Chapter 3

"I can't tell you how much we appreciate all that you've done and the risks you had to take." The doctor was very sincere in her gratitude. The medicine had been off loaded at the hospital and even now was being distributed to the sick and dying across the settlements.

"It's what I get paid for Doc. These kinds of deliveries are the ones that I like the most - the ones that save lives." It wasn't often that James got this much praise and thanks. He really enjoyed it when he did. The doctor nodded and went back through the doorway of the loading dock into the main hospital. His eyes followed her thong-clad bottom.

James was still somewhat surprised at the amount of skin these colonists showed. Even professionals at work like the doctor. It was a cultural quirk that had to be related to the hot climate of this planet. Even the doctor had been dressed in a bikini that left little to the imagination. That's all he saw on any woman. The men dressed in baggy shorts and few wore any shirts. He felt quite over dressed and had finally shed his shirt after starting to help unload the crates.

His fit and trim shirtless torso had gotten him a silly grin and appreciative eyebrow wiggle from Tarra when he had caught her looking. He didn't think anything could make him blush anymore. He was wrong. She had made some remark about "chromatophores of his own."

James looked around for Tarra. She had said she'd be back after taking the last load into the hospital. No sign of her yet. He leaned back against the wall and thought more about the woman who had so captured his interest. She was easily the most attractive woman he had ever seen. The ability to shift her skin color made her even more interesting.

From a physical standpoint it was like she was multiple people. She could literally take on the skin tones of any of the old Earth ethnic traits that still existed in rare pockets of the Federation. And some traits that weren't. On the flight in she had amused him by shifting her skin color from dark to light. White, black, brown, and every shade in between. Then she flipped to red, green, blue, pink, purple, shocking yellow - you name it, she had it.

It was really wild when she then used different colors to create patterns on her skin. Pink with purple polka-dots took on a completely different meaning when applied to a sexy almost unclothed woman.

James himself was pretty pale when he wasn't tanned. He had the ship change the lighting every few days to give him more UV. That kept him from being fish-belly white and helped his skin produce the much needed vitamin-D.

He had grown up on a planet that was primarily settled early in the Diaspora from the old Earth country Germany. Being early in the exodus from Earth and geographically limited in where the colonists came from, had resulted in everyone having the same ethnic look at first. But as time wore on, more immigrants came with different backgrounds, just as some from his planet left for others. Over the generations the ethnicities blended into one another. Nowadays most everyone on his planet had virtually the same light brown skin. Even if eye colors were all over the map.

James' white coloration was a throwback, reflecting the early Germanic settlers. Prejudice based on skin color had not survived the melting pot of the Earth exodus. James' skin color was really no more notable than someone who had green eyes.

"Sorry it took so long. They were so busy distributing the medicine that it took them a while to open up the dispensary again so I could drop off that last crate." Tarra seemed full of energy as she bounced up to James.

"No problem. Is there anything else we can do to help?"

"Not really. They knew this shipment was coming and had everything organized to get it out to the people quickly and efficiently. I think we'd actually be more in the way if we tried to help."

"Good enough. I've got a little over 20 hours to kill before I need to be back to my ship. It wouldn't be safe to lift before then. The chance of being seen by the General's scanners is too great while the moon is in sight. I want the planet's bulk between me and him. Can we go somewhere? Maybe grab a bite or just relax for awhile?"

James hoped that Tarra would take the hint and they could find some time alone. He really was attracted to her and wanted to find out if her chromatophores really did work on the skin under her bikini. Not that he had doubts, but it always paid to make sure, he thought with a smile.

"My home is just a little over 10 minutes from here. Why don't we go there? I have a pool and we can cool off from the heat and then have an early dinner. I still need to pay you back for that great breakfast." Tarra bit her lip shyly as she waited for his reply. Was she being too forward? It was not easy to know, since different areas both inside and out of the Federation had diverse social customs. He had said he liked initiative.

"That sounds perfect, let's go," James' reply lit up her face with a smile.

The last bikini piece hit the pool deck as Tarra sprinted for the water.

"Last one in is a rotten slaghorn!" Tarra cried before she dove gracefully into the pool. James shed his shorts and was right behind her. He swam fast to catch her before she reached the shallow end where stairs let out of the pool.

She squirmed in his grasp and then relaxed as she turned and put her arms around his neck. She felt wonderful in his arms. It had been a long time since he was this excited over holding a woman.

"What is a slaghorn?" He asked.