Chapter 25

Britney:

"Beth?" I admit that I was surprised. The afternoon had been full of surprises, but this one was a bit more than most. "The Confederacy ignores incest?"

Oliver nodded. "Jack explained the reasoning behind it before the exercise -- but neither Beth nor I took him seriously. In the first place, there is apparently an almost universal attraction between a teenager and his or her parent of the opposite sex. There is already a bond of love and physical attraction comes fairly easily. While there is a valid scientific basis for the incest taboo, it is somewhat overblown; there is very little risk of enforcing an unwanted recessive gene in the first cross, if you will. Animal breeders do this all the time, for instance. Only repetition over more than one generation brings increased risk. Finally, Confederacy medical technology is fully capable of detecting and correcting any issues that might surface."

"Okay..." I nodded.

Oliver gathered himself and continued. "Apparently, there is an established precedent of sons taking mothers and daughters taking their fathers -- and vice-versa -- during pickups. The choice is between committing a forbidden sexual act and losing a loved one forever. Given the removal of the purely medical and genetic reasons not to have sex with that loved one, the choice becomes simple -- a no-brainer, if you will. Jack says that embarrassment over the taboo nature of their relationship usually helps the concubine deal with the change -- more readily than the case of a wife turned concubine who continues to expect that she has a special status and certain perks of position when that position no longer exists."

I held Oliver's hand, caressing it -- primarily to give me something to do. "I see the logic..."

"After we um, dispatched Vera to give fellatio to Jack's superior, Jack surprised both Beth and myself by insisting that she fellate me. We'd both heard the arguments, and we'd been rather insistent with Vera, to the point of corporal punishment -- so Beth followed her instructions, more or less willingly." Oliver looked away. "I could have -- should have -- stopped it. But I was also under some obligation to cooperate -- and once she began, the forbidden nature of the act caused me to take an unholy pleasure in it..."

I was surprised -- but titillated. Unholy pleasure... "Jack says it isn't forbidden..." I offered.

"It isn't -- to Jack," Oliver replied. "But I'm not yet acclimated to his belief system. Perhaps at some point I will be, but for now, I've done something I shouldn't have -- and given an opportunity, I will again."

How terrible was this? Oddly, when I searched my feelings on the matter, I felt vaguely pleased! Oliver was capable of surrendering to temptation ... He'd had his whole world upended in the past two days, poor thing! "What does Beth think of this?" It made a difference if Beth was horrified...

"She's positively without shame!" Oliver replied. "She told me in no uncertain terms that she was sexually available to me at any time as long as Jack approves. And Jack has tempted me with fathering a child on her!"

'Daddy's Girl... ' I thought. I remembered vividly that day when I was thirteen that my father banished me from his lap for being a bit too obvious about rubbing my itchy cunny on him. Would I have had sex with Dad? Yes. Probably any time before the middle of my freshman year in college, when I'd garnered enough sexual experience to become sophisticated. "So it bothers you -- and it seems to bother no one else."

Oliver pursed his lips. "It may bother Vera; we haven't discussed it."

"I consider that whether it bothers Vera is only relevant if you want to humiliate her by having sex with Beth in her presence," I opined. I showed my fangs a bit. "Getting Beth pregnant would probably get her goat..."

"Then... ?"

"I find it ... titillating." It was MY turn to look away in embarrassment.

"You're not upset?"

"This Jack is right," I told him. "I fantasized about sex with my father frequently. Didn't you do similar with your mother?"

Oliver opened his mouth to issue a denial -- and closed it. "Yes."

"Well, then."

"You don't think I'm a monster? A pedophile?"

"Beth is in her twenties, is she not? Did you bother her before puberty?" I asked.

"The thought never entered my mind."

"Then you aren't a pedophile. This is a new thing -- and probably it is more an acknowledgement that she is a woman than anything else. Vera and I have to share you; when you get past that whole monogamy thing, the more, the merrier!" I eyed him sidelong, teasing. "I want to watch! Better -- I want to help!"

"I want to sex YOU right here!" Oliver erupted. "But I want Vera to watch -- up close -- more..." I was amazed at the venom he packed in that latter declaration...

MAJ Howard:

When the receptionist at the Brinkman Foundation dropped myself and Corporal Brock at the desk of the Director's secretary, Doctor Hopkins was standing there. "In the interest of cutting to the chase, I briefed the Director this afternoon. He has his department heads in there; we're about fifteen minutes ahead of schedule as far as the surprise is concerned. I thought it might help if we got them past the first shock..." He paused. "Aside from Peggy, there," he waved at the Director's assistant, "and Britney, here, who has been with me constantly, no one else knows."

I pursed my lips. "And the alert roster?"

Doctor Hopkins pointed at the assistant. Brock circled around to look at the computer screen. "Locked and cocked."

I shrugged and looked at the woman. "Execute." She hit the return key. The escort was standing there, looking from one of us to the other. The assistant, Peggy, looked up at her. "Cynthia, 'the Empire Strikes Back.' Pass the word. The clock starts now..."

"Holy shit!" The forty-something blonde started waving her arms. "Holy Shit!"

"Now, Cynthia!"

"I'm gone!" Cynthia got her shit together and took off at a trot.

"Brock, go with her. Bring the team in. I don't need you here..."

"If you'll step this way, please?" Peggy got up, but the computer bleeped.

"I've got it, Peggy," Dr. Hopkins assured her. "Follow me, Major."

Felicity Rawlins:

My husband Bernie is one of those computer geek guys. He is the IT department head for some small foundation doing number crunching for the government -- something about those aliens. I don't worry about that stuff, you know? I put up with him working all hours of the day and night and I cuddle him when he's home and I raise the kids -- we've got three. I'm lucky -- he's a sweet guy. He's a good provider and he keeps me happy in bed -- we'd have six kids if I wasn't on birth control, it's so good ... Anyway, it was Friday afternoon and I was FINALLY getting out of the grocery store; I'd had to leave my cart and haul Jerry and Pat outside three times to listen to my sister Trinity's woes; she'd married this guy who just couldn't seem to stay out of trouble! He'd been arrested again, and she was unhappy about that, but she was ambivalent because the louse had beaten her the night before, so she was safe for a couple of days. "Why doesn't your husband Bernie have any brothers, for God's sake?" she'd whined... "Why did I have to be so stupid?" I was at my wit's end with her -- it went on and on and on...

My cell phone bleeped while I was loading the groceries; I eyed it crossly but ignored it. If Trinity didn't leave me alone for a few minutes I'd NEVER get done! But then Jerry's went off. Jerry was very proud of the fact that he had a phone at age ten and he was VERY careful with it ... I closed the trunk and handed Patty into her booster seat -- she's not quite tall enough yet that seat belts protect her despite her complaints -- then turned to where Jerry was staring fixedly at the phone screen. "What's the matter?"

"It says 'The Empire Strikes Back', Mommy! It says 'The Empire Strikes Back'!"

"Sure it does..." Bernie had talked to me about this several times, and we'd gotten practice messages before. If there was a pickup at the place he worked, they would send out that message. We'd told Susan what it was supposed to mean, but limited Jerry to the fact that it was important and if he got it while he was at school or out playing, he was to call or come home immediately. I never expected to read that message; Bernie had talked about it and despite the alerts, most Confederacy pickups were closed -- if they took Bernie, he would be gone and that would be that ... The only chance I had at that point was to be wherever the kids were. Still, Jerry knew it and the other message "Cylon Raiders" were important secret codes -- and he'd never lied about them... "Get in the car, Honey, and buckle in. Let Momma see..." Jerry dutifully handed over the phone -- and I stared at the message ... Had he typed it there? Again, it wasn't like him ... I circled the car and got in, grabbing my cell phone. The screen said 'The Empire Strikes Back'! "Jesus God!" I gasped. "Jesus God!" With shaking fingers, I typed "Confirm!" The message went. I waited thirty seconds and the reply came back: 'Confirm. Battlestar Galactica departs in 86 minutes.' "JESUS! GOD!" I started the car. Now what? "Jerry, call your sister! Tell her come home NOW!" Jerry obediently began fingering his speed dial list.

I called Trinity. "I didn't expect you to call -- I know you're mad..." she began.

"Be quiet and listen!" I told her. "Get in your car -- right now! -- and drive to my house! Don't stop anywhere! Don't take any detours! Just get to my house! You have -- I dunno -- forty-five minutes, maybe!"

"What are you talking about?" Trinity asked.

"Are you driving? ASK FROM THE CAR!" I erupted.

"Okay, okay!" There was a pause and some banging. "What's going on?"

Bernie and I had talked about this -- pillow talk. Bernie could take four, including me. He thought he might have to take office girls, but we'd specifically discussed Trinity. I'd never bothered to tell her, though...

"Wait a moment." I put the car in gear and headed out of the parking lot, being VERY careful -- an accident could ruin EVERYTHING! I turned to Jerry, "Has your sister answered?"

"No Momma -- she's at soccer practice, you know..."

"Oh, God..." She probably wasn't carrying her phone ... I put the earpiece to my ear and asked Trinity, "Are you driving?"

"Yes."

"I have problems here. I HAVE to get a hold of Susan. I'm going to make this quick, Trini. Remember when you were complaining about Bernie not having a brother?"

"Uh huh..."

"Okay. This is a one-time offer. I will SHARE Bernie with you. But you MUST be at my house in forty minutes, or you'll never see ANY of us again! Do you understand?"

"No, but I'm driving! You'll explain when I get there?"

"Yes I will! Promise! Just BE THERE!"

"I'm coming!"

"Jerry, Sweetie, I need help. What can we do about getting a hold of your sister?" I had no ideas at all...

"What about her friend Harrah, Mommy? She's always complaining that she's on the bench..." Jerry offered.

"Oh, that would be good, Sweetie, if I had her number!" He was TRYING to help...

"Sissy's phone died the other day and she used mine!" Jerry said brightly. "I put Harrah on speedy dial!"

"You DID!" God above! "Would you dial it for Mommy?" The middle school was ten minutes beyond the house...

"H'lo?" Jerry had the phone on speaker.

"Harrah!" Jerry crowed. "It's Jerry!"

"What's up, Squirt?"

"Sissy isn't answering her phone -- and she has a very important message! Can you give her her phone?"

"She's on the field, Squirt..." Harrah said dubiously.

"Harrah, it's Felicity, Susan's mother. Look, Honey, this is life and death!"

"Okay, when she comes..."

"No, Honey -- NOW! I need her to help me by getting as close to home as she can!"

"Coach will kill me!"

"Trust me, Honey -- she'll understand! Just do it!" Susan could run home in ten minutes -- and I could meet her part way -- but the school was that much beyond the house...

"Phone ... Phone..." There was some crashing and banging and Harrah announced, "Got it! What the fuck? Oops..." Then the thump of running shoes and Harrah panted, "Susie..."

Susie's voice sounded next, against the blast of a whistle and "What are you doing, Fields! Get off..." "Jeez, Harrah! What? What the... ? HOLY SHIT! Where? How?"

"Jerry called. He said..." Harrah began.

"Is he there? Gimme that! Jerry?"

"Sweetie, it's Momma. RUN HOME! NOW! I'll try to meet you on the way. Your Aunt Trini is coming..."

"I'm bringing Harrah!"

"No promises, Sweetie..."

"She's fourteen!"

"RUN! We'll talk about it when you get there!"

"Bye, Mom! Bye, Coach! Harrah..."

"What?"

"Run with me!"

"Okay..." The phone shut off.

I wiped sweat from my face. "You did really, REALLY good, Sweetie! You're Mommy's bestest boy!"

"Aww, Mommy!" Jerry covered his face, thoroughly embarrassed. I should really treat him a little more like an adult...

I blew past the house doing twice the speed limit and started threading my way through the back streets along the drainage ditch that Susan's running path paralleled. No Trini. I hoped she would be there when I'd collected Susan...

Bleep! I snatched at my phone. If this was a false alarm, I was going to be SOOOO MAD!!!

'Galactica departs in 60 min.' SHIT! I zigzagged another block; was that them? Two blocks over? I roared off and went down two blocks and over two. Yes! Susan and Harrah came thudding up to the car, panting.

"Get in!" I yelled. The pair of them bracketed little Patty in the back seat and I backed and filled and headed back toward the house. Bernie was probably freaking...

"Would somebody tell me what's going on?" Harrah panted querulously.

"We're going to a pickup!" I related, unable to look at her in the mirror; I needed my attention for the streets -- I didn't want to hit someone's kids!

"Oh." Harrah sounded disappointed. "That's a waste of time -- my sister and her girlfriends used to chase them. Once they're locked down..."

"Harrah, Honey, this is a special case," I related. "Susan's father works for some people who work for the government -- and if we get this signal, it's an OPEN pickup -- and they're waiting for us!"