Chapter 16

Father Jacobo Kyushei Tomonaga listened intently. The girl's voice betrayed her confusion and fear.

"I've played with my privates and it felt so good." Cindy could muster little more than a whisper.

"Cindy, did you do this willingly?" The girl's ensuing silence showed an ignorance of the new Catechism of the Milky Way. "Did you touch yourself after being told not to?"

"No, Father."

That response came quick with a dose of honesty. "Have you disobeyed an instruction to not do this?"

"Well, I 'uh, I 'uh like to do this in bed right before I sleep." Her voice hinted she told the truth. "It keeps me up about an extra ten minutes."

"In the new Catechism, masturbation, touching oneself, is acceptable. Self gratification by youth is allowed." A pregnant pause entered the confessional. "Is there anything else you wish to speak to me about?"

He could see she had turned toward the divider screen. "I was happy that a boy I don't like got hurt." She looked down. "I thought it was funny."

"Did you cause the injury?"

"No."

"Could you have prevented the injury?"

She thought a moment. "I saw Louis and the toy." Soft, clear, and concise, she continued. "He was sneaking up to spy on two teenagers fooling around. I thought he was looking at where he stepped." She stopped, cocked her head, and then nodded. "I couldn't see the little plane he stepped on. Part of it stuck in his foot."

Father Tomonaga felt good. He could help Cindy see that she was blameless in the injury. "Did you help him after he was injured?"

"No, Joyce was there. She told everyone what to do. I just watched the five year olds."

"Cindy, was Joyce watching the five-year-olds before the accident?"

"Yes."

"Then by taking over for Joyce, you did help."

"Father, I still feel a bit guilty."

"Cindy, my child, think a moment. At first, did you know he had the plane in his foot, when you first laughed?"

She paused staring blankly. "No, I didn't know till Joyce started giving orders."

He found himself nodding. "I think at first you thought he had just stepped on the toy with no real injury. You saw humor in the action like on a movie." He could see the girl nodding her head, agreeing. "When you learned he was hurt, you felt guilty for finding it funny."

"That's it Father."

He could hear the grin in her words. "I want you to think about the incident. I also think that in the future you need to see if a person is injured before you laugh." He paused to let that sink in. "The boy may very well joke about this later. That is when one can have fun with an accident, when the person hurt is laughing with you."

"I think I understand Father."

"Go with God, my child."

Cindy was the last of his fledgling flock to need him that evening. She took with her a copy of the new Catechism.

Cindy waited with a woman. The woman was dressed conservatively for the ship. She also genuflected upon entering the temporary chapel.

Father Tomonaga extended an open hand. "I am glad you brought Cindy, miss?"

She took his hand lightly. "Salome, Father, I am Salome."

After the shake, he made an inquiry. "Is there anything I can do for you?"

"I follow the Church of Saint Mark," Salome smiled, breaking the handshake gently.

"I have been given full dispensations, been blessed, and anointed to minister to the Churches founded by Saint Peter, Saint Mark, and Saint Andrew."

Salome had a stunned look. "I did not know."

"Copies of the Documents of Ordination and Charges of Ministry are available for your examination." The voice was definitely an AI's, but female, sprinkled deeply with breathiness, bordering on being sultry. It came from the floor.

"Thank you Lilith." Father Tomonaga smiled. "She can be helpful, at times." That brought a smile to Salome. Cindy looked clueless.

"Thank you Father. I, I honestly will see you again."

After a prayer with Cindy and Salome, he walked the pair to the sanctuary entrance. Once the pod door closed, he made his way to his office area and removed his vestments. One last prayer before the Altar, and then he retired upstairs.

He went straight to the shower. He made the decision to separate his priestly vocation from his new life on the second level. In time, he would merge the two aspects into one. Five minutes later, he came to the table. Sitting in his Boston College robe, he surveyed the room. Naomi brought a brought a pot to the table. Kimi placed plates before the three chairs.

He surveyed the two women he had taken as concubine wives after his selection. They were polar opposites in appearance but both were dedicated to the faith.

"Jake, did you have a good day?" Naomi asked.

Here in the family quarters he had the wives call him Jake. Calling him 'Father' seemed exceptionally wrong on several levels.

"Yes, my Jewish temptress." That produced a snicker. Yes, Naomi had the long classical black hair and dark eyes associated with the name. Her golden skin and perky button nose formed the basis for the pun. Naomi also was a traditional Japanese name meaning "beauty."

"I can see that you are a bit excited."

Looking down at his lap, Kimi winked. "I see somebody is excited." This woman served as the stereotypical bleach blond. Neither had been nuns, both were active in the church and had been abandoned by their husbands in previous pickups.

He pondered the predicament for a moment. The advantages outweighed the negatives. He had one week's experience as a married man. Granted, he had two wives. In this short time span, he better understood the marriage counseling courses he took at Boston College.

There were no set guidelines for this type of parish. He had two primary roles in Wayward. The first mission was obviously to minister to his flock. The second placed him as a resource for keeping the family units strong. As a chaplain for a prison, he understood the value of on-the-job training. Having two wives, this marriage became a pleasurable baptism by fire.

Jake let Naomi and Kimi control their augmentations. The results proved to be very enticing and rewarding. During the process, Jake discovered he was an ass-man. Yes, he did enjoy tits, but he could keep eye contact with a woman during a conversation. Maybe this was something he should forward to the archbishop. He thought about the asses he had seen leave the pod today. Jake realized he could engage in sexual contact to relieve his body's reaction to the recent thoughts.

His world suddenly centered on his prick. Kimi slowly began to suck him in. Having been celibate for ten years, Jake found sexual release as an old friend. After a week of these two, he began to understand the frailties of men better. However, with that gain of insight, women had suddenly become elusive mystery.

Three days ago, when Salome and Cindy suggested naming the AI, Bill figured it would be a simple task doable in thirty minutes or less. After the amount of lobbying by the kids, which included crocodile tears, Bill found the colony planning meetings to be an escape. Ray-ray had suggested they both visit Lieutenant Holloman tonight and let the moms deal with it. That lasted until Leslie declared the new AI name would be Bastard Bill.

Bill narrowed the choices to Higgins and Hobson. Each family member but baby Katy, would cast his or her vote in his study.

The AI agreed to the change, surprising Bill. "Quantitative analysis of the data shows that personification of AIs by humans caused those humans to interact more efficiently with the AI." Hobson won by a rough three to two ratio of the votes cast.

"Hobson, I've finished the project." Joyce placed the hollowed eggplant-party-favor into the hanger.

"The measurements are within the parameters you described." Joyce believed the statement to be a complement. "Could this be replicated using a higher tensile cord?"

Higher tensile – momentarily, Joyce thought of Christmas trees. The random thought made her smile. "How much weight does it need to support?"

"At most, the equivalent of fifty pounds." Hobson had converted the measurement to assist Joyce. The ship's AI had observed its cargo of humans. It communicated with Hobson to encourage Joyce to be creative.

"I would like to use a three-eighths inch three strand hemp cord." Looking at her creation, Joyce had an idea. "I could add wood, ceramic, or metallic beads." Spinning the hanging, she noticed a warble. "Could slots be placed in the party-favor to better position the cords?"