Carpathia IV: Episode 168 - Loss of Control
Baal's Quarters
Though mid-day, ship's time, two crew members lie together in the bed, not sleeping, mind, but relaxing, after what some might call vigorous exercise. Baal rolled over in the bed with a grin on his face, and started putting his arm around Phobos before suddenly drawing it back.
Baal: Oh! I'm sorry. Is it okay if I put my arm around you?
Phobos slapped his hand to his forehead and ran his fingers through his hair.
Phobos: Baal, I know consent is important, but you've asked me if every single little thing you've done is okay before you do it. There's such a thing as going too far, you know.
Baal launched himself upright in the bed with a flustered look on his face.
Baal: I'm sorry... Oh, did you want me to apologize?
With a grumble, Phobos rolled his eyes.
Phobos: Baal...
Baal: Right, right. I know. I'm just so used to knowing what others are thinking. I hope you can put up with me while I get used to it because this is kind of exciting!
Phobos flipped the bedsheets away, sending Baal into a little yelp and a jump. He quickly recovered and watched as Phobos slid his legs into his underwear. However, he soon noticed something else, something that didn't seem right. Never in any nekomi or nekohuman did Baal ever see ears move and flip around that randomly.
Baal: Phobos, at the risk of doing it again, is there a reason why your ears are flitting around like that?
Phobos, pants in hand, stopped what he was doing to give Baal a quizzical look, ears till doing backflips.
Phobos: What are you talking about? I'm not moving my ears.
Baal paused and squinted, wondering if he might be losing his mind.
Baal: I'm pretty sure they are.
Baal's eyes trailed downward, noticing more unusual activity around Phobos's underpants.
Baal: You seem to be repeatedly pitching a tent over and over too.
Unlike his ears, this was something that Phobos could see and he immediately looked down. Indeed, his newly-donned underpants went up, down, up, down, up, down. This was when Baal noticed that his tail had gone haywire too, but decided not to bring it up, at least, not now.
Phobos: I'm not doing that. I can't even feel it happening.
Baal: I think you need a check-up, but you can't go out like that. I have some baggy sweatpants you can wear. That'll hide it a bit.
Baal started rooting around in one of his drawers while Phobos continued to stare at his own crotch and its rhythmic dance.
Phobos: Let's see if Minnie can help first. I'd really rather not go to my dad about this if I don't have to.
After much digging, Baal produced a pair of drab, grey sweatpants from his drawer and unfurled them.
Baal: Whoever you want, but we do have to get that fixed. Or, we could put a backbeat on that and take you to a rave.
Phobos grimaced and snatched the sweatpants out of Baal's hands.
Phobos: Oh, you're a funny one, you are.
Phobos slipped his foot into the sweatpants and pulled them up and then started the next.
Baal: Put a disco ball on the end of it.
Phobos: Just walk in front of me on the way to engineering, right?
Baal: Okay, no more jokes. I have you covered. There aren't many people on board right now anyway
Phobos slid behind Baal and hitched his hands to his shoulders.
Baal: Hey, not too close. I don't need that thing poking me all the way down to Engineering.
Phobos: You'll live. Just get going.
Awkwardly, with Phobos clinging to his shoulders and with the occasional poke in the butt, Baal marched his way through the door and into the corridor.
Engineering, NCCS Shadowdancer
On a ship as large as Shadowdancer, there was always a possibility of not seeing much of anyone in the corridors even when the ship was full. With most on the station, they encountered precisely nobody. This was good news for Phobos, but the bad news started once they reached engineering. Minnie was there, as usual, but much to his dismay, it only took a couple of minutes of prodding for Minnie to declare that she'd have to call Artemis in for a more expert opinion. Thus began even more poking and prodding. Except for having a cable plugged into his temple, there wasn't much difference between this and anyone else visiting a doctor.
Minnie: Sorry to call you in, Dr. Leingod. With everything else that's been happening, I figured it would be best.
Artemis stared at the diagnostic screen with his chin in his hand, eyes darting back and forth through the information.
Artemis: Just "Artemis" is fine. You looked at the data before calling me. What's your opinion?
It wasn't a common sight to see Minnie flustered and this was one of those moments. A minor one, to be sure, but she did give Phobos a cock-mouthed side-eye before answering.
Minnie: Hmmm... Given the data, I would say he's running out of the processing power necessary to control his body.
Artemis: More precisely, he is out of processing power. I hoped it would take longer for this to happen. Phobos, have you been having sex?
If it were possible for Phobos to blush, at least, involuntarily, it is surely what he would be doing right now. With his ears, crotch, and tail still entirely out of control, he still managed to convey an air of bashfulness around him.
Phobos: Erm...
Baal: We'd just finished up right before this started.
Phobos: Baal!
Baal: Oh, was I not supposed to say that?
Baal peered around the room, first at Minnie, and then at Artemis, before hunching his shoulders contritely.
Baal: I suppose not.
Artemis: Baal, you're a demon, so I know you're used to being able to read a lot of physiological cues that nobody else can, except from Phobos, so I'll just let you know right now. This is one of those times when it's best to zip it.
Baal: Yes sir.
Artemis leaned back on the desk and folded his arms across his chest, addressing Phobos with a serious gaze. As much as he could, at least, for his eyes kept darting down to Phobos's crotch every so often.
Artemis: Phobos, I can give you three options. It takes...
Artemis's eyes went down and back up again, as it had already done many times since he turned around.
Artemis: It takes... erm...
Artemis's eyes dropped again and this time he shook his head violently as though trying to get a spiderweb out of his ears.
Artemis: Phobos, get out of your body! I just can't concentrate with all that movement!
Phobos gave a solemn nod just before his chest door popped open, revealing his true self inside. From there, several processes happened. Clamps released and wiring disengaged until his outer body was a lifeless shell and he could crawl out. No more crazy, spastic movements, as his small body behaved normally.
Artemis: Okay, roughly 17% of your processing power to run your outer body as it is. Option one, you can exit your body and live as your little blue self until we find a solution. Option two, I can detune your outer body to normal nekohuman capabilities and remove your other enhancements, like the rocket feet and arm canons. That should buy you nine or ten percent. Option three, no more sex. No more genitals. I'll have to detach that and keep it in a box. That should buy you seven to eight percent.
Phobos did not need much time to think, only as long as it took for him to steal a glance at Baal.
Phobos: I think I'll go with Option 2.
Artemis nodded and pushed himself away from the desk.
Artemis: I figured. It's going to take a couple of days to complete the downgrade. Minnie, got some time to help me?
Minnie: I was hoping you'd ask. I might call in a few others to help, if you don't mind. I think it would be good to have more people who know how he works. No good to have only one doctor on board for him, right?
Artemis: That's true, but it should be up to Phobos to decide who gets a peek at all his private parts. What do you say?
Phobos: That's easy. Ramei, because he's very capable, and Quenya. She's very capable too, but she also knows quite a bit.
Minnie: That settles it, then. I'll go see if they're available.
With a nod, Minnie rushed out of Engineering.
Artemis: After we're done with this, I'll see if I can build you a more efficient body. The tough part will be figuring out how to make you a new processor and install it without changing who you are.
Phobos crawled up Baal's arm and took a seat on his shoulder. For his part, Baal twitched as soon as he latched on and then turned a bright red around his cheeks.
Phobos: Don't break me.
Commissioned art in this episode from:
AvareonArt
Zelbunnii
Less_End
Thatwildmary
Colourbrand
Falke2009
