After a few minutes, the two men put on some clean black undershirts, their grey maintenance cargo pants, and black boots and headed to the mess hall with the three bottles of tequila. Angel had managed to dig them out from a rucksack at the bottom of his personal locker. All cleaned up, the two men left the barracks with Angel leading the way.

About halfway to the mess, Angel suddenly took a pause and looked over his shoulder.

“Reece, take care of her.”

“Who, Naeva?”

Angel chuckled softly.

“The station, buddy,” he said with amusement before getting wistful. “It’s strange, but I’m gonna miss her. You know what I mean?”

“Yeah, I think so...or, I will. And yeah, I’ll take good care of her,” replied Reece.

“Thanks, bud.”

As the two men got closer, they began hearing music coming from up ahead. By the time they reached the mess hall, the music had gotten loud. It filled the room, as did the sounds of laughing and conversation as most of the rest of the crew were already there. Zia and Stephanie Becker were both holding plastic water cups and laughing at something Pasha had just said as he poured them each a shot of vodka. Solomon, who was also a member of the small circle, looked slightly embarrassed as he took a long drink from his water bottle.

Thomas, Jared, and Taylor were all competing for Aika’s attention where they were all seated at a table. Aika, in a supreme test of patience, politely laughed at their half-drunken jokes. Behind them, at another table, Sora and Naeva were relaxing and making small talk. Thato sat with them, sipping on a strange juice concoction and generally seeming peaceful as he took the scene in.

Everyone was dressed about the same, black undershirts and maintenance pants or grey flight suits, except Stephanie who was wearing a white doctor’s coat and black slacks. Aldo was nowhere to be seen, which was a bit odd since he was one of the astronauts that were leaving the next morning.

“No big loss there,” thought Reece. “He wasn’t much of a people person anyhow, probably happier checking on his experiments.”

Pasha was the first to notice the newcomers.

“Whoa, is that tequila?” he exclaimed.

“Sure is,” smiled Angel.

“Excellent!” Pasha exclaimed.

He handed his half-full bottle of vodka to Solomon and crossed over to the kitchenette compartments to grab several more cups. Placing the cups on the nearest empty table, he beckoned Angel over. “Hand me one of those bottles.”

Angel approached the table and set all the bottles down. Pasha quickly popped the top on one and filled all the cups half-full. As Pasha finished with the last cup, he looked closer to the tequila bottle. “Hah, it’s even got the worm.”

Angel picked up a cup and handed it to Reece. “Of course. It’s not tequila without the worm.”

Angel picked up another cup as Pasha handed out the other cups, keeping one for himself. Now, everyone in the module had a cup.

“I want to give a toast,” said Angel as he raised his high into the air.

Everyone quickly paused their conversations to see what Angel had to say. It was a testament to the respect the crew had for each other.

“I just wanted to thank everyone here for helping to make the past year the most amazing one of my life. I consider each of you lifelong friends. And to the new people, even though I haven’t had much time to get to know you, we are all a family. Few people get an opportunity like this; an exclusive opportunity that each of us shares. And lastly, to my home for the past year. She kept us safe and secure, and my hope is that she continues to do that for the future. Reece promises to take good care of her so that she continues to take good care of all of you. Cheers.”

“Cheers!” came the cry from everyone in attendance as they raised their cups and drank.

Everyone downed the fiery drink in one long gulp. Reece wasn’t a big drinker and the tequila burned its way down his throat, warming his belly and making his eyes water. At least he had downed it quickly so as not to taste it too much. Angel noticed the trouble Reece was having with the drink.

“Looks like we have ourselves a lightweight here,” said Angel, slapping him on the back and laughing.

The rest of the crew joined in, chuckled pleasantly.

Reece responded, “I’m pretty sure we’re all light-weights here, there’s not exactly a whole lot of alcohol available up here.”

“Oh, don’t be a sook. This is some sweet-ass liquor,” laughed Thomas.

And they weren’t exactly wrong in their collective sentiment. Reece had never been much of a drinker, not even during his college years. Sure, he’d gotten drunk at parties a few times, but nothing regular. He just didn’t like the taste of alcohol in general. He could already feel the drink having an effect. That tequila must be some strong stuff. Pasha walked over and refilled Reece’s cup without asking from his bottle of vodka. Apparently, he had reacquired it from Solomon at some point and felt that Reece needed some.

“Here, try this. It’s much smoother and easier to swallow than Angel’s tequila,” offered Pasha with a wicked gleam in his eye.

Reece didn’t necessarily believe him, but not wanting to be rude he quickly threw back the vodka as well. It was most definitely not smoother or easier to swallow. In fact, it seemed even stronger than the tequila. His head started to swim as the spirits rapidly took hold.

“Wow, okay. I’m gonna sit down now,” Reece said under his breath to no one in particular as he found himself a table and stayed there for a minute. He knew better than to drink strong alcohol so quickly. It was a trick he learned in high school. Drink fast and you could get drunk fast. Although once you stopped drinking; it would wear off fast too. It seemed fate wasn’t going to allow for that, however. Angel sat down next to him and gave his shoulder a quick squeeze as he refilled Reece’s cup with more tequila.

“Oh, thanks,” stated Reece sarcastically. “Are you trying to get me drunk?”

“Nah, just loosen you up a bit. You really get to know someone when their inhibitions are repressed a bit.”

“A bit...hah...Well, here’s to getting to know the crew.”

Reece raised his cup in a mock toast and took a long drink. Now that he was somewhat inebriated, the alcohol’s taste no longer bothered him as much, and he took his time. Angel sat next to him and took a pull from his own cup as he looked around the room.

“This is generally a good bunch of people,” observed Angel. “Keep your eye on the ball, and I think you’ll do just fine here.”

“Yeah, you got it.”

The two men continued to talk while they slowly finished their cups. Naeva and Sora approached their table and proceeded to sit down with them.

“Mind if we sit?” asked Naeva after they had already made themselves comfortable.

“Not at all,” replied Reece playfully.

Angel refilled Sora’s cup.

“I haven’t had a chance to really meet you…, Sora, right?” he asked.

“Yes, thank you,” she replied shyly.

The four soon got to talking about all manner of things about the station, each other, their work aboard the station, and their plans once they got back. Aika came up to them with Thomas and Commander Taylor in tow and they all pulled up chairs around the now too-small table. Jared had left early, giving up the chase. Reece made room for Aika, but there wasn’t any more room for the two men, so they headed over to where the Beckers, Solomon, and Pasha were standing. Apparently, Thato had joined them at some point as well.

“Why, welcome to our table,” greeted Naeva in a way that sounded more like a threat than a greeting.

Aika blew her off and looked over at Angel.

“You weren’t going to leave without saying goodbye to all of us, were you?” she asked.

“Of course not, chica. We’ve been through way too much for that. In fact, I want all of you to look me up when you get back to earth. Like in the toast earlier... we’re a family. How many people will understand all that we’ve gone through and sacrificed to get here? I mean, how many people get the opportunity to look down at the earth from the heavens? No, I won’t forget to say goodbye. But only goodbye for now. Assuming you all survive now that I won’t be here to keep this station in one piece.”

“I’ll drink to that,” said Aika as she took a drink from her cup.

Everyone else at the table followed suit. Aika put her hand on Reece’s forearm and leaned into him.

“Don’t worry, Reece,” she said loud enough for everyone to hear. “Angel’s a big talker, but he has always kept the station purring like a kitten. And despite his supposed misgivings, he’s told me that the station is in good hands with you taking care of her now. That should make all of us feel better.”

“Now Aika, you’re going to let it all go to his head,” Angel complained.

Everyone laughed except for Naeva, who seemed to be quietly fuming ever since Aika arrived. Reece considered that Naeva might be jealous even though he and Aika were just starting to become friends, but he wondered if there may be more to it than that. After all, they’d both been on the station for six months together. Who knows what may have happened in that amount of time?

Slowly, the rest of the alcohol disappeared. Everyone became very relaxed and friendly as time wore on. Angel left for a bit to say his goodbyes to the other group. Sora followed him after a while and Stephanie and Zia joined Reece, Aika, and Naeva at their table. Reece suddenly felt very out of place with four women around him, but they didn’t seem to mind. He considered getting up but wasn’t sure if he could walk and didn’t want to make a fool out of himself. Luckily, Zia and Stephanie did their best to make him feel welcome.

The party went on and Zia and Stephanie said their goodnights to everyone and left for bed. Commander Taylor and Solomon took their seats before they got cold and Reece got to know them a little better too. It was true that Taylor was a great storyteller and he had them all laughing at his wild tales. Solomon was quiet for the most part, so Reece didn’t learn much about him. Thato had left early to meditate. Something he did nightly.

“You know,” mentioned Zia. “Thato teaches yoga if you’re interested. He’s a great teacher.”

“Huh, yeah maybe,” replied Reece noncommittally as he noticed that everyone not at the table had left, including Angel. Aika excused herself as well.

“I need to go powder my nose,” she joked as she stood and left.

A minute later, Taylor loudly stated, “Well, off to bed. Good to know you all. I hope to see all of you on the flip side. Gonna make sure Aika gets to bed alright. Goodnight!”

He stumbled a bit as he walked out of the module and turned in the same direction that the woman had just gone.

“Are those two an item?” he asked Naeva and Solomon.

“Nah, I think he’d like it to be that way, but she’s never given him the time of day,” said Solomon.

For some reason, this worried Reece.

“You don’t think the commander would try anything in his state, do you?” asked Naeva directly to Solomon.

Solomon seemed to ponder this for a moment. He seemed indecisive, but his shoulder slumped as he resigned himself to checking in on them. Reece could tell he was a good man who just wanted to make sure everything was ok.

“I’ll go and make sure he gets to his bed,” sighed Solomon. “Hey, it was good to meet you, Reece. Naeva, thanks for everything. Please look me up when you get back. Good night, and I’ll see you in the morning.”

After stringing more words together than Reece had ever heard the man do before, Solomon got up and left. That left Naeva and Reece all alone.

“Finally,” sighed Naeva in relief. “I never thought I’d get you all to myself.”

She stood up and walked over to Reece’s side of the table, sitting down in the chair that Aika had previously occupied. Like Aika, she put her hand on his arm and leaned into him. Unlike Aika, she whispered seductively into his ear.

“I’d like to get to know you better,” she breathed.

Naeva was a stunner, a dark beauty. And she seemed nice enough, even if she was very forward. She put her head on his shoulder and rested herself against him. She felt soft and warm and generally very nice to Reece’s alcohol-addled brain. They sat like that for a few minutes, enjoying the closeness of their bodies.

“Well,” she purred. “It doesn’t look like anyone is coming back. You stay right here while I clean everything up.”

Naeva patted him on the shoulder as she stood up and made her way around the tables and put the few cups and bottles into their appropriate containers in the kitchenette. She put all the chairs away other than Reece’s and the one she had appropriated. Reece marveled at her figure and concluded that she must work out to maintain a body like that. He also admired her professionalism as she cleaned up after everyone else because it needed to be done. That made him think of Aika and he wondered what had happened between her, the out-going commander Taylor, and Solomon. The thought was forgotten as she resumed her seat and leaned her body back into his.

It wasn’t long before Naeva whispered into his ear, “Now, where were we?”

He felt her start to nibble on his ear and kiss up and down his neck. Reece felt her pull away slightly and so he turned his head to look directly at her. Her dark brown eyes stared back at him with a yearning hunger behind them, and something else. She casually ran her fingers through her hair, pushing the long straight locks away from her face as she leaned in to kiss him. Her kiss was filled with passion and eagerness. All that was left of Reece’s resolve melted away as her tongue snaked its way into his mouth. They continued like that for some time before she moved her lips back to his ear and whispered again.

“Follow me.”

Reece awkwardly stood up on shaky legs, but his equilibrium was better than he thought it would be. He leaned against the table for a few moments while Naeva secured the remaining two chairs. She led him out of the dining module and down to the gym module where she took him into the showers. Once inside, she locked the door and began to disrobe. Her body was chiseled with muscle and her breasts were firm and perfectly symmetrical. Reece felt flushed as his eyes drew across her dark brown nipples which were both pierced with silver hoops. His gaze dropped and he saw that she was completely shaved everywhere below her head.

Once completely nude, she took her time disrobing him as well, clearly finding pleasure in it. Reece felt like he was a gift being unwrapped, but he didn’t try to stop her. They enjoyed each other’s bodies, and Reece found that the woman was much kinkier than he was expecting and their foreplay was something that he wouldn’t soon forget. After what seemed like an exquisite eternity of teasing and playing, she opened her legs fully for him. Her eyes looked down at his manhood, her intent clear. A panicked thought made its way through the fog of his mind to his consciousness.

“Aren’t you worried about getting pregnant?” he asked her.

She giggled and gave him a strange look. “You do know that all of our food has been treated with Rdhx, right?”

“Yeah,” replied Reece bemused, “but I didn’t really read up on it. Humor me. What does it do?”

“It suppressed the release of eggs, keeping us from getting pregnant and also keeping us from getting periods,” explained Naeva.

“Ah, shit...Plan X,” laughed Reece, slapping himself in the forehead at his oversight. “I had no idea that Rdhx was the clinical term for Plan X. It all makes sense now. Forgive my stupidity.”

“I’ll forgive you on one condition,” Naeva growled.

“What’s that?” asked Reece through narrowed eyes.

“Stop wasting time and get over here,” she said as a wicked grin spread across her face.

Not wanting to keep the lady waiting any longer, he slid over the woman and easily entered her. She moaned loudly, closing her eyes to better enjoy the sensation. After she recovered, she opened her eyes and smiled, seeming quite satisfied with what he was giving her. Reece couldn’t help but grin right back at her as he enjoyed her body too. Over the next hour and a half, they got to know each other fully.

Sometime later, they had passed out together in each other’s arms with her head lying on his chest and arm draped over his body. They had both worked up a sweat and the module had warmed up with their coupling which allowed them to sleep comfortably despite not having a bed or blankets. Instead, they slept on just a bathmat and several towels. Reece wondered what kind of a relationship this was going to become as he enjoyed the skin-on-skin contact with the beautiful vixen. As his mind wandered, sleep finally took him.

As the hours slipped by, Reece’s dreams came fast and numerous, changing from sex dreams to nightmares to just straight-up bizarre dreams and more nightmares. Images of Naeva, Aldo, Angel, Sora, Pasha, Rogers, and Aika flashed through his mind, followed by images of the horrible zombie-rat thing. They all began to blur until Reece saw zombie versions of everyone on the space station chasing him around while missing limbs, eyes, ears... He was drowning in a sea of blood until a slender white arm reached down and with inhuman strength, lifted him from the gory mess. He sat up and looked into large red glowing eyes…and... the teeth…the teeth were sharpened fangs!

His two previous dreams were merely harbingers of this one. Each dream he had aboard the station had been more powerful than the last. He wondered in his dream if it would end. Its intensity was unlike any dream or nightmare he had ever had, and it shook him to the center of his being. Finally, the dream ended, and he was able to get some much-needed sleep.