Arlene and JeffChapter 230
- 3 years ago
- 24
- 0
Jeff caught up with Diana. "I talked with the General. Part of my team went back to the base after the other team that we're using for security got here, as you know. Those who went back to the base have been delayed, but will be coming back to escort the weapon emplacement deliveries, and for additional security during installation. We need to put off the time you were planning to have them for a meal. It was tonight, wasn't it?"
"No problem. It might even work out better that way with Selina's parents coming back to talk to us this afternoon."
Frank had been watching from the mudroom. As the couple took the few steps to the stoop, he opened the back door for them.
"Hi Dessie; Phillip. I asked Jeff if I could speak with you before you talked to Selina."
Phillip suddenly looked concerned. "What's wrong, Frank? Is Selina..."
"Selina is fine, and there's nothing wrong at all. Please, just hold your curiosity until we can sit down and talk for a minute." Turning, Wainwright ushered them in. "Come on, we can use Jeff's office. It's near the Matthews' suite," he said, as they all started down the hall with the Alpha leading the way.
Shortly, they walked into the office and Frank motioned to the couch. Instead of sitting behind the desk, he moved a seat near the husband and wife so they would all be comfortable while they talked.
"This is nice," Dessie said as she looked around at the beautiful desk and the plush furniture in the big office.
Wainwright chuckled. "It used to be my office until Jeff became the owner of the property. He has another smaller, more functional office downstairs in his lab. My office is now on the other end of the retreat."
"You have an office here..." Dessie started.
"Yeah, and I do more of my work here at the retreat than I used to. Even though Jeff now owns this place, it is also our home, too. I've cut back on my work hours in the Saint Louis office, and turned some of my projects over to Tingle. He's a good man."
"So you and Mr. Matthews..."
"Let's just say that he claims Margaret and me as part of his family. That's how close the relationship is. And ... that brings me to the reason I wanted to talk with you two. But first, I brought along something I would like you to read before I go into why I dragged you in here."
Frank handed them Helen's résumé. "How about reading through this, please. I want you to know some of Helen's accomplishments before we talk about the school."
When Frank handed Phillip the binder, the couple looked at him for a second before Phillip opened it and held it so they both could read.
Frank leaned back and crossed his legs. "Take your time. I want you to read every word carefully, and keep in mind that it is nowhere near a complete list of her accomplishments."
When the couple had finished, Frank leaned forward to take the binder. Phillip and his wife looked at each other, then Dessie turned to Frank, "Unless there's a character flaw, this woman..."
"There is no character flaw. On the contrary, she is one of the nicest people you will ever meet, and the Matthews are darned lucky to have her for their teacher."
"But, Frank, why are you talking to us about this teacher? We could have learned this from her..."
Frank chuckled. "It's quite simple, really. I'm here to assure you that your daughter will be in the absolute best school she could ever be in, plus she will be with a loving family, and she will be taught by a teacher who not only loves children, but who is also immensely qualified. The Matthews and I are closer than brothers and sisters could ever be. And I mean that literally. I will not only vouch for Helen, the teacher, but also for the Matthews family and everyone else here at the retreat. You know I'm a man of my word, and I give you that word now."
Phillip looked at Frank for a moment, then, "You have always been fair with me; sometimes more than that. I never worry that you will try to stiff me on a contract. You've given me your word before, and you have never gone back on it." After a moment's hesitation, he continued with, "We also know that you have, at least some respect for us, or we would not have been invited to your wedding. There were probably several hundred more people who would have come if they had been invited, so that again, makes us feel special."
"So the school our daughter has found is here? I mean to say, on these actual premises?" Dessie said.
Frank didn't answer, but just nodded.
"Odd. Selina has seemed to be enthralled with this building and the people here practically since we walked in the door. How many students does this ... Boswell woman have in her school?"
"I'd rather Helen answer any questions. I didn't get you two in here to try to usurp her authority."
"Frank, our daughter is very smart..." Phillip started.
"And, what would you call Helen?" Wainwright grinned. "You've read her résumé. The woman is a genius. Not just smart — a true genius. Whatever your daughter needs will be recognized and provided for. And the Matthews have already welcomed her with ... open arms, I think the phrase is," Frank finished as he remembered Selina sitting, snuggled in Jeff's arms while they had talked.
"Frank, Selina is almost..." Dessie wound down, unable to find the word she wanted.
"More than you know how to handle," Wainwright suggested.
"We're not bad parents," Dessie said, wondering if that was a true statement. "We've given her everything she's asked for; provided nannies..."
Wainwright stood. "I'm sure you will be able to visit whenever you wish. She won't need a nanny here, for she will have a whole family, Margaret and I included. I promise she will be safe and properly cared for. Now, I need to get out of the way and let you talk to Helen."
Jeff's younger wives had been busy, led by Arlene, of course. Soon after Helen had started their school in the temporary classroom, Dave had put in a door to the next conference room, then added a wall, shelving, etc. for Helen to have a nice office, plus a project room for her students. Arlene and the younger wives had found a box containing Helen's diplomas, and had hung some of them on the walls of her office. A couple weeks later, Helen had taken them down from her "brag wall" as the girls called it, and returned them to the box in a closet.
Doctor Boswell met Dessie and Phillip Albright in the hallway near the temporary classroom. After they shook hands and were being ushered into the classroom, Dessie said, "Mrs. Matthews introduced all of you after the wedding, and she said you were their teacher, but there were so many introductions that I really didn't focus on what you did. I guess I must have thought that you taught in the local school system."
They stopped as Helen answered, "Well, I used to, but I'm retired."
"But..." Dessie started.
"I've been blessed with a younger-looking face," Helen quickly interrupted. "I'm older than I seem. And I took some of my degrees a little early, and consequently started teaching quite young."
"Frank, uh ... shared your résumé with us, and..."
"He's like a brother to me," Helen said. "I was considering a career change upon retirement from instruction, thus the résumé. I didn't really intend showing you all that."
As they were talking, they had walked through the classroom into Helen's office. As they entered, Helen instantly saw that her "brag wall" was back up. Phillip and Dessie spotted it immediately and veered over to examine the large array of plaques.
"My..." Helen had almost said sister-wives, but had changed it at the last instant to, "students are obviously trying to help me. I apologize. Those are supposed to be in a box in the closet. Let's go sit in the classroom; it's just as comfortable in there without my 'brag' wall' overshadowing our conversation."
But Dessie and Phillip weren't listening, for they were riveted on the diplomas and certificates on the wall. Helen started to protest, but remembered what Selina had told her about her parents needing a school for her that they could brag about to friends.
The three were back in the classroom. "So this is your 'temporary' classroom?" Dessie asked as she leaned back in the comfortable chair. "Frankly, it's better than the schools we've visited."
"This is nice," Helen agreed, "but our new classrooms will be bigger, there will be private areas to study, and we will have a lab attached, as well as a bigger project room."
"And you have seven full-time students?"
"Yes, and Diana and Laura are taking college courses on-line that I also supervise. Laura already has a BS, but is now beginning her study of electrical engineering. Arlene and Ann have met all high school graduation requirements and commenced college courses, but requested we delay their certification until that of Jennie and Melissa so all four may join in a graduation ceremony."
Helen, limited by what she wanted to tell outsiders, simply said, "I have been blessed with students that most educators only get to dream about. I have no discipline problems — none. I don't have to encourage study; I only have to provide, and more often than not, simply facilitate and guide. To use an overused term in education, I have gifted students. I have walked into this classroom after hours many times to find my girls enthusiastically working on projects or assignments."
The meeting went on for a while, then Phillip said, "I guess we should discuss cost and things of that nature. We wish to travel. Any school would have to..."
Helen, again remembering what Selina had said about her parents, said, "We are expensive. You might even say, extremely expensive, but we provide everything for our students — everything."
"Children frequently become ill with various viruses, and so forth. It's part of growing up," Dessie said.
"You would have to sign releases, of course," Helen said. "But unless your daughter's health should become critical, you need not be bothered. We will provide the best of medical care that money can buy. You will be expected to provide insurance for her, obviously, but should anything come up, we will take care of the matter completely. We will notify you in accordance with your written wishes, however."
"Our daughter has been talking to you," Dessie said.
"She said that the two of you wish to travel and perhaps ski on various mountains around the world, and ... would not want to be called home every time she 'gets the sniffles.' Thus my comments about her health care," Helen said.
"Selina has made us sound like..."
"You are mistaken. Your daughter loves you. She is an extremely gifted child and needs to be in this school. I promise you that everything will be done for her that will instill a will to learn, and that learning experience will be a guided one. I will treat her as my daughter. She will be safe, and you may visit any time you wish. Mr. Matthews asked me to assure you that you would be welcome here any time. And I think you will agree that we provide well for our guests," she said with a smile.
Phillip cleared his throat and said, "We have just discovered that Selina has been purchasing textbooks, technical journals and the like — many of them. We have had her tested, but the tests only showed her to be a little above average ... But if she's reading all this material, or even understands a small portion of it, then she must be far, far more intelligent than the tests suggested. Uh ... Doctor Boswell, it's not that we don't love our daughter. We've had plans — dreams — for years about what we were going to do when our kids were big enough to be away from us for a time. Perhaps we have let those plans escalate into becoming fantasies that we long for, but Selina is big enough to be in a boarding school for a couple of years while we indulge our dreams. We certainly don't want to abandon our daughter, but we do wish to be able to be gone for a few months at a time without having to worry about her. But ... she has adamantly refused the schools we have suggested she consider."
Phillip wound down at the look on Helen's face. Helen's impression of the parents from Selina's point of view had guided the beginning of the conversation, but now Helen realized they had just discovered their daughters' deception and were thinking the matter through. Helen wouldn't reveal anything Selina had confided, but she also had to reassure Selina's parents that her real talents would be developed. Selina had not specifically asked that her parents not be told how smart she was, but then again, she had kept it from them. The implication was obvious. Helen would keep Selina's secret, of course. "I can assure you that she will be allowed to develop in accordance with her abilities. She will be guided, and she will also be facilitated, not held back to some preconceived level of intelligence."
Phillip sighed. "She has bought quite a few expensive text books. If this is a real need for her, we'll be glad to leave a credit card for that particular use. But we would expect that you would supervise her purchases."
Dessie chuckled. "Phillip, you expect more of the school than we managed ourselves. She's been buying anything she damn well pleased."
Helen just sat and looked at them, seeming to ignore their last comments. "We have a requirement here. I won't accept a student, then have her pulled from the school at the whim of her parents. That restriction is certainly subject to conditions, of course. You will be free to inspect the school and talk to your daughter, visit her here anytime, and have her visit you at home on holidays and for a couple of weeks in the summer. She does not however, have to leave the school during any of those holidays; rather, she is welcome here and will be treated as family should you or she decide that she isn't going home for the holiday. The school is year-round, except for that two-week vacation in the summer, spring break, Thanksgiving, Christmas, etc.
"Bear in mind that we are not restricted to any particular schedule or locale. There will be extensive field trips, some of which will be social, and I might call on you for recommendations concerning some of those. Mr. Wainwright has some ideas there, while he, Colonel Matthews and myself have extensive contacts in the defense and information technology industries which provide field trip opportunities not available to other private schools.
"Mr. Matthews has various local projects going on as well which offer our students hands-on business experience. One is a large farm/ranch. The students keep a set of duplicate books for the farm and for other projects. They are in frequent contact with the accountant, sit in on family and business meetings, and sometimes do a lot more than just sit in.
"What I am most excited about, though, is the unique information technology opportunity created by Laura Kinsley who was an IT manager for a large company as well as being a supremely gifted programmer. To say that our computer system here is cutting-edge would be to insult her, and our system. It is far beyond that. Two of the girls, Ann, Laura's daughter, and Arlene, Jeff and Diana's daughter, are also assisting in constructing an artificial intelligence program that might very well revolutionize the field — to use a trite phrase that still falls far short of an accurate description.
"Laura has led programming teams in the past and is lead designer here. Selina might be present at the creation of another major information technology company. That kind of encouragement and experience for such a highly intelligent young girl cannot be bought, and it's available to her from the sheer luck of your attending the Wainwrights' wedding."
Helen had neglected to say that she was also applying her genius to the endeavor.
"If you allow Selina to become part of us, she will be family — not be treated as family — she will be family. Arlene recognized this immediately and brought it up in our family meeting when we were discussing Selina attending our school. Put simply, we risk a lot. We will fall in love with Selina, and already have fallen for her to some extent. She is a beautiful, intelligent little girl. We won't risk Selina suddenly being withdrawn from our school because of a whim of her parents, for that would break our hearts. We would expect a contract to be signed that would reflect that — and we would expect two year's tuition and fees to be paid up front, and they are nonrefundable."
The meeting continued, the couple completely unaware that they were being guided by a genius. Helen inwardly smiled as she thought about the carrot and the stick. Though as ancient as time, the concept still worked very well. Dessie and Phillip would enroll their daughter in Helen's school, and would willingly give over complete authority of the child for the next two years. If Jeff could get it done for Jennie and Melissa, then they should be able to get it done for Selina as well. After the two years, the next step would be easy.
This story illustrates a risk of sex under hypnosis. It could be called rape. This story builds on ‘Arlene Gets Hypnotized,’ my previous story. * * * * * I was sitting in my office at the University when Arlene walked into my open office. ‘Professor, are you busy?’ I probably was, but Arlene was a delight to look at and to have around. Especially to a 58 year old psychology professor who was pretty much reduced to dreaming about what had been and might have been. ‘Well, I was deep in...
At eight on the dot, he carried a laughing Jennie into an instantly quiet kitchen. Still in his arms, Jennie kissed him. Turning to the other wives, she gave the proclamation, "I'm full of come," then followed with, "but ... I'm broken." That started the usual scramble, but they had the pussy cream in the kitchen this time, and Jeff insisted that he carry her to the hot tub. He kissed her tenderly, then was shooed away by Diana, who kissed him and whispered. "That glow on her face...
The Retreat Arlene and Ann finally managed to get Jeff reasonably alone for a couple of minutes. After kissing him passionately, Arlene transferred Little One to the Prime’s shoulder, where she made her way under his collar to her usual resting place spread across his back. As soon as she had settled in, he told her how much he loved and missed her before giving her a brief account of the trip. Little One told him how much she missed him and shared the happenings in Germany. All of this was...
THE RETREAT: LATE THURSDAY NIGHT Arlene and Selina sat on Selina's bed, their backs propped against pillows as they played with Billy. Arlene slid her hand back and forth under the sheet as Billy pretended to stalk a terribly dangerous prey. He held his body and his head very close to the bed, occasionally lifting his head slightly to peek at his target, the tip of his tail twitching continuously. Then, he would jump as high as he could, coming down on Arlene's hand, tussling with it...
A shaking of Ann's shoulder accompanied a discordant buzz from her watch. "Plebe, you have thirty minutes to shower, dress and get to your first class. You don't have time for breakfast today, so ask the AI for a couple of energy bars." Ann, bleary-eyed, shut her alarm off and swung her legs out of her bed as the Class Lieutenant, already immaculately clad in her uniform, stepped back to give the smaller girl room to stand. "Thanks, Arlene," Ann mumbled as she came to her feet and...
The Mission Hours later, Arlene and Ann, tired, eased to the edge of a high rock bluff overlooking the massive power station in the distance. “Well, they sure don’t bother to conserve energy, at least with their lights,” Arlene sarcastically remarked as they stared at the brilliantly lit station. Worried that they might be discovered, both young women had employed their sensors over the edge to gather information before proceeding with their mission. “Just how are we supposed to get from...
The women had pushed the two kitchen tables together. Frank Wainwright stood looking at them as Jeff, Kayla, and Diana came in. "We either need to get a bigger table in here, or start eating in the dining room." "Bigger table," Jeff and Diana said at almost the same time. "The dining room is too formal," Diana continued. "We want to be a family, and with all of us for three meals a day, it's a lot easier to serve in here than taking the food into the dining room. The kitchen is...
Ship ...”We were still here all the time?” Kathy got out with amazement. “Ann told me that Ship’s training was very realistic, but this is beyond...” she finished as her voice trailed off. Bill automatically put an arm about his wife as he cast a look around the room. “Arlene and Ann had something they needed to do, but they will meet you in the lounge,” Ship told them. Bill, Kathy, Arlene Ann and the two crews that had flown the training mission with them were all sitting around a big...
During breakfast in the dining room, Diana stood and tapped a spoon on her orange juice glass. When the room quieted, "Most of you already know, but for the ones who don't, Frank, Margaret, Tina, Bill, Kathy and Jill will be back from the island this morning. Margaret called me late yesterday from their hotel suite in Los Angeles. She said they were anxious to get home and would leave really early for the last leg of their trip back. I would appreciate it if all of those of us who will be...
The Retreat ... The Sheriff and his family had left. Jeff and Joe Martin were sitting in the living room talking while the women had gone somewhere, probably to the bathroom. “So, how’s the honeymoon going?” Jeff, at a loss for a topic, asked uncomfortably, not wanting to get into the subject that he thought Arlene should take care of. “Great. I’m still amazed that she actually married me. Sir, the woman brought some polish along and polished her wedding ring – a brand-new wedding ring. I...
... Ann raised a foot from the muck to shake off something that wiggled and flopped about as it tried to use its teeth and suckers on the near-impervious suit. But the skin suit sluffed off the creature’s actions without much notice, and she stomped it into the muck. A few minutes later, they were out of the water and on a long peninsula of muddy land that extended partway through the swamp. Tired, the two stopped for a breather. Turning, Ann started to make a comment, but instead screamed...
... Ann looked at the screen in front of her. “See that?” “Yeah,” Arlene said with a sigh. “Continental shelf. Our world is going shallow. We’re almost there.” “Chances are that very shortly we’re going to be brain dead for real,” Ann quietly said as she began yet another check of their systems. A few minutes later, they came to a halt in water no more than fifty feet deep. “I don’t see any signs of our intruder on my screen. How about yours?” Ann shook her head, then realized that...
Jeff had gotten a bid from the dealer on the Internet and there wasn't a salesman involved. The sales manager handled the business. "How long to prep the black one?" The manager grinned. "After I talked with you on the phone, I went ahead and prepped it, just in case. All I have to do is gas it up and it will be ready." "Fine. Do it, and we'll get the paperwork out of the way." A little later, the paperwork was done, and Jeff swiped his debit card. The sales manager seemed to...
Diana came back with a washcloth and helped her mother put it between her legs, and also helped her get her panties and shorts back on. Susan was still mostly out of it, her motions and actions slow and somewhat uncoordinated. "You really blew her away," Diana said to her husband as she sat and pulled her mother into her arms. "She really blew me away, too," Jeff said as he touched Susan's cheek. "I was aware enough to support most of my weight on my forearms, but all I wanted to do...
In the hallway, Susan threw a load of wet towels on the cart, then a moment later came back out of the suite with the vacuum cleaner she had been using. Muttering to herself, her face red, she hung the vacuum on the side of the cart and started for the next suite. "What's wrong, Meemi?" Arlene asked as she caught up to her grandmother. "Two people. Two people in there and they used up all the towels we left for them, plus extras that they demanded last night at 9:00 o'clock, then they...
... Jeff had also heard the door close, and shoved Helen into Diana's arms, causing Diana to stagger, Laura grabbing Helen to help. He pulled his .45 from his waistband and started down the hall, but even as he did so, he saw Arlene at the intersection of the hallways and knew he was too late. Jeff figured one of the mercenaries had to be in the hallway, and was probably doing the same thing Arlene was. (Slicing the pie at the intersection.) He also knew he would never make the...
The Retreat Diana frowned prettily. “That reminds me. We need to go back to 2214 to see if Jasmine and her sister-wives have caught up with their canning yet. We should do that tomorrow.” “Yep. And they need to get back into training as soon as possible too, but we can’t leave to visit them until the Sergeant and his crew have completed their investigation.” “So, how long will that take?” “As long as it takes,” Jeff responded to her frustration. “Look, Sergeant Higgins is in charge of the...
Diana parked in front of the art supply store. Hope, sitting in the second seat with Ann, started to open her door, but Ann put out a restraining hand. "Let Security do their thing first." "Are we really in that much danger?" Diana spoke up from the driver's seat. "We didn't go into details when we told you about the attack, and no, we don't expect it to happen again, but we didn't expect that attack, either. And, yeah, it's an irritant having to have Security everywhere we go,...
When they parked in the back, the door of the Retreat opened and all Jeff's younger wives, who had stayed home, came hurrying out accompanied by Selina. As Hope and Arlene exited the SUV with the puppies snuggled under their coats, Arlene pointed to an area just past the pavement near the side of the Retreat. "Mrs. Kimbrel said we should walk them as soon as we got home," Arlene told the others as she and Hope opened their coats enough to give everyone a peek at the baby...
The Retreat ... The young wives looked at each other before Arlene turned to her husband. “As per your orders, I’m continuing to schedule crews for patrol missions. Of course...” “But that’s not where you just came from,” Jeff interrupted to say. The two young women exchanged a look. “We might as well tell him and get it over with,” Ann said. Arlene stared at her partner, then with a sigh, agreed, but as she opened her mouth, Ann began to speak. “We know that the General has made every...
Hope held one of the outfits up as she repressed a giggle. "Dogs can see color, can't they?" Arlene grabbed Spike, who had apparently figured things out and was sneaking off. "Oh, no you don't, Big Boy. You get to try on your new snowsuit." Then answering Hope's question, "They can see colors, but I've read that the colors they see probably aren't as intense to dogs as they are to humans. They have fewer cones in their eyes, and humans have several different types of cones that...
... Arlene motioned to their forward screen and the rippling, wavering, blurry image there. “I can’t see worth a shit because of the burning atmosphere, and the sensors have packed up from the heat. But I think I’ll go to full shields right about...” A geyser shot hundreds of feet into the air as the craft hit the water with a sound that could be heard many, many miles away. Even at full shields, some of the shock bled through and, had it not been for the gravity field of their seats,...
Hi, To all Iss reader this is my first story hope U all would like it a complete fiction.my self raj i live in Mumbai this story is about my aunty nandita,let me describe her she is in her 30s,lives with her husband and daughter.She is born beauty with an awesome fig of 36.28.40 ..her assets are her huge melons of 36 d and her ass that will give a hard on to any guy who looks at it So now my story starts this was like 5 years ago when I was appearing for my 12 th HSC examination at that time my...
Laura woke him the usual way, and she almost went too far. When Jeff grunted and his cock started to swell, she jerked her mouth off. It was a near thing for a few seconds. "I guess I almost went off while I was still asleep," he groaned. "Wow, I'm really horny." "Sorry, Jeff. You usually go forever. I wouldn't mess it up for Diana for the world." "It wasn't your fault," he said, finally regaining control. "It's just the stress of the day. Of course, I've had two of those damn...
In their bedroom, dressed in pajamas, the girls flopped into bed. Terry grabbed the remote and dialed the lights down, then turned to her sister. "Arlene said that we wouldn't have any more periods until Little One turns them on for us again. Boy, I can sure live with that." Alice got a look on her face and responded, "Well, as you know, I've only had one, but it sure was icky – not to say anything about worrying if I were bleeding to death. If that's what it takes to be a woman, I...
Jeff and his women had showered and were in bed only moments when Ship announced that Arlene's scout was minutes away. Since the family was still using their suite on the Ship, they were quickly dressed – well partially anyway – and waiting for Arlene as she maneuvered her scout through the outer bay door and onto the flight deck. She didn't go all the way to the scout's bay though, but stopped in front of her family. An instant after the scout came to a halt, its belly hatch opened and...
The Waterfall Campsite ... Dessie straightened up and stared at Ann. “I have eaten pheasant, fish and rabbit until they’re practically coming out my ears. I’ve had MREs while backpacking and wasn’t in love with them all that much, but I think I would love some now, no matter what the meal consists of.” “We have an assortment. I noticed a Brisket Entreé, Chicken something or other, and a Beef Stew, with whatever goes with them, and several more besides. We just grabbed some at random in...
JUST OUTSIDE A SMALL NORTHWESTERN TOWN Once again Nichols sat worrying in front of his boss' elegant desk. Rich, wealthy, words don't describe the extreme category the older man fit into. Nor can you describe how evil this man is either, Nichols thought, his face devoid of expression as he waited for Mr. Moreau to end his phone call. Nichols dreaded that. When the call ended, Moreau would ask questions that Nichols didn't have acceptable answers to. The town council members think Moreau...
Jeff, Diana, Dave and Evie sat in the living room, waiting. When the phone rang, Diana checked the caller ID and answered. "Glad you guys are back." "Diana, I..." The voice chopped off, then Carla cleared her throat and tried again. "Diana, our dreams..." Carla's voice stopped again, to be replaced by quiet sobs of joy. "I can't..." "You just did," Diana said softly. "You're on speaker, so all of us can hear you. Jeff, Dave and Evie are here with me and listening. And, you're...
...”See that tree that has the broken limb hanging down?” “Yes,” Aiko gasped out. “We’ll jog to it, then we will walk for a hundred steps.” “I don’t know...” “Yes, you do. You know you can. I’ll bet it’s even less than a hundred steps. Let’s count them,” she finished as she began counting their steps aloud while they slow-jogged. Soon Aiko added her voice. “Ninety-two. Told you it was less than a hundred. Now we’ll walk for a hundred steps, and rested or not, we will jog starting at...
The Retreat As Charlotte and Diana sat at the bar in the kitchen watching the other women, Selina stopped by. "Want to help?" the little genius asked the young woman. Worried, Charlotte answered, "Everything is happening so fast that I barely know what's going on." "Oh, you will get used to that," Selina said as she reached for Charlotte's hand. "Well, I'll be glad to help if I can." Charlotte glanced at Diana, who nodded with a smile. "No better way than to just dive...
They were high up and soon over the ocean, having left the continent behind. They passed the terminator and continued into night, still headed west, the myriad lights of the cities twinkling as the Earth seemed to slowly spin below. But before the view could become boring – if it ever could -- the horizon seemed to shift downward on the big screen as the Ship gradually pointed her nose away from the planet, the full moon drifting down toward the center of the viewscreen. There was a...
Jeff met with Kei, Edi and Alesha on the updated design that they were working on for the new ski lodge, then stopped off in the living room to watch the late news before eventually winding up in his suite. After a shower where he "played" with Jennie and Melissa, he walked into a strangely quiet bedroom. Looking around, he began to wonder. "What?" he asked, then suddenly it hit him, "Where's Ann?" Arlene caught his eye. "We've looked for her, and she's not anywhere in the Retreat....
The Castle ...”Certainly,” Arlene responded, “but please don’t either of you touch it. The AI can become quite persnickety, and he has the means to back up his displeasure.” “You have a functioning artificial intelligence?” Karl asked. “Please don’t mention it around him. I think he is trying to find a way to become a citizen,” Arlene returned with a chuckle. “Uh, I won’t,” Karl responded, not quite sure if Arlene were kidding or not. Both Karl and Fischer thanked Arlene and hurried off...
Jeff had stopped by his office to pick up a few pieces of printer paper. Alone in the living room a couple of minutes later, he wadded up a sheet of the paper into a loose ball. If I screw up with this paper ball, air resistance, if nothing else, should keep its flight slow enough to prevent me from tearing up things. With Arlene's encouragement while on the Ship's range, he had gained a small measure of expertise as he mentally moved a steel ball around and caused it to spin, but he still...
The Mission ... Both were tempted to use their suits’ drive units, but they knew that would alert the Throme if anything would. Scrambling down, they were soon in the water. A hundred meters out, they saw a glint of movement coming toward them just under the surface. “Let’s go home,” Arlene said to her partner. As soon as the hatch closed and even before they were out of the airlock, the AI had them moving away from land. “Oh, I so want to get out of this suit,” Arlene grumped a few...
The Retreat Shortly after lunch, Arlene went out to the Ship expecting to sit in one of the command couches and be swept away by the simulator to another very realistic space battle, but she froze as soon as she passed through the hatch. Jeff had called Kayla and Art to his office, intending to ask them to begin training in the Ship's simulator. Before he could begin, the AI turned the TV on to show Arlene jogging back from the Ship. The AI didn't say anything, but apparently thought...
The Retreat After breakfast, Arlene, Ann and Selina gathered enough food to last them the rest of the day. “Should this not be the correct castle and we continue the search, we will need something to drink with our lunch,” Selina said as she opened a refrigerator. “There is water available at each station on the interceptor. As for soft drinks, please bring only what you are sure you will drink. Storage space is at a premium,” Arlene told the seven-year-old. “Bathroom?” Selina asked as...
Jeff had just dialed his next door neighbor who lived a mile down the road. "Steve Sperman here." "Hi Mr. Sperman. This is Jeff. How's it going?" "Hmmm. Didn't we have a discussion about that Mr. thing?" Jeff chuckled. "Yeah, I guess we did, Steve. How's Marcie doing?" There was a hesitation. "You know, that's a funny thing, like I mentioned before. Seems like after the night we spent at your place, ol' Uncle Arthur (arthritis) suddenly got much better. Odd that both of us...
The Prison Planet Ship had received permission from her Prime to go back to Earth long enough to pick up Arlene, Ann and the other aviators, then take the Wing to orbit for its launch. The trip to Earth and back would only take a few minutes. Giving the interceptors a ride to orbit and their launch would take only a few minutes more. The interceptors normally remained in their bays on Ship’s flight deck, so she would have to go back anyway. Also, she would have to return to Earth again when...
Deep Space "Question is, are they going to notice us?" Ann asked as she watched as one of the alien vessels came from behind a large chunk of moon and headed straight for them. Ann knew she could not warp out without her drive trying to take some of the debris field with them, which would probably result in the destruction of her warp drive, and/or her ship. In addition, she strongly suspected that the aliens would pick up her inertialess drive's signature, should she use that with them...
“Despite our AIs actually doing the flying, I want every pilot to have his or her hands on the controls at all times when we do this for real, and when we practice as well. Ann and I have put together a rough outline. Everything seems to work in the simulation, but we haven’t done it for real yet. There could very well be glaring errors that only show up when actually flying the patterns. Bottom line: be careful and think about what the next step is. Does the current process make sense with...
When they left the suite a few minutes later, they saw Melissa at the far end of the hall. She seemed to do a double-take, then turned and rushed around the corner, probably heading for the kitchen. A little later, when they walked through the door, she was already setting out two more plates. Jeff pulled Ann tighter against him, and they stopped just inside the kitchen. I know Ann is blushing. Damn, I thought I was too old to blush, but my face feels like it’s on fire. Everyone was seated...
EARLIER IN THE MORNING AT QUINTON TATE'S HOME After his morning shower, Quinton, dressed in his uniform and still buckling on his gun belt, walked into the kitchen. Before he could sit down, the phone rang. "Quinton," he said, putting the instrument to his ear as he finished securing the belt with the keepers. "Well, good morning. Are you planning to go somewhere on your little impromptu vacation?" his Captain asked, cheerily – a little too cheerily. "What vacation?" Quinton joked...
"We still have a problem," Diana said. "I doubt if Billy has ever used a litter box. So how are we going to train him to use it and not pee on the carpet? Since there aren't any pet stores in Winter Park, I guess we can order a kennel on the Internet and have it overnighted, but as late as it is, it will still be day after tomorrow before it gets here..." "Yeah, we were lucky the grocery store even had litter boxes. But we're ahead of you about the kennel," Jeff said. "Arlene had an...
The Retreat ... Charlotte and Ada sat for a moment as Diana's words sank in. Both mother and daughter were clearly skeptical as they furtively glanced at the other three women. Diana let out a chuckle. "You can say it; we won't get mad." Ada hesitated. "This is no joke? You're actually telling us that Susan is your mother and Arlene is your daughter?" "Got it in one," Diana said with a grin. "But..." Ada began. Then, after studying Susan's and Arlene's faces some more, she...
Jeff sat in his usual place at the head of the table. Frank Wainwright sat to Jeff's right as the family (minus four who were eating with Margaret and Tina in their suite) ate lunch. All the Alphas ate a lot, and Jeff usually ate more than most of them, but today, he was hungrier than usual. He had gone through his first plate and was already started on his second one. "Looks like you're a bit hungry today," Frank tactfully said. "I didn't see you after breakfast. What did you do to...
Joyce, Caitlin, Jennie, Melissa and Ann came in with the latter two pushing serving carts. Soon, the table was set and food arrayed in front of Arlene, Diana, Susan and Jeff. The wives' efficiency was not lost on Susan, but she refused to acknowledge it due to her sour mood. Each time she had talked to her daughter or granddaughter on the phone lately, her suspicions that something was going on had increased. Then the introductions in the living room were almost more than she could...
Everyone except Matt and Courtney was waiting in the living room. The new SAC and his wife had borrowed an Escalade and driven down to Winter Park. "HELICOPTER APPROACHING FROM THE NORTH. SECURITY HAS CLEARED IT TO LAND ON OUR PAD." Margaret had called earlier to say that everything had gone without a hitch and they were on the way home, but Angel had been beaten and was in need of medical attention. "Let's go," Jeff said as he started out the door of the living room with Little One...
Aboard Ship, Arlene, Ann and Selina are teaching the Morales family how to field strip, clean and reassemble a pulse rifle. ...”Very good, Mr. Morales. That’s a whole lot better than I did the first time,” Arlene blatantly lied. “Okay, Jasmine, do you know what’s next?” “Well, I did until you scrambled the parts,” Jasmine said with a chuckle, “but I think it’s that thing over there — a modulator, I believe you called it.” And the process went on. The next time they field stripped the...
The Prison Planet As the group neared the second area that was obstructed by boulders, Jeff said with a sigh, “Sorry, Ladies, but I still have a headache from moving the last bunch. No way am I going to play bulldozer just now.” “It’s getting colder in here,” Tosha said as she zipped her jacket, took her gloves out of a pocket and pulled them on. “Is it just me, or is the path sloping downward more?” Kei asked as she and the others followed suit – other than Jeff, who only zipped his light...
Kayla very briefly told everyone what had happened. Just as she was finishing up, Sheriff Tate, who had been eating with the team, walked into the hallway to chat with the others. "I helped the guys move the bodies out. We found a roll of black plastic in the basement and covered the pile of them." "That piece of plastic over there on the floor," Jill said, motioning down the hallway near the theater door, "is that where one of them..." "Yeah," Kayla said. "General Whitworth has a...
As everyone walked down the hall toward the theater, Selina hung back. When Diana turned and caught her eye, Selina, with purpose, walked on past, turned the corner and went on to her suite. If I do not ask, then the answer cannot be no, she thought. Waiting four minutes by her internal clock, she walked back out of her suite, down the hall and peeked around the corner in the direction of the theater. There was no one in the hallway. Shortly, she slowly opened the theater door the tiniest...
With the Alphas at Security headquarters studying the pulse rifle and the women apparently all in the basement, Jeff wandered through the Retreat at a loss as to what he should be doing. Deciding he would work in his lab to pass the time, he returned to the basement. Poking his head in one of the rooms, he got a smile from Kayla who was leading an exercise class – push-ups for the moment. His position allowed him a view of erect nipples on several of his wives, and a couple of the other...
Characters that appear in this chapter. Matt – Alpha. New Denver SAC for the FBI. Courtney – Matt's wife who thinks the Matthews may be aliens. Jeff – The Prime. Diana – Jeff's wife and Clan Queen. Arlene – Queen, wife. Diana and Jeff's daughter. Helen – Genius wife and teacher. Susan – Wife and Diana's mother, who is also a Queen. Kayla – Jeff's wife who first worked for the FBI, but then went to work for the General, and now she is Jeff's last line of defense. Art – Alpha....
Arlene grabbed Jeff's hand. "Come on, Daddy. Let's go back to our suite. Mom and Selina will be back ... uh sometime." Jeff frowned as he turned back to the others, "Yeah, that's what I'm worried about – the sometime. It's not like Diana to run off like that." Laura put her arm around his waist to get him started toward their suite. "Well, you were the one who kept pushing Diana to go through the academy. I have been through only the first six months there, but all that discipline...
Bobby put her hands on her face and took a breath trying to stifle a giggle. "We're acting like whores," she said, while desperately trying not to reach for Art's cock. Sandra hissed in a breath. "Art, I don't know what's happened to us. Honest, we don't act like this. We've each had one guy — once, and that was just to get rid of our cherries. But it's like we've been given an aphrodisiac. I want you so bad that it's hard to breathe," she finished, not knowing that Art was...
The Colonel’s Office Aboard Ship ...”And Worthington. Hear this! If something happens to my wife, I’ll kill you without a second thought. Now get out of my face before I change my mind and do what I know should be done.” Without saluting, Worthington spun on his heel and stomped out. Jeff sat thinking. Should I tell his Commander why I’m sending him back? After a moment, he shrugged. On second thought, I asked for his best aviators to give them a chance in my unit. No one, other than us,...