Janica lay curled on the bed, her hands over her eyes, her head aching from crying but her tears drying. She was so, so, so ashamed of herself. Of her weakness. Of her inability to protect Megan from her big sister. From me, she thought miserably.

From behind her, she could hear Megan sniffling, but no longer sobbing.

That's not good, thought Janica. We're both coming out of it.

They'd both learned not to comfort each other during their post-orgasm crying jags. That only started them fondling and kissing again.

Janica had expected that the mutual attraction forced on them somehow would gradually decline in intensity. But it had only become stronger. Probably, she thought, it's been reinforced by those overpowering orgasms, unlike any I've ever known. Our bodies, she told herself, have come to know very well what to expect from sex, and have come to need it all the more.

They hardly talked anymore. The only real opportunities for extended conversations had come during mealtimes, when the force within them briefly loosened its grip. Mostly they had exchanged tearful apologies, but Megan had passed along what little she knew. Janica felt so incredibly grateful to Megan for everything she had done, everything she had given up, to try to rescue Janica. And look, Janica thought, at how I treat her in return.

The tingling between Janica's legs began its uphill climb in intensity once more.

No! Dammit, no!

I don't have to do it again! she told herself, as she had hundreds of times before -- was it a thousand by now? I know how powerful the need is, but I don't have to give in! I'm not one of those mindless dollies Megan told me about! The strength of my will got me through the Academy, through impossible-seeming situations in flight training, helped me escape dangers on alien worlds. If I did all those things, I can do this! And I'm the big sister! If I can gather my strength to beat this, I can show Mig the way!

Attempting one more time, with only a tiny shred of hope, to control the craving without involving Megan, Janica reached down and began rubbing her own mound, her fingers teasing her labia, that whole area so wet and slick, while she began squeezing her right breast softly with her other hand, playing with the nipple, her eyes closed, mouth open, trying to concentrate fully on the feeling. There was still some embarrassment in masturbating while her "little" sister -- so unbelievably grown up now! -- lay behind her on the same bed, but it was minor. Janica knew that Mig understood, and had many times tried the same thing herself. It hadn't worked yet, but Janica had to keep trying, had to rid herself of the sexual arousal that became so strong so fast, before she turned to...

No, Janica, don't even say her name in your mind! Don't think about her. She's not here, she's not here, it's just me...

Behind her, Janica heard a liquid rubbing sound, and knew Megan was working on herself too. No, ignore it, Janica! She's not here, she's not here...

The tiniest moan escaped Janica's throat, despite all her efforts to suppress it. She knew the sound would draw Megan, Megan would touch her, stroke her... No, stop thinking about it!...

She heard Megan's choked voice whisper tearfully "I'm sorry, Janny," and felt fingers along her buttock. Before she could order her body not to move, Janica rolled over backwards on the bed, and saw that Megan was reaching for her. Their arms went around each other easily, and they kissed softly, then harder, and competed to see who could deliver the most kisses and licks to the other's cheek, chin, neck, each holding the back of the other's head with one hand while the other arm and hand roamed up and down the other's back, their legs intertwining. Janica felt the sole of Megan's foot rubbing lightly, sensuously, on her calf muscle. The tingling between Janica's legs turned to an insistent buzzing, her hips rocking in time with Megan's, their moans growing louder.

Janica's resistance of moments ago was forgotten. She only felt the excitement, the flush, the need. As always, when she was embracing Megan, feeling her stomach and breasts pressed against Megan's, feeling Megan's lips and tongue exploring her body as her own tasted Megan's, the devastating shame was gone for the moment, there was no past to regret, no future to worry over. There was only the present, the sensations of her body, the need for Megan, Megan, Megan...

Major Brianna Marion felt her heart race as her ship emerged from the wormhole. Her scanners examined the star system in front of her, and in seconds found that one of the planets was fully capable of supporting life. That has to be the place, she thought. After all this time, never giving up hope, all the work involved in becoming a top pilot while also studying the notes on iota particles that Megan Duchain had left behind...

Megan had the right idea, Brianna thought, but she wasn't the kind of pilot I am. That must have been her undoing. That's why she never returned.

I'm going to return, Brianna said forcefully to herself. I'm coming back to Earth with proof the Aurora crew is alive. I'm sure they made it through. Megan had noted that the timing of the loss of signal from Aurora didn't fit with the idea of wormhole collapse. Aurora had made it through the wormhole. Brianna was sure of that. And there, in front of her now, was the planet on which, for whatever reason, following whatever malfunction, the crew had been marooned ever since. Forty years.

Brianna had been twenty years old, a Space Force Academy cadet, when her mother, Aurora First Officer Sabrina Marion, had been lost, and "presumed dead," in whatever tragedy had taken Aurora.

Lost and now found, Brianna told herself. Though Mom had been missing forty years, that didn't matter now. She would still look the same now as on the day she left. She's got at least a century and a half of full, vigorous youth still ahead of her, Brianna reminded herself. And she's going to spend it on Earth. She can leave the last forty years behind and live the life she was meant to have.

There was a brief pinging sound, startling Brianna, and then it seemed as though the ship exploded around her. The computer screens winked out, along with all the cabin lights. Emergency power brought the lights back, but a restart of the computer system was only partially successful. Her fingers shaking, Brianna tried to reestablish contact with crucial subsystems. Navigation was only partially enabled. She would be able to get down to the planet's surface, but would have to use manual controls. She tried to send a signal back to Earth, to the Earth authorities with whom she had already burned bridges with her theft of a ship. Communication with Earth, she found, had been disabled.

Brianna gritted her teeth, working to calm herself. I can get to the planet, she thought, and there will be other ships there. Megan Duchain's ship, and Aurora herself. Both were probably damaged, since no one had returned on either ship, but between those two ships and mine, Brianna told herself, we may well find enough working parts to put one functioning ship together.

And we will do that, Mom. I am bringing you home.