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Author's notes: The day I heard of Genni's passing. Nothing could have prepared me for the morning I logged onto my computer and saw the note from Genni's spouse informing me that she had passed away. I was in total shock. My response was to reply back and tell him that I didn't find this funny. He wrote back later to tell me it was no joke. I lost it. It was a Saturday, so I went to my office where I could be alone. There I yelled, screamed, cried, and finally sat at my desk in stone silence asking God how he could take Genni from us? A part of my heart had been ripped away. Genni Smith was a friend, one who I cherished. I remember a few months back just after I had finished writing Andersonville 28 (which featured four other friends I cherish). I asked Genni if I could use her in a story I was kicking around in my head. She laughed, and told me I could if I made her a queen in my story. I chuckled, and told her she already was in my eyes. After her death my desire to finish this story grew, and I started putting down the foundations of the story, 'Space Warped' in my computer. Now that it's finished, I can feel a great burden rising off my shoulders. While I wanted to post this story on the anniversary of Genni's passing, I realized that wasn't what was important to me. It was remembering her in a way that showed my love and gratitude for her friendship she provided. Genni was a good friend, and I miss her dearly. I will think of her every time I read her stories, or feel that lonely tugging at my heart. Although Genni passing is painful, it made me stop and appreciate the love and friendship I have with so many of you here. Sapphire's list goes beyond just being a place where you can post stories. Being here is like being a part of a family. We fight, we laugh, and along the way we learn about ourselves through each other. When I remember my past ? growing up being different from other kids and being teased for feeling this way, I smile knowing I'm with a group of a thousand plus people who understand how I really feel. Enjoy this story my friends. Although the story is dedicated to Genni Smith, it was also written for you. Thank you for being there when I needed you. *** This story dedicated to my good friend and fellow author, Genni Smith, who left us 1/9/2003. I will never forget her compassion for others. We love and miss you, Genni. Also dedicated to the crew of the Columbia, who went from this world to the stars on 2/1/2003. God speed Commander Rick Husband, Pilot Willie McCool, Payload Commander Michael Anderson, Payload Specialist Ilan Ramon, and Mission Specialists David Brown, Kalpana Chawla, Laurel Clark. Space Warped By Kelly Davidson Special thanks to Geoff who not only edited this story, but offered many useful suggestions. Also thanks to Darkside, who supported me in writing this story. Fade in... Commander Phil Walker laid in his sleeping bag listening to the sound of the ship. It amazed him how something so huge could be so quiet. The Explorer was almost five stories in length and roughly 50 yards wide at its narrowest point. Most of her vast bulk was taken up with the stores needed for the long journey to and from Mercury, and the six weeks of exploring the planets dark side. Total time away from Earth; twelve long months. 'A year,' sighed Phil. Although he wasn't married he did have parents and siblings waiting for him back on Earth. Being away for so long was the hardest part of the trek. Even with the 15-minute video calls allotted to them each week, homesickness took its toll. That was why all astronauts of long-term space fights were unmarried. A marriage just couldn't take the strain. Phil listened to the soft wisp of air flowing through the vent in his room, if you could call it that. In reality his quarters was nothing more than a cubbyhole with a sleeping bag hooked to the wall. A sliding partition served as a door to provide some privacy from the others. This part of the ship was in zero gravity, because it had been learned astronauts slept better in a weightless condition. The rest of their waking time was spent tending the hydroponics garden in the revolving section of the ship. The gardens provided the men with fresh vegetables and reusable air. Then there were the regular maintenance schedules to the computers and engines. Everything was designed to keep them busy until they reached Mercury. The commander closed his eyes and dreamt of lying on a sun- drenched beach filled with beautiful, bikini clad girls. Everything was perfect until the beach quivered slightly. At first Phil thought nothing of it. After all, it was only a dream. But when the beach started to rock violently from side to side the astronaut's eyes opened wide with fear. The entire ship was shaking, and when something this size shook it could only mean trouble. Phil reached to unzip his sleeping bag when the ship shuddered even more violently and the room exploded in a bright flash. Suddenly Phil found himself falling down a long, black hole. He tried to scream but no noise came out of his mouth. The sensation of falling seemed to increase, and ahead Phil could make out someone moving toward him at an alarming rate. That someone turned out to be a woman; a very attractive and naked woman. She was a beautiful, tall, and blonde. There was a look of panic on her face as she zipped by in the direction Phil had come. There was another bright flash and Phil blacked out. The sounds of alarms screaming in his ears finally woke him. The commander sat up and put his feet on the carpeted floor. His head ached, and Phil concluded it was perhaps the worse hangover he had ever had. At that moment he felt confused, and placed his hand against his forehead to ease the pain. Strands of long hair tickled his arm. "WHAT THE HELL?" he shouted. Phil turned on the light and looked around the room in bewilderment. It was a real room, not that closet the people at NASA had assigned him too. It was about 10' X 12' in size with a desk, a real bed, and a set of drawers built into the wall. Even more confusing was the fact there was gravity here, wherever here was. Screams outside his door brought Commander Walker out of his daze. He bolted out of the room to see who it was. There he met a redhead wearing a pair of grey shorts and a T-shirt. "Com...commander?" she questioned. "Yes, it's me," Phil replied rather shakily, then realized his voice didn't sound right. It was much higher than it should've been. Now standing in the well lit passageway he was able to see he was wearing a similar outfit, but what really got his attention were the two nice size bumps protruding out of his T-shirt. Phil felt flushed and his legs started to buckle. "Commander," the woman cried as she grabbed hold of his waist to keep him from falling. Another woman appeared from a different room. Like them, she was tall and athletic looking, with straight, brown hair that ended at her neck. Judging by the look on her face, it was clear she wasn't who she should've been. The confused woman looked at the two of them, her mouth open in shock. "Who...what the hell happened?" she asked. "What's going on? Why do I look like this?" Phil came to his senses and stood on his own. "Thanks," he said to the red-hair woman. She nodded, and bit her lip in puzzlement. "Who are you?" "I'm Roger. What...what the hell happened to us?" Phil shook his head. "I don't know, Roger." He stared at other woman who was feeling her breasts. "Who are you?" "I'm...I should be Denny Martan." The stress became too much for her to handle, and she started to panic. "What's going on? Why am I a...a girl?" Phil grabbed the brunette by the shoulders and shook her slightly. "Get a hold of yourself," he ordered firmly. "We're all in this together. Do you hear those alarms?" He pointed to the speaker that was shrieking away. "That can't be good. We need to find the problem and fix it." "Fix it?" Denny protested. "Sir, this isn't even our ship!" Suddenly there was a load roar and the ship shook violently. The three astronauts were thrown to the floor and remained there until the noise stopped. "What was that?" the redhead asked. "Feels like someone just ignited the engines." Phil commented. "Come on, let's find the control room. We need to get our bearings." The search for the control room didn't prove to be too difficult. It was located at the front of the ship where you would expect it to be. It was larger than the control room on the Explorer, and was filled with computers and other instruments. "Denny, see if you can find the button to turn off that damn alarm," Phil commanded. His engineer searched what appeared to be the main panel and spotted a button marked 'alarm reset'. He pushed the button and the alarm stopped ringing. "Thank God," the science officer said as he took a seat in front of a computer. As Roger reached for the keyboard his commander slapped his hand away. "Don't touch anything," Phil warned. "We don't know what we're doing here. You may accidentally send us flying into the sun." "Commander, give me some credit," Roger replied. "I was only trying to find out where we are." "We're on an alien ship, in female bodies," Denny said grimly. "What else do you need to know?" "How about the name of this ship, and who are we now?" Roger explained. "What just happened might happen again?" "Look, I don't give a flying..." Denny's speech was interrupted by a female voice over the speaker. "Space Command calling the Star Wing. Come in, Star Wing. Can you hear us?" The two ladies looked at Phil, who turned slowly toward the speaker above him. "Well, at least we know what the name of the ship is," Roger commented. "Should we answer, commander?" "I say no," Denny blurted out before Phil could answer. "We don't know who that is on the other end. Look at us!" He pointed to his breasts in horror. "We...we don't belong here." "What do you suggest we do, Denny?" the science officer asked. "Hide from them? How long do you think that will last?" "You seem just a little too anxious to answer them," Denny shot back. "I'm a fucking engineer, not some gung-ho scientist like yourself. I prefer we do things a little bit more cautiously. Right now we're in the frying pan. I sure as hell don't want to jump into the FIRE!" "That's enough," Phil ordered. The commander thought for a moment and turned to his science officer. "Do you think you can work the radio, Roger?" "Not a problem, sir. This may be a strange ship, but everything is carefully marked. In fact it's similar to the way our communications was set up." "IS!" Denny corrected with growl. "Our ship 'is' still out there!" Roger just shrugged his shoulders. "Okay, I'm going to talk to this Space Command and see if I can find out what's going on. It's important that everyone stays cool, understand. We'll get through this as long as we don't panic, okay?" Both women nodded. "Okay Roger, put me on box." The red head flipped some switches and motioned that they were live. "This is Star Wing, Space Command. Do you copy?" "Cindy, is that you?" the voice asked. Phil looked at his two friends a little uncertainly before answering. "Yes...that's affirmative command." "Is everyone alright?" The voice seemed worried. "We're a little shaken up. Things are...confusing at the moment." "Can you turn on your video link?" "Stand by, command." Phil made a cut mark across his throat and Roger killed the link. "Now what?" Denny asked nervously. "I don't think we have much choice," Phil whispered. He was still trying to get use to the fact that his new name was Cindy. "Denny, can you turn on the video?" "No problem, Phil." The science officer pointed to a switch marked picture. "Okay then," Phil replied taking a deep breath. "Remember, stay cool and act natural. We need the people on the other side of this link to believe everything is fine here." The commander made a motion he was ready, and the science officer flipped the switch. The computer screen changed to a view that reminded Phil of Houston control, except with a twist. There were rows of computer consoles all manned by women. In the center of the screen was a lady wearing headphones. She had short, dark hair and looked very worried. "I see you now," she stated. "Can you see me?" "Yes," Phil nodded. "Do you know what happened?" "We were hoping you could tell us, Cindy," the woman responded. "The computers went crazy down here and we lost our signal on you. We weren't sure you were still alive until the alarm was switched off. Your bio readings are skewed. Can you tell us what happened? "I'm not sure, control. The ship shuddered and then...and then we blacked out. How long was it from the time you lost our signal until we turned off the alarm?" "Almost thirty-one minutes," the woman replied. "We have implemented emergency procedures and fired the rockets. If all goes well we'll have you back home in 34 hours." "Our mission..." "Sorry Cindy, but the director gave the order. She's on the phone with the president as we speak explaining her reasons. I'm sorry ladies, but you're coming home. Just be thankful you weren't more than a couple of days out." "A couple of days, but we've been out here for more than three weeks..." Denny started to say before Phil hit him in the gut." The woman on the screen frowned. "What do you mean, Dawn?" "Sorry control, but we're not ourselves. We all feel a little...light headed and fuzzy. We can't seem to remember things." The frown was replaced with genuine concern. "How bad is it, Cindy. Do you remember who I am?" Phil shook his head. "I'm sorry, the face is familiar but...I can't think of your name at the moment. It's like...our memories aren't totally there." The answer only seemed to worry the flight controller more. "Don't worry, ladies, we'll get you home. The ship is now under our control. I suggest you have the med computer do a complete check up on each of you." "Wait um..." "My name is Abby," the woman replied. "Abby, don't you think we should check the ship first. The Star Wing took a pretty good beating." "We're not reading any major damage down here," she replied. "Still, to be on the safe side, I think we need to check the Star Wing out. Don't you agree?" The woman bit her lip. "I'm very concerned about you ladies right now. If you're feeling up to it, go ahead and do a level 5 search. After that I want all of you on the med computer." "Will do, control. Over and out." Phil flipped the radio and video off before she could reply. "Well, that went well." Roger stated. "Well!" Denny blurted out. "They now know something isn't right with us. How in the hell can you be so relaxed?" "One reason is because she called you two by female names. The commander's name is Cindy, and your name must be Dawn. Another is because she called us ladies, which we appear to be. Don't you get it? We passed." "Maybe, but that was over a video link. I bet a months pay it's going to be a bit harder to convince them that we're someone we're not when they meet us in person." "I agree," Phil frowned. "We need to find out what we're up against. Denny, I want you to study the ship and find out everything you can about it. The engines, the life-support systems, why we have gravity when the ship isn't spinning. While you're at it, figure out how to cause some systems to fail. I want it to appear like we're too busy saving our asses to get on that med computer. I'm going to stay here and learn everything I can about the navigation system. Maybe there's a way we can take control of this ship again." "Where do you plan on going, Phil?" the science officer asked curiously. "I don't know, Roger. Take us back to the spot where this all took place and see if we can reverse whatever happened to us. While I'm doing that, I want you to find out everything you can about this planet we're heading to. If we do have to land there, I want to know what kind of world we'll be facing." "Right," Roger said with excitement in his voice. This was a dream come true for any scientist...studying a new race. "We'll talk soon. The commander nodded. The two ladies turned and left to follow their orders. *** A day had past before the three of them met in the dinning hall, a small room with a booth big enough for six people. Phil sat there trying to come to grips with the fact that the two women who he shared the ship with had once been men like himself. Denny stood at 6'1", about two inches taller than he had once been. He had short brown hair that curled in the back and rested just above his shoulders. The face was attractive, but it was his new body that stole the show. His muscles were huge, and would've impressed any contest judge. The engineer took a seat across from his commander in silent exhaustion. He had been busy causing systems to fail, not an easy task when everything was foreign to you. Moments later Roger walked in wearing a smile. As he grabbed a cup of coffee, Phil took a moment to observe him. He stood about 5' 9" and was skinny, with curly reddish hair that would've gone past his shoulders if it hadn't been tied into a bun. One thing that struck Phil about Roger was his new, feminine face. It was lovely like an angel. There was no doubt the science officer would've turned a lot of heads back on Earth. He took a seat next to Denny and the conference began "So, what did you find out?" Phil asked of his engineer. "It's amazing," Denny stated with tired admiration. "This entire ship is at least a hundred years ahead of anything we have. I've seen things that quite frankly Phil, I still can't believe. The engines are at least ten times faster than what we currently have, and a lot more efficient." "They should be," Roger interjected. "We were heading for Pluto." "What?" both the commander and engineer yelled together. "It seems this race has had space travel capacity for more than 200 years," Roger explained smugly. "They've already explored all the planets in the solar system, and have bases on several of them. This ship was on its way to re- supply one of those bases and swap out the crew." The engineer's eyes got big. "Wait a minute, you said Pluto. Are you telling me..." "That we never left our solar system," Roger finished for him while monitoring his crewmate's reaction. "Here the planet is known as Ziron. Our ship was scheduled to dock with the base located there in 25 days." The commander's mouth went open; then he narrowed his eyes at Roger as if he were nuts. "Would you mind telling me how we went from being in the inter-planets sector to the other side of Earth, if it's still called Earth?" "It's not, Phil. The people of this universe call it Ardor. As for the difference in location, I don't have an answer. All I really know for sure is that this ship wasn't headed for Mercury. They landed there almost 120 years ago." Phil shook his head as if this were a bad dream. "Okay, this is going way fast for me. Let's start at the beginning. Do you know where we are, Roger?" "I have a good idea. You've heard of the theory of parallel universes before, haven't you commander?" "Yes, and like you said it's just a theory." "Not anymore," the science officer grinned triumphantly. "Well I'm just a dumb engineer so explain it to me," Denny growled impatiently. Roger smiled. "It's like this. The theory is we live in a universe that's linked with other universes similar to ours, sort of like pages in a book. For now, think of our solar system as that book and the pages as different universes of it. Each page contains the same number of planets rotating in the same orbit made up of the same material. That's the common these universes share. But each page is different in some way, whether it's the written text or pictures they hold. Do you see what I mean?" "The pages are all part of the same book, but each one is unique," the engineer replied. "Exactly," the redhead smiled. "It's the same pretext. Millions of years ago our universe and the one we're currently in took a different path. What we're seeing is the results of that change. In a sense, we're looking at a different page of the same book." "How can you be sure?" Phil asked. The science officer grinned sheepishly. "I can't, but it's the only thing that makes sense. This solar system is the same as ours, right down to the orbital numbers. Even their Earth has the same land masses as ours does. Like I said, it just makes sense." "Wait a minute," Denny interjected. "If this is a parallel universe, does that mean there's a male version of me running around somewhere?" Roger shook his head. "You've been watching too many science fiction movies. The two universes are not the same, so neither are the people. Your parents, and your grandparents, and your great grandparents never existed here, so how could you? No, it's not what you think. This is a society with a different set of views and value. They came together long ago to work for the greater good of everyone on their planet." "That would explain why they're so much more advanced than us," Phil noted. "Technically yes, but socially I would have to disagree with you," Roger rebutted. "What do you mean?" "If I had to put a time period on them, I would say they're living in our 1950's standards, Phil." "Explain." The science officer sighed heavily. "In this universe, woman rule, not men. In fact on the average men are almost 30 percent weaker than women. Most are shorter, have less muscle tone, and are generally treated as second-class citizens." "Give me a break?" Denny rolled his eyes. "How did you find this out?" "By watching TV," the science officer held his ground. "Shows like the history channel, technology today, woman's world, and the local news. One hundred years ago men couldn't own property. Fifty years ago a man couldn't vote in the elections. Ten years ago men didn't work after marriage because their female companions frowned on it, and to this day there are no men in politics or top corporate spots. Men on the average make 25% less than women do for the same job. There are also other areas where they are not treated equal. There are no men's professional sports on Ardor, only women's. I found a few clubs built for men only, but they are few and far between and have no government support. Female clubs on the other hand are government supported, and there is at least one club in every town. Men's issues are generally ignored here." "Are you saying women control all the power?" Denny snapped in disbelief. "No, what I'm saying is that women are the power," Roger corrected. "Things are getting better for men, but very, very slowly." "Sounds like a nightmare," the engineer muttered. "It gets worse," the science officer leaned forward. "Three hundred years ago a race called the Krimita invaded Ardor. What transpired was ten years of war and suffering on a scale we can only begin to imagine. Almost 70% of the population was wiped out, and even today these people are still feeling the effects." "Which means they don't have a high tolerance toward aliens," Phil commented. "Especially those who steal the bodies of their astronauts," Roger agreed. "This is insane!" Denny yelled as he slammed his fist on the table. "Forget all this, how in the hell do we get back to our own universe?" "That, I'm afraid, is the problem," Roger stated calmly. "I don't know how we got here in the first place, let alone how to get back - if there is a way back." "You're the scientist, figure it out!" "I'm a geologist by profession. I don't have a lot of experience in parallel universes or how they work." "Do you have any theories?" Phil asked. The science officer shook his head. "None that would hold up at this time. I'm pretty sure this event was random, and had nothing to do with the location of the ship. If that's true, it means we should be able to duplicate what happened to us anywhere we choose, as long as we can figure out how this event occurred. There's something even stranger though. I was checking the computer for information and made an amazing discover. It seems everything on the Explorer's computer got transferred here with us. I have no explanation for this." "Shit," Denny cursed as he sat back in his seat. "We need to figure out what to do next," Phil commented softly. "I say we hide the truth, skipper," Denny insisted. "If they find out we aren't who they think we are; they'll skin us alive." "But they will find out," Roger insisted pointedly. "Do you really think you can make everyone believe you're Dawn Wilson, the body of the person you now inhabit? Or for that matter I can make people believe I'm Wendy Lewis? How about you commander? Do you want to have a go at making people believe you're not only a woman, but Commander Cindy Parker? Face it guys, we don't stand a chance fooling these people. It's better if we're up front and honest with them." "BULLSHIT!" Denny cursed angrily. "Supposing they start asking questions we can't answer - and they will ask them! I don't feel like being tortured for being honest. I'll take make chances being this Dawn, what's her name." "Wilson," Roger replied patiently. "You're Dawn Wilson, chief engineer on this ship. Strangely enough, it seems that each of us ended up in the same position we had on the Explorer. Now my question to you is how do you plan to fool them if you don't have a good working knowledge of how this ship runs?" "We don't have to," Phil replied. "They think something happened to our memories, so we'll just let them believe that. I've been reading the manuals on the ship and picked up on a few things." "So have I," Denny added. "I'm sure I can fool them if it comes down to that. I'm also sure you can too, since you and this Wendy person were both rock hunters." "Geologist," Roger corrected in an irritated tone. "What about the information in the computer." "Can you delete it?" Phil asked. Roger shook his head. "Unfortunately no. Ground control has complete control over the computers. I can't delete anything unless they allow it, and they most certainly won't under the circumstances. However, I might be able to hide our files from them." The commander sat there in silence. There was no training that could've prepared him for something like this. "Ground control wants us to rest for a few hours. I'm going to sleep on this, and make my decision when my mind is fresher. Roger, how long will you need to hide these files?" "Shouldn't take more then an hour. Keep in mind that I'm not an expert when it comes to this. The files can still be discovered by some computer hack." "It'll have to do." Phil stood and stretched. "Let's get some sleep, men. We have a big day ahead of us." They stood and walked to their separate bedrooms. Phil slid out of the jump suit he had put on earlier, and for the first time took at good look in the mirror at what he had become. Cindy Parker stood at almost six feet, and had a straight, blonde hair that went down slightly past her shoulders. Phil wondered why she hadn't had it cut shorter before the mission. Certainly it would've been more comfortable he thought. His eyes went lower and spied her perky breasts. They were certainly something to stare at. Lower still the waist grew skinny but firm. Cindy must have done at least 100 sit-ups a day to keep it that way. Still lower, hidden behind the panties she wore, was the major difference between him and Cindy Parker. Phil swallowed hard, and tried to get the courage to look, but just couldn't do it. He knew it was gone - going to the bathroom had proven that. Still, he had avoided looking at it till now. No, he wouldn't. Phil searched for a fresh T- shirt and pulled it over his breasts. Then he crawled into bed and told the computer to wake him in six hours. In a few minutes exhaustion took over and he was fast asleep. *** Alex Canter considered himself the luckiest men alive. He held the honor of being the personal secretary to the most powerful woman on the planet. It was a job he took very seriously as he scrambled around the huge office sorting papers for his boss to look at. It meant long hours, getting to work before his boss did, and frequently pulling some all-nights, but the payoff would be worth it. It would assure him of the chance of marrying someone rich and maybe even famous, not that Alex couldn't have achieved this on his own. By female standards he was a hunk. Standing at 5'10, he was several inches taller than the average man. He also had big, rippling muscles to show off, but not too big that it made him look feminine. They were just big enough to catch any woman's eye that crossed his path. Alex knew he could have his pick of female partners, if only the job didn't keep him so busy. Still, it got him noticed with the right people; those who worked in the corporate offices or self-made millionaires who could keep him living in expensive houses and fast sport cars for the rest of his life. Then he could put all his efforts into staying fit and would never work again. The young man noticed the time and walked over to the teapot to pour a freshly brewed cup. Carefully he placed it off to the side of the desk just as his boss walked in accompanied by two female bodyguards. Both did a quick glance around the room and closed the door as they left. "Good morning, Alex," Genni Smith smiled as she sat down behind her desk. "Good morning, Ms. President," he bowed slightly with respect. "How was your weekend, ma'am?" "Fine," she replied while handing him the newspaper she had read on the way in. "That game wasn't very pretty." Alex knew she was talking about the soccer match between the Southern Stingrays, her home team, and the Northern Express. "I hope you didn't watch too much of the game, ma am." Genni chuckled. "You know me, Alex. I had to watch in case they pulled off a miracle like they did three years ago. No such luck. Oh well." She took a sip of her tea. "What's going on this morning?" "The usual stuff, Ms. President. You have an economic conference this morning, followed by a press briefing. Lunch with the senators of the Southern islands and Greenbelt to discuss their trade disputes. Later you're meeting with the miner's trade union and various other leaders. If we're lucky you'll be out of here and on your way home to your family by 6:30." The last sentence earned the secretary a grunt. "When was the last time I ever got out of here before seven, Alex?" "Last year if I recall, Ms. President." "Damn straight and only because I was sick. I tell you Alex, this job is hell on my family. I hardly ever get to spend time with my kids and spouse anymore." "I could see about fitting them into lunch with you sometime," the male secretary offered. That earned him a smile. "I would like that, Alex. Anything else?" "Helen Berry is here to see you. She doesn't have an appointment, but says it's important." "When the space director comes all this way to see me I suspect it is," Genni nodded. "Send her in, and make sure we aren't disturbed." "Yes, Ms. President," Alex bowed. He opened the door where the director was sitting and motioned her in. "Good morning, Helen," the president greeted the director of Space Command as she stepped around her desk. "Would you like some coffee or tea?" "Coffee please," Helen answered pleasantly. Alex rushed to fix her a cup while Genni motioned for her friend to take a seat on the couch. The director noticed how tired the president looked and immediately felt sorry for her. The first four years hadn't been easy with the trade embargo in the Middle East followed by the year long mining strike and other things that would've tax a normal person's sanity. "Here you are, Ms. Berry," Alex smiled as he handed the director her coffee. "Thank you, Alex," Helen grinned. "By the way, have you thought about my offer to be the first man in space?" Alex giggled. "Thank you, but I'll have to decline, Ms. Berry. I want to keep both of my feet firmly on the ground. I hate heights." "It's true," Genni giggled. "They have to pump my secretary with a truck load of Valium to get him on Air Force One." "Too bad," the director grunted. "We could use a pretty face on the program. Are you sure about this, Alex? There would be great rewards." "Sorry ma'am, but all I want is to get married and take care of a houseful of kids. If there's anything else please let me know, Ms. President." Alex quietly excused himself from the room. "So Helen, what's going on? I know this isn't a social call." The space director grunted and took a sip of her coffee before talking. "It's about the Star Wing. The news is bad I'm afraid. The press just doesn't know how bad." "Do you know what happened?" "Not yet, Genni," Helen replied as she took another sip of her coffee and gathered her thoughts. The president and she went way back, and because of this the space director was only one of a handful of people who could address the president by her first name, providing there was no one else around. "To be honest, we're more worried about getting the crew home safely at the moment. I don't have to tell you how their deaths could hurt the program." The president nodded. "I know. There are many who want to see the missions scaled back - longer tours and even shutting down some of our bases. They've forgotten about the Krimita threat. Those bases give us an extra two months warning to prepare. I'm not a fool Helen, nor have I forgotten what they did to our people. I just wish I could get you the proper funding you need." "Maybe the critics are right, Genni. Maybe the Krimita aren't a threat to us anymore. We did kick their asses pretty good." "That may be, but I still feel safer with the net in place, don't you?" Helen nodded in agreement. "So, what happened to the crew?" "We don't know for sure. According to the bio readers, they were dead for 3 minutes and 35 seconds." "Computer glitch?" "I'm hoping, but that doesn't seem to be the case. For all three bio readers to go out at the exact same time is...well, the odds are astronomical. Each is on its own, separate circuit." "Putting that aside, what are the effects if they weren't breathing for that long?" "Brain damage," Helen explained sadly. "If you deprived the brain of oxygen for more than three minutes it starts to deteriorate. All three are showing signs of diminishing skills. They're confused, forgetful, and have a hard time remembering names. I think it's safe to assume there was some damage." The president frowned and put down her teacup. "That's not good. When will they be home?" "Around nine in the morning, our time that is. I'm having our top pilot pick them up and bring them straight to the center where we can examine them." "The press will have a field day considering how slow things are around the world at the moment," the president noted with displeasure. "I can see the headlines now." "I'll keep them under control," Helen promised. "The last thing I want is a circus on my beat. I'll let you know the moment I find anything out, Genni." "Thank you my friend." Genni smiled and stood. "Give my best to your other half." Helen grinned, and gave the president a hug. "I'll do that, Genni. We need to get together soon and have dinner. I can have Harry fix one of his famous meals. He loves to cook, and take care of the kids." "You're a lucky woman Helen, to find someone as cute and talented as him." "We both are," the director agreed. "Tom's not too bad himself. He did help you win the election." "Yes, it's good to have a trophy husband by your side," Genni giggled. "Have a nice trip back." Helen left and Genni went back to her desk to look over the notes on the conference scheduled a half an hour from now. It was one of those boring meetings she would rather not have to attend, but was required of her. That's what this job was all about - 99% boring meetings and other functions, and 1% excitement. Of course it was that 1% of excitement that made the other 99% of BS all worth it. *** It was an odd-looking recovery ship the men noted. The spacecraft looked similar to a plane, only its wings rose up in a 'V' configuration. On the side in big, black letters was the name "The Fury". The space plane moved closer with remarkable speed, and there was a slight thump when it docked. The three ex-men waited by the airlock, their personal bags in hand. Remember," Phil reminded them. "Use your female name at all times. If you get stuck on something, tell them you don't remember. Got it?" Both ladies nodded, and the commander opened the door. On the other side they were greeted by a woman in a space suit. She smiled and extended her hand. "Welcome home, ladies. Sorry we had to meet this way. My name is Carol Conners, but everyone calls me by my call sign, Darkside, or DS for short. I've been ordered to take you straight to command central. If you will get in please, we have a tight window to make." DS helped each lady into their seats and buckled them in before closing the hatch. With a tap on her stick, The Fury separated from the Star Wing and moved away. The three astronauts looked back at their ship in awe. "We'll be back to recover your personal items later," DS told them. She found it curious that they were staring at the Star Wing like it was the first time they had seen it. "He's a pretty ship," she noted. "Not as nice as the newer models, but still pretty. Hang on; I'm taking us down now." The thrust of the engines pushed them into their seats, and the plane seemed to fall toward the surface at an alarming rate. Their stomachs began doing flip-flops, and Phil was about to say something when DS suddenly pulled the nose up hard and made a sharp, left turn. The wings came down into a horizontal position and started glowing while the sound of the atmosphere burning against the heat shield was deafening. Several times the space plane bounced violently as DS brought it in at a steep angle. Then the noise eased off, until the only thing they could hear were the engines whining to keep the plane in flight. DS looked back at them with a grin. "Sorry for the rough ride ladies, but it was either take you down now or make another orbit; and the director would've had my ass if I did the latter. We'll be landing in five minutes." Phil wanted to sock her. He had met plenty of jet jocks just like her who enjoyed getting their thrills at the expense of others. There was no reason she couldn't have circled back, especially since this ship could be flown like a regular plane. It was all fun and games for people like her. Ahead Phil could make out a large complex of buildings with a long runway off to the side. DS positioned the space plane toward the end of the runway and made a perfect landing. The wheels screeched as they touched the asphalt, followed by a sharp drag as the rear parachute came out. A minute later they were stopped. A van pulled up with several other vehicles, and a group of ladies in white lab coats got out. "This way, ladies," DS grinned as she opened up the door. "Thank you for flying Fury airlines." She gave them a single fingered salute, which Phil guessed was her way of recognizing a fellow pilot. The commander stepped outside and had to shield his eyes from the bright sun. One of the women, a blonde, placed a pair of sunglasses over his eyes. "Thank you," Phil said politely. "You're welcome, Commander Parker," she smiled. "I'm Dr. Stephanie Powers, do you remember me?" "I um...I'm sorry." "It's okay," she nodded with concern. "I'm going to help you remember. This way, ladies." They were loaded into the van with Dr. Powers and a handful of other doctors and driven to the medical building three miles away. At the door they were greeted by a mob of female reporters filming their every move. "As you might expect, you're their top news story," Dr. Powers stated dryly. Clearly she didn't like the press's presence. Five female guards moved forward to create a wall and stop the press from moving too close. When they stepped out of the van the reporters hit them with a barrage of questions. "Doctor, can you tell us how they're doing?" one female reporter yelled. "They're walking, aren't they," she growled at her. "Anything else will have to wait until I've had a chance to examine them." "Commander Parker," another woman shouted. "I'm Linda Drake from TV 5 news. Can you tell us what happened that caused Space Command to scrub your mission?" "No comment!" the doctor replied as she pushed them inside. Once the door was closed she cursed. "Damn leaches. Sorry about that ladies. You know how the press is, especially when things go wrong. This way." Dr. Powers led them to a series of examination rooms where each astronaut was taken into one by two women. The taller of the two women faced Phil and said, "I'm Dr. Strong, but I want you to call me Debbie. This is my assistant, Candy. I thought you might be more comfortable with a female nurse assisting me. She's going to help you get undressed so I can examine you. Do you have any questions?" "No, not right now," Phil swallowed hard. Candy unzipped the fight suit while Debbie grabbed a plain, green gown in her hands and held it out. "Sorry commander," Debbie stated in sympathetic tone. "Dr. Powers instructed me to conduct a complete physical on you." The fight suit fell to the floor and Phil stepped out of it. Candy then unsnapped and removed her bra. The doctor moved forward with the gown and covered her up. The female nurse reappeared with some white stickers and attached them to Phil's breasts, stomach area, and thighs. "You can leave your panties on for now," the doctor intoned as if she were doing Phil a favor. "I want you to lie on the table and remain still so we can get your bio readings." The nurse helped Phil onto the table and told him to lie down. Next she attached several leads to the stickers and made sure they were secure. She nodded to the doctor that everything was ready. "Lay still Cindy," Dr Strong repeated. She watched the readouts on computer monitor for over five minutes before she was satisfied. "Good news, Cindy. There doesn't appear to be any problems with your heart, lungs, or kidneys." "Were you expecting there to be?" Phil questioned with concern. "Of course not?" the doctor reassured him with a warm smile. "Still, isn't it nice to know there isn't a problem? Now, I need to do a pap smear and vaginal examination." "A...a pap smear and vaginal examination? For God's sake why?" "Relax Cindy," the doctor answered gently. "I told you, Dr. Powers ordered a full examination. We're just making sure there's nothing physically wrong with you. I promise to be as gentle as I can." "Look I don't need you to...examine me down there. The problem is in my head, remember. I keep forgetting things." "We'll get to your memory problems in a moment, Cindy. Right now I have to rule out other things." The doctor pulled out some metal devices from the end of the table and locked them in place. "Okay Cindy, I need you to remove your panties and put your feet in the braces. Do you need Candy to help you?" "I can remove my own underwear, doctor," Phil replied curtly. He wondered if the others were feeling as apprehensive about this as he was. He removed the panties, then laid down on the table and put his feet in the braces. Candy stood beside him and took his hand for support. "Okay Cindy, just relax," the doctor said as she lifted the hem of the gown. Phil felt her hands probing around where his manhood should've been. Something entered inside him, causing the commander to gasp in horror. Candy stroked Phil's long hair while the doctor continued her examination. "It's okay," the nurse whispered calmly. "I know this isn't the most pleasant thing, but take a deep breath and stay calm." "I'm almost done," the doctor intoned sympathetically as she took her samples with a swab. "Can you tell me when your last sexual encounter was, Cindy?" "I..." Phil's mouth went dry as he tried to think of an answer. "I don't know off hand." "That's okay, I was just wondering. We'll do a test for VD and other stuff while we're at it. Just hang in there a little longer." More objects were thrust in her, and Phil/Cindy closed his eyes in embarrassment. Why should he feel this way? It wasn't the first time he had his privates examined, although in this case it was a little different. Finally the doctor stepped back and lowered his gown. "All done," she smiled. "We'll have to wait on the tests results, but I didn't see anything wrong with your plumbing." "Wonderful," Phil snorted, feeling violated by the examination. "I know," Dr. Strong noted the woman's embarrassment. "I'm sorry, but it had to be done. Candy's going to draw some blood and then we're going to do a stress test on you. Are you up for it?" "I think so," Phil answered sitting up. "Good. I'll be back in a moment." Dr. Strong closed the door as she left and met with the director in the hallway. "How is it going?" Helen Berry queried. "Good," Dr. Strong replied. "Except for the vaginal examination, Cindy was nervous as hell. I've done five examinations on her in the past and she's never flinched. This time she acted like a teenager having it done for the first time." The director frowned. "The other doctors told me their patients acted the same way, despite going through this examination a few weeks ago without a problem. What do you make of it?" "I'm not sure," the doctor wrinkled her brow in displeasure. "It could be everything unpleasant that's happened to them recently was been forgotten - post shock maybe." The door to one of the exam rooms opened, and Wendy Lewis was led down the hallway. "She's going to have a CAT scan," Helen commented. "Dr. Powers ordered one for each patient." "I think that's a wise decision. Whatever is wrong with them, it doesn't appear to be physical. I better get back with my patient." Dr. Strong entered the exam room once more, leaving Helen Berry to ponder what was going on. *** "They're different," Dr Powers stated with no uncertainty. "They look the same, they even act the same, but they don't think the same. Here, look at Cindy Parker." A graph was brought up showing a series of bars overlapping each other. "The red bars show how Cindy's brain used to function before the flight. The blue bars indicate how it functions now. As you can see, there's a big change in many areas. Look here." The doctor pointed to an area with her laser pointer where the bars were very different. "This is where the logic thought patterns occur. See the difference? Before they were here, but now they're lower." "Are you saying Cindy is stupider?" Helen questioned. "No," Dr. Powers shook her head. "The truth is Cindy's IQ is 25 points higher. It's her thought patterns that are different. Here, let me show you a better example." A new screen was displayed with two brains next to each other. Dr. Powers pointed to the yellow splotches on the left brain. "This is how Cindy used to think. Notice how most of the activity took place in this area. Now look at the one on the right. See how that's shifted more toward this area in the middle? Her thought patterns have changed. Wendy and Dawn show the same shift." "How can that..." "I don't know, Director," the doctor answered before the question was asked. "I can tell you this. We've studied the brain for years, mapping it and figuring out how it works. Cindy, Wendy, and Dawn are showing thought patterns that are similar to what you would find in a man." "WHAT!" Helen gasped in astonishment. "It's true, Director. I was just as surprised as you were. Something inside their brains has shifted. This would explain why we couldn't pick up their vital signs for those three plus minutes. They were physically dead until their brains re-configured themselves and started their bodies back up again." "How? Was it some kind of force? An alien presence perhaps?" Dr. Powers shrugged her shoulders. "I wish I had an answer director, but I don't. The reason for this change lies out there, in space. I talked with the flight director and she mentioned this was the first time one of our ships has crossed that area of space. Maybe they ran into something left over from the war that scrambled their brains. Until we check it out all I can do is guess what happened to them." "You mean send a probe out there. Do you know how many credits that will cost?" "More credits than the lives of those three ladies?" Dr. Power pointed out coldly. "That's not what I meant," Helen explained heatedly. "Okay, besides the change in their thought patterns, what else are they suffering from? Brain damage?" "Surprisingly no. As I said before, Cindy's IQ increased, as did the other ladies although not as significantly. Physically they're fine. Mentally, they're having trouble remembering their past. Most likely this is a result of their brains being re-wired. Something had to be lost in the process." "What do you recommend, doctor?" "Obviously I want to do some more testing on them. They're fit enough to go home, but I would prefer we keep them here until my tests are complete." "What about the press? Are they well enough to speak?" Dr. Powers thought about it. "Yes, but I would baby them. Censor the questions they're asked, and don't allow the conference to go on for more than 15 minutes." "Thank you, doctor," Helen said. Dr. Powers nodded and took a seat. The lights were turned on, and Helen turned to the woman on her right. "What about the ship, Abby?" "There doesn't appear to be any damage that we can see," she stated. "We've done a survey with our orbital telescope and structurally the Star Wing looks fine. However, I still want to send a team on board to have the ship checked out before I sent it back into deep space. The crew reported a number of systems failing, although some appeared to have been caused by them bumping around up there." "What about the base the Star Wing was heading to?" "They've been made aware of the problem. The Solar Wind is scheduled to dock later on this week. I'm confident we can get the ship loaded and sent back out in 48 hours. The crew on the Solar Wind was informed of the situation and reported no problems with the ships performance. We have a new crew standing by to take over." "That's risky," the flight manager stated flatly. She was very protective of her crews. "It's acceptable," flight director defended her decision. "The Solar Wind is less than five years old, and was refitted with a new navigation system as well as having its engines overhauled before its last trip. He's basically a new ship." "Why rush? The crew on base 8 has enough supplies to last them for at least six months - longer if they ration." "They've also been on that rock for almost a year. Believe me, for their own sanity we need to get a ship moving in their direction." "Agreed," Helen said, remembering her own time spent in deep space. She had lived almost a year and a half on base 3 searching the sky for foreign objects. It had been an older space station that had since been replaced. The happiest day of her tour was when the starship separated from the base to bring her home. "Make the arrangements so the Solar Wind will be ready to leave ASAP. Anything else?" "The press conference, director," the public relations woman mentioned. "No sense putting it off," Helen sighed. "The longer we wait, the more rabid they will become. Schedule a conference in two hours, and make sure the girls look their best. Thank you for coming." The ladies picked up their folders and headed out the door to their respective destinations. Only the flight director remained behind. The director eyed her carefully. "Something on your mind, Abby?" "I didn't want to bring this up at the meeting Helen, but after everything on the ship went crazy we noted some anomalies in the main computer." "What sort of anomalies?" Helen asked in pressing tone. "It was with our programs. Some of them seemed to be...well, dissimilar...almost like they were meant for a different operating system. When we switched those particular systems over to the backup programs they worked fine. Later we went back to check them out but they were gone." "Do you have any idea why?" "There can be only one reason, someone moved them on us." "You said moved, not deleted." "Correct. The computer was under our control at the time. The only way to delete something would've meant rebooting the system." "Can't you locate these programs?" The flight director leaned back in her chair and shook her head. "Not from here. We need to send someone up there to find them." "I see." Helen Berry stood and walked over to the table to pour herself a fresh cup of coffee. She frowned, and turned to face her friend. "Do you have someone in mind?" "Yes, a young woman who works in my department named Glenda Nagel. She's been cleared recently for flight, and is a wiz with computers. If something is hidden she'll find it." "Who else?" "Tina Viner would command. She's dealt with situations such as this before and I trust her judgment. The last person would be Amy Gray. She supervised the re-fitting of the Star Wing three years ago and knows every nook and cranny." "The shuttle can hold ten people," the director pointed out. "I don't want to wait three weeks, Helen. I want to go now. I've been speaking with the Air Force jocks all morning. They say they could strip a space plane down, load it with extra fuel, and have it deliver my crew without any problems." "What about tools, instruments, and other items they will need to conduct the investigation, Abby?" "My crew can use what's on the Star Wing." "Which could be screwed up by whatever the ship went through," Helen pointed out. "All their findings could be for naught if these units are out of whack." "I understand that, Helen. There are two reasons I want to use the space plane. One is to check on the ships structure and find out what's hidden in that computer. The second is to keep this mission quiet from the press. The fewer number of people who know about this the better. We can launch a shuttle later to check the Star Wing out more thoroughly." Helen bit her lip and nodded. "It sounds like a good plan. When can you go?" "In six hours. The Air Force jocks swear it won't take very long to strip the plane down and add more fuel tanks." "Let me think it over, Abby." "Thanks, Helen," the fight director smiled. *** "Forget it, I'm not putting it on," Phil said curtly. "You must," Nurse Candy insisted as she held the red, silk dress in her hands. "You have a press conference in an hour and the director wants you to look your best." "Then get me a pair of pants. I'm not wearing - that!" "Cindy, be reasonable," the nurse pleaded. "This is your favorite dress, why won't you wear it?" "I'm...I'm not in the mood. Look, find me something else." Phil heard more protesting outside his door, and stepped into the hallway to see what was going on. There he found his fellow astronauts, each with a nurse next to them holding a dress. "They want us to put on dresses," Roger/Dawn protested almost violently. "I won't do it." "What's going on?" someone asked sharply. The three former men turned and saw an imposing looking woman standing there with her hands on her hips. She wasn't pleased. "Director Berry," Roger blurted out so his crewmates would know who she was. "We're sorry to be problem, but it's been a long day for us. The last thing we want to do is get all dolled up and be paraded in front of the press." "I see," she replied, looking sternly at the three of them. "Now listen up, ladies. Your mission was a serious set back to the program. I'm not blaming you for what happened; I'm only telling you how it is. The press has been breathing down our necks since this happened, coming up with their own idea's about what really happened up there. If we don't give them some answers soon, the people who support this program are going to start believing those stories. We can't afford that, nor can we have you looking shabby. So this is how it's going to be. You ladies are going to go back in your rooms, slip into those dresses, put on your makeup, step into your high heels shoes, and make us proud. You're going to stand in front of the press and answer their questions with a smile on your face regardless of whether you're happy about it or not, because if you don't you can kiss your careers goodbye. I'll personally see to it that you never fly again. Is that clear?" "Yes, very clear," Phil said for all of them. "Good commander, now get dressed," she ordered. The three men turned and went into their rooms to change. Frustrated from the events of the day, Helen sighed and walked back to her office to prepare for the press conference. *** "Commander Parker, were you ever concerned for your safety?" the attractive blonde with a better than average body asked. The press was filled with over 100 reporters and news people, all young attractive females Phil noticed. Not one male in the bunch. "No," he shook his head. "Space command has the best people working for us. I knew that whatever the problem was, our people would fix it." Phil noticed Director Berry standing in the back smiling at his reply. The fight director added her two cents. "We're family here," she stated. "We take care of our own. Despite some trouble with the Star Wing, there was never a concern that the crew wouldn't make it home alright." "What about the Star Wing," another reporter asked. "The ship is almost 20 years old. Will it be retired?" Abby shook her head. "We still need to check the ship out before I can answer that, but the Star Wing has always been a reliable ship. I'm not going to decommission him because of one problem. There are still plenty of miles left in him." "When will the ship be checked?" another report asked. "We have a shuttle scheduled to go up sometime next month. I'll brief you on the details as they become available," the fight director told her. "This concludes our conference ladies. We'll be holding another tomorrow afternoon. Thank you for coming and for your patience." As Abby and the three female astronauts stood the flashbulbs winked. The three of them smiled and waved as they walked to a nearby conference room. Helen joined them. "Well done, ladies. This should keep the press quiet for a while." "What happens now?" Roger asked. "You're going to spend the night at the dorm, so the doctor can do some more tests on you in the morning. But first I have a surprise. This way please." Helen led them to another room where several people were waiting. The strangers stood and smiled anxiously as they walked into the room. One of them, a young woman, ran up to Phil and hugged him. "Welcome home, sister!" Nervously Phil put his arms around the stranger and returned the hug. He noticed his other crewmates were being treated the same way by these strangers, and each seemed quite unnerved by it. "We've assigned each of you ladies to a private suite, so you can spend time with your families," Helen announced with a small smile. "You mean we're not staying together," Phil asked. "No - is that a problem?" Helen frowned with some concern. "It's not, I just...we're a crew and..." Phil's voice trailed off. At the moment he couldn't think of one good reason why they should stay together. The director looked at him oddly. "Come on, sister," the woman said while grabbing Phil's arm. "Let's go to our room. We have so much to talk about." The director watched the reactions of all three ladies as they left. She had expected them to be happy, but instead they had shown open signs of reluctance at the thought of spending time with their families. She motioned for the head of security to come over. "Yes director?" the tall, dark-hair woman dressed in a military uniform asked. "Double the guards and make sure no one enters their rooms without my permission. I don't want them disturbed until morning." "I'll see to it, Ms. Berry." The guard left swiftly to follow her orders. Helen pulled her phone out of her purse and punched in the code for a secure line, followed by a phone number. The other end rang, and the fight director answered. "Abby, this is Helen. Assemble your crew. I want them up there ASAP. And make sure you tell them that secrecy is of the utmost importance. The last thing I need is my name showing up on the world news. Thanks for your help. Goodnight." Helen put her phone away and looked at her watch. It was already too late to go home and tuck in her kids. Well, that was the price you paid for holding a job like this. At least her husband would be waiting up for her. She hoped he was ready for a night of hot sex. After today she needed to 'screw' someone's brains out. *** "What's wrong, Cindy," the woman asked as she handed Phil a stiff drink and sat down next to him. She was cute and sweet, and Phil was having a hard time not thinking of her as a potential sex partner. "Sorry sis...it's the mission. We screwed up." Phil sipped his drink and looked at the woman whose name he didn't even know. Why hadn't Roger come up with family profiles for them? It made sense they would have to meet with them eventually. "Hey, there'll be other missions," she replied while rubbing her hand through Phil's long hair. "Look at all the things you've accomplished for Space Command in the past. You'll get another shot, I know you will." "I guess." Phil looked at his drink and tried to think of something to say that wouldn't blow his cover. "Let's talk about mom and dad." The young woman frowned. "I'm sorry Cindy, I...I can't. It hurts too much to know they're gone. Why did they have to get on that plane?" 'So they died in a plane crash,' Phil deduced. That would explain why they weren't here. "I'm sorry sis, I miss them too. I wish they were with us still." "Cindy," the woman started off sadly. "You're the only family I have now and I don't want to lose you. Maybe it's time you retire from the program." "Retire!" "Not totally. You can work on the ground crew getting other women ready. I'm sure Director Berry would find you a job. We would get to spend more time together, and you could start a family. Remember that cute guy, Hank? He's still available, and from what I understand he's crazy about you. I heard he's got a job working as file clerk at Andersons Manufacturing." Phil took a drink and fidgeted nervously. The last thing he wanted to talk about was marriageable men. "Look, I..." An idea popped into his head. "Tell me your name?" "What?" the woman answered a little worried. "Humor me, tell me your name." "It's Mary." "That's right, and my nam