Date: Tue, 25 Apr 2006 16:48:33 +0200
From: A.K. <andrej@andrejkoymasky.com>
Subject: Cosmolab 3/7 (sf-fantasy)

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COSMOLAB
by Andrej Koymasky (C) 2005
written on July 1st, 1994
translated by the author
English text kindly revised
by

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USUAL DISCLAIMER

"COSMOLAB" is a gay story, with some parts containing graphic
scenes of sex between males. So, if in your land, religion, family,
opinion and so on this is not good for you, it will be better not to
read this story. But if you really want, or because YOU don't care, or
because you think you really want to read it, please be my welcomed
guest.

-----------------------------

CHAPRTE 3 - ADRIFT

Ulrich was talking in an office of the civil section with one of the
scientists in charge of the cloning, Rene Gualdy. The man was saying,
with evident enthusiasm, "We are about to take First out of the
incubator, and Second is growing well. Third is just differentiating and
Fourth is starting to divide. We really are in the midst of our job, but
we are really satisfied, as everything is proceeding exactly as
foreseen. Now the pedagogic section will have to start their work.
Anyway, your program for our workstation made our job much easier. Thank
you. I think that soon Doctor Elvis will summon you and officially
congratulate you in person."

"It's just my job, Rene. But, rather, tell me... there is something I
have been meaning to ask you. What do you feel towards these clones?"

"We prefer calling them children. We don't like calling them clones.
What do I feel? Well, a mix of sentiments - the satisfaction of the
scientist to be using a procedure that up to yesterday was just tried on
animals and now, for the first time it has been possible to do it also
on humans, - and that it is giving the hoped-for results. The
trepidation of seeing a new life, or rather, several new lives that are
about to start, without the involvement of a woman - I feel somewhat
like... I wouldn't say a mother, but almost. The curiosity of seeing in
what way they will be the same as the original, or perhaps instead how
they will be different. This, mainly on the level of their character.
Theories are discordant, but personally, thinking about the difference
that normally exists between two homogeneous twins, I bet that it will
be even greater between First and Second... and with the others. Well,
you see, a little of this, and maybe, I think, something more."

"But will they be real persons? I mean, it seems to me all so...
artificial. Will they be people like the others?"

"Certainly, yes. The same as two identical twins are people, like all
the others, of course. The difference is that they will be more than
just two and then, even if they are biologically homogeneous twins, they
will not be born all together but three months apart, one from the
other. We will then have more of them in four years and so forth, every
four years."

"But what feeling do you have making so many Sullivan Grosvenor Narita
IIIs in a set? Don't you feel that's odd?"

"I don't know - and I don't care. This would eventually be a problem for
our President. I am just a scientist like you, and I only trying, like
you, to carry out my task to the best of my ability."

"You were married, weren't you? Don't you have your own children?"
Ulrich asked, suddenly changing of subject.

Rene looked at him somewhat taken aback, and answered, "No, I was never
married. And nothing has resulted in me having children. But I cannot
swear to that. I had several girls in the thirty-four years of my life.
I used precaution, of course, but if some of them told me she took
contraceptive pills but she didn't... well, I don't know."

"I had a wife, and a son. My son was born autistic. My wife went crazy
because of it. She killed him when he was five years old, and then she
killed herself." "I am sorry..."

"After that, I... I never again had a woman. Before my wife, I had some,
of course. But after I met her, I stopped going with other girls. I
loved her so much... It did not have to end that way."

"I'm really sorry..."

"I never talked about this with anybody. You are the first. I don't know
why, but suddenly I felt the need to tell you. I am the one who should
be sorry, Rene. I should not have said it, and now I have made you
upset."

"No, you do not have to apologize."

"You... don't you miss having no women on board?"

"What? Well, no. I knew we would be only men when I enrolled. When I had
the chance, I never held back with a girl, but I neither felt... I never
felt a strong sense of desire. I mean, I think I always had a... quiet
sexuality, and I can avoid sex."

"I could as long as I had my wife. And after, the shock... But it is now
a few weeks since..."

"Physical desire woke up, you mean?"

"Yes and no. It is more than simple physical desire. It is a deep
feeling of loneliness, the desire to be able to give and receive love
once more, do you see? And it seems to be growing stronger.  This
troubles me."

"Yes, I think I can understand what you mean."

I'm sorry, but we are here to work... It will be better if we resume
checking what it is possible to do for that self-controlled program you
asked me about."

"Yes. But if you want to talk again with me... we are friends, you can
do it without any worry."

"Well, possibly in our free time. Thank you," Ulrich answered with a
smile, and took the flow-chart in his hands.

For several days Ulrich didn't resume their discussion, and Rene, out of
respect, never referred to it.

But one day during their free shift, while they were strolling in the
garden chatting about their university days, and about their respective
professors, Ulrich said, "Rene, may I ask you a very intimate question?"

"Certainly you can. We are friends, aren't we?"

"Why were you never married? If you had many girls, there would have
been at least one you must have liked more than the others."

"I don't know. Seriously, I don't know. But when one of the girls tried
to ensnare me, I ran away. I think I was scared of assuming the
responsibility of a family. I don't know. I have asked myself this
question several times. It may be because, when I was a child, I saw my
parents always quarreling. I don't have a good image of a family. Or
maybe it was because I always valued my freedom too much. Or even a
little of both."

"Don't you feel the need to be loved, and to love?"

"At times. We are all, in a way, beggars for love, don't you think?"

"I think so. But sex is not all, in life."

"No, certainly not. Anyway, even if it is, it is a rather agreeable
thing." Rene said with a smile.

"Friendship... is a way of giving each other love, I think. Don't you?"

"Certainly. If there was not at least friendship..."

"Who knows why, but friends are not able to tell each other 'I love
you'. Isn't that a shame?" Ulrich said sadly.

Rene smiled and said, "But I love you. With you I can talk about
anything without fear of being judged. I know that you try to understand
me, as I too, try to understand you."

"Thank you. I too love you and it is good being able to tell you that,
to hear it."

"It means that we will tell it to each other again, from time to time."
Rene answered, smiling at him quietly.

At times, in their free shift, Rene went to Ulrich's apartment to play
cards. Ulrich taught him, and he  learned quickly.

Once, while playing cards, Rene said to his friend, "First is three
months old today. He is so nice. Would you like to come and see him? If
you come with me to the pedagogic section this time, next time, if you
come alone, they will let you in."

"No!" his friend answered, with unexpected hardness, and threw his cards
on the table.

Rene looked at him, astounded and said, "Forgive me, I didn't think it
would upset you so much. It would remind you too much of your son,
wouldn't it?"

"No..." Ulrich said, and burst in tears, a sorrowful crying, shaken by
sobs, full of dejection. Rene felt deeply moved. Instinctively he got up
from his chair, made his friend stand, put his arms around his shoulders
and pulled him tightly against himself, trying to comfort him. Ulrich
clung to him, in a kind of convulse embrace.

Rene, trying to calm him down, consoled him, caressed his back, then the
nape of his neck, all the while keeping him in his embrace, "Hey, hey,
my friend! My poor friend. I'm sorry, I should not... Oh, Ulrich,
forgive me. I didn't want to hurt you."

"No, you didn't hurt me. Life hurt me. I am so desperate, so lonely!"

"You are not alone. I'm here. I love you, you know that."

"Yes..." Ulrich whined.

But the true reason he was crying, and something that he could not
reveal to Rene, was that just a short time before he had started the
program of his sabotage. And soon, on board, they would become aware of
that. And now he couldn't go back. He was feeling desperate. He was
starting again to love life, but it was too late.

"I don't deserve it," he said, with a sob.

"Don't talk nonsense! If I love you, it is not because you deserve it or
not. It is because I am your friend. You know that," said Rene, taking
his chin in his hands and turning his face up to look him in the eyes,
giving extra meaning to his words.

Ulrich looked at him through his tears, and suddenly he felt that Rene
was beautiful, way too beautiful. So, without reflecting, on instinct,
he took Rene's face in his hands and kissed him straight on his mouth.
Rene, moved by his despair, didn't refuse his kiss. And their bodies
gradually intertwined without either of them having anything particular
in mind, besides Ulrich needing to feel the warmth of his mate's
friendship and Rene wanting to give him that warmth. And before they
were aware of it, they both started to harden, pushing one against the
other. As soon as Ulrich realized what was happening, he pulled away
from his friend, feeling deeply confused.

He was trying to find words to apologize, when a general red alarm rang
out - his sabotage had been discovered.

Rene had just the time to utter, "What the hell..." when, from the
loudspeaker,  the voice of Commander Alan was heard:

"To all civil and military personnel: A serious act of sabotage has just
been discovered. All personnel, whether on working shift or not, report
immediately to their workstations and do not leave until new orders are
announced. You have twelve minutes to reach your workstations. We are
not in any immediate danger, therefore there is no reason for alarm. Any
kind of unauthorized communication is strictly prohibited. More news
will follow as soon as possible."

"Oh, fucking shit! Let's hope that nothing has happened to the
children!" exclaimed Rene, then he added, "Let's go, there is not much
time. See you later, Ulrich. Try to pull yourself together!" and he ran
off.

Ulrich, dazed, tidied up his uniform, then took the elevator to the
seventh floor and ran to the computer room in section H. All along the
corridors, he passed groups of soldiers and colleagues running like him,
each to his own station.

He was not scared; he knew they could never get to him. In the computer,
they would find no trace of his intervention and they had no way of
understanding how and who could have carried out the sabotage. As they
were no longer able to communicate with Earth, they might even think
that it was ordered by the twin computer on Earth, for all they knew.

Then it dawned on him that they were going to be adrift and he suddenly
felt strangely clammy and cold. And then he recalled what happened a few
minutes before in his apartment, between him and Rene.

While embracing a man, he had got aroused. Or rather, they had both
became aroused, and now he was clearly aware of that. This had never
happened to him before, and he never dreamt that such a thing would
happen to him one day. But then he thought, neither did Rene, and Rene
was surely as straight a man as he was. But then, how could it happen?
The feeling of solitude, and the desire so-long repressed? Maybe this
could be right for him, but certainly not for his friend. So, what about
Rene? What was he thinking, now? How would he be reacting to that weird,
unforeseeable situation? As far as he knew, neither of them had ever
felt any sexual attraction towards another male, and they had never been
aroused by that kind of physical contact which, anyway, didn't have and
wasn't supposed to have, any erotic meaning?

Ulrich was interrupted in these thoughts by the arrival of the
inspecting commission put to work by Commander Allan and by Doctor
Elvis.  He and his colleagues were all subjected to long, meticulous,
enquiries. Ulrich answered the questions put to him with new-found calm
and, like the others, responded that he was "trying to understand" what
had happened, and what kind of sabotage had been carried out.

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

Allan and Elvis reacted quite differently, when, after the program
inserted by Ulrich had erased itself, the computer at last started again
to work in a normal fashion and threw the three red alarms. Almost at
once, the space radio was completely destroyed, the loading portholes of
the four tanks of propellant were opened and all the fuel on board was
dispersed into space. The violent exit of the fuel diverted the Cosmolab
off-route by 0.024 degrees, which would slowly, but inexorably, take it
to millions of kilometers from where it had to be, thereby making it
highly unlikely that they would ever be found.

The two men had each reacted in different ways. Allan was concerned,
above all, with the search for the saboteur, while Elvis, on the
contrary, was anxious about their future. Thus, they decided that each
of them would start his own inquiry. At once, they summoned their three
immediate subordinates to discuss the problem and to plan. Two parties
took shape - some said that all was over, and that they could only order
the central computer to initiate a complete destruction of the Cosmolab
rather than leaving them to die, one after another in space. Others, and
they were in the majority, believed that they had to try to survive for
the longest possible time in the hope of finding a solution, or of being
found by the Earth forces and rescued. The second group won, so a
committee for the "new planning of life on board" was formed.

Those of the minority, without hope, objected, "Good, we will resist.
Maybe we could resist a few years more, let say fifty? Sixty? The ship's
structures will certainly allow us to do so. But then what? We will all
start to die of old age, one after the other... and the last of us? What
will they do? What meaning could we have, living for death to overtake
us? What kind of life would that be?"

This objection led the commission to decide the first, and most
important, basic change on their programs - the cloning, one by one, of
all the crew members. This would give everyone, in a way, a chance for
own their survival, give a new meaning to their lives and extend the
period of waiting and hope for a possible return to Earth. Using the
cloning structure of the ship, they all could be duplicated in the span
of about thirty years, So at the time of the first deaths, there would
be a clone, already adult, technically prepared and ready to take the
place of the deceased original. This decision brought them to consider
the capacity of a complete recycling of everything inside the Cosmolab.
If before, they had to be careful that nothing was wasted, now this
became an absolute priority. They had to reduce to a minimum the
consumption of goods and of energy, and of the wear and tear on the
structure. Everything inside had, of course, been made with a redundancy
of about five times the current need, therefore at the present rate,
they could go on for about a hundred years without any problem. They
would carefully study their resources and the best way to use them, so
as to multiply that period by the highest possible factor.

Moreover the pedagogic section had to get ready to care for the growth
and the education of all the new children. The cloning turns had to be
studied.  Who would take care of the new children and how would this be
done? Some thought that each man should take care for the rearing of his
own clone. Others, on the contrary, thought it was more healthy if each
man assumed the care of rearing the clone of someone else.

Psychologists leaned toward this second solution, The children would
live with their "curator" since each apartment was wide enough to
accommodate an adult and a child without any problem. Using the terminal
in each apartment and the computerized library, regular schools and
courses had to be prepared so that each child, while growing up, could
be prepared to replace his "original". The shortened terms: "cura" and
"ori", entered into Cosmolab's vocabulary, since almost nobody wanted to
use the term "father".

After many heated arguments, it was decided also not to clone any more
Sullivans after Fourth, who was already forming in the incubator.

When these, and other basic decision were agreed upon, a general meeting
of all the crew was convened and a final report was communicated to them
regarding their situation and the initial decisions that had been taken.
As expected, the reaction of the personnel was varied, and within the
time of the first month after the meeting, three suicides occurred.

This gave rise to a new disagreement between Allan and Elvis. The former
wanted to send the corpses into space after a solemn funeral, according
to ancient conventions of navigation. The latter, instead, wanted the
corpses to be recycled.

"For the survival of all the others, we cannot dispense with even a
milligram of our patrimony. They will be cremated, recuperating the
water and their ashes, and these will be put back into the cycle. This
is essential."

The two men discussed it with each other, and then decided to ask the
Commission, still at work, to vote. Again, Elvis's opinion won. Allan
then decided to make in the garden a "memorial" for the late members of
the crew. Three funerals were held for those who had died, the three
corpses were recycled and the memorial was opened - three metallic
steles were put in it, each carved with the name, rank and the birth and
death dates of the three dead men. Each stele was placed in a different
part of the garden, surrounded by a flower ring of a different color.

One of the decisions they took to save energy was to raise the
temperature inside the Cosmolab by 4 degrees Centigrade, from 24 to 28,
in order to reduce the load on the conditioning system. The consequence
of this was that everybody started to wear only the jacket and pants of
their uniform, without anything underneath. And during their free shift,
many started to go around bare-chested.

The elevators connecting the eight floors of the structure were reduced
from sixteen to four, the ones in sectors A, C, E and G; and the moving
corridors from eight to two, those on the second and on the fifth floor.
More changes were gradually introduced in the life on board and between
these, a minor one, but one favored by the psychological section, was
the institution of programs of free manual and artistic activity for the
free shifts, and programs with small shows and games, created by the TV
animation group, on the internal TV circuit.

But the biggest change, brought about by the tensions and by the changed
atmosphere on board, was the announcement that Allan made to all staff
on the third month after the sabotage.

"I am fully aware, that in our new condition, I no longer represent the
authority that appointed me in charge for our old mission. In fact,
there is no more mission, nor any possible contact with Earth and its
authorities. Therefore, I have decided that we will hold an election in
which you will chose your new leader.  This person will be our President
and everyone will swear respect and obedience to him. This election will
be carried out in two stages, the first will be open to all, and the
second ballot will be between the two names that receive the highest
score in the first vote. Anyway, the winner must receive not less than
78 votes. Every five years a new President will be elected. But first,
starting with myself, we will all have to swear an oath of obedience to
our new President, whoever he will be. I therefore ask you all to vote
for my proposal in its three constitutive points - One, the election of
our President. Two, the length of time he will be in charge. Three, the
voting system. It is evident that the fourth point, the fidelity oath,
will automatically be approved if the three initial points pass. Is
there any discussion before the voting takes place?"

The discussion was short. The three points were accepted with a large
majority, So elections were held. Both Allan and Elvis were excluded
from the ballot, and the person elected president was Pedro Macias, a
thirty-nine-year-old medical doctor. He first swore fidelity to the
rules that had been agreed upon, and then he received the fidelity oath
of all the men, one at a time. Last, he named as his vice-presidents,
Allan for the military sector and Elvis, for the scientific one.

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

Meanwhile Ulrich met with Rene in private and at once confronted him
with what happened between them, which had been interrupted by the
general alarm and which had been gnawing at him. They talked about it
quite quietly. They both admitted that something had changed in their
relationship. They honestly admitted that they both had been aroused,
one for the other. And after a few days of discussion and reflection,
they decided that they could try to become lovers.

When they lay on Ulrich's bed, both were rather embarrassed, but they
were determined to give substance to the mutual desire that they
understood they each felt for the other. In the dark, still feeling
somewhat ashamed and shy, they undressed. Then they started to touch
each other, until Rene was the first to lower his hand to caress the
beautifully erect and quivering member of his friend. He felt it
palpitate intensely in his hand, so he lowered himself to search for it
with his lips, and sucked it. Ulrich emitted a faint moan of surprise,
but also of pleasure, of surrender, and with his hands he guided his
friend's head to move up and down on his lap.

Rene sucked with stupefied pleasure - it was the first time in his life
he had done such a thing to a man, and he was amazed to realize how much
he enjoyed doing it.

He then had a desire he would never have believed he could feel and,
parting from his friend, in a low voice and with a somewhat hesitant
tone, said, "I like it... if you would also... take me, please?" "You
want me to do that? You really want it?" Ulrich asked, taken aback.

"If we... if we are going to be lovers, you and I... I think so, " said
Rene, changing his position and offering himself to his friend.

"You... it's your first time, isn't it?"

"Yes, Ulrich..."

"Wouldn't it be better... to lube it carefully, before...? But I have
nothing suitable..."

"Use your spit, it should be sufficient..."

Ulrich prepared him carefully, wetting his hole and his own rod, now
hard as steel, then made it slip between his buttocks and started to
push, to enter him.

"Ooooh, here! Oooh, what a sensation... Go on, now, Ulrich, go on..."

The man pressed his pelvis against his friend in a combined movement, a
going and coming, from down upward, and with a rotating movement, all at
once, "Do you like it, Rene?" he asked, almost amazed.

"Yes. It is weird, but also... pleasurable. And I'll get used to it. But
do you like it too?"

"Yes... you are hot and strong. Later you too will take me, won't you?"
Ulrich asked, caressing the turgid and shivering member of his friend
while, with increasing pleasure, continued to push his incredibly hard
rod inside him.

"Yes, sure... but now fuck me, go on. You like it, don't you?"

"Yes. I like you, Rene, " the man said, still somewhat shy, but now
fully embedded inside his friend. He hurled himself in a long, strong
ride.

They continued until Ulrich, with a long groan of pleasure, unloaded
inside him in a frenzy of strong pushes. Then they loosened their
embrace for a moment, until it was time to swap positions and for Rene
to penetrate his friend.

He took him from down up, with sweet vigor, holding him tight, caressing
and kissing him, "I like it... I like being inside you so very much,
Ulrich. You are so tight, and so hot! It is great, really great making
love... even between two men."

"I like the way you are taking me, Rene."

"Really? Are you not saying this just to please me?"

"No, just feel how hard I am again, without even touching it. It can't
lie. I like you because you are a strong male, because I can feel your
energy, your vigor, your desire. And also because you are a gentle man,
able to be warm and tender. And I like also the way you are taking me,
the way you are enjoying me."

"Yes, that's so good. I'm enjoying you. And I don't want this to end too
fast, I want to enjoy you for a long while."

"As long as you want - I told you I like it. And you also know how to
kiss. Kiss me more..."

They continued making love, until Rene felt his orgasm approaching. He
didn't restrain himself any longer. Afterwards he relaxed, panting, an
expression of pure bliss on his face.

"That was sooo... good. How very good it was! I'd never thought that..."

"The same here."

"I'm happy we decided to... love each other."

"I needed it."

"Same here, I did too... and I like you very much. Listen, now we can
have a quick shower, then we can sleep for a while. We have our work
shift, soon."

"What time is it?"

They switched on the light and for the first time they looked at each
other's nudity.

"Six thirty."

They let their hand roam over each other's bodies and they kissed again,
with the light on, almost to tell each other they were fully accepting
of what they had just done.

They washed each other and they were almost staring to make love again,
they were both so strongly aroused, but they restrained themselves and
went to sleep. Rene embraced Ulrich who curled up against him, feeling
well, relaxed and seRene - could he really have found his 'mister
right'? Rene also had similar thoughts - he liked Ulrich very much.
Their friendship was now really complete, since they had now also shared
their bodies.

Around eight 'o clock, Ulrich woke up. He felt really well. He noticed
that Rene, who was still asleep, had an erection and at once he became
excited. Slowly slipping down, he lowered himself to give his lover
pleasure with his mouth. He made it all slip between his lips, and
meanwhile he moved his tongue all along the palpitating rod.

He felt his friend shivering, then Rene, lowered his hands to caress
him, "Oh, my friend, what a good awakening."

"I like you."

"Oh, that's good..."

"I think I must have been gay for ever, who knows..."

"Do you like me?"

"Don't you think I do?" answered Ulrich, with a light sly smile.

With real passion, the man busied himself in giving Rene stronger and
stronger pleasure, gradually taking him to orgasm - when it came it
happened almost suddenly and with a sweet intensity that filled him with
astonishment.

"And now, take me again..." Ulrich whispered, offering himself to his
friend with a sensual gesture.

Rene was amazed to feel how much he wanted to do so, notwithstanding the
fact that  he had just had an orgasm himself. So he satisfied his friend
with passion and energy. He sank inside him taking him from his front,
while his friend scissored his legs tightly around his waist, smiling
happily at him. This time, neither of them asked the other to turn off
the light, to do it in the dark.

"Oooh, in this way, Rene... oh yes, so..."

"You like it?"

"So very much! Go on, harder please, harder..." the man begged, shaking
his head, overwhelmed with pleasure.

"This way?" his friend asked, starting to hammer into him with vigor.

"Yeeeeah..." Ulrich panted rotating his pelvis and making his hole
palpitate while his friend was pumping in him, happy to feel so much
desired by the man he adored.

Ulrich raised his head until he could reach one of his friend's a
nipples with his lips, and started gently to bite it.

Rene trembled. "Oh, Ulrich, that's too good, " he murmured with emotion.

The man slipped his hand between their bellies and started to mastubate
himself.

"No, please. I want to make you cum afterwards. Wait..." his friend
said, stopping his hand.

"As you want..."

"How do you want me to make you cum, Ulrich? In my mouth or in my ass?"

"As you want."

"No, I want you to tell me what you like best."

"Taking you. Pushing it inside your love channel."

"Very good... but now..."

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CONTINUES IN CHAPTER 4

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In my home page I've put some more of my stories. If someone wants to
read them, the URL is
http://andrejkoymasky.com
If you want to send me feed-back, or desire to help revising my English
translations, so that I can put on-line more of my  stories in English
please e-mail at
andrej@andrejkoymasky.com

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