Chapter 2

“I see you were using the pods again,” Marion White, the ships First Officer, says as she enters the galley to see Regina on the deck naked. “Unauthorized use of company property for personal pleasure is not allowed you know.”

Regina lifts her head from the deck and blinks away the sleep. “Why don’t you just shove it up your ass,” she sneers.

Marion walks over and pulls out an egg from a pod and pops it in her mouth. “You know, I don’t know what makes you so special.” She takes a seat and throws a long, slim leg up over the other. “Ms. Zardow could have easily corrected her inability to have children instead of adopting you. And why would anyone adopt someone so old anyway?”

Regina is up on her feet, buttoning her leather top and running her fingers through her hair. “Don’t get all pissy because you can’t get everything you want.”

“Oh, I’m not pissy, Regina,” she says with a smirk. “You’re just lucky Ms. Zardow runs the company and has a lot of influence.”

“What is your problem with me anyhow?”

“That’s easy,” Marion sneers. “I just don’t like you. You’re an Earthling that should be in one of those pods instead of the captain of this ship.”

Regina laughs. “Your mother is an Earthling.”

“Don’t patronize me,” Marion says. “She is one of the founders. We’re first generation and you’re the only one of us born of Earth.”

“And that’s a bad thing?”

“Of course it is,” Marion answers with a smile. “We’re special. We’re like royalty. But you’re the bastard born to a concubine.”

“I don’t have time for this,” Regina says. She throws a hand at the other woman and starts to leave the galley.

“I would sit if I were you,” the other says calmly. “I have some interesting information that may be important to you.”

Regina spins around. She doesn’t try to keep the pissed off look from showing on her face. “What could you possibly have that I would give two shits about?” Though she pretends to not care, deep down she knows Marion is a deceitful little bitch and if she says she has something, most likely she does.

“Please sit,” the woman says, motioning to the chair opposite her.

Reluctantly Regina takes the seat, boring holes into the woman with the intensity of her glare. “So?”

“As you know, it is against Extroneon law for humans to interact with Extroneons in a sexual manner unless it is for the purpose of breeding and that only applies to the humans Renewal Corp engineers.”

Regina huffs and waves a dismissive hand at the woman. “Tell me something I don’t already know. If this is your big news then I have better things to do.”

“Hardly,” Marion says coolly. “I only bring this to your attention because of your relationship with Greiss. It is one of something other than professional.”

Regina smiles. It isn’t a well-known fact but it isn’t hidden either. “Blackmailing a superior officer is a punishable action Marion.”

“Be that as it may, but what do you think the Extroneon government will think of such news?”

Regina laughs this time. “You really think that any of us back home hasn’t done that at least once. We introduced engineered women for them. It is only natural they would want to see what a non-incubator human is like. And with what they can do, any human would want to also.”

Marion scrunches her face. “Not me,” she says with disgust. “They are such vile things, no different than those nasty Kryccy.”

“You mean you’ve never used a Kryccy?” Regina asks almost appalled by the thought.

“I’m still a virgin, thank you very much,” Marion says, holding her chin up high. “But that is beside the point.”

“Then please, by all means, get on with it,” Regina says, growing frustrated. “And make it good before I bring up charges of insubordination.”

It is Marion’s turn to smile. “The board tolerates you because of who Ms. Zardow is and how the Extroneons hold such high regard toward her, but that is going to only get you so far. They have looked past your troubles that you have caused many times over.”

“Your point?” Regina says with a huff. “Get to it please.”

“I am,” Marion counters. “Anyway, we have regular blood work done to ensure we are top notch, considering we live on a different planet and consume these foods and those that the Extroneons provide. In doing so I have, or rather, Marlasion has discovered something in you.”

Regina wants to brush the statement off but something nags at her, wanting to believe it. She wants to hear more, but she’s not going to give Marion a thrill out of knowing it. “Whatever it is, if it is even true, why hasn’t Marlasion or you told anyone about it?”

“Who says we haven’t?”

“Well we wouldn’t be here right now on this ship on our way to Earth,” Regina says smartly. Marion’s face stays stone cold serious and it tells Regina the woman isn’t lying. “So what is this big secret then?”

Marion breaks a smile. “You have a very rare gene that allows you to breed with other species just like you would with any human.”

Puzzlement crosses Regina’s face. “How can you know?”

Marion laughs slightly. “Marlasion and I have experimented with it using artificial wombs. The discovery was shocking. Even though it means Renewal Corp could revolutionize their carriers, it creates a problem with the Extroneons.”

“It means we could create a new race,” Regina mumbles.

“Exactly,” Marion agrees. “But if that happens then the Extroneons become threatened and that means the end of us, if not the entire population of Earth. I don’t know about you but I enjoy living and my status.”

“So what is it you want to keep quiet, a recommendation to the position of captain of a specific ship or this ship?”

“Nothing of the sort,” Marion says. “That is something I will get soon enough. No, what I want is you gone.”

“That’s all?” Regina asks dismissively. “Good luck on that one. You’ll have to kill me first.”

“I rather not go that route and if you are lucky the Extroneons won’t either, just a banishment of one of their conquered and forgotten worlds.”

“You expect me to stay on Earth?” Regina asks incredulously.

“Indeed I do.” She smirks. “Unfortunately that means Greiss can’t stay.”

“You can forget it,” Regina says sternly as she stands up and over the other woman. “Your blackmail isn’t going to fly.”

Unfazed, Marion looks up at her. “Don’t do anything rash Captain. Should something happen to me, Marlasion will not hesitate to take action. Of course if I feel threatened I can always send a transmission back home and have the same outcome. When you return, not only will the board have the evidence but so will the Extroneon government.”

Regina feels like punching the woman, but being an officer stops her, so does the possibility of ruining whatever chance she has to change the woman’s mind by the end of their journey. Instead, Regina spins around and stomps out.

“You have until we are ready to leave Earth to decide, Captain,” Marion says as the woman stalks out.

Greiss is in the cargo bay, checking on the cages for their future human captives when Regina bursts in. He turns to see who it is and smiles upon seeing her rather angry face.

Greiss, like the rest of his race stands at least two feet taller than most humans. They are naturally well built with pasty skin and no body hair. Though they are humanoid, what sets them apart is their tail, superbly large cocks and the tentacles they can produce from their wrists and forearms.

The Extroneons were created by another race and with the exception of the ability to breed they haven’t any capacity to create. Unfortunately when their creators died out so did the Extroneon’s method of continuing their race. This in turn turned them into a conquering species, taking what they need for their world and society, sometimes decimating other species and worlds in their wake.

“Is something wrong Captain?” he asks as he puts down his comp device.

“That stupid little bitch Marion is the problem,” she says. Regina covers the distance in just a few strides and throws her arms around his neck. Even at average height, she has to stand up on her toes to do so.

“First Officer White?” he asks.

“Is there anyone else?”

Greiss smiles at this. “You’re her captain. Just put her in her place.”

“If it were only that simple,” she groans.