Human Nature Tags: Aphrodisiac, Alien, Sci-fi Mh’shana hated working with humans. It wasn’t that they were in any way bad, but their culture was backwards and reckless. When she first received permission from her governess to return to a human research vessel, she was elated. The governess had bestowed the achievement on her, and no one else. She saw how it burned up Ss’naya, and Ks’tana. In the end, she was the strongest among them, and she would cover this new ground. She left her quarters to find Brittany waiting there with her teeth showing in a large smile. Brittany was her host, a nice child-minded girl whose knowledge of biology seemed incredible considering her density. “Are you ready to go?” Brittany asked. Mh’shana knew it was rhetorical, instead of an assertment. Another part of human culture she had trouble adjusting to. She nodded, and Brittany turned to walk away from her. “Today is the big party, are you ready?” Brittany said, “Everyone is so happy to have you on the team, we couldn’t figure out half of what we know about Nebu lifeforms if it wasn’t for your knowledge.” Mh’shana ignored her, and kept her nose to the air. They were on what the humans called a world ship. The only reason it could travel as far as it did was because of Nebu technology, but the design was still uniquely human. It was massive, with a contained eco-system that included rooms dedicated to wildlife that helped lower the burden of survivable resources. It impressed her governess, which said more than enough. Something caught her nose, and she stopped in the hallway. Brittany turned around and came back to stand right in front of her. It disturbed the scent she was catching, but Mh’shana knew humans were oblivious to their own aromas. “Something wrong?” Brittany asked. “Something stinks,” She replied, using her limited language skills. It was a dank odor. Denser than anything she smelled on the ship in the few months she was there. She caught brief hints of strange smells before, but usually it was explained away as visitors, animals brought through, or Earth-born plant life. Brittany tried to sniff, then she shrugged, “I don’t smell anything.” Mh’shana flared her nostrils and bristled, but remembered the motion was wasted. “Don’t get mad at me,” Brittany said, putting her hands on her hips for some reason. Maybe Mh’shana was underestimating her. They continued on to the labs, the doors opening to the sound of chattering animals and pumps running fluids into glass cases of different green plants. It always surprised her that so much green was on Earth. Plants, trees, even some animals. The idea of it was almost comical at first, but now she was impressed. “Shana!” Said a large woman of darker complexion. She was walking around the lab, using a tablet computer to check on the status of several experiments. “Director,” Mh’shana said as she looked away. “I told you to call me Leah,” The woman said. She always said it, but the idea terrified Mh’shana. It was strange enough that a woman of her status was working at all, walking around and checking the equipment like anyone else. The woman already dwarfed Mh’shana, in size and possibly in mind. Her authority covered half of the ship, and only ended at the actual operation of the vessel. “I will not,” Mh’shana said. The Director humphed, and put her tablet up against the nearest case. It contained an odd colorful plant, the full range of which she was informed she was incapable of seeing. To her it mostly looked gray and green. “I asked her if she is ready for the party today,” Brittany said as she went to log into one of the computers. “Oh yeah?” the Director said, “It should be fun. You can see how us humans party.” Mh’shana had trouble with that word. She could pronounce it, but she didn’t know how it differed from a celebration, or why a human one would be impressive enough for her to care. “The newbie will be there too,” the Director added, “I want you to help with that, Shana.” Mh’shana went to a station, avoiding the Director’s gaze. “Hey,” Leah said, “I thought I asked you to look at me when we talk.” This was what made it so difficult. They had no sense of limits, and every day felt full of confrontations. She looked at the Director, and fought to keep her back straight. She didn’t need a report going back to the governess that she bared teeth at her hosts. “That’s better,” the Director said with her own teeth showing, “Sorry, but that is how we do things in the human world.” Mh’shana’s eyes focused in on her teeth. She didn’t understand the word sorry either. It wasn’t an apology, but it was close. “He should be here later,” Leah said, “You’ll like him. He has been doing good work in the exploration and communication division further up ship.” Her body went stiff. Him? Why would they invite a man back to this section of the ship? She knew that humans lived among their men, but so far she observed that they functioned in different spheres most of the time. In the labs she worked in, the only men were brief crew, and they passed through the ship at different times. She learned their scents, and avoided them easily. “Is she okay?” Leah asked. Brittany snapped her fingers, and Mh’shana looked at her. “Just fine,” Brittany said, “Maybe she is excited?” The Director shrugged, “I’m going to be in the large enclosure space, see you ladies later.” Then with the swish of a door, they were alone. “You better hop to it,” Brittany said, “I want to be as far along with collating the results as we can be before the party.” Mh’shana was trying to imagine what she had done to earn this. Was the Director trying to expose her to this man? Already she heard stories of women on the ship who were with child, and others that had young children, all at different times, a disorderly mess. She made shook the thought from her head, and tried to begin working. The thought lingered in the back of her mind, but it wasn’t a thought for now. She was told to work, and so she would. Maybe the Director thought she could resist him? The humans made up for their lack of natural weapons with a larger average musculature. Still, most human males she saw seemed almost civilized. If that was the case, maybe she could fight back, show the Director that unchecked mating wouldn’t be allowed in this section of the ship. “I don’t think she is paying attention,” she heard Brittnay say, “She can tunnel pretty hard. Give her a tap.” Mh’shana sniffed at the air, and her back stiffened when she realized the dank odor from before was fresh in the room. She span in her seat, and found herself looking up into the eyes of a man. Without a thought, she hissed and leaped until her back was against the wall. Her hand went to cover her mouth, and her legs tensed in preparation to move again. “Whoa,” Brittany said, “Okay, maybe sneaking up on her was a bad call on my part.” The man was taller than her by a few heads, and the uniform for the science team on the ship left little of his prominent form to the imagination. He had his teeth out, eyes punctuated with a dab of green. His eyes were already locked on Mh’shana, had he figured her out? “Sorry,” He said, his head shaking back and forth, “I’m Rick, Leah told me to report right to you.” He held his hand out toward her, and Mh’shana watched it, unsure of his intentions. “She doesn’t do handshakes,” Brittany said, “Give her a second to reboot, she doesn’t get all of our mannerisms yet.” Rick frowned when he looked at Brittany, then his teeth were out again as he looked at Mh’shana. He stood at his full height, and she could feel her stomach tighten as he seemed to grow. His smell wafted through her fingers, slid into her sinuses. It made her knees feel weak. He took a step back, “I’m sorry if I made you mad, I just couldn’t help myself. You’re…” He stopped himself, and looked back at Brittany. “I’ll show you around,” Brittany said, her hands cupped in front of her, “come on.” Mh’shana couldn’t do it. She could smell him, the smell he gave off wasn’t the same as the men back home, but it was no less intoxicating. Less powerful, but exotic. It still spoke to her, whispered commands to her back and knees. She had to fight it, she was being trusted with this charge, and she would conquer it for the Director and for the governess. “No,” Mh’shana gasped as her hand fell to her side, “He works with me, Brittany.” Brittany looked confused, but Mh’shana stood tall to prove her point. “Okay,” Brittany said with a shrug of her shoulders. Rick came back to stand in front of Mh’shana, and then turned his head away from her. “I didn’t mean to startle your earlier. Am I doing this right?” Her shoulders felt tight, and her breath was coming in short bursts, but she bristled at the display. A man deferring to her. Any woman would be proud. “Yes,” She said, “Now, log in.” Rick nodded, and went to the nearest station and logged in. She followed behind him, drifting in his scent. It was no wonder human women were so strange. If this was the world they lived in all the time, bombarded by the men around them, their lives were a beautiful torture. She set him up doing some of the low work of double checking data between databases, and then tried to return to her own work. Soon, a voice came across an intercom system. “Rick, if you are in there, I need you to sign on some paperwork.” He got up, and then looked to Mh’shana. She realized he was looking for her permission, and she bobbed her head in the way they do. Like that, he was gone. “Shit,” Brittany said, which Mh’shana still wasn’t sure why feces were a curse or praise, “Leah could have told me he was going to be that cute. What, did he earn his promotion in a weight-lifting competition?” Brittany gasped for air in a human laugh, but Mh’shana couldn’t disagree. He was tall, strong, and she was afraid he knew that he could take either of them at any time. If her reddening cheeks and change in smell was any indication, Brittany was on the edge of submission. “Do you find him impressive?” Mh’shana asked. “You don’t?” Brittany asked, “I’m glad he’ll be at the party. I’m going to try not to make a fool out of myself.” “That will be difficult,” Mh’shana replied, then she bristled at her own humor. Brittany raised an eyebrow at her, then displayed her teeth, “You bitch.” They continued to work, until a woman named Anna popped her head into the lab. “Party time,” She said, hooting with a hand in the air. Then just as fast, she was gone. “Sweet,” Brittany said, “Log out, and we can go get ready.” “Get ready?” Mh’shana asked. She was dragged back to the room, and there she saw Brittany pull out a long line of, apparently, colorful outfits. She could see how some of them resembled celebration and ceremony outfits, but a lot of it made her tail shift in shame. “How about this?” Brittany said as she displayed a short garment that would give any man access to her with a simple flick of the garment. “I like the colors,” Mh’shana said. She was starting to feel reluctant about this whole ‘party’. What were they going there to do? Would there be protection, or special rituals? “It’s all brown,” Brittany responded. Still, it didn’t seem to deter her from choosing it. “Do you have anything to wear?” Brittany asked. Mh’shana looked down at her leotard uniform, with a special pin denoting her access. “I have… something.” She went into a chest, and dug past duplicates of the same uniform, until she reached the shifting tones of the uniform she wore to the coronation. “Wow,” Brittany said, “Kind of flashy, but pretty. I like it.” She only brought it in case a similar ceremony was held among the humans, but now she realized that the human variety in uniforms required her to improvise. They prepared, which meant Brittany applied different powders and creams to her exposed flesh, and then they walked deeper into the world ship. “I love it down here,” Brittany said, “I know you don’t travel far, but this place reminds me of home. I haven’t been on Earth since I was a little girl, but I remember a garden a lot like that.” She was pointing to a field of the green leaves behind a glass wall. There were large four legged beasts inside, and simulated moonlight. The creatures mindlessly ate, their ears and tails twitching at every new scent and motion. “It is strange, “Mh’shana said. “I guess it is,” Brittany said, “But I find your world just as weird. Maybe some day you can visit Earth.” “Images are enough,” Mh’shana said, though she rethought her assault, “for now. Maybe, one day.” They passed through an adjacent door and entered what was previously a large announcement hall. Now the lights were turned low enough that Mh’shana’s eyes didn’t feel irritated, and human music was flooding in from all directions. People from all over the ship were standing around, in clothing not unlike Brittany’s. At first she stayed in the doorway. There were men in there, all over even. It was the men she usually avoided, but now their scent was everywhere, and they stood talking and interacting. This was a trap. “Come on Shana,” Brittany said, pulling her inside. Mh’shana’s tail coiled, and she stayed at alert. “I can’t remember if you guys can do alcohol,” said a woman passing by. She passed a drink to Brittany, then waved her nails down at Mh’shana. “I love these songs,” Brittany said with her teeth out, “Oh goodness, I can show you how to dance. This will be great.” She was pulled by the hand, and lead to the center of the room. Then Brittany took a long swallow of her drink, and began to gyrate her hips. Others were doing similar, though the majority of the room was still. Some of the women were even gyrating against men. Their clothing, as she feared, made the act look like a dry run for mating. Mh’shana shivered. The smell in the room was getting to her, and the sight of the couples mocked the raw urge she felt pouring through her. Was this how humans fought off the building force of men, with controlled bursts of mock-sex? It was just insane enough to be a human plan. Mh’shana tried to emulate Brittany’s movements, her hips moving back and forth, her chest pressed forward, her feet moving one direction and then the next. “You’re a natural,” Brittany said. “Yeah,” Came Rick’s voice from behind her, “Amazing.” Her ears twitched, and she tried not to overreact this time as she turned around. “Hey Rick,” Brittany said over the music, “I’ll be right back, need to get in the drink line.” Then just like that, they were left alone. “I’m glad we get to talk again,” Rick said, before he turned his gaze away again. He had his own drink, and Mh’shana could smell it on his breath. “We aren’t working,” She said. He nodded, then made a humming noise. He turned to face her eye to eye, a simple act that was enough to making her try to stand tall. There were his teeth again, he was chuckling, and seemed so close. “I just wanted to say,” He started, “You are astounding. I don’t mean just you as a Nebu, because that is amazing too. Just…” He stopped, and she wondered what he was talking about. Why would he come over here to talk about the virtues of the Nebu? “Can I be frank?” She had no idea what that meant, but she nodded. “You’re beautiful, Mh’shana. I know I have only seen images of other Nebu, but you are beyond what I ever expected. Everything about you, from your eyes, your voice, your hair, it is great. I’m glad I get to work with you.” Mh’shana stood in awe. His strategy was impeccable. Instead of commands, instead of dominating her there on the floor, he sang her praises like some subordinate. Still, she could feel the effect it was having on her. Her breathing was long, and the slightest shift in her legs made her realize how moist she was getting. “I’m not going to gyrate on your groin,” she stated, though her defiance was suspect. Rick opened his mouth, and looked lost. Maybe she said it wrong, or maybe he saw right through her. “Oh, is this Mh’shana?” Said another male voice behind her. She turned and smelled him before her eyes could focus. A stronger scent, a larger man. His skin was dark, darker even than Leah. He looked down on her, eyes focused on hers. She chattered, but was unsure where to go. They had her from both sides now. Even if she didn’t want to perform the mock-act, could she defeat them both? No one on the floor was there to help her, they were all focused on their own conversations. “Name’s Clint,” The other man said as he put his hand out. By instinct, she growled at him, moving to her last defense. Her nails at the ready, she took a swing at his arm, but was too slow to catch his skin. She backed away from them both, her eyes darting between the two. The smell was impossible to ignore now. Her chest felt hot, her legs were going soft, her tail flitted every which way. “Whoa,” Clint said, “What the hell?” Rick put an arm out, “Hey, man, forget about it. We’re crowding her. She doesn’t know what she’s doing.” The words sank in. She looked around, and saw that several people were watching her. They looked down on her, the same faces you would use on a contained beast. She was making a fool of herself. She stood up and gasped, covering her exposing teeth. “Whatever,” Clint said before walking away. Rick looked at Mh’shana, and took a step forward, “You okay?” She shook her head, and did the only thing she could think to. She fled the room. She tried to get as far from him as she could. She could hear him following behind her, and it only made her move faster. She reached a door at the edge of the room, and went inside to a dark hallway. For a moment she was alone. Mh’shana thought about her situation, and just how much she lowered herself in the eyes of those she worked with. She should have known that she wasn’t capable of dealing with the assignment. Humans were too insane to understand. The door behind her opened, and she heard Rick’s voice, “Mh’shana?” Her whole body felt twisted by his presence. Why would he keep following? She kept walking down the hall, ignoring his calls. Then she found a door, locked with a twist lock instead of an electric mechanism. She pulled it open, and ran inside. She nearly fell over protruding foliage. It was one of the enclosures, with green plants as far as the eye could see. She kept to the darkness, and tried to move around the edge, hoping not to be noticed. The door opened behind her, and she knew from the smell that Rick was still following her. “Mh’shana,” He said, “Come on, everyone is worried about you. I’m worried. Please, come back to the party.” The idea of returning to the party now seemed beyond reason. “I will not return,” She said from the darkness. His head turned, his hearing more precise than she wagered. “Just explain what’s wrong,” Rick said, “we can figure it out.” Her eyes poked out from behind a tree, and Rick moved closer. “I was foolish,” She said. “Foolish?” He said, “How?” She was intoxicated. Here, with few other scents but a primitive beast and plants, there was only him. She moved from behind the tree, but she couldn’t look him in the eye. “I underestimated you, all of you,” She said, “I don’t understand.” He chuckled, and his teeth came out again. “You’ll get used to it. We try hard, but doesn’t everybody?” He was closer now, standing above her again. Did he not understand what he was doing to her body? From this distance, she could feel him. She wanted the feel of his heat against her body. The thought oppressed her with every breath. “I thought,” she said quietly, “that you wanted to take me.” Rick looked at her with a strange expression, “Are you sure you mean?” Then she looked up at him, her hands falling to her sides. His cheeks went red, and his eyes went to the ceiling, “Oh, oh my. Was I that obvious?” Her ears perked at the words. “I mean,” He whispered, “don’t consider me strange, but I would love to… I’ve wanted to…If you would…” His sentences kept falling off, but his words were setting Mh’shana ablaze. If he wanted to, why was he hesitating? He stood there, talking about it like a distant occasion. Did she really have to perform the mock dance first, or was there some other ritual she was missing. She ran her hands down her face in quick succession, an action that felt childish. It was all she could do to resist speaking. “No,” She whispered, “Then why the talking? Am I not good enough?” Rick’s eyes popped wide, “Oh, no not that.” She looked away from him, but her whole body felt tense. It was begging for relief. Rick moved closer, “You are wonderful, don’t say that.” He brought his face close to her, and she looked straight to him and gave a weak growl. Then his lips touched her on the nose, and she stopped. The motion was dainty, like a mother caring for her child. She flared her nostrils. His hands touched her, ran down her back, slid over the base of her tail. She cursed him under her breath, and pulled the top of her leotard down. He seemed surprised, but she didn’t have time for that. “Undress,” She barked, “quickly.” He looked back and forth, then ripped at his pants. Soon his manhood was free, and swelling before her. The smell was free now, no longer inhibited by his clothing. She chattered as it assaulted her, felt her knees wobble, and her thighs squeeze together. He walked closer, his arm wrapping around her and pushing her back against a tree. “No,” She growled, “Tail.” He looked around her, and saw what should have been obvious. Her tail was mashed against the tree, curved and uncomfortable. She turned herself, and found herself doing what she thought she never would. Her tail pulled up, and she pressed her groin against him. Using the tree as leveral, she gyrated, pressing back, sliding against his length. “Wow,” He whispered, “A real natural.” Then he squeezed against her, his chest pushing her against the rough bark. His lips touched her neck, her ears, her cheeks. His arms wrapped around her, comforted her. “Now you should-” She began. Then she felt his tip against her, pressing without announcement, a heat that divided her. She hissed as he sunk in, a brief shock followed by a wave of pleasure. “Shhh, I can handle this part,” He said. She opened her mouth to say more, but he thrust deep, and her words were lost in the growl it elicited. Whenever she thought she would recover, he swept back and drove in harder. Her fears about the lackluster savagery in human men were squashed by his vigorous blows, the squeeze of his hands, the groan in her ear. “You said you underestimated us?” He said, “I think maybe I can make sure that never happens again.” She made a questioning noise, but couldn’t get in a word. He drew up her leg, holding it up at the knee. then she had to prop herself to the tree as he brought her other knee up as well. He held her there in the air, gravity itself holding him deep inside her. Then he bounced her, like a toy he had placed on his length, he bounced her up and let the motion push him further and further until she was sure he took up all of her. She couldn’t resist vocalizing, well beyond the cries of pleasure one could expect. She mewled, soft cries that came with her every trembling breath. He was growing, which seemed impossible. She was reaching her limit, and her arms were weakening while he only seemed to grow fiercer. She cried out, a call so loud that she heard the alarmed dash of several of the beasts in the enclosure. He reached his limit as well, a powerful jet of warmth filling her, her body squeezing him for all that it could. He continued to thrust, letting her legs drop as he pushed her toward the tree, thrusting until they were too tired to do anything but stand there together. Then he slid free, a trail of moisture staining her hairs down her leg. “We better get back to the party,” He whispered, “Everyone will wonder where we are.” All she wanted was to sleep, but she pulled herself up, and found her leotard. They returned to the music, and Mh’shana held herself up long enough for Brittany to find them both. The room was half empty now, she didn’t understand what they had missed. “There you two are,” Brittany gasped, “You must not have heard. We made first contact with another species. Everyone ran off to their stations before we get more instructions.” Rick’s eyes bulged, “Really? Astounding.” Then he ran from the room. Brittany blushed, then looked at the teetering Mh’shana, “Maybe I shouldn’t have taught you how to dance. I didn’t realize you two would get along so well.” Mh’shana stood tall enough to bristle at Brittany. “Don’t look at me like that,” Brittany said, “I’m not the one who was caught doing it in the deer display enclosure.” Mh’shana felt a clench in her stomach. She thought of the grass and trees, and seeing that same space while they were walking toward the party. She dragged her hands over her face. But she could still feel him dripping inside her. She couldn’t feel ashamed at what human nature caused.