[Note: This chapter references events which happened in other novels I have written involving Michael Taylor, including
Journey to the Year 1,000,000,000, Darwin's First Law, The People Makers, Starship Gods, and The Making of a Survey Service Captain.
]
Every minute remaining was precious to them. They knew that first thing tomorrow morning they would have to report back to the Hive. Who knew when they would be able to enjoy fresh air and natural sunlight again? They frolicked in the hot tub, just smiling at each other and enjoying the attraction they felt for one another. Taylor could only see the girls' shoulders and faces but that was enough. He wanted to fuck each and every one of them again and they wanted the same.
Then they went for a brief dunk in the river, and lay down on the beach, sprawling in each other's arms. Time seemed to pass on little feet as dinner rolled around.
Susan and Mushy outdid themselves preparing dinner, Taylor's favorite, roast beef. They stared hungrily at each other as they ate, feeling the strong bonds of attraction. After dinner Susan suggested they go to the fire pit and watch the stars coming out. Soon they had a roaring fire going and were enjoying the warmth of it against the cool evening sky.
"Ok, everyone ready for another game?" Susan asked.
"Not another game!" Sophie groaned.
"Our last game," said Susan firml
"What is it?" Sophie asked. "Mud wrestling? Basketball?"
"Don't be silly, Astor. We don't have the mud or a court to play on," said Susan. "No, this game will be a much
simpler
one." She drew a large bottle she had been hiding behind her back.
"What's that?" Mushy asked.
"Space Whiskey," Susan grinned. "I was saving it for a special occasion."
"That looks like a big bottle," Mushy said.
"Well, there
are
four of us," said Susan.
"What are the rules of the game?" Sophie asked.
"Very simple. One of us asks another of us a question. The person asking the question tries to figure out if the answer is true, or false. If the questioner is correct, the person who answers takes a drink and removes an article of clothing. If the questioner is wrong, the questioner takes a drink, and removes an article of clothing. The person who is most accurate in determining whether answers are true or lies wins the game and gets to spend our final night here with Michael."
"What if I win?" Taylor asked.
"Then you get to choose whichever one of us you want," said Susan.
"And totally, totally crush two of us in the process," said Sophie, with big eyes behind her Rider Mask.
"Oooooh," said Taylor.
"But don't worry, you won't win," said Susan confidently. "You're a man, and men always deceive themselves."
"
Men
always deceive themselves?" said Taylor incredulously.
"Oh, one last thing. Don't cheat," Susan said.
"Cheat?"
"
Screaning
. No future magical powers, you promise?"
"I promise," said Taylor.
"Good," said Susan. "Then let us begin."
*********
Susan turned to Taylor with a wicked grin. "You... you had sex with someone when you were a cadet at the Academy."
Taylor looked startled, and Susan knew she had struck gold. "Someone?" said Taylor tensely.
"I
believe
she was one of your instructors."
Sophie and Taylor exchanged knowing looks. They had been at the Academy together and Sophie knew all of Taylor's secrets.
"Yes," said Taylor reluctantly.
Susan grinned. "You're telling the truth!" She handed him the bottle. Taylor took a short drink and handed it back. The whiskey made him cough.
"And now take something off."
Susan frowned as Taylor took off his right shoe. "You can do better than that! And you will," she said slyly.
"Michael, did you
really
have sex with an instructor at the Survey Service Academy?" said Mushy.
"I'm not proud of it," said Taylor.
"Who was she?"
"My shipboard mechanics instructor, Lieutenant Commander Sarah Blade," said Taylor. "She was a really good instructor."
"The horizontal kinds always are," said Susan.
"She saved my life several times," he said.
"How?" said Susan.
"It... would take too long to explain," said Taylor. He remembered how he had nearly suffocated when life support failed on his very first mission on the
USS Charleston
, and how he had hallucinated Sarah appearing before him, busily engaged in vaginal sex with another version of himself while she explained how to fix the ship. "How did you know?" He asked.
"I heard... rumors," said Susan slyly.
"All right, I have a question for Sophie," said Taylor, desperate to change the subject. "Sophie, you fell in love with me from the moment we first met in the Academy, true or false?"
Sophie felt all eyes on her. "False."
"You told me you did! Remember, last year, when we were both stationed at Port Auburn, doing the things... we did?" He remembered their heavy kissing and fondling sessions by the pond on the southwest end of the spaceport.
"I remember," said Sophie. "I lied to you."
"Sophie!" Taylor exclaimed.
"Did she lie to you then, Michael? Or is she lying now?" Susan asked.
Taylor frowned, resisting the natural urge to
screan
her. He stared deeply into Sophie's hazel eyes. "She's lying now," he said firmly.
"Are you sure?"
"Yes."
"You're right," said Sophie. "I am lying now! Of course I've always loved you, Michael! I hate to say it, but it was love at first sight! I've never stopped loving you!" She stared deeply into his eyes. No one spoke for a long moment. Then she leaned forward and they kissed strongly, passionately. Then Sophie took the bottle and tilted it upwards and coughed. "Wow! That's heavy stuff!" she said, taking off a shoe.
"Now I have a question for Susan," said Sophie. "Susan, I noticed after I left you changed your hairstyle. You have bangs over your forehead now and your hair is parted down the middle."
"So?" said Susan.
"Did you not purposefully change your hair to have the exact same hairstyle as Survey Service Captain Andrea Farber?"
The redhead reddened in the firelight.
"Answer the question, Susan."
"Yes," said Susan reluctantly.
Taylor's jaw dropped open. "Susan, really?"
"Yes," She repeated. "I
knew
something was going on between you and her. Everyone knew about you... and her. I... I thought...."
"Susan, I'd love you however you did your hair. You're
gorgeous
!" said Taylor, taking her into his arms.
"I am?" she said, brightening
"Of course!" As they kissed, only the sounds of wood popping on the fire could be heard.
"Drink," said Sophie, passing her the bottle.
********
"You were in love with Jennifer Hale," said Sophie.
"Yes," Taylor admitted. He and Jennifer had had a complicated relationship. He had been in love with her and she had a certain affection for him, but nothing more. Things grew more complicated between them when they time traveled to the year 500,000 and Jennifer was taken over by the squidlike creatures called the United, who had turned malevolent and tortured him sexually.
"You're telling the truth," said Sophie. She handed him the bottle. "Drink."
"Her sister, Jessica Hale, was briefly our first officer," said Mushy. "You had a thing for her too, didn't you, Michael?"
"That's not a valid question," said Sophie sternly. "You already know the answer to that."
"She was a terribly manipulative person," said Susan. "Still, she didn't deserve to be turned into a sex slave by the Gnip Gnops."
"That's a matter of opinion," said Taylor, remembering all too well how she had humiliated him repeatedly in front of the crew.
"All right, now
I
have a question for Michael," said Mushy. "You never really traveled to the year one billion... did you? I mean, everyone says you did, but that must be impossible... right? Your mission report was classified, so no one really knows, except your crew... most of whom didn't make it back. So... is it true, Michael?"
"Is what true?"
"Did you really travel a billion years into the future?"
Taylor paused a long moment. They all heard the crackle of the fire around them. "Yes," he finally said.
Mushy frowned. "I'm trying to decide whether you're lying or not."
"Well, decide. We've all got some burning questions on our minds, don't we?" said Susan.
"You... you're lying," Mushy said.
Taylor shook his head.
"Not lying?" said Mushy incredulously. "You really
did
travel to the year one billion?"
"Yes."
"What... what was it like?"
"I can't talk about it," said Taylor.
Susan passed her the bottle. "Drink."
********
"You were in love with Andrea Farber," said Sophie. It was phrased almost as a statement rather than a question.
"No," said Taylor.
"No?"
"I was very attracted to her. I still am. But love... no," said Taylor.
Sophie stared hard at him.
"Well, Astor? Is he telling the truth?" Susan asked.
"I... yes, I think so," she said finally.
Taylor took a drink from the bottle, making Sophie smile.
********
"You've had more than one lover... before me," said Taylor.
Mushy felt all eyes on her. She bit her lip, then shook her head.
"You're lying!" Taylor declared.
"Are you?" Sophie asked.
Mushy looked away. "Yes."
Susan cackled. "Mushy, you gave off virgin vibes ten light years in every direction!"
"I didn't say I had
twenty
lovers!" she said. "Only more than one."
"How many?" Susan grinned. She felt the alcohol flowing through her. "Five? Ten? 20?"
"Ask an in-game question if you really want to know!" she cried. "Here, give me the bottle!" She coughed as she swallowed some of it.
"Good for you. Grows hair on your chest," said Susan.
"That I'd like to see," said Taylor.
"How did you know?" Mushy asked Taylor.
"You gave off the image as a sexually inexperienced woman, but I sensed a certain... sensual nature within you," said Taylor.
Mushy twirled her hair and smiled at him, looking pleased.
********
"When you pretended to be a god on that primitive planet, you had sex with your slaves," said Susan.
Taylor stared at her for a long moment. "No."
"Admit it! You did!" Susan tickled him. "Confess! Confess!"