“Hey, Sweetpea.”

“Oh, Jack! They managed to find you. I’m – I’m so glad you’re there.”

“Got here as fast as I could. How – how’s it going out there?”

“Oh, you know – could be better.”

“Yeah, it does rather look like things have gone a bit pear-shaped. What have you got left in the tank?”

“Not long. A few minutes. A last few minutes with you, Jack.”

“Mission Control filled me in. They told me…”

“Nothing they can do, Jack. The station’s gone; shredded. The others are – well, you know. It was pretty messy. Just lucky I was outside doing maintenance.”

“Yeah, real lucky.”

“You know what I mean. Hey, I don’t wanna waste my last breaths talking about it, okay?”

“Understood, Sweetpea.”

“Make my last few minutes good ones, Jack.”

“Cally, I…”

“Don’t. Just don’t. There’s nothing to be done. The gauge is in the red and all I’ve got left is what’s in the suit. So, talk to me. Make my last few moments special, Jack. Remind me of the good times we had together.”

“I – I can’t stop thinking about you all alone out there, heading into…”

“Dammit, Jack. We don’t have time. You can mourn later.”

“Okay, okay. They – they’ve given me the room here but, you know, it’s an open frequency. We’re not exactly private.”

“I don’t care, Jack. I haven’t got long.”

“Okay, Sweetpea. Just gathering my thoughts. Don’t get your knickers in a twist.”

“Not wearing any, Jack.”

“Ha. Some things never change. Just like when we first met.”

“Oh, yes – Nellis. Red Flag…”

“Yeah, there you were, this cute little pilot from the UK, and all the guys desperately wondering how they were going to get you to loosen that tight British ass of yours enough to moisten their rods. But then you strapped that Typhoon to your back and kicked some serious ass in the sky. You showed a lot of guys up that day.”

“They just wanted to get into my panties.”

“Dead right. And you didn’t have any on. Kind of a habit you’ve got there, Sweetpea.”

“Ha! The Air Force Ball that evening? True. Damn, that was a good night.”

“And you ended up in my bed.”

“Wasn’t just you though, was it? What was that other pilot called?”

“Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten?”

“Francesca?”

“Yeah, that was her. Captain Francesca Rossi, Italian Air Force.”

“Hmm, I’m concerned about how well you remember her details.”

“Jealous?”

“Nah, not really. Hmm, well, maybe just a little bit.”

“Don’t be. I married you, remember? But you’ve got to admit she was pretty hot.”

“Can’t disagree. First time I went down on a woman. God, she tasted divine! That sticky little honeypot of hers was so wet I thought I was gonna drown.”

“Yeah, I was seriously getting off watching the two of you kinky hotshots. Especially when she hoisted you over her lap and spanked your adorable butt.”

“That was so unfair! She outranked me; I was only a Flight Lieutenant back then. She said I had to be punished because I made her squeal, and she hadn’t given me permission.”

“Come on, you loved it. She had you over her knee with her devious little fingers in your love box, finger-fucking you and telling you not to cum until she said you could. You were literally begging.”

“Ha, yes – I was making most unladylike noises!”

“You were squelching and moaning at both ends.”

“Then she stuck her finger in my ass…”

“And you came like a steam train, tooting your whistle and bellowing…”

“…Yeah, yeah. She liked being in control, didn’t she?”

“Sure did. Wasn’t long before she had you slurping and bobbing on my joystick like a pro.”

“Ha. Thanks for that, Jack! You shot your wad pretty quickly, too, didn’t you?”

“Not surprising, really. Whilst you were working the front, she was working the back. She had her tongue deep in my ass, and I defy anyone to hold out for long with that combo. You’ve got a delightful mouth, Sweetpea.”

“Thank you, honey. And that was probably the biggest load you’ve ever shot down my throat, Jack. Like Vesuvius on a real bad day. I sure as hell couldn’t take all that hot lava juice. It was running down my chin and all over my chest. Francesca was delighted. She had her tongue in my mouth and all over my tits, moaning like a bitch in heat.”

“What happened to her, anyway?”

“Last I heard, she was an instructor. She’s undoubtedly corrupting poor, young Italian pilots – male and female.”

“Pity I couldn’t marry you both.”

“Ha! I don’t think you’d have had the stamina. You’d have been dead in a week.”

“I’d have died a happy man.”

“Tart.”

“Never had a night like it since. Not on the ground, anyway.”

“Hey, you know we’re not supposed to talk about that.”

“I thought you didn’t care.”

“Ha! I don’t. Not about me, anyway. Not like they’re gonna fire me for blowing the gaff. But you could end up in a lot of trouble.”

“What are they gonna do? Cancel my next trip? Station’s gone, Sweetpea. No way I’ll fly in space again.”

“You might not see those silver oak leaves, Major Lopez!”

“Didn’t want to be a Colonel anyway. All you get to fly is a desk.”

“We were the first married couple in space, Jack. Remember? That left a lot of people wondering.”

“Not something you ever forget, Sweetpea. NASA wanted everything documenting as part of the ‘Programme’.”

“Yeah, ‘Please record accurately the number and intensity of orgasms you achieve.’ Not exactly designed for maximum eroticism, was it?”

“Oh, I don’t know. We managed okay. You were well into double figures as I recall.”

“You brought that vibrator with you. That was naughty. I wasn’t expecting that.”

“Worked a treat, didn’t it? When I gave you that, you got yourself so buzzed up, you didn’t need me.”

“With an audience as well.”

“And audience participation…”

“You know that wasn’t actually supposed to happen?”

“Yeah, well. You know what astronauts are like. Especially when they’ve been, you know, without for several months. What is it they said? What happens on the space station, stays on the space station…”

“Well, the cat’s truly out of the bag now.”

“I think you might be right about that, Sweetpea.”

“Who was on camera? Was it Steiner?”

“The German? Yeah.”

“He couldn’t keep his eyes off my pussy.”

“Well, that I can understand. You were putting on a show for the whole crew, darling; legs wide apart, moaning and thrusting. I thought Anna was going to bust a nut. Her eyes were shining so bright – she so wanted to get her head in between those delicious thighs of yours.”

“Well, she got her way, didn’t she?”

“In the end. She had a very eager tongue.”

“But only after you’d finished with me. Well – you and Vladimir. The pair of you bounced me around like a rubber ball. Lucky the walls were padded. It was like being in a pinball machine.”

“Yeah. Spit-roasted in space. Nice one to put on your résumé. What was it we called him after that?”

“Vlad the Impaler.”

“That’s right. And Anna became the ‘Creampie Queen’”

“Yup. Clean-up was fun. All those body fluids.”

“Yeah, first time I saw spunk erupt in zero gee. Chloe got a real eye full.”

“Her fault. She shouldn’t have been floating so close. And I didn’t see her complaining. She was catching globules of jizz like it was lemonade. She looked like the Cheshire cat. Total cum slut.”

“Anyway, it’s not like we were the first. Amazing the things people don’t realise about space exploration.”

“Yeah, I’m surprised it’s stayed secret this long. ‘Hey guys! Guess what? There’s a ‘Sex in Space’ programme on the ISS, and for the last fifteen years, all potential astronauts have been assessed for their suitability and willingness to participate.’ Just one more of the experiments we conduct on the station.”

“Well, you have to admit, the subject needs to be explored if we ever intend to colonise space.”

“And why not have some fun along the way, too?”

“Exactly.”

“I guess you can legitimately claim that you took me to heaven and back.”

“Cally…”

“You and me, Jack. That’s what counts. I know we were both pretty malleable, what with the programme and all. But at the end of the day, it was you I wanted to be with. You I wanted to come home to.”

“I know that, Cal. That’s why we work so well together.”

“This was my last trip, Jack. You knew that. I was gonna retire and be a kept woman. And you, Major Lopez, you were gonna look after me.”

“I’m sorry, Sweetpea.”

“Not your fault, Jack. I’m the one leaving you. I’m the one should be sorry.”

“Don’t be silly.”

“Not gonna be with you much longer, Jack. You know you’re gonna have to find yourself another woman.”

“Don’t be ridiculous.”

“Jeez, it’s dark out here. Keep talking, Jack. I – I don’t have long left.”

“This is not the conversation I was expecting, Sweetpea.”

“No, me either. I wonder how many people are actually on this frequency?”

“I think the whole world is probably listening, Cal. The accident hit the networks pretty fast. No way to hide it really. Hey, did you just sigh?”

“So now the whole world knows our secrets?”

“Do you mind?”

“Not really. Give them something to gossip about, anyway.”

“Sure will.”

“Hey, seriously. Do something for me, will you?”

“Sure. Anything.”

“Don’t mourn me too long. Don’t stay alone. You really do need someone to look after you.”

“Didn’t we discuss this already? Not gonna happen.”

“You just promised anything.”

“I thought it would at least be something sensible.”

“Don’t be an ass. Go see Rosalind.”

“Seriously? You want me to go see your sister?”

“Roz is fun – she’ll look after you.”

“I can’t believe you’re suggesting this.”

“Why not?”

“Doesn’t seem right. Anyway, she’s got a girlfriend. She won’t want me cluttering things up.”

“She’s my twin, dummy. And just as bisexual as I am. We like the same things.”

“I forgot. You realise she’s probably listening to us right now? Listening to her Big Sis pimping her out?”

“Haha – well then maybe I should just ask her to call you. Hey, Roz – you there? Call Numbnuts once I’ve gone, will you? Call my husband and look after him?”

“Wow, you really are serious, aren’t you?”

“Gotta look – look after you, even, you know. After.”

“Now who's the tart?”

“Th – thanks. You know she always had a soft spot for you, lov – lover boy. It’s just that I – I got to you first.”

“You ask the damnedest things, Sweetpea.”

“So – sorry. Sta – starting to struggle here, Jack. Ca – can’t get my breath anymore. Think my – my time’s about up.”

“Damn! Not yet! I – I don’t wanna lose you, babe.”

“Don’t – don’t cry. I love – love you, Jack. When you – when you look up at the stars, th – think of me.”

“Ca – Cally?”

“See – see you on the other side, J – Jack.”

“Babe? Honey, please don’t go yet. Do you copy? Cally? Cally…?”

“This – this is Wing Commander Cally Lopez, Ro - Royal Air Force, recently on the International  Sp – Space Station. Current heading un – unknown, signing off.”

“… Bye, Sweetpea. Bye, Cally. Gonna miss you…  See – see you on the other side…”

“……………”