Chapter 7

With so many people on board the ship Kyle decided it wasn't practical for everyone to have dinner together in his cabin so he decided to use the dining facility where he and Lin had eaten lunch earlier. Already that facility was fitted out to provide a restaurant like environment so it seemed to be the perfect place. Kyle decided also that he needed to start using more of the rest of the ship and continue to explore it.

Remembering the medical center she had seen earlier Lin had the idea that she should take her mother and especially her grandmother, as well as her mother's two friends, for a visit there. If the alien medical science was as good as everything else on the ship then it would definitely have something to offer the older members of the human party. Lin knew her grandmother suffered from several chronic conditions which often afflicted people of her grandmother's age. If the ship could cure or treat those conditions it would be best for that to be done first. Upon further thought Lin thought it would be good if all the humans went to the medical center for checkups. She made a note to herself to talk to Kyle about it.

Lin quietly went to her mother, grandmother, and the other two women and quietly made her suggestion that they should visit medical. The older women were reluctant at first but Lin quickly persuaded them to at least go and see what the ship could do for them. The five Chinese women left the area of Kyle's cabin and headed for the medical bay that Lin had seen earlier. Lin didn't bother telling Kyle where they were going, if he wanted to know the ship could find them easily. Lin also correctly assumed Kyle wouldn't have any objection to their making use of the medical facilities on the ship.

In the medical bay the five women were met by an android which was programmed to carry out the role of a human doctor. The ship's AI had tracked the women as well as overheard their conversation so it knew what was needed for Lin and her family when they arrived in the medical bay. The android, dressed in medical white, quickly directed all of the women, including Lin, to lie on the diagnostic beds. Then the diagnostic scanners began scanning each woman looking for any treatable medical condition which might be present.

The scan lasted for several minutes and a number of treatable chronic medical conditions were found in each of the women including two in Lin herself. All of the women were put to sleep with special energy fields and then the medical program began applying treatments to all of the women. All of the detected chronic medical conditions were treatable with the medical technology available in the medical bay. The five women were unconscious for almost half an hour while the treatments were applied.

Lin awakened feeling strangely refreshed and saw the android in medical white looking down at her. Since she had fewer conditions that needed treatment Lin awakened a few minutes before the other women. The Chinese girl found herself feeling fresh and energetic even though the conditions that had been treated and cured for her were minor. While she waited for the treatments to be finished on the other women Lin asked what had been wrong with them.

"Your mother had a small cancerous tumor in her left breast, some endometriosis, and genetic damage due to aging, and several other more minor issues. All has been repaired successfully," the android replied.

"What about my grandmother?" Lin asked.

"Your grandmother had considerable heart damage, two cancerous tumors, arthritic joint deterioration, and significant genetic damage due to aging. All of these have been treated and repaired," the android replied.

"Everyone is healthy now?" Lin asked the android.

"Yes, they will be when the treatments and repairs are completed. This will be within the next few minutes," the android answered.

Lin had to wait a couple of minutes more and then the other women were awakened, again feeling much refreshed and better than they had in years. Lin led the others out of the medical bay and to the clothing synthesizers where all four newcomers donned uniforms exactly like the one Lin was wearing. Then the five women headed back to Kyle's cabin.

Kyle had absently noticed that all but one of the Chinese women had disappeared almost immediately after they had arrived but he didn't really worry about it. The ship's AI was sure to be watching them and they would not be allowed to get lost or hurt. If Kyle needed to find them for some reason he could always ask the AI or one of the androids where they were. Kyle was busy meeting the rest of the women who had just arrived, and in several cases meeting and being introduced to them for the first time.

Before she left with the others for the medical bay Lin had told her twin of her plans and Jun had decided to stay behind in case Kyle should notice the rest of the Chinese women were missing and ask about them. Her younger sister also stayed behind and Jun smiled when she noticed her sister caught Kyle's eye. Jun quickly went to her sister and took her out to get fitted for her ship's uniform.

Kyle was thinking about his planned dinner for later in the dining facility and he found his android Tracy to talk to her about it.

"Tracy, can the food synthesizers make good steak and lobster?" Kyle asked the android girl.

"Certainly, Kyle. The food synthesizers have been programmed to produce a wide variety of human food, those are among the available selections," Tracy answered.

"Good. I would like to have that dining facility set up like a restaurant. I know we can also get meals from the food synthesizers in our cabins but a restaurant would be a nice change sometimes," Kyle ordered.

"Work will commence immediately and should be completed in approximately one hour," the android girl replied.

"Thank you. We will be using that facility for the evening meal so we can all eat together and get to know each other," Kyle said.

"Everything will be ready in time for that," Tracy replied.

"Great! Then I can tell everyone about my plans," Kyle said.

Kyle searched around a little and quickly found Cindy. He noticed she had changed to her uniform and he glanced at her exposed legs appreciatively.

"There is a dining facility near here and I have had it refurbished into a restaurant like place. I would like to have dinner there later with everyone," Kyle told his girlfriend.

"That sounds like a great idea!" Cindy replied.

"Good. Please let everyone else know about it," Kyle said.

"OK, what time do you want to do it?" Cindy asked.

Kyle looked at his watch, suddenly realizing that he hadn't really paid any attention to time on this ship, but it had become necessary. In the controlled environment of the ship time was totally arbitrary and it was whatever time Kyle decided it should be. Kyle decided to just use the same time that his watch was set to and have the ship maintain the appropriate schedules for the human occupied areas.

"I think 6 pm will be fine. I will have the ship set all clocks to our time so everything matches," Kyle replied.

"OK, I will let everyone know," Cindy replied and walked away to start telling the other women.

Kyle turned toward his android Tracy which had been standing silently beside him during his conversation with Cindy.

"Tracy, I would like all of the ship's clocks set to the same time as my watch here," Kyle ordered the android, showing her his wristwatch.

"Yes, Kyle, that has now been done," the android girl acknowledged.

"Good. I would also like to have an all hands dinner at 6 pm tonight at the dining facility I saw near here earlier. From now on that facility will be called "the restaurant" so everyone will know which one we are talking about," Kyle continued.

"Yes Kyle, everything will be ready at the appointed time, androids will be sent to provide service similar to the restaurants you are familiar with," Tracy said.

"Excellent," Kyle replied. "What is our arrival time at Venus?"

"We will arrive at Venus in two hours and 53 minutes. We will enter orbit around the planet shortly after that time," the android girl replied.

"That will be in the middle of the dinner," Kyle said.

"Yes, you are correct. There is a large view screen in the restaurant if you want to display any views of the planet," Tracy replied.

"I will decide about that when the time comes," Kyle told the android.

"If you decide to have the screen activated you need only give the order."

"OK, I will decide when the time comes," Kyle said.

"Acknowledged," the android replied.

Kyle noticed that Lin and her family had reappeared and what really caught his eye was that not only Lin but the entire group was now wearing the ship's uniform. Even the grandmother was turned out and Kyle had to admit she looked quite attractive for her age. As he looked around more he could see that several of the other women had also gotten themselves changed into their own uniforms.

When it came time for dinner everyone trooped down to the dining facility which had been fitted out to look like a high class restaurant. Android waitresses were waiting to provide service dressed in elegant and very revealing dresses. Candles and real flowers were placed on every table. Idly Kyle wondered where they had gotten the flowers. By this time everyone had changed to their ship uniform and Kyle was really enjoying the view as they entered the restaurant.

The androids had rearranged the tables so they were grouped together to make a single long table with enough room for all of the humans to sit at a single table. Kyle took a seat at one end of the table, Cindy sat down on Kyle's right and Jun plopped down in the chair to his left. The others quickly found seats as well and the group was small enough to allow Kyle to easily see and converse with all of the human women he now had on board his space ship.

Moving down the table Lin sat next to her sister Jun and Shelley was sitting next to Cindy. Jun and Lin's younger sister Lien sat between the twins and their mother, Mei-Zhen, and next came their grandmother, Xiao-Xing. Next to Shelley down the table was Tiffany who was the black girl Kyle had noticed earlier. Next to Tiffany was her friend Jackie and the two were talking quietly with each other.

Android waitresses bustled around the table passing out printed menus and taking drink orders. The dining facility was able to provide almost any human food or drink but for this occasion menus were provided to add to the atmosphere. Kyle ordered the steak and lobster that he had asked about before and the others ordered a variety of different meals.

The assembled humans talked and slowly consumed their drinks while they waited for their meals. While the food synthesizers could provide the ordered meals almost immediately there was a planned pause of ten minutes between when the humans placed their food orders and when the food would be delivered to their table. This allowed Kyle and the others some time to talk and get to know each other a little more.

"You know, Kyle, now that you have so many real women on board your ship you need some help to keep them all happy," Cindy said to Kyle as the food started to arrive.

"What do you suggest then?" Kyle asked, wondering what she was getting at.

"You'll have a hard time satisfying so many women so I suggest you get some help. I think it is time for you to have some male androids made," Cindy answered.

Kyle momentarily felt a small stab of jealousy but that faded quickly when he realized there wasn't any way he could take care of all these women now by himself. He also quickly remembered that he would be able to completely control any android which was created which could create something interesting. After thinking about it for a moment Kyle decided to indulge Cindy and let her move forward with her idea.

"Ok, Cindy, after dinner you can go to the android center and get what you want. Bring it back here and show us what you have created," Kyle told his girlfriend.