Still a Human Touch

Shocku turns his head slightly to the left from the holoscreen and gazes at the locks of auburn hair flowing around the finely featured face of the girl suspended over the sleeping platform. After sensing its occupant was asleep, it had reduced its gravity field allowing her to float in perfect comfort. Her smooth milky skin undamaged by the rays of an open sky is accented by pink nipples that match her lips. The sleeping platform, and the girl in it, are just one of the luxuries afforded to capsule pilots like himself. In fact, he has leased this entire floor of the station, though each time he undocks it can never be known if he will return from the dust of oblivion.

Her eyebrows furrow a bit in her sleep and she presses her thighs together. The curved form of her body rolls softly in the air from the slight movement. Glancing back a few seconds later, her hair continues in its orbit around the beauty of her now peaceful face. Aye, she would sleep well given the chance. He looks back to the holo.

BEGIN TRANSMISSION

System: Aunia
Station: Federation Navy Assembly Plant
Empire Datetime: 10285.34.1
From: Shocku Arc
To: Captain Platinum
Subject: Delegation

Greetigns Capt,
I hope this message finds you very late in the morning after a wonderful night stationside. I have pondered your transmission and understand your concerns, which I think come in two parts. First, I honestly think that no man can do everything well. The training would take a lifetime. One must specialize and delegate. As discussed before, I am sure we can hire an industrial pilot who will do a fine job of production under your direction. An ideal candidate would be able to handle not only production, but also the supply chain including mining, hauling, and refining. Your experience earlier in your career will be invaluable in managing his work. Secondly, I think you need to pull up your old Polymorph Psychology books. The techniques for managing your consciousness while transferring between minds are invaluable right from the start when considering such a cloning operation. I can assure you that I feel completely myself, with very little sense of loss concerning my Rask clone, despite the hard work that went into developing his career. Not only is a whole new world of space operations opened up to me, I still retain the experiences and practical training gathered before the cloning procedure. Keeping in mind that you will also be busy directing our new industrial pilot, you must only decide what level of investment and combat you wish to engage in yourself. You can then decide if you wish to continue with your current clone, or move up to another. As far as getting used to a new body... a night spent with a pretty wench like the one floating next to me will certainly get you in touch with it!

END OF TRANSMISSION

Shocku slides his finger slowly along the control panel of the platform, watching as the girl settles gently down onto the surface. He then slides it a bit further, grinning as she is pulled flat on her back against its higher than normal gravity. She opens her eyes partly and gazes at him with a smile as he double taps and climbs onto the platform. Its program will now vary as the cold of space is forgotten in the warmth of human touch.