[The Survey Service makes contact with the alien species known as Gnip Gnops]
"I am Pralor," said the first holoimage. "And these are First Rinald, Second Rinald, and...."
"He is third Rinald," said First Rinald.
"Yes, that is right," said Pralor.
They were traveling parallel to the alien asteroid and had established communications via holo.
"I am Captain Michael Taylor of the
USS Immortal
," said Taylor.
Pralor laughed. "What a long name!"
"You can call me Captain... or Michael," said Taylor.
"Very well, Captain or Michael!" said Pralor.
"Gnip!" said First Rinald.
"Gnop!" said Third Rinald.
The Gnip Gnops were all big, heavyset men with very thick, fuzzy beards that went down to their chests. They had giant eyebrows and dark tattoos all over their faces and arms. They looked humanoid, but not quite human.
"I am Ambassador Sophie Astor," said Sophie. "I-"
"And I am First Officer Jessica Hale," said Jessica. "It is a pleasure to meet you."
"Pleasure!" said Pralor.
"Gnip!" said Third Rinald.
"Gnop!" said First Rinald. And then they all laughed.
"We want to establish peaceful relations with you," said Jessica. "But first we have many questions. How did your asteroid get here?"
"Gnip?"
"How does it move?"
"Gnop!"
"How do you maintain an atmosphere over such a small low gravity area?"
"Gnip Gnop!" said Pralor. The others laughed. Then he said, "Captain or Michael. You let your women talk for you! Are they in charge?"
Yes
, Jessica thought smugly.
"They are my officers and representatives of the Survey Service and the World Government," said Taylor.
"That's a lot of words!" said Pralor. The others laughed again.
"They speak for me," said Taylor.
"What else do they do for you?" Pralor asked.
"What?"
"These women... are they all yours?" Pralor asked.
"None of these women are mine, strictly speaking," said Taylor.
"None of them? What kind of man are you?" Pralor asked. All the Rinalds laughed. "Tell it true: you have never had either of them?"
Taylor bit his lip.
Of course he had.
One of them as recently as a few hours ago! His penis was still red and sore from when he had pounded Jessica's pussy. "That's not what we're here to talk about."
"I have many women," Pralor said, as if Taylor hadn't spoken. "But none as exotic and fair as these. How did you get them?"
"Jessica Hale is an officer in the Survey Service. Sophie Astor works for the Foreign Service."
"And they gave them to you... for gnip gnop?"
"I... I don't understand."
"Gnip. Gnip gnop," said Pralor. "Forgive us, your language is still new to us. Come, Captain, come to our homeplace. Bring your exotic women with you."
"I'd like that," said Taylor, feeling a bit uneasy.
"We await your arrival," said Pralor. "Gnip!"
And his image faded.
********
"You will not be going down to the planet," said Jessica. She was looking intently in Taylor's holomirror, adjusting her collar a bit critically. "Do you think they're even?"
"They invited me down to the planet."
"You're not going."
"I'm the Captain, I have to-"
She silenced him with a stare. She pressed a slender finger against his chest. "You are not going. The landing party will be me, Sophie, and Susan Cleary."
"Susan? Why Susan?"
"Because that's the way it has to be," she said. "I was told this in my Future Prediction. I would lead the landing party, and Susan and Sophie would be on it." She stabbed him gently with her finger. "You... weren't... in the prediction... so you... don't... get to go."
"Jessica, try to listen to reason. They are an alien race we know nothing about. They seem to have an obsession with women."
"I know. Hopefully they'll be thinking with their cocks as much as you do," she said. She pulled down on her dayshirt and smiled. "How do I look?"
"You're not listening!"
"Of course I am. I'll be armed." She took her mini compression pistol out of her holster. "And I'll have two space marines with me. I'll be perfectly safe. I have to be. This mission has already been predicted to be a smashing success, for all of us. Well, for me at least," she grinned, winking at him.
********
Taylor caught up with Sophie on the hanger deck right before she boarded the shuttle. "Sophie, be careful," said Taylor.
"I will," she said.
"I have a bad feeling about this," said Taylor.
"Jessica claims the mission will be successful," said Sophie.
"But who knows how success is to be defined," said Taylor. He kissed her cheek. "Be careful."
She stared at him with dark eyes. "You already said that."
"I know. I'm saying it again."
Sophie gave him a small smile, and then stepped into the shuttle.
Susan Cleary quick-walked to the shuttle. She would have gone right past Taylor he had allowed it. "Susan, a minute."
"I have to board the shuttle, sir," she said.
Taylor sensed the tension between them. They had been close confidants, once. But she had become alienated from him because of his submissive behavior. Still, he had to try to save her. "Susan, listen, Sophie has to go on this mission. But you don't. You don't have to go if you don't want to."
She gave him an unreadable look, and said, "I can handle myself, Captain." She saw the unhappiness on his face. "Really, sir. I can handle this."
Taylor nodded unconvincingly. He watched her step into the shuttle, and then it flew out of Bay 2.
********
Taylor sat on the bridge impatiently, tapping the floor with his foot. He kept checking his chrono. One hour passed, and no word from the team. He resisted the impulse to comm them. The other crew picked up on his concern.
"No signals?" Taylor asked Mushy.
"Not a word, Sir," she said. "Would you like me to hail them?"
"Not yet." If he called too soon, Jessica could get irritated.