Pleasure Planet

Content Advisory: Graphic Language

I gripped the arms of my seat, trying to prevent myself from being beaten to death as the transport entered the atmosphere. Damn, I hated space travel. I’d never gotten used to the stomach tumbling plummet as gravity crushes me toward a planet. I probably never would. But unless I wanted to spend my one-week respites on the desolate surface of Crystalar, I had no choice but to endure this monthly torture.

I work for the Galactic Government as a crystal tuner, honing the energy producing quartz to resonate at different frequencies. My specialty is cutting for communication devices. Halographic imagers, wrist modules, personal data implants, you know, the usual stuff. It’s all very scientific, very top secret and very booooring.

To say I look forward to my time off would be a gross understatement. For three weeks out of the month I’m surrounded by big-headed geeks who live and breathe crystal honing. Some of them can’t even dress themselves and most would be happy to never leave their plasma tuners.

Nope. Not me. I’m as different from my coworkers as a girl can get. Having grown up on the tough streets of Harlemax V, I realized early on that science was my only way out of a bleak future. When government recruiters saw my quantum mathematics scores, they'd snatched me up faster than a Ferrian sailor can proposition a two-bit dock whore. The rest, as they say, is history.

I unhooked the five point harness and stood. My head pounded from the pressure changes and my hips ached from sitting for the last four hours. A long soak in the hot pools of Pleasure Realm Nine is just what I needed.  Yeah, I know, Nine is for the senior crowd, golf, tennis, horseshoes, but I needed to unwind before I jumped into the club scene.

I glanced at Hector, a tuning colleague. His attention was riveted on the holo-screen of his in-flight entertainment pod.

“Where to first, Hector? The Pleasure Dome?”

He squinted at me over the edge of his glasses and scowled. “You always ask me that, Andromeda, and my answer is the same each time.”

I mimicked his monotone voice. “Entertainment sites are a cesspool of germs and immorality and I’d have to be bound and gagged before I set foot in one of those festering pits of horror?”

He gave me a quick nod and turned his attention back to his pod. I don’t know, maybe it’s his tightly buttoned collar or the way each hair on his chocolate brown head lay plastered against his scalp, but everything about Hector screamed kick me.

I’ll give him credit though; he had the most amazing green eyes behind his thick rimmed nerd glasses. With a team of beauty consultants working overtime, he might actually achieve attractive status.

Three women, who had been sitting in the back row, stood and began filing out. Their shrieks of excitement at being on the Pleasure Planet wafted through the compartment. I caught snatches of their conversation. Partying, getting drunk, and getting laid. Now there was a concept I could hang with. When was the last time I’d had actual physical contact with my clothes off? Too long.

We wound our way down the long tube and into the decontamination chamber. Women on the right, men on the left. Hector and I tossed our bags onto the conveyer belt and separated without a backward glance. I probably wouldn’t see him again until we boarded for home. I don’t know what he did while he was here, but I’d always imagined him cloistered in seminars on space dust or pouring over whatever exhibition Pleasure Realm Eight had on display. The Nerd Realm as I affectionately called it. I avoided promenade eight at all costs. The last thing I wanted was to ruin my chances of hooking up by being seen milling around Geekville.

I stripped and stood under the decon shower next to the frosted glass wall. Another part of space travel I hated. Taking a deep breath, I slammed the red button. I stiffened as jets of icy spray doused my body. My nipples tightened to painful points and shivers raced across my skin. The decontamination solution reeked of citrus and cleaning fluid.  Smelling like a pine fresh orange was not my idea of an alluring aroma.

Squeals erupted as the three women received their treatment. They jumped around, their perky breasts bouncing and their styled hair drooping around their shoulders. These women were anything if not gorgeous. I ran my hand through my short, spiky hair. I kept it short for safety reasons but I secretly yearned for lush locks like these galactic goddesses sported. I might be street savvy and tough on the outside, but I’m still kind of girly on the inside.

My next stop was the warm showers. Steaming water washed away the decon solution, leaving my body squeaky clean. My eyes wandered to the three women. I’m not a lesbian or anything, but I couldn’t seem to pull my gaze from them. Their hands moved over their golden brown skin, sensually shushing the foaming water down their bodies. The blond caught my eye and gave me smile that felt a little too inviting for my taste. I returned a snappy, wide-eyed grin and turned away. No sense in encouraging the tourists. My door doesn’t swing that way.

I closed my eyes and concentrated on rinsing my hair. The hot spray massaged the back of my neck and skull. My muscles loosened, the tension swirling down the drain with the water. By evening I’d be good as new.

I opened my eyes and peered out the glass window. The opaque frost stopped just below my nose. From here I could peer into the men’s chambers. A narrow corridor separated the two bathing bays so neither sex could see anything of interest. I briefly caught sight of Hector’s back as he left the decon bay. At least I think it was Hector. He’d been the only male traveler on the transport, but try as I might, I couldn’t gift him with the broad shoulders and muscular back disappearing around the corner.

Hector was a geek, flabby and fish-belly white under his lab coat. Wasn’t he?

I donned the thick black robe provided to all visitors as they exited the decontamination bay and hefted my bag off the gamma ray sanitation belt. I glanced around, looking for Hector, but he was long gone. Probably raced off to catch the tail end of a Microscopic Organisms from the Remote Regions of Bumfucknowhere symposium. That was the beauty of Pleasure Planet, something for everyone.

I made my way through the transport station and into The Pleasure Palace. This was where the action happened. The Palace was a giant, on-planet resort taking up hundreds of thousands of acres. More rustic endeavors like camping and spelunking were enjoyed by visiting naturalists in the outer regions of the planet. But for those tourists who craved comfort, The Pleasure Palace provided every diversion imaginable.

I wedged into the elevator with several other black robed people, and rode to the fiftieth floor. I’d splurged for a tower room this trip, feeling the need to pamper myself. Work had been particularly tense with all the new military contract negotiations. I was a peon, just there to cut some quartz. So why had I become every upper level moron’s punching bag? Most gammapen pushing idiots wouldn’t know a crystal if it bit them in the balls and yet they felt justified in telling me how to do my job. Assholes.

I exited the elevator and walked down the long hall. The reservationist had given me an end suite and I was really excited. These rooms cost a pretty credit and were booked months in advance. I’d lucked out when making my arrangements. Somebody had canceled and the room’s availability had flashed onto my screen. I’d snatched it up. An error message had popped onto the screen and I’d thought I’d been too late. But a second later my credits went through and the confirmation code downloaded into my information bucket.

I pressed my hand to the keypad and the door slid open. Another thing I liked about the Palace. No retinal scan. Those things had me seeing black dots for hours. I slung my bag onto the platform bed and dropped my robe. Unzipping my duffle, I yanked out my black thong bikini and slipped it on. I loved this thing. I’d bought the suit last year from a nomadic vendor who landed on Crystalar. Looking in the mirror, I had to admit it was worth every credit.

I ran my hands over my flat stomach. Strictly out of boredom I’d taken to weight training during my off hours. I smiled. The habit had paid off.

The swoosh of the door made me jump. I spun to see Hector standing in the opening, but he was too engrossed in whatever boring shit was on his gammapad to notice me. What the hell?

I cleared my throat and he looked up.

“Andromeda, what are you doing in my room?”

“Hector, I could ask the same thing.”

He backed up and stuck his head out the door, checking the room number. “5025 is my room.” He held up his welcome package, showing the corresponding number across the top.

I snatched my packet off the bed and mimicked him. His brow furrowed at the sight of the large black 5025 on my brochure.

“Well this just won’t due. You’ll have to sort this out and acquire a new room.”

“Me?” I said. “You get another room.” There was no freakin’ way I was giving up my luxury suite to Hector. “I’m not budging.”

“This room has a clear view of the Jetti Constellation. In two days the moons of Jetti’s largest planet will align with—"

“Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.” I made a rude snoring sound, letting my head loll to the side as if falling asleep.

“Very funny, Andromeda.” He marched to the bed and set his bag next to mine. “I’m not leaving.”

I crossed my arms, which pushed my boobs up and nearly out of my bikini top. Hector’s bright green eyes tracked downward and stopped at my chest. Doofus. The only tits he’d ever seen had probably been in Alien Monthly.  “Well, I’m not leaving either.”

He didn’t say anything as his gaze remained riveted on my chest.

“Hector! My eyes are up here.”

His stare snapped to my face. “Sorry.” He gave his head a little shake. “Uh, sorry. What were you saying?”

I have to admit, appreciation from any man, scientific ignoramus or not, is still flattering. “I said I’m not leaving.”

His eyes darted to my chest again and then to the ceiling. “Well,” he said, talking to the light fixture. “We’ll just have to compromise.”

Deciding to show a little mercy, I picked up the robe and slipped it back on. Obviously he couldn’t carry on a normal conversation dressed as I was. Still, it was kind of fun watching him sweat.

“What kind of compromise?” I asked. He continued to stare at the ceiling. “You can look now, Hector.”

His eyes drifted downward, as if he didn’t trust that I had clothed myself. “Yes, as I was saying. A compromise. We will share the room. I’m sure you’ll be out and about doing…doing whatever you do when you come here. And I have a list of activities I’m sure you have no interest in. We’ll probably never even see each other.”

I crossed my arms again. “What about sleeping arrangements?”

“There’s sufficient room for both of us. And if you’re truly uncomfortable with sharing the sleeping platform.” He pointed to a couch at least a foot shorter than his tall frame. “Then I’ll take the couch.”

“What if I want to bring someone back to the room?”

“I think that’s perfectly acceptable. Entertaining guests shouldn’t inconvenience either of us.”

Speak for yourself? “To have sex,” I clarified.

His eyes widened. “Do you do that?”

“Have sex? If I’m lucky.” His expression made me feel like I’d suddenly stepped in dog crap and had walked across the white carpet. Well, screw him. “I can’t relax with you lurking about.”

He straightened. “Then get another room.”

“Fine.” I marched to telecom and pressed the front desk button.

“Front desk. May I help you?” The voice floated into the room.

“This is Andromeda Gallegar. I think there’s been a mistake. It seems my room has also been given to another customer.”

“One moment, please.” Clicking echoed through the telecom. “Your reservation was made for yourself and a Mr. Hector Humphreys.”

“No. I only made the reservations for myself.”

“One minute, please.” More clicking.

I turned to glare at Hector but he was rifling through his bag.

“I’m sorry, Ms. Gallegar, but both names seem to have been registered for the room at the same time. Would you like new quarters?”

“Do you have a comparable room to this one?”

A long pause ensued as more clicking ricocheted through the speaker. “No, I’m sorry we don’t. I do have a nice deluxe room near the Galaxy Dance Club.”

Great, all I needed was to be kept awake by the galactic sounds of the Nova Brothers. “There’s nothing else?”

“I’m sorry, no. The Jetti alignment is this week. The rooms have been sold out for months.”

I glared at Hector’s back as he disappeared into the bathroom. Obviously he didn’t give a shit whether I moved or not. Principle won out over comfort. If he wasn’t leaving, neither was I. “Thank you for checking.”

I pushed the off button, not wanting to hear anything the unhelpful desk clerk had to say. I stood silently, brooding. An irritating schoolgirl whine was playing out in my head and it was a real struggle to not let it show in my voice.

“There aren’t any other rooms,” I said loudly. Silence greeted me. “It looks like we’re going to be roommates after all.” Still no answer. What a freak. Didn’t he even have the social skills to carry on a two-way conversation? “I said we’re going to have to share a roooo.”

My words trailed off as Hector exited the bathroom dressed in a pair of black swimming trunks. It was my turn to stare. What the hell, the man had a body to die for. Muscles rippled across his stomach and dipped into the low slung trunks. I’m almost positive my mouth was hanging open and I can’t be completely sure I didn’t drool a bit.

He glanced up from the strings he’d been fiddling with at his waistband. “Yes, I heard.”

I blinked. “Wh—what?”

“I heard. We’ll be sharing a room. I promise I’ll try to stay out of your way.”

I felt my eyebrows lift into my hairline. Stay out of my way? Now why would he want to go and do a thing like that?

****

If you enjoyed the first installment of Pleasure Planet, please return on August 12 for more fun as things heat up between Andromeda and Hector.

asJaxon Vailsa

If you missed any of our previous posts and would like to catch up, you can purchase the Everything Erotic Volume I , Everything Erotic Volume II , Everything Erotic Volume III , Everything Erotic Volume IV , Everything Erotic Volume V , Everything Erotic Volume VI and Everything Erotic Volume VII anthologies as ebooks for only $2.99 each! Want it in print? Everything Erotic Volumes I-III is now available in paperback for $12.95.

Copyright © Jaxon Vail

All rights reserved. This is a work of fiction. All names, characters, locations, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination, or have been used fictionally. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, locales, or events is entirely coincidental. No portion of this work may be transmitted or reproduced in any form, or by any means, without permission in writing from the author.