The next week was filled with tension. Greg had had sex with another woman and impregnated her with Hivelife. Elizabeth had had sex with her own twenty-year-old son Rudy. There was bound to be tension between them. Elizabeth stopped having sex with Rudy, much to his consternation, and Elizabeth went back to Greg's bed. They slept together again, and it was an odd feeling as if they were getting to know each other for the first time. Joy's absence was keenly felt by Greg. It was left to him to dispose of the husk in the bedroom. He cried as he buried it in the backyard.

The first time Greg and Elizabeth had sex again was awkward. It started with apologies.

"I'm sorry… I'm sorry I brought you into the Hive," said Elizabeth. They were in bed together. She looked into Greg's eyes for some trace of forgiveness, leaned forward, and gave him a kiss. He responded.

"And… I'm sorry I made love to Rudy," she said, kissing him again as she reached out to rub his body. Her rider started to fill her with desire.

Greg's immature rider was doing the same to him. He felt his attitude towards Elizabeth soften even as his genitals were hardening. "And… I'm sorry for what I did with Joy. That must have… must have hurt you terribly," he said.

"Yes," Elizabeth whispered. "Yes, it did." She kissed him again.

In moments they both had their clothes off and were making love. It felt like having sex for the first time with each other, even though Elizabeth had just had sex with Greg yesterday; but that had been fueled by her rider, with a specific purpose in mind. These couplings were a pure expression of love, permitted by the Hive… for now. Greg felt a greater-than-usual thrill as he got between Elizabeth's legs and started moving inside the slick passage between her legs.

"Greg, did it feel good, being inside her?" Elizabeth whispered in his ear.

"Yes," said Greg, as he felt the heat of his rider on his back and in his mind. "It felt so good."

"Tell me," she whispered urgently, as she felt his penis coursing inside her.

"To have a new woman, a different woman, after twenty years… it felt incredible," said Greg. It just all came pouring out of him. Never would he have admitted it without a rider on his back. Somehow his rider had removed all his inhibitions. "Joy was so incredibly sexy."

"Was she?" Elizabeth asked, her eyes shining.

"Yessss," Greg said, as he continued to work her hard. "Her big tits, her muscular thighs… and I was putting a baby into her, Liz! It felt so good to fill her with my sperm, to plant life in her and watch it grow….." Suddenly he realized what he was saying and to who he was saying it to. "This must hurt you."

"In a way it does," said Elizabeth, as she held him tightly. "But it also feels good, somehow, to talk about it. Doesn't it, dear?"

"Yes," Greg hissed, as he rubbed the head of his penis against her vaginal walls.

Elizabeth felt tendrils in her mind, pushing her on. "I have my own confession to make."

"You do?" Greg said, grunting with effort.

"Yes." Elizabeth gave a mysterious smile. "About Rudy."

"Rudy!" Greg gasped, as he thrust again into his wife. After all this time apart, it felt so good to be together again.

"Yes," said Elizabeth. "His eyes are blue just like yours. He's like you were at twenty. To have a twenty-year-old on top of me, inside of me… he felt so incredible, Greg. He felt so big inside me."

Elizabeth's words should have inflamed Greg. Instead, they drove him to greater passion. He thrust into Elizabeth more vigorously and kissed her harder. "He did?'

"Yes," said Elizabeth, giving a naughty smile. "He felt so good inside me, Greg. Our son felt so good. But you know what felt best of all?"

"What?" Greg gasped. He felt his climax almost in reach now.

"Bringing you into the Hive."

"What?" Greg's heart raced and his penis tingled.

"Yes," Elizabeth confessed. "Making a rider… putting it on your back… enslaving you… it was the best moment of my life. It excites me so much, Greg. Watching you make love to me with a rider on your back makes me so… oohhhh… oh Greg!"

"I feel it too!" Greg cried, as his penis stiffened further and he felt that familiar tingling.

"Seeing you controlled… seeing you used… it makes me so excited!" Elizabeth gasped. And then they cried out together: "Oh… oh… Ooooooooooh!"

Greg flooded into her, as an incredible orgasm wracked Elizabeth's body. She felt tendrils from her rider from head to toe, stimulating her to completion. As Greg collapsed on top of her, he felt his rider, pulsating on his back.

********

As they lay in bed, Greg said, "Does it really control you?"

Elizabeth thought a moment, then shook her head. "No. It can influence me, sometimes. Suggest things. But control… no. You?"

"Same here," said Greg. "So we can continue to enjoy each other… and presume it's our own idea."

"Of course, silly," Elizabeth giggled, as she kissed him again.

But as they made love every night over the next week, Greg noticed a pattern. Elizabeth would always insist that Greg be on top, at least part of the time. It was almost as if she wanted him to exert himself, to help his rider mature, even though she never explicitly said it. Only after he had exerted himself on top of her for at least an hour did she take a turn on top. Greg realized that they had poor choices; either his rider would be stimulated and fed, or Elizabeth's would be.

As the days passed, though, Greg found himself worrying about it less and less. Indeed, an odd sense of contentment filled him. Odd, in that he and his wife had riders on their backs and in their minds, and it no longer seemed to worry him very much. Greg found his attitude towards his rider slowly changing. At first, he thought of it as a parasite, but day by day he began to see it as a part of himself.

And then the day came a week later when Greg stiffened and look surprised in mid-thrust on top of Elizabeth.

"What is it, dear?" Elizabeth asked innocently.

"My rider… it loves me and wants the best for me," said Greg.

Elizabeth smiled and took him in her arms.

********

Darlene returned the day after Greg's rider matured. Greg and Elizabeth hugged and welcomed their daughter. She noticed their change in attitude immediately.

"Mom, Dad, are you learning to love the Hive?"

"Yes, dear," said Elizabeth, smiling as she held Greg's hand. Her rider had just gotten its second band that morning. They had celebrated with a passionate round of sex.

"I have been communicating with the Hive on your behalf," Darlene said. "You asked for another chance. You must prove your worth to the Hive Mind."

"I have proven my worth," said Greg proudly. "I gave you all that information about Survey Service ESPers."

"Yes, you have proven your worth materially," said Darlene. "But you must prove your worth genetically. Every member of the Hive Mind must make a positive evolutionary contribution genetically. Those that do not will be discarded."

Discarded.

"What... what must I do?" said Greg.

"You must reproduce with a hybrid," said Darlene. She anticipated their next question. "A hybrid is a genetic mutation, a creature that is part human and part... other. It will not be an easy blending. But if you can achieve this, your future in the Hive will be assured."

"What kind of hybrid is this?"

"You will have to see for yourself. It cannot be explained in words. Do you agree?"

Greg looked at Elizabeth. Their choices were limited. They could agree to this, or die. And what would happen to Rudy? That was left unsaid.

Finally, Elizabeth nodded, and so did Greg.

*********

Darlene took them to the cave. It was in a swamp, just northeast of Tampa. It looked very wet and boggy and uninviting. But nonetheless, they followed her inside. They were made to shed their clothes just inside the entrance.

What they saw inside was unimaginable. The place was lit by greenish organic lights. There were people everywhere having unimaginable things being done to them.

And then they saw the giant spider. It was four feet tall, and it had black, multiplex eyes, but a part of it... a part of it... was somehow flesh. Human flesh. An entire side looked flesh-colored. And in the middle of it was what looked very much like a human vagina, complete with a triangle of pubic hair above it.

"How in the world did you create that?" Greg asked Darlene.

"We are always experimenting, always working to blend all our slaves to produce new kinds of life which can better serve the Hive."

"And you want me to mate with..."

"That," said Darlene, pointing at the vagina on the spider.

Greg looked doubtful.

"It's that, or we take Rudy in for genetic alteration," said Darlene.

"No!" said Elizabeth. She stared at Greg with pleading eyes.

"All right," said Greg. "I'll try." He looked at the Insect's eyes, watching him. It hissed. "It's not going to attack me, will it?"

"Probably not," said Darlene. "But you should go directly to the intercourse portal, and do what you are here to do, nothing else."

Greg looked at the giant spider. It looked like it could easily snap him in two. Ignoring the hostile glare from the creature, he walked over to what looked like the human vagina. When he got there, he saw that it was too high, at the level of his mouth.

"What am I supposed to do, give this thing oral sex?" Greg asked.

Darlene motioned with her hand, and the large, hissing creature seemed to understand her; it squatted down so the entrance was at waist level.

Greg looked at the hole. If he ignored the rest of the creature, he could just barely imagine it was a human vagina. He looked down at his penis. It was understandably flaccid. But then his rider decided to help. It flooded him with sexual need. Slowly, Greg's penis started to grow erect. Soon, he was semi-stiff, far from hard, but hard enough. Taking a deep breath, he lifted his penis and slowly put it into the hole.

It felt like a human vagina, only rougher. A little like sandpaper. Greg couldn't tell if he liked or was irritated by the roughness. He started to thrust in and out. He watched the spider for any violent reactions. His nervousness didn't help. While he kept thrusting, he didn't feel any buildup.

He kept at it for several minutes before stopping, pulling out.

"What's wrong?" said Elizabeth.

"I'm sorry, I just can't do it," said Greg. "I have to reach a certain state, in my mind. And I just can't get it out of my mind that I'm doing a spider."

"Then we will have to take dear Rudy," said Darlene promptly.

"Wait!" said Elizabeth. She bent down and took Greg's penis in her mouth. She started sucking on the head. Very quickly, Greg got hard. This is something his mind was used to. This is something his mind enjoyed. Not only did he get hard as a rock, but he felt his balls tightening.

"Oooh... Ooooh," said Greg.

"Don't let him come in your mouth, Mom," Darlene warned.

Elizabeth felt humiliated. She was giving her husband oral sex so he could inseminate a giant spider. And yet part of her, a growing part of her, actually enjoyed it. She was HiveFlesh. Her purpose was to serve the Hive. She felt the heat of her rider on her back, felt its tendrils in her mind filling her with pleasure as she sucked on Greg's male sex organ. As she bent down, Greg saw it pulsating on her back, and for a moment felt grateful for it, for taking control of her and making her pleasure him to submissively. The thought of it only made him even harder.

Elizabeth worked her mouth back and forth on Greg's shaft. Finally, she got close to the point where she knew, from experience, that Greg was at the edge of coming. She pulled out and grabbed hold of his penis. She brought him close, right next to the spider vagina hole, and then fisted his penis violently. All it took were three up-and-down movements with her fist, and then his penis started to tremble. At that moment she shoved his penis deep into the vagina hole. Greg actually smiled as he started to erupt inside the spider. He groaned joyfully, happy in the moment that he was able to do what he was powerless to achieve mere moments ago, smiling as he thrust into the slit just below the triangle of pubic hair, feeling himself pulsing into the creature, filling it with his sperm. When it was done, he smiled lazily and slowly pulled out. Elizabeth grabbed him and gave him a passionate kiss.

"Thank you," Greg said, looking into her eyes.

Darlene nodded approvingly. "Good work. You two make a good team. But you have to do it twice more, to two other spiders. I will take you to a resting area so you can... regain your strength."

The "resting area" turned out to be an orgy room, where creatures that were part human, and part insect were having sex with each other. They saw men with monster penises putting it into women; they saw women with insect faces and human bodies, making love to helpless, bound men; and they saw men making love to holes in walls, or the mouths of creatures, and other scenes that were barely describable to their minds.

"Two more times," Elizabeth whispered, as they sat in a corner, their bodies illuminated by harsh green light. "Do you think you can do it?"

"I have to," said Greg.

They sat together quietly, holding hands. After a few minutes, Elizabeth started to touch his penis playfully, and it stirred. They looked at each other, and despite the horrors around them, kissed.

Darlene came back for them a half hour later, and led them back to the reproduction area. A new spider seemed to be in place; its vaginal slit looked identical to the previous one, but the pubic hair was more reddish in color. Greg wondered for a moment who or what it had been taken from.

Greg turned to Elizabeth. "All right, do you want to suck me again?" Greg asked.

You are HiveFlesh you are HiveFlesh you must serve you must serve.

"I have a better idea," said Elizabeth, as she felt a warm surge in her mind, mixed with joy, as her rider pulsated heavily on her back. Suddenly, Elizabeth grew enthusiastic about the entire project. She wanted Greg to impregnate the giant spider. She wanted to expand the Hive. She wanted more than anything to help make it happen. Her rider, sending its tendrils into her mind, especially while she slept, had been working on her slowly, meticulously, until her opposition had been chipped away, and all that was left was obedience.

Elizabeth stood between Greg and the spider vagina. She turned to face Greg and spread her legs. When she stood on her toes, Greg saw that the entrance to the spider vagina was between Elizabeth's legs, just below her own vagina.

Elizabeth leaned out with her arms. "Make love to me, Greg," she said simply.

Despite the ghastliness of everything around them, Greg smiled. He loved Elizabeth so much. He stepped forward, and carefully inserted his penis into the spider vagina between Elizabeth's legs. But as he started pumping it, he told himself it was Elizabeth, not the spider vagina that he was making love to. It was Elizabeth's breasts he felt against his chest as he pumped into the spider vagina. It was Elizabeth's body he hugged as he plowed in and out, in and out. It was Elizabeth's vagina he appeared to be thrusting into, he told himself. And it was Elizabeth's hands around his back, hugging him tightly. It was Elizabeth's smile right in front of him, encouraging him on. He told himself it was all Elizabeth.

"You're doing it," Elizabeth whispered, watching her husband's hard rod poling in and out of the spider vagina rapidly. "You're so manly, Greg! I love you so much!"

Greg shuddered and felt an increasingly familiar tightening, deep in his shaft and balls. "Elizabeth, I'm going to come!" he gasped.

"Come, darling, come inside me!" she said lovingly, and that was all he needed. He exploded, filling the spider vagina with his semen. Part of Greg felt appalled by what he had done, but part of him, the growing part of him the rider controlled, felt good about it. He was the male. He had inseminated successfully. He was fertilizing, and expanding the Hive.

When he was spent, he and Elizabeth stared at each other, and kissed passionately. Darlene, standing behind them, clapped softly as she watched Greg's brownish-yellow banded rider glistening on his back.

"Did you enjoy that, Dad?" Darlene asked.

Greg looked down at his deflated, wet penis. He was being used, and yet- "Yes," he whispered. "I did." He looked at Elizabeth's face. He could tell she did too.

A sly smile slowly spread across Darlene's face. "Very good. You and Mom are becoming such obedient slaves. Come. It's time for your last rest break."

This time they were led to a communing room. They saw rows and rows of people communing with their backs to each other, women on one side, men on the other.

"Thank you so much," said Greg, holding Elizabeth's hand. "I couldn't have done it without you." He gave her a kiss that meant everything to her.

"You… you were so hot when you were pounding into it," said Elizabeth, feeling embarrassed to say it even as her rider pulsated slowly on her back. But was so true. Seeing Greg's manly rod moving in and out of the alien vagina excited her. She took his penis in her hand and fondled it as she looked into his eyes. She felt it stirring between her fingers as they kissed.

*********

As they rested, Elizabeth watched the women communing. They were all naked,...