Chapter 3: Whoa! I’m Going To Barbados

Michael was feeling guilty. <Dora, I hardly spend any quality time with my first loves and Cathleen is pregnant. We need to make something special happen.>

The family got along amazingly well. In many ways, it resembled the group marriages or line marriages in some of Robert Heinlein’s stories. There were a number of loving sub groups that helped with both cuddle and sexual needs.

Rachel, Cathleen, and Hannah were heavily into each other -- with or without Michael present. Not surprising, Katie and Dora’s Gingerbread were deeply attached after only a short time. That wasn’t much of a surprise with the ninety-eight percent lesbian, Katie, but Ginger found that Katie filled a need she hadn’t known existed.

The Nerds, Billie and Bertie, while technically not married into the family, might as well have been. They slept in the family’s giant bed, avidly screwed Jimmy, Victor, and Richard, and invited any family member interested into their own family puppy pile. Danni and Carole were growing ever closer and had begun asking Mandy to join them. Vicky, Victor, Linda, and Ayesha were fast becoming inseparable. And so it went; islands and groupings circling around Michael, but content when the currents separated them from him, knowing they would soon return.

And the pre-adults, they were the happiest, most creative self-abusers imaginable.

Above all, there was love, in-love, and respect. Nevertheless, Michael felt guilty.

<Michael, > Dora responded to her musing husband, <I think I have a twofer for you.>

Three stunningly beautiful women boarded the Summer Paradise accompanied by a rather ordinary man. The blonde was just beginning to show the early signs of pregnancy. It was clear that the women adored him and each other equally. They were obviously wealthy, having paid top dollar for the one remaining suite just hours before the ship’s departure.

Anita, feeling the swelling of her coffers, was very content and magnanimous, but she wondered about sleeping arrangements for four adults in a suite that had only one king bed.

Dora’s drones, having swept the ship, found no out-of-the-ordinary surveillance anywhere aboard. The four spent the first three days of the cruise visiting with other passengers, speaking with crewmembers when possible, and retiring to their cabin for frequent, loving sex. It was pretty much the honeymoon they never had. That first evening, the four stood on their balcony and watched the shore pass and recede as the ship left port and headed south.

Though working, being together made their time special and reminiscent of their trek across Nebraska. On the fourth day, they invited Captain Hoag to their cabin for cocktails.

Hoag arrived promptly at the appointed hour, one and a half hours prior to their scheduled dinner sitting. Marjorie, though uninvited, was with him.

After greeting them, Michael said nothing, but handed them each a device resembling a PDA. When the two shook off the disorienting effect and looked at him, Michael asked, “How soon can you be ready?”

“That depends,” Hoag offered honestly, “we could go tomorrow after we dock, but if we knew the parameters of our assignment, I’d say we could optimize for the cruise after next. Does that work?”

Rachel spoke up, “Your assignment would be to captain a colonizing ship with a crew of three thousand and a capacity of up to a quarter million colonists. Your ship would also be the locale for a merchant ‘space’ academy. We are undecided if you would also wear the commandant’s hat. Assuming you accept, your ship arrives in less than six weeks. We’d want you aboard and training as soon as possible after that.”

Marjorie turned to Hoag, grinned, and asked, “Do you think Gillian would be open to your having another wife?”

Cathleen laughed, and when Hoag looked a question at her, she explained the relationship of the four passengers in the cabin. “I actually have seven sister-wives, and I’m pretty sure there will be another when Valerie reaches fourteen.”