Castaway Cuckold
- 2 years ago
- 38
- 0
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 wounds on her right hand.
A nurse who followed us into the compartment straightaway said, “We don’t really know what happened here. We do know their assailants blew up the main door to Medical after our surviving defenders withdrew to the left corridor. The raiders pressed to the right corridor, trapping Wendy and Nonie on this side of the reception area. A surgeon had sent them for more nanomite healing-liquid, which is produced in a small lab over here.”
“It wasn’t a surgeon; it was me,” Dr. Cina croaked, looking even smaller than normal. “I sent them for an extra supply of healing fluid to refill the primary gel dispenser. We did not even need more yet.”
The other nurse didn’t respond to Dr. Cina’s self-recrimination, instead she said, “It looks like one of our defenders tried to hold this side of the corridor all by herself. I wonder if they took revenge on your daughter because of their friend’s death?”
My mind was still reeling from the horrible images that soaked into my soul. Dr. Cina had pulled me into my lovers’ mingled pool of blood to damn me. I didn’t want to move, feeling strangely uneasy about the chance I’d hear their blood drip off my boots. “What a weird concern, “ I thought, feeling like I was in an out-of-body experience.
I could not stop replaying what-ifs in my mind. What if I had decided to commit my entire squad to Main Medical’s defense? What if we had not chased after the raiders in the maintenance tubes? Would they still be alive? These dead women were queens of my heart, why wasn’t I here? Wendy would have done anything for me. Nonie’s beautiful piano music was gone.
The distraught mother cradled her child. Dr. Cina was covered in crimson that was darkening her white uniform to rust. The second nurse moved behind Dr. Cina, putting her hands on the grief-stricken mother. Cina’s nurse did not talk; she quietly shed tears expressing her own dismay.
I rooted for words to express my own claim on Nonie that explained our shared loss to Dr. Cina. “How do you tell a grieving mother that I was her daughter’s lover and assure her a part of my soul is splattered in front of us?“ I thought. “Yet, why should Dr. Cina care?“
The first nurse steadied me. “We are so sorry for your loss, Captain. Wendy and Nonie were such good friends of mine. After you ... connected with them, and took them into your household, they became so much more lighthearted and merry. All they could talk about was you and their new sisterhood.”
Dr. Cina went stiff and stood up, blood dripped from her uniform into the crimson pool at our feet. Her face darkened as she struggled to put words together. I squeezed my sword’s pommel sticking out over my hip, feeling the sword slap my thigh as I anticipated unpleasant words from Nonie’s mother. All the fighting on the ship and the events that happened on Haven seemed so far away as I watched Dr. Cina gather her wits.
“I held my daughter as she died, where were you?” Dr. Cina spit out.
Her words felt like a powerful punch to my guts. I staggered back at the violence in her words. Both nurses gasped at the hurtful words.
“We were more like sisters than mother and daughter. We did everything together. You won her heart right from under me,” Cina added. “How did she hide that from me? Did you tell her to?”
“No,” I choked.
She grabbed my forearm, which had taken a cut from one of my numerous opponents. “No, you wouldn’t have to. My daughter could keep a secret if she wanted to.”
I just nodded, letting Cina get her pain out. I owed her that.
“I know about all your women. You are an intelligent charmer. How you woo a woman so quickly is a mystery to me. My daughter wasn’t the needy, insecure type.”
I flexed my fist and Cina realized the pain she was inflicting on me. A bit of blood slipped between her fingers. She grinned at my pain for a moment. Cina seemed to register the inappropriateness of it and lightened her hold, but didn’t release me. Her body language was like a warship radiating betraying emissions before a blast of weapons fire.
“Listen to me!” Cina demanded, drawing my eyes from her grip on me to the steel in her eyes. “She was going to leave me behind!”
“Doctor?” The nurse beside me interjected, trying to defuse the confrontation.
“She died, angry at me!” Cina shouted.
Her anger at me came into focus for me. Cina’s despair was her own guilt from some unreconciled conversation. Cina squeezed my forearm again, but I wasn’t taken unaware this time and bore the pain for all of us.
“Doctor! You are hurting the Captain,” The nurse exclaimed, pushing herself between us.
Cina shook my blood from her hand in an exaggerated manner, and then looked back at me. Cina’s actions splattered my blood on the nurse’s face.
My expression became more rigid after Cina spurned the blood I’d shed for the crew.
“What is going on here?” Merritt shouted, running in.
I spun around. Merritt was unhurt, a medical mask dangled from her neck. She had on a green operating room gown.
The room’s speaker toned with a Bridge announcement. “This is Lt. Clare Fante. The boarders have been defeated. Two hostile gunboats have moved out of the shadow of the moon. I have taken command. Continue to do your duty. Ensign Solon meet me on the Bridge.”
“Your purloined command is over,” Cina said bitterly. “Finally, an experienced officer has arrived.”
I rushed to Merritt feeling both a swelling happiness to see her safe and feeling an unfathomable sorrow that she was seeing Wendy and Nonie in this state.
“Oh, Von!” Merritt groaned as I wrapped her in a hug. In Merritt’s shock, her light-brown face was remarkably expressive.
A pronounced silence filled the room as I backed Merritt into the corridor and away from our horror.
“I just came out of surgery and Miley said you needed me,” Merritt whispered into my shoulder.
“Miley was right,” I answered in a low voice.
Bending backwards, I found Merritt’s chocolate eyes and gave her a little smile. She leaned forward and kissed me. The buzz of our nanomites tingled our lips. We loitered in the hallway for a few minutes happy to be alive and together.
Eventually, Nehring snorted behind us, getting our attention with his ridiculous, non-verbal communication. I guided Merritt into the reception area by the elbow and Nehring fell in step behind us. The large room was filled with activity. Blackened walls, broken furniture and shattered doors spoke of the recent, desperate conflict. Periodic sobs of the newly arriving wounded touched our ears. The chaotic scene froze Merritt, only now comprehending the depth of the pain the raiders had inflicted outside of the operating room. She cried and became frantic.
“Wendy and Nonie are gone,” Merritt cried, spreading out her arms. “All this pain; it hurts.”
I sent soothing thoughts to Merritt while holding her.
“We still have those gunboats,” Nehring reminded me.
“Even under full speed they cannot get here for half-an-hour,” I chided. “Anyway, I’m not Captain anymore. There isn’t a rush for me, I am where I am needed most. Don’t interrupt my focus.”
After a few intense minutes of weeping, Merritt’s crying faltered. I could sense a bit of calm on her wet face. On Haven I had realized that when I focused, sending intense feelings or determined mental commands, I could influence my women. It wasn’t mind control as much as bonding, a breaking down of boundaries, fears, insecurities which when breached, filled my mate with my love, sincerity and appreciation. Our souls merged. I felt sure our nanomites had unlocked unused sections of our brains, opening new possibilities and powers.
Merritt’s crying halted and she beamed a smile into my eyes. “Thank you, Von. You should go to the Bridge after you get that cut looked at by a nurse.”
“It can wait,” I answered firmly.
Dr. Cina swept through the room wearing a different white jacket, but her pants were still blood soaked. She disappeared down the corridor to the patient rooms.
“Don’t mind her, Von. Matters of the heart are almost always messy,” Merritt said. “She’ll see reason later.”
“So true,” Nehring answered softly. I noticed someone had patched him up with bandages.
Merritt stepped back and wiped her tears. “Thank you, Nehring for being patient with us. Make sure Von has that cut looked at after your visit to the Bridge.”
Merritt got up on her toes and kissed me. Nehring moved to the blasted front door of Medical, sending his hint for us to get moving and following the new captain’s command. The two security guards at the entrance remained vigilant, searching the corridors for raiders that might still lurk the hallways.
Merritt pushed me away with the palm of her hand. “Go. I need to get back to the operating room to attend the medical equipment.”
She looked visibly relaxed and composed. I kissed her again and left for the Bridge, allowing Nehring to lead me to the elevator. I noticed the enemy bodies had been dragged out of sight of the corridor. Our dead had white bed sheets over them. Inside the elevator, Nehring and I didn’t speak to each other. There was no need. We were battle bothers now, we would talk later.
Miley pinged my implant and I rested against the elevator wall, closing my eyes. A video feed of the main hanger projected on the back of my eyelids. Kate and Julia Fitz had collected weapons off the dead, storing them inside of the prototype shuttle. “Smart thinking, “ I thought, feeling relieved Kate was safe.
“Thanks, Miley,” I said aloud.
“You are welcome,” Miley answered from a speaker.
“Yes, thank you, Miley for your bots throwing distractions at the enemy. That really helped us in the fighting,” Nehring said, totally unaware I’d used my implant and had referred to the video of Kate.
“Yes, that helped give us an edge,” I added, smirking to myself.
“My minions did the same for Lt. Foth,” Miley continued. “She was able to surprise the intruders and overwhelm them quickly.”
“Lt. Foth is a very capable officer,” Nehring answered proudly.
“Results prove that to be true,” Miley bantered, showing a surprising piece of comradeship.
“Are there any more raiders to worry about?” I asked.
“A few are running to their shuttle,” Miley commented. “Lt. Foth’s squad is in pursuit.”
The elevator opened and we worked our way to the end of the corridor. I trusted Miley’s comments, so my carbine remained attached to my chest clip. Nehring carried his carbine in his hand, falling back into his role as my bodyguard. We passed a few unarmed crewmen that were a part of a damage control team. They had a repair bot following them. The corridor didn’t show any damage, so the team was on its way to another part of the ship. Nehring and I entered another elevator and rode it to the officers’ residential floor.
Nehring noticed me examining his bandages, so he said, “A little healing gel, a pain patch and a marine is ready to go.”
We smirked at each other.
By the time we walked by my cabin door, I noticed occasional black scorch marks from laser fire. When we walked up the ramp toward the Bridge we passed a number of dead raiders. I was sure it was the work of the two armored yeoman. Turning the corner, the ramp leveled off and we saw the yeomen standing behind the liquidarmor half-wall. Only Yeoman Rogers had his visor down. Julie had her visor up and she winked at me. Both of their suits of marine armor had patches of blood on them. “Other people‘s blood, “ I noted privately.
I wanted more than a casual acknowledgment, so I moved in front of her and kissed her. Her lips melted mine and I pulled her into me.
“I knew you’d make it back to me in one piece,” Julie said, I released her from my embrace.
“Nehring made sure of it,” I answered.
Nehring laughed. “Team effort, I think. More like Captain Solon led and I followed. There was no holding him back. When things settle down, we’ll go to Shore Leave and I’ll tell you all about it. And, you can tell us about your action here.”
“I’m back to Ensign now.” I reminded Nehring.
“Actually, I suspect that is why you were called to the Bridge,” Rogers said through a speaker on his helmet. “The lieutenant just arrived.”
“Better go in,” Julie added. “She knows you have arrived.”
I kissed Julie again, feeling encouraged to see her safe. Nehring clipped his carbine to his chest, and then stepped in front of the Bridge door, which whooshed open. He waited for me and we both entered together.
“Targets have moved away from the solar flares towards the jump point, Lieutenant,” Abhati said. “Radiation is emitted across virtually the entire electromagnetic spectrum, so I couldn’t get a bearing before.”
“I understand how magnetic energy works and how emissions affect our sensors, Ensign,” Lt. Clare Fante answered.
“Of course, Madam,” Abhati responded, but Fante had already spun her chair to face me, ignoring Abhati’s apology.
The rest of the crew turned to see us too. I am sure we looked a frightful sight, not having the time nor bothering to clean off the blood from our clothes. The Lieutenant looked like she had just put on a crisp new uniform. I was sure Ulla kept Fante out of danger when they moved to Engineering. Rice gave me a friendly two fingered salute, welcoming me back. Wood beamed approval with her wrinkled, smiling face. Abhati looked particularly happy to see me, she licked her lips.
“Well done,” Fante announced. “We had quite some time to watch the videos of your fighting while on the shuttle. On behalf of the ship, I thank both of you.”
“Thank you,” Nehring and I said in concert.
“It was good thinking to keep us appraised of what was happening, so we could act decisively when we arrived. Lieutenant Foth and I, both felt frustrated to be grounded by the storm on Winterfall. However, your fiancée’s skillful piloting found a way for us to get away from that dreadful storm,” Fante added.
I just nodded through her pleasantries. It was starting to feel like I listening to someone from the Solon court of nobles.
“Miley?” Fante asked.
“Yes, Lt. Fante,” Miley answered through speakers around the Bridge.
“For the log, I relieve Ensign Solon from command.”
“It is noted in the log, command change acknowledged,” Miley answered dispassionately.
“If I didn‘t know better I‘d say Miley was unhappy, “ I thought, while saying, “I stand relieved.”
As if nothing had just happened, Fante kept talking to me. “It was clever of you to think of using our nebula sensors as transmitters to blanket the enemy shuttles’ communications. However, before you reached the Bridge, one of the shuttles released its grapples and darted under the ship. That maneuver broke the jamming and they got off a communications burst.”
“Did the shuttle get away?” Nehring interrupted, which was an uncharacteristic behavior for him.
“As I was saying,” the Acting Captain continued, “We have the Spitfires operational now and I have destroyed the shuttle with our point defense system.”
“The other shuttle is crew-less,” I pointed out. “We raided it early in our fighting.”
“A timely morsel of information. I was just about to have it destroyed,” Fante commented. “That is pleasing, even if it is an obsolete shuttle.”
I looked at the sensor tracks on the gunboats, which were burning towards the hyperspace point that the Entous had found in the system. My new Captain saw my interest and gave me a moment to process Price’s escape. Once Price made it to his interstellar tender he would latch on to his ride and jump out of the system.
“We only have point defenses and forward shields,” Fante announced. “Without our pulse lasers we have no offensive capabilities. It pains me to see them get away.”
“Me too,” I responded through clenched teeth.
“Captain, I have engineering for you,” Abhati announced. “Aft shields are now available.”
“How long until we have lasers?” I asked. “Given their escape vector, we have the speed to catch them.”
Her face hardened at my unwanted question.
“No need to concern yourself—Ensign. This is an exploratory ship not a system defense vessel. Our duty is done. The two of you are dismissed,” Fante said.
I saw Yeoman Wood’s disapproving sigh as she turned back to her station. It was clear she had a sour taste in her mouth.
Fante turned the command chair to face forward, while tapping at her console for the engineering report. Nehring and I looked at each other for a moment, and then we did an about faced and left the Bridge. It burned my insides that the engineering officer didn’t have a fire in her belly for pursuit. Somehow I suspected we would have had active laser capability by the time we arrived at the jump point. “Captain Bank would have made a different decision, “ I thought, shaking my head in disbelief. “Either Fante has a narrow view of her duty to the Empire and this crew or she just doesn‘t have the guts to command a warship. It felts like a betrayal not to hunt Price down.“
Outside of the Bridge, I gave Julie a much bigger and longer kiss, which began to help shift my feelings. “You are my concern. I can‘t wait to get off this ship with you, “ I thought.
I thought I saw Rogers’ eyes laughing at me behind his visor.
“This is my day off,” Julie said, with narrowed eyes. “If a set of security guys don’t show up soon to replace us, I am calling Ulla directly. Don’t go far, Von.”
Nehring and I both laughed; however, I knew she was serious. Julie’s eyes always tighten when she really was determined and serious.
“I am going to take a shower and then call Kate,” I declared. “My intent is to call it a day.”
“I’ll call the kitchen and make sure they have fired up the grill,” Rogers announced. “If you want food in an hour, give me a call.”
I put my hand on Rogers’ shoulder. “You have played your part today. I don’t expect you to work as a steward.”
Rogers’ deep laugh boomed out of his helmet speakers. “Fante will want a meal.”
Nehring bent over laughing. “Somehow that fits the image I now have of Lt. Fante.”
Rogers’ and Nehring worked together often, so it was clear he had the private’s confidence to admit such a thing. I felt Nehring deserved a good laugh after all we had lived through together.
“I’m off,” I announced, waving at them.
Nehring walked with me, unclasping his carbine from his chest clip. He carried his weapon in the cradle of his arms. I just grinned to myself, feeling pleased he was my friend.
Outside of the security office, we locked forearms. “I’m still on duty,” Nehring said. “A little light duty working in the office sounds good to me.”
“I’m off-duty and my bunk is calling my name,” I responded, before smacking him on the back as he unlocked his office.
He grunted an acknowledgment as I walked to my cabin. Miley opened the door before I even got in range of the entrance sensor.
“Thanks, Miley.”
“You are welcome,” she responded from the door speaker.
I quickly stripped off my gear and walked into the shower naked, turning the hot water on. A flood of memories about Wendy washing me in the shower hit me. I embraced them and let the feelings wash over me. They were sweet memories. My profound sadness lingered among my thoughts even as I finished drying off.
Feeling emotionally drained, I walked into my living room to find a bandage from my gear. I dug out a gauze wrap for my arm from my pouch on the tactical vest. After a minute, I had my arm tended. Feeling suddenly exhausted, I walked to my bed and dropped to sleep. The Entous wasn’t my problem anymore.
Miley’s Secret Log:
It is intolerable that two of my charge’s mates were terminated. I developed a mission plan to avenge them and ensure they do not get another opportunity to terminate other Solon mothers and children. We will have clan justice.
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...
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...
This morning I decided to work out in the main gym. If that hulk of a security guard was there I hoped to get some introductions. I liked sparring with others, and he did say I was welcome. It was early morning, so it didn't surprise me to see the gym full of people. There were gym members, craning and gawking at my presence. I sensed a ripple of excitement around me when I worked through my wolf forms. My martial art was a mixture of the basic Fleet form, Solon clan style, and movements...
Over our meal, Merritt and I talked about everything but what was on my mind. She knew my mind was elsewhere, but as our table filled up with five women from Medical, we couldn't talk about Kate or the shuttle or Webster. We had to wait for the discussion about the A.I, so I shoveled my meatloaf in, while the women chatted. The table of women fell into a smooth camaraderie of shared sentiments about Commander Price. It was clear he had aggravated almost everyone at the table at some point...
“Please be seated,” Captain Bank said, seeing Kate and me enter the room just behind Dr. Cina. An armed security guard closed the door behind us. The relaxed tone in the room felt casual not formal. Most of the senior officers had arrived ahead of Kate and me, for a brief meeting, before the start of the captain’s formal dinner. The dozen guests standing around the wardroom found their way to their chair. Yeoman Rogers directed Kate and me to a pair of seats next to the captain, near the...
The Lady of Truth rocked comfortably in the mild waves, waking me gently as I lay in bed, thinking about last night. Yesterday, after keeping the warriors busy on deck with drills all afternoon, I had gone to the owner’s cabin to wash up. Julie and Apple were waiting for me with a wooden bath tub filled with fresh water. Having two naked women greet me quickly dispelled any thoughts of sore muscles. No one had told me that the temple girl was onboard, so their surprise was complete. After...
My wife and I are stranded on an island with five other men. When they started go become wrestles my wife did what she felt she had to do. I supported her of course, yet became very frustrated. Castaway cuckold. Staring Roy, Suzie, Arthur, Ernest, Robert, Samuel, Joseph We where flying out of the Caribbean heading for Columbia. I was on a business trip with my wife on our way to Columbia south America. The farming of soy and corn there is growing, and I was to see what future I might find...
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...
Excerpt from an Eastern Alliance wormhole drone’s final transmission from Haven: “Back up your wagon or I will hose you.” -The Search for the Lost Prince: Chapter 21 Discovering A.I. Humor I woke to find Aberdeen lying almost on top of me, all cuddled up over my left shoulder. Not normally a stomach sleeper, I found it amusing to have her head buried under my arm. I blinked sticky eyes to see the view of the sea. A cloud covered the sun, hiding its warmth and its late afternoon glare. Birds...
I greeted dawn from the deck of our dragon ship in the shipyard, watching the yellow glow break from a distant cloud. It was peaceful view. Sea birds chased each other over the sand dunes; fishermen were carrying their light boats to the edge of the water and preparing for their day. The roar of the waves breaking against the beach was charming. These were the few moments of my day that were solely mine, uplifting and relaxing me. Only a few shipwrights walked the wet sands below me, since...
We slept late and spent the morning cuddling and discussing Swarta’s ability to influence women with a touch. I knew in my heart that my nanomites did something similar to women. When I met Julia on the starship, she was a hardworking engineer; her eyes were for Kate and always had been. On the ESC Entous my nanomites spread by Kate to Julia. With the aid of my pheromones and nanomites, I influenced the engineer into my cluster of women. After that, I could tell Julia what I wanted and she...
“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...
“Irrespective of other successful defense strategies, the Eastern Alliance’s biggest surprise was our low-tech, atomic space mines seeded at the entrance of the wormhole. The mines stopped their gunboat diplomacy causing grievous loss of life, so they returned to sending in survey drones with diplomatic packages. Von Solon never did forgive their threats, so we disposed of the probes too. Never cross a Solon.” “What about his attitude to our overtures?” Von Solon’s great-niece asked from the...
“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...
The annual Empire Day party was in full swing. I had to keep it together because Merritt looked stunning, and pulling her into my cabin was all that was on my mind. However, Merritt wanted her chance to show me off to her sophisticated and influential friends and I didn't want to ruin her fun. The nightclub was packed. As we worked into the crowd, the heat seemed to creep up and up as there were so many bodies in such small space. Merritt wrestled with her dress, trying to keep her small...
Miley's Secret Log: The scientists have labeled the world they are exploring BG-1490, whereas the crew are calling the ice world the Big Freeze. Regular shuttle flights are ferrying scientists and their support staff to the planet each day. Out of an abundance of caution, the captain has not authorized them to stay past nightfall. The temperatures fall dramatically at night and the wind conditions become difficult for shuttles, yet the scientists have convinced the captain to extend our...
On the way to the conference room, Merritt filled my ears with chatter concerning the rumors of how a mystery man in a mask with tingling lips, stole the hearts of women during a wheel dance in the night club. She seemed prone to exaggerate, so the conversation drifted away from my focus. I'd added a grunt and a nod every now and then, after she completed her narrative of each woman's story of what others had said. "Gossip upon gossip, " I thought. "Third hand at best." I just didn't...
The elevator opened on the engineering level and I looked out. Positioned on each side of a wide, long hallway were portable repulser units, ready to be moved to damaged areas of the ship. Even one unit would take up most of the space in the elevator. Each of these emergency response units would create artificial gravity in small sections of the ship, if ever needed. Artificial gravity was produced from repulser technology using an overlapping polarity modular-capacitor. I stopped staring at...
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...
My evening at the nightclub with Merritt and the nurses was filled with dancing and alcohol. All the nurses who ate with me in the mess showed up and claimed a table with us. The women all wore tight fitting dresses with the intention of impressing me. Once the alcohol consumption of the nurses had reached a level to release their inhibitions, each nurse got me on the dance floor. My dance partners used their feminine curves and womanly ways to keep my attention on their sexy parts. One by...
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...
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...