Chapter 515

The Prison Planet

... Outside, Morales took a couple of steps, looked up the hill and froze. “What’s all that?” he asked while motioning to the numerous boxes, equipment and miscellaneous items stacked on pallets farther up the hill.

“Well,” Jeff said a bit hesitantly, “I, uh, brought a few things.”

“A few?” Morales said with a laugh. “If that’s a few, I sure as hell would love to see what you call a lot.”

Jeff grinned back at him. “Well, I am an engineer, so ‘why not do it right’, as one of my instructors used to say.”

“Jeff,” Morales responded, his voice changing, “you know all about me, and you know that I can’t repay you for any of this.” As Jeff started to speak, Morales motioned for him to wait. “We never had much. Oh, Mom worked all the time, but, well, we had some hard times, but, I never stole anything. Nothing. I worked my ass off until I got in with Mr. Mazarella. I was loyal to him, and that loyalty got my ass into deep trouble. But Jeff, I...”

“I know where you’re going with this...”

“Let me finish, Jeff, please. It’s hard for me to accept all that you and your family have already done for me – for us. And that us is the only reason that I can accept anything from you or anyone else. Because of Jas, I have to. If it were not for her, I wouldn’t have accepted all that you have already given us. But she deserves far more than I will ever be able to give, or provide for her. Understand that – please. Even though I’m a lifer here on this ... planet, I still have some pride. I haven’t earned this,” he said motioning to the pallets of equipment, “nor all the other things that you’ve brought us and done for us. She’s a good woman who, for some reason, loves me. She gradually insinuated herself into my life, and before I knew it, we were a team – at least according to her. And ... although my feelings don’t count, I feel the same way. I love her with all my being, but this ... this charity hurts. Not just that you are giving us things, but that I can’t provide for her. But Jeff, that doesn’t mean that I don’t appreciate it more than I can ever manage to say. Thank you.”

Jeff was quiet for a moment, his expression odd, that expression slowly morphing into a big grin, but before Morales could take offence, “No. No. It’s not what you think,” the Prime said as he reached out a hand to squeeze Morales’ shoulder. “For the first time – just now – I felt you.” As Morales began to frown, Jeff went on, his voice soft as he spaced his words out for emphasis. “I felt another Alpha.”

Morales just stared at him.

“Welcome to the Matthews Clan, Brother,” the Prime said, his voice now strong as he offered his hand.

Stunned, unable to understand fully, Morales shook hands although he maintained an expression of bewilderment. “Jeff, I ... just don’t understand. Hell, I don’t even really know what an Alpha is, and I damn sure don’t feel any different.”

Chuckling, the Prime obviously happy, he slapped Morales on the shoulder. “It was gradual. I don’t know what started it or why, although I can make a damn good guess. But ... never doubt that what I say is true. I’m an Alpha Prime as far as Ship is concerned, and one of the things I seemed to have acquired over time is the ability to feel another Alpha. Granted, I don’t know a lot about the subject, but I’ve already explained earlier about what I did know about Alphas. As you become stronger, I suspect you too will be able to recognize another Alpha, especially after you’re enhanced by Little One.”

Morales just stood looking at Jeff for a moment, before, “But, what’s this enhanced business? I don’t understand.”

“Little One, the little alien Healer I showed you ... Oh, hell. That’s not a discussion for standing out here in the snow. By the way, I finally remembered to bring you a couple of snow shovels,” he said, waving vaguely to the stack of supplies on up the hill. “It must be a bitch shoveling snow with that digging shovel over there,” he said nodding to where the shovel was propped against the entrance wall.

“They will certainly come in handy, but it’s just more of the things that I can’t pay for,” Morales said with a sigh.

“Oh, hush about that. Did that word go over your head?”

“What word?”

“Brother,” the Prime emphasized while putting his hand on Morales shoulder again. “Now, let me show you what I have planned – with your permission, of course.”

“Is Jasmine going to benefit from this?”

“Damn sure is,” Jeff returned, knowing what was driving Morales.

“Okay. Then, let’s check it out.”

Later, Morales and Jeff stood in the big open space on the hill above the cave. “Might have to cut those two trees over there,” he said, pointing. “Even if we don’t, at worst, they’ll only block some of the late evening sun. Any problems with putting the four arrays in a line up the hill here?” he asked, motioning.

“It’s just open space as far as I’m concerned, so I don’t see why not.”

“Good. There’s no hurry about the trees as long as you can make them fall away from this area.

“Piece of cake. They’re hardwoods and near enough to be convenient for firewood. We’re getting low and I was going to have to cut some soon, anyway. We’re not out, but it takes a while for the wood to dry after I split it. Next year, I’ll have more split and dried before winter.”

“I haven’t swung an axe much, but with your help, I’m sure I can learn. I need the exercise, anyway,” Jeff commented.

“I actually use a maul to split the wood, but it basically works the same way, just a bit more efficiently.” Then briskly, “Let’s go warm up and get a cup of coffee. I need to get the saw ready, anyway.”

“Remember, don’t forget to knock,” the Prime warned as they approached the cave. “I don’t need a bunch of pissed off women on my ass.”

Morales grinned back at Jeff. “Jas hasn’t gotten mad at me – yet, but I suspect it will be a doozie when it does happen. She can be a bit ... intense on occasion, and I suspect that will apply when she’s pissed off, too.”

“Doozie?” Jeff said with a chuckle. “I haven’t heard that in a long time.”

“Mom used to say it, and I try to use some of her expressions so I won’t forget her,” Morales quietly returned.

“I like that,” Jeff said, smiling at the new Alpha. “Knock, Brother. Let’s go get that coffee.”

Morales rapped on the door, and it was immediately jerked open. “About time you two wanderers got back,” Diana said with a big smile. Then as her eyes met Jeff’s, she paused. “What?” she asked, her voice changing.

“I’ll let Morales tell Jasmine first,” he quietly said to his wife.

Turning to Morales, who was already in the process of pouring coffee for Jeff and himself, “Tell her.”

Morales froze with the percolator in one hand and a cup in the other.

Jeff took the percolator, then reached to take the cup, too. “She deserves to know first,” he quietly said. “Like you said outside, she loves you.”

“Jeff, I don’t feel...”

“Tell her, anyway,” the Prime whispered.

Jasmine had heard just enough to make her wonder. “Tell me what?” she demanded, worried.

Morales sighed, took her arm, and the two walked farther down the cave, but still within sight of the others. “Jas, Jeff is insistent that it’s a big deal, but I...”

“Tell me, darnit. You’re driving me crazy,” she hissed at him. “What happened? What’s wrong?” she demanded, now really beginning to worry.

“Nothing, at least nothing that I ... Oh, hell, Jeff said that he can now ‘feel’ me. He says that I’m an Alpha, whatever the hell that means.”

“You’re what?” she said, her voice rising and accompanied by laughter trying to take over. “You’re an Alpha?” she questioned and at the same time, stated.

“Yeah. Well, according to Jeff, but I think he’s wrong. I don’t feel any different.”

Jasmine screamed and threw herself into her lover’s arms.

“So, you know what this Alpha thing is?” he whispered into her ear as she hugged herself to him.

“No,” she admitted, “but I know that Diana thinks it’s a very big deal, indeed.”

Jeff, of course, had told the others, and Morales was soon swamped by women congratulating the two.

Eventually, they were all back near the fire. “I still don’t see what all the fuss is about,” Morales said as he was finally allowed to sit and sip his coffee.

“It means,” Diana interrupted to say, “that now you’ll be enhanced by Little One. Both you and Jasmine, never to be sick again and never to die from any type of illness.”

Helen spoke up. “Statistics say you will die, eventually. All of us will sooner or later, but now your death and that of the woman you love will be, hopefully, a long, long way in the future, and certainly not from ‘natural causes’ when it does happen.”

“Anyone can be enhanced,” Jeff broke in to say, “but I’ve only had Little One do that to a few who weren’t full Alphas or the Alpha’s woman or women. But enhancement is a privilege of my Alphas.” Then, after a second, he went on, “Hmmm. That didn’t sound the way I meant it to. I don’t own anyone, obviously. But, to me, you’re part of our Clan now, so ... I suppose it’s time. You’ve seen Little One before, and I’ve told you where she lives most of the time.” He stood and walked away for a moment, his back turned, worried that seeing her flow out of his collar to transform might still upset them.

A moment later, he returned with her. “I didn’t go into details about her before, but suffice it to say that she was designed by Ship to be a rudimentary Healer – as were her sisters, but that’s another story. All had AI’s, although hers seemed to have that special spark. To make a long story a little shorter, she, shall we say, set out to expand herself. The end result is our present-day Little One. She is highly intelligent, sentient, and has a telepathic link of sorts with me. When you touched her the last time I showed her to you, you felt the buzzing in your mind. At first, that’s all I heard, too, but over time, she has learned to communicate with me. Now, she practically lives in my mind, and physically resides, at least when I’m awake, on my back almost as a second skin. The end result, among other things, is that she has the ability to enhance humans and at least some types of animals, just as Ship does.”

“But what’s this enhancement thing?” Morales wanted to know.

“Basically, it resets your body; I suppose you could say. Your body will no longer age, and everything about it will be perfect. Your cells will reproduce perfectly, and for all practical purposes – forever. Little One will initiate the process tonight and it will continue on its own until completion. You will wake up later with a driving hunger and thirst. Just keep feeding that hunger and thirst until they finally calm down. Note that I didn’t say anything about their ending.

“An Alpha, particularly, and to a lesser extent anyone enhanced that is not an Alpha, will eat far more than a normal person does. But, you won’t gain weight past your optimum, nor will you age past the apparent age you wish to appear. You will never be sick and,” he said, shifting his gaze to Jasmine, “you won’t get pregnant until Little One restarts the process in your body – which she will do anytime you wish. But beware, she tells me you will be very fertile when she restarts your body’s ability to become pregnant. So, don’t do it until you are certain you’re ready. In addition, you will find that your mind will grow sharper and your body stronger. You will see and hear better and your body will heal much faster when injured.”