Chapter 75

Dear Willow and family,

Things seem to be going well. I've got a dozen mice, (not really) but that seems to be the best way to characterize them, or concubines and their children creeping around the ship. I've managed to get the AI to extend limited power and air to a fifth pod and to modify it to be a play area. I feel so stupid for having not having considered that I would be transporting children who would be old enough to benefit from a play ground. I do hope that I haven't overlooked anything else of significance. But just in case I've sent Holly in to ask the women what they think they need. The short answer to that is that was if this trip will be more than a couple of weeks in length that I should see about extending power to one more pod so that they can have a school or daycare of some sort. They also suggested that I make sure that there are more sleep-trainers available as they would help impart any knowledge that I felt they needed.

Since Holly and I really only needed an efficiency apartment I had the pod we're occupying arrange an office for me near the entrance, then I had it create several sleep-trainers that had to be accessed through that office. Just to be certain that I would have the facilities available I had three med-tubes created and had Holly learn to run them. It seemed to me that although the current crop of concubines and dependents weren't sporting any injuries, but some of the files I've read indicate that injuries may be something I can expect.

Darla seems to be the leader among the 'mice' if they can be said to have a leader. At least she's the one who Holly ended up dealing with. I must say that it feels decidedly odd to have them all tiptoeing around me as if I was some sort of ogre just waiting my chance to devour them. Then again I expect that they have no idea of what to expect from me or from the situation that they will be entering into. Beyond that they have lost the anchor in their lives. From the way I felt when Katy disappeared I can only begin to imagine how much worse it would be for the others in my family to have Marissa and I to die. I've written her a letter detailing my concerns. I'm not sure who I would will my concubines to (beyond Marissa) in the case of my death. I have been very remiss in making friends among the community where I've been stationed. I've considered you and would nominate you as third in line after Marissa and someone whom she will nominate. At least that is what I've put in my letter to her, and in the will I've filed.

Holly's been sitting on my lap keeping me entertained while I've been writing this. She just reminded me of how mousy I was when I was aboard the Dawn Princess. "Will," she told me, "these people never knew you as a concubine. They just see you as a sponsor. And you know very well that some sponsors are assholes. Worse yet these people have recently lost their protector. Don't expect them to be anything but mousy."

I had to take Holly to our bedroom and reward her for being smart enough to remind me that the people I have picked up have to be frightened most of the way to death. She tried to deny that she had helped me at all. That meant that I had do punish her by attempting to fuck her into unconsciousness. I'm sure that was almost as much reward as me kissing her and licking her all over her body. I suppose that if I truly wanted to punish my darling I'd have to spank her ... Not that I can think of any reason that I should spank her right now.