Sugarcane

Manya made it to her spaceship and flew away.\n\nLet's be honest, do you really want to see such an ending? Sure, Manya might escape, she might come back with an army or something and rescue her friend and enslave the Human Hive... but for now, wouldn't it be more interesting if she DIDN'T make it out?\n\n\nHit the button and go back. There are only three endings, after all, and you've seen one.\n\nTHE END

Manya made a break for it, using her bonds as a projectile weapon. The heavy metal made for a fine club as she knocked one of the drones away from her.\n\nJames barely had time for a glance before Manya finally ran for it.\n\nThe hive was huge, but she remembered where they had been brought aboard. She saw the airlock that her ship was still stored at. It was across a broad, large area with the floor composed entirely of hex-like chambers. It would just take some clever maneuvering...\n\n[[Manya's legs pumped and her mind raced.]]

This story is an erotic science fiction piece that stars the characters Manya and James. The two of them are human privateers, exploring another star system. \n\n\nThe setting is not incredibly important; inspirations abound from media such as //Eclipse Phase// and //Mass Effect//, not to mention Aasimov's //Foundation// series. if it increases your enjoyment, transplant the story to another universe or even your own universe. Use the characters as your own, or imagine yourself in their place. \n\n\nIn this story, you make the decisions. You do not direclty 'control' the characters, nor do you control one particular character. Therefore, this is not a true 'choose-your-own- adventure' story, and because of the lack of interface and design choices, this is not a 'text adventure' in the vein of Zork, Leather Goddesses of Phobos, or Adventure!. This is interactive fiction all the same.\n\n[[Activate your CAP-chair, have your partner strap you in and up, and enjoy the very short story!|Prologue]]

The sound of James waking from stasis jolted Manya back to wakefulness. She had been staring at the icons on the control suite for hours. \n\nHer eyes blinked to wakefulness as she reclined in the lumpy, decayed chair. \n\nThe crew of the *Terphiscore* was almost adrift; Manya and her partner James had been slowly moving towards Granze, a small space station that was realistically located in the middle of nowhere.\n\n"Manya," James politely asked, scratching his chin where his beard used to be. "Might I ask you why you chose Granze Station? We coulda been back to Luna or Mars at this rate."\n\n"James," Manya politely replied with all the saccharine sweetness she could muster, "If any port authorities took one look at our vessel, they would know we were smugglers. Maybe a gigantic sign on the outside would be more effiecient."\n\n"Besides," she said as she reclined again, "you've been in stasis for most of the journey. It's not bothering you. No, Granze Station is in the middle of the asteroid belt. I don't think anyone would find us out here, definitely not the cops and probably not any pirates."\n\nHer eyelids felt heavy as James sat in the co-pilot's seat. The Terphiscore was already on its way to Granze station, and there wasn't much to do but monitor the situation from the cockpit.\n\nShe heard an electronic 'ping' sound coming from the control console. Another ship? Impossible. It was too big to be a Corporate Security patrol ship. It was too small to be a GovSec ship, and it didn't appear at all to be a probe or research ship. \n\n"Manya...." James intoned. Manya didn't respond. She was too focused on the sensor panel. It was too far to see on visual. \n\n"Manya, do you see-"\n"Shut it, James. You're cuter when you're not talking."\n\nJames laughed. Manya did not.\n\nShe knew how to pilot the *Terphiscore* as well as she could ride a bicycle. As she eased her hands onto the controls, she prepared to make a rash decision...\n\n\n[[She knew that the only ones with a ship like that were pirates. She prepared to go into combat readiness.|Fight]]\n[[There was no use getting into a fight. She turned on the afterburners and prepared to vacate the area.|Run]]\n[[She tried to move closer to the asteroid and shield her location while she began to analyze the foreign ship.|Hide and Analyze]]\n[[She threw caution to the wind, and, hoping her stunning good looks could see her through, contacted the vessel. |Contact]]

Written by Phantom.exe on deviantArt [[phantomdotexe.deviantart.com]] and licensed under the Creative Commons license

"I'm going to take them on."\n\n"What?"\n\n"You heard me, James. They're a pirate ship, most likely. They don't match any signatures, the IFF isn't buzzing at all, and they're not broadcasting. No running lights. They're built for speed and probably raiding. If we don't take them out now, they're going to take us out."\n\n"I'll get to the gun."\n\nManya accelerated and braced for what would hopefully be a short combat.\n\n"Just hit them a few times; give them a reason to scurry off."\n\nJames scrambled to activate what light armament their ship had. Manya made a strafing run against the unidentified ship, which was still sitting still. As he got close, he was able to take a better look at it; it had a large rear compartment and a thin middle section, with the bridge and cockpit being fairly small and bulbous. It looked a little bit like a wasp or insect, complete with a few manipulator arms at the bottom.\n\nWait, manipulator arms? "Manya! Back off, back off Too close!"\n\nJames's assumption proved quite correct. The foreign ship was able to easily grapple on to the slow-moving *Terphiscore*, causing the gigantic shudder. Manya flew forward and impacted her head on the control console before slumping over unconscious. \n\nJames tried to revive her, get her conscious again. "Manya, we gotta go. They grabbed our ship. They're probably going to be banging down the bulkhead any second."\n\nManya's eyes flickered open slightly; a look of fear and surprise covered her face. "Behind..."\n\nJames turned his head to meet his attacker. A gigantic sting of electricity shocked his body, and he could feel his arms and legs go limp before he joined his cohort in sleep. \n\n[[Captured!]]\n

This story was written by Phantom, and was written for no purposes other than entertainment.\n\nThis is dedicated to the artist; the brave soul who writes and sculpts for self-actualization; for those brave souls inundated with heedless requests and relentless petitions. \n\n[[Onwards!|Introduction]]\n

James nodded. "You sure about this? You can still call them."\n\n[[But did Manya relent? Maybe. Maybe she contacted them.|Contact]] But if she didn't...\n\nManya punched the afterburner, jamming the pedals and controls and setting the *Terphiscore* to full throttle. There was no way to hide now; her thermal signature was burning up. \n\nThere were two realistic choices, now, to avoid the ship - she could take the risky path, flying fast and close to the asteroids in order to lose it, or she could take it slow and easy, cruising between the asteroids and heading directly to the nearest larange point. \n\nNeither one was ideal, especially considering that she didn't understand the mystery ship's capabilities. \n\n[[Fast and Efficient]]\n\n[[Slow and Steady]]

Security sirens blared. The entire hive had gone wild. As Manya began crossing the hexagonal floor, she nearly tripped- several times. Each time she fell, the floor seemed to open up, beckoning her in. \n\nAt that point, a paper-thin wall of the same wax ceramic-like substance appeared around her, trapping her on top of one of the many hexes. \n\nThe floor was about to open up... she was going to fall right into their trap.\n\n[[Too bad for her, but good for the Hive.|Tripped up and trapped]]\n\n<<If $foundInfo>>\n\nBut yet... she remembered what to do! Stupid as it was, simple as it was... the acids in her upgraded digestive system would be enough. Manya licked the wall - and it dissolved like cotton candy. \n\nShe shattered the weakened hex and ran for the exit, guards in pursuit.\n[[She managed to escape.|Escaped alone]]\n\n<<endif>>

\nAfter that, of course, came the scanning. She stood still for a good thirty seconds while an advanced machine scanned her body. When it finished, the machine sprayed her down with a light mist - she never questioned what - and began 'printing' on her body. It was something like a 3D printer; a laser began 'etching' the encounter suit, in all its black and yellow glory over her body. \n\nBefore she knew it, she looked down at her shapely thighs and found them in a blessedly black second skin... the stomach was a bit tight, but it followed suit. Her breasts were after, their curves disappearing beneath the black, replaced with a glorious frame that showed off her every curve - but a bit shinier in the light.\n\nFurhter gear followed - tubes, cybernetic bits, and of course, the huge insectoid helmet. It felt so right, so perfect.\n\n[[She was ready for 'conditioning'.]]

Matriarch - A Story of the Rubber Hive

"Uh... okay." James's voice wavered slightly as he spoke to the communicator.\n\n"We give up. We, uh, give in. We're all yours. We plan on negotiating for our surrender and expect to be treated with compassion and all that. Um... we're powering down now."\n\nThe unidentified ship moved in.\n\n"Manya, what exactly are they going to do to us?"\n\nManya stared into the stars.\n\n[[Welcome aboard]] the human hive...

Many and James both met their fates as they were placed into the chamber. The 'conditioning chamber' was a dream come true for them... was that the mental conditioning talking? It didn't matter.\n\nThe two of them found themselves closer than they had ever been. Their bodies were connected - him against her and her against him. Their masks were adjusted, letting their mouths and tongues touch while they squirmed, ravenously aroused by their situation.\n\nNow completely sealed off from the outside world, oxygen given to them by their suits, they felt a golden, sticky resin-like honey poured down upon them.\n\nThey were suddenly united. A flood of information covered them like the encasement they now faced. Love and unity under the sterm dominance of their Queen. Manya was told that in time, she too could be a Queen. Eventually. For now, she was aroused, horny beyond her dreams as she squirmed furiously against the slowly-hardening honey. James reciprocated.\n\nIn their bondage, against each other, they found bliss.\n\nTHE END

<<set $foundInfo = true>>\n\nInteresting.\n\nHm... they've got a lot of architecture that registers as totally unlike anything... anything else seen in the system. None of the hypercorps back home have this level of tech. It's got organic parts; grown components that can move heat and disperse solar radiation than any ceramic.\n\nLots of ceramics on the ship and docking spars. \n\nHmm... a lot of the organic components- including the stasis pods and viewshields - is almost like some sort of sugar fiber. That's incredibly strange.\n\nAccording to these readings... spit? Saliva? Any sort of liquid really could dissolve them. It's probably pretty sturdy otherwise. Why would you build out of a material like this?\n\n"Manya, did you analyze anything interesting?"\n\nManya stared at the screen.\n\n"Yeah. Yeah a few things."\n\n[[Contact]] the others\n[[Fight]] and intiate an attempt at combat\n[[Run]] away from them and try and get to the nearest trade lane as soon as possible

***\n\n"Do not attempt to struggle."\n\nManya had been dimly aware of her situation for some time now.\n\n"We aren't infectious, you know. We kept our ship sterile. You can take off the mask."\n\nThere were two people - well, presumably people - waiting for her when she had awoken. Both of them appeared to be males, but were wearing black-and-yellow skintight suits, presumably pressure or flight-vacsuits. Their bodies were fairly muscular, and both of the suits were just a bit too tight in a few areas - more like they were trying to show off than anything else. The gold trim on the jet black reminded her a bit of a beehive.\n\nBut the suits also had several features she wouldn't have expected on any normal flight suit. An almost corset-like ribbing kept their waists tight, and a thick serious of metal plates formed an elaborate codpiece, one which fully enclosed their groin and behind. \n\nA pair of thick metal collars stood around their necks, but she couldn't help but look at the masks. Both of them had thick rubbery helmets on; they had the appearance of a gas mask crossed with an insect. The valves and filters almost looked like proboscis, and the small perspex lenses were dark and made of a hegaxognal material - almost like an insect's segmented eyes. It gave them an alien, insectoid appearance. \n\n"Really. Your scans just turned up clean. I saw them," chided Manya. "I'm clean. Take off the outfits. It's really starting to freak me out."\n\n [[They aren't for you...]]\n\n\n

\nA pair of thick metal collars stood around their necks, but she couldn't help but look at the masks. Both of them had thick rubbery helmets on; they had the appearance of a gas mask crossed with an insect. The valves and filters almost looked like proboscis, and the small perspex lenses were dark and made of a hegaxognal material - almost like an insect's segmented eyes. It gave them an alien, insectoid appearance. \n\n"Really. Your scans just turned up clean. I saw them," chided Manya. "I'm clean. Take off the outfits. It's really starting to freak me out."\n\nThe insect-person stared at Manya and James some more. She could feel their piercing eyes on her dark skin.\n\n"You surrenedered willingly. Very well. In brief, we are the Human Hive. We were established out of the ruins of the old world. Because you both surrendered willingly, you will be treated as mid-level members of our hierarchy. Once you finish your processing, you will love the tightness of your suits... you will love the dominination of your queen, the feeling of her body against yours... but you will also recieve higher privileges."\n\n[["What kind of kinky community are you here? And what are those suits for? Some kind of gas defense system?|"They aren't for you..."]]

The insect-people - more like bee, people, really, or maybe wasp-people - began escorting the two of them, bound slightly, through the structure.\n\nIt was massive, and both James and Manya were awed. It was a large dome, not unlike a gigantic beehive, with orifices every few feet, mostly hexagonal doors.\n\n"This is the human hive. In the human hive, we are orderly. We are lawful. We are just and we see to the needs of each and every one of our members."\n\n"We arose out of the chaos of the old world. Our structure is effiecient, but it can be damaged. Therefore, we equip every member in a skintight encounter suit. While properly enclosed, your needs - food, oxygen, et cetera - will be properly serviced. Other needs will be added through augmented reality and mental conditioning. For example, the Matriarch, our queen and highest member of our hierarchy, will demand obedience."\n\n"Both of you will obey her. When she desires the sensation of your rubber-clad body against hers, you will obey. If she requires you to pleasure her, you will obey. If she demands you are encased in honey for punishment, you will obey."\n\n"With strict adherence to the Matriarch, there is perfect order."\n\n"Order will be enforced, and you will become valued members of the hierarchy. First, you will be bound, given suits, and taken to the Processing Hexes. There, you will be given a new love of rubber, of your Matriarch, and of your fellow drone. You will begin as middle members of the Human Hive."\n\n"Gag them," said the lieutant bee-person, and he began to casually walk away. Several other drones began to approach them with thick panel-gags, hinting that their fate was indeed quite serious. \n\n[[Manya loosened her bindings slightly. She could do it. She could escape right now...|Escape through the structure]]\n[[This is it... for now. And like he said, we'll be accepted here - and we're not even starting out at the bottom of the totem pole. This doesn't sound so bad... does it?|Accept]]

The drones explained to Manya that she and James were still security risks. They couldn't allow for any possible escape - not when they had already shared their experimental technology with her.\n\nManya, now clad in the standard Hive uniform, was locked into a curious body-cage. A series of tiny but tight cables went from around her neck to her ankles, circles of restraint that crossed at her chest, her stomach, her waist, her thighs, knees, and ankles, held together by a gravitic force field. \n\nIt was a most interesting mechanism, as it gave her a surprising amount of freedom in terms of movement - the cable was fairly flexible - but not the freedom to actualy do too much, as her hands and legs were fairly tightly bound.\n\nShe was escorted along through the Human Hive. She saw James escorted in a similar fashion, strapped down to a gurney and in the body cage.\n\nThey reached a series of 'slots' on the ground, hardly big enough for a human or two. The drones opened them up, revealing what was essentially a tiny living space. \n\nTime for [[An ending...]]

Another insect-suited person entered. He had longer 'antannae,' presumably some sort of designer sensor tubes. Or maybe they were just for fashion. Manya had no idea what to say.\n\n"They are not for you, human. They are for us. We keep a sterile environment, and we know that our bodies can damage the delicate walls of the ships.\n\n"The drone suits coat us from head to toe, human, and soon, you too will wear one. The synth-rubber has been adapted and designed to care of most any need."\n\n"Well, not every need, but most needs." The drone-leader stared through the lenses of his mask-face. \n\nManya stared.\n\n"Join you? I was thinking about that..."\n\n[[It was about time to make a run for it.|Escape through the structure]]\n\n[["Let's see where we go. How about you show us your... base? I assume we're on a base now.".|Welcome Aboard 2]]

"James, contact them."\n\n\n"Aw, c'mon, Manya. You know that's more your thing. I love it when you do the Uhura thing and-"\n\n"Shut up, James, or I'll whip you so hard you won't want to sit in that chair for a week."\n\nSweat dripped from Manya's brow.\n\n"Yeah. You got it."\n\n"Attention unidentified craft," said James. "This is identification number Victor Five-Five-Three, registration Renraku Corporation, please identify."\n\n"I repeat, unidentified craft,"\n\nManya licked her lips out of nervousness. Were they pirates? Were they traders? This far out, out in the rim, if they WERE pirates then running meant nothing, but if they WEREN'T pirates if they ran they'd be suspicious and a world of trouble. \n\n"James, quiet."\n\n[[The communicator crackled to life.|What they had to say]]

Manya fell into the hexagonal chamber. There was someone else here - James?\n\n"Unit 53," said a booming voice. "You have rejected our gifts and attempted to run."\n\n"However, you have also expressed great independent potential. You WILL join the hive. However, you will also be given executive priveleges... you will be used to recruit others to our utopian cause."\n\nAn appendage extended from the wall, shoving a mask like the ones the other drones had been wearing onto Manya's head.\n\n"Prepare for processing."\n\nManya felt cables tug at her arms and legs... the other one here, James, she knew it, squirmed in delight.\n\nMany and James both met their fates as they were placed into the chamber. The 'conditioning chamber' was a dream come true for them... was that the mental conditioning talking? It didn't matter.\n\nThe two of them found themselves closer than they had ever been. Their bodies were connected - him against her and her against him. Their masks were adjusted, letting their mouths and tongues touch while they squirmed, ravenously aroused by their situation.\n\nNow completely sealed off from the outside world, oxygen given to them by their suits, they felt a golden, sticky resin-like honey poured down upon them.\n\nThe information was disciplniary in nature. The sudden burst of mental conditioning told of terrible consequences - like denial, encasement, imprisonment - if Manya continued to disobey. It didn't matter. She felt happy, for now.\n\nManya's escape from the Hive had failed, but she had escaped from society.\n\nTHE END

She gently, slowly, laboriously edged away. No, slowly at first, and then picking up speed. She wanted to let the other ship know she was leaving, she wanted to let it know that it could not chase after her.\n\n"Manya, you're doing fine."\n\n"Shut up. I can pilot better than you can."\n\n"I was just complimenting you!" James chuckled to himself.\n\n"I'm being testy."\n\nIt was a slow and steady vacating of the area. She began to cuve back towards the inner systems, heat shielding and radiation shielding turning on. Solar visors lowered over the cockpit as she turned to meet the sun.\n\nThe other ship wasn't pursuing. It had all but dropped off the radar.\n\n"We're good."\n\nJames sighed. \n\n"We're okay."\n\nJames and Manya were going to be just fine.\n\n\n--THE END--\n\n\n\nJames and Many have had a happy ending after all. Well, happy for them, at least. They escaped the mystery ship and are on their way to sell their cargo and pick up a new job. No problems. \n\nBut aren't you just the slightest bit curious what would have happened if something had gone wrong?\n\nClick 'rewind' and try again, or comment on this item to give me your opinion.

Manya didn't even bother struggling. Maybe it was something in the air; maybe she really was getting behind all this neo-corporatistic philosophy that they kept on spouting. In fact, this was sounding better all the time, especially once the others started rattling off the benefits.\n\nOf course, to recieve any benefits, first she had to get dressed for success.\n\nSeveral low-level drones escorted her to a large, hexagonal chamber. There she was cleaned- her luxurious almond skin scrubbed down from head to toe, her nano-augmentations cleaned and updated, and her body overall given a fresh, new feeling.\n\n[[She was liking this.]]

"We are the human hive," said the voice over the communicator.\n\n"You have contacted us. Prepare to join us. You will become a rubber drone in our paradise. Prepare yourself for ascension."\n\nThe communicator went silent.\n\n"That was ominous."\n\n"Yeah, but it sounds about right. I hear about human colonies out here on the system's edge. Anarchic or totalitarian.... they've got all kinds'a unique social systems. Totally different."\n\n"What do we do?"\n\n[[Slow and Steady]] wins the race; we'll slowly back away, like something out of a movie, and when they're not looking - BAM. We'll boost out of here.\n\n\n[[Fast and Efficient]] is the way to go. We zoom out of here as fast as possible and get to a safe distance within a few minutes. \n\n[[Surrender]] and see if we can talk to them. Politicos and social junkies who want to try their own little club can be trusted. We'll negotiate a release with them.\n\n[[Fight]] them. I doubt they're tough, especially if they're the ones talking to us. If they had any guns on that ship, they'd just take us down and grab our lifepods.

by M.L. (Phantom)

"Manya! Are you listening to me?"\n\nShe was not.\n\n"MANYA! Check the ventral thrusters!"\n\nShe did not. Her fight-or-flight instincts had activated.\n\n"Manya, we're going to overheat at this rate. Remember, we broke the headsinks last month? When-"\n\nJames gave it up; Manya was panicking and was too engrossed in the act of piloting. He jammed the big, unlabled red button.\n\nNanoswarm masks covered their faces, giving them an emergency layer of protection against the vacuum.\n\n"Not a moment too soon, huh? Manya, seriously, what are you thinking? Ease off the throttle."\n\nHe put his hand on hers, as she white-knuckle clenched the throttle.\n\n"Re-"\n\nThere was a colossal explosion, and then - silence. The ship's environemntal seals ruptured as it skirted the Asteroid a bit too close and damaged a thruster. Manya and James went flying, and instantly blacked out.\n\n[[And then...|Captured!]]