47: Sunday July 19, 1400 hours CST: Insemination Station!
"Okay, let's get started," said Coleen. Zach looked around Control Room A from his vantage straddling one of the control chairs. It was full of women he was going to try to knock up this week. All except for Khushi, who was already knocked up. She was here to support Ayana. Colleen stood up and waved her arms. "Come on, people." The rest of the women were sitting on the deck on little pillows thoughtfully supplied by Charisse. There was excitement buzzing in the room. The chatter died down.
Colleen continued, "We're here to work out the logistics of the next week, since starting tomorrow this is the fertile week for half the crew." There was some light applause. "Needless to say, we don't want to kill Zach."
This was followed by laughter and a chant of "KILL! KILL! KILL! KILL!" It died down into laughter.
"What a way to die," quipped Zach. More laughter.
"All right," said Colleen. "Alexis, Colby and Colette drew even days. Ayana, Charisse, and myself drew odd days. The slots are morning, noon, and afternoon. This leaves evenings for Zach to hide." More laughter. "But seriously, he has all of greater Houston to impregnate." More laughter. "I'll be here all week."
"It makes sense for Colleen and I to take the morning slots, because we're sleeping with him," said Colby.
"But will you?" asked Alexis. "Zach likes to prowl."
Colleen turned to Zach, "Can you hold it in after, let's say 4 AM, until?"
"Frankly, I had an awfully hard time sleeping with the five of you last night," said Zach. "I was waking up all the time."
"We're making another place with a bed in it out of the study next door," said Colby. "He could go in there to sleep from 4 o'clock on. Then you or I could go get him. Same thing Earthside."
"That will work at a minimum," said Colleen. "Maybe we can figure out a way to cuddle him more, but that will work."
"Why don't you and I set an alarm for 4 and take him in there personally," said Colby.
"Better," said Colleen.
"Would you like that, baby?" asked Colby.
"Yes," said Zach.
"Oh, the cute wives," said Charisse.
"Now," said Colleen. "What do you need, Ayana?"
"Why don't you give us the afternoon slot," said Ayana. "How about 6 PM at my place?"
"That works for me," said Zach.
"Great! Thank you so much, Zach," said Ayana. "I'm looking forward to it, truly."
"My pleasure," said Zach.
"Colette, any special needs?" asked Colleen.
"My husband and I need after work hours. 6 PM is fine for me as well. I don't have a place Earthside," said Colette.
"We can go to my place," said Zach.
"Are you sure you want to offer your place, Zach?" asked Collen.
"Yes."
"Okay."
"Except tomorrow aboard ship," said Colette. "Zach can find me outside duty hours, I guess."
"How about 10 PM when you wake up?" asked Zach.
"That would be fine as long as it was fine with Trigonometry," said Colette.
"We can make an exception for tomorrow," said Colby. "The sperm must flow." There was scattered laughter.
Alexis said, "Raccoon girl and I are fine with the noon slots. Except I'll take 4 PM tomorrow."
"I'll raccoon girl you," said Charisse.
"Promises, promises," said Alexis.
"There's no noon slot on re-entry day," said Colleen. "That's Charisse's day."
"I can do him at 10 PM if the wives will give him another hall pass," said Charisse.
"That's two nights in a row," sighed Colby. "Not a problem."
"So we're agreed," said Colleen. "Any other business to discuss? Oh right. The press conference on the 22nd at 2 PM."
"No problem," said Alexis. "It's not going to take Zach two hours to knock me up. We can be showered and at the press building by 2 PM easily."
"I wasn't thinking of that," said Colleen. "The brass will want at most one official girlfriend. Zero official girlfriends will probably draw suspicion."
"I guess I'll be it then," said Colby.
"Could I be the official girlfriend?" Khushi ventured. Ayana immediately scowled. Khushi elaborated, "It would mean so much to my parents. In exchange, I can offer you pastries that are supposed to increase Zach's sperm production, according to my mother."
"Well, my parents don't care," said Colby. "Does anybody else care?" There was a chorus of no's.
"What about the four who aren't here?" asked Alexis. "Aanya's parents think she's a lost cause. Heh. Pretty funny because sex with Zach has turned her into a wild insatiable bitch in the sack who likes to be choked and slapped around."
"TMI, Alexis," said Colleen.
"Oh whoops," said Alexis, not looking sorry. "Michaela, no. Berte, I don't know. Could you text her Zach?"
"Sure," said Zach. He texted Berte, "Do you mind if Khushi is my official public girlfriend? There can only be one, and apparently her parents care."
Berte texted back after a moment, "No problem. I can tell my parents it's a secret."
"The communists still think Anming is carrying somebody else's child," said Alexis. "So no problem there."
"Okay," said Colleen. "You're the official girlfriend, Khushi." Another scowl from Ayana.
"This has the added benefit that you can announce I'm already pregnant," said Khushi.
"That we could," said Colleen. "I'll let the publicity office know."
Obviously, by the look on her face, this whole thing did not meet with Ayana's approval. But, clearly, she didn't want to mix it up with Khushi in such a public forum. She stewed and squished her face up in a most unflattering way. Everybody ignored her, not wanting to meddle in the couple's affairs.
"Any other business?" Colleen asked. "Okay then, thank you, everybody."
Ayana stalked off spinward. Khushi glided over to Zach with a lusty smile and twinkling eyes. "Zach, have you got those pastries handy? I hope I didn't just lie to my crewmates."
"I have them ready," said Zach. "The fatted calf, that's me."
The women were dispersing, except for Colleen who was still working here. Khushi nearly touched faces with Zach and whispered, "Ayana is a little upset with me at the moment. Can you think of any place I can hide until I go on duty?"
"Colby and Anming fixed up their old quarters as a hideaway for me," said Zach. "We could go there."
Khushi's big smile and flashing eyes caused Zach's scrub pants to bulge slightly. Cautiously, they proceeded spinward, staying out of Ayana's sight. She was probably walking to the quarters she shared with Khushi. His private place was just past Colleen's quarters. They reached their destination quickly. Zach threw open the hatch.
At first it was dark inside. Then some mood music came up. It was a click track, and a nice girl was rapping about being horny, and then a guy started rapping, "I'm going to beat the puss up." Dim lighting came up in the room around then, as Zach and Khushi were standing there listening to this increasingly questionable song. There was a king size bed with a pink comforter against the far wall. There was a bedside table with an array of lubes and sex toys on it. Then the lighted sign came on. It said, "INSEMINATION STATION!" in big letters with an arrow cycling down from it towards the bed. Khushi looked at him, gobsmacked. Zach doubled over with laughter.
"What is the meaning of this?" said Khushi. "Is this some kind of joke?"