Chapter 506

The Prison Planet

... Changing the subject, Jeff asked Morales, “Did they measure you yet?”

“What? Oh, yeah. I get to wear a monkey suit like you mentioned a few minutes ago, but I feel guilty about it, because I don’t have any money to pay for it. Since your wife is doing the measuring, I suppose that you are...”

“Don’t go there,” Jeff interrupted Morales to say. “Diana has a special deal with a tailor.”

“Wait a minute. I was worried enough about her renting a tux for me. Are you saying she is going to buy a tux for me?”

“Probably. She isn’t into renting clothes.”

“But that’s hundreds of dollars even for a cheap one, and I have the feeling that cheap isn’t going to happen. And, besides, I live in a fucking cave,” he returned, obviously deeply worried. “I have no place to keep a tux, and after the wedding, nowhere to wear one, ever. Look,” he said, desperation in his voice, “Jas and I thought that you would bring someone from Earth to marry us, and that would be it. Now, I’m hearing about wedding plans, wedding dresses and a tux for me. I’m just a fucking prisoner without a dime to my name and a certainty of zero money in my future.”

“Well, at least I’ll have company,” the Prime returned with a grin.

“Company?”

“Yeah, company as in also wearing a monkey suit. You don’t think Diana will let me slide, do you?”

Morales just stared back at the Prime.

The two sat in uncomfortable silence before Morales finally cleared his throat. “Uh, Colonel Matthews, could I ask you something?”

“Sure,” Jeff responded. “I don’t have any secrets now. I’ve sold my patents,” he tried to joke.

Since Morales knew nothing about Jeff’s inventions or patents, the joke fell flat.

“Look. I’ve tried to talk Jasmine out of this, but she tells me that I’m the man she has been looking for since puberty. I mean, I love her with all my heart – never doubt that – but even I can see that this will never work – not over time, anyway. She’s a very intelligent woman and will even be a doctor of anthropology one of these days. I’m a fucking prisoner with a piss poor high school education. She’s going to be permanently tied to a man who will never have anything. Jeff,” Morales said with tears misting his eyes, “I want her with me beyond reason, but what will I be doing to her if I let her stay? I’m afraid that she sees this as an adventure, but how will she feel five years from now when we’re still cooking over a campfire, killing our meat and grubbing out what few vegetables we manage to grow? As they say, that will age her long before her time.”

Jeff stared Morales eye-to-eye for long seconds before a smile touched the Prime’s lips. “I think you just took another step along the path I’ve been suspecting that you’re heading down, and you’ve just proven, at least to me, that Jasmine has, indeed, chosen the right man to be her husband. If it means anything to you, you two certainly have my blessings on the marriage. I think she couldn’t have picked a better mate.”

Morales, having expected that Jeff would agree with everything he said about not being worthy of becoming Jasmine’s husband, just sat staring at the Prime. “That’s ... not what I expected you to say. I mean, I know I’m right...”

Jeff stared back at him. “Sometimes ‘right’ and love can be different things. Money often makes things easier, but it isn’t a necessity for love. I suspect that Jasmine will be far happier here with you than many women with ample wealth who are probably getting married on Earth as we speak. Diana and I had little to nothing for the first years of our marriage, yet we were deliriously happy. We went through many difficult things – trying times – but we stayed together. And, she has rewarded me beyond imagining. I have sixteen wives now with another waiting in the wings, and before you even think anything negative about that, she, Diana, has been the main instigator in my taking other wives.”

Morales returned the stare, before finally repeating, “Sixteen?” Then the reality of the situation hit, “But you’re just one man. How can you ... Uh, excuse me. That’s none of my business.”

Instead of Jeff being pissed as Morales feared, the Prime just let out a weak chuckle. “I can’t, well let’s be honest, I won’t tell you more about that aspect just now, but I hope to be able to soon.”

Morales had read the expression on Jeff’s face and seemed to interpret the underlying meaning correctly. After a moment he quietly asked, “Are you saying that you actually make love to sixteen women – and keep them satisfied.”

Jeff had certainly not said that, but he had been thinking it. If I lie to him and he does become a full brother Alpha, then I’ve violated my own pledge, but I have to be careful about what I say, uh, don’t I? he asked himself, adding to the confusion in his mind.

The Prime suddenly heard himself say, “Look, it’s too soon to go into detail, but I’m an Alpha, and I have brother Alphas. Being able to make love to several women simultaneously, as well as serially, is just part of being an Alpha. It’s something I was born with, I suppose, and through Ship and Little One, that aspect, as well as others, has been enhanced. Look, there are a number of Alphas around. Most rise to become heads of organizations or, I’m sorry to say, sometimes, politicians.” He pronounced ‘politicians’ as if the word soured his taste buds. “Some of those Alphas are piss poor individuals. Some are decent human beings. I like to think that my group – hell, I know that my group – is made up of great individuals.

“I have discovered Alphas who were growing into becoming Alphas as something inside them seemed to wake up, others were full-blown Alphas when I met them. Most of my brothers that are full Alphas have more than one wife, and ... like me, the extra wife or wives, as the case may be, were instigated by a wife. When she does, something happens to her – a reward, so to speak. But whatever, I did not go out seeking other wives. That was my Clan Queen or other of my wives’ instigations. But, they are all true wives in every sense of the word, and I love them more than life itself.”

Morales sat staring at Jeff for a long moment, neither speaking. Finally, “There’s something behind all this,” Morales hesitantly said, “Something more that you’re not telling me.”

“I don’t think it’s time just yet. When it is, I will know and will discuss it with you,” Jeff finished, mysteriously.

Again, Morales stared at the Prime, his original concerns about his marriage temporarily put aside. Finally, Morales let out a sigh. “I think you’re wrong. There’s a part of me that hopes you are right, but I think you’re wrong. There’s nothing about me that’s Alpha, whatever the term may mean.”

“Who said anything about that?” Jeff asked, a grin touching his lips.

“I’m poorly educated, not stupid,” Morales answered. “I grew up in a society where you had better be able to read the underlying meanings of conversations, or you could get your ass kicked, or killed. Now, what the fuck is going on?”

“You’re getting married,” the Prime said as he came to his feet. “And I need to get my ass back home because there are some things going on there that I need to, at least, keep track of.”

“So, you’re just going to leave with that big ass, uh, monstrous Ship of yours hanging overhead scaring the fuck out of me.”

“Oh,” Jeff returned with a chuckle, “I promised a tour before we left, and I do not go back on my word if there’s any way to accomplish it. So, let’s go talk to the ladies and see if they can break off their planning long enough to do just that.”

“You’re really going to take us aboard?” Morales asked.

“Sure. No problem,” the Prime returned. “Why would you even think differently?”

“Well,” Morales said while unconsciously shaking his head, “I thought it would be a big secret...” Then with a sigh, “Oh. I guess there’s no way that I could ever tell anybody.”

“Yep,” Jeff said with a chuckle. “You have been blocked.”

“I wasn’t thinking about that. I meant that I was stuck here on this planet...”

“I don’t want people on Earth to know about her, because the government, i.e. the politicians, would want to control her, and that isn’t going to happen.”

They had walked over to the women, and both men just stood waiting as the conversation faded away. “We’re almost ready,” Diana advised while looking up at her husband.

“I promised a tour of Ship. Why don’t we do that now. If you need more time, though, Morales and I will drink more coffee.”

Jasmine passed a glance with the Clan Queen. “I would love a tour.”

Jeff smiled as the women came to their feet, “I may have misspoken slightly,” he advised. “Ship somehow exists in multiple dimensions. I suspect it would take a lifetime to visit all of those, but I will be glad to show you some of the areas in this dimension, and perhaps, one day, we’ll visit the range I use to test the weapons that I’m afraid to test on-planet.”

Jasmine stared at the Prime for a couple of seconds, obviously taking in what he said and trying to believe.

“Come on,” Diana said, taking Jasmine’s hand. “Don’t worry about what he said; just think of Ship as a person. You can bet that she’ll be anxious to get to know you. We’ll start off by showing you the living area she has provided for us. It’s identical to ours at the Retreat where we live. She copied it from our minds. We’ve also brought samples of everything we cook as well as all the ingredients. She can produce just about anything perfectly, and all we have to do is ask for it.

“We’ll also give you a tour of her bridge and maybe ask her to show you the stars as if there is no atmosphere above her at all. It makes you feel like grabbing hold of something so you won’t fall into space,” she finished with a grin.

Morales had stayed a few steps away and was not taking part. Diana suddenly realized why. Embarrassed, she turned to him. Taking his hand, she said, “Oh, my. I didn’t mean to imply that we were excluding you from coming with us. We aren’t going anywhere, but are just going to give you two the nickel tour.”

“Uh, you’re sure the General...”

“Won’t mind in the least,” Jeff finished for him.

“In that case, I would love to see the inside of that thing,” he returned as he reached for his weapon belts and coat.

“You won’t need any of that. She’ll pick us up at the door, and besides, when you go through the hatch, all your weapons will disappear. She’ll give them back to you when you return, but why bother?” Jeff said, trying to be diplomatic.

Turning to the others, “Everybody going?” When they agreed, he stepped through the door first, mentally conversed with Ship, then escorted the others out. Before Jasmine or Morales could say anything, they were standing inside Ship, and a few seconds later, the whole group was there, Jasmine and Morales staring at the alien surroundings.

With apologies to the others, Arlene and Selina jogged toward the bridge.

After allowing Jasmine and Morales to look around for a moment, Diana turned to her husband. “Are you two coming with us? Kayla and I are going to show Jasmine our living quarters.”

“No; go ahead. I think Mr. Morales would appreciate seeing part of Ship’s engines. We’ll meet you on the bridge in a few.”

Turning to Morales, “I assumed you might be interested in one of Ship’s propulsion systems, and maybe what’s holding her up above the cave, right?”

“Well,” Morales began, “I am curious, but I doubt if I’ll understand anything about it.”