Chapter 6

Unfortunately Emily needed to keep coordinating, and while I’d have loved to stay with her, I needed to captain the Brunhilda back Home. But Cock did provide her with a sort of laptop that strapped to her shoulders, sort of like one of those keyboards I’d seen Edgar Winter wear in old videos I’d seen on You Tube, except with a monitor jutting up. It allowed her to accompany us to our ship, or at least to the decontamination room that led to our ship.

There was a delay though before we headed there, waiting for Angela to get laid by Dick, about a half hour, and I noticed Emily dealing with each alien representative one by one, and by and large the aliens looked somewhat humanoid, the only obvious exception being a creature that looked to be a cross between a dolphin and an octopus, a quadrapus I guess, the fifth dangling part looking too phallic to be some kind of arm. One looked stalk like with tiny eyes and nostril holes but with a rather large, lipless mouth, but they all had that symmetry of twos. The rest, with various differences, looked vaguely human. It appeared to be friendly negotiations, but I sensed a feeling out on Emily’s part, getting a sense of their aggressiveness.

When we parted with a quick kiss, I noticed one of the Ags handing Emily a version of their helmet, much tighter to the head and transparent. “See you soon,” she smiled.

It didn’t take long to travel to Home and dock. Both Jock and Martha waited impatiently. “Give me time for the three S’s, and a bite to eat” I communicated to them. “Angela?”

“Me too, but just two S’s,” she admitted.

“Don’t need to shit?” I quipped.

“Shave, asshole,” she chuckled.

“You sure? I could help.”

“Some other time maybe,” she laughed.

“I should talk to Emily anyway,” Jock decided.

“If she has time,” I replied, getting cocky.

A flash of anger I saw on his face when I passed him soon passed. He decided not to reply though. “Asshole,” I thought, still suspicious of him implanting a communication device in my head without me knowing.

I decided on comfirmation. “Did you hear Jock before, on the Ag ship?” I asked Angela on the elevator.

“I did,” she confirmed. “But I decided to get the translator implant too,” she added, perhaps sharing my suspicions.

We didn’t dawdle, but it took time to undress and dress in the cumbersome suits, so that added to Jock’s wait. It didn’t surprise me when he and his wife had settled into their seats on the Brunhilda. He kept his helmet on though when the cabin pressurized, most likely for visuals while he chatted with Emily. We had begun our travel to the Mipplee ship by the time he removed it.

“Any insights?” I asked him.

“Insights?”

“Any wariness needed regarding aggression towards Earth.”

“Just the Mipplee actually. They remind her of an incredibly pumped up gang of Hell’s Angels.”

“That doesn’t sound good.”

“No, but we’re deciding to let Earth know what happened. Roger, working with Emily, has a plan for defense. Alien technology will help in creating advanced armament and platforms ringing Earth.”

“I can’t imagine that going over well, even with proof. Will there be proof?”

“Delegations from each ally. And we’re thinking the Chick Check, a species that lives in water, could actually have Earth be their new home. They are by far the least populated of the species aside from us. Of course that means their huge ship gets permission to land around the Mariana Trench.”

“Who’d do the negotiating?”

“Most of the first generation will return to earth.”

“Doesn’t sound convincing. Didn’t most of you disappear?”

“No. We’re actually highly regarded in our fields.”

“Including you being a mysterious billionaire.”

“There are friendlier figures amongst us, but yes. Claire will head up negotiations though.”

“Thad joining her?”

“Yes. That pleases you.”

“It does. What about Joan? Those two have gotten close.”

“Joan stays. You’ll need her.”

“Emily won’t mind,” I chuckled, but got serious immediately. “You’re saying we don’t have a choice who stays and who goes?”

“Exactly.”

“I see where Thad got his asshole genes,” I muttered.

“The plan remains!” Jock growled. “Humans were meant to explore space!”

“Through clandestine means and being imprisoned!” I growled back. “Not to mention generations of travel because none of us geniuses could figure out FTL or fucking worm holes?”

“Cool it Joe,” I heard in my ear.

“You knew about this?” I asked Emily.

“Of course, and I’m not any happier than you.”

“We’re going to have a mutiny.”

“Not if we play it right.”

“How?”

“An exchange. The first generation who leave we can say will be exchanged for aliens who will live on our ship, of course only those who are compatible. Andromeda will be exchanged for an Ag ship, thus our favorite asshole being gone along with his girlfriend helping with negotiations or whatever. The alien ships will disperse hoping to salvage their home planets. One of the species, the Crot, the ones who look like walking celery stalks, are the most advanced in terraforming or whatever forming, so they’ll have teams joining the various ships, including ours.”

“Generations, Emily.”

“Supposedly the Crot live a long time and regenerate asexually, like a cutting from a plant. Our sophisticated microbiology, that is Ava, will help bring some diversification.”

“How many will know that we’ve been sentenced to live the rest of our lives on a ship?” I asked.

“We all chose that, but I know what you mean.”

“You sort of chose that for us.”

“I know Joe, and I’m sorry. But ... it’s still kind of amazing, isn’t it?”

“It is,” I reluctantly agreed. “Any chance Cock and Pep are the ones joining us.”

“Sorry, but I imagine whoever we get will be just as horny.”

“True.”

We both chuckled.

I looked around, noticing I was looked at oddly.

“It’s just us communicating?” I asked Emily.

“Yep. You’re AQ38735H in case you’re wondering.”

“I wasn’t,” I smirked. “You have time?”

“I do.”

“What about the Mipplee.”

Emily sighed. “I have a plan.”

“Of course.”

“Cock is sorting through their database as we speak, sending me any concerns. And we’ve tapped into their communications. Any threats we should know.”

“I presume we’re going in unarmed into their ship.”

“But we’re also at an advantage.”

“How so?”

“Pep’s a hacker and she’s hacked into their systems. Any trouble we can remove their air.”

“That still gives them time.”

“Not when they’re struggling with imminent catastrophic destruction of their engines.”

“Playing chicken.”

“If we have to. We’ll also have the Click Clack battle ships keeping watch in case they send out ships. I trust them as much as I trust the Ag.”

“They’re getting a new home hopefully.”

“They will whether Earth agrees or not.”

“Can they cloak?”

“No.”

“Maybe send Andromeda?”

“Good idea. See you soon, my love.”

“Soon,” I agreed.

As soon as I saw the Mipplee home ship, the aggression became apparent. It looked like a gigantic axe blade covered in layers of chain mail, they’re version of shields or nets depending on the use. Where the axe handle would jut out from the top was a ring of what looked like cannons facing all directions. Middle Age berserkers juxtaposed with futurism. Inside held no less fearsomeness, the huge chamber where various ships docked had a dark ribbing look, like a particularly creepy gothic enclosure. The creature that greeted us at the dock stood at least a head taller than me, that head particularly large as was the rest of him, dressed in what looked like dark armor with a particularly nasty rifle strapped to his back that had an axe blade at its end instead of a much nicer looking bayonet. He grunted and gestured his huge head impatiently for us to follow him. A slightly smaller though no less fearsome creature stood at a vault door twisting a circle of metal counterclockwise before pulling a broad handle, opening a chamber, dimly lit.

“Wait,” I heard translated before the chamber door was sealed shut. I waited a minute, holding back the others, until a door at the end of the chamber automatically opened into a much larger chamber, still feeling like being inside a metal bank vault.

Emily and I approached each other as if ready for a clinch. She stopped. “Space suit off first,” she insisted, so I removed it and clutched her to me, her body easily felt beneath her Ag uniform. We couldn’t kiss because she wore the small breather. She handed me one and the others received theirs from Cock and Pep. “I just brought Ag suits for you and Angie,” Emily told us apologetically. “You’ll have to go with what the Mipplee provided.”

“Is that necessary?” Jock asked.

“I’m afraid so,” Emily told him. “They’re used to a much colder environment. You’ll find the g force a bit more too. Cock did bring you a couple translators.”

“Hi Cock, I’m Jock,” Jock grinned, lifting his hand.

Cock looked at the hand briefly. “Oh yes. Handshakes.” They shook hands.

“My wife,” said Jock.

“Martha,” said Martha, also shaking hands.

“Pep,” said Pep, going through the handshakes.

“Jock was the human who heard and deciphered the communications that brought us here,” I explained.

“Was that you?” Jock asked.

“Not us, no,” Cock answered sadly.

“But you’re the ones we traded information with?” Martha asked.

“Yes that was us,” Cock grinned. “Most fascinating.”

“For us too.”

“Who then?”

“I do not know. I believe they did not make it.”

“Then...”

Cock shook it off and gestured at his surroundings.

“Of course,” Jock frowned.

“You mean...,” I started.

“Later,” Emily interrupted.

I nodded my understanding. Scary walls had ears.

Angela and I stripped naked, the outfits too tight for underclothes, and pulled on the outfits. Once Martha and Jock put on the Mipplee protective suits, looking like black leather, not all that tight so they kept their underclothes on, probably what kids wore for them to fit at all, and a mask that looked like some sadomasochists dream hood, the sound of a chamber door could be heard unlatching, opening to a pair of Mipplee, thick heads with thick necks, a chainmail tunic over black leather, and what looked like leggings with a flap where their genitals would be. One of the guards was female, as massive as her tits were making it obvious. At least the axe rifle wasn’t being worn. But when the male guard turned to lead us, I saw a sword strapped to his back, the blade wide, curving to a point.

Emily gestured to that flap. “Rape,” she mouthed.

“Fuck,” I thought.

The dim, metallic corridor, ribbed like walking within a snake, led to a wide open door and into a scary, Mipplee version of a conference room. Except for the stage at the back where the largest Mipplee I’d seen, both male and female, sat on what looked like thrones depicting serpents within mesh at their back.

“I’m afraid this won’t do,” Emily insisted. “You two sit with us or we’ll meet somewhere else.”

“This is our place,” the woman growled.

“Not for this it isn’t.”

“You are the woman who led the battle?” the man asked.

“I am.”

“Quite clever. I commend you.”

“Thanks, but...”

“Shall we place ourselves amongst the others, Mistress?”

“If we must, Master.”

Master glared at the guards. “You will not speak of this!”

“As you wish, Master,” they bowed.

“Go fetch the others. Only you two shall fetch them here!”

They bowed again and departed.

“You understand we must meet at an even level,” Emily explained while the Mipplee leaders each took the ends of the table.

“You believe this is necessary?” the Master asked.

“I believe it is an opportunity to meet other species,” Jock spoke.