Chapter 3: Colony

April Jennings, May Carlson and June Benning sat in the park on their blanket, enjoying the warm air and the food they had brought with them. It was a wonderful day for a picnic, and the fresh air was just what they needed to help get their minds off their work.

Known in their dorm as the “Calendar Girls” for obvious reasons, the three graduate students were good friends who spent a lot of their free time together talking about this or that. Sometimes, they got together to study, or just share gossip in the student common area, but other times, they would go out for happy hour or simply get together for a nice lunch in the park, weather permitting.

They often bragged about their boyfriends or talked about whatever they might have seen on the news or heard in class. Today, they simply wanted to get out into the fresh air before the weather turned bad. It was, after all, mid-September, and they knew that the nice temperatures wouldn’t last for too much longer.

“This was a good idea you had,” June said as she took a bite from the shrimp salad sandwich April had made for them.

“Yes, it was,” May added as she finished her sandwich. “It’s so nice out today. It would be a shame to let it go to waste.”

“Well, if you guys don’t mind, I think I’ll go see if there’s any fresh berries to pick,” April said. “The last time I was here, there were several bushes full of wild berries just past the tree line.”

“Go for it,” June said. “I think I’ll just lay here and soak up some sun.”

“Yeah, me too,” May said. “Besides, that sandwich filled me up. I may just take a nap.”

“Okay,” April said, standing up. “I’ll be right back.” She grabbed a small basket and headed into the trees. About a half hour later, they heard April calling out to them.

“Hey you guys, come check this out,” she yelled. May and June ran into the trees, wondering what their friend had found. They saw her, bending over, looking at a plant that was a bit more than a foot high.

“What’s up?” June asked as they came to April’s side.

“Take a look at this,” April said. “Have you ever seen anything like it before?” May bent over and took a close look at the plant. Her eyes were instantly drawn to the strange growths at the end of stalks coming up from the middle of the plant. She counted twelve in all.

“Yeah, come to think of it,” she said. “The last time I went out with Mike Jenkins.” The other girls laughed.

“You’re so bad,” April said.

“I’m serious,” May said. “They look like little penises. Complete with testicles. They’re kinda cute if you ask me.”

“Yeah, and they even feel kinda like little penises, too,” June said. “Look,” she added as she held one in her hand. “They even grow a bit when you stroke them.” As they looked, one of them seemed to have grown a full two inches longer as June stroked it. It even appeared to get bigger in girth as well.

“Wow, that is bigger than Mike Jenkins,” May said with a laugh.

“Get serious,” April said.

“I am,” May told her. “Have you ever gone out with him?”

“No, and I don’t intend to,” April shot back.

“I wonder what they taste like,” June said as she started to put one of the pustules in her mouth.

“Don’t do that,” April exclaimed. “For all you know, they could be poisonous. And you have no idea who or what might’ve peed on them.” June recoiled as April said that.

“Oh my God,” she said. “I never even thought about that.”

“Hey, what’s this?” May asked, pointing to something on one of the leaves. April looked at what May was pointing at and saw a droplet of what looked like dew. She wiped it up with a finger and examined it closely. She sniffed at it, but there was no odor. She was tempted to taste it, but decided against it, not knowing what it was. She wiped her finger on the leg of her jeans and thought nothing more of it. A few seconds later, she reacted as June cried out.

“Your jeans,” she said. “Look!” April looked down and saw a long, ragged hole in her jeans where she had wiped her finger. “Isn’t that where you wiped your finger?”

“Yes, it is,” April said. “Good thing I was going to cut holes in these anyway. I guess we’d better leave this plant alone for now.”

“What are you planning?” May asked.

“I’m going to take some pictures, then come back later today and get some samples, maybe a leaf or two,” April told her. “I’ll show this to my botany teacher and see what he can make of it. In the meantime, I suggest staying away from it until we know more.”

“I think that’s a very good idea,” May said.

“Yeah, me too,” June said. “And to think I almost put one of those things in my mouth. Damn.” April pulled out her cell phone and took several pictures of the plant, going out of her way to avoid the leaves. After she finished, the three girls packed their things and headed back to the dormitory.

Margaret sat in her office, looking at the map on her wall. She wasn’t happy. Not at all. Of the male Human-Gingravik hybrids that germinated after the spores settled down, almost 90 percent had died. She chalked this up to the climate and the soil composition, which wasn’t exactly the optimum for Gingravik. She did her best to keep them virile, but it just wasn’t enough. Fortunately, the council understood her dilemma and didn’t hold it against her.

“It was an experiment,” the head science councilor told her. “We all understood the potential risk. There’s no need for self-recrimination, Facilitator. You have performed admirably for us. Perhaps the survivors may be useful in producing the drones necessary for the final task.”

“Thank you, Councilor,” Margaret said. “Marsook’s will be done.”

“Of course,” the councilor said.

“In the meantime,” another councilor said. “It would probably be best to focus on the compound. I understand you have already moved the Queen Mother and her Gingravik consort, is that correct?”

“It is, councilor,” she said. “And the Queen Mother has been briefed on the mission objectives. She is in full agreement.”

“Good,” he said. “We will send you instructions for our upcoming operation. I suggest you make the necessary preparations.”

“As you wish, Councilor,” Margaret said. “And if I may be so bold, what does this operation entail?”

“You will be made aware of the details when necessary, Facilitator,” the councilor said.

“Yes, Excellency,” she said. “It will be as you say.”

“Very well,” the councilor said. “Make it so.” The connection ended, Margaret patiently waited for the encrypted instructions to arrive. When they did, she read them with interest and wondered what the High Council had in mind.

Theresa Hemmings stood at the railing, taking in the activity on the floor below her. Next to her was Bernie in his motorized cart. As always, Theresa was naked. She had long ago quit wearing clothing while in her apartment.

Since moving to her new quarters at the compound, she quit wearing clothing altogether, and chose to remain naked. The idea of covering any part of her body had become repugnant to her. She enjoyed the freedom her nudity afforded her and it also made it easier for Bernie to copulate with her when the desire struck.

Bernie, a true Gingravik, was no ordinary being. And he was much more than her consort. He was her reason for existence and she loved him with all her heart, body and soul. To the normal human eye, he appeared as a large leafy plant with a thick central stalk and a dozen large stalk-ends that bore an uncanny resemblance to the human penis.

What the human eye could not detect was the near telepathic link between Theresa and the plant. Nor could the human eye detect the love the plant being had for Theresa. The fact is, Theresa not only had no need or desire for clothing, she had no need or desire for what most humans would call “food” although she did consume a fair amount of water, or tea, made from leaves the plant generously provided for her.

The plant even provided her with nutritional supplements that kept her healthy and nubile. Since adjusting his proteins, Theresa had not even suffered so much as a sniffle or a headache in the last three and a half years.

“Shall we inspect the troops?” Theresa thought, directing her question at the intelligent plant next to her.

“As you wish, my queen,” Bernie replied in her mind. Theresa turned and followed the lush red carpet down the stairs as Bernie – whose real name is unpronounceable by humans – worked the controls of his cart to maneuver down the plank next to the stairs. He considered offering her a ride, but knew she would deny the offer, preferring to stimulate the beings below with her grace and beauty while showing that she was not one who needed to be carried about everywhere she went.

When she reached the bottom of the staircase, a matronly woman came to attention.

“The subjects are ready for your inspection, Excellency,” the matron said. Theresa smiled and nodded her head.

“We shall see, Matron,” she said. “We shall see.” The matron barked an order and the 80 nude humanoid beings came to attention, their large cocks jutting in front of them.

“All of the subjects are well within the designated specifications,” the Matron said.

“Very well,” Theresa said. She slowly walked in front of the first rank, admiring their chiseled facial features, their beautifully-sculpted bodies and their large cocks. They were, indeed, magnificent specimens of masculinity. If she were an unattached human female, she might find herself attracted to one or more of them.

But the truth was, she felt no sexual attraction to any of them. That was reserved for her one true love, the plant being in the cart next to her. Additionally, all of these beings had come from her body. In essence, they were her “children,” the result of the union between her and Bernie. After inspecting the first rank, she turned to the second.

Her head flit back and forth as she inspected the rear of the first rank while checking out the front of the second. She smiled as she inspected her progeny. She turned to the third rank, repeating what she had done for the first two. About halfway down the line, however, she stopped, a slight frown on her face. She looked at the penis of the being in front of her and noticed that while it was quite large, it was flaccid. She looked the being in the face before speaking.

“Does my nudity offend you?” she asked.

“No, My Queen Mother,” the being said in perfect English.

“Then correct yourself,” she said. “Immediately.”

“Yes, My Queen Mother,” the being responded. Theresa looked down and saw the thing’s cock had instantly become fully erect, and appeared to be a full 10 inches in length. It appeared to be one of the largest and thickest she had seen so far today. She smiled and looked back up.

“Much better, my son,” she said. “Much better. You will do well among the women of this race.”

“Thank you, My Queen Mother,” the thing said in response. Smiling, Theresa moved on and finished her inspection. She and Bernie went to the front of the group and conferred with the Matron.

“You have done quite well, Matron,” she said. “As you noted, their specifications are well within our expectations. Their pigmentation even appears to be more than adequate.”

“Thank you, My Queen Mother,” she said.

“I believe it is time to send them forth,” Theresa said. “Make the necessary preparations.”

“As you wish, My Queen Mother,” the Matron said, clicking her heels. “Would you honor us by giving the order?”

“Of course, Matron,” Theresa said with a smile. She stood in front of the assembled group, her feet spread shoulder-width.

“You are ready, my children,” she said. “It is time to go forth, breed and multiply. The Matron will see to all your arrangements. May Marsook follow you and watch over you in your travels.”

“YES, MY QUEEN MOTHER!” they said in unison. She smiled and turned to the Matron.

“Please keep me informed of their progress,” she said.

“Yes, my Queen Mother,” the older woman said. Theresa and Bernie made their way back up the stairs to the landing. She turned and watched the activity below as the new breeders were prepared for their first excursion into the rat-race known as the human world.

She thought back over the last few years – how she had changed and morphed into the voluptuous beauty she is today. It wasn’t that long ago that she was a mousy, unattractive, flat-chested woman with no future and no one who truly understood or loved her. Back then, most people went out of their way to avoid her. And men? Well, let’s just say they weren’t exactly attracted to her, at all.

But that all changed when Bernie came into her life. He saw her potential, and turned her into the sexual creature she is today. When Margaret told her the truth about Bernie and what he represented, she was shocked for a bit, and expressed concern.

“Are they here to wipe us all out?” she asked Margaret at the time.

“No, dear,” Margaret said. “The Gingravik aren’t here to wipe us out. The Gingravik love life. They wish to coexist. They’re here to make our lives better. Do you remember what I told you when you first birthed? You asked me what the pods represented. I told you they represent the future. A future without war, without poverty, hunger, disease or pestilence, a future without strife and division. That’s a future worth working for, is it not?”

“Yes, it is,” Theresa said.

“And that’s the future the Gingravik want for us all,” Margaret added. “But they need our help. You’ve gotten to know and love Bernie, right?”

“Yes,” Theresa said. “I can’t imagine living without him.”

“That’s what they want for everybody,” Margaret said. Bernie explained more to Theresa using the mental link they had already established. She learned, for example, that the Gingravik were an extremely advanced race that dominated several planets in the Milky Way, having developed a form of space travel and communications that made their exploration much easier.

She also learned that the Gingravik were a fiercely-monogamous race that mated for life. They were especially interested in the human race and were quite fond of the human female form. Their goal, he explained to her as best he could, was not military conquest – although that could be an option if it was necessary – but rather a partnership. Of course, they would be the senior partner in any relationship.

The ultimate goal was the betterment of the Gingravik, and as much as possible, the betterment of the human species as a whole. Together, he explained, they could face any challenge that might befall either species.

Theresa finally understood and saw the truth of it for herself in the mirror. Bernie loved her in a way no human ever had – not even her parents. Because of him, she was desirable, powerful and free of disease. She had no need for the trappings of humanity anymore.

She eagerly accepted her role and her position in the New Order. She opened herself up even more to her lover and soaked up everything he told her about the Gingravik. She began to understand that they were far superior in every way to the puny and often petty species that occupied this planet. She swore her loyalty to the Empire and in return was officially named the Queen Mother of Earth by the High Council.

For his role, the Council honored Bernie, making him her official Consort. He accepted it in the stoic manner of the Gingravik, but he was, nevertheless, proud. Theresa and Bernie were officially united in the Gingravik way, making them the equivalent of husband and wife, to be united until death. Theirs was the first union of its kind, and, she hoped, would be a model for all mankind. She turned to Bernie.

“I could really use an orgasm right about now, my love,” she whispered. The plant reacted happily and formed a seat with two of its larger leaves. She took the hint and sat down, reverse cowgirl style. She had long ago discarded all of her inhibitions along with her desire to wear clothing and spread her legs wide as Bernie moved one of his large penises to the entrance of her wet, shaved pussy.

She moaned as she guided him inside her. She knew everyone below could see what she was doing, and that excited her even more. She wanted them all to see her get fucked by her lover. She leaned back as Bernie caressed her now-full breasts with his leaves.

“Feed me, my love,” she moaned. “Please.” Bernie moved one of his other large pustules toward her face. She opened her mouth wide and took it inside, letting his naturally-sweet ejaculate coat her throat. Bernie continued fucking her as she eagerly swallowed, and soon, she trembled as her orgasm hit.

“Don’t stop, my love,” she said in her mind. “Keep fucking your woman.” Bernie obliged, replacing the first penis with another. “Oh yes, don’t ever stop fucking me, my love. I love you so much.”

“And I love you as well, my queen,” the plant said in her mind.

After dropping off her friends, April made her way to her private room in the dormitory. She went into her small kitchenette and grabbed a few Tupperware containers along with some small plastic bags for samples. She left the dorm and made a stop at the local Home Depot, where she purchased a pot, a shovel, a bag of latex gloves and a bag of potting soil. After loading up her car, she went back to the park.

She knew she didn’t have a lot of time before it would be dark, so she quickly made her way to the plant, donned her gloves and collected more of the dew she had encountered earlier, placing it in the Tupperware containers. She closed the containers and marked them. Then she collected some of the leaves laying on the ground next to the plant and put those in plastic Ziplock baggies. She also collected soil samples.

Grabbing her shovel, she carefully dug the plant up. She put some of the potting soil in the pot and carefully transferred the plant from the ground into the pot, filling it the rest of the way with potting soil. She lifted the pot and carefully carried it back to her car.

After loading the rest of her things, she wiped her face and hands and checked to make sure her clothing was still intact. Convinced that she had managed to avoid getting more of the substance on her, she drove back to the dorm.

It took a bit of effort, but she finally got the potted plant back into her room and placed it on a stand close to her bed. She placed the samples in a paper bag and set that close to the door so she wouldn’t forget to take it with her on Monday. Tired, she took a shower and changed into her soft pajamas.

She grabbed a spray bottle of water she used to mist her other plants and gave the new addition a few squirts. She looked at it for a moment and noticed that it appeared to have perked up some since she first took it out of the ground. She opened her phone and looked at the picture she took earlier, comparing it to the plant now sitting in her room. Yes, she thought. It HAS perked up a bit.

She looked at one of the penis-shaped growths and saw that it appeared to have gotten larger since she first saw it. Odd, she thought. She took it in one hand and was shocked when it began to get hard, just like a real penis. What the hell, she asked herself. She also noticed that it was warm. How is this possible?

Almost instinctively, she began stroking the small plant penis, and was shocked when it got even harder, and yes, a bit bigger as well. This thing was reacting just like her boyfriend, she thought. Out of curiosity, she kept stroking it, the same way she would stroke her boyfriend’s cock. Soon, she saw a drop form on the head.

She threw caution to the wind and ignored the warning she had given June earlier that day. She opened her mouth and put the stalk-end on her tongue. Closing her mouth, she began sucking on it, just as she would her boyfriend. Before long, it ejaculated, surprising her.

She swallowed without thinking and noticed that it had a fruity taste that reminded her of tangerines. She felt a tingling between her legs and quickly took the now-soft “penis” out of her mouth. This couldn’t possibly be happening, she thought to herself.

She noticed more of the dew had formed on the leaves. She carefully took some of it on her fingers and had a wicked thought. She opened her pajama top and spread some of it on one of her nipples. She felt a jolt go through her body as she applied the dew and realized that she was actually wet between her legs. What the hell just happened, she asked herself.

She carefully wiped her finger with a tissue, and saw that the Kleenex had disintegrated almost immediately. She licked her fingers and carefully removed her pajama top, not wanting it to get damaged. Feeling herself getting excited, she removed her bottoms, along with her panties. Feeling herself getting even more excited, she took some of the dew and began masturbating, rubbing her pussy lips with abandon.

She had another wicked idea and grabbed her dildo out of her nightstand. She put some of the dew on the fake phallus and inserted it inside herself.

“Ahhhh,” she moaned as soon as it was firmly embedded inside her pussy. She had never felt so wanton or horny before in her life, not even with any of her boyfriends. She began fucking herself furiously, pounding the dildo inside her pussy. As she did so, she noticed another of the plant’s stalk-ends had grown even larger.

She couldn’t help herself. She opened her mouth and began sucking on it with one hand as she fucked herself with her dildo. Her orgasm hit when the penis sprayed its stuff into her mouth. She came so hard that she literally soaked her bottom sheet.

After coming down from her orgasm, she got up, changed her sheets and climbed back in bed, naked. She normally didn’t sleep that way, but she somehow felt compelled to this night. She softly stroked herself as she drifted off to sleep, dreaming of disembodied cocks ravishing her body.

She woke up, feeling more refreshed than she normally did and went into the bathroom to take her morning shower. After drying herself off, she looked at the plant and was surprised to see that it had perked up even more overnight. She saw more of the dew on its leaves and collected it, placing it in a Tupperware container. After what happened last night, she thought she would try it again tonight – all for science, of course, she snickered to herself. She misted the plant one more time and got dressed.

Carrying the paper bag with her samples, she made her way to the botany lab, hoping to see Dr. Johnson, her teacher, friend and mentor. On the way, she spotted her boyfriend, Steve Williams. He was standing with a group of his friends, talking and joking. When he spotted her, he smiled and came over to her, giving her a quick kiss on the lips.

“Hey, sweetie,” he said. “You look wonderful this morning. You try some new facial cream or something?” She chuckled at that.

“No, why do you ask?” she asked him.

“I don’t know,” he said. “Your skin just seems to glow even more than normal.”

“Well thank you,” she said. “Flattery will get you everywhere.”

“Hey listen, some of the guys and I were talking about going to the Hitching Post tonight for some beer and wings,” he said. “We thought we might catch a game or something. You wanna come along?”

“Would you mind taking a rain check on that?” she asked. “I have a pretty big project I’ll be working on.”

“Sure,” he said with a smile. “Maybe this weekend then?”

“Yeah, that sounds good,” she said. “See ya then, stud.” She gave him a kiss and they went their separate ways. On the way to the botany lab, she ran into her friends, May and June.

“Girl, you look good this morning,” May said. “You get a piece of Steve last night or something?”

“Nah, just got a good night’s sleep for a change,” April told her.

“Where are you off to?” June asked.

“I’m taking some samples to the botany lab,” April said. “I’m hoping Dr. Johnson will take a look at them.”

“So you really went back out there, huh?” May asked.

“Yeah, I did,” April said.

“Well, let us know what you find out,” June said.

“I will,” April told her. “See y’all.”

“See ya, girlfriend,” May said as they parted ways. April finally got to the botany lab and saw Dr. Johnson in one corner talking to another student. She put her books down and waited for him to finish. When the student left, she approached him.

“Good morning, Dr. Johnson,” she said. He looked at her and smiled.

“Well good morning yourself, April,” he said with a smile. “You look bright-eyed and bushy-tailed this morning. I trust you had a good weekend.”

“I did, thank you,” she said.

“So, what can I do for you this morning?” he asked.

“I have some samples of a plant I found in the park over the weekend and I was wondering if you had some time to work on them with me,” she said. “I’ve never seen anything like this.”

“Well, let’s see what you have,” he told her. She put the bag down and pulled out the samples. Then she pulled out her phone and showed him the pictures she had taken.

“You’re right,” he said. “This is an unusual specimen. I don’t believe that I’ve ever seen anything quite like this, either. It does remind me of pictures I’ve seen of a Nepenthes pitcher plant, though. You say you found this in the park?” She knew about the plant he spoke of – it was supposedly the largest of the meat-eating plants and lived mostly off bugs.

“Yes, Dr. Johnson,” she said. He picked up a Tupperware container that held the dew she collected from the leaves.

“Where did you get this?” he asked.

“I scraped it off the leaves,” she said. “Be careful,” she added as he opened the container. “I got some on my jeans and it ate right through the material.”

“Really?” he asked, surprised. “Well, we’ll have to break out some PPE then.” He grabbed some latex gloves and pulled out two rubberized aprons. They put the gear on and slid a clear face shield over their eyes.

“Let’s get some of this into the mass spectrometer,” he said. “See what we can find out.” They put the sample in the machine and Dr. Johnson started the process.

“What about DNA?” she asked. “You think we can do that here?”

“Well, we have the rudimentary equipment, but that could take some time,” he said. “What the hell. Let’s take a stab at it and see what we get.” They took some of the leaves she collected and started the analysis. Curious, Dr. Johnson put one of the leaves under a strong microscope. After looking, he turned on a monitor so they could both take a look. “Interesting,” he said.

“What’s that, Dr. Johnson,” she asked.

“Well, this looks like a normal plant cell, but there’s a couple bodies in there I can’t identify,” he said, pointing to two round blobs in the screen.

“That does look odd,” she said. “Take a look at this,” she added, pointing to a couple of squiggly lines that seemed to end close to each other.

“Hmm,” he said. “That almost looks like a synapse,” he added.

“You think this thing has a nervous system?” she asked, surprised.

“Well, as you know, April, plants do have a rudimentary system that uses glutamates as neurotransmitters,” he said. “But this looks to be much more advanced than that. I’ve never seen anything quite like this. Where is this plant now?”

“I transferred it to a pot and it’s in my room right now,” she said.

“I’d like to get a closer look at this plant of yours,” he said. “Do you think you can bring it by later today?”

“I don’t know,” she said. “I had a heck of a time getting the pot into my dorm room. It’s pretty heavy.”

“Tell you what,” he said. “I’ll come by with a cart after class this afternoon and we can transport it here if you don’t mind. Will that be okay?”

“Sure,” she said. “I don’t have anything scheduled for this evening.”

“Alright,” he said. “I’ll see you about 4:30 if that works for you. The rest of the analysis we started will be complete by then.”

“Great,” she said. “Thanks, Dr. Johnson. I’ll see you later.”

“You’re welcome, April,” he told her. He watched her leave then turned back to the screen, a frown forming on his face. “What are you and where did you come from, my friend,” he asked himself.

Margaret sat in her office looking at the flashing dot on her screen. She had gone to the park earlier to check on the plants that had sprouted and noticed that one of them had been removed. After tending to the others, she rushed back to her shop and fired up her locator application, setting it to detect the location of human-Gingravik hybrids in the general area. She needed to know what happened to the plant that had been taken.

She focused on the blinking dot and cross-referenced it with her map application. After zooming in on the dot, she realized that it was located at one of the dormitories at the local university. What was it doing there, she asked herself. As she watched, the dot began to move. Eventually, it stopped moving when it reached another one of the university’s buildings. A quick check showed that the building housed the college’s advanced science department.