Hawthorn Remarkable Pt 01

Author's note: This story is the first thing I've written in a long time due to health issues, and it's by no means my best work but I am really enjoying worldbuilding in a light hearted way. Part one is very light on sexual content, but I promise part two and three more than make up for it, so I hope you will read it in order so that it makes sense. I haven't finished the series, but I have quite a few plans and ideas.

Mission Planet: Hawthorn Remarkable (Chapter One)

Ree tapped their sleek, Interplanetary Scouting Authority-issued shoe on the thrumming spacecraft floor. The last hours of orbit before landings with expected first-contact always brought on a certain protracted air of impatient anxiety, especially for Ree and the other diplomatic and social research personnel who didn't have scans and analyses to run. With nothing left to organise or research until the actual discoveries that touchdown would bring, Ree continued to fidget and focus on repeatedly filling their lungs with the familiar 22% humidity recycled-and-re-conditioned air of the starboard congregation room. Tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap the muffled sound of algenate-printed comfort sole on carbonboard metered out the half seconds as Ree ruffled and fluffed-up their chin-length wavy hair, and neatly folded and unfolded the soft hems of their uniform.

Since graduating from one of Earth's smaller independent Peace and Subjective Morality colleges with a major in Global and Inter-Planetary Decolonial Reparative Studies at age 22, Ree had completed a 3 year voluntary career entry program with the scouting authority and then been placed in a socio-cultural research and psycho-diplomatic role. Basically, tagging along with the science and anthropology teams to visit planetary systems with non-space-faring populations potentially eligible for first contact with members of the Universal Basic Income and Consciousness Rights Union (UBICRU -- pronounced yoobiekrew) to chat to the locals and assess planetary readiness to unionise, and the most culturally appropriate methods of onboarding. For the first two years in the role, Ree had mainly accompanied second and third waves of research deployment to planets with high sociological readiness for UBICRU onboarding, and worked with the economic and emotion-oriented research and diplomacy officers to find common ground on the moral, social, and resource-division systems between mission planets and existing UBICRU-member cultures. However, for the past five years, they have been part of a small starship's close-knit crew specialising in first contact. The best thing about the job in Ree's opinion, is how you absolutely never have any idea what's about to happen.

"9 minutes until doors open on mission planet: Hawthorn Remarkable. Scans are concluded, and debarkment crew with biology common to planetary atmosphere types 7 to 489 will require no filtration or survival gear. Departure crew with biology common to planetary atmosphere types outside of this range should follow protocol for a type 190-207 planet. Greyson, this means you, I repeat, Greyson, you must wear a tank to debark on Hawthorn Remarkable." the loudspeaker brought Ree out of their frustrated waiting, and they felt a flutter of anticipation and curiosity. Earth, the home planet of Ree's species, humanity, was a planetary atmosphere type 112, meaning that they would be debarking in less than ten minutes without protective gear or filters. They would be able to smell the air on a planet that no previous UBICRU-member species had experienced. That never got old.

Ree's agitation levels crept back up as the minutes climbed past 10. They sucked their front teeth impatiently, and rose from the congregation room seating to their full 5 feet and 8 inches, aware of the tension in their facial muscles as they walked toward the closed main debarkment doors, smoothing the lilac folds of the diplomacy uniform.

"Sorry for the delay, debarkment crew, doors should open on mission planet: Hawthorn Remarkable in the next few minutes. Ree, please report to the navigation portal lower desk immediately, you're required for troubleshooting." the loudspeaker hummed after this broadcast as though it had not been properly disconnected, and Ree wondered what 'troubleshooting' a socio-diplomat could possibly offer prior to landing. At least there was something to do, they thought, power walking to the proscribed location. But why didn't internal communications have time to create a personal alert direct to porta-module?

The navigation portal lower desk was a small dark galley with noise- and thermal- dampening that made it feel cozy yet serious. There wasn't much that could be controlled from that desk besides internal communications, scouting authority correspondence, access to 'layman's terms' information about technical aspects of the mission, and the duoport which was a small door to exit the craft that could be opened without the usual protocols and without requiring depressurisation systems as long as two qualified crew members initiated the command simultaneously. Duoports were considered a relic from a time when safety technology and collaborative-morality still had serious lapses, and things like covert missions and secretive emergency responses were required. Ree had never heard of a contemporary use case for a duoport in all their time with the scouting authority. As they approached the desk, they saw their friend Lelefe anxiously moulting feathers from her exposed shoulders. Ree's pace broke from power walk into a fast jog.

"Lelefe, what's going on?" Ree's voice was abrupt but tinted with concern.

"We can't land on them Ree. They're consciousness-carrying lifeforms like us. But wherever we move the ship they are drawn in like they need to touch it!"

"Hawthorn Remarkable's inhabitants? Are they a dense population?" Ree was trying to take this bizarre news in stride and come up with a useful question to ask, but who ever heard of anyone running TOWARD a landing spacecraft?

"No, not dense," Lelefe chirped quickly, "just very... curious?" she sounded as if she didn't believe her own theory, but had to accept what was in front of her eyes. Or more correctly, inside of her eyes, since Lelefe's species used personal comms modules inside of their large three-pupiled eyes in order to take in digital visual information as well as seeing their surroundings, at all times. "Ree, we need you to go down there and explain that a starship has mass and will cause injury."

Ree's hand felt clammy as they gripped the silky down of Lelefe's palm. They could have never imagined that 'troubleshooting' would mean opening a duoport with one of their closest friends in order to discretely make a solo first-contact mission with a mysterious species who chase the shadows of starships. They tentatively touched the duoport authorisation pad and felt its gentle cybernetic probe through their body and out their other hand into Lelefe's, then a moment later they felt the same thing coming from Lelefe's palm as she touched the other authorisation pad.

"We agree that exit via duoport is required for the mission." Ree and Lelefe whispered in unison, though their intent without words would surely have been enough.

Ree crouched in preparation for the giddying leap out of a hovering spacecraft, and looked up at their friend as they let go of each other.

"Lefe, what do they look like?" Ree said softly, the weight and solitude of the mission sinking in as the grate below them folded into a step.

"Smooth like your people, in as many colours as my people, moving together as though they hear the music in all things." Lelefe sounded too close to reverence to be merely trying to comfort Ree, and as Ree stepped down into the hatch, they heard her finish by saying "Good luck, my friend."

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Hawthorn Remarkable, First Contact (Chapter Two)

Free falling out of a spacecraft toward an unknown planet's surface, like most things Ree had experienced in their 32 years of life, wasn't really as bad as it sounded. At least, not when the spacecraft hovers at only 14 feet above ground, the planet's gravity is slightly below that of your homeworld, and you are falling toward the joyous faces and outstretched arms of around thirty of the most incredibly beautiful women you have ever seen in your life. Ree had only moments in the air, and spent them trying to make themselves as light as possible by will alone. The rather mission-appropriate thought 'Will doesnt't tend to affect mass' popped into their head just as their 102kg body came to rest in the arms of around 7 first-contact non-UBICRU individuals.

With far more grace than they would have managed by themselves, Ree came to be standing freely upon the planet surface of Hawthorn Remarkable. The background processes of both their highly trained brain and their highly technologically advanced porta-module were whirring with data about their new companions, and Ree had already determined that Hawthorn Remarkable residents utilised facial expressions for emotional communication in a similar manner to humanity. Ree returned the infectious smiles and curious gazes of Hawthorn Remarkable's unwitting first-contact representatives.

The melodic noises and flush-chested undulating body movements were obviously a language, and the porta-module processor was already formulating a brand new model for the autotranslator to run. Ree looked around trying to get their bearings, and noticed that while the rainbow coloured Hawthorn Remarkable residents varied in height more than humans and most other UBICRU-member species, their median height was around 5 foot 1, and they were seemingly all adult women based on their human-like curvy figures with smooth and supple breasts visible through the sheer knee-length tunics they wore. Well, everyone near Ree was female, looking out toward the more tentative onlookers beyond the shadow of the craft, there appeared to be some shorter, less vividly coloured inhabitants, with flat chests and shorter tunics.

Ree took a moment to inhale the novelty of a new planet's air, and noted a delicious and mind-bendingly complex perfume that could probably cure just about any mood disorder in the universe by pure delight. Then, they noticed how inhaling it made their muscles feel strong and vital and plump, and how they could feel their blood flowing throughout their whole body. But especially in their pelvis and groin. A light throbbing sensation became noticeable at the front of their genitals. Their fleshy pleasure button, that had never been a particular source of dysphoria to the nonbinary human due to the large width of their clitoris giving the effect of a flat penis, was engorging not to the point of rigidity, but elongating into a small dick!

Ree flushed to the face as they became aware of this, feeling grateful to be wearing clothes that weren't sheer, unlike seemingly everybody else on this planet. Looking around at the Hawthornian women, Ree noticed that despite the floral purples, teals, golds, magentas, and blues of their skin, a mirrored flush could be seen on the faces of those who had caught them in their fall. Ree tried to take a step but some of the shorter ladies curiously grasped their leg as they moved it, which they felt their body respond with slight elongations of their pants' new member. The ladies who grasped Ree swooned and sighed in obvious enjoyment, and others stepped forward to sample the novelty. Despite this bizarre biological response to the planet's air, or possibly its residents, Ree needed to get out from the shadow of the spacecraft, and hopefully get the locals to follow.

By the time Ree cleared the edge of the craft's shadow, it was clear that this biological interaction was touch activated, as each touch from the locals affected their organ a small but noticeable amount. It was also clear that the girls felt at least as much on their side of the equation, as they kept on touching Ree and clutching their small stomachs and even rubbing them and sometimes rubbing themselves lower down, though Ree couldn't really see in the crush of bodies. Thankfully, their titillation meant a willingness to follow Ree away from the spacecraft landing area. The area was not yet clear, but there was no longer a tendency among the population to chase the ship, so Ree thought that soon it would be able to land safely. They tapped the porta-module interface button on their collar in the hopes of speeding up the translator model, and as it started to kick in they made out words in the humming and dancing around them.

"Stranger //// rectangular cloud /// sentient rain /??/ Return //// seed sensation //// hot //// within" Ree couldn't yet tell if it was one speaker or snippets of conversation "Yearning awakens //// traveller /// promised ////// first see//"

"Come away from the shadow, everyone, my people do not want to harm yours. We want to share knowledge, friendship, learning." Ree spoke in a sing-song voice and swayed as the porta-module made them feel they should, but had no real idea if they would be understood. Around them, perfectly formed mouths opened and dark round eyes glittered in wonder, while the mob of alien women formed a tighter cluster around Ree at the edge of the shadow.

"//// people? ///// all harden, //// warmth // learn //// young?? Bring us //////// harmony ///. // alone, we will ////" this time one of the ladies was clearly speaking as a representative, a light icy blue skinned woman, slim and just under Ree's height, with tight pear shaped breasts and long hair as sheer as her dress, dancing in front of them in a mesmerising but melancholy way.

"Yes, bring harmony. We would like to learn from you and share our knowledge with you, in harmony. Allow us to land the spacecraft in empty land."

Some of the group broke away and began to fill the shadow of the craft again, looking back at the speaker as though for instruction.

"Empty? Give us ///// we are // need /// full // give emptiness. // Scent of ////// YOUNG! Essential //// your scent //// give us // Fill us, we will empty this space." There was some kind of desperation in her dancing and Ree silently cursed that the landing area was once again filled with locals. The tantalising fragrance that had been present their whole time on Hawthorn Remarkable became noticeably stronger, and Ree felt sure that some sort of primitive bargaining or trade deal was becoming necessary. That kind of thing is common for species who have not had enough resources or conditions to satisfy the basic needs of their people and society.

"Okay, show me what I can do so that my people can land here. I want to be friendly."

The speaker smiled an eager and hopeful smile, and danced some information toward the other aliens that Ree and their porta-module didn't catch. Then, three of the women nearest them gently grasped their shoulders and guided them away from the group, followed by the speaker.

Ree did not resist, and allowed themself to be guided along a bumpy orange-creamsicle coloured path by the tiny plump fuchsia woman to their left, the 6 foot indigo blue athletic woman to their right, and the lavender lady with a dainty hand pressed sharply into their lower back. The path itself was beset in a field of what appeared to be a type of golden willowgrass, fluffy and according to Ree's survival training, possibly edible or at least useful for bedding. As though testing their shared experience, the lavender-coloured woman behind Ree shivered and withdrew her hand, then replaced her grip but this time tucking her pointer finger under the waistband of Ree's uniform.

Ree's heart leapt into their throat, their head spun, and a warm wave of erotic longing flared out from the point of contact. Simultaneously they felt the pleasure rising up through their chest and sinking heavily down into their newly growing dick, falling to rest in their plump labia. Where the sensation landed, Ree's labia felt tight and heavy and somehow full, as though connected to their tingling erection as a counterweight. Behind them, Ree heard the woman moan a small sound quite unmistakably different from the humming language of the Hawthornians. Ree did not need the autotranslator for that.