Planet of the Tentacons

The dress was short, rising high on her thighs, with short sleeves extending only a little way down her biceps, and it was utterly form-fitting. The shape and contours of Talia's body were fully revealed. Despite the thinness of the material, it provided surprising support, so her breasts, though without a bra, stood firmly and prominently forward, away from her chest. The fabric perfectly molded her nipples, too, and they stood out in perfect tiny points away from her body. She turned around and looked at her backside in the mirror. The dress molded her buttocks, as well, and the cleft between them was clear.

It was lewd, and ludicrous. She couldn't go to a meeting like this. It must have been someone's joke. But how could she find out?

She turned on the screen on the wall and pulled up Tracy's contact. Talia and Tracy had become casual friends during the ten-week space flight, and Tracy was the only crew member Talia trusted to discuss something as personal as what to wear. She hit Tracy's contact. A few seconds later Tracy's room appeared on the screen, and Tracy stood in front of it. She wore the same blue-gray dress.

"Good morning, Talia," Tracy said. "What's up?"

"This dress," Talia said. "I thought this was a joke, but I can see you're wearing the same one. What's this about?"

"I'll be right there," Tracy said. "Let's have breakfast in your room and talk about it."

Five minutes later a knock sounded at the door. Talia opened it, and Tracy stood outside. The minidress showed off every bit as much of her body as it did Talia's. Talia also wore the small blue slippers. Talia let Tracy in.

Talia was struck immediately by how much Tracy's body looked like hers. They were about the same height, around five feet, seven inches, and with similar figures -- slim but curvy, with thin waists, prominent hips, long legs and large, firm breasts, jutting from their chests with little droop. Tracy's nipples stood out straight and obvious from her body under the thin dress fabric, just as Talia's did. But while Talia was pale and blond-haired and blue-eyed, Tracy's skin was darker. She had hazel eyes and long, light brown hair.

Talia held her hands up, framing her body.

"What the fuck is this about?" she said. "How can I go to a negotiation dressed like this? This is preposterous."

"I don't know for sure," Tracy said. "I was surprised, and a little shocked, too. But I think I have an idea. I'll tell you about it. But let's order breakfast first."

They ordered breakfast and it appeared seven minutes later, by a robot carrying it from their ship. Eggs, bacon, coffee, orange juice and assorted fresh fruits arrived at their door. The food looked surprisingly good considering it came from a ship that had been in space for ten weeks.

They set their trays of food on a small table and started eating.

"I heard you got a visit from Carson Veen last night," Tracy said with a smile.

"I did," Talia said. "So, I assume he visited you next?"

"He did," Tracy said. "I decided to adopt Space Protocol before I left Earth. I've been fucking ever since we boarded the cruiser. I lost track of how many guys I fucked, but it was a lot. I have to say, I strongly recommend it. It makes space travel a lot more enjoyable."

"So you fucked him?" Talia asked.

"Carson? Hell, yes," Tracy said. "Or, I guess, he fucked me. He's kind of aggressive. Kind of full of himself, actually. Definitely a douchebag. But it was a good fuck. Nice abs and a decent-sized cock, though not as big as he thinks it is. I don't regret it. Did you come last night?"

"No," Talia said. "I didn't. This whole Space Protocol thing -- I'm not a prude, but I just can't quite get my mind around it."

"I get it," Tracy said. "To each her own. But, personally, I find it helpful to get off the night before a big project like this one. If you do want to get off, I can help you with that. I can probably make you come within five minutes."

"No, thanks," Talia said, embarassed. "Just tell me what you think about this dress."

"That's fine," Tracy said. "I'll tell you what I know, and what I think.

"To begin with, we don't know a lot about Tentacon biology, or Tentacon psychology. They've been extremely cautious about exposing themselves to us. We have no Tentacon DNA samples, and we've never had the opportunity to study a Tentacon body or dissect a Tentacon corpse. They have never submitted themselves to an analysis by a human psychologist, either.

"But from the bits and pieces we have of human interaction with them, we surmise that Tentacons are very . . . interested in the human form. Attracted to it. Especially the female human form. They are an extremely sensitive species. Each of their tentacles appears to be sensitive in a different way, and to respond to different kinds of stimuli. They are visually sensitive as well. They like forms and shapes, but they can be easily disturbed by certain colors. They respond negatively to orange and red, and color clashes bother them. They like curves. That might explain their attraction to the human female body."

"So," Talia replied. "If what you are telling me is true, we're agreeing to be eye candy for the Tentacons while we negotiate with them. Why would we agree to that?"

"I suppose because the leadership of Stenvo GeoSpace is male," Tracy said. "Did you notice how few women were on the cruiser? Have you noticed that the only women in our group are you, me, and one of the junior lawyers? It's no skin off Dars Stenvo's nose if the women in the group have to put on a glamour show for the Tentacons. He doesn't care. He'll do whatever he has to do to get this deal done. Literally, whatever he has to do. So, don't trust him. I don't."

"If you don't trust him, then why are you here?" Talia asked.

"Because it's worth it," Tracy said.

"I've been studying Tentacon biology my entire adult life," she continued. "And I know almost nothing about the subject. This trip, if it goes right, will be the first time we get real information. We've agreed with the Tentacons, preliminarily, to exchange information about our genomes, and the genomes of other species on our respective planets. By the time I get back to Earth, I will know more about the biology of the Tentacons than anybody else on the planet. I can't pass up the opportunity. Even if it requires me to wear this absurd, humiliating, slutty dress."

Tracy laughed. Talia didn't laugh, but she thought about what Tracy was saying. The opportunity for her was enormous as well. In addition to the extraordinary financial bonus she would receive, if the negotiations were successful, she would return to Earth as the undisputed scholar of the languages of Tentos. Every university in the world would want her on its faculty.

"So, that's what I know about why the Tentacons want to see human women in skimpy dresses," Tracy said. "It's lame, and it's pathetic that the company leadership is willing to go along with it, but it's the way it is. But I'm willing to go along with it. Because of the possible upside. I hope you don't think less of me."

"No, I don't," Talia said. "It goes against everything I believe in. But I'm 150 light years away from Earth, and I'm not sure what else to do. I guess, if you're going to do this, I'll do it, too."

"It won't be so bad," Tracy said, putting a hand on Talia's bare thigh. "We'll parade around like dance club sluts on an alien planet for a while, and when we get back home, we'll be millionaires and we'll rule our respective academic roosts."

"I suppose we will," Talia said. She could not deny that the possibility of being the number one scholar in her field on Earth was enticing.

"There is one other thing . . . " Tracy said, her voice fading away.

"What is that?" asked Talia.

"It's a rumor," Tracy said. "I don't know if it's true. It probably isn't. It sounds crazy to me. But I'll let you know."

"What?" Talia asked, suddenly very curious and concerned.

"Well," Tracy said. "You know about the Noids, right?"

"What about them?" Talia asked. The Noids, from what she understood, were a sub-race that the Tentacons had genetically engineered recently to resemble and to communicate with humans. Unlike the Tentacons themselves, they could speak human languages, including English.

"The official story about the Noids," Tracy began, "Is that they were made in labs after the Tentacons first met humans, to make it easier for them to deal with us. But there's another story."

"What is it?" Talia asked.

"That the Tentacon lords bred with human females," Tracy said.

"What the fuck?" Talia asked. This was the first time she had ever heard anything like this. "Are you fucking kidding me?"

"Look," Tracy said. "It sounds stupid and I know of no evidence for it. But there are rumors. There are rumors that some of the early female explorers to Tentos disappeared. That the Tentacon masters took them and used them for . . . sexual pleasure. And more than that. That they impregnated them, and with the combination of Tentacon and human DNA created the Noids."

"How would that be possible, with two completely different species?" Talia asked. "Wouldn't the DNA be incompatible?"

"It's not possible, based on everything we know about genetics," Tracy said. "As I said, this is a rumor. It's been going around for a while, but I don't know anybody respectable that believes it. But I thought I'd let you know."

It sounded crazy to Talia. She was reassured, a little, that Tracy, a highly trained biologist, thought the theory was crazy, too. But the upcoming meeting with the Tentacons unnerved her more than before.

Talia and Tracy ate the rest of their breakfast in silence.

Chapter 3.

At 0800 hours, Talia met her colleagues in the hallway, near the exit door.

Everyone wore clothes of the same pale blue-gray hue. The female junior attorney wore a dress identical to that worn by Talia and Tracy. The men wore short-sleeved shirts and full-length pants. Like the outfits for the women, they were form-fitting. Talia noticed for the first time that all the crew members, despite their age differences, were lean and in good shape. Talia tried to be discreet, but she couldn't help but notice that the shapes and lengths of the men's cocks were revealed under the tight fabric of their pants. Despite her efforts, her eyes swept over her colleagues. Carson Veen's cock, she noticed, pointed straight up. Talia quickly guessed that it was bigger than average, but nothing spectacular. Jod Perry's cock, extending to the right and bulging under the thin fabric, looked fatter and longer than Carson's. She wondered, for a moment, what it would be like to have it inside her.

Talia shook her head slightly. Why was she thinking about cocks, at a time like this? She looked straight ahead, to the door. She had to collect herself. She was aware of a warm tingling at every place where her skin touched the tiny, clingy dress. She didn't know why. She wondered if the mysterious material of the dress affected her in some way.

She had no time to think about it further, because the door ahead of her opened with a sudden "whoosh."

A host of small robots issued from the door and directed them to a shuttle. Talia and her companions entered and sat down on the seats inside. There were no windows. The vehicle started moving. They could not see where they were going.

Ten minutes later, the shuttle stopped. The door they had entered opened. One by one, they exited, and after passing through a short corridor they stepped into their destination -- the lord's chamber.

It looked like a cave, more than anything else. The walls were made of a dark gray-brown rock that Talia did not recognize. She and her crew-mates stood on a rock floor, polished smooth, at one end of a vast cavern, the ceiling of which arched over them and extended at least a hundred feet into the distance. Twenty feet ahead of them, the floor of the cavern disappeared under water. A thick, still, white mist hung over blue-gray water. The air in the chamber was heavy and humid.

A door opened to the left, suddenly, out of the rock wall. A dozen figures emerged from it, walking briskly toward them, and fanning out around them. They were humanoid but not human. They were blue-gray in color, about four and a half feet tall, with two legs and two arms, and faces that resembled human faces, but with less prominent noses, and more prominent eyes. They were hairless. And they were naked. They were male, too; each of them sported a long, skinny penis swinging between his legs. They were Noids. One of them approached the Stenvo crew, and he bowed. He stood up, and he looked over each of them slowly and deliberately before speaking.

"Welcome, friends from Earth. I am Eeziel, ambassador of the Unified Nations of Tentos and representative of the High Lord Odorin. We hope that your travels have been easy. We hope that you are well. We hope that our discussions are fruitful, and that as a result of them humans and Tentacons may prosper and enjoy the benefits of a long and lasting friendship."

He bowed low, as did all the other Noids.

Dars Stenvo stepped forward.

"Thank you, friend Eeziel. We appreciate your hospitality. We are grateful for the opportunity to speak to your high lord. We welcome the opportunity to create lasting bonds of friendship and prosperity between our races."

Eeziel rose from his bow. He looked over the human crew, until he saw Talia, and his gaze settled on her.

"Is this the human that created the code for our communication with you?" he asked.

"Yes, this is she," Stenvo said. "We hope the code has been helpful to you."

"Yes," the Noid said. "Most helpful. We've never seen a more helpful code for translating your planet's languages. It will be most useful for our negotiations.

"And let me say," the Noid continued. "Your translator, Professor Denzer, I believe, is most, most lovely. My Lord will enjoy such beauty coupled with such intelligence."

Talia looked at the floor. The Noid's words troubled her. She'd travelled 10 weeks and 150 light years to put her linguistic skills to work, not to be judged for her looks. But she knew she was dealing with an alien species. She did not know their customs. She closed her lips and stopped herself from saying anything she might regret.

"Now let us begin," the Noid said. "Dear guests, please accept the welcome of the Tentacons and their High Lord." He drew back, facing them and walking backward in small steps.

Another door opened on the opposite side. Before Talia could adjust, she saw a flurry of long, twisty limbs and skinny bodies issue from both open doors and surround her company.

The Tentacons approached Talia's group. They were about human size, but utterly unlike humans. Their bodies were ellipses, and their skin was blue- gray. They moved on thick, swirling tentacles that moved like snakes to propel them across the floor. Other tentacles, numerous and of various lengths, curled around their bodies. Their mouths opened and closed from side to side, rather than up and down. Most unnerving of all, they stared ahead at their human visitors with strangely human eyes, with white corneas, slate-blue irises, and jet-black pupils.

Before long, Talia's group was surrounded by at least 40 of them. Each of them extended two tentacles out and down to the floor. Dars Stenvo, closest to them, reciprocated the gesture, extending his arms out and down with palms open toward his hosts. The rest of his group followed his lead. Talia vaguely recalled that it was a gesture of friendship and openness that was expected upon greeting Tentacons.

The Tentacons stood to either side of the room, leaving a large expanse of the room directly in front of their guests open.

Soon a bubbling came from the surface of the water before them. The bubbles broke and cleared pockets of mist above the water. Blue-gray shafts burst from the water all over, toward the ceiling -- the high lord's tentacles, rising from the water.

The high lord Odorin of the Tentacon governing council emerged from the water and the mist.

He looked like the other Tentacons, but he was much, much larger. His body mass far exceeded that of the largest bear, squat and roundish, with a vertical mouth slit and immense, circular, unblinking eyes looking out from his blue-gray, bare figure. Four large tentacles at the base of his body served as legs, curling and twisting like snakes underneath him, and transporting him out of the water and the mist to the floor near the humans. Tentacles of varying lengths, too numerous to count, burst forth from the rest of his body, in many shapes and sizes, moving constantly, giving him the appearance of being even larger than he was.

When he emerged fully from the water, he reached two tentacles forward, and he extended them out and down -- a gesture of respect to his guests. Dars Stenvo reciprocated the gesture with his arms and hands.

Odorin's mouth opened and words came out in a sibilant rush. Even Talia, who had studied the Tentacon languages, could barely make out his words. Fortunately, a Noid translator stood by to assist the humans.

"My lord welcomes you to Tentos," the Noid said.

"Thank you, my lord," Dars Stenvo said. "We are honored to be in your presence. It is our pleasure to be here to speak with you."

Stenvo and the Noid ambassador exchanged rote pleasantries and ceremonial praise for another ten minutes. Talia's mind started to wander. It snapped back to attention when she heard what the Noid said next.

"We are grateful for your visit," the Noid said. "We believe that our exchange will be mutually beneficial. Before we continue our negotiations, however, our high lord would like to know your colleagues better."

"Certainly," Stenvo said. "What do you want to know? We're happy to provide more information."

"Thank you, Dars Stenvo," the Noid said. "But our high lord wishes to know you in his own way."

With that cryptic statement the Noid moved to the side. Odorin moved forward, tentacles undulating over the floor.

The alien shape of the Tentacon lord was repellant to Earth eyes, Talia thought. The constant undulation of his tentacles conjured up an image of a floor crawling with snakes, and there were more than she could count. As he moved across the floor his blue-gray skin quivered. His vertical mouth moved constantly, too, snapping open and shut even when he wasn't speaking. Yet, at the same time, there was something compelling about him. He moved with obvious power and confidence. And there was another quality to his movements, too -- a sensuality, as though every part of his body kissed the air and ground that it touched. The constant movement of the tentacles was mesmerizing. Odorin drew his body close to Stenvo's, but not far from the water's edge.

One tentacle, longer than the others, stretched forward, snaking slowly through the air. Its tip was a kind of pad, shaped like a leaf. It glistened with wetness.

Its tip touched Stenvo's cheek. Stenvo didn't move. After no more than a few seconds the tentacle pulled away. It waved through the air, until it reached the person at the side opposite Talia, Gadber Hines.

It touched him only briefly, as it did the next three in line -- one of the lawyers, Jod Perry, and Carson Veen. But it slowed when it reached Tracy Partaro.

The tentacle waved in front of her, and then it touched her ankle. The tip moved slowly up her leg, until it lifted off her knee. Then without hesitation the pad at the tip pressed against Tracy's breast. Tracy gasped, but she didn't move. From where Talia sat she could see the pad of the tentacle contract and squeeze Tracy's left breast. It pulled away, and Talia saw it shake. Then it moved on.

The tentacle moved quickly among the male members of the crew, touching each of them only briefly. It lingered a little longer over the young female attorney, touching her legs and her lips and, briefly, one of her breasts.