Date: Sat, 14 Mar 2015 06:07:06 +0100
From: Commander Chief <CommanderinChief@gmx.com>
Subject: Close Encounters of the Fourth Kind - part 2

Close Encounters of the Fourth Kind

By Commander in Chief


Author's note:

The following text contains graphic descriptions of nudity and sexual
acts between adult males.  If it is illegal to read such material where
you live or at your age, please refrain from continuing.

This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to persons living or
deceased is purely coincidental.

This work is copyright by the author. Any commercial use or reproduction is
prohibited without the explicit permission of the author. Personal copies
are permitted only if they include this copyright notice.

If you have any suggestions, comments, or constructive feedback,
please email commanderinchief@gmx.com


Part 2


     I gasped. As the rush of sensations on my skin slowly faded, I took a
deep breath. In.  Out. Then another. The atmosphere smelled faintly damp,
and slightly oily, but not unpleasantly so. Wherever I was, it seemed
human-habitable. I tried moving my arms and legs again, but to no
avail. The messages just weren't getting to my limbs. Nor could I move my
head. I tried to make my mouth and tongue form the shapes to make words,
but I was unable to utter anything more than a grunt. Still, it was a
start. I was alive, conscious, and in a breathable atmosphere. My eyeballs
didn't seem to be affected, and I looked around.

     I stared at the dark on not-dark pattern in front of me trying to make
out any details. The light seemed to be getting brighter - either that or
my eyes were adapting to the gloom. Without any reference, it was
impossible to tell how far away it was. The blob in the middle looked
vaguely X-shaped. I deliberately looked away, using my peripheral vision to
get a different view of the blob. Yes, definitely X-shaped, with a smaller
blob in the top vee of the X. Suddenly I realised what I was looking at,
and I gasped again in dismay. Surely not!

     As the light level slowly increased, my suspicions were confirmed. The
shape opposite me was a human figure, arms and legs outspread. I knew with
dreadful certainty that I was looking at one of my crew. In another few
minutes I was able to discern the unmistakeable beard of Red, my XO. My
heart sank. Red was the most experienced of my crew, a veteran of two deep
space missions and countless shorter ones. If he had been captured, then
what chance did the rest of my crew have?

     I examined his form in the dim light. He appeared to be wearing the
standard GSC-issue flight uniform of dark blue stretch pants, light blue
tight-fitting long sleeved pullover, and black boots. Comfortable,
practical, and except for the boots, exactly what I had been wearing inside
the EVA suit. Unable to look down at myself, I assumed I was still wearing
my uniform. As I stared at my XO, I noticed some darker patches near his
wrists, upper arms, and chest, but it was still too gloomy to make out any
details.

     Sensation was slowly returning to my body. Whatever had happened, the
effects didn't seem to be permanent. Soon I was able to wiggle my fingers
and toes, and I tried again to bring my hand up in front of my face. This
time I could actually feel my biceps bunch, but try as I might, I was
unable to move my arm at all. I relaxed my arm and took stock of my
surroundings.

     The space I was in seemed to be four or five meters across, and maybe
the same in height. I couldn't discern any walls on either side, but as I
was still unable to turn my head, I couldn't be certain. Although I was
immobilised, there didn't seem to be any appreciable gravity - after many
years of zero-G space flight, I trusted my gut in this as much as my other
senses.

     The light continued to grow brighter - I estimated it was now almost
enough to read by. It had no obvious source, and judging by the colours of
Red's beard and pullover, I figured it was slightly bluer than what we were
used to. It seemed to be a uniform all-enveloping glow. Perhaps it was
light from the star, piped or diffused into this strange chamber. Or maybe
it was some sort of bio-luminesce. I shuddered at the thought that we might
be inside something that was alive.

     I couldn't hear anything - no machinery, no hums, nothing
mechanical. Fortunately, there were no sounds of life either - no gurgles
or wheezes, no sound of alien fluids being pumped through unfamiliar
organs. No scuttles of insectoid feet, rustling of wings, or crunching of
mandibles. . . shit, what was I thinking? I was letting my imagination get
the better of me! I pushed those nightmarish thoughts into the background
and tried again to say something, but could only make incoherent panting
noises. The sounds were swallowed up by walls of the chamber, and there was
no echo.

     I focused again on the figure of Red opposite. The dark areas that I'd
noticed earlier now looked vaguely sinister, positioned as they were at his
wrists, upper arms, and across his chest. And in the stronger light, I
could now also make out similar darker areas near his ankles, knees, and
hips. His eyes were closed, and there was a band of something across his
forehead, passing above his ears. And almost hidden behind his beard, I
could just make out the shape of something similar around his
neck. Realisation dawned. They were restraints! Was I similarly restrained?
Unable to look down at my body, I could only assume that I was. Why else
was I unable to move? Who or whatever had captured us had pinned us out
like butterflies in a case! In a surge of rage, I clenched my fists and
tried to bring them together. I felt my pecs tense and strain with the
effort, and although I could feel the resistance of something holding back
my wrists and my elbows, I was barely able to move my hands more than a
millimetre or so. Sweat broke out and beaded on my forehead. I tried
another move, pushing back with my legs and shoulders, trying to arch my
body up and away from whatever I was pinned against, but again, the
restraints only allowed a tiny amount of leeway. I closed my eyes, sagged,
exhausted by the effort. As I relaxed, the restraints seemed to ease then
tighten - or was that just my imagination?

     When I opened my eyes again, the first thing I noticed was that Red's
eyes were also open. I watched his face for any sign of recognition, but it
was impossible to tell how awake he was. It had taken me, what - two hours?
ten hours? who knows? - to come to. But then again, I didn't know how long
he had been hanging in the darkness opposite. The brightness level in the
chamber seemed to have steadied. It was hard to know for sure, but I guess
it was about as light as an overcast winter's day back on Earth - plenty
enough to make out the details of how he was restrained. Smooth, dark,
ropes of something, each as thick as my thumb, were coiled around his
wrists and ankles, wound two or three times around. Similarly, his arms and
legs were lassoed at points just above his elbows and knees
respectively. Two pairs of slightly thicker ropes circled his hips and
chest. A single strand of the stuff went around his neck. Something
different was around his forehead - it was thinner and wider, more like a
belt or a strap than a rope. I couldn't see any knots or loose ends
anywhere - the ropes seems to disappear behind him.

     Red groaned. He was awake! The strap around his head flexed slightly -
I saw this - and I watched, fascinated, as a flush of blood started at his
hairline and extended to his face and neck. A minute later I saw his hands
and fingers twitch. He shivered, just as I had. He shuddered again, and I
saw his legs tense and relax. His eyes closed, but I continued to watch
him. After a few minutes his eyes snapped open again, and this time he
stared at me. I imagined that I saw confusion and anger in them. He tried
to say something, but all that came out was a series of breathy gasps. He
flicked his gaze left, then right, then settled on me again, eyes slightly
bugged out. I tried to communicate via my own gaze that I was OK, that we
would be OK, but I don't know whether he understood. I wiggled my fingers,
and saw him wiggle his in reply. He gave me the OK sign, and I gave him the
thumbs-up in reply. A wave of relief washed over me. I hadn't realised how
scared I was, but this simple gesture - thumb touching forefinger - was the
best thing I think I'd ever seen.

     I don't know long how we hung there, looking at each other, but it
seemed like hours. Both of us tried to speak, but neither of us could make
any sound other than a sort of panting grunt. It was frustrating, and we
soon gave up. Every so often we'd flash each other the OK or the thumbs-up,
but that was the limit of our communication. I remember at Command school
hearing about this old-timey message code: apparently when there actual
ocean-going navies, they used this system of long and short sounds or light
pulses or whatever to spell out the letters of each word. I mean, shit, how
slow would that have been?  But now, hanging on some alien's trophy wall a
hundred light-years from home, I had all the time in the world, and I
wished I'd paid more attention in History class.

     Lost in my thoughts, I gradually became aware that something had
changed. I felt the movement of air against my face. Red must have felt it
too, because he slowly wiggled his hand - a leaf fluttering. I flashed him
the OK sign in return. Whatever it was, we were in this together. I caught
the hint of movement out of the corner my eye. Something was moving in the
chamber! I glanced upwards. There it was! Something moving in the space
above us. A thin, dark sinuous shape dropped into my line of sight. It was
smooth and black, and it flexed like a snake. Involuntarily, I recoiled,
but I was held fast by the restraints. The thing was about 3cm in diameter,
and tapered to a blunt point at the end. It waved as if sensing the air,
and as it did I noticed its surface was filigreed with a fine mesh. It
glistened like something covered with polished leather. Then it moved
towards me. I felt the bile rise in my throat as I desperately tried to
escape, but the restraints were as unyielding. In desperation, I screwed my
eyes shut, willing it to keep away. I heard the blood roaring in my
ears. For the longest time I kept my eyes closed. Finally, I opened my
eyes, and as I did, it touched the tip of my nose.

     I went wild. Or I would have had I not been so tightly restrained. The
idea of some alien. . . THING . . . touching me triggered something in my
subconscious that I had never been aware of. Every muscle in my body tensed
and spasmed as I tried to jerk loose. The cords in my neck stood out as I
desperately tried to turn my head away. Without being aware of it, I was
making some rhythmic but incoherent panting sound. It was no use. I was
pinned tightly to the wall, immobilised by the tight coils around my limbs
and torso. Finally, the panic attack subsided, and I retained some control
over my breathing. I looked over at Red, ashamed that he had seen his
commander in such a state. He flashed me the OK sign, eyes signalling a
question. After a minute, I gave him the thumbs up.

     The alien. . . tentacle thing hadn't moved, and was still handing
right in front of my face. I felt it touch my nose again, and I shuddered,
but managed to keep the panic at bay. Then it started moving slowly over my
face, just the tip of it touching my skin, as if it was measuring the shape
of each plane and ridge. It wasn't slimy, as had feared, but not was it dry
exactly. When it touched my lips, I thought I would gag, but I managed to
control the urge. It circled down my chin and along my jaw to one ear, then
up through my hair and over to the other ear. I felt the very tip of the
thing explore the folds of my ear, bending and moving the skin and
cartilage as it did so. Apparently satisfied, it returned where it has
started, hovering just in from of my eyes.

     Then it moved over towards Red. I saw him tense all his muscles, but
like me, he was thoroughly restrained. Perhaps because he had seen it
examine me first, he didn't panic - or maybe he was in better control of
his fear. It repeated the feel of his face, but spent some additional time
exploring his beard and moustache. Then the tentacle started moving
lower. It traced a path down his throat, but hesitated at the collar of his
pullover, as if sensing the change from skin to fabric. After a few
seconds, it started moving again, trailing along his collarbone to his
shoulder, and starting down his arm. When it reached the cuff of his
pullover, it paused again briefly, before moving onto his wrist. I held my
breath, wondering if it was going to explore his hand. It it did, would Red
try to grab hold of it? How would it react? Perhaps whatever mind was
controlling it was aware that we had been signalling with our hands
earlier, because it ventured no closer to his fingers.

     Instead it moved quickly back along the length of his arm, and stopped
at his throat. Something changed near the end of the thing - the tip
narrowed and the glimmered briefly - and then it slid beneath the collar of
his pullover. Red flinched. I saw the outline of the tentacle moving
quickly down the centreline of his chest to his waist, and then without
warning, the fabric of the uniform top came apart. It looked like a clean
cut - the was no fraying - and I wondered what sort of edge could do that
to GSC mil-spec clothing. The tentacle moved back to his shoulder, and slid
down his arm. The restraints at his elbow appeared to slacken, allowing it
to pass inside the loops. Once it reached his wrist, it cut through the
length of the sleeve, which fell away, leaving his arm bare. It did the
same on the other sleeve, and suddenly, Red was naked from the waist up.

     My XO is a hairy man, and the thing spent some considerable time
exploring the fur on his chest, shoulders and arms. It seemed particularly
interested in the longer ginger hairs in his exposed armpits, and in the
swirls of fur around his belly button. If I didn't know better, I'd almost
say it was sniffing him. But it wasn't done yet. It slid down one flank,
under the waistband of his pants, and snaked down one leg, the stretch
fabric plainly marking its progress. Again, it was able to cut through the
material quite cleanly and without any apparent effort. In a few seconds,
it had done away with his pants and jock. I thought his boots might prove
more difficult to remove, but it made short work of them too. Holy crap,
that was some sharp edge indeed that could cut through leather reinforced
with kevlar! I flashed Red the OK sign and he replied with a hesitant
thumbs-up. It spent another few minutes closely examining the thick bush of
ginger hair between his legs. I couldn't shake the idea that it was
smelling him.

     The tentacle swung back towards me, and it was clear that my clothing
was about to be removed as well. I think if someone forced me at gunpoint
to take off my clothes, I could probably handle it. Or if they were removed
while I was unconscious. But having them cut off while I was awake but
impotent seemed infinitely worse.

     I jerked as I felt something move against amy ankle - I had expected
it to start at my neck as it had with Red. My skin crawled as I felt the
tentacle slowly sliding up my calf. When it reached my knee, I felt the
coils there relax slightly to allow it to pass under them. It slid up along
my thigh and past my hip, and when it reached my waist, it stiffened,
vibrated for an instant, and then I felt the sudden cool wash of air on my
leg. It repeated the manoeuvre on the other leg, and just like that, my
pants and undershorts were gone. It dealt with my pullover just as
efficiently. Pinned to the wall, unable to move or speak, and now stripped
naked, I had never felt more helpless. When I looked over to Red, his cock
was hard, the circumcised tip bouncing slightly with his pulse. In the
absence of gravity it was nearly touching his belly button. And to add to
my shame, I felt a heaviness in my groin as my own cock slowly filled with
blood and stiffened to match.

     But it seemed the examination was not yet over.


to be continued