Perhaps we were an unusual sight. A large muscle-bound human male with a perfectly shaped female that appeared human as well. It would be the young Pegillas woman riding piggyback that would make people wonder.
"Where do you live?" I asked my rider.
"Why?"
"We should take you home."
"The bad men will be waiting for me," she said sadly. "That is why I left the city and risked death on the fringe of life."
It was a fitting expression. I imagined people didn't survive long out there.
"As you know, captain, there is no law against us taking her back to the ship."
I was surprised to hear Portia make such a suggestion, and I told her so. She was supposed to be the crew member that was most bound to the rules of our company. Inviting strangers into our vessel was certainly frowned upon. That was why shore leave was so popular. Whatever your fix, get it out of your system before returning to the spacecraft for departure. Don’t bring strangers home.
"Nancy and Lin will want to reunite with you as soon as possible," Portia explained. "We can attempt to coordinate a rendezvous location, but our ship is the most logical place. Once there you can take some time to decide how to handle the situation. It appears as though your new friend could benefit from a medical examination and some food."
"Yes, please," Alora addressed my android. She still had no idea that she was talking to an artificial intelligence. "Thank you. The bird I ate is not happy in my belly."
"You ate a bird?"
I covered that part of the story. In doing so I needed to tell my crew mate more about what happened, so I ended up starting over. By the time I finished the tale we were spotting human beings again among the foot traffic.
"I have located Lin and Nancy," Portia told me.
"Where are they?"
"On the far side of the city, but closer to the ship than us. Shall I instruct them to return home?"
"Are they together?"
"Yes."
That was a worry off my mind. I had thought my wandering off was going to end up getting them killed. They would search for me relentlessly I imagined. The same way that I would do for them. I was so caught up in my own dilemma that I hadn't considered how my actions would affect them. Our last sexual sequence ended in such a way that made me feel terrible.
The dangers of Pegillas were real. I learned that firsthand. My confidence that my women could take care of themselves waivered after needing super strength to protect myself and Alora.
Portia did as I instructed her. Both of my wives were relieved that I was safe and returning home. But Nancy wasn't satisfied. She demanded to talk to me personally. I was able to connect to her with my wrist communicator. The sound of her crying through the speaker made me feel like shit. I apologized repeatedly to both women.
"They love you," Alora said after overhearing the conversation.
"Yes, they do," Portia answered when I hesitated. I was still pretty choked up about making them worry so much about me.
"Do you love Joah, too?" my back monkey asked.
Without hesitation, Portia responded. "I have a different kind of fondness for my captain. It would be difficult to explain at this time. Is there someone that you love very much?"
Wow! Portia was very good at deflection. Was that in her programming?
"My family," Alora answered with sadness in her voice. "But it is not the same either."
"Why not?" I asked, as I recovered from my near emotional breakdown.
"Ma and Pa always knew I would be taken," she explained. "They protected their hearts, but I could not. Just like my sisters."
I wished there was something that I could do for them. Would money fix it? I knew my pocket change could feed a Peggy family for a week, but how much would it take to keep their daughters from getting sold and raped? I could consider that option later, back on the ship. We were arriving at the busy section of town already.
"Should I continue to ride you on my back like this?" I asked Alora.
"It makes me look like a whore," she answered. "But I don't want to get down."
I stopped abruptly causing the group following close behind us some frustration. "I don't want to ruin your reputation," I told the brown furred girl that I was carrying.
"Perhaps I can carry you instead," Portia suggested. She was full of surprises today. "Will that still give the impression of transporting a prostitute?"
"Maybe, but it doesn't matter. I want Joah."
The father and child vibe came back stronger than ever. I wasn't sure what to make of it but getting back to the ship was the priority. If Alora wanted to ride me all the way there I was fine with it. She weighed maybe half what Nancy or Lin did, and her effortless manner of clinging to my back made it easy for me. It was no different than carrying my gear when I was posted in the Middle East.
We got some stares from humans and Peggies alike as we waited our turn to get through the gate. A few religious natives muttered something in their own language. I was beyond caring about them at the moment. The exhaustion that I felt was much more than physical. I needed to get back to my wives and my ship. Everything will be okay if we all just make it home safely.
Once we cleared the massive partition and entered the spaceport section more local females noticed us. They were dressed nicer than most
