Chapter 606

...”Females that wear clothes, can speak in public and fight alongside your males?” the First asked/said as if he were trying to fathom what the terms meant.

Jeff stared at the First Officer. Yep, this is going to be a different kind of lunch.

It took quite a while for Ship to process all the alien women, but as Diana directed, Ship completed the task before she brought the alien males aboard. While the females were being processed, Diana had a quick meeting with her sister-wives, including Aiko and Tosha, to get everyone involved in what had to be done. Most of the alien women were afraid and expecting to be killed – except for two that seemed to understand things much better. In the short while that the Clan Queen had with them, she realized that those two were much more aware of what was going on, and it took only a few minutes for her to learn from them how much they cared for the First Officer, and generally what he had done for them.

Jeff and Diana were standing in the hallway near where the First remained in the lounge. Her boil hadn’t been for what the First had done, but for what had apparently been done to the female population of the Miadax race – probably for generations.

“I know, Baby,” Jeff said, “The First told me. He isn’t the bad guy in this. He apparently found out about it when he rewarded the two females he liked by giving them some of his food. I gather that was a major no-no with his race.”

Diana stared up at her husband. “What do we do? I will not stand to have these women treated like this. And by the way, other than their faces being a little flatter, which is not that far out of the norm for humans, the brow ridges, and having three vertically spaced breasts, they could almost pass for human.”

“Uh, yeahhh,” Jeff tentatively agreed while stretching out the word, obviously amused.

“Oh, you know what I mean. Those things can easily be ignored after you talk to them for a few minutes.”

The two took the few steps to again join the First officer as he sat at a table.

Ship spoke up, “I have not had time to investigate fully, but from what the First Officer has said and further implied, a chemical has been introduced into the females’ food products, apparently over many years. I will have to investigate in much more detail because there is a possibility that an abrupt withdrawal of this chemical that has probably been in their food for a long time, might well have negative results. You will note that the First Officer has said that he began giving them his food as a reward, which ... probably meant that they continued to eat a portion of their food, the consequence being that the chemical was slowly reduced in their diet. Since you, Sir,” she said as she directed her comments to the First Officer, “have not mentioned any negative results, I would suggest a tentative withdrawal cycle with constant monitoring of their systems while the process continues. I would caution that the two that you have cared for should continue to receive a small portion of the food designed for females while I continue my research. I cannot overemphasize the importance of a very careful reduction in the intake of this supposed chemical while I continue to monitor the females.”

Diana addressed the First Officer. “How did this get started?”

The First rolled his hand, which Diana thought might be the equivalent of a shrug. “I do not know. It has always been that females ate only food designed for them. I always thought that they might need something that was not in our food. I suppose that I never really thought much about it at all. It is their food. It just always was. Males and females are reared separately, even from birth. There is little male supervision, just our AIs to take care of the females as they mature. When they are old enough, they are moved to the pleasure pens and become part of that. Some are selected, again by the AIs, to be breeders. We have little contact with the females other than our seeking relief. The females just accept what we are doing with indifference. It is frowned upon if any should abuse them, though.” Then after a short pause, “Possibly because abusing them would result in the female not being available when a male wanted her.”

“You just used them?” the Clan Queen almost snarled as Jeff felt her body tense.

“Easy, Baby. As I said, he isn’t the bad guy here. Well ... mostly. He was the one who broke from tradition and rewarded the two he had begun to like.”

“There are going to be some changes,” the Clan Queen warned in a clipped voice, “and ... those changes had better start with the rest of the males in your crew – now. I will not have these women treated as cattle fit only for the pleasure of males. They will be treated with respect, and it will start with our meal together.”

“Then I had better have a conference with my crew,” the First said with an all-to-human sigh.

“Caution them,” the Queen said, “that I will have no scenes at my table. One – one – derogatory comment from any of the males, and you will all be eating by yourselves in a far less desirable environment.”

“My bridge crew, the Chief Engineer and his sub engineers are reasonable people, but ... I need time to make them understand what has happened and what is going to happen. No disrespect, but this has been going on, apparently, for generations. Females have never participated in social gatherings with any of us – well, other than for sex. I took my favorite two to my quarters to be in a more comfortable environment, and when they pleased me, I offered them food. That was the only thing I could give them. It became a routine over the last...” the First struggled for a term, “months. Eventually, I noticed that they were beginning to have short but spontaneous conversations with me. I was pleased and kept them with me longer and more frequently, eventually giving them more and more food, I suppose.

“Finally, I noticed that they had developed curiosity and were even devising new ways to please me. One noticed my reader and began to ask questions. I brought up a learning program and let the AI began to teach them. Eventually, they learned to read, at least minimally. I was cautious because, in our world, this would have been a major offense. I swore the Chief to secrecy before telling him what I had done. I ... have developed feelings for the two, and possibly, they have for me, also. At my home planet, this would have been reason for extreme embarrassment and a total loss of rank should my unusual ... association with the two have come to light.”

“Your rank is First Officer. What is your name?” the Prime asked.

The First responded with his equivalent of a grin, “My name is long and difficult to pronounce even in my language. It, as all personal designations are, was given to me at birth by an AI. I respond to First, so if it is satisfactory with you, First will suffice.”

“Then I’m Jeff, and this is Diana. I’m a retired Colonel in a small detachment of the army that is run by a – I suppose you would call him a rogue General – who has more brains and more actual power than anyone I know. But that’s a long story. I’m sure that you will meet him soon. For now, Ship has just told me that she has finished with your crew, and you need to have a strong conversation with your officers about how your women are to be treated when we eat, and from now on, actually. If your crew objects, let them understand that slavery, which to us this is – is not tolerated on our world and certainly not in our family group. If your people do not accept this, there will be serious and immediate consequences. And remember that these women – all of the women you are going to meet – either fought your Paladins or were gunners as part of Ship’s point defense against your drones. They are not to be taken lightly, and they have proven themselves as warriors. Make certain that your crew knows and fully understands this. And to make it a little plainer, these women were central to kicking your ass.”

The First hesitated, embarrassed. “I fully understand and agree, but most of the females will struggle to fathom the change, so please...”

“I have given them guidelines that I think they can understand,” Ship interrupted to say, “and I can communicate with them mentally – not nearly as well as I can with my Prime and his women, but I can certainly nudge them in the proper direction as they have to make minor decisions about eating in their new environment. I have used part of the food in their pod as well as substituting some of the food in your pod, First. I have also substituted a small quantity of an Earth dessert that seems compatible with their metabolism. I think they will enjoy their meal, and hopefully, their new experience at sitting with males while breaking their fast.”

Ship hesitated for a heartbeat. “My Prime, Diana has just instructed me to space her sister-wives as well as Aiko and Tosha among the alien females in order to have someone near to assist them as the meal progresses.”

The First Officer gave the equivalent of a frown. “I seem to be missing things. Your ... Ship can actually converse with you mentally?” First asked as his eyes shifted between the two.

Jeff nodded but didn’t expand on the question.

“I am told that long ago, we met a race that communicated mentally,” First went on, “but they destroyed their planet rather than submit to the Miadax. We have never been able to discover how to communicate in such manner.”

“We are ... learning,” Jeff said noncommittally.

“I must have a detailed conference with my crew before the meal,” First said as he came to his feet.

“Ship will guide you,” the Prime responded.

“This way, First,” Ship said as a pulsing strip of light marked the passageway that he was to follow.

“Are we going to eat in shifts?” Jeff asked his Clan Queen. “With 17 of you, plus Aiko and Tosha, then seven male aliens in the first pod, six more in the second, and 25 females in the big pod...”

“I need for you two to step out of the lounge while I prepare,” Ship interrupted to say.

Diana just grinned at her husband as he realized that he was probably behind – as usual.

When they stepped out, the room shimmered for a moment. “I might have to make smaller adjustments, but if so, I can do that with everyone present,” Ship explained.

When man and wife walked back inside, the room had certainly changed. It was much bigger, and to understate, was graced with the largest table Jeff had ever heard of, let alone seen.

“Ready?” Ship asked in both Diana and Jeff’s minds.

Jeff had expected that the alien women would be brought in first, but he was wrong. Diana stepped out into the passageway, returning shortly with the alien males following. She led them down the table, and they, obviously having been prompted, stood behind their chairs, all looking uncomfortable and maybe even a little – well a lot – tense.

Shortly, the alien females began coming in with Arlene in the lead, the column interspersed with Jeff’s wives so that each alien had a minder not far away and ready to assist her. The group filed down the other side of the table. The Earth women quietly encouraged the aliens until they were all standing where Diana wanted them. With a nod from the Clan Queen, the Earth women encouraged the alien females to be seated. Only then did the First Officer motion to his crew to be seated.

Jeff was appalled to see how frightened that most of the alien women seemed to be as they stared across the table at the males of their species. Two of the alien females looked to the First who nodded to encourage them, and consequently, the two seemed to relax quickly, obviously trusting him.

Jeff had also sat when the alien males did but now came to his feet again. “We have a ... tradition at our table, so please bear with us,” he said, giving a few seconds for the translation devices to do their job. Bowing his head, as did the Earth women, he gave a short prayer of thanks for their survival, asked for guidance and thanked God for the food.

With a mental comment to Ship, the alien females’ plates began appearing in front of them. Starting near the head of the table where Jeff was, and continuing down the side, the plates with alien food as well as several small portions of Earth food appeared in front of the alien women almost in a ripple effect. Moments later, two glasses appeared by each plate, one an alien drink for the women, and a second a glass of iced tea. Diana was curious as to how the alien women would respond to her favorite iced drink.