook her head as their new tech practically bounced from the room, nearly running over one of the wreckers on her way out.

Gina's work station was set up very much like the one on the Johnson, except that there was no door. She stopped in her tracks when she saw him. He was there, just as promised, standing in his usual spot, right beside the bench. His eyes were closed, conserving power—napping, she liked to think of it. She found herself hit with a sudden wave of nervousness. The company had had him for weeks. What if they'd done something to him? What if he resented her for abandoning him? Worse, what if he was angry with her, or refused to speak to her? She fought with herself to gather up the courage to talk to him.

"XTC, power up," she said, trying not to let the anxiety she felt show in her voice.

"Good morning, Captain Miller. It's good to see you," he said, the moment his eyes opened.

Her heart soared when he not only answered her straight away, but was glad to see her! Fears allayed, she threw her arms around him, giving him a big hug, which XTC silently endured. She released him when she realized that he couldn't feel it, and (being an android) probably couldn't appreciate it. Feeling a little self-conscious, she took a step back and grinned at him.

"Would you like a massage?" he asked.

Jaw dropping, Gina blushed at the thought. "X!" she gasped, turning to look at the open doorway. "The whole crew's out there and this ship doesn't have doors!" She sighed with resignation, because even though her head knew the answer had to be no, in her heart the answer was really yes. She wanted one badly. She wanted to feel those strong hands squeezing her flesh, holding and bending her while he took her however he wanted. She looked back at X, still waiting patiently for her answer. Despite all her better judgement, Gina was on the verge of stripping down to her underwear when someone walked into the room behind her, making her jump like a guilty child caught with her hand in the cookie jar.

"Well?" Captain Peters asked, "How does he look?"

"I'll give him a thorough going over before we go, ma'am," Gina declared, trying to regain her compsure.

Captain Peters laughed. "A tinker in her element. All right, but don't be long. You don't need to be on deck, but we require everyone to be available until we get fully underway. After that, it's deep sleep for you, and don't keep Monie waiting."

The captain had barely stepped out the door before Gina felt XTC step up behind her. His hands slipped around her front and grabbed her breasts, squeezing them beneath his mechanical fingers, and causing the tech to let out a startled squeak that she desperately hoped the captain hadn't heard. She tried to back up and wriggle from his grasp, but he was immovable. His fingers were turning her waking passion from a sleepy gecko into a roaring dragon.

"Okay! I will!" she called after her distractedly, squirming in the android's embrace. "I mean, I won't!" she quickly corrected, realizing her mistake. "X!" she hissed, but he didn't relent. His fingers kept brushing nipples that were stiff and achy.

She fought it, she really did, she told herself. But, what could she do? There was no denying the mechanical man when he had Gina on his mind. Unbuttoning her pants, she wiggled them off her hips, revealing a backside that was large and firm from countless hours of squats. Her panties quickly followed, chasing them down to her thighs. Gina felt so nasty, standing there with XTC groping her, her bare ass in full view, right in front of an open doorway. She could feel her pussy throbbing with need. His hands finally released her chest only to slide down and caress her ass. He spread the tight, round cheeks, and she blushed brightly, remembering the last time he'd been behind her. She had a sudden vision of him piercing not her wet, waiting pussy, but her tight, wrinkled rosebud. She gasped and pushed her pants down a little further. His hands slid around to her hips, getting a better grip on her, and her breath quickened in anticipation. She bit her lower lip, trying desperately to keep from making a sound. She couldn't believe she was doing this when anyone could just walk in. She felt a sudden jolt of fear at the thought of getting caught. She might get thrown off the ship before they even left. That didn't stop her from lifting her hips towards him, arching her back, eager for his touch. And then she felt what she really wanted. The shutter in X's hip plate opened and she felt his long, flexible shaft slip between her legs. It was warm and pulsed with energy. The android rubbed it back and forth across her pussy several times, drawing a mewling hiss from her. Then, he angled his hips back. It slipped easily between the slick, wet folds and, as it filled her, it released a deep pent-up need that she hadn't known she was holding onto. It was the release of weeks of frustration, desire, and worry... weeks of wanting him. It blossomed and spread through her entire body as though radiating directly from his hot, throbbing cock. She pushed her hips back against him, trying to get more of him inside her. He took her in long, deep strokes. With her legs together, the friction was intense.

"Fuck me, fuck me, fuck me," Gina whimpered, urging him on.

She bit her lip again, trying to keep from crying out. He slipped in and out of her wetness faster, hips slapping against her firm, round ass. Her whole body was fire, the knot getting tighter and tighter with each stroke. And then it let go in a fierce, shuddering wave that weakened her knees. She blindly clutched at the door frame, to keep from simply collapsing to the floor, though she was in no real danger of that in the android's steady grip. She was still gasping for air when the sound of the engine powering up for acceleration reminded Gina that she had things she was supposed to be doing... and that she could have been walked in on at any time. Quickly pulling her clothes back into place, she breathlessly informed XTC of the itinerary. He digested it without comment. She ran up and hugged the droid again, then hurried from the room.

The stasis chamber, usually called the bedroom (or worse, the morgue), was technically part of the med bay. When she got there, Gina saw that one of the wreckers was already in his pod, and the other was getting ready. The doctor was hovering nearby, entering info into her tablet.

"You must be Gina," she said, with a smile.

"Sorry I'm late," she replied, rubbing the back of her neck sheepishly.

"Well, you're here now. That pod's yours. Strip down and I'll be right with you."

As Gina peeled her shirt off, the doc looked up from her tab and glanced at her again. "Are you all right? You seem rather flushed."

Gina blushed even more brightly. How could she possibly answer that?

"She was thinking about me," the wrecker said. He was a tall, blonde, muscle guy with blue eyes and a light stubble. He was already stripped down to his underwear.

She instinctively glanced down, then immediately wished she hadn't. She quickly looked at the floor, colouring some more. "In your dreams," she replied.

"Oh, you will be," he shot back.

"In your pod," the doc commanded, putting an end to it.

Still grinning, the wrecker swung himself in and blew a kiss at the doc as the lid hissed closed above him. When she'd started up the sleep program and seen him safely go under, the doc looked at Gina and rolled her eyes.

"Little boys," she commented.

Gina smiled back weakly. He wasn't that little.

"Monie Longman," the doctor said by way of introduction, though Gina had guessed as much already. The name surprised her, though, given the woman's obviously Japanese features. She was a strikingly handsome woman perhaps ten years older than Gina, at a guess, with long, silky hair left its natural inky black.

Quickly and efficiently, the doc punched in a few numbers on the pod, asked some questions, attached some sensors, double-checked things and finalized the settings on the pod. She made a little small talk while she worked, and Gina took an instant liking to the woman. But, all too soon, it was time to close the lid. Gina hated stasis. She'd only been in it once in space, but several times on Earth as a part of her training. The tech was always scared of a malfunction, something going horribly wrong and never waking up. All the reassurances in the world about how safe it was didn't do anything to make it easier. It didn't matter, though, it had to be done. As Monie reached for the button, Gina gave her a nervous smile.

"You'll be fine," the doc said, correctly guessing. "It'll be time to get up before you know it. Sweet dreams, Gina." The button pressed, the lid slid closed above her, and consciousness slowly slipped away.

Her stasis was filled with unusual dreams, though she could only remember bits and pieces of the one she'd been having just before she woke. In it, she was in some kind of factory. Everything was white and metal, industrial. She was standing on a conveyor belt in a long line of androids that looked just like XTC, slowly moving toward some unknown destination. She barely had time to wonder at her strange surroundings before a red light in the centre of the room went off and an alarm sounded. An arm quickly descended from overhead and a rubber gripper on the end grabbed her around the ribs. Picking her up, it deposited her off to one side, near a row of long benches.

"Investigate anomalous unit," a voice said.

Several arms descended, each sporting something that looked like a nozzle. She quickly found out what they really were. A beam of light shot out of the closest one, a wisp of smoke rose from her chest, and her shirt suddenly popped open, sliced in half. She'd barely had time to be shocked by it when the other arms swung into action. Gina twisted this way and that, squealing and trying to cover herself, but she was never cut and in a blink, she was left standing naked in a robot factory. Looking up, Gina found XTC standing in front of her. His formed face was eternally passive and unreadable. Lifting her easily, XTC sat her on the nearby bench and stood between her thighs. Her eyes widened, seeing his robot cock extend from behind its shield. It bounced when it reached its full length.

"Initiate lubrication and repetitive motion test," he said.

Pressing her legs widely apart, he edged forward and let his thick shaft rest there at her entrance, nuzzling the swollen lips open. She looked down at it just as he pushed fully into her. Her eyes instantly closed and she threw her head back and moaned at the ceiling. He plunged into her with deep, steady strokes that set her body on fire. On and on, he ravished her, but just as it seemed he'd hit his rhythm and she felt that sweet crest approaching, he stopped.

"No!" she wailed, as he released her and stepped back a pace. He suddenly sped sideways several feet, jerking slightly when he stopped, as though he were standing on a conveyor belt. As the android was whisked away, another took his place. It looked exactly like XTC. Looking to her left, Gina saw a string of androids, all lined up side by side, running the length of the factory, waiting their turn.

She was brought to the edge of orgasm again and again, never quite able to slip over.

When she woke, Gina was surprised to find XTC standing beside her pod. Groggily, she sat up and swung her legs over the side. She ran a hand through her mussy hair and looked at him curiously. It took a couple of minutes for the effects of the stasis to wear off and for her body to get back up to speed.

"Good morning, Captain Miller. I trust you slept well?"

"I hate stasis," she groaned, slowly climbing out of the bed. She headed for the bathroom on legs weak and unsteady from weeks of disuse. Though the pod itself stimulated her muscles to help prevent atrophy, nothing could compare to proper use. She knew it would take hours for them to feel normal again and to work the kinks and aches out. Gina could hear X following her, but she was too foggy to care as he stood in the doorway, watching her pee. Her head started to filter through her thoughts, in no hurry. Morning was definitely not her time of day.

Gina found that she was depressed to realize that, even though the Johnson's crew assignments had been unfair, they'd meant more time with X. The journey was already half over, and she had weeks worth of put-off maintenance to look forward to for the start to her half. As she stood, she tugged at the clingy tank top. It was damp and her skin hurt where the cloth had dug into her. First order of business after she felt human again had to be a shower. The dried sweat left her feeling icky and itchy. Frowning at herself in the mirror, she started to force her hair into some semblance of order. Suddenly, it dawned on her that XTC had asked how she'd slept. Not just good morning, but a genuine interest in how she felt. She looked round and saw that he'd disappeared. If she hadn't been so sore, she'd have run to see if he was hiding around the corner. She hobbled to the doorway anyway. He was nowhere to be seen.

"How... how did he?" she asked the air. Am I that out of it? How did I not hear someone his size, his weight, with hardened plastic feet? Where did he go?

If she'd been surprised before, she was even more so when she reached the common area to find X already there, a cup of coffee at the ready.

"Thank you," she said, taking the cup. She looked at him curiously, but never had the chance to get another word out.

"Wish he did that for me," the captain said, wandering in with a yawn. "Maybe if I wore nicer underwear," she opined.

Gina tried to hide her feeling of apprehension, knowing that there might be some truth to it. Finding a seat, she sucked at her vape, sipped her coffee and studied him thoughtfully while Captain Peters filled her in on the current state of affairs and made a little small talk. She soon decided that this Captain Peters was a definite improvement over the other one. When Gina finally stood and declared her intent to go find a shower, the captain wandered off to her own weeks long nap. As soon as she was alone again, she approached X. Despite the unusual start to her day, though, X seemed to have reverted to his usual self, standing motionless and silent. She talked to him anyway.