Castaway Cuckold
- 2 years ago
- 34
- 0
Tharin, Coven, Grimm and Crum eventually arrived for a meeting I'd requested.
As they picked at bread and cheese, I announced, "Today the weather should be clear and warmer, so we are going to test our black magic devices. I truly hope we never need to use them in Juniper Hills. They are dangerous and unstable, meaning they could harm us as well as our enemies. I do fear others will want to take what we have here and may try to take it or perhaps try and take you, my apprentices. The weapons I have created are designed to remove our foes. Follow me."
They walked with me in an awkward silence as we picked our way down a side path in the forest to the storage cabin.
I filled the awkward silence. "Our first task is to test the grenades, brass filled with black powder and a spring fuse." Tharin walked to the door and unlocked it and I went inside and picked up a heavy wooden case that had rope loops for handles attached at each end. My friends followed me further down the hill path that ended at a small ravine we used for a waste dump. I opened the crate and had my friends stand back away from me, a bit up the hill where they could see, yet far enough away from any undesirable explosion.
Some of them had seen the arrival of the empty brass canisters, but I had not risked their safety when assembling the devices. In principle, when I pulled the pin nothing should happen. It was when the grenade hit something without the pin inserted, it would explode into metal fragments. My brave face did not show the truth of my uneasy feelings and fear.
"To bring the magic alive you pull this metal pin and twist the wooden handle," I said, holding the little bomb out for them to see as I disengaged the safety spring.
Grimm looked at me with a worried face. I nodded at her with a half grin, throwing the grenade far back into the hole in the earth, dropping my body to the ground. No sooner had I hit mother earth than the device exploded. My friends dropped to the ground too, following my example by covering their head with their arms.
I stood up and brushed the dried grass debris off my black station clothes. Tharin was the first to follow my example, walking down the hill to me.
"You did it," Tharin said, a smile on his face.
"Your turn, Tharin." I had one dud with me. It didn't have any black powder in it. He handled it and I explained to all of them how it worked and how I made it. We talked about why I stored it away from the village and how they should not ever feel comfortable around them. I expected someone to eventually mishandle a grenade and make a mess of their body, so we discussed how some brave men and women would be trained to handle the devices and these warriors would be called grenadiers. A grenadier was to be held in the highest esteem and could only be a volunteer, preferably without a mate. They took turns learning to use the grenades, however Crum's grenade didn't go off. He didn't do anything wrong; it was defective and I told them we should anticipate some devices will fail.
The villagers were nervous. The memory of the death of the Soul Reapers was fresh in their minds. I kicked myself for not saying something to warn every one about our tests. A crowd was milling around the tower looking for answers from my ladies about the strange sounds.
Coven called to the people and announced, "Lord Solon was showing us his black magic down the hill. Nothing to worry about. All is well."
Laudus and her sisters were at the tower door attending to the villagers.
"Sorry, everyone. I should have warned you about the unexpected explosions," I shouted, so all the crowd could hear.
You could see the relief on the faces of the adults.
"There will be more strange sounds and sights on the beach later today," I added, learning from my earlier mistake.
Grimm spoke up, "Lord Solon was showing us how to better defend Juniper Hills with powerful magic if it ever be needed."
The children looked impressed at her words; the adults whispered to each other. People dispersed back to their safeholds and their work.
Looking at my closest friends, I said, "After lunch we will test the other devices on the beach. I think you are going to like mortars, too."
Tharin smiled and responded, "I like this black magic, even if it is dangerous."
Our group broke up and I went inside to see my babies.
Swarta thought it would be wise if I toured the village with my ladies to answer questions and be seen by our people. So I ended up leading a pack of concubines and some of my tower women around the residential portion of the village until lunch-time. We'd continued to add more safeholds over the winter for the new arrivals, as the winter breezes got cold at times but, so far we'd never had frost or snow. A work crew that dressed in warm furs and other clothes had no trouble with clearing trees and constructing new cabins. I knew the people in the core residential area but the new extended homes had couples in them I didn't recognize. Fortunately though, my ladies seemed to know all the new arrivals and they navigated me around the introductions.
After the tour, we headed back to my tower for a hosted lunch for my friends. Laudus took charge of directing serving women rather than serving us herself. The pregnancy was slowing her down, so she adapted by using a chair as her command center. Laudus's sisters acted as her aides and they ran down any problems. The servers had learned some refined etiquette from Laudus, often dipping in a shallow curtsy when leaving. We had a fine meal of boar, carrots, and fish soup. Tharin belched loudly to compliment the cooks, but I am not sure Laudus approved. Somewhere we had obtained white table napkins and had entered into the world of the gentry. Laudus and her sisters were heralding manor traditions ever so slowly into our tower behavior. Swarta, Hazel and Palus particularly found the etiquette important.
Hazel said to me, "You are an important Lord now. We expect you will begin to receive visitors from Convey or Conquest Point."
I didn't begrudge their efforts to provide civilized hospitality.
"Your highly effective household has once again provided a wonderful meal," Crum announced, with a nod to Laudus and the ladies.
"Thank you, ladies, for a fine meal and attentive service," Coven echoed.
Laudus had a small staff of concubines serving the ladies and gentlemen. Like her sisters, Laudus's posture and expressions exhibited her breeding, which the other handmaidens worked to copy.
"You honor us, ladies. Let's have a clap of appreciation to all our servers." I shouted, standing up.
The room gave an enthusiastic round of applause to the women. Most of them curtsied and left with dirty dishes, taking them to be cleaned in the women's center. The sun was at its highest point and light rays generously filled the tower.
"A number of mortar shells have been delivered on a cart to the beach for our demonstration," I announced, "If all goes well, we will release another new revelation of how black powder can be used."
Looking around the room I met my family's eyes, lifting a wine goblet, saying, "Confusion to our foes."
Tharin took up a goblet and repeated, "Confusion to our foes."
All my family and friends joined in with the chant. I hoped my assembled weapons worked as my dreams expressed.
I guided Swarta and Palus down the path to the beach with great care.
"We are not broken, Von. We just had babies," Swarta complained, with a grin that said she liked the attention.
Palus broke in saying, "He is just trying to get on your good side after that long labor."
I laughed. "Ladies, I am just showing my affection and love for you."
Swarta's mouth curved up, enjoying the banter. "You will be showing me your appreciation very soon, my Lord. I am healing surprisingly fast," she joked, with a serious tone of expectation.
A chorus of loud whistles came from the trailing audience, expressing polite approval of her comment. Not long ago such a comment would have truly embarrassed me; now loving banter about my affections was second nature and natural.
The main path now had smooth flagstones along the entire length of the trail. This gave me a sense of pride at how far our homestead had progressed in a short period of time. Key lifted up a flute and her music filled the air as we broke cover from the forest to the open hills and dunes.
"Von," the rich low voice of Palus came from behind me. I had set up a metal tube angled down the empty beach, following the sun west. "I wish to know more about these mortars."
The brass heads were attached to long narrow wooden bodies with wood fins at the bottom. I only had three mortar shells delivered because they are expensive, and for a test I didn't want a large number of explosives near my family. The mortars had contact charges, which would lift the explosive heads into the air. Once the mortar shells crashed to the earth they would detonate. It was a simple delivery weapon but they were fire and forget. You fired them and forgot about them as you had limited control over where they would land. The size of the delivery charge and the angle of the metal tube would determine the flight time. I had no idea how far each would go so I had made three standard charge sizes. We would measure the distance of each rocket and have an approximation of their range. The mortar tubes were crude and at a fixed angle. My biggest fear was dropping a shell accidentally or the tube failing to take the small detonation charge and showering me with metal fragments.
"Sweetheart. I will walk you back to the group on the hill and explain as we go," I responded to my lover. "It is too dangerous for you to stay with me. This is my first test and black magic can go wrong."
Palus snorted amusement in her eyes. "You will not fail," my lover said. Emotions of pride flickered across her golden face.
"I do not have your confidence, " I thought. We walked some distance back to the rest of the group and I explained how the black powder ignited.
"Grimm, no one follows me." I swept my eyes to my other women.
"Yes, Von," Grimm answered, her voice faded out.
Tharin and Coven just shrugged, as if they have no sway over my ladies.
A small crowd lined the edge of the forest watching me. They had heard the news that I was going to use some dangerous dark magic on the beach. Of course, that created excitement and interest among the villagers. A light breeze blew in from the sea and I tasted salt on the tip of my tongue. A number of sailing ships dotted the distant horizon, fishing for our daily food needs. A few gulls glided on the wind around me, watching for any sign of food that could be snatched. A sly grin cascaded over my face at the thought of the effect on the birds when I dropped the first shell into the tube.
The shell in my hand was the length of my arm, not really heavy but it felt awkward to handle. The heavier shell nose held the explosives encased by the metal canister. I pulled the safety pin which armed the weapon, and I prayed I wasn't about to kill myself when I dropped the shell into the mortar tube. If things did go wrong it would devastate my ladies but they would be far enough away to avoid the shrapnel. My family idly watched me from the distant dune as I dropped the rocket into the cylinder.
It might have been better if I hadn't held my breath. The base of the shell struck the bottom of the tube and the small charge exploded, lifting my rocket into the sky. A small cloud of gray smoke surrounded me and I choked on the smell of black powder. My ears rang in a strange harmony of sound that blocked all other sounds of the beach. A gust of wind blew the cloud of smoke away from me and the tube. I looked down the beach, my eyes stinging and ears ringing. An explosion and cloud of gray smoke filled the air on the crest of the next dune.
I permitted myself a smile and looked at my family. My ladies had a hand over their mouths. I waved to show everything was fine. My gaze fell on the next shell and I picked it up and pulled the safety pin. "Courage, " I thought.
With a final glance at my lovers I strode to the mortar and dropped the second mortar shell into its mouth. This time I opened my mouth and covered both of my ears with the palm of my hands. A great thump sound filled my ears and another flash of light put the shell into flight. Once again I was surrounded by smoke which was pushed away quickly by a gust of wind from the sea. No ringing of the ears this time. There was something reassuring about seeing clearly and hearing the normal course of nature around you. My hand covered my eyes from the sun's glare and I set my gaze to the crest of the next dune. I heard an explosion but no smoke. After a few moments gray smoke rose above the other dune and dissipated in the steady breeze. The second shell had a large charge and a longer flight time, it had crested the other dune but not reached the next crest.
A wary silence marked the crowd of villagers at the forest edge. The crowd had doubled in size and rows of children clung to their mothers. "The new women and their family that live in Tharin's tower, " I thought.
The acrid smoke still lingered in my nose as I looked over the steel tube for cracks. It would just be my luck to succeed with the mortars and have the tube fail and explode in my face. The tube was the finest metal but I was new to making such things and needed to be cautious about the tubes and explosives. Not seeing any problems I picked up the last mortar shell with the largest launching charge I dare use. At the last moment I remembered to remove the safety pin, which made me feel foolish. On the other hand, it was a reminder that I'd have to train a few gunners and make sure the safety removal was drilled into them. In a panic or rush, anyone can forget such a simple step.
I scrutinized the shell one last time and dropped it into the tube, covering my ears as I turned and bent away from the mortar. The explosive thump and black smoke made me blink and step towards the sea. I moved out of the gray smoke and looked to the distant dune. An explosion blew sand and dirt off the crest of the second dune. I jumped with joy and looked at my family, laughter erupted from the women at my antics. The inner turmoil and fear of failing with the experiment turned to pride and happiness within my soul. My eyes made a quick survey of the tube; finding no cracks, I strode to my family.
A softer emotion covered me as I wrapped my arms around Swarta and Palus, the warm pleasure of my lovers filled me.
"I love you both so much," I said.
Smiling reassuringly, Swarta responded first, "We are proud of you, Von. That was exciting black magic."
"You are a powerful protector. I can see this black magic is important. Yet, I do not see word of this traveling through the Great Marsh as fast as the Night of the Six Suns," Palus hastened to add.
A little sadness always hit me when someone talked about that night. By popular consensus, that night was not talked about by the villagers within my hearing.
Tharin nibbled on a piece of cold game, a smile on his face. With a deep fondness I clasped his forearm.
"Great entertainment, Von," Tharin said, a cheeky smile rose from his words.
I laughed and asked Crum, "Please count of the number of steps from the metal tube to each of the blasts."
He didn't hesitate to run down to the mortar to begin the task.
"Tharin can you lock up the mortar in the weapon's cabin?" Tharin kept chewing his piece of meat and walked down to the tube.
I coaxed the women up the hill back to the forest path. The crowd at the forest edge parted to let us pass.
One of the new women said, "You do practice magic. I thought it was nonsense like the talk about six suns."
Her candor touched me.
"Yes, there are lots of surprises left in me," I answered.
The ebony woman gazed at me, curious, timid perhaps, with admiration in her eyes. A young ebony girl clung to the woman's brown dress, a child I didn't recognize. Swarta stopped to talk with the woman so I walked on, further down the path towards my tower.
Coven spoke up as we followed the twisted path, "Your weapon will cause quite a few to tremble. Do you have more metal tubes?"
He cocked his eyebrows, waiting for me. I simply lifted two fingers as my answer.
"We will need to train three sets of gunners to use the weapons, can you find me nine men? I want three for each mortar. I'd prefer eunuchs." I said.
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...
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...