Chapter 714

Frequently, Diana would sit at the opposite end of the table from her husband to give her sister-wives closer access to him during meals.

Since Emma and Jeff had entered the dining room together, they remained together as they went through the line at the hot bar, but Emma made sure to sit well down the table from Jeff, although, to be truthful with herself, she realized that she might have preferred to sit nearer him.

Caitlin, the nurse, and Joyce, the once-deputy, chose to sit at the end of the table nearest Jeff this morning. One glance at Diana with the almost-smirk on her face caused Emma to quickly look away while wondering if the woman were psychic. She knows that I regret not sitting closer to him. When she again glanced in Diana’s direction, the Clan Queen winked at her.

What is this, anyway? Is she so accustomed to having women throw themselves at her husband that she expected me to have a crush on him as if I were some teenage girl? He’s just a guy. Well, a great looking guy, I suppose, but I’m a woman, not some teenage girl. And why isn’t Diana jealous of another woman in her home — or her sister-wives — for that matter?

As she ate and chatted with those nearby, Emma wondered how so many women seemed to get along so well. Granted, she had only been here a part of yesterday and this morning, but she would bet that the women weren’t faking their good moods. Instead, they seemed genuinely to love each other ... and their man.

Something is odd. With this many wives, I would expect they would all show frustration from not getting enough sex. Diana just laughed at the mention of it and said that their man takes good care of them all.

After breakfast, she tried to help with cleanup but only managed to take one stack of dirty dishes into the kitchen before Nat, Nicki and Whitney waylaid her. At first, she had thought they were a set of triplets, but they assured her that they were not, but frequently they seemed to “chain talk” as she thought of it. One would start a sentence, and often the others picked the thought up and continued the conversation as if only one were speaking.

“Oops, sorry,” Nicki said when they did it. “Sometimes, we just do it...”

“And it frustrates the person...” from Nat.

“We’re talking to,” Whitney finished.

“Come on,” Nat said. “Diana told us to show you around.”

“I need to wash some clothes if we aren’t returning to the base soon,” Emma responded.

Nat just smiled. “That’s up to the General, and he hasn’t said what he was going to do yet. Okay, change of plans. We should wash too, so I’ll go with you to get your things.”

“But...” Emma began.

“They will meet us at the washers,” Nat said as she grabbed Emma’s hand to pull her down the hallway toward her suite. “Now, tell me about being an anthropologist.”

“Well, we didn’t get to do much work this trip because we were attacked and kidnapped by these ... beings...”

Emma and the three girls were in Emma’s suite after taking her clothes out of the dryers. As she opened her pack in preparation for folding and putting her clothes back into it, Nat touched her arm. “If this suite suits you, why don’t you just go ahead and put everything away?”

“Suitable?” Emma said, amazed. “It is beautiful. Are you sure I can use it until we go on the trip?”

“Absolutely,” all three girls said as one.

“Well, I usually hang my tops, if I have room, and fold my jeans and fatigue pants to put in drawers.”

“There is plenty of hanging and drawer space here,” Whitney commented.

“Yes, and the suite is much bigger than my quarters at the base, not to mention how beautifully the suite is decorated and furnished. Are you sure it’s okay for me to use until we leave on the trip?”

“Positive,” the girls answered as one.

In short order, Emma’s clothes were put away.

The screen lit with the AI looking at them. “The General asked me to announce that each member of the Science Team and their escorts will report to Ship in one hour.”

“So, how long will it take for you to take care of things at the base?” Whitney asked.

“Not long,” Emma responded. “I’ve been there long enough to have permanent quarters, so I just need to tie up a few loose ends, do some incidentals and check in with the Sergeant to make sure he knows where I’ll be for the next couple of years. I really need to do some shopping, but Jeff told me to hold off on that because he and Diana had discussed the issue. It seems that we will need some special clothing, and he wants her to be with me when we shop and insists that he be allowed to pay for everything.”

“So, there you go,” Nat said. “That’s one group of things that you don’t have to worry about at the base.” The three passed a glance before Nat continued. “I think what he was mostly referring to was formal clothing to wear to parties, receptions and things of that nature.”

Whitney broke in to say, “We will be looking for leads about the race that built Ship’s brain. Jeff says we will be trying to find artifacts, records or even myths from ancient history of any race we interview. Our husband doesn’t do things halfway. He says that he will try to cover all the bases, and consequently, we suspect that you will need everything from fatigues to formal wear. He has promised Ship that he will do everything he can to locate the race that built her brain, and he will do just that. Chances are, he might be using your field as well as archeology in his search because both Jeff and Ship think the race she is looking for was destroyed during that long-ago war. However, they can’t be certain, so he will search for any clues he can find.”

“Jeff told Diana to be prepared to shop for clothes and incidentals with you. You might want to pick out your wedding dress while you’re at it,” Nicki injected.

Emma turned to stare at her. “I am not getting married, no matter what your husband has said.”

“He hasn’t said anything. It was Diana, and I can’t remember her ever being wrong. Besides, we know the owner of an excellent dress shop, and she has made all our wedding dresses.”

“Well, there’s always a first time for her to be wrong,” Emma snapped back.

The girls’ giggles and knowing smiles almost set Emma off, but there was sincerity in their voices.

“Sorry. I suppose I’m a bit uptight about the subject.”

“When you’re ready to tell us your backstory, we’ll be glad to listen. Our lives haven’t always been perfect, either, at least not until Jeff and his team rescued us,” Nicki said as a cloud seemed to pass over her face.

Diana, Jeff and Selina escorted the Science Team and the General to Ship. Selina hugged Diana and Jeff before going through the hatch into Ship proper.

The amused couple started back to the Retreat while Selina turned to the others and suggested they find seats in the lounge. “Ship is capable of going anywhere she pleases without assistance from anyone, but I usually go with her when we take Morales and his family back to 2214 to check on their home. I am one of her navigators, but all the bridge crew has secondary duties in case of problems. My secondary is Pilot, so that is what I will be doing today.

“As usual, we will go into space, then immediately back down to the base. Should I decide to go directly to the base, I would have to slow to maneuver around aircraft while the straight-up then back down route becomes much simpler. Since Ship does not interact with the atmosphere, we can be in space in a second or two, then back down to the base in approximately the same time span, all while I practice my piloting skills. Lest you fear, I cannot make a mistake because Ship would take over before it could happen. So, relax, and we will be at the base in a few minutes.”

Ship teleported Selina to the bridge as Doctor Emerson turned to the General, who was standing grinning at her. “She’s...”

“Seven,” the General offered. “Imagine what she’ll be when she’s twenty.”

“But...” the doctor began as the big holo screen came on showing the grounds of the Retreat. Before anyone could comment, the scene changed as Ship, at an enormous velocity, streaked for space, the screen now showing much of the world below them. Before they could fully fathom what had just happened, they were on the way down, but slowed as the great doors slowly opened, and Ship eased into the giant underground hanger. There had been no sensation of movement whatsoever.

The doctor was highly intelligent, so she shut her mouth before she made a fool of herself.

“You were showing off; I believe the expression is,” Ship accused.

“Certainly, I was, but the controls are so smooth that anyone could fly you. I wanted to be the pilot today because adults seem always to view me as a mere child. Besides, if it had been the official pilot guiding us, no one would have thought anything about the trip,” she grumbled.

Ship teleported her to the hatch so she could say goodbye to the departing Science Team. As the General came to the exit hatch, he winked at her, which heightened her spirits immensely. Amazing Selina, Doctor Emerson hugged her, whispered, “Well done,” and said she hoped to see her again soon.

The last person off was Emma, who hugged Selina and said she would be back soon if all went well. Amazing Emma, Selina motioned for her to lean down, then whispered into the scientist’s ear, “I wish I were in your shoes, but I will have to wait until I am an adult before I can marry him.”

Not knowing exactly what to say, Emma finally stumbled out, “You might change your mind when you’re an adult and meet someone your age.”

Selina frowned. “I will not. I have even tried to get Ship to speed up my growth processes, but she refused. I detest being so small.”

“You’re beautiful, and please let nature continue her natural processes. You will be an adult before you know it, but you can’t return to being a child.”

“Good,” Selina groused. “I would certainly hate having to be small again. Unfortunately, it seems that puberty will never arrive. I don’t even have any sexual urges.”

Emma couldn’t help the chuckle that slipped out. “Just like growing up, they will come soon enough and with other problems accompanying them. I thought my life was perfect until my ‘beloved’ walked out on me without any warning. To say the least, that trashed my ego.”

“But you can have Jeff if you, as adults say, play your cards right.”

Emma chuckled. “I have never been very good at poker, but maybe I’ve learned something from the experience with Will. If nothing else, I’ve learned to be careful to whom I give my heart.”

Selina locked eyes with the woman. “Just please keep an open mind about our Prime. He is the best man on Earth or any other planet,” she said with emphasis, “And he will never let you down.”

Emma giggled and hugged Selina again. “I’ll keep all that in mind.”

“Call when you are ready to be picked up, and someone will come for you. Try not to be too long. We have a lot to do to be ready for the trip.”