Procedure 77

Captain Steve Michaels was dreaming he was floating on the ocean when his alarm went off. It was a common dream among those in zero-gravity environments. He rubbed his eyes and then checked his daily schedule: light duty and recreation. He was glad it was finally the weekend.

Michaels was part of a three-man expedition to Mars. He was in the tenth month of a journey that would last three years. His other two crewmates were in their sleep chambers where they would remain for the next two years in suspended animation. His first job of the day was to check on their vital statistics, although if there were anything wrong he would have already been notified by the shipboard computer.

"Good morning, Captain Michaels," said the female voice of the ship's computer, a Carol 2300 model. A female voice had been chosen because it could be sympathetic yet authoritarian when needed. Carol was Michaels' constant companion. "You have light duty today followed by exercise and entertainment. After dinner you are required to complete Procedure 77."

"Thanks for the reminder, Carol. Breakfast?"

"Coffee, eggs, bacon. A Saturday pastry, as well."

Light duty consisted of making the rounds in their small capsule. It was boring work and not really that necessary because Carol monitored everything. Michaels thought that the Agency was just trying to keep him busy so he wouldn't go crazy. And who wouldn't go crazy stuck in a metal box hundreds of thousand miles from the nearest, conscious, human - his only companion a disembodied voice? He was jealous of his two crewmates. Their journey to Mars would take, for them, one good night's sleep. But it was deemed necessary that one crew member had to stay awake on the slight chance that something went wrong. Michaels sighed and stared out of one of the tiny capsule's windows, wondering if it all was worth it.

The day went by slowly, but it picked up considerably with the two-hour entertainment package newly received from Earth. Michaels enjoyed a condensed version of the World Series Game 6 - Yankees versus the Yomiuri Giants from Tokyo. Carol even provided him with a non-alcoholic lager.

When the game ended the computer spoke. "Captain Michaels, you will now get ready for Procedure 77."

"Yes, Carol, I know," Michaels replied. "Just a moment, please." He knew it couldn't be true, but he sometimes felt that the computer was obsessed with Procedure 77. It was the fourth time it mentioned it today.

The computer, perhaps sensing hesitation, changed to it's most soothing voice and told him, "This is a necessary function, Steve. Please undress and enter the chamber."

It was always a bit odd when the computer called him by his first name, but it worked. He floated towards the plastic-enclosed chamber and began to remove his synthetic one-piece suit.

The EX-12 was a small multi-function chamber where an astronaut could shower and eliminate waste. The additional function of sexual release was added just for this mission. Years of research had determined that regular intervals of sex, simulated or otherwise, were a necessary part of surviving long periods in space. In the interest of both mental and physical health, Procedure 77, otherwise known as the Protocol Concerning Mandatory Male Orgasm, was required weekly of all male astronauts on missions lasting longer than 12 months. He oftened wondered if there was a Procedure 78 for female astronauts. Michaels was always left cold by the machine and did not always look forward to it. And the fact that he knew all of his actions were monitored by a score of doctors and researchers did not help. He couldn't help but feel like a lab rat.

Fully naked he entered the chamber and sealed it shut. He placed the Virtual Reality Visor over his head and attached velcro braces to his ankles to minimize float. There were hand holds on either side of the chamber. Astronauts more clever than he had dubbed this position "riding the invisible motorcycle."

The computer's voice, still in soothing mode, said, "Steve, please concentrate on the images so that you can attain an erection. I will assist with stimulation."

"Always eager to help, aren't you, Carol?" Michaels said. He felt smooth mechanical "fingers" begin to caress his penis.

"It is my function to make sure your experience is favorably executed."

A beautiful, naked woman with long blonde hair appeared on his VR screen. She was rubbing her very large breasts. One hand moved towards her vagina and the woman squealed with delight. It wasn't working for him and Michael's penis stayed flaccid.

"Steve, you will need to relax more," said the computer. "Let me change your program."

The VR screen went black and then faded up to a scene with two very muscular and very naked men wrestling one another.

"No, thank you, Carol," protested Michaels. "Not this one."

"Very well, but Dr. Singh will be disappointed." the computer said.

Dr. Singh was always trying to slip in homoerotic images to prove her theory that bisexual tendancies were amplified among astronauts during long space flights. So far Michael was proving a non-cooperative subject of study.

"Dr. Singh can go--, "Michaels stopped himself, remembering that everything he said was recorded. "Nevermind."

The computer changed the program to show a young, tattooed woman with short, red hair pleasuring herself with purple vibrator. This was much more suited to Michaels' taste and he felt himself relax.

"Much better, thanks," said Michaels. "Some attention to my balls? But, carefully, please." Although there was no real danger, he'd heard too many horror stories of battered and bruised testicles that happened during the equipment testing phase.

"Affirmative. Testicular manipulation sequence beginning in three...two...one."

"Ahhh, that's it." Michaels' penis began to get hard while mechanical fingers fondled his scrotum and rubbed his shaft. The girl on his view screen had spread her legs apart, manipulating the vibrator against her exposed labia.

"Very good, Steve. Erection at 80 percent... now 90 percent," the computer said. "Docking procedures initiated. We are at full erection"

Who exactly is 'we', Michaels wondered, as he always did when the computer said this.

The EX-12 had a specially designed sleeve that was used to enclose the entire shaft of the penis. Inside the sleeve were tiny bumps of various sizes that moved individually. This shaft could be shifted up, down, and in a circular fashion to provide stimulation. When full stimulation was activated the user usually reached orgasm within a few seconds, but it was so well-designed that it would adjust itself to delay orgasm for as long as the user wished.

On screen the tattooed redhead moved in closer and appeared to straddle Michaels. As she lowered herself down, he let out an audible gasp as the warm sleeve lowered onto his penis at the same time. It began to move back and forth, mirroring the movements of the girl. He heard her voice in his ear, moaning with pleasure.

"Coitus simulation engine engaged," the computer reported. "All conditions normal."

Michaels tried to ignore the computer and stay focused on the girl. Real or not, she was amazing.

"Endorphin levels are good. Heart rate accelerated, but within range. Permission to stimulate prostate?" asked the computer.

"Permission granted," Michaels said.

"Very well. Prostate stimulation in three...two...one." A slender probe, pre-lubricated, was inserted into Michaels' rectum. Its unique shape was designed for maximum stimulation. "Prostate Stimulator now in place. Switching to fellatio mode."

The girl on the VR screen was now fellating him. He thrust upwards into her open mouth. He didn't know how it was done, but he swore he could feel lips and a tongue, even the slight graze of teeth, on his penis.

"Levels indicate that you are near orgasm. Please acknowledge."

"Affir...ma....tive" Michaels gasped between thrusts. He was breathing very heavily.

"Countdown to orgasm initiated. In five...four...three...two...one. Orgasm is now."

Michaels screamed out loud as the sleeve compressed on his penis, delivering waves of intense pleasure. He could feel each wave of muscular contractions as he came into the girl's virtual mouth. At the precise moment of orgasm the anal stimulator pressed down on his prostate and pushed out even more semen. His VR screen went black and the visor was lifted. He could see the sleeve lifted off of his penis. Its contents were emptied into a tube for analysis.

"Very nicely done, Steve. I am proud of you," said the computer.

"Thanks, I guess," said a recovering Michaels, wondering how a computer could actually be proud.

"You have produced your largest amount of semen yet - 8.5 milliliters."

Michaels didn't reply. He thought the computer sounded excited, but that had to be just his imagination.

"Analyzing semen now. Fructose normal. Ascorbic acid content acceptable. Above average levels of zinc, calcium, and potassium. It is an excellent sample, Steve"

"Great, just great," said Michael.

"Steve, the next step is required," the computer chided, its emotion-detectors picking up on the sarcasm. "There is no reason for that attitude."

On his small ship, drinking water was recycled urine that had been filtered through a special purifier. Due to it's high vitamin and mineral content it seemed only natural to the Agency's medical team that semen should be recycled, too. However, it would be too costly to try to refine the individual contents of the semen itself, so it was decided that it should be recycled by oral ingestion. This was still a classified secret as most astronauts did not want this fact publicized.

The computer's mechanical arm held out the tiny squeeze tube containing the pale, thick, liquid. Michaels grabbed it and removed the top.

"Down the hatch," Michaels said as he squeezed the tube's contents into his mouth and swallowed. Somewhere, he thought, Dr. Singh is smiling to herself.

"Procedure 77 is now complete," the computer stated. "109 sessions remaining until destination reached."

Michaels sighed and wondered again if it all was worth it - the monotony, the loneliness, the annoying computer and its damn simulated sex contraption. But deep down he knew the answer. He was on his way to Mars. He wouldn't trade places with anyone.