Author's Note:
this is a Dark Erotic Science Fiction series. It contains mature themes, scenes of violence, BDSM, nonhuman, and sexual encounters that are borderline nonconsensual, and is intended for adult readers only. All characters portrayed in this story are eighteen years of age or older. Reader discretion advised.
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Chapter 4
Ophelia raised her hand to knock and paused.
She would dive headfirst into a firefight but for some reason something about
this
unsettled her. Lilian had mentioned a practice of sometimes taking a break from controlplay to debrief and unpack things that happened during their sessions. In truth, Ophelia dreaded a pure talk session. The sex was both a release and an escape for her. It
worked
for her.
But she never backed down from a fight. And that was the reason that she had to continue with this. She had to push through these feelings.
So she knocked. Her knuckles rapped against the varinium.
The door slid open without a sound.
"Captain! You're just in time. Come in."
Pal, switch on Privacy Mode.
Of course, Captain. I hope you enjoy your time with Dr. Kruse.
After stepping inside, the door closed and Ophelia planted herself onto one of the lounge chairs in the sitting area.
Lilian stepped out from behind her desk, taking a moment to smooth her skirt before prowling over like a model on a catwalk. Out of all the women on the ship, she was the only one who wore heels. And she was a
master
at moving in them. Watching her move was like watching an artist at work. The gentle sway and tilt of her hips hypnotized Ophelia each and every time.
As always, Lilian's outfit toed the line between clean cut professionalism and provocatrisse. She wore a similar outfit as last time but in shades of pastel pink. Her blouse was unbuttoned low enough that slivers of her bra peeked over the edge. Her skirt hugged the dip of her hips and stopped mid-thigh. Over her legs she wore dark stockings that seemed to shimmer in the light.
Lilian eased into the armchair that opposed the lounger. She crossed her legs and clasped her hands atop her lap in one fluid motion.
"You can call me Ophelia or even Lia, Doctor."
"Well, if we are dispensing with formalities then I must insist on Lilian or Lili."
"Deal," Ophelia agreed, smiling.
"A lot has happened since we last spoke," Lilian said, immediately addressing the elephant in the room, "do you feel the mission went as well as it could have or are there aspects of it that you replay, wishing you could have done things better?"
Right to down to business. Ophelia both liked and was put off by Lilian's no-nonsense approach. Having to deal with all sorts of personality types had been part of her job in the Corps and she always preferred straight shooters but in a therapist it usually came off cold and aloof. Lilian managed to pull it off with an almost motherly warmth.
"There were certain aspects that I wish had been different but all things considered, we did well."
"What do you wish had been different?"
Ophelia sighed and she brought her hands together, wringing her fingers. "I just wish we had more personnel. I raised this concern when I was first recruited for the mission but a skeleton crew of five... it's not enough hands in a real emergency."
Lilian nodded. "I can understand that reservation. Rest assured, Ophelia, the every member of the crew is highly skilled and our routes are extremely low risk."
"That's what everyone tells me. Maybe it's my training. And maybe I was overreacting. But when we were on the Adventum, I kept having these thoughts. What if it had been a setup? What if mission files from the Institute were leaked and some scummers pulled some derelict ship out into dark space to set an ambush?"
Lilian frowned. "I can understand that as a corpswoman it was your job to exercise a high level of vigilance. It sounds like you were more agitated than you let on. Did being on that ship trigger certain feelings or memories? Where did these thoughts came from?"
"I guess, I just kept thinking back to the ambush from my last mission. I know it sounds... ridiculous but I keep wondering... maybe those pirates tracked me down." Ophelia's voice dropped in volume, becoming softer. "Maybe they've come back to finish what they started."
"Ophelia, the Institute does
not
have information leaks. We have some of the best security in the galaxy. Your personnel files alone require Level 7 clearance. As medstaff, even
I
don't have access to the full, unredacted versions."
Ophelia tightened. She felt her insides twist as the memories pushed at the edge of her mind. She struggled to shove them back. For once, she wanted to stay composed. She wanted to be in control for now.
Lilian took her glasses off and folded them before tucking them away in a pocket. "Can you tell me what happened with the pirates? After you both took the escape pod?"
Ophelia didn't want to. The memories screamed at her. It was as if they had a life of their own and raged at her to let them out. She felt her fingers curl into fists. The silence stretched on between them but Lilian waited.
Ophelia twisted between fight and flight inside. Part of her wanted to stand and walk out of Lilian's office. The other part, wanted to spill her guts out. When it seemed as if she would sit there forever, she made a sound in the back of her throat and as if a dam had broken, the words came spilling out.
"...the planet we orbited was a gas giant. Nothing survives on its surface. Our escape pod shot out of the sinking ship. We thought we were in the clear..."
The memories came.
The inside of the escape pod was cramped. There was technically room for five but the space was so tight it felt like the walls were closing in on them. Warning lights flashed overhead and one of the indicators in front of them blinked red.
The entire pod shuddered and they lurched to one side and Ophelia felt the g force shove against her head as they spun in space.
Warning! Hull damage detected!
Warning! Damage to ablative heatshield!
Warning! Planetary body detected! Initiating atmospheric reentry sequence.