"Yeah," Nancy replied. "If we want them to think we are crazy!"
"Do not report the incident at this time," I told Portia. She was programmed to follow my commands to a great degree. I couldn't order her to kill someone or avoid saving a person's life. Some laws she was hardwired to obey, but I believed this kind of thing was not one of them. Unless our ship’s malfunction could cause damage to the station as I previously surmised.
"Has my performance during the crisis met with your satisfaction?" she asked with a rigid backward glance.
"Yes, Portia. You did great."
"Will you be more agreeable to accepting my assistance from this point forward?"
After a heavy sigh, I admitted, "Yes, I probably will."
"I look forward to providing you with greater satisfaction in the near future," Portia told me, totally unaware of the potential sexual reference.
"Did she really just say that?" Nancy asked.
"It is not a she," Lin corrected her. Both women had been extremely resistant to taking on the android as part of the crew. The robot's sleek but curvaceous feminine form no doubt encouraged some level of jealousy, even if she did look otherworldly.
Unnatural hair and eye color were quite common these days, as were other body modifications. Portia just looked too perfect, though no more beautiful than my second wife, Lin. The real woman’s exquisite athletic build with smooth Polynesian brown skin only complemented her gorgeous round face.
We had chosen sleeveless tops and skirts for the girls to wear for uniforms. They had short shorts, too. That made them much more attractive eye candy than a fully clothed robot.
"Well," Nancy said. "If we are done with that drama, things look to be back to normal. Lin has the navigation path loaded. Joah, if you would like to put those tight ass cheeks back in your seat we can be on our way."
I did just that, though my mind lingered on the smoky life form that had intruded our ship, and its frozen touch. Minutes later we received more data from the Andromedas station. I let Lin and Nancy deal with most of that as my mind was silently occupied on the recent encounter. To me, being military minded, it was an attack. But scientists would surely classify the incident as a first encounter with an unknown intelligence.
Interstellar travel was exciting when I first joined the crew of the Chargreuse. After a dozen jumps or so the novelty eventually wore off. Station visits then became the thing that we all looked forward to with much anticipation. Especially if it was a new stop for us, or one that we hadn't visited for a while. Without a doubt, the most boring part of my new life was the slow cross system transit on approach or departure.
I typically spent much of my down time getting close to one of my two wives, or both. Vary rarely at the same time. And when it was, it was more of a tag-team situation than a true threesome. Now that the three of us comprised the entire crew, aside from the android, the vibe was considerably different.
Being captain of a merchant vessel was sort of like being a small business owner back on Earth. You were pretty much married to the job. Lin and Nancy were feeling the same way, though that could wear off in time. Much of what would have been our free time was spent in the control room, chatting as we monitored our stations.
When Lin offered to remain on duty with Portia so Nancy and I could rest, I gave my first wife a seductive smile. She knew exactly what I was thinking. I was hoping a little romp with my frequent lover would take my mind off of the disturbing intrusion.
Nancy Sheridan was the first of several to attach themselves to me as a mate. That may have mostly been because she was the first person that I met when I woke up on that fabricated island prison that the Thesphilians had placed us on. I could fondly remember her reluctance to help me get dressed while I was still recovering from the cryogenic stasis. Her shyness toward my naked form didn't last long.
She had been a secretary for a medical firm executive back in her time on Earth. Divorced once, no children. Professional in her manner initially, she was quick to crack jokes once she got more comfortable. Especially after the death of Trixie who may have been the most hilarious woman that I had ever met.
Once Nancy and I got intimate things changed dramatically. That may have been because we were trapped on that island with very little human contact besides the two of us. Once we got it on, she almost turned a little slutty. By that I mean that she was not opposed to having sex anywhere. On the beach in the hammock may have been her favorite place. While I was hooking up with Lin, she even had a brief sexual experience with another guy. To my knowledge, that was the last time she touched another man.
As our situation turned more serious, so did our relationship. Her commitment to following my lead eventually led to her decision to be my wife. I couldn't say that she was thrilled when Lin later made the same decision. But we were in a unique predicament. Still, her desire for sex never diminished.
"I think that we should fuck in every room on this ship," she said as she laced her fingers through mine. I turned to see her signature wicked grin. I wondered if her old friends back in the secretary pool ever saw this ornery side of her.
"We can start with my room," I suggested.
"No, Joah," she tugged me toward the hallway instead of the door to the captain's chambers. "That's too
