3. Phoebe

3

PHOEBE

T he next day it was more of the same. Only this time instead of the Unglix fields, Sirex took her to the training tunnel.

It really did look like a tunnel with a wide, dark mouth that led into darkness. It was located at the back of the parklands which surrounded the Sacred Grove in the center of the ship. The entrance was surrounded by tall trees with green and purple leaves and purple bark.

"How long is it? And are we allowed to use a flashlight?" Phoebe asked, looking into the darkness uncertainly. She wasn't afraid of the dark, but she didn't love the idea of fumbling and bumbling around in a black tunnel either.

"It's longer than you think and no, the use of light isn't permitted," Sirex told her firmly. "You can only use this."

He produced a small earpiece that fit over her ear and then pulled another one out of his pocket and put it on himself.

"What are these for?" Phoebe asked, adjusting the piece so it fit snugly in her ear.

"Guidance," Sirex informed her. "I'm going to be out here telling you exactly where to go and how to get through the tunnel. If you listen to my commands, you'll get through with no problems or complications."

"But how do you know where I should go if you're out here?" Phoebe demanded.

"There's both a microphone and a small night-vision camera on your earpiece." He drew a silver coin shaped object out of his pocket and flicked a switch on its side. Then he waved a hand in front of her earpiece and a hologram of his hand appeared, hovering just over the coin. "Do you see?"

"So…you can see where I'm going but I can't?" Phoebe asked.

Her Mentor nodded.

"Exactly. And the walls and floors of the tunnel are coated in nan'door—it's a sticky paste that leaves a greenish stain on the skin. The idea is to get through the tunnel without touching anything, using only the sound of my voice to guide you." He reached up and flipped a switch on his own earpiece, which apparently had a microphone on it as well because when he said, "Do you hear me?" his voice came through right into her ear.

"I hear you." Phoebe nodded and took a deep breath. "Okay, should we do this?" she asked, squaring her shoulders.

"If you feel ready." He frowned. "I want to warn you that nothing in the training tunnel is as it seems. You may see things in the darkness that concern or distress you but don't be afraid—I'll be with you in a heartbeat if you need me."

"But the goal is not to need you—or at least, only to need your voice," Phoebe said and he nodded. "Okay then—I'm ready."

This was going to be like walking through a haunted house, she thought. The kind where paid actors jumped out and scared you along the way. She didn't love jump-scares, but she could deal with them. The main thing was to ignore everything but what her mentor was telling her.

"Enter the tunnel," Sirex said, nodding. "And listen to the sound of my voice. I'll guide you through."

"I'll be listening." Taking another deep breath, Phoebe entered the training tunnel for the first time.

She expected to have the light from the entrance to lead her at least for a little way, but everything went pitch black the moment she stepped inside. Phoebe bit back a little gasp of surprise but then she heard Sirex's deep, quiet voice in her ear.

"Walk straight ahead," he instructed. "You'll be tempted to put your hands out in front of you but don't—if you brush the walls you'll get a nan'door stain. Touch nothing. Trust me and I'll guide you through."

Phoebe did as he said and put her hands to her sides, ignoring the urge to put them out in front of her like a blind woman feeling her way through an unknown house. She was trying to concentrate on navigating the training tunnel, but she couldn't help feeling that fluttery sensation in her stomach again when she heard her mentor's deep, quiet voice giving her commands right in her ear.

It made her think of how some people said they felt when they experienced ASMR—those soft barely-there sounds that "tickle the brain" of certain individuals.

Only it's not my brain he's tickling, she thought as Sirex's voice guided her to the left and then straight ahead again. In fact, her nipples were getting tight and she was feeling weak in the knees and wet and hot between her thighs. What was it about obeying her mentor's commands in the dark like this that was getting her so turned on?

Maybe it's because it's so dark in here—it's almost like we're in bed together and he's whispering in my ear, she thought—which brought a completely inappropriate mental image of herself and the big warrior cuddled naked in each other's arms, in a big bed to mind.

No, stop it! I can't think like that about him. Sirex is my mentor—my teacher. We can't have any kind of sexual relationship! It would be completely wrong.

But wrong or not, the longer she stayed in the dark listening to his voice and obeying his commands, the hotter she seemed to get.

"There's a barrier ahead of you," his deep, rumbling voice murmured in her ear. "You'll have to step over it when I tell you. Walk forward five more steps straight ahead. Good. Now lift your right leg and step over, carefully…"

"Yes, Sir," Phoebe breathed, doing exactly as he ordered. It occurred to her that her mentor would make an excellent Dominant—in fact, that was exactly what he would be if he was a character in one of her romance books.

But then that thought brought on another mental image. She could see herself kneeling at his feet, waiting for orders. Possibly sexual orders.

"That's right, baby," she imagined him saying. "Take out your breasts. I want to suck those tight nipples until I know you're nice and wet for me…"

Suddenly she tripped and ran head first into a wall in the darkness.

"Ouch!" she gasped, throwing out her hands to stop herself from falling. They met with a sticky substance like chewing gum that clung to her fingers until she rubbed them against her trousers.

"Cadet Jenkins? Phoebe?" Sirex's voice was sharp and concerned. "What happened? Didn't you hear me telling you to step to the left and avoid that wall?"

"Um…" Phoebe wasn't sure what to say. She couldn't exactly admit she'd been having illicit fantasies of him which caused her not to hear his orders, could she? "I…I think there must have been some distortion on the line," she said at last, fumbling for any explanation for her clumsiness. "I'm sorry!"

"Don't apologize. Do better," was his only remark. "Now walk forward again five steps…"

This time Phoebe concentrated on obeying her mentor's instructions and made sure not to let her mind wander. But she couldn't help the pleasure she got from listening to his voice giving her orders…or the equally great pleasure she got from obeying him. Submitting to him, you mean, whispered that naughty little voice in her head.

When she finally came out the other end of the tunnel, she found Sirex waiting for her.

"Well, well…" He frowned as he looked her up and down. "I'm afraid you'll be wearing the results of your inattention for some time, Jenkins."

"Yes, Sir." Phoebe looked down at her hands, which had bright green stains on them. She probably had the same stains on her forehead and the side of her face from running into the wall.

To her surprise, Sirex cupped her cheek and lifted her face. Leaning down, he examined her closely.

"Did you hurt yourself badly? Do we need to go to the Med Center?" he asked, frowning.

"N-no, Sir. I'm fine," Phoebe stammered, feeling herself blush. She had the crazy idea that he might somehow know what she'd been thinking about in the tunnel—as though her dirty thoughts were written on her stained face. "I'm okay, really," she added.

"All right. If you're sure." He released her but she could still feel the warmth of his big hand on her cheek. It made her heart pound. She thought about repeating the lie that there had been some distortion on the line that kept her from hearing him…but decided against it. She had a feeling that her mentor knew she hadn't been exactly truthful which was why he had called out her "inattention" rather than saying anything about her apparent clumsiness.

"That was the tunnel on its easiest setting," he told her, still frowning. "There were no optical light illusions or added barriers. You'll have to do better if you want to get through unstained next time, Jenkins."

"Yes, Sir," she murmured again and then dared to glance up at him. The stern look on his face and the way he had his arms crossed over his broad chest made her heart beat even faster for some reason. "How…how long will it take for the stains to wear off?" she asked, holding up her hands.

"They should fade in a day or two," Sirex informed her. "Let's hope you do better on your second trial."

"I'll try, Sir," Phoebe said meekly. "I…I lied about the distortion," she added, suddenly feeling like she needed to be completely honest with him. "I just…lost focus. That's why I tripped and fell."

"Hmm." Sirex nodded thoughtfully. "Thank you for your honesty. And what were you thinking of that made you lose focus?"

"Oh, um…" Phoebe immediately regretted her impulsive honesty. She could feel her cheeks getting hot with a blush that she knew he could see and her heart started racing. "I…I'd rather not say, Sir," she said at last. "It's personal."

"I see." He nodded again. "Well next time try to keep your mind on the task at hand instead of on ‘personal' matters. All right?"

"Yes, Sir—I will," Phoebe promised, hanging her head.

An intrusive thought pushed its way into her mind—if the two of them really were characters in a BDSM romance novel, she would kneel at his feet now to show how sorry she was. And then he might decide to tie her up and whip her as punishment—or maybe just take her over his knee for an old-fashioned spanking. Since he was so much bigger and stronger than her, all she could do would be to endure it and beg his forgiveness as she moaned from the mingled pain and pleasure…

No, stop it. You have GOT to stop thinking like this—I'm begging you, she told her brain as she attempted to banish the forbidden thought. Sirex is my mentor and that's all!

But still the illicit images persisted and there didn't seem to be any way to stop them…