Long Term Contract (Patreon)

Woman: Almudena
Scorpion: Dracoart

"Thank you for accepting the position, Miss Karatine. I know you'll enjoy it very much. Just to make sure you understand the contract in detail. We'll supply you room and board as part of the contract. You'll have general light duties about the house initially but will be expected to train as part of our security. Everyone is part of the security, of course. Don't worry that you haven't much experience with security or anything else. But that isn't really a concern. We've found that formal training of a general nature as is taught in most courses, isn't as good as solid specific training. Our trainers are the best around and are available. Whenever you have a question, you can be sure they'll answer it. I'll introduce you to them as soon as we've finished the tour.

I realize its a bit of a hardship being out of touch with your friends and family for four years but this is a very high security assignment. Because of the nature of our work (and it's all ultra top secret), we can't risk anyone accidentally leaking even hints of what we are doing. National security at the highest level, you know. But don't worry, you can write to your friends and family and, as long as what you want to send doesn't disclose anything secret, it'll go through fine.

First, though, let's get you into your uniform. The change room is in there. Once you've put your street clothes into the locker that's been assigned to you, take a shower. When you're ready, come on out and we'll go on to the training area.”

Although Yolanda had showered that morning (didn't everyone?), she decided not to make an issue of it. She carefully folded her pantsuit and placed them into the locker with her name on it. Then she took a towel from the rack and strode towards the shower.

She hung the towel on the rack and set the shower to her desired temperature. When she stepped in, though, the shower suddenly changed from water to some kind of strange coloured gel. Within seconds, Yolanda discovered she could no longer move. She shouted for help but no one came for quite some time. The being who did come (for anyone would recognize it at a glance as not being human) quickly turned off the gel and began to spray her cocoon of gel with something that hardened its outer layer.

"Contract you have signed for security," it said.
"Uh yes, but ..."
"Not here. Other place."
"But the shower?"
"Go to other place. Need to protect."
"Other place?"

The creature's eyes became slits and it was quiet for several long seconds before its huge blue eyes opened again.

"Not Earth. Other place. Starship."
"What?" Yolanda was shocked. She was sure nothing like that was in the contract. "I didn't sign ..."
"Contract said relocate. Contract said uniform. Contract said training."
"Yes but I thought ..."
"Contract long term. Return after. Unless more contract."
"But other place?"
"Other planet."
"Like Mars or something?"
"Not here system. Other star."
"Which star?"

Once again the creature's eyes became slits.

"Earth people call 'Epsilon Eridani'"
"Oh. Why the gel?"
"Hibernate. Sleep to other place."
"Why?"
"Hard question. Can't tell all. Safer."
"Oh."

Yolanda found herself strangely calm. She should be livid, demanding release, something. Instead, she found herself almost disinterested in the proceedings. So she was going to a distant star. Big deal. She shook her head. Dammit it was a big deal!! She was about to protest when the feeling of vast calm drowned out the emotional surge.

"Before leave, need uniform."
"Yes, the uniform. I'll put it on."

Yolanda waited for the gel to dissolve or fade out or something. Instead she felt a strange tickling at her sides. Because she couldn't quite see what was happening, she twisted her head as much as she was able. Unfortunately, she still was unable to see what was causing the tickling. She turned her head this way and that until she realize that the wall opposite her, although not a perfect mirror, would allow her to at least get an idea as to what was going on. What she saw in the blurred image was a woman, suspended in a strange transparent bubble filled with an equally strange shimmering gel. She frowned as she tried to make out the details. Something was definitely happening to her skin. It was darkening somehow but only at her waist and sides. Her legs were becoming strangely transparent at the same time. Within a few moments, her legs had disappeared entirely.

"I have no legs," she stated matter of factly.

She continued to watch as her hips broadened slightly and began to elongate, developing a series of ring shaped segments. These flattened until her lower body was a segment creature with a hard shiny surface. The tip of this new body began to develop a series of football-shaped blobs. Once six of these had appeared, they grew out into a hard shell-covered tail. As a finishing touch, Yolanda watched, unperturbed, as a huge sting developed. There was a pause as the tail finished developing. Yolanda felt a new tickle at her tummy and watched as five pairs of jointed legs grew from her stomach. These quickly elongated and developed until Yolanda discovered she had ten shiny legs like those of some kind of spider or scorpion. When the limbs finished growing, a final growth spurt converted the end of the first set of legs into huge and obviously deadly pincers.

"This is not a uniform," she stated calmly.
"Not cloth uniform. Security poison needs at other place. Scorpion best poison here. Scorpion you are. Training at other place."

Yolanda nodded and watched as the hard shell containing the gel began to shift in shape. It very quickly conformed exactly to her new body shape and began to spread up to cover her upper body and head. She fell asleep before her face was covered. The little alien nodded and closed his eyes again. An overhead glow appeared, lifting the encased scorpion woman to the ceiling of the room. Soon Yolanda, in her cocoon, joined dozens of others in similar cocoons in a cargo bay of sorts. Of course, none of them were awake to see it ...