Oh, I already had those two in mind. I liked being the rooster in this coop, I just hadn’t considered the breeding implication.
"So," I began summarizing her demands. "Don't kill Sage. Keep Teddy, Gako and Dawynda for at least a year..."
"Aeren and Mixi as well," she added.
"Okay. I don't think that they'll be wanting to leave us anyway. And give you a baby to study. Should I pinpoint specific females for my insemination? Or just spread a wide net?"
It took her a moment to understand my question. When she did, her professionalism slipped a bit as she nearly chuckled. "You can plant your seed in as many places and as often as you want, Kash. But you'll need a willing recipient to carry the child."
The grin she gave me encouraged another question. "We're sure that recipient cannot be you?"
Vanilla smiled before answering. "I am flattered by your interest, but I cannot get pregnant and still perform my duties as a doctor and scientist to the high level that I desire. I'm not saying that I will never want you inside of me," she whispered.
"Am I interrupting something?" Cinnamon's voice was pitched even higher than usual. How much of the conversation did she hear?
"What's up?" I asked. My attention had bounced around quite a bit over the last couple minutes. First to my commitments. Then to my desire to have sex with my crew mates, especially the two alien girls. Then to penetrate the seemingly unattainable sweet snatch of the doctor. Cinnamon's presence so quick suggested that something might be an issue in the control room.
"We need you up front," Cinnamon said with a strange stare toward Vanilla. She must have at least heard that last part of my conversation with the doctor.
I rose to leave, but then remembered that I hadn't yet committed to the doctor's terms. Turning back to her I said, "I accept."
"Thank you, captain," I heard her say as I was leaving the galley. It caused me to falter briefly before exiting the dining area.
A few steps down the hallway Cinnamon brought me to a halt. "Captain?"
My grin could not be avoided. I had never in my life played a game so well as the one I had been playing with this crew of late.
"Are you winning every woman but me over with that cock of yours?" she said in outrage.
"What? No!"
I initially struggled to see her viewpoint, but the fog was clearing as I tried. My relationship with Honeysuckle improved dramatically while we were held in an underground cell together. Our sexual encounter there had a lot to do with it. My sex with Strawberry a few days ago certainly was intended to win her over. She may have thought that was how Coffee and I had gotten so close. And honestly, I couldn't deny that one either.
"Trust me," I said, remembering how people back on Earth would laugh when I used that expression. "That conversation wasn't what it sounded like. I'm not going to have sex with Vanilla." Anytime soon, I thought to myself. "She's onboard with the change in leadership."
"Obviously," Cinny responded. "She just called you captain."
"She had some other requests that I'm happy to tell you about. Do you want to hear them now? Or is there really an issue I need to deal with in the control room?"
I received my first dirty look of the day. After a moment, she simply gestured for me to go, then followed at a pouty distance.
"Sitrep?" I barked out as I entered the control room. I was starting to get extremely comfortable with this new arrangement that put me solely in charge.
"Sit what?" Honey asked with a befuddled expression.
"It means situation report," I explained. "What is the dealio?"
"Should we start making a list of these new words?" Strawberry asked.
"Maybe," I answered. I wasn't ready to bark out orders just yet, or demand that everyone onboard learn my lingo. "Is there an issue that needs my attention?"
"Yes," Honey replied. "I spotted a second ship entering the system."
"How were we..."
"They are apparently coming from a different star system," Strawberry answered my question before I could even finish. "We can't stay hidden from both at the same time for quite a while. I want to shut down the engines where we are, but I figured you would like to be in on that decision. What do you think?"
The three women present all studied my reaction. Perhaps for different reasons. I felt like Strawberry was testing me. Honey was genuinely waiting for my orders. And Cinnamon had issues of her own still.
My plan was to move again before shutting off the engines. That would give us not only more time to remain hidden, but a chance to escape the system once our new nav-girl was ready without being spotted. A second ship changed things dramatically. At least until they were both in the same place.
"Is this another ship from the same company?"
"I can't say for sure," Strawberry replied. "But it is another class M. I think that it is likely that they are connected considering the timing."
"Cool," I said then.
"What is cool about it?" Cinnamon asked in a lower tone than usual. Was she still upset about overhearing the doctor say that she wasn't against me penetrating her vagina at some point?
"They are probably going to the same place," I answered proudly. It was always a good thing when I looked smarter than them. "We just have to wait until they are both on the other side of this moon before we consider leaving. Does that sound right to you, partner?"
Strawberry smiled. "Yes, it does. Powering down now."
Some lights on the monitors faded
