Date: Wed, 20 May 2020 13:29:07 -0400
From: Purple Jubliee <purplejubilee17@gmail.com>
Subject: Mapping The Stars- Part 1

This story involves explicit sexual contact between males of varying
ages. The usual disclaimers and warnings apply.

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Thank you!
<3 PurpleJubilee

Mapping the Stars
Chapter 1

       "T-minus fifteen minutes until docking with Hive 704." The digital
voice spoke through the terminals.
	Leo was practically jumping up and down with excitement as he
watched the monitor bring up an image of the Hive they were fast
approaching.
	"Go make sure the reports are ready." Chase ordered from behind the
controls of the ship.
	"Whyy?" Leo whined in a baby-voice. "I wanna watch." He had always
enjoyed seeing their ship link up with the Hives that orbited around
friendly planets.
	Chase reached over and gave Leo a swat on his bare backside. Not
hard enough to hurt the small boy, but enough to make him squeak and give
the big man a glare. "Because I said so." Chase commanded.
	Leo's glare quickly melted away to a sultry smile. Nudism was
common practice in space for most scouting crews unless specific protective
equipment was necessary. Leo particularly enjoyed being naked because of
the freedom of motion it allowed, and because of the way the cool air
seemed to caress his skin. But he liked it even more for moments like this,
when he felt Chase's hand on him and heard his `take-charge'
voice. Something about the confidence and authority of it made Leo's boy
bits twitch.
	He left the cockpit to do as he was told but made sure put a subtle
swing in his hips as he walked so Chase could enjoy watching him go. As he
entered the main common-room of the ship, he found Blake tinkering with
their VR gear.
	"What are you doing?" Leo asked curiously.
	Blake barely looked up from his work as he responded. "Improving
the neural sensory connection. It's been a bit spotty."
	Like Chase, Blake looked almost exactly like an older version of
Leo, although not as much older. Being grown from the same DNA would do
that of course.
	"We're docking in 15." Leo informed his `brother'.
	Setting down the equipment he was working on, Blake looked up,
taking in Leo's nakedness. "So, Chase probably told you to get ready." The
older boy worked out.
	Leo nodded. The other reason he liked being naked was the way both
Chase and Blake's heads turned when he entered the room. He enjoyed teasing
them. But he also enjoyed when they decided to give him what a tease
deserved.
	"15 minutes huh?" Blake thought out loud. "Probably enough
time. Get over here."
	Leo's sultry smile returned, and he bit his lip innocently. Being
the youngest, he was constantly being ordered around by the other two. But
Leo preferred it that way. Chase and Blake were in charge. All he had to do
was everything they said. His bare feet padded across the soft carpeting to
where Blake sat.
	The older boy put his hands around Leo's slender waist and pulled
him in close to sit on his lap. Blake was almost a foot taller than Leo,
with Chase almost another foot taller than him. It made Leo feel very tiny
indeed. Especially when one of them felt like getting rough.
	He settled into the other boy's lap and looked up into Blake's big
green eyes, almost like mirrors of his own. Leo stretched his neck out as
much as he could, indicating that he wanted a kiss.
	Blake gave a soft chuckle before bending slightly to put his lips
to Leo's tenderly. Leo whined happily, practically melting against Blake's
body and feeling his well-toned abs. The skin-to-skin contact felt so good.
	Blake slipped his tongue into the little boy's mouth as his hands
caressed the smooth body in his lap. Leo moaned louder as he surrendered
himself completely. The make-out session couldn't last however. They were
on the clock.
	Slowly, Blake pushed Leo off his lap and down to his knees on the
floor in front of him. Leo quickly found the object of his desire between
Blake's legs. In the time they had spent together aboard the ship, Leo had
become very familiar with the cocks of his two older counterparts. So much
so that he considered pleasuring them to be at least as important a part of
his duties as his stated mission. They used him, sometimes from both ends
at once, and Leo delighted in being used.
	The small boy wasted no time. He knew that if he really wanted to,
he could have Blake shooting in his mouth in a matter of just a few
minutes, but he wanted to prolong it just a little bit, even though they
did not have long. Few things gave Leo as much pleasure as staring into
Blake's or Chase's eyes while he hungrily devoured their cocks and drank
their seed.
	"Mmm, good boy..." Blake moaned as Leo wrapped his lips around the
tip of the head.
	Blake was well-endowed, but Chase definitely had him beat. Leo
didn't mind though, he loved tasting them both. His own much tinier dick
would stand at full attention even at the thought of servicing the older
two.
	Leo felt the familiar warmth of it in his mouth as his head filled
with the bliss that only came from doing what he loved. Blake's hands moved
to the back of his head, pushing more of it into his eager mouth. Leo had
to stretch his little mouth wide open to let the big cock in, but he had
learned over time to relax his throat muscles so that he rarely gagged as
much as he used to. He had even come to enjoy how it felt having the long
member lodged deep in his throat, well past his tonsils. He also knew that
Blake, and especially Chase, loved seeing the bulge of it moving inside
him.
	Obeying the pressure from Blake's hands in his hair, Leo opened his
throat and allowed Blake to push him all the way down on the throbbing dick
until Blake's balls rested against Leo's chin.
	"Look at me." Blake ordered, tenderly stroking Leo's hair with one
hand but keeping him pinned down on the long dick with the other. Leo
complied, locking eyes with his older counterpart obediently. This was
where he began to struggle. When Blake or Chase kept him in place on their
cock for too long, he often began to choke or run out of breath.
	"Good boy." Blake encouraged, finally letting Leo off the hook.
	After getting a deep breath, Leo diligently went back to work on
the drool-covered dick. Not forgetting to give gentle attention to Blake's
balls as well. He licked from base to tip, already tasting the precum there
that meant his reward was on its way.
	The way that Blake lovingly and gently stroked and fondled him
while at the same time being demanding and forceful with his orders made
Leo's little head spin with ecstasy. It was the best of both worlds.
	Taking control of Leo's head with one hand, Blake began to pump his
mouth up and down, thrusting his hips gently in time. Leo swirled his
tongue around the tip every time Blake pulled him back, then opened his
throat when he shoved it all the way in. His own little dick was rock hard
from the eroticism, but he resisted touching himself.
	Gradually, Blake's thrusts became faster and more forceful as he
grunted with desire. Leo could feel it building and could hardly wait for
what he knew was coming. He locked eyes with his genetic twin and silently
begged for it as Blake reached the point of no return.
	The stiff cock pulsed and fired a warm load into Leo's waiting
mouth as Blake shuddered and moaned. More and more shot out and Leo's eyes
closed in ecstasy as he felt it coating his throat. He swallowed eagerly,
and continually licked the tip for more.
	Blake held in place for a while until he couldn't stand it
anymore. He hooked his hands under Leo's arms and pulled him back up to his
lap. Kissing Leo passionately, Blake pinched Leo's nipples and fondled his
dick. The small boy whimpered, and his body contorted in pleasure. It
didn't take long for his dry orgasm to rock over him like a wave. He
convulsed in Blake's lap as Blake continued to stroke him gently, slowing
gradually as the tremors stopped.
	"Good job..." Blake spoke quietly with a mischievous smile. Leo
returned the coy grin before looking away. Blake kissed him again gently
and brushed his hair back for him before setting him on his feet once
more. "Now go finish getting ready to dock."


	The docking process was a very precise one that was almost like a
dance between the smaller ships and the larger Hive. Chase guided their
ship in expertly in time with the Hive's rotation until they were close
enough for the Hive's magnetic arms to catch them. Although it was a very
gentle catch, it was still a bit jarring from inside the ship as the heavy
metal pads clamped shut on their hull. As the Hive did the rest of the
work, an automated voice came through their speakers.
	"Scout ship 381 docked with Hive 704. Crews please exit the bridge
and prepare for decontamination."
	Chase emerged from the cockpit and sealed the door behind him. When
a ship docked with a Hive, the cockpit folded down to allow their common
area and cabins to almost become part of the Hive. Once the decontamination
finished, the door that used to lead to the cockpit would open, along with
a portion of the wall, to create an open and inviting space with the rest
of the larger station. The other scout ships were designed the same way,
which meant that when the Hives were well-populated, there were several
avenues lined with open and inviting common areas belonging to different
scouting crews.
	This was part of the reason why Leo enjoyed visiting the Hives so
much. For him, it was basically like vacation time. He knew that for Chase
there was important work to do sometimes, but even he got to take some
much-needed time off while they were docked at a Hive.
	It was always best when there were lots of other scouting crews
aboard the Hives. That meant more new people to meet, and new `fun' to be
had. Leo particularly liked participating in the wrestling events that were
sometimes hosted. He usually lost, but that was ok. These sorts of
wrestling events were the kind where the winner mounted the loser, and Leo
was definitely alright with that.
	Chase and Blake enjoyed watching Leo getting dominated by other
boys his age almost as much as they enjoyed dominating him themselves.
	Blake always received quite a lot of attention both from the
younger crew members and the older ones. They had been very lucky in their
DNA roll. Even though only the best genetics had been used when creating
the scouting crews, their strain, number 91, had been a very good
stock. This meant that Blake, a lean and confident teen, could only be
described as stunningly handsome.
	Sometimes, Leo couldn't help but be jealous. He knew that he was
cute. Some might even say irresistible. But once in a while he found
himself envying Blake's perfect abs and youthful yet strong muscles. Then
of course there was Chase. Broad shouldered and powerful. He was everything
a little boy like Leo could dream of. Blake exuded confidence, but Chase
was never afraid to take him down a peg or two when he wanted to use
him. Sometimes he even preferred to watch Leo fuck Blake for his amusement.
	This power dynamic worked well for the three of them and helped
them to be an effective team. On the Hive however, things were much more
fluid. Poor Leo would often find himself instinctively following the orders
of anyone attractive enough and dominant enough to give them. Blake had to
keep half an eye on him sometimes to prevent him from getting hurt in an
overenthusiastic gang bang.
	This didn't mean Leo couldn't have his fun though. He would tease
all the men and boys on the Hive to the breaking point. Sometimes Blake or
Chase would be there to intervene, and sometimes they wouldn't. Those
times, Leo would end up limping home, leaking from both ends, only to go
and do the same thing when he had recovered.
	Chase had warned them that they were only going to be there for two
days. This announcement had come as a disappointment to Leo but also to
Blake as well. Blake enjoyed a different kind of game from Leo. He
preferred the game of slow seduction. He would pick one member of another
scouting crew. Sometimes younger, sometimes older, and sometimes the middle
like himself. When he found his target, he would start his mind games. One
moment he would give them the sweetest attention, then the next he would be
aloof and hard to get. The constant mystery would drive them wild and in a
matter of days Blake would have them wrapped around his finger. The two day
stay meant that he would have to play his game quickly for, in his mind, a
lesser payout.
	On the other hand, Chase was more practical about his needs. When
he was in the mood, he would simply select one of the boys, usually Leo or
Blake, and bend them over for his pleasure. Sometimes he took his pick from
one of the other boys on the Hives too, but in generally he preferred the
two he was familiar with. Leo always loved when Chase picked him. Blake was
a little less enthusiastic but always got into it by the time Chase
finished.
	As their scout ship opened up, Leo read the flashing banner that
announced what this particular Hive had to offer.
	"They've got a full spa here!" He declared excitedly to Blake who
nodded his appreciation. Each Hive had different assets, attractions, and
shops. Although some were staples, like a fitness area and a pool, some
Hives had a great many extras. Leo had heard rumors from other scouting
crews that there was one Hive out there that had a built-in amusement
park. He wasn't sure he believed that though.
	A full spa was a bit of a rare commodity on the Hives but presented
them with a great way to pass a few hours and to spend some of their
pay. Money was never a concern because they racked up a significant amount
when they were out exploring with nothing to spend it on. They each had
sizable bank accounts that they could access at any time, to the point
where in the amount of time they spent on the Hives they wouldn't likely be
able to spend all of it if they tried.
	Immediately, Leo's eyes were drawn to all the people aboard. The
information panel indicated that there were twenty-two other scout crews on
the Hive at this time. That was quite a bit. Usually the numbers varied
from ten to twenty, but each Hive could hold up to thirty crews at a
time. The more the better in Leo's opinion.
	"Two days." Chase reminded sternly before leaving them to their own
devices. He would be back once he had finished registering them and got his
work done, but a part of Leo wished they could all stay together. His mind
was quickly drawn back however to the large number of attractive boys that
were coming and going from other scout ships.
	Right across from them was a ship with a very good-looking blonde
and blue-eyed crew. The oldest of their three was relaxing in their common
area reading a tablet. The middle was doing some sort of yoga or stretching
on the carpeted floor. His flexibility drew more than a few eyes as people
passed. The youngest was nowhere to be seen, probably out at the shops or
the spa Leo imagined. He would have to keep his eye out though. If the pale
slender body of the teen was anything to go by, his younger counterpart
would be beautiful.
	There was plenty of other eye candy, but this group definitely had
Leo's attention. He boldly walked across the avenue and approached the boy
practicing his poses.
	"Hi! I'm Leo." He introduced himself bluntly.
	The boy on the floor looked up at him, maybe a bit put off by his
brash introduction, but his face softened as he took in Leo's cute
features.
	"Noah." The boy replied with a nod. His hair was silky blonde and
parted in the center. He had a slim body with a little less definition than
Blake, but still quite handsome. Since he was soft it was difficult to tell
exactly how big he was, though he appeared to be more of a grower than a
shower. That was fine with Leo, he appreciated all sizes.
	"We just got here." Leo explained, pointing to their docked ship
across the way. "We were exploring a system in the Sigma sector of the
galaxy."
	"Find anything?" Noah asked, stretching one last time before
climbing to his feet. He was taller than he had looked on the ground.
       Leo shrugged. "Not really. None of the planets were habitable."
       Noah nodded. "Yeah, we've been here for a couple days waiting for
orders. Before that we were checking out an asteroid belt in the Gamma
sector. Found some minerals that mission control was interested in but
nothing too crazy."
       "Where's your younger?" Leo asked looking around curiously.
       Noah snorted a laugh, seeing through Leo's question. "Harley. He's
around somewhere. He'd probably be into you, you seem like his type."
       "What about you?" Leo asked suggestively, making a point of looking
Noah's body up and down.
       A slight smile crossed the blonde boy's face. "I don't usually go
for youngers besides Harley, but maybe I'd make an exception. Not now
though, I've got some work to do on our jump drive."
       Leo stuck his lip out in a pout.
       "Don't be like that." Noah admonished. "Come back around when they
start turning the lights down. Maybe Harley will be around. Maybe we both
can play. Maybe even Jake too." He nodded with his head back at his older
counterpart who looked up at the sound of his name. He appraised Leo and,
apparently liking what he saw, gave him a sensual wink before returning to
his reading.
       Leo's stomach fluttered as he thought of spending the night with
these three. He decided to mark that down as a definite possibility for
some fun times that evening. However, it was too early to commit to
anything. The Hive was a big place and he didn't want to make a choice only
to find out later that there were even better options available.
       "Maybe I will..." He teased as he turned away. "It was nice to meet
you Noah."
       "You too." The blonde teen watched Leo's hips move as he walked away
in the direction Blake had gone.
       It didn't take him long to catch up with his teen counterpart. Blake
had already found a small group of about five teens to schmooze
with. People rarely wasted time on the Hives. They didn't usually get to
spend much time there so wasting it trying to gradually get to know people
was uncommon. Most of the time people were fairly outgoing and eager to
welcome new faces to their groups. Especially one as handsome as Blake's.
       "Wow, your younger is cute." One of the teens said to Blake as Leo
approached. It was of course quite obvious that they were from the same
crew.
       "Yeah, he's got some talent too." Blake bragged. For some reason,
Leo enjoyed the way that they were talking about him like he wasn't even
there.
       "Maybe we should see firsthand." Another suggested. One of the boys
fondled Leo's ass and Leo purred in appreciation.
       "I wouldn't mind as long as he doesn't." Blake replied. "He likes
being passed around sometimes."
       That was true, Leo had to admit. The thought of being at the center
of all these handsome boys with their hands on him as the center of
attention was very arousing.
       "Come back tonight." One of the boys enticed, leaning in close to
Leo. "We could use some stress relief."
       The others voiced their agreement with this, and Leo smiled sweetly
at them, quietly imagining what this circle would look like with him on his
knees in the middle of it.
       It seemed like he was guaranteed some fun that night, but his
options were starting to compound. On the one hand, Noah had seemed pretty
keen on letting Leo share the evening with him and his crew, but on the
other, a hungry pack of teen boys was sure to be a wild experience. Either
way, Leo wanted to check out the spa before it got too late. He excused
himself from the group, hinting that he might return without making any
promises.
       Leo was used to the looks he got as he walked. In fact, he loved
it. It was just another way he received the attention he craved. More than
a few people catcalled or wolf-whistled at him as he passed, and Leo was
happy to let them stare.
       The spa was a part of the large common wing of the Hive that held
the fitness area, gymnasium, and pool. At the opposite end was the command
deck. That would be where Chase had gone to receive their updated orders.
       There were massage tables and saunas, but the first thing Leo wanted
to do was take a dip in a hot tub. The spa had quite a few hot tubs that
were enclosed on three sides and partially obscured on the fourth, leaving
only a small gap that someone could look in from. They were small enough to
be intimate, but big enough to have a group as well. Leo strolled through
the rows of tubs looking for one that was not occupied. Some were being
used simply for relaxing, others, Leo could tell by the sounds were being a
little less innocent.
       He finally found a bath that looked empty from the angle he was
at. As he stepped through the divider though he saw that he had been
mistaken. A single man sat in the far corner of the tub, obviously the
older member of one of the crews. His hair was brown with a hint of red to
it and his angular jaw had just a slight trace of stubble. Although only
the top half of his chest was visible above the water, Leo could tell that
he was quite fit.
       "Oops..." Leo murmured awkwardly and turned to leave.
       "Where are you going?" The man asked after him, causing him to
stop. "There's plenty of room here for both of us."
       Leo turned back and smiled. The man was definitely handsome, and the
water looked inviting. With a shrug Leo slowly came forward and slipped
into the water opposite the stranger.
       "That's better." The man encouraged with a friendly grin. "What's
your name? And what crew are you from? I don't think I've seen you around
before."
       "Leo. Crew 91." Leo answered shyly. It was strange, when he was with
a group of new people, Leo had no trouble being a social butterfly. When it
was just one on one with somebody new, he became less sure of himself.
       "Nice to meet you Leo. I'm Marcus, Crew 138. Why don't you come a
little closer? It's hard to hear you over the water jets."
       He was right, the sound of the warm water bubbling made it so they
almost had to shout across the hot tub. Slowly, like a skittish animal, Leo
inched closer to Marcus until they were both on the same side of the tub.
       "You're a rare one." Marcus commented, flashing a bright
smile. "Probably the cutest younger I've seen."
       Leo blushed but said nothing. Marcus lifted a big arm out of the
water and set it along the edge of the tub so that it stretched out to its
full length, just behind where Leo sat. Leo noticed the motion but didn't
move one way or the other. Marcus apparently took this as the ok to
continue because he lazily reached out two fingers and began slowly petting
them down the nape of Leo's neck.
       Leo shrunk into himself a little bit at the touch, but Marcus kept
gently stroking his fingers on Leo's smooth skin. Gradually, Leo relaxed
into it, feeling the slight tingles that the fingers caused as they traced
the very top of his spine.
       "That's it." Marcus softly encouraged as Leo's eyes closed. "Come
closer, baby."
       Propelled by some kind of instinctive magnetism, Leo felt his body
move toward Marcus almost on its own. Marcus' big arm closed in around
Leo's small body and he knew that he was locked in place until Marcus
allowed him to leave.
       Leo hadn't realized how tall and broad-shouldered Marcus was until
he was sitting right next to him. Now, he felt incredibly tiny. His head
barely came up to Marcus' chest.
       "You're a cute little thing." Marcus leaned down to Leo's ear to
compliment him. His strong hand slipped from around Leo's shoulder to
gently tweak Leo's nipple. Leo gasped in sensation and felt himself melting
into Marcus. Marcus' other hand moved over to trace its way down Leo's slim
chest to his ribs, to his stomach, teasing his ticklish areas, then further
to where his boy parts stood at full attention. Marcus' big hand easily
engulfed the whole package, squeezing and fondling it gently and eliciting
horny little squeals from Leo.
       "Nice and small." Marcus growled seductively. He took his hand away
from Leo's intimate areas and took hold of Leo's wrist. His grip was like
iron, not tight enough to hurt, but utterly unbreakable. Marcus pulled
Leo's hand towards him and down in the same path that his own hand had made
seconds earlier. Leo felt Marcus' rippling abs and the perfect `V' shape
that guided him lower. The bush of trimmed hair that he found at the point
of the `V'. Then Leo felt it. Instinctively his hand tried to close around
it, but his fingers couldn't touch around the other side. It was too thick.
       Leo's eyes widened in surprise and he looked up at Marcus who had a
wicked grin on his face. Marcus guided Leo's hand further, pushing it along
the length. Inch by inch by inch by inch... Leo's expression changed from
surprise to outright shock as it seemed to go on forever. And he could tell
that it wasn't even fully hardened yet. Finally, Leo felt his hand slip
over the thick tip. Marcus groaned softly, keeping seductive eye contact
with Leo.
       Leo could hardly believe it. He had never even seen one that big,
let alone felt it in his hand. His brain was going wild with possibilities,
half aroused half fearful.
       "Do you like what you found, baby?" Marcus teased.
       Swallowing heavily, Leo had to nod, his breath caught in his chest.
       "Good." Abruptly, Marcus let go of Leo's hand and pushed himself off
the wall. He stood up from the water facing away from Leo and Leo only had
the briefest of glimpses of it dangling between Marcus' legs before Marcus
wrapped a towel around himself and stepped out of the tub.
       He looked over his shoulder and chuckled at the disappointed look on
Leo's face. "Come find me tonight, cutie. Crew 138. The rest of my crew is
going to be out, so I'll have you all to myself."
       Marcus laughed again before shaking water droplets from his hair and
disappearing around the corner. Leo's heart was still racing as he slowly
recovered from the surprising encounter. His head spun. His options for the
night just seemed to keep on growing.








Chapter 2

       Leo took the walk back to his quarters still drying his hair with a
towel. He had spent a while longer in the hot tub after Marcus left. Long
enough to satisfy his immediate urges so he could make a better decision
about how he wanted to spend his evening. By the time he neared the dock
where their ship was attached, he was pretty sure he knew what choice he
wanted to make.
       As he approached, he saw with some excitement that the option he had
decided on seemed to have chosen him as well. Noah sat in the common area
of their ship with Jake, his elder, and Chase. Sitting cross-legged on the
soft carpet was a cute little blonde boy that could only be Harley. The
four of them were having a friendly conversation and Chase waved him over
when he noticed him.
       "Leo, come meet Crew 217." He instructed. "I've got our orders and
we're going to be working together with them for this next mission."
       A wide smile split Leo's face. He always loved the rare
opportunities that they got to work with other crews. More people meant
much less chance of boredom. And the fact that it was such a good-looking
group was an added bonus.
       "Hi! I'm Harley." The little boy's voice was peppy and almost as
cute as his face.
       Leo waved and introduced himself. "I already met Noah earlier, and
Jake sort of."
       "Have you seen Blake?" Chase asked. "He should be here to get the
briefing."
       "Not in a little bit." Leo replied with a shrug. "Must be a big
mission if we're both going."
       "Prepping for a colony!" Harley piped up excitedly.
       Jake nodded. "Yeah, we found a habitable planet a few missions ago
and command wants us to go in for a closer look and lay the groundwork for
colonization."
       "Wow!" Leo marveled. He had never been on a mission like that
before.
       As though on cue, Blake appeared at the end of the corridor walking
with another teen. They stopped at the threshold of their common area,
noticing all the extra people.
       "Who's your friend, Blake?" Chase asked knowingly.
       "Doesn't matter." Blake answered with disinterest. "I'll see you
around, Marvin."
       "It's... Martin..." The other boy sounded both confused and
disheartened.
       "Right. See you." Blake replied casually. Leo rolled his eyes as the
dejected boy slunk away. No doubt he had been certain he was in for a fun
night with Blake. And no doubt, Blake would go find him tomorrow with his
usual flirtatious smile.
       "Are you done?" Leo asked, exasperated. Blake swatted him on the
head.
       Chase relayed the information on their mission to Blake who seemed
quite interested as well. They often explored uncharted territory but doing
so in order to make way for new colonization was not common. Usually they
were just searching for resources or unidentified life. This would be an
entirely different project.
       The other part that Leo was excited for was the combination of their
two ships. The scout ships were designed to be quite versatile. In the same
way they could dock with the Hives, and become part of the larger
structure, two scout ships could dock together and become one larger
ship. That would mean much more space and more rooms as well. Each ship had
three bedrooms to it, although they rarely all got used at the same
time. The inside was just as malleable as the outside however, and walls
between rooms could be deactivated or shifted at will to created spaces of
different sizes.
       Leo usually preferred to share a room with Blake or Chase anyway,
but some time ago, Chase had taken down the wall in Leo's room and revoked
Leo's access to it as punishment for something neither one of them could
remember. In that time though, Leo had gotten so used to bouncing back and
forth between the beds of his two older counterparts that he had never
asked for his own room back. He had become even more dependent on Chase and
Blake, but he kind of liked it that way.
       Adding three new people to the mix created a whole new power
structure on their ship. A power structure that Leo fully expected to land
at the very bottom of. He had already pretty much decided that Noah and
Jake were in charge of him in the same way that Blake and Chase were. Only
time would tell with Harley.
       And speaking of, Leo noticed that Harley seemed to be in a very
playful mood. He was doing his best to coax Noah into a wrestling match by
grappling his legs or waist and giggling every time Noah shook him off.
       "Not now, Harley." Noah told him, still invested in the conversation
the older two were having. "Maybe Leo will play with you."
       Harley's blonde hair whipped as he looked over his shoulder at Leo,
who stared back innocently from where he sat on the floor. Without warning,
Harley bounded over like an excited puppy and tackled Leo. Hard enough to
take the other boy by surprise and knock him over backward, but not hard
enough to hurt him.
       Leo giggled and shrieked and tried to push the blonde boy off of
him, but Harley was all over him, tickling, poking, and pinching. For as
cute and slim as he was, Harley was surprisingly strong. Leo tried to crawl
away, but Harley hauled him back into the fray with a delighted laugh. They
rolled around on the floor for a while, Leo enjoying feeling Harley's
smooth body under his fingertips. Eventually, they came to rest with Harley
on top, pinning both of Leo's hands on either side of his head.
       As their eyes met seriously for the first time, shining blue looked
into radiant green. When Leo saw the slightly predatory look wrapped up in
all of Harley's boyish innocence, he knew immediately where his place was
on this totem pole. Almost instinctively, his legs opened slightly.
       Noticing this change in mood, Harley pushed himself between Leo's
knees and laid his entire body weight, as slight as it was on top of him as
he began dry humping. Leo whined as he felt Harley's dick growing and
hardening. The blonde boy was not big, but he was bigger than Leo.
       Leo's horny little body twitched as he slowly wrapped his legs
around Harley, fully accepting being pinned underneath him and knowing what
was going to happen next. Harley's slender hips stopped thrusting but only
for a short time as he searched for Leo's hole. When he finally found it,
he wasted no time pushing his entire length inside.
       Leo squealed as Harley entered him in one long push. He had taken
far bigger but usually with a little bit of warning first. Almost
immediately, Harley started to fuck him, pumping in and out like a horny
little beast. His primal need drove Leo crazy and he eagerly allowed Harley
to have his way with him.
       The older four had stopped their conversation when the little ones'
play fighting had turned sexual. They all looked on, obviously enjoying the
scene as Harley quickly reached his first dry orgasm of the evening in only
a matter of a few enthusiastic thrusts.
       Leo shuddered as he felt Harley's body shake against him. Even
though Harley couldn't actually breed him, Leo felt almost like he
had. Before he knew it however, Noah had pushed the smaller blonde aside,
unable to resist his urges any longer. Harley fell to one side with a whine
of annoyance as Noah took his place between Leo's legs. Leo looked up into
Noah's blue eyes which were filled with lust. It was obvious that Leo had
no say in what was going to happen next, but that was exactly the way that
Leo liked it.
       Noah positioned himself with much more practice and patience than
Harley had demonstrated. Leo moaned as the heat of Noah's cock rubbed
against his hole, sending jolts of electricity through him. Noah was
significantly bigger than Harley. As Leo had guessed during their first
meeting, it had grown to more than twice its original size now that it was
fully hardened.
       Giving a slight push, Noah slipped the very tip of it inside
Leo. Unlike Harley, Noah knew that, at his size, going too fast could hurt
the small body underneath him. Leo had experience though, so he sucked in a
breath and clenched his teeth to stifle the moan of pleasure that rolled
through him after the initial twinge of pain.
       To Leo's surprise, when he looked over, he saw that Harley was now
lying next to him on his stomach, their faces less than a foot apart. Blake
had come to join the party and was in the process of propping Harley up on
his knees with his shoulders still to the ground so that his pale round ass
was perfectly presented for his taking.
       Leaning in instinctively, Leo kissed Harley on the lips just as Noah
thrust another inch and a half into him and as Blake entered Harley for the
first time. The two little boys moaned into each other's mouths as the
older counterparts began to penetrate them.
       Leo could feel Noah throbbing inside him, and it caused his own
little dick to remain rock hard as the older boy pushed deeper. The
blonde's strong hands felt up Leo's smooth thighs and stroked his hardness
with one hand.
       And then the elder two could stand it no longer. Chase and Jake had
been coaxed into it watching the toned asses of the two teens flexing as
they slowly penetrated the small boys beneath them. Chase took a firm hold
on Noah's hips as Jake did the same with Blake's. The two teens shared a
look of surprise but quickly accepted their fate as they continued to plow
the squirming youngers.
       Leo felt Noah stiffen up suddenly as the head of Chase's big cock
entered him. The look on Noah's face made Leo smirk. He had probably made
exactly that face the times when Chase had decided to use him for his
pleasure.
       The smirk was short lived, however. Noah took the shock of being
suddenly penetrated out on Leo with a deep thrust that took him all the way
to the base.
       Leo shivered underneath Noah and his eyes screwed shut tight as he
gasped. The other three were in the same position. Blake now had his full
length planted inside Harley, but Jake was knelt behind him sliding his way
inside of Blake as well, forcing Blake to bend over Harley's small form.
       Harley had a blissfully dazed look on his face as Blake began to
fuck him. Leo moved in again and the two boys kissed passionately as their
tight holes were rammed again and again by teenage cock. The two teens
gasped and moaned as they simultaneously fucked the younger boys and took a
rough fucking from their elder counterparts.
       Leo could feel Noah's thrusting becoming more erratic and he knew
exactly what that meant. He wanted to feel the hot blonde boy finish inside
him. He wrapped his legs around Noah's waist, and he could feel Chase begin
pumping faster as well.
       Harley let out a high-pitched squeal as Blake gave a powerful thrust
and filled the tiny blonde with his seed. Noah was not far behind and
grunted in animal lust as he pummeled Leo's hole. Leo felt him pulsing
inside him, releasing rope after rope of his warm sticky cum.
       The older two must have been getting close too. Almost at the same
time, they roughly grabbed the teen boys' hips and rammed into them several
times from tip to base. Blake's voice cracked as he moaned. Noah gasped in
pleasure and pain as Chase's rough assault ended with the fit teenager
being bred just like the young boys.
       Leo's eyes rolled upward as Noah finally pulled out of him. He could
feel Noah's seed leaking out of him, but he loved knowing that it was
inside him, part of him now. Harley lay panting on his stomach, his little
ass still elevated. Blake and Noah collapsed on either side, recovering
from the wide range of sensations. Chase and Jake smirked down at them
before wiping themselves down with a rag and heading for the showers.
       Each ship had two shower stalls, though it was mostly common for
people to shower together. Not because there was any shortage of water, but
because usually they preferred each other's company. The older two each
took their own stall to clean themselves up with. The teens, when they were
able to find their feet again, opted to go across the hall to Crew 217's
ship and shower on their own.
       It took Leo a long while to clear his head enough to stand up. Chase
and Jake had long since disappeared into the bathroom, and the two teens
had been gone for several minutes already. With a groan, he forced himself
up, still feeling Noah's seed running down the inside of his thigh.
       Leo offered Harley a hand up, and the little blonde accepted it
gratefully. When they were both on their feet, Leo stole a quick kiss while
Harley was still disoriented. Leo giggled and Harley smiled
coyly. Eventually they decided they would go across the hall and join the
two teens in the shower.
       When they entered the bathroom however, they saw that only one
shower was running. They found Noah and Blake in the same stall
together. Noah's back was to the wall as the two of them made out under the
warm water passionately. Blake's back arched as Noah's hands traced the
curve of his spine. Somehow both teens were rock hard once more.
       As the young boys watched, Blake took a hold under one of Noah's
legs and lifted it up. He maneuvered himself between the blonde teen's legs
and angled his hard cock, lining up properly before giving a good forceful
thrust. Noah grunted as the dick entered him, lips still locked with Blake,
fingers twining in his hair.
       Blake fucked Noah up against the wall until Noah lifted his other
leg up as well. Supported only by the wall and Blake's thrusting cock, Noah
moaned as Blake took no mercy on him.
       The younger boys quickly stiffened up watching the two teens locked
in their passion. Instinctively their hands began to explore each other's
bodies.
       Harley turned the other showerhead on, and the two youngers made out
under the warm water while listening to the sounds of intense teenage sex
coming from the other stall. As their smooth bodies were covered in water,
they began to thrust their hips together, rubbing their hard dicks on one
another as they kissed each other.
       Noah's gasps got higher pitched as Blake started to get rough with
him. Hearing the blonde teen's masculine voice turn to squeals only made
the two little boys hump faster. Harley's hands grabbed tightly onto Leo's
round ass.
       They did not have to see what was going on in the stall next to them
to know when Blake filled Noah with his cum. Blake's moan and Noah's
whimper was more than enough to know that the blonde had just been filled
with hot seed. In the excitement, the little ones pushed themselves over
the edge as well and held each other tightly as their dry orgasms
threatened to take them out at the knees.
       Harley giggled breathlessly as he recovered and kissed Leo on the
cheek. Leo smiled at his new friend. It looked like this trip was going to
be even more fun than he had hoped.

       The rest of the shower proceeded uneventfully. Harley and Leo helped
each other wash but even though they both enjoyed running their hands along
the other's soapy body they did not succumb to the temptation to start
their activities all over again.
       Blake and Noah reappeared from their shower acting like nothing had
happened and the two little ones had not just seen them fucking like
rabbits. When they returned to the common area, they found Chase and Jake
already waiting for them.
       "Took you long enough." Chase commented knowingly. "Having a little
too much fun?"
       Leo blushed and smiled. He came over to sit on his elder
counterpart's lap and snuggled against his chest lovingly. Chase put a
strong protective arm around him.
       "Probably should get some sleep." Jake advised. "We've got a busy
day tomorrow getting ready for departure."
       Chase nodded his agreement and signaled for Blake to shut the lights
down and close their ship off for the night.
       Noah gave Blake a kiss on the cheek before departing, but Blake
acted totally disinterested and gave the blonde boy a half-hearted
wave. Leo smiled to himself. He didn't know how anyone could fall for
Blake's games, but boys always did without fail.
       Leo decided he would spend the night with Chase. It had been a while
since he had been cuddled closely by someone as big and strong as Chase and
he knew that after the activities of that evening Chase would be more
interested in a sleeping companion than anything else. He let Chase carry
him to the bedroom while Blake shut the ship down for the night.
       There were few feelings more comforting to Leo than when Chase
pulled the blankets up over him and lay next to him, wrapping him tightly
with one arm. Just like every other time, Leo was fast asleep almost before
Chase had settled in.


       The next day was, as Jake had predicted, quite busy. The six of them
had to report for a formal briefing on their new mission. Leo had a hard
time standing still during the briefing. It was all too exciting.
       The planet they were heading to had been under investigation for a
long time now, but no one had done any extensive exploration from the
ground. Their expedition would be the first in a long series of missions
that would eventually lead to the colonization of the planet.
       They were shown pictures of the planet, called Ephria, both from
orbit and taken by drones that had scouted the planet's surface from the
air. There were large forests of fungus-like trees and lakes so saturated
with iron and minerals that the water looked red.
       Command confirmed that there was animal life on Ephria as well,
although they had not seen any signs of intelligent life yet. They caught a
glimpse in one of the sweeping overhead shots of a flock of large birds or
maybe bats. It was hard to tell from such a quick glance, but they almost
appeared to have fur.
       Harley watched the pictures and videos with wide eyes, obviously
just as excited as Leo. When the briefing finally ended, he turned to Leo
with a huge grin on his face.
       "That place looks so cool! The way the trees glow at night? This is
gonna be awesome!"
       Leo agreed and enthused about other interesting features of the
planet before Chase interrupted their conversation.
       "We've got a lot to do to get ready still." He reminded. "Why don't
you two help Blake and Noah load the supplies?"
       It took them most of the day to load up everything they would
need. The food was the only part that Leo was not totally looking forward
to. The prepackaged meals that were the staple of rations among the scout
crews when they were out on missions were okay, but they certainly grew
dull and plain after a while. Leo made sure to enjoy the fresh-cooked,
fried, greasy, delicious food sold on the Hive as much as he could that
day.
       He supposed he shouldn't complain. Blake was surprisingly good at
taking the simple filling meals and turning them into something actually
pretty appealing. He would break open several of the single-serving meals
and combine the ingredients and add spices and seasonings to create a
semblance of a `family dinner'. It always made Leo happy when he and Chase
and Blake would sit down together in their dining area for a meal.
       Chase would sometimes put quiet music on in the background. Blake
would tell stories that they had both heard before. For a moment it would
feel to Leo like they were real family.
       Leo knew about families of course. He had watched his share of shows
from Earth where people had mothers and fathers and siblings. Some days he
wished he had what those people had. Some days he wondered if, because he
was grown rather than born, that made him somehow less human than those
people with their happy families. These thoughts would trouble him for a
time, but soon Blake or Chase would lift him out of it with a joke or a
smile and he would remember that he had everything that he needed to be
happy.
       When the food was all loaded, they needed to store all the equipment
that they would need as well. They were going to be building a comm tower
on Ephria that would serve as a relay for all other future
expeditions. This required a great deal of tools and hardware.
       Even though it was confirmed that the atmosphere on Ephria was safe
for humans, they packed suits that were fitted with air filters just in
case. It was a good thing that they were taking both ships, Leo decided,
because otherwise they would have barely had room to move once everything
they needed was packed.
       Chase was meticulous about his checklist of necessary items. He went
over it at least three times, making sure that every single detail was
accounted for. Leo was always impressed with his ability to focus in on the
little things without getting distracted.
       Finally, after hours of packing and moving, they were ready to set
out. Harley invited Leo to spend the night in his room and Leo happily
agreed. Since they were going to be traveling together, they may as well
become comfortable with one another.
       Even though Leo kind of wanted to spend some time fooling around
with Harley, he knew that he needed to get his sleep. Before he knew it, it
would be morning, and they would be setting off on the biggest adventure of
his young life.






Chapter 3


	It took some time for them to dock the two scout ships together
after detaching from the Hive. Leo and Blake both watched from the window
with great interest as Chase and Jake delicately maneuvered their two ships
into position. If they moved even a little bit too fast, they could cause
serious damage to the hulls of their ships. It was a procedure that they
had both been trained in, but they rarely had opportunity to use the skill.
	Almost an hour later however, the two ships connected. When the
pressure equalized, a long hatch opened and a tucked away staircase folded
down, and their living space doubled in size, now with a second floor.
	Leo was practically bouncing off the walls with energy. He could
never say exactly why, but the expansion of their space always got him
riled up. Maybe it was because there was more room to run around, or maybe
it was because it inevitably meant that a new adventure was
underway. Harley was only a little bit more reserved but was the only one
able to keep up with Leo's hype.
	They two youngers chased each other up and down the new staircase
and all throughout their living quarters, hooting and shrieking with
excitement. Aside from daily chores around the ship, they did not have much
responsibility until they landed. The older two were expected to pilot in
shifts, and the two teens did all the maintenance work and made sure the
engines and life support were running smoothly.
	It was about a week's journey to Ephria. That meant that by the end
of it they would likely be starting to get a little bit stir-crazy, but for
now, the newness of their connected ships and living together kept them all
entertained.
	New people meant new stories to listen to and new jokes to
hear. Leo was thrilled to discover that Crew 217 was just as tightly knit
as he and his counterparts were.
	There was of course no night or day in the void of space, but Chase
was always careful to keep them on a regular cycle of days, so they had a
relatively normal sleeping schedule. On their first `night' Harley took Leo
into his bedroom where they built a fort out of blankets and chairs. Once
the structure was finished, they turned the lights out and crawled inside
and told scary stories with a flashlight for added effect. Naturally, these
`scary' stories proved to be more ridiculous than actually frightening and
only proceeded to get more absurd as they progressed, leading to both boys
rolling on the floor in fits of giggles until Jake had to come give them a
stern warning about keeping quiet during the sleeping hours.
	Harley apologized meekly but there was a catch in his voice. As
soon as Jake closed the door, the two youngers looked at each other and
immediately burst into laughter once more. They ended up sleeping inside
their fort that night, cuddled up against one another.
	Leo awoke in the morning to find that, although most of Harley was
still fast asleep, certain parts of the little blonde boy were very much
awake. He grinned wickedly at his sleeping friend before sliding himself
down slowly, tracing the slender curves of the other boy's body with his
hand.
	His hand brushed the hairless mound that preceded his ultimate
goal. Sometimes he liked the way the well-groomed hairs that older people
had down there felt on his fingertips and tickling his nose when he went
down on them. However, right now, he loved Harley's smooth milky-white
body. Taking one more look at the sleeping blonde boy, who looked
positively angelic, Leo bent his head down and licked all of Harley's stiff
four inches.
	Harley groaned in his sleep, obviously appreciating what just
happened but still not waking. Leo thought back on all the times he had
been awoken in the opposite fashion. The sudden flash of panic in returning
to consciousness to find himself being abruptly penetrated. The panic only
ever lasted long enough to get one good squeal out of him before he
submissively relaxed and accepted the cock from whomever had decided to
give it to him. Usually it was either Chase or Blake, but once in a while
it could be other boys if he fell asleep in public on one of the Hives.
	Leo considered it a fair punishment for not being more careful. He
knew his cute butt was virtually irresistible to the older
boys. Fortunately, the scouting crews consisted almost exclusively of
attractive people, so the times that Leo had woken up with a stranger's
dick inside him, he simply chalked it up to getting what he
deserved. Besides, once the boy on top had started fucking him, it would be
rude to interrupt. So, Leo would let whoever it was use his little butt and
fill him with a load. Sometimes they would trade names afterwards,
sometimes not. Either way Leo would just vow to be more aware next
time. Yet somehow, he never seemed to learn.
	Leo decided that this might be a little bit of a nicer way for
Harley to wake up than by suddenly feeling a dick inside him. He leaned in
again and wrapped his lips around Harley's tip, swirling his tongue around
it like a lollipop.
	This got Harley's attention. He gasped and his cute blue eyes
fluttered lazily as the pleasure rolled through him. His hands
instinctively came to rest on the back of Leo's head.
	Leo easily took all of Harley's small dick down his throat. He knew
that other boys, especially Blake, loved when he could take the whole
thing, so he wanted all the practice he could get. Harley whined and bucked
his hips up, pushing himself even deeper in to Leo's hot mouth.
	Pulling back after a few seconds, Leo wasted no time diving
hungrily back down. He could feel his nose pressed up against the smooth
skin he had been admiring only a few seconds before.
	Harley's scent was intoxicating. The boy musk filled Leo's mind,
driving him crazy and making him want more. His hands stroked Harley's
writhing body as the young blonde neared his inevitable dry climax.
	Leo was one of the lucky boys who could very frequently become so
aroused and excite himself so much with just his own imagination that he
could finish himself off without ever being touched, using only the power
of his thoughts. This of course combined with the intense eroticism of
having Harley's warm dick inside his mouth made it almost certain to
happen.
	Naturally, Leo liked best when his dry orgasms synched up with the
climax of whomever he was servicing. Whether theirs was dry like his own,
or whether his mouth was flooded with seed did not matter in the end. It
was the close connection he felt from finishing at the same time as the
person he was pleasing.
	As he felt Harley begin to squirm underneath him, Leo could
simultaneously feel it building inside him as Harley's writhing pleasure
turned him on more and more.
	The throbbing dick in Leo's mouth spasmed and pulsed. Nothing came
out but Leo recognized the feeling of Harley hitting his climax. The little
blonde gasped and whined as he struggled to keep still. The sensual sounds
and the feeling of it twitching inside his mouth was more than enough for
Leo. A shiver ran through his whole slim body as his own pre-pubescent
orgasm rolled over him.
	Leo continued to lap at Harley's dick until the blonde boy
whimpered and pulled Leo's head away from his overstimulated tip. Crawling
up to lay next to Harley, Leo giggled and nestled his head on Harley's
shoulder. Harley smiled sleepily at Leo then yawned. After dozing for a few
more minutes, the two boys finally got up to get their chores done.
	The week-long journey proceeded in pretty much the same way. The
two younger boys would get up to mischief while the teens and the men would
work on their tasks. Leo knew that once they reached the planet, he and
Harley would have work to do too, but to him that was all the more reason
to enjoy the down time.
	Of course, almost every day was punctuated by sexual escapades
similar to the exchange between Leo and Harley. Often multiple times in a
day, Leo would find himself being grabbed by Chase or Jake or either of the
teens. Sometimes for a quick release, and other times for some passionate
love making. Leo enjoyed both and by the time they reached Ephria he had
been fucked at least twice by all five other people on the ship.
	Just like in the pictures and videos they were shown, Ephria was a
beautiful ball of blues and greens. Like most habitable planets it looked
very much like Earth. Or at least very much like the pictures of Earth that
Leo had seen before.
	The plan was to orbit the planet for about twenty-four hours while
the computers scanned for an appropriate place to set down. It was an
important decision because that would be approximately where the colony
ended up.
	The vast sphere outside definitely provided a much nicer scenery
than the dull black void of space. Two small moons orbited the planet as
well. Blake explained that this meant the seas would likely have tides just
like on Earth.
	Leo knew that they couldn't just set down anywhere, but he was
anxious to get off the ship and finally have a chance to see this new
planet up close. He desperately hoped they would land somewhere close to
one of the oceans. He had never seen such a large body of water up close
before.
	Even though they did not express it quite as much, Leo could tell
that Jake and Chase were also excited to get down to the surface. Dinner
that night was a buzz with conversation about where they thought the
computer would pick to land them. Chase boosted Leo's hopes by saying that
it would likely pick some place close to the water.
	There was still a great deal of work to be done to get ready for
setting their camp once they had landed.
	"Blake, how's the scoutmaster bot coming along?" Chase asked as
they were finishing their meal.
	Blake's response to this was let out an audible sigh of clear
disinterest. "It's uhh... broken?" His voice carried a note of sarcasm.
	Chase gave him a look. "I know it WAS broken. That's why I asked
you to fix it."
	Blake shrugged and wouldn't make eye contact. "Leo never uses it
anyway. It takes forever to fix then breaks down again in an hour."
	"Maybe you just haven't found the problem yet." Chase replied with
exaggerated patience.
	Thumping his hand down on the table Blake glared at Chase. "I
didn't find THE problem. I found all the problems. And it's every fucking
thing on that robot. Everything on it is a problem. It's junk!"
	Jake cleared his throat tactfully. "Actually, Noah has problems
with our scoutmaster bot regularly as well."
	"Thank you." Blake gestured toward the blonde side of the
table. "See, they know. It's crappy outdated tech that should have been
tossed a long time ago. Leo doesn't care, do you?"
	Awkwardly, Leo shrugged, not wanting to get in the middle of the
two of them.
	"It's to keep him safe." Chase argued. "And Harley as well."
	"We've never needed it before." Blake countered. "Why is it so
important now?"
	"This is a very important mission." Chase reminded him. "We should
do it by the book. We can't afford any mistakes."
	Blake rolled his eyes and huffed indignantly. "Fine. I'll run a
diag AGAIN. And fix it up AGAIN. And then we'll watch it break down AGAIN
when we're planetside."
	"Thank you." Chase replied with infuriating calm, ignoring Blakes
outburst entirely.
	Blake stomped sulkily out of the room heading for the maintenance
deck. Leo stared pointedly down at his mostly empty plate. He hated when
Chase and Blake fought. They didn't do it often, but it always made him
uncomfortable.
	The robot in question was called the scoutmaster because its
purpose was to help keep the young boys safe on their scouting
missions. Every crew was equipped with one, but many of the models were
sorely in need of replacement. Leo knew that their ship was running a model
that was so old that even most of the Hives wouldn't service it anymore.
       The old bot was held together by scrap metal, MIG welds, and
electrical tape. When it ran at all, it sounded like a dial-up internet
connection mixed with an industrial fan. All in all, it was rarely much
use, and Leo had learned to get by without relying on it.
       He had to admit that he felt a bit safer when the scoutmaster bot
was operational. It warned him of anything approaching and, in the event of
an emergency, was designed to help him escape any way
possible. Fortunately, it had never come to that. With the amount of noise
that the bot made, just about anything within a twenty-yard radius would
scatter at its approach.
       Even so, Leo had a soft spot for damaged and broken things as well
as underdogs. He had grown a bit attached to the bucket of bolts. He
affectionately named it Rusty. He wasn't allowed to keep animals so
sometimes he imagined that Rusty was his pet. Leo understood how
frustrating it must be for Blake to constantly have to patch the machine
up, but he was always grateful when Rusty rumbled back to life after
crashing yet again. He made sure to find ways to thank Blake for his
efforts. Sometimes by bringing him back little gifts from his exploration,
but usually he showed his gratitude during their nighttime intimacy.
       "Maybe I can help." Noah offered, pushing in his chair and following
after Blake. Harley and Leo exchanged a look, both wondering exactly what
kind of help Noah was planning to offer.
       They finished their meal quietly and Leo excused himself from the
table to go and look out the viewport at the planet they now orbited. It
was so big. He knew that their task was only to explore a small part of it,
but still the sheer size of it was intimidating.
       His thoughts wandered to what they might accomplish by completing
their mission. Maybe in fifty or a hundred years, Ephria would be a
bustling colony with cities and people. Art and music and tv shows all its
own, and it would all be because of what they were about to do. Leo
wondered if he would be alive to see it. He wondered if anyone would know
about Crew 91 and Crew 217 or if the history of Ephria would erase them
entirely.
       Chase had explained to Leo before that artificially grown humans
like them were looked at much differently than organically born ones. Many
organic humans preferred to simply ignore the existence of artificial
humans, while still enjoying the benefits of their deep-space discoveries
of course. Still others thought of artificial humans as inferior. Nothing
but workers to serve their needs.
       Leo had never been to Earth, but he had always held it in his mind
as a sort of mythical paradise. When Chase had told him what it was really
like, it had hurt quite a lot. Yet still, Leo held out a young naïve
hope that people would be able to look past the way he was born or created
and see the good in him.
       The main computer dinged loudly, drawing Leo from his thoughts. He
knew what that sound meant.
	"We've got our LZ." Chase confirmed Leo's thought a moment
later. "Beachfront property." He said with a grin.
	"Yes!" Harley pumped a fist in the air and smiled excitedly at Leo.
	"How long will the descent take?" Jake asked, walking over to the
computer as well.
	"About 8 hours. Leo, Harley, why don't you try to get some rest."
Chase suggested. "You'll need your energy. I'll wake you when we touch
down."
	Leo wanted to stay up and watch the descent, but he knew Chase was
right. He was already beginning to feel tired, despite his
excitement. Harley obviously was similarly indecisive, looking back and
forth between the window and the door to his bedroom.
	Eventually, with a little further encouragement from Jake, the two
youngsters scampered off to bed, once again opting to cuddle up
together. Even though they decided not to pursue any late-night activities
that night, it took them a while to finally drift off. When Leo finally
did, his head was filled with dreams of adventure and excitement on this
new planet.

	"Oh my god!" Leo exclaimed as he stepped off the ship for the first
time. The surface of Ephria was even more beautiful than it had been from
orbit. The sky overhead was a majestic purple blue even though it was the
height of the day. He could smell salt from the ocean and hints of other
minerals as well. As his feet hit the warm sand, they sunk in a little bit
and he could feel the grains between his toes. He giggled as he looked back
at Harley. "Come on!" He encouraged.
	The little blonde was a bit more hesitant. For sure, he was as
amazed as his friend, but unlike Leo, the new and unfamiliar landscape
intimidated him as well as awed him. Eventually however, emboldened by
Leo's encouragement, Harley set foot onto the sandy beach. Almost
immediately a grin settled on his face.
	"Pretty great, huh?" Leo giggled. He looked out over the massive
blue-green expanse that disappeared into the horizon. The crashing of waves
on the shore provided a backdrop that Leo had always wanted to experience.
	"Be careful." Blake cautioned as Leo took off at a run across the
sand. Leo scarcely heard him though. He was far too excited to be careful
anyway. All the things he had seen in movies and videos were now right in
front of him, sandcastles and splash fights and maybe even surfing. Leo
wondered if he could teach himself how to surf.
	It took Harley a moment or two to get comfortable on the sand, but
soon he was darting around after Leo as the two laughed hysterically. Leo
was the first one to get up the courage to dip his does into the water as
the waves rolled in. He had always liked to swim but this was something
totally new. An endless body of water stretching across hundreds of miles
and uncountable fathoms deep.
       Leo waded in up to his thighs, feeling the new sensation of the tide
moving against him. Looking out at the dark water though, Leo decided
against going any further for now. Harley, who had only just mustered the
will to step in up to his ankles looked decidedly relieved when Leo began
to trudge back towards shore.
       "Alright." Chase drew everyone's attention in once Leo and Harley
had finally reigned in their wild exuberance. He had called everyone back
aboard the ship once he had given the youngsters enough time to wear
themselves out a little bit. "The ship will serve as our base camp." Chase
told them as Blake served up lunch. "We'll spend the rest of the afternoon
familiarizing ourselves with the general area. Tomorrow the mission begins
for real though. Leo, Harley, do you know what you're doing?"
       Leo nodded but let Harley take the lead. "Tomorrow is the initial
sweep." The blonde boy said using the official language all the youngers
were taught. "We will maintain a one-mile radius from the base camp and
move in a circle all the way around."
       "Or part way around." Leo put in. "Cause of the ocean."
       "Very good." Chase affirmed. "Then what?"
       Harley continued. "The next day, we'll extend our radius another
mile and continue scouting. We'll keep extending until we can't complete
the whole circuit in one day, then we'll do it in chunks."
       "Excellent." Chase commended. "What do you do if you see anything
that looks like trouble?"
       "Find safety, radio in, return to base." Leo recited the
well-rehearsed mantra that had been hammered into his memory time after
time.
       "Good. Is the scoutmaster ready, Blake?"
       "Ready as he'll ever be." Blake sighed. "I give it one day."
       Leo gave Blake his most endearing look and Blake rolled his eyes at
the obvious gimmick. There was a smile hidden under his air of indifference
though, Leo could tell.
       "What about our scoutmaster?" Harley asked Noah and Jake.
       "Noah is still working on it." Jake answered. "Hopefully if this one
breaks down, ours will be ready to take over. Don't worry, you'll be safe."
       "I'm not worried." Harley insisted indignantly. "I can protect both
of us."
       Leo wanted to argue that he didn't need protection, but he found
Harley's sentiment too sweet to dispute. If Harley wanted to protect him,
that was ok with Leo.
       Chase went on to walk Blake and Noah through their tasks for the
upcoming days. They would be working on building the communications tower
that would connect Ephria to the rest of Earth's colonies. He also told
them that he and Jake would spend the first few days setting up security
perimeters and making sure everything was safe.
       Even after all that running around, Leo felt himself getting excited
all over again. An adventure of this size was just too monumental for his
young mind to handle without practically bursting with energy and
motivation. The colonization of Ephria was under way.









Chapter 4

	The first day's exploration proceeded mostly uneventfully. Leo and
Harley practically sprinted the mile out from their landing site. Their
excitement was so great that they barely felt the exertion. Rusty the
scoutmaster bot hovered along after them, moving in bobbing uneven arcs
that hinted at the condition of his stabilizers. The scoutmaster bots were
very primitive artificial intelligences that could only respond to basic
stimuli and only responded with about a dozen pre-recorded lines. This
coupled with the fact that the robot's slap-dash mechanics perpetually
sounded like a cross between a vacuum and dial-up internet made it, in most
regards, a floating mess.
	Nonetheless, Leo had grown fond of the obsolete little robot and
always liked having it around. All the bugs and glitches somehow made it
more endearing to him. Sometimes at random intervals, one or more of
Rusty's dialog options would be triggered for no apparent reason and he
would pipe up with a cheery "STAY SAFE." His voice had once sounded like an
amiable and good-natured recording of a man but over the years had become
garbled and distorted.
	The boys and their noisy companion began their first arc at a
one-mile radius around the landing zone. They used advanced wrist monitors
to map the area, make record of notable landmarks, and also keep in touch
with the others. In this arc they did not encounter much that was worth
mentioning in their reports. They found several shallow pools as they moved
off of the beach. Harley smartly noted that this could mean there was some
kind of cave system underneath them since the pools were all saltwater.
	 "I don't like caves." Leo shook his head with a shiver at the
thought of crawling through dark musty tunnels.
	"Come on." Harley chided. "It'd be fun. Exploring places no one has
ever gone!"
	"No person has ever gone." Leo corrected. "Who knows what else
could be in a cave around here."
	"Well, that's what Rusty is for." Harley giggled.
	Although Leo liked having Rusty around, he wasn't sure just how
useful the bot would be in the event of a real emergency.
	They made note of the different types of trees and plants they
encountered and collected samples of water, soil, and leaves to bring back
to the ship. That was the boring part. Leo knew that Chase expected him to
catalogue almost everything. Leo wanted to just bound ahead and see the
sights, but the missions had to come first.
	As they moved farther from the beach, the pools got wider. The boys
dove into them enthusiastically, splashing each other and laughing as they
waded through.
	Scouting was sometimes messy work so the pools were a nice way to
clean some of the mud and grime off that they would accumulate from
gathering samples. Leo was a little bit uncomfortable not knowing if there
might be some kind of slimy creatures under the water or something, but
Harley's enthusiasm swayed him.
	By a little after midday they completed their first arc. Harley
wanted to go on and do the second one at two miles, but Leo insisted they
go back. He knew that the next one would take even longer and did not want
to risk it getting dark while they were out.
	When they returned to the camp, they found that the others had been
busy as well. An invisible perimeter fence had been set up by Jake and
Chase. The younger boys were able to pass through because of their wrist
links, but nothing else would be able to get near the boundary without
getting a gentle shock. The strength of the shock would intensify if
anything unidentified continued to get closer. The pain of it would be
enough to turn back even the largest beasts.
	Just outside the ship, Blake and Noah were tinkering with the
foundation of the communication tower they were building. As they worked,
the two kept up a steady stream of arguments about the best ways to
assemble the tower. They bickered back and forth consistently, like they
had been married for fifty years.
	"How did it go?" Chase asked when he saw Leo and Harley returning.
	Leo gave him a wide grin. "Great! We got lots of samples. We only
did one arc though. I didn't think we should risk doing another one today."
	Chase nodded his approval. "Good choice. I wouldn't want to come
out looking for you. Did you find anything worth noting?"
	Leo and Harley told Chase about everything they had seen. Harley
proudly described his theory about underground caves and Chase considered
it with interest. He then collected the samples to be brought on board and
studied.
	"Before dinner help Blake give the robot a tune-up." Chase
instructed. "Just check him over and make sure he's running properly."
	Leo promised that he would. Taking this as the indication that they
were dismissed for the afternoon, Leo gave Harley a look before dashing off
towards the ocean.
	Harley shouted after him, immediately accepting the unspoken
challenge of a race. With his head start, Leo dove headfirst into the waves
just before Harley did, and came up spluttering and grinning and wiping
hair from his face.
	The two boys spent their afternoon romping and playing on the
beach. Leo was grateful that Chase allowed them free time. Blake and Noah
worked tirelessly on the communications array while the older two checked
samples and studied data and maps. Leo knew that they were allowed this
chance for play because of their age, so he always vowed to work extra hard
when it was expected of him so that he could feel like he earned his play
time.
	Dinner was simple that night. Blake did not have time to cook them
a fancy meal the way he sometimes did. They ate basic ration meals, but Leo
didn't mind. The day's activity had left him hungry enough to eat just
about anything put in front of him.
	They discussed the plan for the next day. Leo and Harley would try
to complete two arcs, starting out as soon as the sun was up. Since they
had taken so many samples that day, they likely wouldn't have to stop as
often to collect them. That would mean they could make progress faster.
	With their plan decided, Jake, Chase, and the younger boys retired
to bed. Blake and Noah stayed up to work on the scoutmaster bot. Neither of
them was thrilled with this task but they agreed to it with minimal
grumbling.
	Leo clambered into their blanket fort with Harley following
after. It had been Leo's plan have a little fun with Harley before they
fell asleep, but as soon as he lay himself down a wave of exhaustion hit
him. It had been a long time since he had spent a day exploring like that
and he wasn't ready for just how much energy it required.
	It seemed like Harley felt the same way because he climbed into the
blanket and pillow fort with Leo and immediately snuggled up close next to
him.
	Leo decided that he didn't mind. There would be plenty of time for
nocturnal playtime while they were here on Ephria.
	"Do you like it better here, or on the Hives?" Harley asked
suddenly, wrapping his arm gently around Leo's waist.
	The question caught Leo by surprise, and he thought about it for a
moment as he lay his head back against Harley. "Umm... I like a lot of
stuff about the Hives, but this is pretty cool. And it's way better since
you're here."
	Harley squeezed him gently and giggled.
	"What about you?" Leo asked. "What do you like more?"
	"I like the Hives because there's more people and more fun stuff to
do. But I like it here because we're like... doing big stuff. And because
you're here too." He added the last part with a touch of embarrassment.
	Leo blushed and put his hand over Harley's. "What kinda things do
you do when you go to a Hive?"
	"Well..." Harley giggled coyly. "Besides the normal stuff like
eating good food and swimming and meeting new people... everyone always
wants to... be together..." He spoke with a knowing wink and Leo had no
doubt of his meaning.
	"Who do you like `being with' the most?" Leo asked shyly, leaving
the air-quotes hanging.
	This one stumped Harley for a moment or two. "I guess it depends."
He eventually replied. "I really like doing it with you because you like
taking it more than giving."
	Leo blushed again. "It's that easy to tell?"
	With a little laugh, Harley hugged Leo tight. "It's good!" He
assured. "Some people don't know what they want to do but you know what you
like."
	That was a perspective Leo hadn't considered. He smiled to himself.
	"But..." Harley continued. "Sometimes I like being with other
people too."
	For a moment, Leo was hurt by this, but then he considered the fact
that he liked being with Blake and Chase very much and was definitely
looking forward to getting the chance to spend a night with Noah or Jake as
well. He giggled at his own irrational jealousy. "I guess I do too."
	 "Have you ever met Crew 138?" Harley asked. "I spend the night
with their two younger ones on the last Hive."
	The number rang a bell for Leo, but he had to think for a
moment. Finally, it clicked. "Marcus." He said out loud as the memory came
back to him.
	"What?" Harley's confused tone brought him back to the present.
	"I met the older member from 138. In the baths on the Hive." Leo
explained.
	"The older member?" Harley repeated with something akin to
awe. "And... you're still in one piece?"
	Leo frowned in confusion, then he thought back to the brief
interaction with Marcus. Reaching down into the water, feeling the almost
impossible length of him, even before being fully aroused. Leo once again
thought of what such enormous manhood would feel like while penetrating
him.
	"We never..." Leo answered almost regretfully.
	"Oh..." Harley understood. "Well even the youngest one is like as
big as Jake. And their teen mechanic is the biggest I've ever been
with. The older one must be..."
	Leo nodded in the darkness. His boy parts trembled as he remembered
Marcus's straight red-brown hair and almost predatory blue eyes. "Big..."
Was all he could say. "Very big..."
	Harley laughed quietly. "I bet you wish you stayed there that
night, huh?"
	Thinking back to the actual events of the night when he had met
Marcus, Leo shrugged. "Maybe a little. But that was the night I met you."
	Harley made a sound that was something like an affectionate
giggle. He squeezed Leo tightly and lay his head on his shoulder.
	Yawning wide, Leo tried to force his thoughts away from Marcus and
Crew 138 and their incredible endowment. The conversation had certain got
him thinking, but his exhaustion was more powerful yet. The warmth of
Harley cuddling him and the comfort of their lovingly constructed blanket
fort soon convinced his mind to follow his body, slowing down until he
drifted gently off in the embrace of the small blonde boy.

	"Piece of SHIT!"
	Leo awoke with a yawn to the sound of something metal clanging off
the walls of the ship and Blake's voice ranting angrily in the other
room. Next to him, Harley stirred slowly, also roused by the commotion.
	Noah's calmer voice could be heard saying something to Blake, but
the words were difficult to make out.
	"No!" Blake answered. "It's bullshit. There's no reason it
shouldn't work!"
	Curious, Leo rolled himself out of the fort to investigate Blake's
meltdown. With a groan, Harley crawled after him.
	A wrench lay on the floor outside their door. It had obviously been
thrown at the wall in the midst of a temper tantrum. Blake was pacing
angrily around the cabin with Noah looking on.
	"Why don't we work on the comm tower for a bit and come back to it
later?" Noah suggested, obviously keeping a much leveler head.
	"Because Chase doesn't want them going out without that stupid
robot!" Blake gestured towards where Leo and Harley were emerging from
their room.
	"So, they don't go out." Noah said. "It's not like missing one day
will be the end of the world."
	The wind seemed to leave Blakes sails as he let out a powerful
exhale. Obviously, that had not occurred to him. He said nothing for a few
seconds as he recovered his temper.
	"Fine..." Blake eventually answered quietly. "But if Chase gets
angry..." He shrugged and sighed, not knowing how to finish his
sentence. "I can't work on that thing any more right now. I'm going to get
breakfast."
	Leo turned to look at Harley with a grin forming. Harley, still
partially asleep was only just beginning to grasp the meaning of the
conversation. It meant that they had the day off. Seeing Leo's excited
reaction, Harley's brain kicked into gear. He returned Leo's grin.
	"So..." Leo spoke quietly to Noah. He didn't want to pose his
question to Blake with him in his current mood. "Does this mean we're not
exploring today?"
	Noah gave him a slight smile and rolled his eyes. "Probably not at
least until later. If we can get one of the scoutmasters up and running by
lunchtime, then maybe you'll have time to do one loop in the afternoon."
	Leo's grin widened and he turned back to Harley. "Let's go!" He
declared excitedly, grabbing his friend's wrist and practically hauling him
outside.
	Harley, still rubbing the sleep from his eyes was a little bit less
enthusiastic to be dragged out into the sunlight. He groaned and shielded
his face but did not resist. By the time they reached the shore, Harley had
found his stride once again and tackled Leo into the surf as the two
celebrated their good luck.
	Not far away, in the tent that had been set up as something like a
command center, Chase sat heavily down on the simple cot that he had slept
in. Noah had sent him a quick update as soon as he and Blake had decided
the scoutmaster bot was a long-term project. There was so much to do but
Chase knew that if they rushed things it would only put his team in danger.
	"We got a lot done already." Jake pointed out. "Yesterday was more
productive than we expected, and we can still do some things around camp
while we wait for the exploration to continue."
	Chase nodded his agreement. He knew that Jake was right, but just
sitting and doing nothing was not Chase's style.
	"Maybe you could use a little free time." Jake suggested. "Or a
little... relaxation." There was a change in his tone and Chase looked up
to see Jake step closer.
	Normally, Chase preferred the company of younger and smaller team
members. Once in a while though, the older member of a team would catch his
eye. Jake with his sharp jaw, sculpted abs, and handsome smile fit nicely
into that category. More importantly, there had been from time to time in
their voyage, some doubt about who was actually in charge. Maybe it was
time for Chase to assert his dominance.
	Not waiting for an invitation, Chase stood abruptly and kissed Jake
on his full lips. Jake was obviously a bit taken aback but quickly leaned
into it and kissed back intensely. Without warning, Chase quickly executed
a takedown move he had practiced dozens of times, bringing Jake around and
driving him to his knees, bent over the cot that Chase had just been
sitting on.
	Jake had not expected this. In fact, from the look he gave over his
shoulder as Chase closed in on him pinning his arms down, it was clear that
he had planned on being on top in this scenario. Chase held the blonde down
pointedly as he knelt behind him. Jake struggled at first, but Chase felt
his resistance weaken as the will to fight left him. Of course, Jake still
pushed back a bit. Chase knew that Jake's pride wouldn't let him surrender
outright. He had to pretend that he hadn't been completely dominated in a
matter of seconds.
	Lining himself up, Chase heard an involuntary gasp escape Jake's
lips, indicating that Chase's victory was complete. One of the advantages
to being with older crew members was that Chase did not need to be nearly
as gentle or hold back at all the way that he did with Leo and less so with
Blake.
	Placing both hands on Jake's shoulders and pressing him into the
cot, Chase rammed his full length into the warm hole. Jake's deep voice
cracked in a gasping moan as he bucked his hips in surprise.
	Chase barely heard it though. Already he was lost in the thrill of
conquering Jake and the need to breed him and claim the territory for his
own. Still holding Jake down, he began to thrust forcefully, earning the
moans and whimpers that the blonde was desperately trying to
suppress. There was no doubt any more who ran this mission.
	Jake had stopped pretending that he wasn't loving every second. His
moans came more freely, and he even lifted his ass up to meet Chase's
powerful thrusts. This was what Chase had craved from the start and it only
made him more wild and rough.
	Suddenly, as Chase was building towards a powerful climax, a shrill
whistling siren erupted from within the camp. A blaring alarm accompanied
it soon after and the slightly distorted amplified voice of Rusty the
scoutmaster bot rang out clearly.
	"DANGER! DANGER!"
	Less than a second later, an ear-piercing scream of terror split
the air. Chase immediately recognized it as Leo.
	Throwing himself off of Jake, Chase sprinted out of the tent,
almost tearing the structure down in his haste.
	"DANGER! DANGER!" The alarm continued. The scoutmaster bot sat
dormant next to the ship, but its warning lights were flashing rapidly.
	Jake caught up with him. "What the fuck is going on!?"
	Again, Leo's scream came from down at the shore. Chase didn't
answer Jake's question but bolted in the direction of the ocean with Jake
hot on his heels.
	As Chase came around the other side of the ship, he saw Leo running
away from the water. Chase's heart surged with relief as he dashed forward,
wrapping the small boy in his arms.
	"Where's Harley?" Jake's voice split through Chase's momentary
calm. "Leo, where's Harley!?"
	Blake and Noah came running from the ship, having heard the
commotion as well.
	"What the hell is going on!?" Blake demanded, scanning the area for
threats.
	Leo pulled partly away from Chase's tight hug. He was sobbing and
trembling. He pointed out toward the ocean. "Monster!" He wailed. "It took
him!" He buried his face in Chase's shoulder.
	"Harley!" Jake screamed, sprinting toward the ocean. "Harley!"
	Noah took off after Jake as well, Blake tried to catch the blonde
boy's wrist, but Noah wrenched free and ran, desperation etched into his
face.
	"Wait!" Chase cried, standing up and jogging towards the beach. "We
don't know what's out there!"
	No sooner had Jake's feet touched the ocean water when a massive
tentacle-like appendage shot out from deeper water. It wrapped around Jake
in an instant and with a lightning fast jerk, hauled him from his
feet. Jake screamed and Chase began running towards him.
	The scream was silenced suddenly as the tentacle arm dragged him
abruptly down, under the waves. Blake held Leo back and watched in
horror. Noah had reached the water by the time Jake had been snatched. He
turned back to look at Blake and Leo with an expression of confused
terror. Only for a moment though. Another arm whipped forward and swept him
back out to sea as well. He barely had time to let out a cry of surprise
and fear before he too disappeared beneath the dark water.
	"Don't go in the water!" Blake screamed to Chase who had reached
the edge of the shore.
	Chase dug his heels into the sand so quickly that he fell over
backwards, only inches from the edge.
	Leo wailed in despair, having witnessed the whole thing. "We need
to get them!" He screamed. "We need to save them!"
	Blake wrapped him tightly in a hug, feeling the tears streaming
down his own face. Chase crawled backward away from the water until he
could find his feet again and ran back to join them.
	"No, no, no!" Leo wailed. "We need to... Harley! We have to save
Harley!" He screamed hysterically before breaking away from Blake's embrace
and making a dash for the water.
	Chase snagged him around the waist and picked him up, holding him
tightly to his chest.
	"Put me down!" Leo cried. "Do something! Please, Chase do
something!"
	"What do we do??" Blake almost shouted, close to breaking down as
well.
	Chase looked over his shoulder at the water. "Inside, now!" He
ordered, running toward the ship.
	"Noo!" Leo screamed, struggling in Chase's arms. "No! We can't!"
	Chase held the squirming boy tightly though as he and Blake
ascended the ramp to board the ship. Taking one more look out at the dark
ocean and setting his face in a mask of stone, Chase punched the button to
close the ramp.

















Chapter 5

	"Well gentlemen," General Vekker pushed his chair back. "We've all
had the chance to review the report from Ephria. I'd like to hear from all
of you about your thoughts on the mission."
	Karl Goring the CEO of REPLICorp was the first to speak
up. REPLICorp was the private company that had invented and now serviced
and supplied all the military's cloning and genetic modification
technology. Goring now sat on the General's cabinet, as the company
exclusively contracted with the United Earth Military.
	"If I may, General, I see this as an absolute win. We were able to
establish the beginnings of a colony with a communication link and a
security perimeter, and only at the cost of one team of our artificial
scouts."
	The General scratched his chin thoughtfully as Commander Frans, the
first in charge of the HIVE project spoke as well.
	"I tend to agree with Mr. Goring, Sir." The Commander
said. "Perhaps we did not get as much exploring done as we would have
liked, and we will need to employ stricter security protocol for further
manned missions to Ephria, but we have our foundation. And imagine the
backlash if we had encountered this snare during a mission with genuine
humans."
	General Vekker nodded. "True. I'd have press banging down my
door. Some people already think we're reaching too far with Ephria."
	There were nods from the shimmering holograms around the
room. Earth was divided on the cause of colonizing other worlds. Some
believed that it was the only way to ensure the continuation of humanity,
but others considered it a waste of resources that could be put to better
use serving the people of Earth. If genuine humans had died for the
expedition, then there may have been enough public outcry to cancel the
mission entirely.
	"Speaking of which," The General continued. "How is our other
little experiment going? Commander Provis?"
	Another of the holograms at the table cleared his throat. "We are
proceeding on schedule, Sir. The newest batch of twins is en route to the
Satellite for training."
	The General smiled. It seemed like everything was beginning to take
shape. "And that woman, the one mother that was making threats?"
	The Commander nodded assurance. "No need to worry, General. She
will no longer be a problem. Accidents happen all the time."
	"Very good." Vekker approved. "I trust that you can make sure
things are kept discreet. I don't need to remind you of the delicacy of
this project. Years of work would go to waste if the wrong people were to
get wind of it."
	"Of course, Sir." The Commander promised. "You have my word. We are
working tirelessly to ensure that there are no loose ends that could be
followed back to us."
	A smirk curled the General's lip. "Excellent. Proceed with the
training."
	"Sir has there been any update on the strange happenings within the
Gemin..." Commander Provis was cut off abruptly as General Vekker pressed
the mute button on the Commander's hologram.
	"Nothing to be concerned about." Vekker stated calmly. "Rumor and
conjecture mixed with wishful thinking. There is nothing going on there
that we cannot handle. You would do well to remember that, Commander."
	The Commander averted his eyes in embarrassment before the General
unmuted his communication. "Of course, General."


	Three weeks had passed since the tragedy on Ephria and Leo was
still despondent. He spent almost all of his time shut away in the little
room that he and Harley had shared together. Their blanket fort still stood
in one corner, but he couldn't bring himself to use it. He had tried once,
but the raw emotion forced him out once more. Instead he would curl up on
one edge of the bed and try not to look at it. Even though it was painful
to see, he also couldn't bear to take it down. Taking apart the fort would
be acknowledging that Harley was not coming back. And that was not yet
something that Leo was ready to do.
	In the week and a half after the horrible incident, Blake had
finished the communications tower. He had worked only in short shifts, well
away from the water, and only with Chase watching closely, armed with a
heavy rifle. Leo was not permitted off the ship during this time, not that
he would have gone even if he could.
	As soon as the comm tower was up, they had left Ephria as far
behind as possible. The memories followed though, especially for Leo.
	After reporting the completion of the tower, Chase had immediately
received new orders from command and new coordinates for the Hive where
they would dock for refuel and resupply. That was all. There was no
consolation, no offer of a break to recover from the trauma. It was simply
on to the next thing, with Crew 217 almost forgotten entirely.
	Even Leo's normal enthusiasm at returning to a Hive could not
penetrate the gloom that hung over him. He didn't know if anything
could. Blake and Chase had both tried to pull him out of it. Blake had done
his best to cook only Leo's favorite meals from the simple travel rations
they were supplied with. But even so, Leo did not eat much and only picked
at the food on the rare times he left his room.
	Chase was much less strict than usual, allowing Leo to do almost
anything he wanted. Sleeping at odd hours, using the virtual reality in the
middle of the night, not helping with household chores. Chase let it all
happen, even though mostly Leo just kept to himself.
	Eventually it dawned on Leo that he was partially being
selfish. Chase and Blake had to be upset too, but they were still doing
their work and picking up the slack from Leo. This spike of self-awareness
however did not come with a motivation to do anything about it. It seemed
like Leo couldn't help but mope and hide away, even in the moments that he
wished he could go and greet his crewmates with a smile or help them with
the cleaning.
	As they neared the new Hive however, Chase came knocking on his
door. Chase could of course open the door whenever he wanted, the knocking
was just a courtesy.
	"Come in..." Leo managed. His voice was hoarse, those were the
first two words he had spoken in over twelve hours.
	"You should come out with us. We're going to be docking soon."
Chase told him quietly from the doorway.
	Leo shook his head slightly from where he lay on the bed. "I'd
rather stay here."
	Chase approached and sat down on the edge of the bed. He placed a
hand gently on Leo's leg and stroked up and down. "I know you're still
hurting. I think we all are."
	"Doesn't seem like it." Leo responded curtly and then immediately
regretted it. He knew that Chase and Blake were grieving in their own way.
	If Chase felt the sting of Leo's words, he didn't show it. He just
continued to softly stroke Leo's leg. "It's natural to feel that way. When
someone that you're close to dies, it takes a part of you with them."
	Leo felt the tears stinging his eyes. Even after weeks, the emotion
seemed to flow freely with even the slightest push. He wished the wound
wasn't still so tender. "How long?" He asked with a sniffle.
	"How long, what?" Chase just continued the gentle comforting
contact.
	Sitting partially up so that he could look at Chase with tears
beginning to leak from the corners of his eyes he asked, "How long does it
hurt this bad?"
	Chase's stern face softened, and he held out his arms toward
Leo. Sniffling, Leo crawled across the bed and Chase drew him in and
cuddled him tightly. "It's different for everyone." Chase spoke in a low
voice in Leo's ear. "It never totally goes away. But time does make it
easier."
	Leo didn't like to let Chase or Blake see him cry but wrapped in
Chase's strong arms he couldn't help but break down. Chase just held on to
him, letting him cry his heart out while whispering soft comfort to him.
	As the minutes passed, Leo's sobs diminished into silent tremors
that wracked his small body periodically. Chase kept him in a firm grip,
where Leo knew that he was not alone.
	"Come and stay with me tonight." Chase told him. "You shouldn't be
alone all this time. When we dock, this part of the ship will be detached."
	That thought had not occurred to Leo yet. They were still flying
what was essentially two ships. When they reached the Hive, the ship that
had belonged to Crew 217 would be removed. That made him want to start
crying all over again.
	"What will happen to this ship?" Leo asked.
	"Well, it will be sent for routine maintenance and then given to a
new crew or kept in storage until another crew needs it." Chase told him
practically.
	Leo shook with a particularly violent sniffle. "What'll happen
to... everything inside?" He couldn't help looking over at the blanket
fort.
	Chase noticed where he was looking and squeezed Leo tight. "Take
the blanket." He encouraged. "They won't notice that it's missing. We'll
keep it in the closet. You can get it out when you want it."
	Leo sucked in a deep breath and nodded against Chase's
chest. Summoning all his willpower, he disentangled himself from Chase's
grasp and stood up. Immediately he wanted nothing more than to jump back
into those strong arms. Instead, Leo pushed himself to cross the room to
the corner where the blanket fort sat. Reaching out a shaking hand, he took
hold of the soft blanket that had been he and Harley's special clubhouse
for their entire time together.
	With a single tear running down his cheek, Leo pulled the blanket
away, dismantling the fort. He clutched it tight to his chest. Chase moved
up behind him and wrapped his arms around him once more.
	"Come on." Chase spoke softly. "I think Blake has dinner just about
ready."


	That night before bed, Chase helped Leo fold the blanket neatly in
a triangle, almost like a flag and place it on a shelf in the
closet. Eating dinner with Blake and Chase had felt good. Leo had nearly
even smiled at one of Blake's jokes. Now though, as Chase gently set the
folded blanket on the shelf, Leo felt the emotion rushing to the surface
once more.
	Swallowing hard, he forced it down. It was time to be strong. The
closet door closed with a click of finality, and Leo let out a deep breath
he did not realize he had been holding. Chase put a strong hand on his
shoulder and gave him a smile.
	"I'm proud of you." He told him sincerely before leaning down to
kiss Leo on the forehead. "Now, bedtime."
	Leo did not argue. He padded over to Chase's large bed and slipped
under the covers. Chase moved to the other side and climbed in as well. Leo
gratefully let Chase pull him close, feeling the warmth of his body. For
the first time since Ephria, Leo did not feel quite so alone.

	Something big was going on. It became apparent as they neared Hive
451 and were informed that there was a waiting time for docking. That meant
that the Hive was entirely full. Hives were almost never full, and this
meant that serious events were underway. Leo wondered if it had anything to
do with Ephria.
	Fortunately, a series of seven crews were dispatched from the Hive
not long after their arrival, making their wait time fairly short.
	"What do you think is going on?" Leo asked Blake as they made their
final approach.
	Blake shrugged. "No idea. It's probably why we got called back in
so quickly though."
	Because their ship was still connected to the other, they had to
proceed to a special docking bay where the ships would be
disentangled. This took them a little longer than usual but soon Leo was
greeted by the familiar sight of the doors sliding open on the main deck of
a Hive. He did not think that he had been on this particular Hive before,
but they all tended to run together as most of them looked very similar.
	Almost as soon as the doors opened, their comm unit pinged.
	"Chase of Crew 91 please proceed immediately to the command center
to receive orders."
	"Well that was fast." Chase commented. "Don't get too
comfortable. I get the feeling we're going to be moving out again soon."
	Something was definitely up. The speed with which they had been
contacted meant that command had been waiting for them to arrive.
	Leo wandered around the Hive with Blake. He wasn't in the mood to
go off on his own and also wanted to stay close in case Chase came back
with their new orders. The station was a buzz of activity but there seemed
to be a strange tension in the air, as if everyone was feeling the same
sort of urgency that they were.
	Leo and Blake got some food and returned to their ship to wait for
Chase. Normally they would want to put their time on the Hive to good use
by finding someone, or multiple someones, to spend it with. This time
however it didn't feel right. The loss of Crew 217 was still too near to
think much about baser needs.
	As it turned out, they made the right choice in staying back at the
ship. Chase returned only a little over an hour after leaving, looking
frustrated.
	"Well?" Blake asked expectantly. He was lounged in one of the
comfortable chairs in the common area nibbling on a slice of pizza.
	"We have new orders." Chase confirmed what they had already
suspected. "We're leaving in four hours."
	"Four hours!?" Leo cried in disbelief. "We've never been on a Hive
less than a day before."
	"I know." Chase answered, his tone indicating that he was not
thrilled with the situation either. "Those are the orders though. So finish
up and help me with the resupply."
	"Where are we going?" Blake picked up the pace with his lunch.
	Chase sighed and eventually shrugged. "Some satellite near Earth."
	"Near Earth?" Leo questioned excitedly.
	"What satellite? Why?" Blake demanded.
	"I don't know, Blake." Chase snapped but quickly softened his
tone. "Sorry. They didn't give me a lot of information."
	"They didn't tell you what the mission is?" Leo asked in confusion.
	"Not yet." Chase confirmed. "They said they would transmit more
information when we got close. Apparently it's top secret."
	Leo exchanged a look with Blake. "Whoa... Must be important then."
	Shaking his head, Blake scoffed. "I bet it's something
stupid. They're always acting like everything is such a big deal."
	"I don't know." Chase admitted. "But either way, we need to get
through the resupply quickly so we don't fall behind."

	It took the three of them almost the entire four hours to move the
new supplies in. They did not need as much specialized equipment as they
had for their mission to Ephria, so it did not take them quite as
long. While they worked, their ship was detached from Crew 217's ship. Leo
felt a pang of sadness as he saw the port between the two ships sealed off
for the last time but was too busy to dwell on it. Soon enough, they were
ready to depart.
	"Crew 91 ready for launch." Chase spoke into the comm as they shut
down the airlocks between the Hive and their ship.
	"Copy, Crew 91. Stand by." The voice from the control tower had
them wait so as not to interfere with other ships that were launching or
docking at the Hive. "Crew 91 you are clear to launch." The voice finally
informed them.
	Chase carefully detached the ship from the Hive's docking port and
in a matter of a few minutes they were once again moving through the void
of space.

	Despite the strange nature of their Hive visit, the ship quickly
settled back into normalcy. Chase set a course for the Earth system. He did
not have to exact coordinates of the satellite that was their
destination. Command had told him that he would receive those upon arrival
in the solar system.
	"Updated orders!" Blake shouted not long after they had gotten
underway. He had been monitoring the ship's computer and saw the message
come through. Chase and Leo gathered around quickly.
	"Looks like we're going to be meeting another crew at the
satellite." Blake told them, scanning the document. "We'll be working with
Crew 138."
	Leo's eyes widened as Blake said the number. He moved forward to
read for himself to make sure he was correct. Crew 138 was the crew that he
and Harley had talked about. The crew belonging to Marcus, the man from the
baths on their previous Hive.
	Thinking back to that evening and the brief encounter he'd had with
Marcus, Leo shivered both with anticipation and a bit of fright. If their
experience with Crew 217 had been anything to go by, working together with
another crew meant more than just accomplishing the mission as a team.
	"Are you alright, Leo?" Blake asked, waving a hand in front of his
face. "Do you know this crew?"
	"Um... No..." Leo recovered awkwardly. "I think I just... maybe
heard Harley talk about them once." The mention of Harley's name sent a
pang of guilt through Leo. It had been only three weeks and here he was
fanaticizing about his approaching encounter with a new crew. "I'm going to
bed." He announced abruptly, not wanting to face any more questions.
	Chase and Blake looked at one another but they did not comment or
try to stop him.

	The journey to the Earth system was unremarkable. Blake tried on
several occasions to coax Leo into his bedroom for an evening but was
unsuccessful. Leo opted to stay with Chase although their interactions were
mostly innocent. Leo was still not totally ready for intimacy as the
thought reminded him of Harley and his crew members.
	Furthermore, the prospect of meeting Marcus again as well as the
rest of his crew had Leo very confused about his feelings. A part of him
eagerly recalled the confident aura that Marcus seemed to exude, but
another part did not want to be subjected to it again because he knew he
would be unable to resist.
	Leo did his best to put it out of his mind and think about other
things. This would be by far the closest he had ever been to Earth. He
wondered if maybe during or after this secret mission they might be able to
visit the planet where it all started. Despite Chase's assertion that Earth
was not the wonderous and perfect place that Leo held in his imagination,
his curiosity was still enormous. He wondered if he would be able to tell
the difference between regular humans and genetically grown ones just by
looking.
	Once they entered the system their new orders came through. The
space station they were heading to was orbiting the planet Mars, Earth's
very first colony. Leo could hardly even express his excitement. Imagining
being so close to the places he had heard so much about through media and
history was almost too much to bear.
	"It's no big deal." Blake told him, obviously slightly annoyed by
Leo's exuberance. "They don't even like artificial humans."
	"Shut up." Leo complained, irritated that Blake would try to dull
his excitement. "You've never been there either."
	"Yeah, but Chase has." Blake countered. "And he says it's nothing
special."
	Leo scowled but his good mood could not be soured that easily. "I
don't care." He replied almost teasingly. "It'll be fun anyway."
	"If we even get to go to the planet." Blake reminded.
	They docked their ship at the space station and as they waited for
the pressure to equalize, trepidation began to gnaw at Leo once more. What
would it be like working with Marcus and Crew 138? And what even was this
top-secret mission?
	His heart hammered even faster as the three of them stepped out of
the airlock and were greeted almost immediately by a tall, broad-shouldered
man; muscular with reddish brown hair and sharp blue eyes.
	Marcus gave them a confident grin which widened as his eyes found
Leo, partially trying to hide behind Blake. It was obvious that Marcus
recognized him, but thankfully he said nothing. Leo tried desperately not
to ogle him but could not help himself. Marcus's chiseled body appeared
flawless. What drew his eyes almost immediately though was the massive
shaft hanging between Marcus's legs. Leo had not gotten a proper look at it
before and now that he did, he could still hardly believe it was real. Even
totally soft it came almost halfway down to his knee. Against his will, Leo
immediately became hard as a rock.
	"Welcome." Marcus greeted and then quickly introduced himself,
shaking hands with Chase. "My crew arrived yesterday. We've been getting
ready ever since."
	"Getting ready for what?" Blake asked with a slight tremor in his
voice. It seemed like even the cocky Blake was intimidated by Marcus. Leo
looked down to see that Blake was partially aroused as well. Not as much as
Leo, who's little dick stood at full attention as he tried to hide it by
standing behind Blake, but it was nice to know that he wasn't the only one
affected by Marcus's presence.
	"Oh, right." Marcus laughed. "They probably haven't briefed you
yet. We only just got looped in ourselves. This space station is the
staging area for something called the Gemini project. Some of us are going
to be helping with the project directly, and others will be running a bit
of... shall we say an espionage mission."
	"Espionage?" Chase questioned with a frown. "We're spying on our
own side?"
	"Not exactly." Marcus corrected. "According to my briefing there's
some intel here that doesn't need to get out. That's going to be part of
our job here."
	"This isn't making a lot of sense." Chase remarked. "What exactly
is this Gemini project?"
	Marcus rolled his eyes. "You'll have to hear it from them. You
wouldn't believe me if I told you. Earth brass playing god again. I was
asked to bring you in for your briefing as soon as you arrived. Want to
follow me?"
	Without waiting for an answer, Marcus turned and led them down the
corridor of the space station. Leo heaved a sigh of relief that Marcus
either hadn't noticed how excited he had been or had chosen to ignore
it. He blinked several times and shook his head trying to clear it. Now was
the time to focus on their job. After that he would have time to figure out
his feelings about Marcus and Crew 138. It seemed like they would be
spending some quality time together after all.