"I have humored you again," she informed me, as if I didn't already know. "I have an extensive library of jokes, quips, puns and more. Would you like to hear another one that appears to fit the occasion?"
"No!" I answered quickly. "Pace yourself, Portia. This is good stuff. Just keep saving it for the right occasion."
"Your wise direction is very much appreciated," she told me as she continued. Her pace was a bit slower as she waited for me to catch up. There might have been even a little more sway of the hips as well. Or that could just seem to be the case since she drew my attention to them.
I wasn't sure what to make of this new development, but I liked it. My mind went back to that moment yesterday when I had my hand on her breast. If she wasn't an android, I would think that she was getting flirty with me.
After we passed through the gate a switch flipped and she returned to being completely professional in her manner. She methodically updated me on all things regarding the ship and estimated that we would be ready for a mid-afternoon departure the next day. I was encouraged to relax and enjoy myself until it was time for pre-launch checklist.
I felt like I needed a drink. I wasn't sure if it was a stress drink or a celebratory one. I was tempted to go back to the multi-level bar that we visited the other day. But I'd had enough of Peggy culture for a while. A good stiff drink with Lin and Nancy in the privacy of our spacecraft home would be much better.
That thought brought my mind back to our early days together. Back on the island. The simulated island inside the Thesphilian ship. The rec center where we first started drinking together. Since then we'd had many occasions to party on various stations. First as celebrities, the tab being paid for us. Later in a more controlled fashion on our own money. My girls could party, that was for sure.
No drugs, though. Only alcohol. This new universe that we popped into had lots of ways to get your fix. The days of heroin overdose were completely gone. But there now existed a ton of nanites available to take you into any fantasy surreal experience that you desired. Fortunately, all three of us were too old fashioned for that. However, I had my doubts about Nevenah back on Tau Ceti station. She was still young and inclined to test things in a party atmosphere. But everyone we met claimed that these things were entirely safe now.
Every drug was an injection directly into your bloodstream or consumed as a liquid. Nanites controlled the sensations and monitored your body's reaction. People no longer needed to roll joints or cook chemicals. Even the hazard of doing something dangerous while under the influence was removed. The tiny pieces of technology controlling your experience would cut you off should you attempt to fly a spaceship or manually operate a loader.
"So, you're okay with Portia taking over all these functions?" Nancy asked.
We were gathered in the galley again. It was the only place to relax other than our private rooms. Mine had a chair but the others only had beds to sit on. I was considering converting one of the empty quarters into a lounge. I didn't know how that would go over with Plith and his company. We were expected to take on more crew members eventually. And personalizing the ship this early would be presumptuous. My contract as the ship's captain was only for two cycles, even if verbally I was told to expect more. Technically, I was still on probation in this position.
"She's not taking over anything," I clarified. "She's handling things for us when we want to take a break. It doesn't seem necessary to have one of us in the control room all the time."
"That is not how you felt when we left Tau Ceti," Lin said. "You obviously trust her much more than you did when she arrived."
"That is true. I do. She has earned my trust. In time she will earn yours as well."
The conversation continued like that as we each sipped on our drinks. Mine tasted like straight whiskey but the girls both opted for the fruity cocktail mix. The mellow feeling kicked in almost immediately for all three of us. The nanites in my drink adjusted for my weight and tolerance. The days of consuming three or four drinks to every one of theirs was gone. That was cool. I didn't have to piss as much.
"How about sex?" Nancy eventually asked.
"Are you propositioning me?"
"Not necessarily," she answered with a smile. "I'm asking how we feel about it, given how things ended last time."
"I'm so..."
"Stop apologizing for it," Lin told me. "We all understand what happened now. The question is if any or all of us are ready to try to work things out."
"I think that I'll take a break from it until we reach Teegarden," I reluctantly told my wives. "But you two are welcome to go at it. Maybe I'll watch from a safe distance."
Lin laughed before replying, "That was strictly for your benefit. Nancy and I love each other, but we're not lesbians."
"Well," Nancy added with a naughty expression. "It was mostly for his benefit. Lin, I enjoyed the part when you..."
"We're not lesbians," Lin said firmly to the other woman with her hand up demanding that she stop talking about it.
I was pretty sure Nancy was just trying to be funny. The three of us sat there smiling at each other for a while after that, mellowed out by our drinks. From the looks on their faces they were still thinking about sex. I knew that I was.
Finally, Nancy
