The high after the big battle did not fade. It burned hotter. The variance surge left thousands of crew members wired and desperate.
Sex drives spiked hard. People fucked in corridors, storage rooms, and duty stations without shame. Empathic links made it worse. One orgasm on the far side of the fleet hit others like a drug.
Crew members dropped in hallways, bodies shaking as they felt every distant climax. Heads pounded. Vision blurred. Elara watched the reports pile up on the bridge and made the call.
"Activate Overload Protocols," she ordered. "Full intensity. Burn it out now."
The protocols were simple. Structured fuck sessions designed to drain the excess energy and lock down the new abilities. No half measures. The empire ran on variance now, and variance demanded release.
