Aphora's Mission Ch. 09

Our Miss U.S.A. pageant, abbreviated version, was only hours away.

As it turned out, the go-between between we sexy vixens and ship's management was my very own guide, Na-hoyan. She was quite sensible about the whole thing, while we gurls were running about like teenagers primping for a prom.

For the first portion of the contest - best-dressed - we adorned ourselves to the hilt, so willing to show off our new curves and looks. After slipping into our panties, bras, and hose, we sat down to do our makeup in shifts because there weren't enough large mirrors. We, along with Chris, helped each other because we couldn't do good jobs alone, and I must say the results were very good. Lipstick, powder, blush, mascara, eyeliner, nail polish - to see ourselves in the mirror was stimulating to say the least. I loved the taste and feel of lipstick.

Then, on went our limited jewelry, dresses and sexy shoes. Our hair, after only a couple months, was still on the short side, so thankfully Chris found some wigs, which were all shoulder-length or longer. I lusted after a light-brown, long-haired number, and won it, after yet another drawing.

When we were all ready, Na-hoyan took a group photo, with all our sashes on, and I must say we passed as women pretty well. However, we were to be judged by real women, and that's what counted (that's what would also count on Aphora).

We heard some pleasant Aphoran music playing as we traipsed down a hall toward the ship's miniature amphitheater, or meeting hall, passing a few smiling crew still on duty. We entered onto a small performance stage, and were met with enthusiastic applause by the female crew and officers there. We assumed our best models' stances, tried to stand as erect as possible, and smiled 1,000-watt smiles. I was very conscious of the gaff holding my penis in, of my tight and projecting bra, of my tight control-top pantyhose, and of my form-fitting dress. And in my nervousness I was sweating a little.

The dress I was wearing wasn't my favorite pick among those available from Chris (I didn't much like the colors, although the fit was OK).

One of the crew was video recording the whole affair, while the remainder scribbled on scorecards. We were introduced by our Aphoran names, and our personal histories were described. The master of ceremonies was the ship's second-in-command, now out of uniform, who was wearing a shimmery and red shift-like dress with an elaborate necklace and bangle earrings.

After our dressing-up was duly judged by all, we were interviewed by the emcee,. The interview was, of course, in the Aphoran language, of which we had various degrees of proficiency. The language is like an odd mix of French and Chinese, if the reader can imagine that. Several of my friends stumbled over a few words, but I'm glad to say I did very well - I'm like a chameleon in that I absorb a language and its nuances wherever I am. Will was about average.

Then we exited, and one by one returned to showcase our talents. I did my card tricks, which seemed to totally please the audience (since playing cards aren't part of their culture). Will oddly performed difficult yoga poses in leotard and tights, which he was quite good at. Robin sang a couple American pop songs, and Dick sang several in Spanish. Kevin was a seriously good tapdancer, and the audience was most enthusiastic about that performance.

By this time, we six were more relaxed, which was good, because it was time for the swimsuit and modeling competition. We headed back to our dressing room and donned our tight, skimpy, one-piece bathing suits. Now, practically every inch of our new bodies would be on display ... The bathing suits had foam-like bra cups, and our breasts didn't always fit them perfectly, so we cheated a little by stuffing them. We were extremely careful about not letting any penis bulges show.

Again, Na-hoyan took our picture. Then we each made our appearance one by one, turning so our audience could see us from all angles, then walking in high heels as a model would walk, along a runway of sorts, smiling captivatingly and being proudly erect before coming to our ending spots (I'll admit to have been practicing walking somewhat suggestively before the show). During this part of the pageant the audience cheered us on, whistling and yelling.

As I stood there, smiling broadly, I was very aware of the attractive beginnings of my breasts at the top of my swimming suit. Nonetheless, I began to question my identity. Was I a man dressed as a woman, with merely all the accoutrements and ploys that women use to look beautiful, or had I become essentially a woman now, thinking like one, with only this one extra thing between my legs that waited to be used? I realized that it was the latter (except for the important fact that I couldn't have babies).

As we waited, and the audience made their final judgements, I looked at my co-contestants. We had come a long, long way, the six of us - from guys who shaved and were comfortable wearing toolbelts to softer, gentler women who took more pride in their appearance and were ready to fit into a woman's world.

In the end, as I had expected, Dick and Kevin won first and second, respectively, because they came across as 99.9 percent female. However, I was the second runner-up on the strength of my talent and language abilities. Also, being the tallest conferred an advantage.

After Dick, Kevin and I were crowned, the pageant was adjourned and all present were treated to a nice buffet dinner with liquor - which was the best repast we'd had since the voyage began - a delicious combination of Earth and Aphoran food.

We carried on conversations with crew members who wished us well. One of them was the junior officer I'd been intimate with, who gave me a peck on my cheek and a hug. I asked her where the duty officer was, since I hadn't seen her at the gathering.

"She's out of circulation," said my ship-love, with a smile. "Don't worry, the higher-ups found out what she did. And they didn't find out from me."

"OK," I said. "and they didn't find out from me. And you, I hope you didn't get pregnant, unless you wanted to, of course." I laughed a little.

"No, no, I was lucky. Although maybe some time later on Aphora we could come together again, Pora-tarne."

"It's nice to have you proposition me," I laughed again. "Usually it's the other way on Earth. But please, yes, look me up when you complete the flights. And I can show you more card tricks!" As I said that, I realized how easy I could be distracted and lose my closeness to Ah-lahnaya, who I still was in love with, and who was still back on Earth.

I noticed the junior officer's appearance had improved since our tete a tete. I fancied that our escapade helped boost her morale.

The very next day, after a night where we drank a little too much, and after we'd wiped all our makeup and lipstick off, our ship began to deaccelerate and pass back into sub-light-speed velocity. We were given little storage containers to pack our accumulated things in.

We were treated to video-screen pictures of Aphora coming into view, expanding from the size of a nickel to the size of a basketball, to the planet taking up the entire screen. Where Earth seen from a distance is mostly blue, Aphora was mostly green, with not as much surface area devoted to oceans and ice.

We remembered our briefings: Aphora was about the same size as earth, with slightly less gravity, days were 30 hours long, a year lasted 10 months, and there was very little snow (except on the highest peaks). Its sun was younger than Earth's, and had regular output fluctuations that determined Aphora's seasons more than the slight tilt of the planet (in other words, during one Aphoran year, there are more than four Earth-like seasons).

When the ship landed gently in a far corner of a large airport near Aphora's equator, I had the odd sensation that we were going to a boy scout (rather, girl scout) camp for the very first time. Strange new people, strange cities, strange planet ...!

All six of us scouts were dressed in our old crew uniforms as we exited the ship and entered a levitating minibus (no wheels!), which took us to a large passenger depot along with some ship's crew and officers. Trying to deport ourselves as femininely as possible so as not to raise any eyebrows, we mixed with a few new official-looking Aphoran women who'd been sent to meet and greet us. I felt slightly like an imposter, an infiltrator, in disguise.

We didn't have much time to check out the hundreds of Aphoran women milling around the facility (all over 30) as we were quickly whisked off in an another vehicle to what appeared to be a hotel.

As we entered, I breathed in the tropic-like air with its unfamiliar smells and high humidity.

Damn it, we'd arrived! And we were being treated like VIPs.

Unpacking in our two assigned, connected rooms, we put on our swimming suits and enjoyed a romp in a private pool in the hotel, under a sky that was a lighter blue than on Earth, with only a few very wispy, pinkish clouds overhead. Somehow I'd imagined the sky here would be the same as on Earth. I had some mental adjustments to make.

Being with Robin, Doug, Dick, Kevin and Will in our female incarnations could be tricky. Every once in a while, one of us would say something or do something that was entirely male, then someone else would "tisk-tisk-tisk" them. But usually we maintained our new femaleness well - that is until we stepped out of showers, when dangling penises somewhat blew the illusion.

Given the clothing we'd ordered, we had a fine time dressing up and comparing choices. Our first night on Aphora, we slipped into our new nighties and slept soundly, back down on a solid planet instead of in the coldness and isolation of interstellar space.

The next day, we bid goodbye to crew members we'd spent a couple months with, and were officially handed off to the new female handlers who welcomed and updated us. We looked forward to hearing about their plans.

I was wearing one of my new dresses, a diamond-patterned print in yellow and red, very well fitted, that extended to my knees. My styled hair felt good on my shoulders, with earrings underneath, and my young breasts filled out the neckline of the dress nicely. I wore decorative bracelets and a subtle lipstick. A dab of perfume completed the picture. I had also begun to wear glasses; the hormonal treatments seemed to have thrown my vision off a bit. I thought the glasses made me look rather professional and studious; qualities I'd never displayed as a man ...

My girlfriends were delightfully attired and disposed.

The tall female discussion leader was dressed in what on Earth would pass as a business suit - navy blue - with her blond hair attractively braided and tucked in back. I thought immediately that she was advertising herself as available, but then figured the braid had to be detached to send that signal.

"Welcome to Aphora, pioneers," she said cheerfully. "Maybe pioneers is the wrong word to use. Let's say volunteers. Volunteers to make babies for us. But please, let's not be so utilitarian about it. You used to be men; we once had men here; our husbands, lovers, fathers, brothers, leaders, and little boys.

"Now you've learned to be women and we need you. We need you to be like bees drawn to nectar - while you gather sweet nectar, you will also pollinate your host plants.

"Here is the plan, and it has changed a little since you were first told about it on Earth. We couldn't communicate with your ship while it was in hyper speed, so the new plans couldn't be passed on to you until now.

"First of all, you are only a token amount of men, compared to what we will need in the future. You are an experiment. We're still writing the rules. We want to see how things work out for you.

"The plan is for you to remain in pairs, in three different locales around the planet. So look around now and see who you might be most compatible with, because you will need to choose. You will be able to support each other."

I looked at Will, and we nodded in agreement.

"You've been briefed on your love lives, and how you will pleasantly have intercourse with as many willing women as possible without being detected. But also we've come up with an additional plan to impregnate more women than you possibly could randomly."

I looked at the others, wondering what remnant male thoughts were coursing through their female brains.

"We've decided, in a nutshell, to have you contribute sperm on a bi-weekly basis to contribute to a sperm bank. We have decided to announce that we unexpectedly found a hidden and long-frozen source of sperm from our long-gone men, and that we will be impregnating women with it, as drawn by lottery, and with the youngest women and those in good health given preference.

"So, if that is agreeable to you, we will ask for donations, and soon your progeny will be repopulating Aphora even faster. Any questions?"

"So," asked Dick, "should we also be seeking out the same kind of women: the youngest and those in the best of health?"

"I'd say you should seek out women under 37 years old," said the leader. "You know, as 'women' in your twenties, you should have no problem attracting sexual encounters. But we do ask that you lie about your age so you'll fit in.

"Tomorrow we have one more meeting. You'll learn where you're going, you'll choose your apartment companion, we'll talk about finance, you'll sign a few papers, and you're free to begin your quite unusual lives on Aphora."

I was as nervous as I was excited. But it felt so good to be walking around and living as a woman, with all the newness and possibilities that entailed. If only my parents could see me now ...