I just checked in on my AO3 profile - and the number of hits on my 3 chapter Lovelink Dr Vile fanfic has - wait for it -

666 hits

IDK whether to be happy - or scared…

Lovelink fanfic

Featuring Dr Vile

So it looks like Dr Vile will be back soon on Lovelink. I’ve been working on this, so let’s see if it resembles what Ludia have planned!

A/N Fluff and Sci Fi - but remember things will get smutty, so No under 18s

To the Moon and Back

Three days after your encounter in the gym, news comes that the planned landing has been postponed after a serious malfunction in the Space Station’s orbital software. It brings into question the whole mission, and the landing is only one of a number of projects that have to be shelved. Of course, it is Vile’s interference that has caused it all, and you can stop worrying about your presence on the moon being detected. Your relationship eases and you are more sure of his affection.  After your gym workout, you spend some time in the Agridome, checking on seedlings until you realise you’re hungry. You’ve become engrossed in your task just like Vile has, though to a much lesser degree.

‘Is dinner ready?’ you ask, and the slightly haughty female voice of the AI answers.

‘Dinner will be served in ten minutes in the dining room.’

‘Change that. Turn over control to my personal drone and send the trolley to me when it’s ready.’ There is a pause before the answer comes.

‘Rescheduling.’ The system shouldn’t be incapable of irritation, or is it your imagination that the tone is sulky? Tales of AI systems gaining autonomy and sentience niggle at the edge of consciousness. You shrug it off and go to a sanitation station to clean your hands with soap, water and a UV beam and peel off your working overalls. A waiting drone takes the garment away for cleaning. You had considered dressing for dinner, but decide your everyday clothes are more appropriate for the lab.

You check to make sure Vile doesn’t have extra bio measures in force to enter beyond the usual scan to check for viruses or pathogens. The environment of the base is sterile apart from the two biological units – yourself and Vile – who inhabit it. You are both walking packages of biological, viral and bacterial contamination and there are whole areas you can’t enter without hazmat suits. The lab Vile is working in at the moment is the lowest risk level. As you walk along the corridor the serving trolley follows you.

‘What’s on the menu, Ron?’ You use your pet name for your personal drone.

‘Lab grown beef, noodles with seasonal vegetable stir fry, followed by fruit compote with oats, Lucy.’ You don’t need to ask what the veg are for the stir fry, having supervised the harvest. You also know you won’t be served anything you don’t like unless it’s something the AI’s nutritional programme thinks is vital for your wellbeing. Any waste goes to compost to feed the soil based crop. Most plants are grown hydroponically due to the scarcity of soil, which has to be flown out from Earth on supply flights.

You pause inside the frame that scans you for contaminants and get the all clear. You enter, gratified that Vile hasn’t locked the door against you. He sits in deep contemplation in front of a monitor that shows a readout from the Hadron Collider, and looks up at you as you approach. Running his fingers through his hair, he pushes his chair away from the desk and turns to greet you.

‘Well timed, my dear.’ He rises to put his hand to your shoulder and kiss you on the cheek. ‘I was just setting up an experiment on the Collider. It won’t come up with any data until the morning, so I’m all yours.’

‘You were going to show me what you’re working on.’ He frowns.

‘That would take a while, so let’s start eating and I’ll explain some of it.’ He makes a gesture and a tabletop flips out from a side wall. He rolls his chair up to it and motions you to sit. ‘Let me serve you, my dear.’ You restrain yourself from rolling your eyes. He’s being attentive, not chauvinistic, and the gesture is welcome, so you wait while he takes the dishes from the trolley. He could have left it to the drones, and you like that he’s not depending on them as much as when you met. He claimed it was so he could concentrate on his work, but perhaps your presence changes things a little.

Soon the food is sitting before you and he brings another chair to the table. He talks animatedly as he eats, telling you of the soil and hydroponic experiments, and explains what he hopes to do with the particles from the collider. You listen, asking questions from time to time, and his shadowed eyes glitter with enthusiasm. You finish the main course and go on to dessert, by which time the stream of information has slowed and you see him savouring his food.

‘So you said we need to go back to Earth. Why? Is it for our health or are there things you need to do at one of your other bases?’

‘A bit of both. We can’t stay out here indefinitely, or we’d eventually find it very difficult to cope with what we perceive as normal gravity. We’re living experiments in space colonisation, so I need to run tests back on the ground.’

‘I don’t hear you saying much about world domination.’ You point out, and his expression changes to one of enthusiasm.

‘Why stop at the Earth? There is so much to learn from surviving offworld. This is an excellent jumping off point for other planets.’ Your eyes widen.

‘Mars?’ you ask, and he chuckles.

‘Why not further?’ He leans closer, his voice dropping. ‘The secret to it all is in space vehicle propulsion. Time is a vital factor in the equation. It takes months to get to Mars, but the solar system is scattered with asteroids and moons for mineral exploitation or colonisation. Imagine being able to go to the outer reaches in mere weeks instead of years.’ You frown.

‘Surely that’s more than a lifetime’s work? How can you hope to do so much?’ He deflates a little.

‘You’ve found the flaw in my plans. Yet another line of research might be the prolongation of life, or instantaneous travel. Perhaps our consciousness might be uploaded to androids.’ He rubs his forehead. You feel your stomach clench. Is his ambition driving him too hard? Is he in control of his senses? He sits back, sighing.

‘I know, I know. So much to consider and I have limited time and resources.’ He looks up at you. ‘You keep me grounded, Lucy. I realise I need to focus on something achievable. What are your thoughts?’

‘My thoughts are that you can’t do it alone. Why not collaborate with other scientists? You’re working across so many disciplines, why not pass on your work to specialists?’

‘You know my feelings on the matter. Sooner or later it will fall into the hands of the military.’

‘Yes, but that doesn’t mean you should stop working. What fires you, James? What makes you feel excited? What do you think about when you get up in the morning?’ you ask, but he shakes his head.

‘No one thing at the moment. There are too many possibilities.’

‘Then you need to take a step back. Carry on with whatever needs to be monitored or finished, take a break and come back with a fresh mind.’ He laughs at your suggestion.

‘Is this your way of saying we should go on vacation?’ You shrug.

‘’It’s an idea. After all, we need to go back to Earth. Aren’t you tired of the restrictions here? Don’t you want to feel the fresh air in your lungs, the sun on your skin? I know I do.’ He pushes away his empty dessert plate and drones start to clear the dishes away.

‘Hmm, I do have some housekeeping to do on my main base, but a vacation would kill two birds with one stone. We’ll need to rest and build our strength up, so a stay on my private island would be ideal.’ You smile eagerly, the prospect of returning to Earth finally seeming a step closer.

‘What will it feel like going back? Is it as bad as leaving?’

‘Going back through Earth’s atmosphere means one does have to suffer multiple G forces, but the re-entry module has a rocket system that makes sure of a relatively soft landing.’

‘Do we still use a parachute? Will we land on water?’ Vile chuckles at your barrage of questions.

‘Yes, we will deploy parachutes to begin the deceleration process, and as we’re returning to my private island we’ll be landing on a platform nearby and taking a boat to shore.’

‘It must be dangerous. There won’t be anyone to help us if anything goes wrong.’ Your stomach churns at the thought of relying on machines and drones for your survival.

‘What is life without risk? If everything was planned out and totally safe, how dull it would be. Rest assured the risk is as low as I can make it.’ He places his hand on yours.  ‘We’ll have the strength to readjust to full gravity quickly, unlike the astronauts on the Space Station. The platform we land on has facilities for a short stay if necessary, and of course there’s a full fleet of drones waiting for any eventuality.’

‘When will we go?’

‘In a few days – maybe three or four, while I finish  couple of projects and set a couple of other experiments running. You can help with a few tasks, and before you know it, we’ll be under the sun without the need for a space suit.’

——-

The next few days are a blur of preparation punctuated with exercise, mealtimes and valuable sleep. At last you are ready to leave the base and enter the space vehicle – Vile’s Space Vehicle or VSV -  that will take you back ‘home’, for home now embraces the whole planet and wherever Vile takes you. The unit features a rocket system that will lift you from the gentle pull of the Moon and set you down safely on Earth.

Vile helps you strap into your seat before following suit. You both wear tailored helmeted spacesuits  plugged into the VSV atmospheric system but with independent air tanks that will keep you alive should there be any problems along the way. The journey will only take a few hours, with a brief acceleration from your starting point, a swift passage to a partial orbit around the Earth before the potentially brutal re-entry into the atmosphere.

‘Are you ready, my dear?’

‘As ready as I can be. This part won’t be too bad, will it?’

‘No, we don’t have to work so hard to escape the gravitational pull. When we reach Earth’s atmosphere it will be just as harsh as lift-off, I’m afraid.’ He’s already told you that the oxygen mix in your suit will get richer to cope with the added difficulty in breathing, and the drugs you took with breakfast will help prevent blood clots and other potentially dangerous body reactions.

‘You think of everything, James.’

‘I try to.’ He flicks a few switches on the panel in front of him. Unlike the old space vehicles that first brought Man beyond the blue marble of your home planet, the controls are sparse and relatively simple, as Vile prefers. Not long ago it would have taken some three days to travel back, but his  propulsion system outstrips anything the best brains of the scientific community can manage. He guards his secrets jealously, but you still hope you can persuade him to share his achievements for the good of mankind.

When you first met him, he was determined to rule the world as a despot, but under your influence that is softening and his aims are more benevolent. Who knows what he will achieve with you by his side? When he first proposed you visiting his moon base he had meant for you to live there permanently, thinking that he couldn’t trust you to return to Earth with his secrets. Now he’s keen to keep you close and has told you he couldn’t think of life without you. He’s not given to expressions of affection but is thoughtful and attentive when not engrossed in his work. It’s a solitary life that gives you time and space for your own interests, and you lack for nothing save for other human contact.

‘Lift off in ten.’ His words interrupt your reverie, and despite his reassurance you grip the armrests of your seat in anticipation. A stray piece of rock might puncture the capsule or damage the propulsion system, there might be a malfunction – a million things might go wrong. You close your eyes and take a deep breath as the engines start up.

‘Altitude climbing. Ten metres. Twenty metres.’ The onboard AI announces the progress of your escape, and you feel yourself gently pressed into the cushioning of your seat. You open your eyes to see that Vile is operating the outside camera to watch the ground recede. He pivots the viewpoint and you gasp to see the blue green orb seemingly rise above the horizon as you climb.

‘It’s so beautiful.’

‘I never tire of watching it. Look how fragile it is.’ Vile muses. ‘Think how many millennia it’s served as home to our race, how few have seen it first hand as we do now.’ Your heart swells as you see his eyes shine with enthusiasm. Your first impression of him was of how arrogant he was, but he’s simply confident in his abilities, a brilliant thinker who isn’t afraid of hard work, dedicated and driven, a passionate man, and you’re grateful that some of that passion comes your way. You’re thankful that he came to be attracted to you and hope you continue to inspire his trust and affection. Perhaps you really will have a proper break back on the island and he won’t get distracted by some new project. You picture yourself on white sands sipping a cold cocktail, Vile by your side, his muscular physique drawing your eye away from the blue, blue sea.

‘You can unbuckle now if you like, it will be some time before we reach atmosphere. We have to time it so we’re out of sight of the space station.’ You snap out of your reverie as Vile rises from his seat.

‘I thought we were shielded.’

‘From most electronic means of detection, yes. But the human eye isn’t so easily fooled. The astronauts onboard might catch enough of a glimpse to bring more sensitive equipment online.’ He looks thoughtful. ‘I need to do more work on the system.’

‘I’m going to stop you there. Remember you agreed that a complete break would help bring a fresh perspective.’

‘You’re right of course, forgive me.’ He floats free of his chair in zero G and you start to unstrap yourself. You feel slightly nauseous as you start to drift up toward him. He takes your hand and pulls you toward the viewing port to look back at the moon. There is no trace of his base save for a slight blur that shimmers on the surface.

‘The shielding looks pretty good from here.’

‘It’s harder with a moving object. I need to make a smaller device that mimics the collider and manipulates the surface area…’ his voice trails off as you raise an eyebrow at him. ‘I know, I promised…’

‘I did kind of prompt it. Let’s say you can gear that brilliant mind of yours right down when we get to the island.’

‘You ground me in so many ways, my dear.’ Vile turns toward you, moving closer and murmuring in your ear. ‘It will be good to be intimate without having to take medication to make it possible.’ You feel a warmth in your core as his lips stray to your neck. It must be emasculating to have to take pills to ensure that blood goes where it’s needed. There have been times in the past few weeks when intimacy has involved just being close to each other, touching hands or embracing. You joke with him that it’s rather like the period dramas that are popular on various media back home.

‘I wonder how the human race will manage to reproduce when we leave Earth.’ You ponder, leaning back into him, relishing the warmth of his body, knowing you will have to wait for more adventurous play.

‘By the time it’s an issue we will have solved that problem. You and I have already done our part in the research.’

‘You have to share it for it to count, you know.’

‘I’ve made arrangements that most of my research will be released to the scientific community, should I come to an untimely end.’

‘That’s wonderful, James, but didn’t you say one of your projects is prolonging life? If you’re successful that might be a long time in the future.’

‘That is so, but I will of course release it earlier if needed.’ You alternate between easy discourse and comfortable silence as the spacecraft speeds toward Earth and soon you have evaded detection and the planet fills the viewing ports. You don your helmets and Vile makes sure all is proper with you before settling in his own seat. There is nothing for either of you to do in the coming minutes, and if something goes drastically wrong your end will most probably be swift. Travelling through the atmosphere itself takes less than two minutes, but it will be brutal.

Re-entry is unnervingly silent and there is little vibration, but you see the view outside turn red with the heat of passing through the layers of atmosphere, and you are pressed hard into your seat. Breathing is an effort, and the onboard life support system adjusts the air fed to you in your suit as Vile promised. The readout of your vital life signs on the control panel shows that Vile is calmer than you, but you can’t turn your head to look to him for reassurance or reach out to hold his hand. Roaring in your ears and the thudding of your heartbeat almost drowns out the AI counting down the distance to the surface.

The chutes deploy, and it feels as if the craft is swinging wildly, but the view outside, cooling down from the vivid red it had been only seconds ago shows only a gentle sway. That stabilises as the landing platform comes into view on the screen in front of you in the blue, blue ocean below, only a short distance from the shielded shimmer that is Vile’s private island. There is a small jolt as the landing rockets kick in and thankfully the pressure on your chest eases. There is a bump and a clunk as finally VSV brings you down.

Although the pressure you feel is less, the gravity of your home planet feels harsh after your weeks on the moon. You feel heavy and clumsy and look to Vile, who takes off his helmet and unbuckles his harness again. You can see he’s struggling a little to cope with his unaccustomed weight, but he’s strong and determined and is soon helping you as your fingers fumble to unfasten your helmet. He puts it to the side, coming back to you and looking at you intently as you make no further attempt to get up.

‘Take your time, Lucy. The disembarking umbilicus has to be deployed and engaged, so you can stay in your seat until that’s done.’ He sits and starts flicking switches and monitoring the process. You let your breath settle and your heartbeat slows a little as you hear the machinery do its work, various jolts and bumps causing you to grip onto the armrest. Vile is muttering as he works and you feel a little lightheaded.

‘This should be easier and quicker. Perhaps if I…’ his words become intelligible and an alarm sounds. He turns to you swiftly as you realise your vision is dimming, and that the alarm comes from the panel with your life sign readout. ‘Stay with me, Lucy…’ are the last words you hear before you pass out.

——–

You come to in your seat, and wonder how much time has passed as Vile’s face swims into view. Relief floods his features as a drone hovers nearby, a syringe hanging from one of its robotic appendages.

‘It’s alright Lucy, you’re safe. We’re back on Earth.’ There is a slight tremor to his voice and he hands you a cup of ice chips. ‘Take this – no rush, just a little.’ You’re hoarse as you try to talk, but he shakes his head. ‘Stay quiet just now. You fainted, but you’re going to be fine.’ You nod and let the ice melt on your tongue. He takes your hand, stroking the back of it with his thumb.

‘Shuttle approaching.’ The AI announces, and Vile looks  briefly away to the screen.

‘That’s our boat to the island. There’s no rush, we can here until you feel stronger, or I can help you out.’

‘James’ you croak. ‘How long was I out for?’

‘Ten minutes or so. It’s quite normal for astronauts to faint on their return to Earth. I presumed you’d be able to cope better – I should have made allowances.’

‘Don’t blame yourself. I was pretty nervous, that probably didn’t help.’

‘That means I didn’t prepare you well enough, my dear. I had confidence in my own ability – after all I’ve done it before. It is a flaw in the process that there’s nobody to help. There’s no substitute for the human touch.’

‘I’ll know next time – if we go again.’

‘Indeed.’ He smiles. ‘How do you feel now?’

‘A little better. Heavy – I’m not sure I can walk yet.’

‘Don’t worry, you’ll get used to it. Just think how hard it is returning from zero gravity. I myself passed out for half an hour first time. Luckily my med drones were able to bring me round, but it was a while before I got back to shore. After that my trips were to the moon to supervise the building of the base.’

‘Was that all done by drones? It must have been incredibly expensive.’

‘You forget, I made a lot of money with the selfie drone and I’m the man who stole the Hadron Collider. If I want to achieve something I’ll find a way. The first structure was the hardest. After that it was mostly self built while I was back on Earth.’

‘You’re incredible, James. I’m so glad we met.’

‘As am I, Lucy. I know I’m a better man for having you in my life. If you’ve had enough of the ice chips you might like to try my re-entry cocktail.’

‘Re-entry…?’

‘It’s mostly water, but it has essential electrolytes and trace minerals that will speed up your recovery.’

‘I should definitely try some.’ He produces a bottle with a drinking straw, obviously designed for low gravity conditions and you take it, sipping cautiously.

‘It’s – sweet. And salty. Not bad.’ He peers at you critically.

‘You’re getting some colour back in your cheeks. It’s not far to the boat, do you think you can stand?’ You extend your leg, flexing your ankle and turning your foot.

‘If you stay close I’ll give it a try.’ He extends his hand.

‘Come my dear, I promised to take time out, and you need some pampering. Welcome back to Earth.’

@thearcana-moonlight @smolmoonbabey @schattenfell @darkstarshine @xalicecandyx

@keepcreative @personthatlovesshippings @zodiacsign1 @askrikkaiandhyotei @meganschoices

@anainthew0nderl4nd @dwiankus @maddiexmoo @catraccoon @cerulianlimbo

@a-dream-of-shadows @tangled-sun @palelandhandspainter @candycoatddalek

@melitta92​ @superbatson​ @keepcreative @katedrakeohd @abisexualsailormoon

To the Moon and Back

A Lovelink Fanfic featuring Dr Vile

Dr Vile hasn’t had a lot of exposure lately, so if you’re missing him, try this - excerpt from an upcoming chapter. Lucy questions Vile about his plans for the future. When it comes to writing just lately I’m swinging between Sci-fi and period drama…

The coming chapter is largely plot with a little fluff. Subsequent chapters are Not suitable for under 18s

‘I don’t hear you saying much about world domination.’ You remark, and his expression changes to one of enthusiasm.

‘Why stop at the Earth? There is so much to learn from surviving offworld. This is an excellent jumping off point for other planets.’ Your eyes widen.

‘Mars?’ you ask, and he chuckles.

‘Why not further?’ He leans closer, his voice dropping. ‘My real work is in space vehicle propulsion. Time is a vital factor in the equation. It takes months to get to Mars, but the solar system is scattered with asteroids and moons for mineral exploitation or colonisation. Imagine being able to go to the outer reaches in mere weeks instead of years.’ You frown.

‘Surely that’s more than a lifetime’s work? How can you hope to do so much?’ He deflates a little.

‘You’ve found the flaw in my plans. Yet another line of research might be the prolongation of life, or instantaneous travel. Perhaps our consciousness might be uploaded to androids.’ He rubs his forehead. You feel your stomach clench. Is his ambition driving him too hard? Is he in control of his senses? He sits back, sighing.

‘I know, I know. So much to consider and I have limited time and resources.’ He looks up at you. ‘You keep me grounded, Lucy. I realise I need to focus on something achievable. What are your thoughts?’

Tagging folk from my last chapter

@thearcana-moonlight@smolmoonbabey@schattenfell@darkstarshine@xalicecandyx

@keepcreative@personthatlovesshippings@zodiacsign1@askrikkaiandhyotei@meganschoices

@anainthew0nderl4nd@dwiankus@maddiexmoo@catraccoon@cerulianlimbo

@a-dream-of-shadows@tangled-sun@palelandhandspainter@candycoatddalek

@melitta92​ @superbatson​@keepcreative@katedrakeohd@abisexualsailormoon