"As the ship's doctor I can declare anyone unfit for duty," she told me. I was evidently supposed to know what she meant by that. When my expression didn't change, she continued. "I can lock Sage out of the system entirely. She won't have access to the ship's computer or even be able to open a single locked door."
"Really? Yeah, you are right."
"About what?"
"You should have brought this up sooner."
I was ready to make some necessary adjustments with Sage's care based on this new information. But to do so without talking to the other girls would be a huge mistake. I told the doctor that I would take care of it first thing in the morning. She could go ahead and block Sage's access.
I stood in front of the door to my quarters debating on entering. Honey would be in my bed still, sleeping soundly after our aggressive romp. The thought of her warm green skin against mine was more than appealing. However, I knew that I wouldn't be able to sleep much with this prisoner issue on my mind. I decided to go down to the cargo holds.
"When do I fly?" Gako asked me as I tried to tiptoe past him quietly.
The area that the two dragons had been using was messy and beginning to stink. The beasts certainly were not potty trained. Caring for their needs on the ship turned out to be a much bigger commitment than we had originally thought. Just because they were sentient didn't mean that they could fully care for themselves in all ways.
"Give me a couple more days," I told him. I wasn’t ready to deal with that conversation at the moment. "We'll be on another planet soon."
"Can't we fly on your station?" Dawynda asked. "At night where there are no humans?"
"It doesn't work that way, I'm afraid," I answered. Of course, they didn’t know how a space station functioned. "I don't have time to explain it to you right now but trust me. I am working on getting you a couple days some place nice."
The two of them were grumbling behind my back as I headed for the forward hold where Sage was being kept. I couldn't really blame them. They were dragons! On a space ship! It was a ridiculous idea to bring them aboard in the first place. They only agreed to it because they completely struggled with the concept of what it was like to live in space. They probably envisioned new hunting grounds and a wider variety of prey to consume. I should have been clearer, but my desire to include them made me worried that they would refuse if I had explained properly.
Sage was asleep when I carefully stepped inside the smallest section of the lower level. In the corner of her cage was a bucket with a lid on it. It was incapable of completely sealing off the odor of its nasty contents. The rest of her barred crate was nearly spotless. Considering her personality, I shouldn't have been all that surprised.
I sat on the floor just a few feet in front of the bars and sighed. How did I let this happen? I didn't completely regret treating her harshly. But the current plan certainly had its issues. We probably should have left her on the planet as Strawberry had suggested. That would have been the easiest course of action for us. Hell, we could even have lied to the doctor about the previously leader's demise.
"It was my mistake," I mumbled to myself without realizing it. My voice startled the Tigritari causing it to growl like a lion. Sage scrambled up unto her knees and pulled her body toward the safety of the wall behind her. I watched as comprehension of the situation slowly unveiled on her face.
"Hello, Kash," she finally said as she lowered her plump ass to the floor to try to get comfortable. "What can I do for you?"
I just stared at her, too cautious to say anything more out loud.
She looked past me through the open door and made a deduction. "Is it the middle of the night?" she asked. "Is this a booty call, Kash? Have you been drinking?"
I stifled a chuckle. That was funny. I remembered a day, and it wasn't all that long ago, when I desired Sage as a lover. She wasn't my first choice. Not by a long shot. But she had her qualities. That huge buttocks of hers could be like a greased beach ball trying to get free from my grip. Or I could motorboat those gigantic titties of hers. She needed a little rough treatment in recompense for how she treated me. But that no longer held my interest.
"No, you have plenty of lovers to keep you busy now, don't you? Guilt is what has brought you down here tonight, isn't it?"
"What am I guilty of?" the words spilled from my mouth before I could stop them. She was the kind of person that could easily bait me into an argument.
"Mutiny, of course. Inhumane treatment of a superior officer as well. I was honestly unsure of what your plans were with me at first. I mean, the smart thing to do would have been to kill me, possibly feed me to your dragons. And for a while I wondered if that was a possibility. Even your threat to ass rape me and jettison my body into the vacuum of space had merit. Neither option was the least bit appealing, I must tell you. But here you are now, with a worried look. By yourself."
It was my turn to talk obviously, but I wasn't biting this time.
"I haven't had anyone to talk to, Kash. So pardon my long wind as I try to unravel this mystery. You see, there isn't much to keep me entertained down here."
"You
