Ely smiled. “Join me for a quick Cum Shot before the meeting?”

Kale sat. “Naw, I drink Starsparkle ale. Puts hairs on your chest.”

Signalling for the android waiter, he said, “That would be an achievement, even for a beer. I’ve seen you without your shirt on.”

Kale wrinkled up his nose. “So what does this mean anyway?” He was waving a holo-note in front of his face. From his words, and expression, Ely knew he had already read it. So much for the letter being addressed to him.

“Well, I wouldn’t know unless you gave me my letter, would I?”

The cadet, his best friend, shrugged his shoulders. “Sure, but a friend’s got to make sure his mates are looked after.”

“By reading their mail, you mean?”

The android arrived. “What do you require, Cadet Ely?”

“Another Callisto Cum Shot for me and a Starsparkle Ale for my friend.”

The android nodded his understanding of the order. “Your account has been debited sixty-five Martian dollars. Also, I must add, Cadet Ely, this will be the last drink you can consume this hour. Your blood alcohol reading will go over required standards if you consume anymore.”

Ely waved his hand, dismissing the android, letting it know he understood. It waddled away, heading for the bar to fix their order.

Ely grabbed the message out of Kale’s hand. “Hey, easy, mate! I’ve got delicate fingers, you know.”

“There’s nothing delicate about anything you do.” When opened, and in text that seemed to float above the iridescent paper, were the words, In full dress uniform, report to me at 1300 hours. No delay. Ely jumped up, stool crashing to the floor behind him. “Shit!”

“What’s the matter?” Kale accepted his drink from the android who had already returned. “Who’s the message from? What does it mean?”

Ely glanced at the time readout above the bar area. It was 1230 hours. He had half an hour. Was that enough time to get changed, his shoes shined and have all his dress paraphernalia adorned over his uniform in time? He hoped so. “I’ve got to go, Kale.”

Kale grabbed Ely’s hand before he could escape the light cast by the light tables and disappear out of the C deck lounge. “You ain’t going anywhere until you tell me what this is all about.”

Ely swallowed hard, realising for the first time his throat was dry. How could he tell his best friend, that Emerson and him…well, they sort of engaged in activities which perhaps normal couples may not? It all started with the toys—dildoes and the like—they used on each other during their first love making sessions. Even before they were an official couple and no longer needed to use skin seal, they experimented.

Now, through natural progression, he supposed, they had moved on to even more exotic forms of pleasure. Or, more to the point, Emerson disciplined Ely before they made love to the point of exhaustion. The first time Emerson told him he was to be punished, right after their first away mission, Ely couldn’t keep his erection down. To be spanked, that was something wonderful. To feel complete helplessness, then liberation and reward when the punishment was over, that was mind-blowing. It made the act of love so much more intense.

“Emerson is going to spank me and I’ve got to make sure I’m properly attired and as clean and presented as I can be otherwise I’ll get punished for longer.” There. He had said it out loud.’

Kale’s mouth fell open.