Chapter 516

The Prison Planet

... Jeff had continued to touch Morales’ shoulder while he was speaking, and the Prime was amazed at the intensity of what he felt. He knew that Little One was helping, and he thanked her mentally. “Let’s go on back. It will soon be dark and my women and I need to be getting home.”

“Still a couple of hours until full dark,” Morales advised.

When they got back to where the women were in the cave, Morales hung the container bearing his wedding clothes on a peg as Diana looked a question at him.

“Perfect fit on everything,” he told her.

“Great,” she returned, “and so is Jasmine’s.”

Coming over to Jeff, she took his hand and the two walked a few steps away before she motioned for him to sit on a rock, then sat in his lap. Kissing him tenderly, she smiled and said. “I assume that we are going to marry them since he’s now a full Alpha, or are you thinking about using Brother Taylor.”

“Well, Pastor Taylor and his wife have been blocked, so we can use them if we need to, providing they agree, of course, but to tell you the truth ... I almost feel compelled for us to marry these two once Little One has enhanced them. After all, we did marry most of the other Alphas, even if we sometimes did it after the preacher or that judge did their thing. You know that if we don’t marry them and Morales finds out that we married the other Alphas and their wives, he’ll assume we didn’t marry him because of his background and his present status,” Jeff said with a sigh. “But maybe we need to give them the option just in case they had rather have a preacher do it. It would be a bit of a shame to bring the Taylors here though.”

“Why?” Diana asked with a frown.

“Because, they wouldn’t be able to tell a single soul other than the Matthews Clan that they had been off planet. That would have to be frustrating.”

“Yeah,” Diana agreed. “Come to think of it, that would almost be cruel, but let’s ask Jas and Morales, anyway. After they decide, we’ll worry about what we need to do.”

“I love you, Woman.”

“Good. I knew there was some reason I married you,” she said with a chuckle as she stood.

Mock leering at her boobs, he responded, “Sure was. You were knocked up and I wanted to nurse milk out of those.”

“Well, you got that in spades,” she returned with a giggle as she walked away, his eyes following her pert ass that was moving a little bit more just for him.

As soon as Jeff’s lap was clear, Selina hurried over to sit in Diana’s place. After hugging his neck to butter him up, she very seriously asked, “When will we be able to visit the column area again? I have some new ideas.”

“Baby,” he said after giving her a hug while stalling for a way of telling her no without hurting her feelings too much. “Uh, look, Sweetie, I’ve been thinking along those lines. I know you’re intrigued with that thing – we all are, whatever it may be, booster station, or whatever – but, most probably, it’s been there for a very long time. A few more days shouldn’t hurt in the long run. I had rather wait until the science team the General has picked returns from their present assignment. I have the distinct impression that the place could be very dangerous, maybe in ways we have never considered. I’m also leery about even allowing you to go with that team, and certainly not by yourself. If something should happen to you ... I think it’s best to wait for the professionals rather than maybe making a mistake and perhaps have that thing go on alert.”

“My Prime,” Selina quickly returned, “I am not foolish. Nothing will happen to me because I shall be very careful. I realize that you perceive me as a small child sitting here on your lap, but I am growing rapidly and weigh fifty-four whole pounds, and I am now four feet two inches tall. I am very slender, have no bust or hips, and at this point, I seem destined to never have any,” she griped. “But ... there is hope because my mother has a voluptuous figure. However, I assure you that my reasoning is that of an adult. I have considered this in depth and realize that you are concerned about allowing me to accompany the science team, but I shall obey their rules and will be exceptionally vigilant. I, when I do accompany them, shall neither stray nor wander off as you might possibly refer to it. I quite understand that the entity that controls the column area might well be very aggressive should it decide that we are interfering in any way with its directives.

“I shall warn the scientists verbally before we enter the cavern. I have already given the General a synopsis of the events from my perspective that also includes Ship’s discoveries and assessments. I strongly suggested that he make certain that the science team has read my synopsis before they embark on their mission. He has assured me that he will do just that.”

She always seems to surprise me, no matter how prepared I think I am. What’s she going to be like when she hits her teen years? Arlene was a handful, and still is, but with Selina’s mind...

Shrugging the thoughts away, he spoke. “Thank you, Baby. I know that you think we’re all too protective of you, but well ... we love you, and no matter how intelligent you are, you gain experience one year at a time. Please stop to consider before you act in that place. And ... Young Lady, I am well aware that I have been manipulated – manipulated by the master of manipulators – into your being able to go with the scientists. Don’t make me wish I had not allowed that to happen. I’ve already caught enough hell about it from Diana – and will probably catch more.”

Selina just looked at him and smiled – the epitome of innocence – before breaking out in giggles.

“Are you going to be okay for clothes to stay the night?”

Selina winked at her Prime. “I prepared an overnight bag in the event that I might be permitted to stay.”

“I should turn you over my knee and spank you,” he teased.

“Oh, please do. I have overheard some of your wives discussing that, and I should very much like to experience the sensation they describe,” she finished while almost succeeding in keeping the grin off her face.

“You hear too damn well,” Jeff quietly snarled while trying to hold back a grin.

With a giggle, Selina, almost bouncing up and down, went over to Morales and Jasmine to ask if she could go for a ride on Lobo and Lila.

“We don’t mind as far as we’re concerned, but please be careful,” Jasmine said.

“Baby,” Diana responded as she watched Selina taking her headlamp out of her backpack. “I’m very concerned about you and the wolves going farther into the cave. When you were just going a short distance and could still see the lights of the camp from back there, I wasn’t concerned, but with that headlamp, I presume you intend going farther this time. What if you drop the light and break it?”

The little genius was ready for that question. Digging further into her backpack, she produced two more headlamps, before proudly pointing out that she had modified the straps.

“And you did that so...”

“Lobo and Lila could have headlamps, too,” she quickly responded. “However ... they tell me that they have the capability to retrace their path without light if necessary, so even if we somehow lost all of our headlamps, we could simply walk back as we normally would,” she finished as she fitted the headlamps to the wolves’ heads, then turned the small, but brilliant lights on.

Jeff was standing a few feet away just watching.

“Say something,” Diana growled, almost letting the worry slip through.

“As Diana has implied, you obviously plan to go a good bit farther this time. You will not stray from the main corridor,” he admonished. “If you hear the sound of rushing water, or the corridor begins to be ... Oh, hell, you know what I’m trying to say. If it even begins to look dangerous, or the wolves become uneasy or hear or see anything out of the ordinary, you are to return immediately. I want your promise. And Selina, remember, the only reason that I would even think about letting you do this is because of your intelligence as well as that of the wolves, plus other capabilities they obviously possess. Please don’t let your curiosity outweigh your intelligence, and ... be back in an hour or less. We will be leaving soon and I want you back before we go. You do realize that being allowed to go back there unaccompanied by one of us is an adult privilege, right?”

“Yes, My Prime. I will not behave foolishly, and ... I shall be extremely careful and refrain from giving over to my curiosity. Lobo and Lila have explored well into the cave and we will stop before we reach the limit of their exploration. This is simply a test mission to ascertain that the headlamps will work properly on Lobo and Lila’s heads.” She hesitated a second before continuing. “And ... General Whitworth has given me this,” she said as she withdrew one of the small radios identical to the one Tosha had given Kei to use on their trip. “He assured me that it is mated to one of the frequencies of your radio.”

“That’s good, but do not rely too heavily on the radio,” Jeff cautioned. “That little alien radio is powerful for its size, and it transmits using an entirely different concept to our Earth radios, but all this rock might well block the signal from even it, should you go back too far,” he cautioned.

“Yes, My Prime. The General has lectured me on its capabilities as well as its limitations. I will be careful,” Selina assured them as Lila crouched down so the little genius could mount. With a final wave from Selina, the trio soon disappeared down the cave’s main passageway.

Selina was exuberant, not only because she was being allowed to explore, but also because she was going to spend the night and be allowed to supervise Little One’s enhancement of Jasmine, Morales and the wolves. Well into the darkness, the wolves walking along side by side, Selina began to explain what the enhancement would mean to them.

As they watched the seven-year-old leave, Diana turned to her husband, “Aren’t you worried about her going back there?”

“She’s done it several times before,” Jeff pointed out. “And, we both know that she really is an adult in a child’s body.”

.”

The Clan Queen frowned, “She’s still an exuberant child and she obviously plans to go farther today.”

“And wouldn’t you like to let go and act so exuberantly now and then?” Before she could answer, Jeff went on, “But, you can’t jump up and down like a little girl, because you’re an adult. But wouldn’t you love to – just once, hmmm?”

Diana mock-glared at her husband, but he just tickled her for a second, much to the enjoyment of Morales and Jasmine. “But...” she started.

“We have already talked about the cave. She has described some of what she’s seen in the corridor and it’s much like it is here. She hasn’t gone as far as Morales has, and he said there was nothing bad as far as he had gone. I warned her that he thinks he hears water sometimes, and she promised me she would be doubly careful and would not venture far. Baby, I feel just like you do about her going in there by herself, but we keep thinking of her as a little girl – which she is to some extent – but her mind and reasoning are far beyond any of us, save maybe Helen. Time to let her out of the nest a bit.”

Diana sat in his lap and put her arms around his neck, oblivious to the others, who by now realized that there was a private conversation going on, and continued with their own conversations to give the two privacy.

“I know what you’re saying is true, but darnit, Husband, my eyes tell me she’s a little girl who loves to ride those monstrous, but loving, wolves. However, I don’t want to insult her by treating that fabulous mind as if she’s a normal child.”

“So?” he asked with a twinkle in his eyes.

“So, we let her go for a longer ride on the wolves – and worry,” Diana returned with a sigh as she put her head on his shoulder. “Jeff, I’ve been a little worried when she went before, plus, if you haven’t noticed, she’s been gone for a little longer each time. Ten to one, she explored a little farther every time. What if there is a drop-off or whatever it is called in a cave?”

“Di, we’ve covered that. Think about it,” he said as he took her hand. “She’s with Lobo and Lila. I would just about bet that they understand most of what we say – at least the gist of it. We’ve already discussed how Morales, Jasmine and the wolves communicate, and I think Selina and the two understand each other even better. Remember, Selina could detect at least some of what the column thing was doing. Notice how the wolves turned as her conversation with us ended, just as if they were following along in the conversation. Oh, I don’t think they understand English that well, although I suspect they’re picking it up. But ... I’m also wondering if they’re more telepathic than we first imagined, or else they’re getting better at it. Along those lines, I think they and their little partner are becoming even more able to communicate as time goes along. Just watch them the next time Morales, Jasmine or Selina says something to them. They tend to react even before the sentence is fully spoken. Think about it. Did you see or hear Selina give them any commands before they turned and walked away? I think they knew the conversation was over and that Selina had been given permission to go down the passageway.