Change of Pace

I stared at my reflection for a few more seconds before reaching down and unzipping the bodysuit to free myself from its confines, revealing my relatively unblemished pale skin and allowing me to finally 'breathe' for the first time in days.

Stripping off this second layer of skin that I was so accustomed to, a ripe stench made my nose wrinkle as I allowed the black latex-esque bodysuit crumple to the floor as I tossed it aside, though that only meant that the smell was coming from me as well as it since I could still smell it so intimately.

A sigh escaped me as I reluctantly lifted the bodysuit up and moved into the bathroom hidden behind the mirror, where my shower, toilet, another sink, washer and dryer all resided inside of a small room that held heat well.

Tossing my bodysuit into the specialized washer, I began to get it clean before I stretched and enjoyed the cacophony of cracking and popping that came from my joints while the silent yet blissful elongating of my muscles sent me spiraling into ecstatic glee as I allowed myself to relax completely.

Days spent down on the ground with very minimal time to relax and take care of myself meant that currently I was in desperate need of any and all relaxation and this change of pace to last longer than a day, which thankfully it was.

Turning on the shower and letting the water heat up for a moment, I stared back at the mirror and appraised my own figure, letting my eyes roam around freely as I relaxed not only my body, but also my mind; my eyes lingered on the well trained and honed abs that a majority of us had, though the almost sculpted six pack wasn't terribly common amongst the women and futanari of Vel Risi.

We were all well built and fit, but whether or not our bodies allowed such a cut figure was an entirely different story; I had seen my fair share of slim and lithe women here, with hidden muscles that they were either happy or angry at, while I had also seen a bunch of burly women who had thick arms and chiseled thighs.

That did track with the men as well, something that was obviously a genetic boon of humanity since it gave us a wonderful diversity of physical body types meant for a variety of things; that was getting off track though, and it made another part of me a bit excited...

Finally being able to relax meant there was a part of me that wanted the greatest peaceful pastime, and as I stared into the mirror I couldn't help it as I allowed my eyes to drop down to the part of me that was a rarity amongst natural humanity; the flaccid penis that dangled between my toned thighs, with a pair of testicles that hid another pair of lips.

A lot of men and women were able to find doctors that specialized in genetic modification to create the bridge between the two sexes, but the research hadn't progressed just yet to make whichever one you added fully functional; therefor, futanari were the only humans capable of conceiving a child in both ways.

As I allowed my thoughts to drift amongst the 'fairer' sex of the Vel Risi Company, I of course couldn't help it as memories of intimate moments began to flutter into my mind; the softness of a motherly woman's embrace as we shared a bed together was contrasted by the firm muscles of another futanari as I was held above the ground and pressed against a wall.

Those thoughts caused my buddy to twitch and attempt to rear its head, but a simple clenching of my thighs and a deep breath washed those thoughts away... for now, anyhow, since I desperately craved that sort of release.

Tearing my eyes away from the mirror and instead stepping into the shower, I began to indulge the embrace of the hot water as I cleaned myself thoroughly, washing away the sweat and grime from a deployment and taking care of my body as I continued my stretches now that my muscles were even further relaxed.

Time was irrelevant in that shower, but I do know it was an indulgent break I had taken since by the time I emerged, my washer was already done and ready to be turned on again to fully rid the bodysuit of its disgusting sweaty smell.

While it resumed another cycle of chemically heated cleaning, I pulled on a loose pair of pants and a cropped top as I returned to my cabin, my mind running on autopilot as I made my way into the kitchen to begin preparing a snack for the time being.

Thoughts about the debriefing fluttered around inside my mind as my body moved on its own; the 'Pharaoh of the Stars' sending aid to us meant this was a more serious engagement than before, and it forced me to be on my guard when we were deployed again.

The descendants of the Egyptian Ark were straightforwards and proud people, but that pride made the relationship between us - the Icelandic descendants - and them rather rough sometimes, and I had yet to find a descendant of theirs that hadn't rubbed me the wrong way.

Then there was the looming threat of a Colony of aliens rushing towards this system, with an unknown threat level that we wouldn't know about until they reached the system, which was the definition of 'too late'.

There could be an incredibly powerful Chukanid waiting amongst that Colony, or we could be dealing with a sub par fleet of aliens that would be turned into space debris before we thought we were challenged.

All of that kept me from truly relaxing, but the smell of a sizzling sausage patty alongside the fluffy eggs beside it only helped me reach that point; the toasted bread pulled everything together into a nice sandwich that helped me remember there was such a thing as real food and not freeze dried rations that could be made into a gruel slop packed with nutrients.

The simple things in life were never lost on me when I returned to the ship after being deployed, and as I ate my 'snack' I allowed my eyes to roam once more, though this time it was to find a gun to disassemble and begin maintenance on, another favored pastime of mine.

Being back in the safety of a battleship's hull was unparalleled after so long, and I planned to make the most of these 72 hours after the days I had spent below.