Naked to the Stars

CHAPTER ONE

"Fifteen minutes to docking."

The launch five hours earlier had gone exactly as planned, still it had taken almost an hour for my heart rate to get down to normal. Through the front window of the capsule, I now could see the spaceship "Ulysses", where we would spend the next ten years. My eyes went to the three women I was traveling with.

Commander Arya Hassini was leading our mission. A tall woman with shoulder-long almost black hair, her shapely breasts almost hidden by her coverall, her skin a light brown and her eyes almost black. Arya was a rare beauty, perhaps because her four grandparents were from four countries on three continents. At 36, she was the oldest of us, and already one of NASA's more experienced astronauts. A part from leading the mission, her main responsibility would be the spaceship Ulysses, she was our generalist and our official pilot, although in an emergency we could all fill that role.

Amanda Harrison was much shorter, the daughter of a German banker and a Kenyan economist. She was beginning to become quite well known in the astrophysics community by the time she was selected for the astronaut program. She was dark brown, with black curly hair showing her African descent. Although she cared little about her looks, I had not failed to notice how stunning she looked in the gym or on the running track. En route, Amanda would be maintaining the health of the engines, and together with Arya keep the rest of the ship running smoothly. At our destination, she would be the first astrophysicist to get a close look at another star.

I then looked at Sara Sigurdardottir's beautiful face. Her pale, almost milky-white skin with a few freckles and her red curly hair made her look very Irish, but as her name hinted she was actually Iceland's first astronaut. She was slim, and her coverall totally failed to hide that she was positively stacked. I had seen her dancing naked at a wild party some five years ago, and knew that the hair between her legs were as red as on her head. She, too, had an engineering background, but was also trained in biology and horticulture. During the long flight her gardens would keep us healthy and the air oxygenated. And if against all odds we would find life at Epsilon Eridani, she would become the founder of the science of exobiology.

I was the fourth crew member, and second-in-command of this mission. My name is Theophilus Pius Amadeus Zonk, but for obvious reasons I am only known as Theo. I have never quite forgiven my parents that name, apparently they though it would assure me an illustrious career as one of the world's leading theologist. Now they joked that I would instead visit God in person. I am the mission's geologist and planetary scientist, but also the backup engine physicist. Along the way, I will assist Amanda in maintaining the main engines (and save our asses if something happens to her), but at our destination I will study the planets, and together with Sara evaluate if any of them can be terraformed for future colonization.

NASA would of course have preferred a crew with both genders represented equally, but they had to ensure the correct scientific qualifications as well as psychological compatibility, the latter being the most difficult. During the last phase of the selection process, we had been eight male and eight female astronauts training together. In the end, the guys in Qualitative Psychology had announced that we four were the team with the highest chance of success - probably defined as not killing each other after ten years together on a spaceship. I would have been comfortable going with any of the candidates, but if I could have chosen myself, I too would have chosen these three women.

"Five minutes to docking," Arya announced. Formally, she was docking the capsule though in reality she was supervising the computerized docking. An hour later, we were inside the Ulysses, where we were received by the three technician astronauts who had been spending two weeks on board the Ulysses preparing her for launch. Although it had already been a long day, we spent the next couple of hours inspecting the Ulysses with them. Their time was offset from ours, so they would stay awake while we slept, finishing their last tasks, before leaving us early next morning.

Finally, we floated towards the "bedroom". It was designed to work both under gravity and in zero-g. There were four bunks, the two lower ones were fixed in horizontal position, we would sit on them during the day (when under gravity, at least). The two upper ones could fold down during night, and up during day. But they folded in such a way that the upper side was outside. With the engine off, we were in zero gravity did not need to fold them down, Sara and Amanda would instead "sleep on the wall".

Mission Control had told us to stay in our daytime clothes for the first night. That was a bit unusual, but we were too tired to speculate why. We pulled the nets over us which would prevent us from floating out of the beds, and lowered the lights. I knew that the nets were designed to easily accommodate two in each bed, and I hoped that once we were under way we would often be sharing beds. But there were time enough for that, and tonight the technicians were still on board.

CHAPTER TWO

Next morning, the three technicians left, leaving us alone in the spaceship that would be our home for the next decade. An hour later, the second-to-last unmanned supply container arrived, and we spent an hour stowing the supplies. It was highly unusual that supplies arrived after the astronauts, but a fire at the launch facility had delayed the launches. Since our departure could not be delayed, this was the only way - and honestly it was no big deal.

Two hours later I was going over the main engine with Amanda as we heard Arya's voice on the speakers: "All hands report to the bridge for an emergency conference with Mission Control".

As we hurried towards the bridge, a quote from Harry Potter floated to my mind. "We might get killed, or worse yet expelled!" I understood what Hermione had felt when she said that. An emergency conference was bad news indeed. We arrived at the bridge only moments after Sara. Simon from Mission Control was on the screen. He looked grave.

"I have bad news," he announced. "The minilauncher taking your last supply container into orbit failed explosively fifteen seconds after launch. Nobody was hurt, but even cutting all the corners we can, it will be four days before we can launch a replacement. Your launch window closes in three days."

We all knew what that meant. We needed both the Moon and Jupiter in position for the gravity assist maneuver, if we missed the launch window the next chance would be in over two years. And then there would be no guarantee whatsoever that any of us would be on board.

Arya maintained her composure and asked, "Was the content necessary for the mission?"

"Spaceflight is expensive. Nothing we bring aboard the Ulysses is unnecessary. But this was the last container; you will miss it badly but it will not threaten your lives." I hardly believed my eyes. Simon was blushing, and he positively looked embarrassed.

Arya clearly saw that too. "Exactly WHAT was in that last container?"

Simon's face got positively crimson. "You clothes. All the clothes you need for your ten year mission."

"Seriously? Are you saying that we only have the clothes we are wearing right now?"

"I am afraid so. And after a year, they will look very worn. Some time during the second year they will fall apart. You may be able to use the remains to cover your modesty for another six month or so, but by then you will essentially be left to complete you mission and return to Earth naked.

"A slightly better option is to pack your clothes away as soon as the post departure press conference is over, and only put them on for the occasional video recording. You will essentially spend the next ten years naked, but you will be dressed when you return to Earth. And when this fiasco leaks to the press, we can assure senator Cowlenn that if you meet alien intelligent life, you will represent Earth decently dressed."

In spite of the situation, we all had to smile. James Cowlenn was a complete crackpot, but he unfortunately still held some influence in the Senate.

"Arya, we have to either cancel the launch or carry on without your clothes." Simon continued. "The Quantitative Psychology department have run this through their computer models. Not having your clothes increases the risk of a serious fall-out among the crew from around 20 percent to 30 percent, and the risk of the mission failing due to conflict increases from three to four percent. That is still well within acceptable parameters.

"The decision is yours, commander Hassini, but I suggest you discuss it with your crew. We need the answer within an hour."

"I do not think we need an hour to discuss this," Arya replied. She looked at us. "Let's take a quick vote. Who is in favor of going ahead even under these circumstances."

I thought about spending ten years with these three women completely naked, and tried not to seem too eager as I raised my hand. Three other hands went up as well.

"This is utterly, totally FUCKING ridiculous. But of course we go on!" Amanda expressed what we all felt.

"Good. Launch remains scheduled for tomorrow at 10:30 ship time. We are really, really sorry about this mess, but I agree this is the best solution. Mission Control out."

Evening came, and we gathered in the sleeping quarters. We all stripped down, and stowed our clothes for the morning. Floating naked in the confined space of the "bedroom", we all felt a bit embarrassed and no-one really knew how to handle this. I fought a loosing mental battle to prevent my dick from going stiff.

Arya broke the silence. "As commander of this ship, I claim the Droit du Seigneur and the right of First Night. Theo, you'll sleep with me." She dragged me to her bed and pulled the zero-gravity net over us. The tension had been broken, Amanda and Sara embraced and took the other bed.

We began kissing passionately, with one hand I fondled her breast and with the other her ass. She used the left arm to hold us together, and grabbed my stiff cock with her right hand. Sex in zero gravity was new to both of us, and many times the net saved us from floating apart. When the time felt right, I entered her wet pussy and we fucked hard. She came with a loud scream seconds before me, the contractions in her pussy sending me over the edge.

I could still hear Amanda and Sara moan, but was too busy hugging Arya to see what they were doing. Eventually, we fell asleep in each others arms, face to face and with my now flaccid cock pressed against her cunt. We could not have slept like this if there had been gravity.

We were still in that position when I woke up the next morning. My cock was already stiff, and I tried to sneak it into Arya's cunt without waking her. I failed, of course, and soon we were fucking slowly and silently so as not to wake the other girls. Amanda and Sara had also taken advantage of the lack of gravity, they were sleeping soundly in the 69 position.

Once the 7 AM alarm had sounded, we went together to the bathroom. It was very crowded being four in there simultaneously as we sponged each other off, but it felt like the right way to do it. Then we dressed.

CHAPTER THREE

By 10 AM, Arya and Sara were on the bridge, Amanda and I were by the engine. At 10:30 AM, Arya pushed a button on the bridge, and the Kassimi-Hordorff engine sprung to life. Over the next fifteen minutes, gravity slowly returned as the engine gradually increased power, until at full power we were accelerating at 80 percent of Earth gravity. Time for the first press conference.

We continued under full power as we approached the Moon, where the engine was switched off as we swept so close by the Moon surface that it almost looked like we could touch it, adding the Moon's orbital velocity to our own. Past the Moon and now heading towards Jupiter, the engine was turned back on again, and we held the second post-launch press conference. Clearly, news of our predicament had not yet leaked to the press. After the conference, we removed and stowed our clothes.

For the next four years the engines would be running the cruise cycle, required by the physics of the Kassimi-Hordoff engine. Two full days at full power, giving us 80 percent of normal Earth gravity followed by 24 hours of zero gravity while the engines regenerated. After two years we would be moving at close to the speed of light, and during the two months in the middle of the journey we would be covering most of the ten light-years to our destination. Of course, while it would only be two month on board, almost ten years will pass on Earth. Breaking would take two more years. Then we would have another two years to explore the solar system of Epsilon Eridani, before returning the way we had come.

Being naked in a spaceship was initially a bit strange. Most people would probably just have ignored it, and like nudists do continued as if everything was normal. Instead, every time we met in a corridor, we would reach out and touch each others private part. The first night under gravity, I slept with Sara, the second with Amanda. Both were great in bed. Sara clearly preferred being on top, giving me a fantastic view of her bouncing boobies. Amanda was crazy with oral sex, and we spend most of the evening in the 69 position. Unfortunately, we could not sleep like that under gravity.

After dinner on the third day, the engine was shut down for regeneration, and we would have 24 hours without gravity. Sara and Amanda immediately went to the bedroom to fix something. When Arya and I arrived, they had detached two zero-gravity nets and joined them together in the middle of the room, held in place by ropes. It formed a large bag where we could all just fit in, the ropes would prevent us from hitting walls, floor or roof. We all climbed in, Amanda insisted on being upside down. We fucked for more than an hour. Again and again I would stick my dick into a vagina (or into Amanda's mouth). My hands would go out and find a breast, often Sara's. My mouth was busy kissing Arya and Sara - and licking Amanda's crotch, when it was available. I lost count of how many times I came. We were in Heaven. Zero gravity makes the blood run to the extremities, and on a man that apparently includes the dick, with miraculous effects on performance. We slept in a heap in the net, suspended in the middle of the room, Amanda's face squeezed against our private parts. The wonders of zero-g.

Next morning, Sara came up with the "Ulysses salute" that we would invariably use whenever two of us met during the zero gravity periods: one would turn upside down, we would hug and kiss or lick each others genitals. I guess that sealed our fates, from then on there was no chance that being naked would begin being seen as "normal", unrelated to sex.

One morning during lunch, Amanda told us that Mission Control certainly had their priorities right. They may have left our clothes behind, but a crate full of sex toys had made it on board, labeled "psychological health". There were dildos, ben-wa balls, handcuffs, vibrators, and a load of stuff we didn't even recognize. Sara picked up a strap-on dildo. "I want to try something insane..."

That evening we would start a 24 hour period of zero-gravity, and we were ready. As soon as the engine had shut down, we attached ropes to Sara's wrists and ankles. We then fixed her spread-eagled and blindfolded in the middle of the bedroom. Arya and Amanda put on their strap-ons, and the three of us starting fucking Sara in all holes. Zero-gravity made access easy. After an hour or so, we were all tired, tethered ourselves to Sara, and slept.

Whenever one of us would wake up during the night - and that happened often in this unfamiliar position - he or she would start fucking Sara. The motion would normally wake the rest, we would fuck her sleepily and go back to sleep. Next morning, we were all a bit tired, but happy. Amanda and Arya detached themselves and went for breakfast. I moved into a 69 position and began licking Sara's swollen cunt. After an hour, Amanda came and took my place. The day continued like that, every hour a somewhat fresh replacement would be fucking Sara. By mid afternoon, she was wimping when we fucked her, but she stubbornly insisted that we continue. In the evening, a few minutes before gravity returned, we detached her. Sara and I shared a bed that night, hugging each other. She was way too sore for any kind of sex, and we fell asleep in each others arms to the sounds from the other bed.

Over the years, we would repeat this game many times, sometimes with me or Arya in the central role, but most often with Sara. Amanda never tried it, she did not think she would enjoy it.

Space travel is uneventful. Maybe an hour a day spend on routine maintenance tasks, and another hour or so in the gym. That left a lot of spare time, and we began playing various games. Strip games were impossible, for obvious reasons, but we found many other games, often taking advantage of our nudity. "Blowjob-assisted team chess" became popular, it could be played both with and without gravity. We would form two teams, one player from each team would be "above the board" and actually play chess, often with a relatively short time limit. The others would be "below the board", and would try to distract the opponent player by licking him or her on sensitive spots. Sara was a formidable opponent in this game. Above the board, she would win two out of three games simply by being an excellent chess player. Below the board, she would invariably make me come just as my chess clock was approaching zero, almost guaranteeing a lost game.

"Rape hide-and-seek" was also popular. When you found somebody, you were allowed to "rape" her (or him). We were supposed to fight back, although not too vigorously.

We also came up with contests that were more strange than sexy. Some of them were never repeated. For example, I won the "Marathon Face Sitting Context" by spending the entire 48 hours of a gravity period with a woman sitting on my face (and the taste of cunt in my mouth). They took turns, of course, and every six hours I got a ten minute toilet break. I even had to eat with a girl sitting on my face. It was not very sexy, but I am a stubborn man. Arya was the runner-up, with 31 hours, the two others did not even get close before giving up.

We would also spend time writing. Amanda worked on a new stellar model, and a series of popular science lectures on astrophysics. They may be hard to publish, since she never thought about dressing before recording the video. But I am sure they will become popular. Arya and Sara wrote novels. Arya was writing an absurd erotic comedy to be published under pseudonym. Sara wrote a thriller set in twelfth-century Iceland. It was exciting, and very well written. She would often suffer from writers block, but claimed that oral sex helped. So she would ask one of us to sit in front of her, licking her pussy or her large breasts while she wrote. We suspected she exaggerated her writers block occasionally, but none of us complained. A few particularly difficult passages were written while she was sitting in my lap, with my cock up her ass, one hand massaging her breasts and the other her clit. Arya did not need that kind of help, instead she would sometimes have us act out one of the more daring sexual acts, just to check if it was physically possible.

We were almost out of the Solar system when it became obvious from the news transmissions from back home that the story about our clothes had leaked. NASA was the laughing stock of the journalists for a few days, and many jokes were on our expense. We did not care. We were the first humans traveling to another star. We were proud of our role, and were going to fucking enjoy the journey. Literally!