Chapter 1: Introduction
Jon stepped off the plane and onto the hot tarmac, feeling the heat radiating up from the ground like a sauna. He couldn't wait to get back to base, to feel the cool air conditioning and escape the relentless desert sun. But as soon as he entered the compound, he knew something was wrong. Everyone was staring at him, whispering behind their hands. Major Johnson greeted him at the gate, his face tight with concern. "Welcome back, Captain," he said curtly.
"We've noticed some...changes in you." Jon felt his cheeks redden. Had they already noticed how he'd been eyeing up all the women on the base? "Don't worry," Major Johnson continued. "We'll get to the bottom of it."
Inside the briefing room, Jon sat down at the table and looked around. Everyone seemed subdued, almost afraid. There were glances exchanged across the table, but no one spoke. Suddenly, Dr. Smith leaned forward. "Jon," she said softly.
“Welcome home, your vitals look great, you seem perfectly healthy enough to walk the base with the rest of us.” She said cheerfully
while shuffling through her papers. “But there’s been a few concerns…” her voice trailed off as she glanced up at him, waiting for him to fill in the blanks. Jon shifted awkwardly in his seat, he could hear the murmurs of the others seated at the table; whispers that followed him everywhere since his return.
"We just want to make sure you're okay, Jon. After all, we're family here. We look out for each other." Jon nodded, feeling grateful for being part of such a close-knit team. But inside, he was still reeling from the changes he had undergone. Ever since returning from that last mission, he had found himself attracted to every woman he saw – even the ones he normally wouldn't have given a second glance. And it wasn't just physical attraction either; he wanted to protect them, care for them, mate with them.
It was overwhelming and Jon didn't know what to do about it. He tried to keep it under wraps, not wanting anyone to think he'd gone crazy. But sometimes, when he caught someone's eye, he would find himself unable to tear his gaze away, and he knew they could see the hunger burning within him.
It was a bad day for Sharon, the executive assistant to be wearing a low cut shirt that revealed her cleavage, it cried like a siren to Jon, who thought only of
running to her, ripping open her shirt, grabbing those perfect breasts, biting at her neck. . . He shook his head violently, trying to focus on the meeting.
He remembered hearing Major Johnson talk about needing to debrief him on his recent mission, but he couldn't remember anything specific about what had happened out there. All he could recall was the intense desire that consumed him whenever he laid eyes on a woman.
His heart raced and he felt feverish, like he was on the verge of some sort of breakdown.
He clutched the sides of the chair, fighting against the rising tide of lust that threatened to consume him. This couldn't be happening to him, not now, not after everything he'd been through.
Major Johnson cleared his throat, bringing Jon back to reality. "Now, let's discuss your mission," he said briskly. "Can you tell us what happened out there?"
Jon took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. "Of course," he replied steadily. "There was an anomaly on the surface of the planet. A large biological mass resembling earth plant life, it all seemed connected to each other despite being large enough to span a continent.” “The rest of the team and I made sure to keep our distance but there were some reports of visions and hallucinations among the crew in the plants presence.”
Jon explained as he fiddled with his pen, trying to distract himself from thinking about the way Sharon's hips swayed when she walked past.
Dr. Smith raised an eyebrow. "Visions of what?" she asked curiously.
Jon hesitated, feeling a twinge of guilt. He hadn't told anyone about the full extent of what he'd seen out there. "Just strange images," he muttered, hoping they wouldn't press him further.
Across the table, Major Johnson glared at him.
“Well my boy, you’ve certainly done us a great service, you’re obviously exhausted from the voyage. Return to your quarters and get some rest, immediately.”
Major Johnson commanded, standing up from the table. “We will have a plan of action by tomorrow morning.”
As Jon left the briefing room, he could feel the weight of everyone's eyes on him. He felt like an animal in a cage, on display for everyone to scrutinize and judge. He longed to be alone, to escape from the prying eyes and constant judgement. He raced to his quarters and set the highest lock setting on his door, true privacy, if only for a while.