Story: The Sphere

This fictional story features a fantasy I've carried around for years. As you'll see, this tale is quite different from any I've posted before.

It was Karen’s sleep span, yet she was painfully awake. Even after three months, she found it difficult to sleep in a vertical position. “It’s just not natural,” she grumbled to herself. After gazing briefly at the chronometer, Karen again squeezed her eyes tightly.

In truth, it wasn’t her physical orientation that occupied her thoughts. Her lover, Commander Thomas Baker, was due to soon join her at the station. It had been so very long. She had thought of him almost every waking hour of the mission. Her role as chief astronomer and astrophysicist was rewarding and kept her busy, yet Karen knew she needed something more. Daily video links with Tom merely heightened her longing.

Abandoning for the moment any realistic hope of sleep, Karen pondered the optimal calibration settings for the new gamma ray collector due to arrive on the supply shuttle. This special telescope had the ability to analyze radiation emitted shortly after the big bang. This data could provide further evidence for exotic forms of matter and energy. She loved her profession, but even this refuge couldn’t take her mind off her reunion with Tom.

Finally unwilling to wait any longer, Karen unsnapped the side of her sleep sack and pushed herself out into the cramped cabin. At zero G, planning was everything. Since it is nearly impossible to change direction while in midair, astronauts soon learn to propel themselves by pushing off from a wall, floor, or ceiling. Astronauts other than Karen, that is. She found maneuvering in weightlessness to be challenging under ideal conditions, and her current sleep deprived and preoccupied state was anything but ideal.

The bruise on her forehead generated by the accidental collision with the bulkhead wasn’t her first and it didn’t seem particularly serious. Karen resolved to ignore it as she slipped into the blue jumpsuit that was her work uniform. With two hours before Tom’s arrival, she had time to prepare herself properly. The resource panel indicated that the shower was free. With two quick taps, she booked it.

The handles along the walls of the corridor made it relatively easy for Karen to guide herself toward the shower. Upon her arrival at the door, detectors read her proximity badge and opened the door automatically. Once she was inside, the door closed again. Karen quickly stripped off her uniform and stuffed it into the designated storage chamber. She took the provision pack from her arm and placed it into the airtight locker as well. She positioned herself vertically, took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and pressed the “Start” button.

This shower was not the sort of facility that any Earth resident would associate with the term. Tiny nozzles on the floor expelled a fine mist of recycled water and a gentle solvent. An exhaust system in the ceiling created a negative pressure that pulled the mist upward and across the skin of the bather. In two minutes, the shower was complete. It wasn’t as satisfying as a terrestrial shower, but Karen did feel cleaner and more comfortable.

Some astronauts liked to bring towels to the shower chamber, but the humidity of the station was so low that they were not really necessary. Karen simply removed a clean jumpsuit from her provision pack and slipped into it.

Once back in her cabin, there were other preparations to be completed. Karen emptied her provision pack and then placed within it four items she had been saving for this day – her Ride belt, a package of vino tubes, Astroglide lubricant, and the small brown leather equestrian accessory that Tom had given her as a bon voyage gift. Nervous now, she double checked her sphere reservation and the supply shuttle’s ETA. Tom would be there in just twenty minutes.

Peering in the mirror, Karen sought to bring some order to her short brown hair. Beneficial as the space shower may be, she thought, it’s rough on hair. So, of course, were the desert dry conditions on the station. A little moisturizing styling gel alleviated the immediate problem. It would have to do. She would not trade her job with anyone. Even so, living in space was difficult.

Karen’s insights were interrupted by an unmistakable metallic clunk sound that seemed to shake the entire station. “That’s him! They’re early!” With that thought, Karen launched herself out the door to her cabin and down the hallway toward the docking platform. When she arrived, the doors had not yet been opened. The technicians were still equalizing pressure in the air lock. “Good,” she thought.

When the doors opened, the first person to emerge was Rhonda Webster, an energetic young exo-geologist with whom Karen had worked during her days as a university researcher. Rhonda seemed delighted to spot her once and future colleague. She embraced an unprepared Karen. Karen, however, quickly recovered and returned the hug. Two sturdy men appeared next. Both were slated to work as station maintenance technicians. Their first assignment would be to unload the supplies the shuttle had brought to the station.

Several crew members from the shuttle floated into the now crowded docking platform. As each new person arrived through the hatch, there were the customary greetings, introductions, and handshakes. Karen smiled politely, but one thought possessed her consciousness. Her man was now near. She knew that as the pilot, Tom would have to complete his standard post-flight checklist. It was only normal that he would be the last crew member to depart the shuttle.

The next ten minutes seemed like an eternity to Karen. Astronauts gathered their provision packs and departed for various parts of the station. Several discussed a celebration in the canteen. She considered visiting Tom in the cabin just a few meters away. That approach, she decided, would merely postpone the event for which she had waited so long.

Finally, Tom’s smiling face poked through the entry port. He was here. He wore blue mission pants and a grey tee shirt. Karen unwisely launched herself at him. He grabbed her shoulders in time to prevent a collision with an I-beam. “Hi, love! Oh. Be careful, OK?” Karen placed her arms around his strong chest and gripped him firmly. “I’ve missed you so much. It’s been so long,” She cooed. Tom returned her vigorous hug. “I know, my love. Believe me, I know.”

For several minutes, they shared this warm embrace of reunion and reconnection. Tom took her chin in his hand and gazed into her sparkling brown eyes. “So do you want to drop by the arrival celebration?” he inquired. “No, I have another idea,” Karen replied with a sly smile. Tom grabbed his provision pack and placed his arms through the straps. He took his lover’s hand and replied, “OK, let’s go.”

Karen led him through the corridors to the entrance to the sphere. The sphere is located in the very center of the station. As the name suggests, it is a perfectly round room approximately fifteen meters in diameter. The sphere is used for all hands meetings because no other room is large enough to fit everyone on the station. The sphere was also the site of regular orbitball matches. Orbitball is a team sport that is kind of a three dimensional, zero gravity cross between basketball and soccer. The view windows used to watch these games were now closed. At the top and bottom of the sphere are external view ports that provide inspiring vistas of the Earth and stars.

As Karen approached the door, it opened. As she and Tom entered, the sphere was brightly illuminated. Other than a console beside the door, the tan-colored walls were quite spartan. Tom was certain he had never seen this portion of the station before. Karen clipped her provision pack to a hand hold near the console and began to work at the touch screen. Tom clipped his much larger provision pack as well. As Karen touched the screen, the door closed and the lights slowly dimmed. Airy mood music filled the sphere, seemingly emanating from every direction.

“Wow,” was the only word Tom could manage to speak. This was quite some setup. Without another sound, Karen opened her provision pack. From it she retrieved her Ride belt. The Ride belt is familiar to anyone who has ever made love at zero gravity. It was supposedly named for the first female US astronaut, though tales of her actually wearing one are probably apocryphal. The belt is constructed from a strongly woven synthetic fiber. It fastens around a woman’s waist. There are two loops made from the same material and approximately thirty centimeters in length. These loops link to the belt at each hip.

Tom, needing no further invitation, shed his clothes. Karen was not far behind. As soon as her uniform was off and packed in her provision pack, she secured her Ride belt. “Would you like a vino tube, honey?” “No, thanks,” Tom replied. “You know very well what I want.”

“OK, remember this?” Karen handed Tom the small leather crop. “Oh, yeah!” He took the whip. It felt good in his hand. He had given her the leather implement before liftoff as a keepsake. He foresaw this day, but also hoped that Karen might use it on herself as a partial cure for loneliness and unsatisfied arousal. Light spanking implements such as this one are the only kind that work well in a zero gravity environment. As Newton said, every action has an equal and opposite reaction. In space, this means that a blow from a heavy paddle would tend to propel spanker and spankee in opposite directions. With the more delicate crop, this effect is greatly reduced.

At Tom’s urging, Karen took her position by grabbing onto two hand holds along the wall. Tom glided over and took hold of her left Ride strap with his left hand. He gently rubbed her bottom with the head of the crop. She purred as he began to snap the whip against her flesh. The rising burn felt wonderful. Before long, Tom was applying full strokes. Karen arched her bottom upward to welcome the warmth she had missed for so long. Tom sensed the depth of her need and continued to deliver painful blows long after he might otherwise have moved on to other erotic activities.

“Please, now, make love to me,” Karen panted. Tom released the crop. With his free hand, he grasped Karen’s other Ride strap. She let go of the hand holds and the two lovers were now floating free. There are several zero G sexual positions that terrestrial lovers will never experience. Karen’s favorite was one where she bent at the waist with her legs spread wide and Tom joined with her from behind with his legs extended beneath her. Tom got a good grip upon the Ride straps and employed his powerful arms to drive into his partner. Karen moaned loudly with fulfillment and passion. As wonderful as her spanking had been, this was the sensation she had missed most. At long last, she felt like a lover. She felt like a woman. She felt fully alive for the first time in three months. With a guttural scream, Karen found her release. Only moments later, Tom followed her into the same orgasmic joy.

When Karen opened her eyes, the dimly lit room was spinning. She shook her head in hopes of regaining her senses. Tom still had hold of her Ride straps and was rubbing her throbbing posterior. At this point, Karen realized that it wasn’t the room that was spinning. She and Tom were rotating! Just then, Tom pushed off and the two lovers were propelled toward opposite walls. Each grabbed the hand holds and worked their way back to the door. Once there, they shared a tender kiss and an affectionate hug.

Tom looked into Karen’s eyes and said, “I’ve got to go.” “Can’t you stay even a little longer?” she implored. As he retrieved his uniform from the provision pack, Tom explained that he was due for preflight checkout in fifteen minutes. “You know we can’t be late.” Karen was stunned. She understood that their time would be short, but she wasn’t ready for it to be over.

Tom was now wearing his uniform and preparing to depart. Karen, still naked but for the Ride belt, said “Wait a minute. I want to accompany you to the platform.” “OK, sweetie, but I really need to leave.” Karen quickly retrieved her uniform and climbed into it. She reloaded her provision pack and used the console to reset the room parameters.

“Ready!” Karen exclaimed with smile. “Not quite,” chuckled Tom. He pointed at a small thin object floating at the far end of the sphere. It was the crop. Karen sighed. Tom placed his hand on her shoulder. “Don’t worry. I’ll get it.” With that, he pushed off and glided across the sphere. He expertly grabbed the crop, turned in flight, and then pushed away from the far wall. As quickly as that, he was back. Karen packed the wayward whip and they left the sphere and its happy memories behind.

By the time they reached the docking platform, Karen’s eyes were moist. This was such a happy day, but it was a shame their interlude was so brief. Worse yet, she knew it would be another three months before Tom’s next supply mission. “Hey,” Tom said, “Chin up, all right? I’ll be back.” Karen sniffed back the tears. “In three months, I’ll see you here, Tom explained. “In six months, I’ll come to bring you home.”

“What you’re doing here, Karen, is vitally important. There isn’t anyone else who could do your job as well. This research could change our world. I’m so proud of you.” Karen was sobbing now. “Thank you, honey, but it’s so hard sometimes to be alone.” Tom lightly wiped a tear from her cheek and kissed her again. Then he was gone.

On her way back to her cabin, Karen stopped by the view lounge. She was pleased to see that no one else was there. It was incredibly quiet. The bright blue Earth was clearly visible through the big view port. She remembered the vino tubes in her pack and decided to open one. The sweet liquid tasted good as she squeezed it into her mouth. Her eyes were involuntarily drawn toward the globe below. She recognized Asia. The white Himalayas faded into the tan of the Indian subcontinent. She thought of the billions of people there and the lives they lead. Many are happy. Many are not. Many lives are spent waiting. Many wish they had something for which they could wait. From this perspective, her life wasn’t so bad. She was performing necessary work. It was only for a while.

Just then, a great white bird flew past the view port. It was the shuttle on its return flight. Karen watched as it became smaller and faded from view. She again thought of Tom. Her hand moved back to her bottom. It still felt warm and stung when touched. Her lover was gone, but the impression he left would remain. A feeling like that might just be worth the wait.

Keywords: spanking, spanking story, spanking fiction, science fiction spanking