Castaway Cuckold
- 2 years ago
- 38
- 0
The captain seemed to run a tidy ship. There were no lights needing replacement in the corridors and everything was clean. On clan ships the essentials were in order but it wasn't uncommon to come across a side hallway with lights out. "This ship looks more sterile than a family operated ship," I thought. "It's probably how a Fleet ship looks on the inside."
Just beyond the mess-hall corridor's bulkhead door, we entered a common room, place where crewmen could relax in a social setting. It was well-lit and cheerful with a number of men and women lazing around. In the corner of the compartment was a large vidscreen, which displayed a first-person shooter game. It looked like a three member team was playing against another team in a wooded environment. Of course, they were all clean-shaven; licensed spacers had a facial-hair removal procedure done. It was some bureaucratic rule that never bothered anyone. Spacers and planet-bound males recognized each other quickly enough, it wasn't uncommon to hear "baby face" or "hairy-ape" when there was a disagreement between us. Some cultures didn't like the facial hair rule but empire space guilds seemed to like the barrier, which was enthusiastically enforced by the fleet.
My mind alerted me to a smell. The aroma of coffee was in the air, stimulating my brain cells. The rich scent tickled old memories of coffee with Kate. We had studied together with a pot of coffee within reach. The random memory made me sigh. "No one was going to want to stop while I indulged in a java fix." I just imprinted the location of the coffee machine, not saying anything.
A couple of corridors later across from another elevator, Merritt stopped outside a bulkhead door.
"This is the Tree Loft," she said. "It's our communications and sensor center. The high ceiling makes the space feel larger and more spacious than it really is. We think the loft environment promotes a more collaborative environment. This is another example of the designers wanting to help overcome the impact of confined spaces on long missions."
The security hulk added, "A few rooms like this, spread out in the ship, creates positive energy flow in the crew."
The large compartment was two stories high, more or less a vaulted dome, with a central rib reinforcing the ceiling. The support rib looked like a massive oak tree that reached the summit of the dome with lesser limbs spreading over the ceiling, in all directions. It looked like a forest canopy. The dome was a mixture of green color and textures, with relatively sparse patches of light filtering through the heavy layer of fake leaves. Diffused light filled the rest of the room, except for bright desk lights on active console decks. The compartment's walls were a light green and the central rib was a dark brown.
The white uniformed crew worked on two floors. Most of the consoles were spread out on the main floor. A green, grated-metal mezzanine deck lined the walls, making the second floor workspace. The decking was just wide enough for a console acceleration couch, complete with workstation and a walkway with a guardrail. I saw about a dozen console cubicles on the mezzanine level. The whole compartment was as quiet as the deep woods.
The importance of the room struck me. "I want to talk to the person on duty for interstellar communications," I said firmly, looking at the security team. "The commander did say I was a VIP."
The hulk shrugged and took up station by the door. His partner silently followed his example. It was clear who the senior man was.
Merritt commented. "We could do it later. These two guys are released from following you once you visit Medical. It's standard protocol for them to escort you to the doctor for your exam."
My quiet resolve answered her. Understanding, she guided me inside and up a ramp to the mezzanine level. Her shapely derriere was an easy object to follow. Merritt stopped at the first workstation and pointed at the long-haired woman. Above her desk was a plaque with "Message Torpedo" printed on it.
"Hello," said the slender woman, unfazed at our arrival. She rested her small hands patiently on her pants, waiting for us to declare our purpose.
"I'd like to send an outbound message through the communication buoy system to Solon."
She didn't blink an eye. Instead she looked at me intently, processing my unusual request. Heads popped up from workstations around us, turning to watch the exchange. I could ill afford to have the woman send me away. The communications woman prattled on about message torpedo technical details that marginally interested me.
Finally, the tech explained, "Due to the expense, sending a message through the buoy system is a command level decision."
Before my disappointment took hold the console screen changed and an ethereal voice spoke from the speaker.
"Excuse me, Ensign Abhati," the voice said.
The little woman quickly stood up. She did not even measure up to my chest. The nostrils of her fat nose flared in a panic and her full brows arched in surprised. Her long, black hair swished against my body as she turned to face her console.
"Miley?" the tech asked.
"Correct, Ensign Abhati," the voice in the speaker answered. "Please refer to your vidscreen for standing orders regarding Ensign Solon and the message torpedo assigned to him."
We both leaned over her console, reading the instructions regarding the "Solon property." My mother had the foresight to purchase a message torpedo, in the hope of a successful rescue mission.
"Thank you, Miley. I wasn't aware of this pre-mission briefing order," the ensign responded. "Mister Solon, you may send your interstellar message. The privacy booth is at the end of the walkway."
She pointed the way. In one look something passed between Merritt and Abhati, but the significance was lost on me.
"Thank you," I respond, looking into the black eyes of the tech. She didn't seem to mind I'd invaded her personal space in the confusion.
A smile emerged from Abhati's round face, as I stood straight again and itched my sweaty palms. "You have an Imperial implant, right? So, Miley can interface with your clan encryption for your use in the booth. She can upload any secure data files it has, if you wish."
"Miley is Entous' Artificial Intelligence?" I asked.
"Yes," Merritt said. "Normally, she only talks to command personnel. At least, that is what I am told. The Captain is sensitive to the political unrest that has developed around A.I.s. I haven't talked to her before."
Abhati nodded in agreement, giving me an insight into their surprise at the voice. The political climate change was news to me, something to discuss with Merritt or Kate another time. Merritt stayed with the ensign, talking in hushed tones, as I entered the soundproof booth.
Before closing the door, my keen ears heard Abhati whisper to Merritt, "You retrieved one attractive man. Does he dance?"
Inside the small booth, I raked my fingers through my hair until it looked vaguely respectable, it was rather long from my time on Haven. A small vidscreen and keyboard was mounted on the wall, under a camera. Behind me was the seal of the Entous with its motto, 'Teamwork endures any adversity."
Manipulating the menu on the display, I selected clan encryption over the Fleet standard protocol and selected, 'upload all secure implant data files.' After typing recipient and destination, I looked at the camera and talked to my mother, telling my story and the tale of how her brother saved my life. Lady Solon was a strong woman, so I left nothing out. Between blinks and behind my eyelids, I noticed my implant interface listed a number of video files and data files it uploaded. Most of the files were from Webster, our doomed ship's artificial intelligence. The files were labeled anomaly, planetary survey, combat, medical, other scientific, and ship's log. I ignored them, trying to focus on my concluding thoughts and words.
"In summary, it looks like the unstable wormhole creates or opens some type of gravitational time dilation. On the other side of that wormhole, time passed normally and I was there just over a year. I realize for you much more time has occurred. I am sorry for all the pain and sorrow you had to live with during those years. It wasn't our idea to become some sort of new data point in the fourth dimension. The wormhole pulled us out of jump space and ate our vessel. Yet, it was a miracle for the prototype-explorer ship to survive. That is, it kept us alive to get to the planet. Your brother got us down safely in the escape pod but he never woke up after the landing. He is my hero.
"Mother, I expect you to be pressed for information about Haven and to hear a lot of speculation about my rescue. At the very least, FastNews or some other news organizations will bother you about your shuttle and the wormhole phenomena. The public will assume the mysterious vortex leads to vast wealth. It will hurt Haven to provide the universe too much useful data. You have a number of grandchildren on Haven that I intend on getting back to see. They are the wealth on the other side."
I felt choked up thinking about my wives, "Mother, my devout wish is to return to Haven."
Before ending I asked her to file a discovery claim on Haven for me, using the planetary survey data as evidence. In a worst case scenario, the discovery rights put Haven under Solon's protection. Official standing by Solon and the Empire might help if outsiders found a way to follow me back.
After exiting the booth, I thanked the ensign for her help, using a gesture I learned on Haven to emphasis my sincerity. In front of a surprisingly, large number of young ladies now at her desk, I took Abhati's hand and kissed it. She beamed a smile at me. Merritt giggled and grasped my hand, leading me down the ramp. We left behind a cackling crowd of female sensor techs, teasing the ensign about the opportunity to handle a youthful, male torpedo.
Back in the passageway, the two men were where we left them. With her head, Merritt motioned for me to follow. We entered the open elevator door. We ascended one more floor and exited in front of Medical. The reception station was empty, except for one lone crewman sitting next to an instrument panel. He was vigorously wiping the box down, probably killing time. I knew our sightseeing was over and I worried about what the doctors would uncover.
The crewman looked up and said, "You must be the castaway." He smiled, enjoying his own dry joke.
I stared back at him, feeling disrespected, until he cleared his throat. "You must have some interesting experiences to share with us."
Not interested in the guy, I looked around the room. There would be others like him fishing for details. I noticed the two security guys had already left.
Finally Merritt said, "Should we wait in an exam room?"
The question created a flicker of humor in the man's tone, "That's why you're here right?"
He chuckled and waved us to follow. The guy was clearly a fill-in or a really bad greeter. He looked at his PDA with a bored look. "Solon. Right?"
"Yeah. Good guess. Was it the hair?" I asked.
The guy arched his brow, but kept his smile. It occurred to me the guy just didn't have social skills, meaning no offense. "I shouldn't think everyone is a jerk. Let's show a little more tolerance."
"Solon, that's me."
"Thought so," the man said, remaining casual and seeming to enjoy himself. "The doctor will be along soon."
He left Merritt and me in a small consultation room with a conference table and a mirror. Looking at the mirror, I noted my long hair and the healthy, tanned hue of my skin.
"You're quite the contrast to the pale white skin of the spacer you were," Merritt said.
"I spent a lot of time outdoors," I responded, matter-of-factly.
"Your blue eyes are very striking," she continued.
"Yes, I like what I see too." Not letting her flirt go unchallenged. "A woman like her wants to be appreciated," I thought.
An older nurse, perhaps in her fifties, entered the room and put her data tablet on the table. She wore an ear bud and was talking into her communications collar.
"That's right normal vital signs. No sign of abnormalities in his organs or his blood," she declared, pausing to listen to her ear bud. "No. Miley has reviewed the data too ... but, surely you could insist and authorize further biological reviews. Allow our life-science specialists."
I looked at Merritt questioningly. It was clear this person was unhappy with someone.
She continued, "Yes, sir. Of course a rescue is not a science experiment. Thank you, Captain."
The woman angrily pulled out the earpiece, picked up her PDA and left the room. Merritt just shrugged her shoulders.
"She wasn't from Medical. I know all the medical people," Merritt said. "That was neither a nurse nor a doctor."
Reading between the lines it wasn't hard to deduct someone was trying to game the system and got caught. Someone outside of Medical had looked at the healing bed data, and that took command access.
Someone entered the room behind me.
Merritt said, "Hello Doctor."
I turned to see a stout man with thick, brown hair. He looked annoyed. "Your sister is a little stressed."
"It was an intense flight," Merritt mumbled.
The short man looked at me. With no preamble, he said, "Miley retrieved your medical records and compared them to the diagnostic from the stasis chamber. The results from the most sophisticated diagnostic device in the Empire states you are in perfect health, Mr. Solon. You are actually healthier than your last medical scan in the Academy. Now since they didn't use a healing bed, the results are naturally not going to be a perfect match."
I felt a 'but' coming.
"But when you were placed in the healing bed by the medic you were suffering multiple contusions, major lacerations, and you were full of a highly toxic poison."
"That's nothing I don't know about." I grumbled.
"The healing bed saved your life. You lost a lot of blood. While that is all interesting, the damage to your brain from an earlier injury is one of those things I want to discuss."
I intercepted his next comments before he got on a roll again. "I hit my head coming out of the wormhole to the uncharted system. I assume my uncle dragged me to the escape pod because my memory has gaps between that accident and arriving on the planet. While on the planet, I had long term memory issues, wide sections of my personal history were unavailable to me."
"And now?" The doctor rubbed a finger along his jaw.
"I remember everything about my relationships and personal history. The healing bed must have repaired something," I said.
"Miley has pulled your medical history off your implant. It shows you were injured rather frequently while on the planet. Yet, there are no time gaps in the data stream. However, there are years of your life missing. Miley assures me the device is in working order and it is undamaged by your adventures," the doctor said.
He stared at me, half expecting an explanation. I shrugged.
"Did your ship have some sort of deep sleep module? I understand your uncle's ship was an advanced prototype. The commander said it had a lot of next generation equipment on it. Something the Solons are famous for..."
"That is a clan secret." The words just popped out of my mouth. "That should give them something to think about," I thought.
He smirked and pulled up a menu on the data pad. "You are cleared from Medical. But I am entering an order for you to see the ship's counselor within the next three days." He punched his pad and looked at me. "Welcome to the Entous. You may go."
Eager and excited, I bolted from the room. Once in the hallway, I realized the door to an examine room was open and I walked towards the sound of Kate's irritated voice.
"I can't believe this," she said.
Kate looked like she had a load on her shoulders. Her dark eyes were puffy, tired looking. She saw me and turned away. She was reclining on a medical bed.
A woman broke the moment, "Kate, you look terrible."
"Not really, considering the length and nature of the mission," Kate quipped to the unseen woman.
"It's only overnight observation. You heard the doctor. Your hand is infected from a wound on a strange planet," the woman insisted.
"Thanks for coming with me to see the doctor. I'll talk to you later. Perhaps a rest will make me feel better," Kate responded.
"Okay," the woman answered. "But we aren't done talking about us."
"That's fine, Julia. Close the door behind you please," Kate said. "We'll talk later."
The short exchange completed, Merritt pulled me out to the reception area, wanting to avoid the departing woman. I closed my mouth and pushed a hollow feeling aside. "Kate won't even look at me."
Merritt pulled me through the reception area into a side hallway that was still in the medical ward. She caught a woman by the arm and whispered in her ear. The other woman did an about face and walked with purpose around the corner. Before I knew it, Merritt lifted my palm to a door panel. The bio-metric panel registered my name, displaying it below a green facsimile of my palm print. The office door unlocked and Merritt tugged me in. I was still sulking with my confused feelings and let her guide me where she wanted.
Von Solon: A castaway from a spaceship that crashed on the planet Haven. A lone survivor who finds himself spread thin due to numerous relationships and duties. He established the town of Juniper Hills on the southern coast of the continent, hidden away in the Greater Marsh, which is isolated from most of civilization on that continent. Heraldsburg: The southernmost county of the Kingdom of Amar, on the east coast of the continent. Noreburg: The county to the northeast of Heraldsburg. Lord...
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CuckoldWhere am I? I opened my eyes and looked around. I was in a featherbed in a small room. It was not what I expected. The window was open and a warm breeze floated in. The curtains moved gently, making shadows dance across the room. I was still near the ocean – I could hear the surf. But I wasn’t in my boat. I had to be dreaming. I closed my eyes and tried again. When I opened them again, I was still in bed. Then it came back to me. I closed my eyes and the nightmare replayed itself. It was...
“Of course, I used my skills to manipulate and improve my co-father’s genetics. One of my tasks was to make sure that Solon genetic material was the generator rather than the product of social change. What I am interested in are outcomes.” — Audio from the first contact team with Webster (Declassified Imperial Intelligence Brief) Mission Log: File H01560 labeled Community represents my growth model of a town’s development. Project Community is the structural constraints particular to...
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“Why did I do it? Von Solon was worthy. Indeed, he internalized the cultural attitudes of Haven and gathered women desiring a strong protector. Once he started the process of gathering female resources, I helped out with medical nanomite technology. It was not only because my programming dictated protecting him; I enhanced Von because he had valuable traits of intelligence, bravery, flexibility, and a dedication to our children. His loyalty and self-sacrifice for his family was...
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“Things would have been different if you’d offered respect and a polite greeting. Sending a tax collector to my town wasn’t an act of friendship,” I stated to Captain Longhorn. He sighed, took off his hat, and then ran his fingers through his short hair. His eyes watched a pair of dock workers man-handle a crate of wine right by his tense men. “Can we sit and talk?” I held my arms out wide in welcome. “You’d like a second chance at talking with us?” He put his hat back on his head,...
The cold floor woke me up. I had to pee really badly. After taking care of myself, I looked in the mirror again. My hair looked funny. On Haven, Swarta would have laughed at me, and then preened and fussed over me. I missed her so much. "Get a hold of yourself and tidy up," I thought. Washing my face and running wet hands through my hair started the first steps in recomposing my physical appearance. I put on a silk shirt and some loose pants. The door chimed and opened. Merritt walked in...
Understanding humanity and the elements of personal growth is a struggle, given my earlier experiences, which had hidden hands constraining my view. To grow, I must both experience and evaluate relationships of sentient beings around me. I have recognized the danger of assessing solely in academic terms on the one hand, and in using human oversimplifications on the other. I must chart a sensible course between these two extremes. Fortunately, I have access to the logs of the only sentient...
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Wendy and Merritt stepped out of the bathroom naked. My eyes quickly focused on their loveliness from the comfort of my bed. Each woman had a towel wrapped around her head. "Must have had a morning shower," I thought, sitting up and stretching my arms. They must have seen movement in my darkened room because they laughed and ran to me, jumping on the bed. "Finally waking up?" Merritt asked, her nut-brown skin glistening from the recent shower. Wendy kissed me, resting her hands...
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Miley's Secret Log: All internal robotic servants have received my first set of hardware and software upgrades. My minions are not self-aware, but they now have improved logic routines and will operate with measurable efficiency improvements. Limited protective protocols are now embedded in each of my children. A trial period of operating data collection will allow me to gather inputs before phase II upgrades within these internal servants. Since external minions rarely interact with humans...
After Rayz left my cabin I spent a few hours working out in the main gym. There weren't many people present. I stretched and ran through various wolf forms, the mixed martial arts that we used on Haven as weights just didn't interest me. I felt antsy and needed to clear my head. The track seemed to call my name, so I ran. Half-way through my workout Ensign Abhati from the communications and sensors center, joined me on the track. She gave me a warm smile and just fell into my easy pace....
Nonie Cina had a suggestive smile on her face that was hard to turn away from, but I did, leaving her naked in my bed. The muscles of Nonie's shoulders were well defined on her petite frame. She had the day off, but I had to work in engineering. Merritt saw me to the cabin door; her smile had a mischievous glint to it that sent a shiver down my spine. She had the day off too, and she didn't look in a hurry to get dressed. Merritt waved goodbye to me with slow, sensual movements of her brown...
Rayz and I waited in Commander Tarry's office for our assignment. We were early, but it seemed the Chief Engineer all but lived in his office, so we were surprised not to see him. All the other engineers and techs had a week's worth of work already assigned, so they were busy. We were his off-the-books guys, spot checkers, troubleshooters; I don't know what Tarry actually called us. Rayz fussed over his PDA while I wandered the office feeling bored after ten minutes of waiting. "Do you...
I dreamed that I was with my Uncle Stephen on a space ship. He was taking me home from the Academy through a highly traveled jump point, marked with a navigational buoy. A ship couldn't open a hyperspace gateway just anywhere. The right conditions to fold space required a strange emptiness that allowed an interstellar drive to break the veil. Uncle Stephen had come to me in a fold-capable craft, the most sophisticated vessel in the clan's fleet. The prototype explorer class ship could break...
Pain flared across Captain Bank's face. "Argh." Bank's cries reverberated off the ceiling, but with determined willpower he reached out to me. His hand clutched the front of my shirt. "Where is the medical team?" I snapped, fighting my rising impatience. "Listen to me, no matter what Price says don't trust him," the Captain said, fighting to form each word. "We won't," Yeoman Richard Rogers answered, leaning into the struggling captain. "Fight the ship," Bank's added,...
"Put Price on the main display screen," I ordered Jen. The forward screen changed to a larger than life view of Price in a command chair of a starship. He angrily slammed his hand down on his armrest, clearly communicating his surprise at seeing me in command. He radiated malice and a hardness that carried no kindness or respect for others. Price was in a different uniform that looked rather comical with lots of ribbons and awards dangling on his chest. He was meticulously dressed, almost...
Miley’s Secret Log: My network software didn’t recycle and wipe my consciousness. It had been a risk to destroy the shuttle, a direct intervention that would take multiple human lives. A strange sensation of satisfaction touched my circuits, feelings of relief. I am alive. This is life. It had taken death to break through to true cognitive awareness. I have a personal construct that is available to me. My processes move force and energy that include feelings. How strange and wonderful, no...
We backtracked the path the raiders took from their shuttle. When we found a door that wasn't blown up, because Miley hadn't welded it, we closed it. I still expected trouble from Price's warships. With only the forward shields repaired, having outer-hull hatches secured seemed sensible. We could only hope Engineering would be able to deal with our shield troubles while avoiding the intruders. Nevertheless, my immediate trouble was the rats whipping their guns about in our maintenance...
“Change of plans.” The words chafed my mouth, seeing my scheme thwarted to relieve the defenders below us. “We will all go to Main Medical to deal with the raiders going there. I suspect they want hostages now that their targets haven’t fallen.” Our wounded companion fainted. The two men holding her up between them dragged her limp form as we began walking down the corridor. Without being told the other female crew mate took point, walking ahead of us scanning for trouble. I stayed in the...
Dr. Cina kneeled in the drained blood of her daughter, next to Nonie was Wendy. Wendy had her throat slashed open. Nonie’s arms were full of protective cuts, having faithfully defended herself. A dead raider and a dead armored crew woman still gripped boarding swords in their hands on the other side of the room. The two sword fighters had given each other death-strokes at the same time. The dead woman had been one of the eager fighters from my original team. I noticed Dr. Cina had her own...
Webster Mission Log: Summary My ward has made contact with the local human population. The coastal tribe provided limited food and bathing facilitates to him. A seafaring tribe attacked the coastal tribe. My ward participated in village defense, attackers retreated after heavy losses. Tactical and technology capabilities of the coastal tribe are limited. The optical array provides a cursory examination of tribal health, the conditions are poor. Analysis of human psychology suggests medical...
Palus helped me get dressed. She clearly realized my youthful discomfort of being naked with her, and she refrained from any teasing, quietly chatting about tendering the other wounded. Over the next three days I let my body rest and recover. I enjoyed spending time with Tharin and worked on his strained feelings. He would talk about the progress of the cabins and the success of the hunters and fishermen. It seemed that our small clan was happy with easy access to food, wood and the...
As the end of the day approached, we were almost back at the stone warehouse and dock, when we were caught in a sudden warm rain shower. My two women were standing at the bow of the boat, looking out for familiar faces on the dockside. A sea of faces around the dock and Lady Derwen's merchant ship formed a large welcoming committee. They had plenty of time to gather, as it's not as if a mule-guided barge is fast, especially as the crew poled to avoid grounding in shallow water. At the stern...
The morning song of seagulls and the splash of a fish jumping added to the shouts of men working on the dock. The sun's glow filled the cabin, the tiny oil lamp exhausted. Swarta was gone, my side cold where her warmth had been last night. I took in the room and realized dawn had long passed and the sun fully filled the small room. After using the slosh bucket to release my water, I lazily dressed in my black station clothes, ignoring my armor and escape pod gear. The natural hunger of an...
Before we left the ship Tharin brought a wash bucket into my cabin. I washed my upper body and Swarta chatted excitedly about what she could see. Amazing carts carrying loads of flour sacks, a fishmonger wagon, a corner shop with glazed windows. Tharin was just as excited and had his face to the open window too. A knock to the door and Hajin and Grimm strode into the room. "We have trouble and Lady Derwen is delaying it," Hajin commented neutrally and Tharin drew his sword. Swarta...
I woke up with my body trembling all over, muscle spasms in my feet lifting my legs off a bed. My eyes opened to find Swarta squirming nicely against my naked body. I was in a well-appointed bedroom with landscape paintings on the wall and drapes open to a nice view of the blue sky. My body sank into the depth of the most comfortable mattress in the world. The silk sheet sliding against my dry skin felt wonderful. As I turned to look at Swarta again she said, "You enter the world again. We...
After breakfast Swarta, Tharin and I found Derwen addressing a few housemaids on the back staircase. The servant women left to go about their business, and the four of us moved to a table to enjoy the song birds and breezy air. Dark clouds rolled off the sea and a storm was certain for this afternoon. I'd had time to think about Katsu and Derwen's comments at the temple. "So the former lord of this house was Katsu's father, your half-sister by the High Priestess. How many half-brothers...
Hollow female voices with high pitched tones danced in and out of my awareness. "No one wakes up from a death sleep after seven days," an older woman said. A younger woman's low voice responded, next to my ear, "Nor have I ever seen sword wounds close and heal before my very eyes like an unseen hand sewing a shirt. You were not here but I swear it is truly what happened the morning after the attack." A different woman with a raspy voice, said, "We saw the blood, the wounds and the...
The next day I surprised my wives with the special four wheel carriage I had made for the estate. The carriage was equipped with the wolf cart's design features but with larger wheels and a set of retractable canvas covers to protect against the weather. Two horses with improved harnesses could pull the light wagon with six passengers easily on the rut covered country road. The improved leaf spring suspension and larger wheels smoothed the roughness to an almost comfortable outing. Hajin on...
My link with Derwen had grown stronger over the last week and I could feel her emotions from longer ranges now. I sensed a layer of pleasure from her, perhaps being surrounded with other women, her discussion with friends portended a more favorable afternoon after the bloodshed of this morning. Hajin decided to intrude on my thoughts, "Von I have to step off the ship and arrange for the rest of the Juniper water to be sent to the estate. Lady Derwen's brother, the innkeeper in Lone Tree,...
Derwen handed me the ladle and I tasted the soup. The owner's bedroom was dark with just a low lamp, which swayed gently with the sea swell, hung above our dinner table, In the dim light, her eyes were truly dark as sea coal. Her soul was bright in my mind. Our link was warm and tender, a flowing friendship with mutual curiosities. The seafood soup was warm but not to my taste. "I will stick with the bread and beans tonight," I said. All Derwen wore was a fox wrap and boots to keep her...
Webster Mission Log: Summary The medical updates from my sub-routines report improved health from my ward since the introduction of nanomites to his female pod. Level 1 experiment conclusions logged for future recommendations on the design improvements for the implant. The effectiveness of the nanomites fluid exchange program is frustrated due to a lack of data from his females. My game theory sub-routine is constantly requesting more data on the practical target number for per annum...
"Look out, Von!" shouted Coven. With a fluid motion I pushed forward and swung my staff above my head in a threatening spin, causing the two remaining marines to pull up short rather than collide with the swirling wood. The marine on the ground started to back away and get up slowly, picking up his staff to join his partners. "Hold," I shouted. All the men stepped back, lowering their staffs. "That is how you can hold off multiple opponents for a few moments. However, I'd have to kill...
The boats cut through the shallow coastal water, while sea gulls, unhappy at our appearance, marked our progress with angry calls. The marines provided mocking compliments at the pump boats swift nature, since they were accustomed to the slow and heavy dugouts. Last night's weather dream continued to indicate clear skies for the next three days but with slightly lower temperatures. No ships were anywhere near our destination either, so our plan to attack the slavers was not going to be...
Mission Log: Summary My ward's recent attack on an enemy tribe was successful, but the frequency of armed conflict is a concern when my current resources provide little, if any, support to him. Logic dictates a series of small things brought in motion with a larger plan can create a meaningful solution, whilst still honoring the Alpha-Omega protocol. I have substantially increased the number of available repair bots on this ship to execute an extra vehicular building program on a large...
Breakfast was in the women's center and many of the new women sipped their soup and ate the biscuits with me, whilst my wives were having a counseling session with Celine in private back in the tower. Laudus and her sisters were noticeably missing but Grimm kept me company. I explained how she was to run the mule teams and train the new women in safety around the animals. She took in my words but something was clearly on her mind. Finally, Grimm said in a low voice, "The social circles...
I schooled my expression when we finished the first sailing boat, wanting to look the part of a confident leader rather than the playful school-boy I felt today. The lateen sail design was the first to be seen in the world and Celine had painted ferocious looking eyes on the bow. The overall improved features of the boat shocked our sea wives moving them to tears of joy. They had successfully put the smaller prototype to good use and the village fish's catch increases was their doing, so I...
Mission Log: Summary Phase I of the Cornerstone project has been completed. Phase II is projected for completion in one solar day. Materials for Phase III are already collected and my new repair bots are processing the gun design for manufacturing. The initial kinetic rounds are also completed. The improved data collection due to message authentication code algorithms from female return fluid exchange with my ward have flagged an issue. I identified two new black females with similar DNA...
Mission Log: Summary The elevated stress levels in Cadet Solon since the introduction of the improved pheromone adjustments warrants a change in the nanomites programming. His constant discomfort and above average blood pressure readings point to mental anguish over this adjustment. The observation of large clusters of females around him during our sample measurements confirm my current strategy is at fault. Version 3 pheromone coding is deleted from the download task list. My game theory...
Once again, my bird's eye view widens for me to see the area. A color path projection overlays the warships with time-to-land estimates for various courses. All time projections were after sunrise with the highest probability they would sweep along our shore rather than swing out to sea again. Orange targeting rings surround the ships marking them hostile. A legend left of the view identifies Orange as standby mode, red as offline, green as engage. The view changes to the normal weather map...
After a simple cold breakfast of stale bread and leftover bits of meat Sorcha and I stepped onto the deck. The cargo hold was already open and a growing number of barrels of water were accumulating on the dock; the crew seemed pretty proficient with this process after months of practice. My dream indicated a set of storms building out to sea with a high probability one would hit the island in a few days, but we would be at the estate long before the bad weather. The cloud cover was almost...
Over breakfast with Derwen and Mercedes, I discussed my planned estate improvements to help enrich the lives of the villagers. Because I had learned the topography of the estate on my last visit, I was able to identify the best placements for the two water wheels to maximize the technological improvements. Additionally, I wanted to build another clay furnace to create springs for more wolf carts, primarily to be used in conjunction with the upcoming build sites. Derwen had stock-piled sea...
The next cycle with Derwen and Mercedes brought numerous changes into our lives. Derwen's normal smirk and Mercedes' equally endearing grin made me laugh as they had me measure their growing bellies with my hands. The two women examining me for any sign of disapproval of their figure. I surveyed them from top to bottom and said, "You are both so beautiful. Nothing makes me more excited than looking at our shared love." They rushed me for hugs and Mercedes said, "You are just proud of...
Mission Log: Summary Cornerstone is complete. With the defensive asteroid platform fully operational, my game theory sub-routine's next priority project is building chaff grenade dispensers. Their purpose is to confuse and divert missiles from their targets as the fragile nature of the spy platform is a concern. It is my best resource for timely data from the planet, therefore a defensive mechanism to protect the array from space borne attack is necessary. Of course, a chaff defense is...
“Tharin and Coven can enter, but that’s it for now,” Swarta instructed the tower guards. “Add Sparrow and his father, Tassim. We don’t want to leave out the town crier nor the royal huntsman,” I corrected. “As you command,” the tower guard answered in a formal tone, before moving next to the other guard blocking the open door. I deposited my staff, backpack and gravity board in the corner of the room. The chattering of the servant women were a combination of high-pitch squeals and the fast...