Alarms were going off and the smell of burnt circuits filled the air. Johan stirred awake, confused, not sure where he was at or what was happening. He looked around, seeing Son-Lee unconscious in the adjacent piloting chair. They were adrift, zero gravity, with some loose items floating around the cabin. He tried to focus his mind, remember what had happened, but the loud alarms were too distracting to his confused mind. Son-Lee began to stir.
“Are we in one piece?” said Son-Lee.
“Not sure.”
He released his seatbelt and floated up, then pushed off the seat back toward the door separating the flight deck from the rear compartments. The narrow corridor had supply rooms, the mess hall, and secondary control along the sides before coming to the next door, which was sealed shut with the red warning light above flashing.
“Fuck,” Johan uttered as he came to the door and looked through the small window. He saw debris floating around, but none of the crew. The rear quarters had a breach in the hull. Then he remembered his order just before hitting the Ion Drive. Everyone get some rest; we’re heading home. After a quick meal, everyone had retired to the sleeping quarters to get sleep. It meant the rest of the crew were in the breached section of the ship.
Johan rested his head against the cool door, trying remember, as the alarms finally stopped. They were returning from a mission to rendezvous with an asteroid heading toward the solar system. It had been named Aethon, from Greek myth. They had made the 636-day trip, 402,000 kilometers out from Pluto (once considered a planet) where they positioned themselves to run parallel with it. They had surveyed the asteroid, took more detailed measurements of its path, determining it was no threat to Earth or any of the colonies, then headed back.
They had gone further out than any mission before. Over 400,000 kilometers beyond the solar system into deep space. And something had gone wrong when they started their return.
Johan pushed off the door and floated back to the flight deck.
“The monitors show the whole rear section is breached,” said Son-Lee with a worried tone.
“Yes.”
“And everyone else was back there,” said Son-Lee in a low voice as if he were talking to himself.
“Yes.”
“And the Ion Drive is fucked up.”
“How bad?”
“I get maybe seventy-five per-cent capacity…maybe.”
“So, our return trip will take one and a half times as long, or longer.”
Son-Lee nodded.
“Fuck,” uttered Johan. He checked the control panel. “The mess hall is undamaged.”
“So, we have enough food…since it is just the two of us.”
Johan heard the bitter tone. He felt it. Out of a crew of ten, they were the only survivors. He glanced over at Son-Lee and shook his head. If the situation wasn’t so dire, he’d laugh, for of all the crew to be stuck with on the return trip that would take over two and a half years, he was stuck with the one person that he didn’t get along with: Son-Lee.
“Do you remember what happened?” said Son-Lee.
“I remember the Ion Drive coming online then…I don’t remember after that. What about you?”
“Everything was green. Nothing was out of the ordinary. The ship accelerated smoothly and started to pick up speed.”
“Then we were spinning out of control,” whispered Johan.
“My guess is space debris dragged along by Aethon’s gravity got us,” said Son-Lee.
“And it could have been so small our instruments didn’t pick it up,” said Johan, sitting back and staring out the window into the dark abyss. “Let’s check all the systems, get the ship ready for the journey back, and get underway.”
“I’m on it already. Looks like life support systems are good, the thermal systems are in operating range, and the back-up recycling system is operating normally.”
“So, the damage was isolated to the section of crew quarters with some damage to engineering.”
“The breach in engineering self-sealed and shut down tubes 5 and 6.”
“So, we have 1-4.”
“And 4 is not operating at normal levels.”
“Thus, the reduced capacity.”
“Fuck.”
“What is it?”
“Our comms are down.”
“Fuck. You think we can get them back up?”
“Did you know the receiving antenna is mounted on the hull outside the crew quarters?”
“Explains the damage.”
“And it could be ripped off and gone.”
“Shit.”
“We need to do a visual check of the hull before setting off?”
“Yes, and it means one of us has to go back there.”
Son-Lee knew what Johan was referring to. One of them would have to go through the crew section and in doing so, see who was sucked out into deep space and who was still on board frozen to death. He also knew with the damaged ship; it would be best to jettison anyone left on board to get their weight down. Six or seven crewmen would be over 450 kilograms, a lot for a small research vessel like the Ladon.
“I’ll do it,” Johan exclaimed, floating out of his seat. “I can’t stand this sitting around wondering how bad it is, when I can just go look.”
“While you do that, I’ll plot a return course and see about getting comms back up. We’re way off our original course and need to let the base know what has happened.”
Johan moved along the outside of the ship slowly, carefully looking for damage. He had surveyed the interior first and was relieved not find one of their deceased crew members floating around one of the compartments. It appeared all of them got sucked out. He knew they had retired for the night and probably were asleep, and with their long journey, they had gotten careless about strapping in. It meant a breach in the hull would have taken them before they were fully awake.
After looking at the ship’s diagram with Son-Lee, he also knew the antenna array was completely gone, nothing but damaged connectors sticking through holes or gaps in the hull’s panels.
He had patched four holes, all too small to put his finger through. Moving further back, he came to the worst breach, one that had taken out the main crew quarters. The hole was over sixty centimeters in diameter, large enough for a human body. He slipped the printed panel over it and squeezed the bonding agent around the perimeter. Once it had set, he moved on.
As he moved toward the rear of the ship, knowing each patch would have to be done on the other side where the object ripped all the way through it. He looked along the curved surface for any imperfection while thinking about Son-Lee. What had been the reason for their animosity toward each other. He couldn’t remember. But two days after setting out on their mission, Son-Lee had pushed roughly past him from the mess hall, and it was the earliest time he could remember. But what started it, he had no idea.
In the breached crew quarters, Johan checked the seal of the panel over the hole, then bonded wall struts against it, knowing by the time he finished, that section of the hull would be stronger than it had been before. He set two struts across the panel, then intermediate struts between them and back to the main ship struts.
“Son-Lee, come in,” said Johan into his comm.
“Go ahead.”
“I think the hull is patched. Let’s try pressuring these compartments.”
No response, just the sound of air rushing into the space. Son-Lee wasn’t going to lighten up.
He looked at his wrist monitor as the room pressurized. When it was safe, he unlocked and removed his helmet breathing in the air that was far less stale than that in his tanks. Then he looked around the room frowning at the bareness of it. Everything not secured had been sucked out. T-pads, personal items like the photos that had been attached to the wall at each bunk, bedding, shoes, clothing, and the people. He would have to look at this for two and a half years and it made him breathless.
“Son-Lee, how are you coming with plotting a course back to Mars and getting comms back up?”
“I may have a way to send a message but receiving will be tough. As to the course back home, get back here for we have something to discuss.”
Johan didn’t like the sound of it, how it could it be more bad news. “On my way,” he replied, working his space suit off as fast as he could because he was sick of wearing it.
“What have you got?” said Johan, the worry evident in his voice.
“We are off course enough Mars is not the nearest destination.”
“What is?”
“Lunar Base 2. Or if you want to add a few hours to the trip, STR-3.”
“The research station?” said Johan, referring to one of the space stations orbiting the earth. “I’ll take Lunar Base 2. Less politics.”
“Agreed. I’m plotting the course into the system, so get buckled in.”
Johan felt the slow acceleration of the ship. For an hour or so, their acceleration would seem painfully slow, then suddenly they would be traveling at a rapid speed.
“All systems look good…considering,” said Son-Lee.
Johan scrolled through the cameras, those inside the compartments, and those on the hull, especially the one he added to watch the big patch.
“The hull looks good.”
“We’ll be under acceleration for one hundred sixty-five days then we’ll be at full speed.”
“And no more gravity.”
“Yep,” said Son-Lee, as he ran one more diagnostic check.
“When you finish, grab some sleep. I’ll take first watch.”
“Okay.”
Day 3
Johan came out of the mess hall with two trays, heading to the flight deck. It was obvious the two of them preferred to stay on the flight deck as much as possible. He wondered if Son-Lee felt the other’s absence as strongly as he, for it was why he avoided the crew quarters and slept poorly the last two shifts. He entered the flight deck, holding out one tray.
“Tteokbokki for you, and Bolognese beef for me,” said Johan, smirking at the sight of two trays holding a square of processed food, the only difference their color.
“Thanks,” said Son-Lee.
“Everything still looking good?”
“Yes. Acceleration was slower than plotted yesterday, but I was able to make up some of it this morning.”
“Do you think that communication rig you made will work?”
“Yes. It’ll be weak but they should get it just fine.”
“But we won’t know for sure.”
“Nope, but I have the system set to repeat every twelve hours: eight in the morning and eight in the evening.”
It was ironic how they clung to designation of different parts of the day: morning, noon, afternoon, night. They were not orbiting any star, thus had no day or night, but they were human, a species tied to Earth, and their internal clocks were best left alone. Sleep was hard enough to come by without making it worse.
They ate in silence as they had for the last three days. Son-Lee checked the monitors and Johan looked at the cameras making sure everything was still in place. Then they pulled up some old entertainment recordings, Son-Lee a concert from eight years ago in Daegu performed by a band Johan didn’t know. Johan pulled up a movie that focused on a crime at Lunar 1 base. He had gotten almost halfway through that morning, and he intended to watch it to the end, despite having seen it three times during their mission.
As the movie came on, he glanced over at Son-Lee wondering briefly what he could have done to make him so angry with him.
Day 29
Johan came out of the bathroom heading back to the flight deck. Son-Lee was sacked out but was due on deck in less than an hour. He moved past the door slowly, wondering if Son-Lee was awake and just staring at the ceiling. He had done the same day after day, when he woke after only a few hours of sleep.
“Uggghhh,” came a muffled cry from the room, and Johan stopped, took a step back, and put his ear to the door. “Ah…ah…ah, ugh,” Son-Lee was grunting, and Johan smiled at the thought of Son-Lee masturbating, for that was what was happening through the door. Then he frowned, thinking of his own sessions, stroking his cock almost mindlessly, the frustration mounting, and the loneliness, until he finally came. He wondered if it was the same for Son-Lee.
He was tempted to knock, to ask to come in. Son-Lee would never agree, but he was willing. He would toy with Son-Lee’s cock, make it erect, then he would stroke it, suck it, and if, dammit, Son-Lee would only let him, he’d…
Johan stepped away from the door feeling frustrated and headed to the flight deck.
Son-Lee came on deck, and Johan looked around at him. He looked for signs. A flushed face, or maybe a missed drop of cum on his neck or cheek, or maybe clothes not properly put on. But Son-Lee looked perfect. Every zipper pulled to its end, hair perfectly combed, and the face appearing perfectly normal.
“You can go get some sleep,” said Son-Lee.
“I’ll go in a little while. I’m not sleepy and will only lay there if I go now.”
“Suit yourself.” Son-Lee took his seat and ran a diagnostic.
“I ran them about thirty minutes ago,” said Johan.
“I have nothing better to do and it doesn’t hurt to keep a close eye on everything.”
“Son-Lee?”
“Yes?”
Johan looked over at Son-Lee going through the various ship’s systems. “Nothing.”
Day 58
“Goddammit,” Johan exclaimed as he came out of the crew quarters, then he sucked his index finger into his mouth. He moved along the narrow corridor until at the door to the flight deck. “Son-Lee, where’s the medical kit?”
“Medical kit? What did you do?”
“I was checking that patch for I thought I heard a strut make a stress noise and cut my finger on a sharp edge.”
“Dumbass,” Son-Lee uttered under his breath, then turned to Johan.
“Last time you used it was in the mess hall.”
“OH, yeah. Thanks,” said Johan, turning to head to the mess hall. “I’ll be right back.”
“Don’t rush,” said Son-Lee.
Johan heard the tone and winced. He had to clear the air between them for after so long alone with Son-Lee the snarky comments were getting on his nerves.
The kit was in the storage locker in the mess hall, one usually used for cleaning supplies, and he took it to the table to clean the cut then bond it together. He put the kit back in the storage locker, telling himself he would remember next time where he put it.
Moving on deck, taking his seat, he saw Son-Lee staring out the windows. It looked the same as the day they started heading back as it did every day in between. Stars in a vast dark void with nothing close enough to be of any interest. Their sun was the star in front of them, slightly brighter than the others.
“Can we talk?” said Johan.
“About what?”
The reply was curt, and Johan grimaced, shaking his head.
“About this. Whatever this is between us. I don’t get it. What did I do to you to make you hate me so?”
Son-Lee turned and gave Johan a questioning stare. “Seriously? You’re going to pretend you don’t know?”
“I’m not pretending.”
“Fucking asshole,” Son-Lee uttered but it was loud enough for Johan to hear.
“And why am I a fucking asshole. I think I deserve to know,” said Johan, knowing he might have just taken the wrong tact.
“You really don’t know?”
“No. That is why I’m asking.”
“The day we were to set out, and some of us were in the mess hall hanging out, and you came to the door and—”
“Got on Dimitri for leaving two panels open in engineering.”
Son-Lee looked at Johan not comprehending what he had said.
“I got on Dimitri, not you.”
“But you looked right at me.”
“No, I looked at Dimitri,” said Johan, then he sat back and had the look of a realization. “Dimitri was sitting next to you in the back corner.”
“Dimitri was sitting next to me and you—”
“Looked over you at Dimitri.”
Son-Lee suddenly looked embarrassed, face beet red. He turned and pretended to be busy checking the monitors.
“All this time, and you thought I accused you of leaving those panels loose.”
“It was Dimitri?”
“Yeah, and he apologized after we set off. Promised there would be no more mishaps on his watch.”
Dimitri, along with all the others, was gone, and Johan tilted his head back and closed his eyes. “This may be my last mission.”
“Mine too,” said Son-Lee. After a long silence, “I’m sorry. I thought—”
“Son-Lee, forget it. I’m just glad we cleared the air, for it had been driving me nuts, especially now that it is just the two of us.”
“Yeah…me too.”
Johan didn’t know if Son-Lee was referring to them clearing things up or if it had been driving him nuts too, or both.
“Are you hungry? I can get us something before turning in,” said Son-Lee.
“I could eat, but none of that blue shit that is supposed to taste like fish.”
“The fish is green.”
“What is the blue stuff?”
“I think it is liver, or it might have been brains. Arief loved it.”
Johan looked around, remembering how Arief would eat the blue stuff, and he laughed. “He did eat that nasty shit.”
“It’s not that bad.”
“Well, you eat it but bring me some real food.”
“None of it is real.”
“Humor me.”
Day 60
“You were born on Mars?” said Johan.
“Yes. Dad was part of the ag-gro team and mom was a doctor. They left Gwangju after graduating from university. They married the day before leaving for Lunar 2 where they had to go through more instruction for a few months. When they were about to set out for Mars, mom found out she was pregnant with my older brother.”
“There is three of you?”
“Yes, Ha-joon, me, then Eun-ji.”
“Can I ask about your name. It’s not spelled in a traditional way, is it?”
“An uncle who lived in Canada named me.”
“Is your family still on Mars?”
“Ha-joon is still there. Eun-ji is flying missions to the outer colonies and mom and dad went back down to earth, settling in Britain where mom teaches at Oxford.”
“Your dad retired?”
“No, he runs this little greenhouse operation trying to revive interest in some of old plants that were found in one of the seed banks.”
“I heard about that. They got a few plant specialist to grow them hoping to get a stable planting back in the countryside.”
“It is something dad loves…lets him get his hands dirty.”
Johan saw the calm expression come over Son-Lee and sensed how his family were the loving type that supported each other. He wished he knew what that was like.
“Daan told us not to ask you about your home life. Is it something you don’t want to talk about?” said Son-Lee.
“I’ll talk about. Hey, wait, is that why no one ever asked me about myself?”
Son-Lee smiled, nodding his head.
“That idiot. It’s not like it’s a bad thing. I was an orphan, born to a single woman from somewhere in Canada. I’m not even sure where. She dropped me at a facility in Sudbury.”
“In England?”
“No, in Canada, north of Georgian Bay off Lake Huron. Anyway, she dropped me off with my medical card (I was too young to be chipped) and high tailed it to who knows where.
“I got in at British Columbia in Astronomy and Physics, and after graduation got on a mission to Ceres.”
“Was the first settlement there?”
“Yes, but it was small.”
“After Ceres, I ended up on Mars for some continuing education, then with the agency.”
“And you’re only thirty-one?”
“Yep. Three years younger than you.”
“That gives me seniority.”
“The hell it does,” said Johan, and the two of them laughed.
Day 62
Johan came out of the bathroom toweling his hair dry. He felt exhausted and wired up at the same time. He knew it was from being couped up on the ship with only Son-Lee as a companion, and not the companion he desired.
“OH, hey,” said Johan, stopping just short of running into Son-Lee.
“Everything still running in normal parameters?” said Son-Lee.
“Yep, smooth sailing so far.”
“Good. Grab some sleep and I’ll see you at our next shift change.”
“About that,” said Johan, leaning against the wall, feeling its cool surface against his bare back. “Do we really need to switch back and forth. This sitting around alone for most of the day is driving me nuts.”
Son-Lee grinned. “Me too.”
“If a system starts to have issues we’ll get a notice, so why do we need to babysit the ship?”
“We don’t.”
“For the next couple of days, let’s shift our time back to a normal day, and both sleep at nighttime hours.”
They had been staggering the day, going from noon to midnight with an hour of overlap before and after going over the systems and eating.
“Okay.”
“I’ll come on deck about seven and you can crash when you feel like it.”
Day 64
Johan didn’t know if it was a good idea, but Son-Lee and he had gotten lax on attire. The air conditioning system could chill the interior down easily enough, radiating the heat generated by all the onboard systems into space, but the two of them preferred it on the warm side. They had been going shirtless for nearly a month, and over the last two days, they didn’t bother with pants, just going around in their boxers.
He looked over at Son-Lee, as he had for the last hour, for the boxers were gapped at the fly and he could see flesh. No doubt the cock, and he kept looking over hoping to see more of it.
Son-Lee shifted, moved to check a monitor just behind him, and when turned back around, Johan stifled a gasp, for the cock head was sticking out.
Was Son-Lee tempting him. Trying to push his buttons. Son-Lee knew he was gay. As for Son-Lee, all he knew was there had been a girlfriend until four days before their mission. Son-Lee had never talked about it in front of him. He assumed someone on board got the story, but no one ever spread any rumors about what it might be.
Son-Lee glanced down, saw his cock sticking out, and quickly tucked it back in. He glanced over at Johan seeing him grin.
“Was it trying to escape?” said Johan.
“Yeah. It’s been couped up too long,” Son-Lee joked.
“Tell me about it.” Johan swiveled around and came to his feet. “I’m going to get something to drink. Can I bring you something?”
“Coffee, bl—”
“Black, no sugar. Got it.”
In the mess hall, a green tea waiting for him to take it out, he was standing with his forehead against the front of the machine, eyes closed picturing Son-Lee’s cock while manipulating his own. It was rock hard and sticking out of the fly. He slowly stroked it, wondering if he should just keep going to release, or force himself to stop and wait until he was alone in the bathroom where the evidence of his release would wash down the drain.
“Hey, where’s my coffee,” Son-Lee yelled out.
Johan chuckled as he pushed his cock back into his boxers. He programmed the system for a black coffee and while waiting, willed his cock to go down. As the cup filled, he wondered what Son-Lee would do if he came back on deck with a partial erection. Would he know it was because of him.
A low beep and Johan took out the coffee, and with his tea in hand, headed back to the flight deck.
Taking his seat, Johan saw his cock was still partially erect, pushing outward on the front of his boxers. He thought Son-Lee noticed, but said nothing, instead sipped his coffee while watching a concert from ten years ago of Sol-X performing in Yokote, Japan. Yokote was a city that grew rapidly as populations in coastal cities moved due to the rising sea levels. Tall seawalls blocked all views of the ocean or bays, and the heavy rains flooded the cities on a routine basis.
Johan had heard of the band, but their jazz infused pop sound was something he had never cared for. He preferred the harder sounds that harked back to rock influenced genres, music that always elicited others telling him to turn it down, or in the crew quarters, off.
He pulled up an old movie based on the war between Mexico and the former United States and sat back to watch.
“You’re horny too?” said Son-Lee without looking around.
Johan kept his eyes on the monitor, sensing any eye contact would spook Son-Lee. “Yes.”
“I think it is being couped up on board with no…real outlet.”
“That is what I tell myself.”
Johan glanced over and saw the front of Son-Lee’s boxers bulging out. “You’re horny too.”
“All the time.”
“Have you…” Johan wondered if he was about to cross a line that would make Son-Lee mad at him again. He sighed. “Have you thought about me being gay and willing…to relieve your stress?”
He said it, put into words the thought he had been having for days, weeks. He was horny, Son-Lee was an attractive bastard, and he would do anything for him that made him get off from it. Suck his cock, lick his balls, or let Son-Lee fuck him in the ass. Anything.
“You really are gay,” Son-Lee replied in a joking tone. “But you’re not serious.”
Son-Lee thought he was joking, but he wasn’t. “Yes, I’m serious. It’ll help me get off too.”
“You want to do something with me?”
Now was the time for eye contact, and Johan swiveled around and faced Son-Lee. “You seem surprised. Son-Lee, you’re attractive and a man, two pluses for a gay man. If you let me, I’ll suck your cock.”
Son-Lee tried to laugh it off but Johan staring at him made him shift in his seat and adjust his cock.
“You’re so horny it probably hurts,” said Johan. “Look, I’m not going to force myself on you, but if you want relief, you don’t even have to ask, just swivel around, spread your legs, and close your eyes. You can pretend it is a woman.”
“You’d do it…suck me off?”
“Yes. I’m gay and like sucking cock, remember?”
Son-Lee chuckled nervously, then pretended to be looking at the monitor in front of him. Johan sat unmoving, still facing him, waiting to see if his hunch was going to be right. Son-Lee just needed to know it was just a blowjob.
Son-Lee slowly swiveled and faced Johan. He spread his legs making the hardening cock more visible. Johan looked into the eyes that were watching him, waiting for Son-Lee to close them. But Son-Lee kept watching him and he smiled as he slid to the floor on his knees.
Johan put his hands on each knee and slowly, gently, slid them over the bare skin moving closer and closer to the cock. Son-Lee watched him intently. When he felt the hem of the boxers, he leaned forward and buried his face in the crotch. He pressed against the cock, mouthed it until the boxers were wet, as he worked both hands up each leg until fondling the balls.
Son-Lee gasped and shifted down in the chair.
Johan pulled his hands back, grabbing the hem of each leg of the boxers and tugged them down. Son-Lee raised his ass, and the boxers slipped around it but wouldn’t come down further. They were hooked on the hard curved cock. Johan bit the boxers at the waistband and tugged them out and over the cock, then tugged them down, over the knees, and down to the floor where Son-Lee stepped out of them.
Johan had Son-Lee naked. Totally exposed to his eyes. He had seen the muscular upper body and legs for days, but now he saw the whole of him. A nice hard cock curving upward between the thighs and balls drawing up tight. He moved to the cock, slipping his lips over the head, and pushed down until his nose was buried in the sparse pubes over it.
As he manipulated the cock, Johan worked his own boxers down and took his cock in hand. It was soon as rock hard as Son-Lee. He worked his mouth on Son-Lee and stroked until his hand was slick.
Then Johan sucked. Sucked Son-Lee’s cock in every way he knew. He toyed with the head until Son-Lee shuddered. He tongued it, licked it from base to head, and he tongued the balls, working them around in their sac making Son-Lee gasp for breath. He buried the cock in his mouth, then moved up and down keeping lips tight around it. When Son-Lee began to pump upward, he held his mouth at the head, open, holding his tongue against the cock. He looked at Son-Lee begging him to understand.
Son-Lee pumped his hips upward, working cock over Johan’s tongue. Initially, it was a slow movement, and Johan felt every centimeter of it as it slid over his tongue, but as Son-Lee began to gasp for breath and show an increased arousal, the pace became faster.
Son-Lee shoved upward, cried out, and Johan nearly choked when cum hit the back of his throat. The cock kept erupting, quickly filling his mouth. He buried the spurting cock into his mouth, nose pressed into the pubes, then stroked himself to release, spraying cum across the deck.
Johan sat back on his heels and looked up to see a sheepish Son-Lee looking surprised.
“Thanks,” said Johan, smiling, trying to take away any anxiety Son-Lee may be feeling.
“Jesus…that was…great.”
“You’re welcome. Now go get me a wet towel to clean up the deck.”
Son-Lee stood, and his flaccid cock hung in Johan’s face, such a temptation he started to grab him by the legs to suck him off again. But he knew Son-Lee would come back to him. He could see it in the face. No guilt at what they had done, just the satisfaction of release.
Day 65
Johan lay on his bunk listening to the reading of a book, some early 21st Century novel that foresaw so much of their expansion into the solar system, but in places was hilariously wrong. Movement caught his eye, and he looked up to see Son-Lee come into the room wearing boxers and toweling his black hair dry. He looked at the muscular body and pictured the cock concealed from him. How it would curve upward when erect, how it felt moving over his tongue, and how it filled his mouth so.
“What are you listening to?” said Son-Lee.
“An old sci-fi, Leviathan Wakes. Have you heard of it?”
“Yes. My father would read to us from the series.”
“You had the books? Real books?”
“My great-grandfather had them and passed them down.”
“Does your father still have them?”
“Oh yes, along with the other books,” said Son-Lee sitting on his bunk. “Can I kill the lights?”
“Yes, go ahead.”
Son-Lee hit the wall switch, and the room darkened, with only the soft red glow of a night light providing any illumination. The crew quarters were the only space to utilize a switch for lights because the automated systems were hard to override and anyone trying to sleep hadn’t wanted to be awakened by someone coming in tripping the lights.
Johan wondered if Son-Lee would let him suck his cock. It had been such a pleasure to have it in his mouth the day before. The only way Son-Lee could give him more pleasure would be to fuck him. He looked at the silhouette sitting on the bunk just across the room. What was Son-Lee doing; he couldn’t tell.
“Johan?”
“Yes.”
“Can I come over there?”
Johan smiled, for he knew there was nothing innocent in the request. Since yesterday, Son-Lee had had to thought about what they had done and considered the possibility of doing it again. They had over 890 days of travel ahead of them. There was no way Son-Lee would want to hold out that long.
“Yes.”
Johan watched Son-Lee come to his feet then take the few steps across the room. Standing by his bed, he saw the boxers were already bulging with Son-Lee’s arousal.
“Lose the shorts,” said Johan as he raised his ass and worked his own down the legs where he could kick them off. As he did so, he watched Son-Lee push boxers down and step out of them. The two of them naked, Johan swung his feet off the bed and sat up. He reached out, touching the legs, holding them firmly, pulling Son-Lee to move closer until he could lean forward and capture the cock in his mouth.
A sharp inhale, then hands holding his shoulders as he moved his mouth on the cock. Soon, the cock curved upward fully erect, and he worked the head with lips and tongue until Son-Lee was trying to push the cock down his throat. With hands on each thigh, he pushed Son-Lee back and looked up at the silhouette.
“You want me to suck you off, or…”
“Or…what?”
“You could fuck me.”
“You’d let me?”
Johan lay back on his bed holding out a hand to Son-Lee. He guided Son-Lee to move on top of him, and he relished the feel of the man’s weight. The muscular body against his own, cocks rubbing against each other, and the temptation to see if Son-Lee would be willing to kiss. He took Son-Lee’s right hand and guided it between his legs.
“Loosen me up.”
Fingers raked along his ass, then a finger rubbed over his tight opening, and finally, about to tell him to do it, the finger penetrated him. It worked him until he loosened to its penetration, then two fingers were pushing into him. He couldn’t stop himself; he leaned up and kissed Son-Lee on the neck and along the right shoulder. Then he nipped the flesh when three fingers penetrated him.
“Son-Lee…please,” said Johan.
Slowly, tentatively, Son-Lee moved over him, shifting into position, then pushing cock into him. Centimeter after centimeter, Son-Lee pushed into his depths.
“Fuck…do it, fuck me,” exclaimed Johan.
And the cock moved inside him. A slow tug outward, then a push inward, over and over, until in that familiar rhythm. Johan kissed the neck and up to the right ear. He tongued it as cock bore into him making him shudder. He kissed along the jaw with the intention of going back down the neck, but Son-Lee surprised him, turned and pressed lips against his own. They kissed, passionately, hungrily, and Son-Lee seemed to wake as if from a long slumber, and began to move hands along Johan’s body as he fucked and kissed and tugged on the lower lip and fucked faster and uttered pleas for Johan to take him.
“Yes, yes, do it, fuck me, Son-Lee. Fuck me harder,” uttered Johan breathlessly. He was torn with wanting Son-Lee’s fuck to go on and on and wanting him to pump a load into his ass. He wanted it, every fucking drop, and he clutched the bunk and took every thrust, every push into his depths.
Son-Lee rose on his knees and Johan raised his legs, resting them on the shoulders. He knew it would be perfect when Son-Lee leaned over him, folding his body in half and raising his ass perfectly for fucking.
Son-Lee fucked while on his knees. Fucked until sweat trickled down his face and body. Johan shivered when the fucker bit his left calf. Then Son-Lee did as he hoped, moved over him, folding him in half, pressing thighs against chest making it hard to breathe. But his ass was upturned and took every shove inward. Son-Lee fucked faster, rougher, bouncing hips off Johan’s ass. The metal framed bunk squeaked and rocked beneath them and Johan held on as if the ship itself was spinning out of control.
“I’m going to cum,” Son-Lee exclaimed as he shoved inward all the way and jerked and shuddered with release.
With Son-Lee next to him, Johan masturbated. He stroked his slick cock looking from the blur that was his right hand to Son-Lee watching him. It was wild how being watched made it better. He came after just a short time, spraying wads of cum from his neck down to his stomach.
“Jesus,” Son-Lee exclaimed.
Yeah, Jesus, that was good, thought Johan. He let go of his cock letting it slowly go flaccid and lay back breathing hard. He closed his eyes. Then he felt it, a finger touched his chest, moving slickly over his skin. He opened his eyes to see Son-Lee dragging a finger through one puddle of cum to the next.
“What are you doing?” said Johan in a low whisper.
“I…don’t know. Fuck, you came a lot,” said Son-Lee as he ran his finger down over Johan’s stomach, making him giggle. “Ticklish?”
“Yes, stop!”
Day 79
It was crazy how the two of them went from barely speaking to fucking. Fucking constantly and when not fucking, Johan was sucking Son-Lee. In one or the other’s bunk, in the shower stall, on the flight deck, and now in the mess hall, Johan holding the edge of the table in a death grip to stay in place as Son-Lee hammered his insides.
Son-Lee had slow fucked Johan, pushed inward all the way and tugged outward at times until his cock hovered between them, then he punched it back into Johan’s ass. But now he was hammering Johan’s ass. The sound of flesh smacking flesh echoed in the room, and Johan knew if someone else were onboard, they could hear them fucking no matter where they were at. The metal and synthetic walls, ceiling, and floor just reverberated the noise. Made it seem louder, harsher, and to Johan more erotic. His cock hovered over his stomach as he took Son-Lee, took every fucking centimeter, over and over, until he too wanted to cum.
Son-Lee took his cock and stroked it while not slowing down, just hammering away at his insides.
“Come for me. Come on, come,” exclaimed Son-Lee.
Johan threw his head back over the opposite side of the table and came. He shuddered with each ejaculation feeling the warm cum rain down on his chest and stomach. He felt Son-Lee’s fuck became erratic. Son-Lee was on the verge, and Johan knew by now the scent of his cum would trigger him.
“FUCK!” exclaimed Son-Lee, and he shoved into Johan’s depths and shuddered with release.
They showered together, then went back to the flight deck to finish their day of watching old movies and concerts while the ship moved through space, slowing gaining speed.
“You really love being fucked,” said Son-Lee after they had been sitting quietly for a while.
“Huh?”
“You liked getting fucked, more than any woman I’ve been with.”
“Yes, I do enjoy it.”
“Have you ever been the one fucking?”
“The top? Yes, and I enjoy that too.”
“So, you like to fuck someone too.”
“Yes,” Johan replied, almost asking why he was asking, then refraining for it seemed like he should let the subject end. He watched Son-Lee turn back to his monitor, put in his earbuds and resume watching some concert from twelve years ago back in Seoul, Korea.
Day 81
Johan came from the bathroom to find Son-Lee in his bunk, naked and half hard. He smiled thinking Son-Lee must want a blowjob, and he moved to the side of the bunk and started to get on his knees.
“Johan.”
It stopped him, made him freeze, waiting to see what Son-Lee would say.
“Show me what it is like,” said Son-Lee.
Son-Lee didn’t need to say what he meant, Johan knew. He could see it in the eyes, how they looked from his crotch to his face with a longing he had seen before.
“Are you sure?”
“Yes.”
Johan eased down next to Son-Lee. He touched him, caressed the smooth skin and fondled the hardening cock, and held the chin when leaning in for a kiss. He toyed with Son-Lee’s cock getting it fully erect, then he manipulated the nuts in their sac, and finally, Son-Lee moaning with arousal, he slipped the hand down further and touched him, rubbed the tight opening, then penetrated it. He fingered him, worked the tightness out, then he worked two fingers into him, and after feeling Son-Lee loosen to his manipulation again, he slipped three fingers into him. As he did it, he removed his own boxers and stroked his cock to full erection.
“Roll to your stomach,” said Johan.
Son-Lee lay on his stomach and Johan rubbed a hand down the back and over the curved ass.
“Damn, you’re so nice,” uttered Johan.
He moved over Son-Lee, straddling the thighs, and he pushed his hard cock down while moving into position. He pushed against the tight opening, then pushed again feeling the squeeze on his cock as it penetrated Son-Lee. He saw Son-Lee shiver and clutch at the bed. He heard the muffled moans, then when Son-Lee raised his head, the clear voice he was so familiar.
“Fuck me.”
Johan smiled at the willingness as he began to fuck. He fucked slowly, feeling every centimeter slid through the tight opening. He fucked faster, a steady rhythm that made his skin flush hot. He fucked slowly again, pulling out and punching back in. Then he hammered Son-Lee’s insides, fucked as hard as he could, hips smacking ass.
Sweat trickled down his face and body and he was gasping for breath, but he couldn’t stop. He was too close, and he wanted to cum in Son-Lee’s ass. He had to, because he wanted it so badly it hurt. He slammed into Son-Lee’s depths and shuddered as his cock spurt wad after wad.
“Fuck,” said Son-Lee in a gasping breathless utterance.
“Yeah…fuck,” whispered Johan as he lay heavily on Son-Lee.
Johan realized he was still hard, and he wanted to fuck Son-Lee again. He moved slowly inside of him and watched as Son-Lee clutched the bed. He felt him push ass upward, and knew he wanted it too. He lay on him and ground hips against ass, then worked his hips to move his cock inside of him. He felt the slickness of Son-Lee’s ass, his first load lubing his cock. He nipped the right ear, tugged on it, then wrapped an arm around Son-Lee’s neck. Pulling the head up, he fucked harder, faster, pushing his renewed arousal.
“Fuck. Fuck. Fuck,” said Son-Lee.
Johan kissed along the neck then rose to his knees. He guided Son-Lee to get on hands and knees and took the narrow waist and began to fuck. He smacked against the ass and made the bunk squeak and rock beneath them. He saw Son-Lee move the right hand beneath him, and knew Son-Lee had taken his own cock in hand.
“Goddamn, you feel good,” exclaimed Johan.
Son-Lee dropped to his elbow and buried his face into the bed. Johan could hear him moan and grunt as he hammered his insides. He held tight to the waist and just kept fucking.
Son-Lee cried out then shuddered and jerked and Johan knew he was coming. It drove him to his own release, and he fucked harder, slamming cock into Son-Lee’s depths. He fucked until he felt as if he would burn up. Then he felt it, sweet release, and he shoved into Son-Lee’s depths and came again.
Johan crossways on Son-Lee’s bed, head bent against the wall holding his legs up and apart. Son-Lee was fucking him, driving cock into his depths until his own cock rolled over and grew hard again. He watched the smooth muscular body heat up, sweat bead up on the smooth skin. He watched how the muscles became more pronounced, showing the masculine nature, and it aroused him, made his cock flex hard, and he took it in hand stroking as fast as he could while rocking with Son-Lee’s fuck.
“Come on, pump it in me. Fuck me, fuck me harder,” exclaimed Johan, pushing Son-Lee to come.
The hands tightened on his ankles where Son-Lee held his legs, then he felt the loss of rhythm, and knew Son-Lee was close. A shove into his depths, two, three, four times, then Son-Lee buried cock into him and shuddered with release. It pushed him over the edge and cum rained down on his chest and stomach.
“Fuck…” said Son-Lee as he staggered back.
Day 164
Johan and Son-Lee fucked. Fucked to the point of exhaustion and unable to cum again, their cocks just dribbling out a drop or two. Then they lay heavily against each other gasping for breath, luxuriating in their satisfaction.
It was the last day for some time they would have gravity on the ship, and they wanted to enjoy it, for sex in zero-g sucked. The wrong shift or move and they would lose whatever purchase they had and could drift apart frustrated.
Johan couldn’t believe the last eighty days or so. The way Son-Lee had become so willing to suck his cock and take his fuck, and of course, he did the same for him. They still slept separately, but time and time again, it was Son-Lee who came to his bunk ready to fuck. He wondered what it meant to him, a guy who had been dating women until they were isolated together. Was it just a means of getting some pleasure out of their situation. He expected it was the case and knew once they got to the colony base on the moon, Son-Lee would no doubt shift back into who had been before the mission.
Day 654
Jahon braced against the wall in the narrow storage room. It allowed him to press his back to one side and feet to the other, locking him into place. Between his legs, Son-Lee held himself down by a shelf overhead while fucking. They had tried the shower stall, strapped in one chair on the flight deck, and in a bunk, but it was the small storage room that gave them the best place. A place they could fuck easily, each taking the other’s cock until spent and satisfied.
Two hundred thirty-five days and the ship would be flipped and Ion Drive turned on in the long deceleration before arriving on the moon.
Two hundred thirty-five days before they had artificial gravity.
Watching a drop of cum float from Son-Lee’s cock, Johan knew that day couldn’t arrive fast enough. But in the meantime, he would take what he could get, and he shifted around and caught the drop on his tongue.
“Nasty bastard,” Son-Lee joked.
Day 950
Johan looked out the window at the scout running alongside them. It had slipped in next to them the day before and was able to communicate with the small ship’s system usually used for crew communication. The base was expecting them and gave them the pad to land on.
He leaned back and relaxed in a way he had not done in a very long time. The end of their journey was near, and he felt the excitement of stepping foot back into a society of fellow humans. But he also felt a bit of regret. Regret his time with Son-Lee was about to end. He knew Son-Lee would be greeted by his family, even his sister who came in from Ceres. He saw the happiness in Son-Lee and felt it, how it was such a loving and supportive thing.
He knew no one would be waiting for him except the scientist wanting a final report to summarize the reports Son-Lee had been able to transmit.
“Hey, they’re still running alongside of us?” said Son-Lee as he took his seat.
“For now. They are to pull away tomorrow and head on to Mars.”
Johan glanced over at Son-Lee thinking of their sex. Just that morning, he got Son-Lee to fuck him. But over the last few days, Son-Lee was getting hesitant, showing less desire. Was he preparing himself for a return to his normal life, one that involved dating women? Johan assumed that was the case, for what they had had been out of necessity. The two of them were horny and alone and…he had to admit to himself, sought the companionship.
“These next few days will seem longer than any,” said Son-Lee.
“Yep,” Johan replied, knowing his reasoning was different.
Day 953
Their day was over, and it would be the last routine day for the next would be a busy day preparing to for arrival at the moon colony. The biggest thing would be when the ship was finally slowed down to interplanetary speed, preparing to slow to a stop the day after. There would be no time for fooling around. So, they took advantage of their last calm night, Johan laying back taking Son-Lee’s fuck. It was obvious to the two of them that it was different. The knowledge it was the last night they would have to be intimate, to sexually please each other.
Son-Lee fucked slowly, gently, making it last. He fucked until Johan came across his chest and stomach, and kept fucking until Johan was hard again. When he finally came, Johan came again at the same time. Then he went to his bunk as Johan wiped himself down, and with a final goodnight, they shut off the lights and drifted off into a restless sleep.
Day 955
Johan came into the lobby from the landing pad to see Son-Lee embraced by his parents and sister, as the brother stood to one side with tears in his eyes. It was such a dramatic scene of a family being reunited, he turned and rushed out of the room, unable to watch. He told himself Dr. Ahuja was waiting to be debriefed with a summary of the reports sent during their return.
He tapped his comm. “Dr. Ahuja.”
“Yes, Johan.”
“Can I get cleaned up first. I could really use a shower.”
“Of course. I told you we could do this tomorrow, still can if you want to rest up.”
“No, no, I want to get this done. Give me an hour and I’ll come to your office.”
“See you in an hour.”
Johan moved down familiar corridors until he came to his quarters. The captain that came on board after their landing told him they had his place cleaned up and checked out to make sure it was ready for his return. He put his hand on the scanner then punched in the code, causing the door to slide open. He could smell the cleaning products that had been used, and he noticed all the surfaces were clean, no dust anywhere, then he noticed the basket of fruit. It was hard to come by fruit at the colony, although some were grown in the greenhouses. He went to the storage wall, opening the section with his clothes wondering if anything would fit, for he knew he had lost nearly twenty pounds since taking off on the mission. He pulled out a prized pair of jeans, their synthetic fabric as close to the old cotton fabrics of last century as man and machine could make it. he tossed them on the bed, then pulled out a pullover, black with a rolled neck. He opened a drawer for boxers, socks, belt, then stooped down to pull out a pair of shoes. With everything laid out, he began to strip as he walked to the bathroom. By the time he got to the shower stall, he was naked, ready for a long hot shower.
For two weeks Johan roamed the colony visiting a few friends, checking out a band he had seen just before leaving, and hit the little bar in the Village, a hole in the wall place tucked down a side corridor with little or no traffic until late at night. He had three months off, time to recover and rest, before signing up for his next mission. He knew it could still be a year or longer before he launched out into space, for it took months of planning and preparation for most of the missions.
He was strolling down the corridor that had windows looking out toward the landing pads, for he was always curious about what was arriving or taking off. He saw a shuttle lift off, nearly vertical at first, then with a wide sweep, moved forward then up away from the colony. He watched it until it was out of sight wondering if Son-Lee and his family were on board that particular shuttle. He had only heard from Son-Lee once and before they could really talk, the brother interrupted to pull him away. Son-Lee had talked about going down to Earth to maybe teach for a few years before signing up for another mission. It sounded like a good plan. A way to decompress from their long journey back.
He watched a supply shuttle land before moving away, strolling toward the Village, the name given to the area where the laborers socialized after their shifts, in bars, live music venues, or at a restaurant where they gathered in groups around large tables. It was a lively place, and he knew it would take away some of the loneliness he was feeling.
The bar was busy, and Johan nursed his second drink. Glancing around, he looked at the men who might be single and willing. There was a guy in the blue coveralls of someone who worked at the docks unloading supplies. Tall, muscular, and fairly attractive, but Johan couldn’t muster the energy to approach him. It was more about there being possible options rather than being ready to hook up.
He finished his drink, scanned his comm to pay, then strolled through the bar to the exit. The corridor was busy and he glanced at the time on his comm realizing it was the time for a shift change. He moved through the crowd, feeling a part of them, then feeling like a fraud. He turned down a side corridor and made his way to the elevator.
He went down a couple of levels, then made his way to the residential section of the dome he resided, where most residents were like him, researchers and scientists, gone for months or years at a time.
He came to the corridor that led to his quarters and found himself looking at the floor while lost to his thoughts. He couldn’t help but think it would be another night alone.
“Johan.”
A whispered utterance, barely audible, but it brought Johan up short because he knew the voice. It was Son-Lee and he saw him sitting on the floor at the door to his room. As he moved to him, he came to his feet.
“Son-Lee, hey, hey, but…what are you doing here?”
Son-Lee turned to him smiling.
“I thought you would be going down to earth to teach or something,” said Johan coming up close to Son-Lee.
“I considered it. I thought I should move on, see what the next phase of my life would be, but…”
“But?”
“I missed you.”
“Really?”
Son-Lee chuckled. “I know that may seem strange, but yeah…I missed you.”
“I’ve missed you.”
Johan touched the familiar body. Caressed the skin, traced the contours of muscle and bone, circled nipples, and stroked hardening cock. He kissed Son-Lee, passionately, hungrily, tongues dueling leaving the two of them gasping for breath. He entered him, slowly, and once the tightness loosened around his cock and legs wrapped around his waist, he began to fuck. He pushed into Son-Lee, getting deeper and deeper until Son-Lee was taking all of him.
Hands rubbed over his back, then hugged their bodies together, and it urged him to fuck faster.
And Johan fucked faster, harder, thrusting into Son-Lee’s depths over and over. He moved against the body beneath him, felt it solidness and warmth, and how it opened to him, taking his cock.
“Don’t stop; keep going,” uttered Son-Lee.
“Never,” Johan exclaimed.
