Chapter 193

As soon as he stepped through the hatch, Jeff could feel Little One tense. Instead of the Ship greeting him as she always did, she remained silent. When he walked down the corridor toward the bridge, the feeling of ... wrongness increased – nothing easily identifiable, just something a little off. The lighting was, perhaps, a shade darker and maybe with more of a blue cast, the temperature a degree or two cooler. Something that only an Alpha would notice.

The bridge, on the other hand, sprang to brightness as he entered – a little brighter than normal. The command couches and screens appeared the same. Still, the Ship didn't acknowledge him until he sat on his couch. Yes, Prime? she said, her mental voice sounding ... odd, perhaps a bit too formal as she immersed him into her mind.

Jeff settled himself more comfortably into the couch. There was a slight hesitation before it snuggled to him. Shrugging mentally, he thought to her, I was curious as to how my AI was able to detect you when you came back? I know you're capable of preventing any of our technology from alerting to you.

Again, there was a slight hesitation before the mental exchange continued. I wished to advise you of my arrival.

And... the Prime offered.

The General's people completed their running experiments and removed their equipment.

Jeff let out a sigh, his temper beginning to rise just a little, although he strove to prevent it. So what's wrong? You sound like Diana used to when she was pissed at me, but wouldn't come out and tell me what I had done to tick her off. Jeff started to add more, but snapped the thought off before he could project it.

There was a longer hesitation, then with a rush of emotions that staggered him mentally, the Ship was back. You went off down that mountain without a thought for your own safety. We both know that the incident with your mate could have been a ruse to draw you away from your secure position. You could have died from an attack. You could have died from your vehicle leaving the roadway on one of those curves, or you could have died from attackers hidden along the way. What you did was irresponsible. You could have been killed, and there was no logical reason for your actions. The mental tirade continued, pounding into him, a wash of emotions and thoughts that threatened to sweep him away. And there was no reason for exposing yourself in that manner. I could have returned in seconds. I could have delivered you to your mate, could have protected you far better than your security force. I could... And the thoughts snapped off, leaving him wondering.

I had no real way to contact you... he began.

But she was instantly back. Little One could have contacted me – she did before...

And her energies would have been almost instantly depleted. I needed her with me in case she had to heal Caitlin... But he knew his logic was flawed – and the Ship pounced.

But you used up her energies as she assisted you in keeping your vehicle from overturning. She had no energy left to attend to your mate, should that energy have been needed.

As the Prime began to wonder how the Ship knew that, he could feel Little One mentally cringe, even as the Ship continued, You forget the speed of thought. I received a full accounting from my Healer the instant you stepped on board. She is a part of me – a small part, but a part, still. I already knew about the incident from the radio/video traffic between the Base and Security, I am now aware of her involvement. She should have communicated with me.

Do not chastise her, the Prime snarled out. She obeys me, both because I'm her Prime and because she loves me – and I, her. She had no choice in the matter. Conversely, she converted energy and supported my weak abilities in order to keep the SUV on the road. Sheriff Tate, one of my Alphas, as you know, took care of the situation before I arrived, but there was no way I could know what was to happen. I had to respond to my mate's call for help. I had to. Little One assisted me the only way she could. We were both exhausted by the time it was over. If she had been a part of my unit, I would have given her a commendation. As it is, I can only give her my love and humble thanks. I will not have her censured for her actions, he finished as he tried to rein in his temper.

After a couple of seconds, Jeff took a breath, wondering if he had overstepped. Suddenly he was hit with so much love from the Ship that his mind struggled to understand it. He could swear it was Diana that was saying, "I'm sorry. I'm sorry," over and over while wringing her hands. He took a breath, realizing that it was just his mind interpreting the mental wash of emotions pouring over him. You could have been killed. I should have foreseen something of this nature and prepared for it. It is all my fault. I did not protect my commander sufficiently.

The barely hidden anger the Ship had exhibited from the time he had stepped aboard was gone, replaced by the rush of love with the giant mind almost begging for forgiveness. That was an incorrect manner of communication. Please forgive me. I realized I could have lost my Prime.

Hush, Jeff told her, reaching out and taking her in his mental arms. We're all fine. I'm fine. You and I just had a communication problem. Something we must find a way to fix. You don't fully understand anyone at the Base, yet you have learned to understand most of the radio and video communications. Portable radios won't work past your shields, and indeed won't work inside you, nor will our watches, yet you have learned to tap into our communications – at least to some extent. We just have to find a way for me to communicate with you without using Little One's emergency system, even if the new communication system is one way only.

Jeff, frustrated, thought to himself, It would be easy to contact someone at the base and have them relay the message – except, the Ship disdains to accept communication from anyone except me. Well, that's not entirely true, she did allow several pilots to sit in the control couches – of course they went nuts, but still ... Then again, there's Arlene. And the Ship talked to Kayla with me there, although it scared the shit out of Kayla, even though she tried to hide it. But Arlene did it without any ill effects. Of course, she's reluctant for the Ship to begin training her. I need to get that underway. If the Ship says Arlene is the one, then we need to get that started. We've put it off long enough.

Jeff thought about his newfound ability and the beating the Escalade took. Since we returned from the hospital, there's an almost ... vacant spot in my brain. Even thinking about what I did makes that place in my head feel tired.

The ability – the part of your brain that produces it – is still exhausted, the Ship responded. A few minutes in a Healing Chamber will refresh it, or time will also heal it. It is a fledgling ability. One that you need to ... exercise and use in order to fully develop it.

How am I supposed to do that? I didn't know I could do it at all until that first curve. "Shit," he said aloud, grabbing his head. "Just thinking about it has given me a headache."

Step into one of the chambers. I can restore you in a moment.

No, the Prime thought back, shaking his head. If I'm going to learn to do this, I might as well do it on my own. If I can overcome the pain, I'll be on my way back.

Frustrated that the Prime would not allow her to heal him, some part of her realizing that it was his male ego refusing her help, she used his memories to assist her response. Imagine a sprained ankle. Your mind will need time to heal and recover, much as would that sprain. If you will not allow me to help you, let your mind rest, then begin as you would with the ankle – gentle use initially.

Those thoughts, as with all the rest, were what Jeff's mind interpreted from the massive intelligence that had somehow seen fit to make him her commander. Her thought processes, however, were not nearly as simple as speech, but instead, conveyed in-depth concepts that Jeff's mind interpreted into words. The exchange was much easier with the Ship than it was with Little One, but he seemed to literally become part of the Ship's brain as they communicated, at least while he was in the command couch. He could easily communicate with the Ship anywhere inside her, but the connection had much more depth and understanding while he was lying on, and mostly surrounded by, the command couch.

As Jeff started to rise from the couch, the Ship quickly went on, I cannot effectively protect you while I reside at the Base...

But Jeff was shaking his head, even as he mentally responded, I have given my word to General Whitworth that you would remain at the Base in order for the scientists to study you.

But they are like (He received a mental picture of a creature he had never seen before) crawling around inside me. They irritate me. They are not unlike what I see in your mind as you remember the feeling of ants crawling on your body. I could better serve your needs if I remained here next to your home.

You are exposed here, Jeff tried.

"Exposed" to what? None of the puny weapons on this primitive planet can penetrate my shields, and in addition, I am undetectable by your current technology unless I choose it to happen.

And what if the Base were attacked? You would not be there to protect them. And that is certainly much more likely since the portal is located there.

As you know, I could defend a direct attack on the base, but without a command from you or your designated second, I could not go on the offensive.

You will be here for a time as you train Arlene, the Prime responded, mostly to appease the Ship.

Sheriff Quinton Tate, his two older wives, Virginia and Elizabeth, along with his two nieces (now wives), Rachel and Cindy, rode home from the Retreat in near silence. Earlier, when he had arrived home after the shooting, he had been met with four crying women who seemed bent on hugging him to death. Now that the women had more time to think about the situation, panic had settled even deeper into their psyches.

When they began their evening rituals in preparation for bed, the women tried to do everything for their husband. Rachel and Cindy, being young, often wanted to aim his cock in the mornings as he stood before the commode, but tonight was different from anything he had ever experienced with them before.

He had been undressed by them – many times – but this was more. They acted almost as if he would break, and were anxious to do the most mundane things for him. Finally, when Rachel and Cindy followed him into the bathroom when he went to do his business, he'd had enough.

Kissing first Cindy, then Rachel – hard – he gently pushed them out the door. "I am not going to break or suddenly die on you," he said through the door as he locked it. "And ... I'm going to take a crap by myself. There are some things a man just does not do in front of his wives." He could hear giggling on the other side of the door, and decided that was a good sign.

But ... the over-attention continued as the family showered and readied for bed. They kept treating him as if this were his last day to live. After their shower, frustrated, Quinton picked up his nieces, putting one of the nude girls over either shoulder. After struggling through the bedroom door, he dropped them onto the big bed, watching their boobs bounce as the teenagers squealed.

Motioning for Elizabeth and Virginia, also nude, to sit near the bed, he pulled up a chair and sat as well. "Okay, let's talk this out. I'm not going to die, and..."

" ... But you could have died today," Elizabeth blurted out, barely holding back tears.

"My training..." he started before Virginia put in her comment.

"All of us have shot enough on the range to know that he could have jerked the weapon in your direction and fired. He would have had to move the barrel just inches to shoot you. No one could have reacted in time."

"But I could," Quinton quietly insisted. "My reflexes have always been better than anyone I've ever trained with – well, other than Jeff – and with Little One's enhancement, there was no way that McMasters could have fired at me before I could shoot him. I wasn't in as much danger as you four seem to think. I could have killed him at any time, but I was concerned that a flinch from him could have caused his weapon to fire. While I was contemplating my shot, Caitlin solved the problem for me. You can be assured that what's happened today will be reviewed in detail in our next hostage training session.